Who is Washington's Biggest Rival?

[IafrateOvie34]

For me it's Philadelphia. And it's not close.

Voted for Pittsburgh, but it was a tough choice. I mainly chose Pitt due to the 1992 and 2009 season where the Caps had legitimate chances. I'm with you though in I despise the Flyers more than any of those teams, even over the Rangers.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

Rangers goal song

gross

The New York teams have the most annoying goal songs on the planet.

 

[SpinningEdge]

There is not a team that is the Caps biggest rival.

The Caps biggest rival - and everyone here will agree.... is the playoffs.

 

[hb12xchamps]

Chose the Rangers primarily because of the intense playoff series the past few years. Pittsburgh would be the 2nd choice and a tough choice between the Flyers and Islanders for 3rd. On one hand that Islanders series was brutal last year and on the other hand it's the Flyers

 

[IafrateOvie34]

The New York teams have the most annoying goal songs on the planet.

Indeed and I'll add the Blue Jackets goal song to that list .

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

Right now I'd say it's the Rangers, we lose every year to them. Historically, it's the Pens.
Nothing turns my stomach more than watching the Pens whine to the refs.

 

[ALLCAPSALLTHETIME]

Current: Rangers. Can't stand the idiotic New York media. Like King Henrik but don't like AV, the coach.
All time: Has to be the Pens with Philly a close second and the Isles a little more distant third.

 

[majormet]

You guys have an elite team right now, but Isles took the Caps to 7 games last year in a heated series with key Isles injured (Hamonic and Viznosky), Pittsburgh has not been relevant for a few years, Rangers are always in the mix and the other teams are mostly rebuilding for the next few months it will be the Isles... After all Caps/Isles played the best hockey game of all time in the 1980's, Easter Day marathon.

 

[majormet]

And there is bad blood between the Isles and Caps... The Dale Hunter hit on Pierre Turgeon in 1993 was the dirtiest play ever.... Tom Wilson had a dirty hit last year in the playoffs... heck George McPhee now works for the Isles... I think this spring, Isles/Caps will heat up....

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

You guys have an elite team right now, but Isles took the Caps to 7 games last year in a heated series with key Isles injured (Hamonic and Viznosky), Pittsburgh has not been relevant for a few years, Rangers are always in the mix and the other teams are mostly rebuilding for the next few months it will be the Isles... After all Caps/Isles played the best hockey game of all time in the 1980's, Easter Day marathon.

And there is bad blood between the Isles and Caps... The Dale Hunter hit on Pierre Turgeon in 1993 was the dirtiest play ever.... Tom Wilson had a dirty hit last year in the playoffs... heck George McPhee now works for the Isles... I think this spring, Isles/Caps will heat up....

Should be a fun series if we meet again. I have to say I'm starting to hate the Isles even more than the Rags and the Pens, which is something.

 

[ALLCAPSALLTHETIME]

And there is bad blood between the Isles and Caps... The Dale Hunter hit on Pierre Turgeon in 1993 was the dirtiest play ever.... Tom Wilson had a dirty hit last year in the playoffs... heck George McPhee now works for the Isles... I think this spring, Isles/Caps will heat up....

GMGM works for the Isles now? Lol.

 

[majormet]

Should be a fun series if we meet again. I have to say I'm starting to hate the Isles even more than the Rags and the Pens, which is something.

We have some hate worthy players of our own especially Clutterbuck LOL

These teams will meet again, clearly 1/2 in the Eastern Conference, Isles will have bigger dmen this time arounds and Caps will have Oshio and addition by subtraction without Mike Green.

 

[majormet]

GMGM works for the Isles now? Lol.

Yeah I think our potential new owners have him in place to take over if the Isles fail to make the playoffs. GMGM is partly responsible for this juggernaut team you have now.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

We have some hate worthy players of our own especially Clutterbuck LOL

These teams will meet again, clearly 1/2 in the Eastern Conference, Isles will have bigger dmen this time arounds and Caps will have Oshio and addition by subtraction without Mike Green.

Perhaps we meet again, but it would be in the 2nd round this time.
What kind of players are you targeting at the TDL? Is Hamonic going to leave?

Yeah I think our potential new owners have him in place to take over if the Isles fail to make the playoffs. GMGM is partly responsible for this juggernaut team you have now.

GMGM drafted well and made a few good moves, but outside of that, he was clueless. He spent 16 years as Caps GM and was lucky enough to stumble upon a generational talent at the 2004 draft. He kept hiring rookie coaches and we never advanced. I blame him and the coaches he hired for wasting away Ovechkin's best years.

 

[majormet]

Perhaps we meet again, but it would be in the 2nd round this time.
What kind of players are you targeting at the TDL? Is Hamonic going to leave?



GMGM drafted well and made a few good moves, but outside of that, he was clueless. He spent 16 years as Caps GM and was lucky enough to stumble upon a generational talent at the 2004 draft. He kept hiring rookie coaches and we never advanced. I blame him and the coaches he hired for wasting away Ovechkin's best years.

Washington coaches were bad, always felt that they underachieved under Boudreau and Oates for sure.

Hamonic won't be dealt this year for sure, but he wants to go back to Western Canada so offseason for that.... At the deadline, Isles never make big deals, so I would assume we will just roll out the younger players, although I think upgrading Dubinsky over Grabovski would help.. Grabovski (as you know) is a passenger

 

[trick9]

Flyers games always have the rivalry type of feeling in them. It's just my opinion but i haven't never really developed that much of rivalry against the Rangers, even though we've faced them about 100 times in the last 7-8 years. Penguins rivalry comes in 2nd.

Islanders -rivalry could take a next step in the playoffs this year but i'm not sure they'll be able to take down the Rangers in the 1st round.

 

[Backstrom #19]

And there is bad blood between the Isles and Caps... The Dale Hunter hit on Pierre Turgeon in 1993 was the dirtiest play ever.... Tom Wilson had a dirty hit last year in the playoffs... heck George McPhee now works for the Isles... I think this spring, Isles/Caps will heat up....

So a hard hit equals dirty hit?

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

The Rangers and Penguins rivalries feel stale. The Isles rivalry is fresh. The Caps were better (barely) in the series last year and I think the Caps have improved more than the Isles have. It will be interesting to see what New York does at the TDL.

 

[majormet]

The Rangers and Penguins rivalries feel stale. The Isles rivalry is fresh. The Caps were better (barely) in the series last year and I think the Caps have improved more than the Isles have. It will be interesting to see what New York does at the TDL.

If the Isles can grab a few physical players that could narrow the gap, but right now Washington manhandles us... if JT can discover his scoring touch that would make a difference too.

Wilson's hit was questionable.

Adding Oshie has helped a lot, but man is Braden lights out in goal.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

If the Isles can grab a few physical players that could narrow the gap, but right now Washington manhandles us... if JT can discover his scoring touch that would make a difference too.

Wilson's hit was questionable.

Adding Oshie has helped a lot, but man is Braden lights out in goal.

What happened to JT? His numbers are awful by his standards. Is he playing the same way as last year? I had him winning the Art Ross this year with 92 pts. Talk about a bad prediction.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

If the Isles can grab a few physical players that could narrow the gap, but right now Washington manhandles us... if JT can discover his scoring touch that would make a difference too.

Wilson's hit was questionable.

Adding Oshie has helped a lot, but man is Braden lights out in goal.

The Isles need a healthy Boychuk, 1 or 2 physical defensemen, and someone in the top 9 that isn't soft as butter. I guess Okposo is kind of physical when he wants to be, but none of Tavares, Nielsen, Lee, Grabo, etc are going to bring that type of game. Adding Byfgulien and/or Hamuis would go a long way, or if you could pry Brent Burns out of San Jose.

A lot has helped the Caps this year. The additions of Oshie and Williams. Kuznetsov establishing himself as a top 15 center. Burakovsky is now taking a step forward. Chimera is having a career year. Wilson has found his offensive touch now that he's not being asked to punch faces and play 7 minutes a night. Orlov and Schmidt have added tremendous depth and versatility to an already strong blue line. And yes, Holtby. The likely Vezina winner. The Caps are a complete team. They're no longer the Washington Ovechkins. A lot of guys have stepped up and thrived in new roles.

 

[Maruk moustache]

I dislike the Rags more than the Pens.

Me too.

(1) Caps, I'm pretty sure, have been in the same division as NYR more than they have with the Pens. I'm old enough to remember the Caps started in the Norris division with the Penguins (and the Kings, Wings, and Canadiens--that'd be an interesting division nowadays). But, that didn't last more than a few years. Then they got moved to the Patrick which more of us remember because they were there for quite a while.

(2) I think the Caps have actually faced the Rangers in the playoffs more often than the Penguins.

(3) It's New York.

Second in my mind is the other expansion team born the year the Caps were born, the Kansas City Scouts, which are now the Devils, who won multiple Cups with our Scott Stevens. It's like a sibling rivalry--one which, in terms of Cups, we're very much losing. Haven't faced them in the playoffs much though.

Third is the Penguins of course though. Or maybe it's the Penguins second and Devils third.

 

[jsykes]

Pitt
Rangers
Flyers

I really hate the Pens. As a matter of fact, I'd be happy with a year in which we lost every single game, but beat the Pens in all our meetings. I hate them and it doesnt matter if they are good or not, just revel in seeing them lose.

The Rangers are number two just because of the recent playoff history.

Historically though, the Flyers are probably the biggest through the 80s and 90s and still garner a lot of hate from those that have been fans their entire lives.

 

[majormet]

The Isles need a healthy Boychuk, 1 or 2 physical defensemen, and someone in the top 9 that isn't soft as butter. I guess Okposo is kind of physical when he wants to be, but none of Tavares, Nielsen, Lee, Grabo, etc are going to bring that type of game. Adding Byfgulien and/or Hamuis would go a long way, or if you could pry Brent Burns out of San Jose.

A lot has helped the Caps this year. The additions of Oshie and Williams. Kuznetsov establishing himself as a top 15 center. Burakovsky is now taking a step forward. Chimera is having a career year. Wilson has found his offensive touch now that he's not being asked to punch faces and play 7 minutes a night. Orlov and Schmidt have added tremendous depth and versatility to an already strong blue line. And yes, Holtby. The likely Vezina winner. The Caps are a complete team. They're no longer the Washington Ovechkins. A lot of guys have stepped up and thrived in new roles.

You are right Isles top 9 is soft, Anders Lee is physical but has taken major steps back in offense this year.

JT is down because Isles changed their system after the Caps series to become more defensive, very few scoring opps for him plus he plays on lines with guys like Josh Bailey who do nothing.

Trotz has done wonders as well as the coach.

 

[gsx capsfan]

Pitt...

No one else matters.

I hate Pitt. A good hockey night is when they lose. I like seeing others in our division lose, but nothing is as enjoyable as a Pens loss. Obviously this doesn't include a Caps win.

As much as I hate playing the Rags in the playoffs, I don't hate the team. The Islanders are an up and coming team, better then last year, but a few players are under performing. I don't see us playing them until the 2nd round, if both teams make it that far.

I'd like to see a NY-NY round 1.