Playoff Hockey Thread part 2.

[Sabretooth]

Share some of the gems ... haha

Not officially part of the rant but

[Tweet]862488578630307845[/MEDIA]

 

[Aladyyn]

Winner narratives are so dumb. You're not a winner until you win and even then that's not enough sometimes (cough cough LeBron James).

 

[Montag DP]

This years team for Washington was good enough to go deep. The problem is, Pittsburgh simply has a squad team built to essentially beat them. A fast skating team that can counter punch their insane possession numbers. They play any other team in the eastern conference, it would have been a blood bath.

It wasn't exactly a blood bath against Toronto. They won in 6 games, but every game was a 1-goal game and 5 went to OT.

I agree about the playoff format, though. Washington having to face Pittsburgh in the second round two years in a row doesn't seem right.

 

[TehDoak]

It wasn't exactly a blood bath against Toronto. They won in 6 games, but every game was a 1-goal game and 5 went to OT.

I agree about the playoff format, though. Washington having to face Pittsburgh in the second round two years in a row doesn't seem right.

They replay that series 10 times over, Washington wins it 10 times.

Toronto was lucky it went to 6.

 

[Montag DP]

They replay that series 10 times over, Washington wins it 10 times.

Toronto was lucky it went to 6.

That would be speculation. Speaking purely from facts, it was a very close series for two teams separated by 23 points in the standings. If they had played another team in the second round, I think they would have won, but I see no reason to believe it would have been a blood bath.

 

[sabrebuild]

Eh. I think the Trotz era capitals have gotten screwed the hardest in the newest playoff format, especially the last two years.

I think we would have seen, at minimum, conference finals appearances the last two years for Washington under the old system.

President Trophy winning squad shouldn't play an 104 and 111 point squads in the 2nd round, which they have the last two years.

This years team for Washington was good enough to go deep. The problem is, Pittsburgh simply has a squad team built to essentially beat them. A fast skating team that can counter punch their insane possession numbers. They play any other team in the eastern conference, it would have been a blood bath.

Except the leafs apparently.

 

[Icicle]

Watching Ovi was hard during that game. You could tell he thinks he's in position, but every time he gets the puck he's attacked by multiple high-speed players and had no idea what to do. Then crappy dumps as a result and goal against. Completely mentally beat.

Coach should have had him never stop moving his feet, not demoting him to third line where he's even more beat.

 

[Jame]

Too bad we never got a San Jose v Washington cup final... losers.

 

[struckbyaparkedcar]

Watching Ovi was hard during that game. You could tell he thinks he's in position, but every time he gets the puck he's attacked by multiple high-speed players and had no idea what to do. Then crappy dumps as a result and goal against. Completely mentally beat.

Coach should have had him never stop moving his feet, not demoting him to third line where he's even more beat.

Trotz is quietly a terrible playoff coach. Two postseasons in a row he's kept Ovi/Backstrom together until it's too late, and he's generally avoided exploring his lineups in the regular season.

 

[Samsonite23]

Trotz is quietly a terrible playoff coach. Two postseasons in a row he's kept Ovi/Backstrom together until it's too late, and he's generally avoided exploring his lineups in the regular season.

He had to concentrate on getting the top seed in the east so he could play Pittsburgh in the 2nd round.

 

[Paxon]

Does it put "Russians cant win the big one" back on the table? I remember that knock on Federov for 6-7 years and he was ripped every time the Red Wings lost in the playoffs. Will that be Ovechkin's stigma to carry?

Malkin, Fedorov, Kovalev, Datsyuk, Fetisov, Larionov, Kozlov, Konstantinov, Zubov, Nemchinov, Karpovtsev, Brylin, Mogilny, Malakhov, Tverdovsky, Gonchar, Voynov all won the Cup. I'm likely missing some. A couple of those might be Soviet but not Russian, though I think I weeded those guys out. Quite a few of those players won multiple Cups. Malkin is probably going to win his third Cup this year. If that stigma exists, it's a bunk one based on a single player.

 

[truthbluth]

Stayed up to watch both game 7's, still woke up at 6 so I could work out before work. Been doing fine until my afternoon coffee. Got my mug, went over to the creamers. Open a creamer, put it in, open second creamer, realize that the on the first creamer, I poured the cream into the garbage, and added the empty plastic cup to my mug. Worth it.

 

[brian_griffin]

Re: Slava Malamud - I'm not on twitter, nor do I care about the medium, (actually I dislike it because, as a "journalistic tool" it's lazy and doesn't seem to hold to the same standards of verfication one expects generally) but 17 tweets do constitute a paragraph, and it was a good read from Slava, the right blend of disgruntled fanboy, objectivity, and humor.

What's also cool to me is the banner on his twitter feed page has a ticket stub of the Sabres vs. Red Army game from ~40 years ago.

 

[Jim Carr's Rug]

Winner narratives are so dumb. You're not a winner until you win and even then that's not enough sometimes (cough cough LeBron James).

Remember when Marc-Andre Fleury couldn't keep his head on straight in the playoffs?

 

[Chainshot]

Re: Slava Malamud - I'm not on twitter, nor do I care about the medium, (actually I dislike it because, as a "journalistic tool" it's lazy and doesn't seem to hold to the same standards of verfication one expects generally) but 17 tweets do constitute a paragraph, and it was a good read from Slava, the right blend of disgruntled fanboy, objectivity, and humor.

What's also cool to me is the banner on his twitter feed page has a ticket stub of the Sabres vs. Red Army game from ~40 years ago.

Slava has a love-hate with Buffalo.

 

[joshjull]

 

[hizzoner]

Speculation only but if Ovi indeed has been playing with LBI then that "great hip check"--Don Cherry--where Kadri wiped out Ovi at the knees with what I and many others thought was a clip may have played a key role.

 

[joshjull]

 

[Jim Bob]

Speculation only but if Ovi indeed has been playing with LBI then that "great hip check"--Don Cherry--where Kadri wiped out Ovi at the knees with what I and many others thought was a clip may have played a key role.

http://www.pensionplanpuppets.com/2...layoffs-alex-ovechkin-nazem-kadri-faking-hurt

Alex Ovechkin was faking all along on the Kadri hit; he was faking being okay

 

[littletonhockeycoach]

Re: Slava Malamud - I'm not on twitter, nor do I care about the medium, (actually I dislike it because, as a "journalistic tool" it's lazy and doesn't seem to hold to the same standards of verfication one expects generally) but 17 tweets do constitute a paragraph, and it was a good read from Slava, the right blend of disgruntled fanboy, objectivity, and humor.

What's also cool to me is the banner on his twitter feed page has a ticket stub of the Sabres vs. Red Army game from ~40 years ago.

And also, the cover from the game program too. (Which I still have a copy of.. collectors??, any interested collectors???)

 

[LaxSabre]

 

[LaxSabre]

 

[Man of Principles]

Rooting hard for Nashville. That defense is crazy good. 1st line is solid and they have solid forward depth all the way down. Best chance they've ever had to win a cup. It's more of a hockey city than you'd think. Those fans are passionate and they deserve it!!!

 

[Rowley Birkin]

If that happened Pittsburgh would have selected Ovechkin, imagine Crosby and Ovechkin together? Malkin and Filip Forsberg together?

What a difference the NHL would be. Ovechkin would have his ring and name on the cup

Interesting, but in an 04 redraft I'm pretty sure malkin goes first 10 times out of 10.

Im also rooting for nashville to win this now, or if not then the sens as crazy as that sounds.

So book a ducks vs pens final...

 

[Rasmus CacOlainen]

Interesting, but in an 04 redraft I'm pretty sure malkin goes first 10 times out of 10.

Im also rooting for nashville to win this now, or if not then the sens as crazy as that sounds.

So book a ducks vs pens final...

If Karlsson didn't have a fracture in his leg, I'd give Ottawa a reasonable chance (on Pittsburgh's D state alone), but don't think I do now...coming from a man that bet on the winning in their first rounds correctly. Just don't think Ottawa will be able to contain what Pittsburgh will bring to the table.

For me - anyone but the Pens this year. In all three other teams there's stuff I like and I'm fed up with the Pens.