Half-Assed GDT: “We got left out of the party” amalgamated SCP thread

[AjaxManifesto]

Vegas:

• 4 x 2nd lines
• Tenacious forechecking and back checking are job requirements.
• No prima donnas
• Excellent goal tending

 

[Bye Bye Blueston]

Vegas:

• 4 x 2nd lines
• Tenacious forechecking and back checking are job requirements.
• No prima donnas
• Excellent goal tending

They play with such speed and tenaciousness, but I take issue with the 4 2nd line assessment so many are making. They actually have a legit 1st line- maybe without pedigree but they are fantastic- and then Perron line is a 2nd. Their bottom 6 is good for bottom 6 admittedly, but they aren't really 2nd liners.

 

[AjaxManifesto]

They play with such speed and tenaciousness, but I take issue with the 4 3nd line assessment so many are making. They actually have a legit 1st line- maybe without pedigree but they are fantastic- and then Perron line is a 2nd. Their bottom 6 is good for bottom 6 admittedly, but they aren't really 2nd liners.

I said 4 x 2nd lines.

It’s a simplification. However, if you think about how teams protected their top guys, Vegas was savvy in going after very good 3rd liners who if given a chance could play as quality 1st and 2nd liners. I think at one pointduring the reg season nobody on Vegas was in the top 10 or 20 in scoring. Everybody on that team was contributing.

 

[Bluesguru]

Still mind boggling that an expansion team is 4 wins away from reaching SC Final. You got established NHL teams with star players, etc. and a bunch of expendable players get dumped together, beat the odds and take this thing to the house. Unreal.

 

[Thallis]

Vegas:

• 4 x 2nd lines
• Tenacious forechecking and back checking are job requirements.
• No prima donnas
• Excellent goal tending

Karlsson Marchessault Tuch isn't even close to a 2nd line.

 

[AjaxManifesto]

Karlsson Marchessault Tuch isn't even close to a 2nd line.

I get it. I’m simplifying. IIRC when they were on their former teams they were not 1st liners.

 

[Captain Creampuff]

Knights keep on rollin'

 

[Bye Bye Blueston]

I said 4 x 2nd lines.

Sorry, typo in my post. I have corrected it.

 

[BlueDream]

The 4 2nd lines comment is ridiculous because they aren't even close to that. Eakin and Lindberg aren't 2nd liners. Their 4th line is Carpenter-Bellemare-Carrier... not even close to being top 6 quality.

They don't really have a true #1 D. Both Engelland and Sbisa get regular playing time...

This is the weakest roster in the modern era to make it to a Conference Final.

 

[simon IC]

Bah. I resented the LVGK making the playoffs at all, never mind winning their division. But, I smiled tolerantly, it was a good story. Now they're in the WCF and I hate them with such an intensity that I scare myself, lol. I guess I'm so petty and jealous that I just can't be happy for them. It just isn't right. I guess I'm in the minority here, so ... whatever. I hope the Pens can pull it out. There's nobody else left that I like, lol!

 

[AjaxManifesto]

It would be something if they won the cup. It would upend the league. Owners would be demanding to know how a bunch of leftovers could get it done whereas the high priced players on traditional teams couldn’t.

 

[shpongle falls]

Tampa Bay is so legit this year, I hope they make it to the Cup final. I like that team more than the Pens and Caps out of the east.

Also can't believe how well Vegas has done so far in their first playoffs, what a great story this has been. Vegas has a lot of speed but also Fleury is just so on top of his game right now, I haven't watched every playoff game so far but from what games I've seen, for me Fleury has been the best goalie in the post season so far this year.

Now I just hope Winnipeg can finish off the Preds.

 

[Captain Creampuff]

VGK reminds me of the 11-12 Blues when Hitch came in.

 

[Brian39]

It would be something if they won the cup. It would upend the league. Owners would be demanding to know how a bunch of leftovers could get it done whereas the high priced players on traditional teams couldn’t.

Blame the Panthers. Seriously, the Panthers made arguably the worst trade of the last decade at the expansion draft. They left Marchessault unprotected to convince Vegas to trade a 4th round pick for Riley Smith. Those two have 75 and 60 points this year and Smith only played 67 games. And yes, they could have protected both by choosing to expose either Mark Pysyk or Alex Petrovic. They got scared by a 37 point season out of Smith (after two 50 point seasons in 3 years) and were willing to lose a 51 point player to get rid of his contract.

Getting paid a 2nd round pick to take a three time Cup champ and former #1 overall pick in net didn't hurt either.

 

[EastonBlues22]

Vegas certainly was helped a good deal by some missteps from other organizations, but they've generally done a great job this year within their organization from top to bottom. They had a vision for the sort of team they wanted, they accurately identified players and a coach that fit that vision, and then everyone on the ice bought in and brought it game after game.

I love watching them succeed, because they've truly earned it. That said, it would really chap my ass if they won the Cup in their first year while the Blues are still waiting after 51 years.

 

[carter333167]

Vegas Golden Knights' Success Should Change The Way NHL Teams Do Business

Interesting comments about Vegas' meritocracy.

 

[Brian39]

Vegas certainly was helped a good deal by some missteps from other organizations, but they've generally done a great job this year within their organization from top to bottom. They had a vision for the sort of team they wanted, they accurately identified players and a coach that fit that vision, and then everyone on the ice bought in and brought it game after game.

I love watching them succeed, because they've truly earned it. That said, it would really chap my ass if they won the Cup in their first year while the Blues are still waiting after 51 years.

I couldn't agree more. I enjoy the business/transaction side of hockey almost as much as the on-ice product and the success of Vegas should lead to a thorough review of business as usual from most teams. I imagine that large budget teams will start putting more money into pro scouting and will potentially alter the structure of pro-scouting departments in an effort to successfully target good fits to a specific brand of hockey. This summer is an exciting one from a Blues fan perspective and the success of Vegas should make it more exciting around the league as well.

With that said, something inside me will break if I have to watch 2 former Blues win a Cup in year 1 of an expansion franchise. I think this one would hurt more than any since 2010.

 

[MissouriMook]

Vegas certainly was helped a good deal by some missteps from other organizations, but they've generally done a great job this year within their organization from top to bottom. They had a vision for the sort of team they wanted, they accurately identified players and a coach that fit that vision, and then everyone on the ice bought in and brought it game after game.

I love watching them succeed, because they've truly earned it. That said, it would really chap my ass if they won the Cup in their first year while the Blues are still waiting after 51 years.

I wouldn't discount, either, the fact that they are a team consisting primarily of guys who feel like they have something to prove to the teams that were happy to let them leave, led by a coach that had a lot to prove to the team that kicked him to the curb.

 

[Bye Bye Blueston]

Great story. I hope they lose. Blues have been waiting over 50 years. Even among remaining playoff teams, Caps have been waiting nearly that long. Jets haven't won in nearly 40 years and even lost their team for a while. So many fanbases deserve to get rewarded that it doesn't seem right for Vegas to win so soon.

 

[PiggySmalls]

Awesome to see the Caps get that series win. Fun game to watch.

 

[KirkOut]

Awesome to see the Caps get that series win. Fun game to watch.

I agree but I also don't want them to win and leave us behind in the eternal sadness club

 

[AjaxManifesto]

Jets look like crap. They better wake up or it's back to Nashville

 

[Itsnotatrap]

My Preds fan family members have brought up the blown 3-0 lead on Feb 13 about 1001 times. God, if you could just do me a solid here on this one.....

 

[Bluesguru]

If Nashville does end up winning this series, I really do think Vegas can take them down. At what point do we all finally believe that Vegas is just meant to win the whole darn thing? The whole ride has been nothing but momentum for them pretty much since Gm 1 back in October. It just doesn't stop.

 

[TheDizee]

rooting for bolts or vegas to win the cup