WSH, CBJ, or NYR? What if..

[Gardner McKay]

He isn't, until he wins a Vezina.

He's playing well right now but I would take Lundqvist and Bob over him any day, especially in the playoffs.

I would take Lundqvist over any goaltender in the league in the playoffs. Quick is easily 1B. We had a great team last year but Henriks record in game 7s speaks for itself.

 

[Rich Nixon]

This is the most "eastern conference" thread I've ever seen. None of these teams scare anyone in the West.

Agreed. Lundqvist is the only thing to fear on any of these three teams.

This thread is evidence of what a mediocre nightmare an Eastern Conference playoff race is when there isn't a solid Flyers team around to finish 4th in the conference and tear the faces off teams like this and get suspensions and troll the Penguins, and a brain-meltingly boring Devils team that'll win 45 games. The "new NHL" sucks. Barry Trotz coaching Ovechkin? A competitive Bluejackets? Rick Nash and Marty St. Louis? None of this matters. None of these teams matter. They're wasting all our time by not being unbelievably bad or ludicrously barbaric.

Abolish the cap. Resurrect Lindros. Bring back the trap. More Scott Stevens. Let Bob Clarke handle the finances. **** all this.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

you just mad cuz we won that shootout dude

Na. The shootout was the only interesting part of the game. You guys are by far the least entertaining team in the NHL. There's not a single player on your team I enjoy watching outside of Bjugstad.

 

[HOLDITHERE*]

Agreed. Lundqvist is the only thing to fear on any of these three teams.

This thread is evidence of what a mediocre nightmare an Eastern Conference playoff race is when there isn't a solid Flyers team around to finish 4th in the conference and tear the faces off teams like this and get suspensions and troll the Penguins, and a brain-meltingly boring Devils team that'll win 45 games. The "new NHL" sucks. Barry Trotz coaching Ovechkin? A competitive Bluejackets? Rick Nash and Marty St. Louis? None of this matters. None of these teams matter. They're wasting all our time by not being unbelievably bad or ludicrously barbaric.

Abolish the cap. Resurrect Lindros. Bring back the trap. More Scott Stevens. Let Bob Clarke handle the finances. **** all this.

People like you are the reason things suck in this world. Let's bring back slavery, those were the days! No one will ever be better than Bobby! SLAYER! RAWR!

It doesn't suck, you just refuse to advance. Go watch the NBA, that only changes slightly every ten years or so.

 

[RangersOwnNewYork*]

All 3 teams are very good teams and when healthy can beat anyone in the east. I'm a ranger fan and a little biased but I think in the playoffs the rangers would be the most dangerous with the combination of speed, defense, depth, and goaltending. Not to mention a 2 deep playoff runs the last few years.

 

[Rich Nixon]

People like you are the reason things suck in this world. Let's bring back slavery, those were the days! No one will ever be better than Bobby! SLAYER! RAWR!

It doesn't suck, you just refuse to advance. Go watch the NBA, that only changes slightly every ten years or so.

Don't relate the real world to sports. Equal rights for all. This is entertainment. Mediocrity does not entertain me.

 

[Sam Spade]

All 3 teams are very good teams and when healthy can beat anyone in the east. I'm a ranger fan and a little biased but I think in the playoffs the rangers would be the most dangerous with the combination of speed, defense, depth, and goaltending. Not to mention a 2 deep playoff runs the last few years.

Caps and Jackets aren't in the same league as the Rangers.

I would take the Rangers over any team in the East in the playoffs. Fast, very good D, great goalie.

 

[The Lunatic Fridge]

lol @ lundqvist is the only thing to fear from any of the teams. I guess that guy Rick Nash whos only behind Seguin in goals scored and playing at over PPG isn't much of a concern.

shoutout to bobrovsky and ovechkin being pretty awful aswell.

 

[Machinehead]

lol @ lundqvist is the only thing to fear from any of the teams. I guess that guy Rick Nash whos only behind Seguin in goals scored and playing at over PPG isn't much of a concern.

shoutout to bobrovsky and ovechkin being pretty awful aswell.

Don't be silly, our top 5 offense is nothing to fear.

 

[MrClutch86]

Piggy backing off another thread,

What if the playoffs started and your team had to face one of these teams, who do you want to play, who do you fear the most and why?

Obviously we pretend your team and these are in regardless of standings, just for the sake of discussion.

I feel like the Caps are under rated and have turned a corner, the Rangers are always dangerous with the king and CBJ is good despite injuries. Let's hear your thoughts.

Probably the Jackets or the Rangers. The Lightning never beat the Capitals. I think we have more talent than Columbus, and the Rangers we seem to do very well against.

 

[JenniferH]

I don't know that anyone is saying that Holtby is better than Lundqvist or that he would be more feared. If they are, then they are wrong. I think some Caps fans are tired of Holtby being underrated by other teams fans as well as other Caps fans and defend him a little too vehemently. It is possible for Holtby to outplay Lundqvist however, especially over a small sample size with different teams playing in front of and against them. Young Caps goalies have in the past.

This is also not Holtby's first good year. He has played well over the last three years that he has started. Notwithstanding last year on the PK.

Exactly. I'm a huge Holtby fan, but I wouldn't say that he's better than Lundquist (I'm a big King Henrik fan) or that he's even remotely more feared than Lundquist. (Hell, Holtby isn't feared at all--except maybe in Boston.) But, yes, I'm very tired of him being underrated. He's ranked #8 among all goalies in the league right now, has one of the best save percentages overall despite a slow start and after being pretty much decimated by his complete joke of a coach last season. He's very much an above average goalie and yet fans of other teams and many Caps fans still blame him for most Caps losses and talk as if he's a subpar goalie and as if goaltending is a problem with the Capitals. It's frustrating.

 

[silverfish]

This is the most "eastern conference" thread I've ever seen. None of these teams scare anyone in the West.

The Rangers are 6-1-3 vs the West (is best) this season, but no, you're right, nothing to be scared of on that roster.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

Rangers are a fast team. Their transition game is dangerous. Last nights game was expected by a good amount of Caps fans. And I won't even get into the officiating... what an embarrassment.

 

[FourRings]

I'd least want to face the Rangers. Main reason? Lundqvist.

 

[AHB*]

I don't know that anyone is saying that Holtby is better than Lundqvist or that he would be more feared. If they are, then they are wrong. I think some Caps fans are tired of Holtby being underrated by other teams fans as well as other Caps fans and defend him a little too vehemently. It is possible for Holtby to outplay Lundqvist however, especially over a small sample size with different teams playing in front of and against them. Young Caps goalies have in the past.

This is also not Holtby's first good year. He has played well over the last three years that he has started. Notwithstanding last year on the PK.

You're completely missing the point. I actually think Holtby is a decent starting goaltender. However, this is the first year he is putting up the stats to even be considered up there with top notch starters and we're a little over a third of the way through the season.

Holtby has played "well" but he hasn't played at an elite level, which is what we're discussing here in terms of "fearing" goalies.

I actually think I probably like Holtby more than the average fan, since I watch quite a few Caps games. I think he might be the first steady goaltender this team has had in quite some time.

That being said, if Caps fans want the underrating of Holtby to stop, comparing him to arguably the best goalie in the NHL is not a place to start. Because right now, he really isn't in the same category as Lundqvist. Obviously when comparing the two, he's going to get underrated.

There are numerous teams in the East that have seen series go the Rangers way or at least where the Rangers have had life, due to Lundqvist and solely him, including the Caps. Holtby hasn't done anything at the level yet and he certainly hasn't done it multiple times.

 

[capsfan59]

Honestly, we lost yesterday, but the caps had played the day before. It really was expected that we would lose.However, in the third period the chances the caps were getting were unreal. Looking at yesterday's game, the Rangers are a good team, but they don't look scary at all. Some of our young players like Kuznetsov are playing better and will continue to improve.
The rangers did own us in the first two periods but we had perhaps 20 shots on goal in the third period. Unluckily for us, someone got called for a double minor at the end of the game. I really believe we would win that game if not for that as the Rangers were getting owned big time.
It seems that the Caps are coached better.

 

[SashaSemin28]

Rangers are a fast team. Their transition game is dangerous. Last nights game was expected by a good amount of Caps fans. And I won't even get into the officiating... what an embarrassment.

Bad officiating at MSG, never.

Granted the Rangers have that advantage if it is Washington - NYR, officiating at MSG is an absolute joke. (See 2013 Playoffs)

 

[bigbuffalo313]

Bad officiating at MSG, never.

Granted the Rangers have that advantage if it is Washington - NYR, officiating at MSG is an absolute joke. (See 2013 Playoffs)

1-The Rangers were one of the least penalized teams in the 2013 regular season and in the playoffs there are generally less penalties called so what do you expect?

2-The Caps scored 0, I repeat, 0 goals in both games 6 and 7. You should probably focus on that more than the officiating

 

[Doctyl]

Bad officiating at MSG, never.

Granted the Rangers have that advantage if it is Washington - NYR, officiating at MSG is an absolute joke. (See 2013 Playoffs)

Back to back shutouts from Hank in games 6 and 7?

 

[Jacoby4HOF66]

Back to back shutouts from Hank in games 6 and 7?

Interesting .gif there. Considering where Miller is when he does that, and who he does that too, seems clear you know 1st hand what a choke is when you see it.

Having watched last nights game I was concerned the way the Caps were dominated threw the 1st 2 periods, even when taking in that it was the 2nd of a back to back, but then the 3rd period happened. Not concerned anymore. Besides The King who do they have? Nash? OK, but the guy is 30 and just now reaching his peak? I thought goal scorers peaked early and then trended down as they aged? Nash is the exception? I doubt it.

Don't get me wrong the NYR are a very good team, and The King is damn good, but that 3rd period showed me the Caps can more than hold their own against the NYR. Then factor in the players getting more comfortable with The Trotz as the year goes on? Should be pretty even between the two teams. Wild card is Holtby. Enough about potential. This is the year he either establishes himself as a bona fide #1 or not.

 

[AHB*]

Honestly, we lost yesterday, but the caps had played the day before. It really was expected that we would lose.However, in the third period the chances the caps were getting were unreal. Looking at yesterday's game, the Rangers are a good team, but they don't look scary at all. Some of our young players like Kuznetsov are playing better and will continue to improve.
The rangers did own us in the first two periods but we had perhaps 20 shots on goal in the third period. Unluckily for us, someone got called for a double minor at the end of the game. I really believe we would win that game if not for that as the Rangers were getting owned big time.
It seems that the Caps are coached better.

Yea, no.

 

[SashaSemin28]

1-The Rangers were one of the least penalized teams in the 2013 regular season and in the playoffs there are generally less penalties called so what do you expect?

2-The Caps scored 0, I repeat, 0 goals in both games 6 and 7. You should probably focus on that more than the officiating

It was the penalty differential which was a problem especially the differential at MSG. Also, when a team is very dependant on the powerplay, not getting a single powerplay in a series decider (game 6) was an absolute joke.


The Capitals should have scored in games 6 and 7 but to disregard the officiating at MSG in that series is completely asinine.

 

[The Lunatic Fridge]

It was the penalty differential which was a problem especially the differential at MSG. Also, when a team is very dependant on the powerplay, not getting a single powerplay in a series decider (game 6) was an absolute joke.


The Capitals should have scored in games 6 and 7 but to disregard the officiating at MSG in that series is completely asinine.

Funny, Because you and other (some) caps fans are the only ones that whine about this and use it as an excuse to why your team lost. "They should have scored" is not an excuse to why your team lost and got blown out 5-0 at home in a game 7. Not even mentioning the game 6 shutout. It's not like it was the first time the game 7 blowout has happened either. But hey, It's all the refs fault. Someone should inform them they should stop waving off NYR's goals like a dozen times in the last year.

Somehow, Magically, None of the other opponents the rangers faced complained that the officiating was one sided. Shocker.

Actually, I don't even know why this is even being discussed. This is not a "lets revist wounds from past playoff years" thread.

 

[Levitate]

Why did Trotz have a winger taking the face off after that double minor anyways? A mistake by a guy who doesn't take draws and doesn't know the rule was crucial there, so why was chimera taking the face off?

 

[bigbuffalo313]

It was the penalty differential which was a problem especially the differential at MSG. Also, when a team is very dependant on the powerplay, not getting a single powerplay in a series decider (game 6) was an absolute joke.


The Capitals should have scored in games 6 and 7 but to disregard the officiating at MSG in that series is completely asinine.

The Rangers were tied for first in PIM in 2013, so there is no reason to expect many penalties in the playoffs were there are historically less penalties. Also if your team needs powerplays to score than you don't deserve to win