Who comes out of the East?

[Hivemind]

Carlson is elite.

Caps fan saying that Carlson is not elite.

 

[Carlzner]

Washington fan overrating their roster again pertaining to "playoff hockey".

Sure.

See you in April.

 

[Super Cake]

Caps.

 

[Blueblood2]

I think it'll be the NYR.

If the Leafs make the playoffs (probably not, but maybe) that's the team I'd be most afraid of facing.

We dont have the D to get through both the Pens and Caps. The only way for us to the SCF is through the Atlantic and only having to play one of them and hope we pull an upset.

 

[Ogrezilla]

Pens or Caps. Though whichever Metro team gets to play through the Atlantic could have a good shot too.

 

[gordie]

Sure.

See you in April.

See the Caps on the Golf Course in May once again.

 

[txpd]

Truth about the Caps. When they have a good team, its a good team. That they break mentally and lose is extra weight that they carry. There is no question about that.

But the Cubs won the World Series last year and the Red Sox have won in recent years after far longer periods of failure.

If you are the 2/3 Metro teams team. do you really want the Caps over some hot and coming on WC team? Really?

If you swapped the sweaters on that roster with that record and those stats you would be saying they are the team. They are the Caps, they are chokers til they aren't. At somepoint they wont be anymore.

 

[leaflover]

Too easy, the Metro.

 

[Ogrezilla]

This Caps team scares me far more than they did last year. And they were really good last year too.

 

[gordie]

Truth about the Caps. When they have a good team, its a good team. That they break mentally and lose is extra weight that they carry. There is no question about that.

But the Cubs won the World Series last year and the Red Sox have won in recent years after far longer periods of failure.

If you are the 2/3 Metro teams team. do you really want the Caps over some hot and coming on WC team? Really?

If you swapped the sweaters on that roster with that record and those stats you would be saying they are the team. They are the Caps, they are chokers til they aren't. At somepoint they wont be anymore.

At some point the soon-to-be 32 year old Ovechkin returns to play in the KHL because the NHL refuses to let him play in the 2018 Olympics. That's just next year!!! Time is running out in Washington DC.

 

[Mrb1p]

Pens big four is significantly better than your examples.

But front loaded in forwards.

I'd say Galch over Rads, and Saad/Wenn over Were/Bob, but get your point. Pitt does have the BEST of the big 4s. (If healthy, Stammer+Heddy+Kuch+JD would be better)

As usual, it's ya boy Jonathan Drouin.

Radulov is our best forward, he absolutely needs to be in there, over anyone else and it's not even a question anymore.

Saad might be right, probably over Werenski, but Bob is probably their best player also.

Drouin in a big four is sad, btw.

 

[HatTrick Swayze]

Gut says it's the Caps' year.

Though my gut has been saying that for a while now. So who knows.

 

[hagelin1381]

Carlson is elite.

top pairing guy for sure.. elite? not sure about that

 

[Bladerunner]

Pens big four is significantly better than your examples.

significantly?

While it's common on message boards, especially sports boards, I've never understood why posters exaggerate. It's as if it will make their point "stronger". To me it's laziness and makes their point weaker.

 

[NoMessi]

Capitals or Penguins from Metro, and whoever wins will be the heavy favorite to go to SCF. Bolts need to find their game or Canadiens will need Price in god mode for it not be a very lopsided ECF.

 

[Ogrezilla]

significantly?

While it's common on message boards, especially sports boards, I've never understood why posters exaggerate. It's as if it will make their point "stronger". To me it's laziness and makes their point weaker.

In terms of the top 4 players as listed in that post, The Caps are close to the Pens. The Jackets, Habs, and Rangers are not. That's not to say the teams as a whole aren't very good, but their top players simply aren't near the level of Sid, Geno, Kessel, and Letang. They have guys near Letang and Kessel, but not Sid or Geno.

 

[Battle Lin]

probably the team with the top 2 players in nhl

 

[Bladerunner]

Washington fan overrating their roster again pertaining to "playoff hockey".

Most astute hockey fans know that Sid, Geno, Kris, and Phil are "significantly" better than Ovechkin, Backstrom, Holtby, Kuznetsov (or Carlson)

For example last seasons playoffs vs Caps where Sid & Geno ran roughshod over Ovi & Backs

Gotta hand it to Mr Cookie, he had a good playoff run. Will he repeat that? How about Murray, will he be ready or will you have to depend on MAF?

 

[Maximus]

Rangers fan and it pains me to say this but it's probably should be the Caps who make it out of the East. This Caps team now that Oshie is fully integrated and with the addition of Eller looks to me like the best team in the East from what I've seen.

Now that said, there is something to be said about history. And the Caps as we all know seem to year after year have epic fails despite their being uber talented. So it's not a lock at all.

Penguins obviously will have something to say about this and I'm sure if there was a poll, the Pens would be the likely winner of any poll done as to who would emerge from the East between the two of those teams.

The Rangers IMO have a punchers chance as well. But that would be if they somehow ended up as the 4th seed in the Metro where they go thru the Atlantic and than play the surviver of the Metro which likely would be either the Pens or Caps. Unortunatly due to this stupid playoff system, Rangers are likely going to pass the Jackets and end up 2nd or 3rd which would mean they would have to beat both Caps and Pens. Unless Gorton get Shattenkirk and Hanky plays like he played back in 2013-2014, I just don't see it happening. But if they did get lucky and played the Atlantic, I do think they'd beat Montreal and either an Ottawa,Boston,Toronto,Florda,Tampa and if it ended up being the Caps in the ECF, that would give alot of us Ranger fans alot of hope. If it was the Pens who we would play, it would be very doubtful we would get past them.

No one from Atlantic will that's for damn sure. The BJ's I give no shot at all as well even if they ended up as 4th seed and played the Atlantic. Too much inexperience and they are starting to show the warts they have.

So gun to my head I'm going to say the Capitals finally break their curse and get out of the East. I hope I'm wrong and my Rangers do but I'm afraid I'm not. Caps have the goods to beat the Pens as much as it would bug me despite how much I like Ovie.

Should be a fascinating playoff run in the East...can't wait....

 

[leaflover]

San Jose finally got to the final last year and it seems fitting Washington do likewise this spring.

 

[SoupNazi]

Rangers or Caps.

 

[KoozNetsOff 92]

The last team to win the Cup without an elite defenseman was Carolina.

Even though we don't have a Doughty/Keith type, our defense overall is pretty damn solid. And Holtby is the best playoff goalie in the NHL so I'm not worried. Our GA has never been a problem in the playoffs, it's always the O dries up.

 

[SpookyTsuki]

Caps fan saying that Carlson is not elite.

He's not top 10. But he's a 1d. Which can win you cups

 

[Ducati1098VII]

Leafs or Caps

 

[Maximus]

He's not top 10. But he's a 1d. Which can win you cups

Agreed. Once again as a Ranger fan I'm saying this. Carlson is as close to elite withought being elite as you can get. Their entire Top 6 d corps is as good as any in the league. Combine that with Holtby who is at worst one of top 3 goalies in the league and 4 lines that are as good as any in the league as well, the Caps are as set as they have ever been to not only get out of the East but win a Cup.

Now as I said before, **** happens and Pens could beat them for certain as they are probably as good all around as the Caps are. And the Rangers seem to be their kryptonite but we'd have to have Hank morph into the Hank of the two years ago and us getting a Shatty and both of things are far from certain.

But there is no reason whatsoever the Caps don't get out of the East at the very least....pretty obvious to me.