GDT: SCF Game #1 | KINGS(3 vs. RANGERS(2 | Wednesday 6/4/14 @ 5:00 pm PT | NBC, CBC, RDS

[I Am Chariot]

That said, I think all the love Lundy (and I think he's terrific, esp in 7th games or elimination games, he's solid and 100% there) his numbers are better becaues he didn't have to go thru san jose, anaheim and Chicago to get to the Finals or his numbers wouldn't look as good. A bit annooyed that none of the naitonal so called 'experts' haven't figured that out yet.

Mmmm... the guys numbers have been pretty consistent his whole career. He's been nominated for the Vezina practically every season. It's not like the teams they faced sucked like "some" posters seem to like to put out there.

Did the big bad Flyers suck? Or did the Rangers beat them

Did Sid, Malkin, Neal and the Pens suck? Or did the Rangers beat them

Rangers earned their spot in the Finals. Suggesting otherwise is not fully grasping the whole of the situation.


Looking forward to a great series and sure wouldnt be surprised if Lundqvist plays like a superstar

 

[etherialone]

Mmmm... the guys numbers have been pretty consistent his whole career. He's been nominated for the Vezina practically every season. It's not like the teams they faced sucked like "some" posters seem to like to put out there.

Did the big bad Flyers suck? Or did the Rangers beat them

Did Sid, Malkin, Neal and the Pens suck? Or did the Rangers beat them

Rangers earned their spot in the Finals. Suggesting otherwise is not fully grasping the whole of the situation.


Looking forward to a great series and sure wouldnt be surprised if Lundqvist plays like a superstar

Your not actually making the argument that the mighty Flyers or one and done Pens are equal to the Sharks Ducks and Hawks are you?

I agree that Lundy is a great goalie but the Rags have had a true cakewalk to get to the finals if ever there was one.

They belong where they are and it should be a good series but in no way shape or form did they face anywhere near the level of competition that the Kings have to get here.

Not even close.

 

[Ron*]

Title is wrong, game is at 5 PST. Just so no one who is going shows up when the 2nd period is starting...

 

[deeshamrock]

It's important to score a goal early. When Mike Smith was in god-mode in 2012, the Kings scored relatively early in the first period and that aura was invincibility was gone. Hopefully that happens tonight as well.

Agree on the Kings coming out fired up and pushing it thru the first 40 and getting a solid lead. I understand your point about what the Kings did to Smith, but Lundquist is elite and has been, Smith doesn't hvae the tenure. He's a tough goalie, esp when he's on his game.

 

[Bandit]

Good luck tonight look forward to a very fun game

Don't take this the wrong way, but I'm looking forward to your team lying face down in a pool of it's own blood...

That's a great stat. But the teams and style played as the different series evolve have a lot to do with that. People are underestimating how fast the Rangers are down the wings.

Both teams are saying they are focused on playing their game. It will be interesting to see which style prevails, perhaps a blend of the two evolves into an epic battle of a series.

Looking forward to a great series

Faster than Chicago? Anaheim? San Jose? Any negligible increase in speed doesn't make up for the considerable drop off in top end talent.

Your not actually making the argument that the mighty Flyers or one and done Pens are equal to the Sharks Ducks and Hawks are you?

I agree that Lundy is a great goalie but the Rags have had a true cakewalk to get to the finals if ever there was one.

They belong where they are and it should be a good series but in no way shape or form did they face anywhere near the level of competition that the Kings have to get here.

Not even close.

Come on, don't be that guy. We all know how annoying it has been the last two years with that "easy road to the cup" stuff. There's no such thing. I agree with you that the teams NY faced to get here were not as talented as the ones we did, but I'm certain it wasn't easy for them to get here.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Anyone with knowledge of what hotel the Rangers are staying at should blast this song on their floor:



Note that it is the clean version. I'd probably get slapped with an infraction if I posted the uncensored version.

 

[I Am Chariot]

Your not actually making the argument that the mighty Flyers or one and done Pens are equal to the Sharks Ducks and Hawks are you?

I agree that Lundy is a great goalie but the Rags have had a true cakewalk to get to the finals if ever there was one.

They belong where they are and it should be a good series but in no way shape or form did they face anywhere near the level of competition that the Kings have to get here.

Not even close.

That's not really how hockey works in my experience. Come playoff time, any and all teams are worthy opponents.

But by your logic , perhaps the experts have missed that the Rangers cakewalk to the finals will have them well rested , healthy and ready to rumble.


This is why they play the games.


My post above is just offering an opinion that Henrik Lundqvist is historically a great goalie.

I'd be more worried about not letting that guy get a lead more than anything else from the Kings standpoint.
Betting on Lundqvist to be average because of some perception that his Eastern competition was lacking sounds like a pipe dream

 

[TonySCV]

Four more wins! May as well kick the series off right tonight.

Preview with Kings and Rags folks chiming in...

http://www.jewelsfromthecrown.com/2...y-cup-final-preview-q-a-with-blueshirt-banter

 

[etherialone]

Don't take this the wrong way, but I'm looking forward to your team lying face down in a pool of it's own blood...



Faster than Chicago? Anaheim? San Jose? Any negligible increase in speed doesn't make up for the considerable drop off in top end talent.



Come on, don't be that guy. We all know how annoying it has been the last two years with that "easy road to the cup" stuff. There's no such thing. I agree with you that the teams NY faced to get here were not as talented as the ones we did, but I'm certain it wasn't easy for them to get here.

That is exactly what I was saying or thought I was anyway.

Maybe I am just sick to fing death of the vast majority of Rags fans telling me how their team is the fastest best defending team full of god like superheros that have me a bit cranky. Its either that or they are talking about how they aren't getting any respect when the opposite is true.

Sorry but I have already had enough of that nonsense and seek a bit of sanctuary here on our boards from it. The Rags faced a much lesser talented conference to get where they are then we did this time around and those are simply the facts.

I aslo said that they have an incredible goalie and that they belong here. What happens from this point on is yet to be determined and play will prove who the better team is but I think I have been very respectful.


I need this game/series to get going.



GO KINGS GO!

 

[etherialone]

That's not really how hockey works in my experience. Come playoff time, any and all teams are worthy opponents.

But by your logic , perhaps the experts have missed that the Rangers cakewalk to the finals will have them well rested , healthy and ready to rumble.


This is why they play the games.


My post above is just offering an opinion that Henrik Lundqvist is historically a great goalie.

I'd be more worried about not letting that guy get a lead more than anything else from the Kings standpoint.
Betting on Lundqvist to be average because of some perception that his Eastern competition was lacking sounds like a pipe dream

Where am I betting on Lundy to be average? I have said over and over how great he is so you are just imagining things if you think that came from me and by my logic I was responding to you saying that the Rags have faced equally difficult teams to get here which isn't true.

You belong here and have a great goalie and a good team but that's it.

Now lets let the series decide who is the better team.

Here's to hoping for a great series and no wreckless players effecting the outcome.


GO KINGS GO!!!

 

[Buddy The Elf]

I think a lot of us feel the Kings are a better team than the Rangers. I hope the Kings don't take them lightly and come out blazing. It would be nice to get to Lundqvist quickly so that some doubt starts to creep into the players' minds immediately. We all know the Kings have a knack for playing down to their competition. That is the one thing that makes me nervous. I hope they have their eye on the prize.

It doesn't matter what any of us think and trying to convince fans of another team they are the inferior is a waste of key strokes. And it really doesn't matter if they are inferior, the Kings still need to beat them.

Kick their buttholes!

 

[BigBrown]

Well, if this post season taught me anything it's that win or lose, game 1 has little impact on the series as a whole. Would still prefer to win it though, so let's get it done. Go Kings!

 

[KingsCourt]

Three letters for you, N...B...C.

Finally, home ice advantage to start a round.

home ice...what's that?

 

[TonySCV]

Lundqvist has a similar save % in this playoffs that Quick did in 2012. That should give Kings fans pause considering even with the Kings anemic offense they steamrolled through teams that playoff year on the backs of Quick.

There's *no reason* that Lundqvist can't steal the Rangers a series. Kings fans just need to look back to 2012's Quick for evidence that is possible. Quick makes key saves at key moments, but there's been so many of those key moments this playoff year because Quick has let in a ton of goals. It shouldn't have been as dramatic as it has been. Quick's still giving the team a chance to win, provided their offense continues to spot him 3-4 goals a game. That isn't going to be happening this series.

 

[Reclamation Project]

Anyone with knowledge of what hotel the Rangers are staying at should blast this song on their floor:



Note that it is the clean version. I'd probably get slapped with an infraction if I posted the uncensored version.

 

[Hatter]

My prediction is MR has a monster series

GKG

 

[deeshamrock]

Mmmm... the guys numbers have been pretty consistent his whole career. He's been nominated for the Vezina practically every season. It's not like the teams they faced sucked like "some" posters seem to like to put out there.

Did the big bad Flyers suck? Or did the Rangers beat them

Did Sid, Malkin, Neal and the Pens suck? Or did the Rangers beat them

Rangers earned their spot in the Finals. Suggesting otherwise is not fully grasping the whole of the situation.


Looking forward to a great series and sure wouldnt be surprised if Lundqvist plays like a superstar

I never said Lundquist wasn't a world class talent and elite goalie, living in Philly I've had the privilege of watching him over the years. He's one of my favorite players in the league. My comment had nothing to do with his talent, rather the level of competition.

you asked:


Did the big bad Flyers suck? Or did the Rangers beat them As a FLyer fan for 40 years, seeing them thru various phases, they lost the series more than the Rangers won it. The Fliyers have a mediocre D, no legit #1 or 2 D which is critical for any team hoping for a deep playoff run. They lack leadership, and it's shown in this years playoffs and in 2012 the last time they were there. THe forward and D have struggled to clear the puck out of their zone for the last 3 years and it was esp painfiul in the series vs the Rangers. They spent FAR TOO much time in their own end, shift after shift, game after game, putting WAY too much pressure on Mason and Emery. As a group, they have far too much grit and not enough finish, they're slow and it shows. Someting Hexy will do to correct going forward, along with getting rid of bad contracts and building up the poor farm system.
The Rangesr were the better team but mostly due to the fact the Flyers were not good enough in most areas.
And in no universe are the Flyers anywhere close to elite or the skill level of the Sharks. Quick had th eharder job.

Did Sid, Malkin, Neal and the Pens suck? Or did the Rangers beat them The Pens have historically 'sucked' in the playoffs for the better part of the last 5 years and this year was no different. THey lost, they lost because Shero did a piss poor job over the last few years, with bad trade deadline deals for the 'quick fix' and throwing away good prospects nad picks, and giving out bad contracts. Not enough skill on D and very top heavy, bottom 6 was exposed. The poor GM that inherits that mess, 55 M commimted next year to only 14 players (9.5 to malkin alone) only 3 D signed and 7 forwards. A mess...
The Rangers played better than they did in the 1st round but the DUcks are a better team than the Pens, esp D and goaltending.

Hawks or Habs- not even worth addressing.

Rangers earned their spot in the Finals. Suggesting otherwise is not fully grasping the whole of the situation.
Nobody said they didn't earn a spot in the SCF, they beat the teams they were slotted against. I expect it will be a great series with the 2 best goalies in the game dueling.

But if you're a real hockey fan, and can look at it in objectively, the Kings went thru a tougher path because the 3 teams they played were faster, more skilled and a much tougher opponent.
And if Lundquist had to go thru those 3 teams, I'm sure he'd still ahve reached the SCF like Quick did, but his numbers wouldn't be as good, that was my point.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Mmmm... the guys numbers have been pretty consistent his whole career. He's been nominated for the Vezina practically every season. It's not like the teams they faced sucked like "some" posters seem to like to put out there.

Did the big bad Flyers suck? Or did the Rangers beat them

Did Sid, Malkin, Neal and the Pens suck? Or did the Rangers beat them

Rangers earned their spot in the Finals. Suggesting otherwise is not fully grasping the whole of the situation.


Looking forward to a great series and sure wouldnt be surprised if Lundqvist plays like a superstar

That's not at all what the post you quoted said, though. You're imagining things. Dee mentioned that Hank's numbers would be different had NYR faced SJ, ANA, CHI. I don't think that's controversial and it definitely isn't worthy of another defensive Rangers rant.

You're more than welcome to be here to talk hockey, but I have to be honest, it's a Kings forum and you will see things you do not like or agree with, and I'm getting pretty ****ing sick of deleting visitor posts who are showing the home boards no respect. There's a neutral Playoff board as well as your home forums if you're only here to chest-thump.

I'm going to leave this here as a reminder:

2) Trolling: Do not make posts or threads with the sole purpose of starting a dispute. Note that a person disagreeing with your opinion is NOT trolling; please keep it civil, even if you're sure the other person is wrong. When visiting the team forums, please note that they are fan forums for that team and are here mainly for the enjoyment of that team's fans. Do not visit team forums to cheer against nor demean their team. In other words, if you want to cheer for the Habs and criticize the Bruins, do it on the Habs board. And if someone is doing the opposite on the Bruins board, don't start flaming them to defend the honor of your team. Either ignore it or respectfully disagree and move on. Wishing illness or injury on someone will almost always be regarded as trolling or offensive. We do not permit any forums to be used to demean/insult the fans of other teams. That is considered trolling. Copying posts from one HFBoard team forum to another for this purpose is considered trolling.

That being said, you're darn right, this should be a great series.

 

[tsanuri]

Lundqvist has a similar save % in this playoffs that Quick did in 2012. That should give Kings fans pause considering even with the Kings anemic offense they steamrolled through teams that playoff year on the backs of Quick.

There's *no reason* that Lundqvist can't steal the Rangers a series. Kings fans just need to look back to 2012's Quick for evidence that is possible. Quick makes key saves at key moments, but there's been so many of those key moments this playoff year because Quick has let in a ton of goals. It shouldn't have been as dramatic as it has been. Quick's still giving the team a chance to win, provided their offense continues to spot him 3-4 goals a game. That isn't going to be happening this series.

I'm not going to discount Lundqvist but Quick was 2% points better in 2012. .946 vs .928.
Quick hasn't been playing great but would you have thought we would score 28 goals against Crawford?
It's going to be an interesting series just because I wonder what Kings team will show up. The one that went run and gun vs some of the best offensives in the league, or the one that won the Jennings Trophy during the regular season.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Lundqvist has a similar save % in this playoffs that Quick did in 2012. That should give Kings fans pause considering even with the Kings anemic offense they steamrolled through teams that playoff year on the backs of Quick.

There's *no reason* that Lundqvist can't steal the Rangers a series. Kings fans just need to look back to 2012's Quick for evidence that is possible. Quick makes key saves at key moments, but there's been so many of those key moments this playoff year because Quick has let in a ton of goals. It shouldn't have been as dramatic as it has been. Quick's still giving the team a chance to win, provided their offense continues to spot him 3-4 goals a game. That isn't going to be happening this series.

Respectfully disagree in that .928 is a long way from .946, but that relative to the field Lundqvist has been great. Fully agree with the second paragraph. We're not going to offensively steamroll the rangers, but I've been arguing it's going to be a much different looking series. People (media and fans alike) keep talking about the Rangers shutting down the Kings as if our whole game was predicated on offense and offense alone regardless of matchups, and that we're somehow incapable of shutting down the Rangers O. I keep hearing "we'll just use the stretch pass to keep them honest" as if more offensively talented teams haven't tried. It's like they've forgotten what this team is built on, and I fully expect a much better defensive showing and a much better showing in net. I'm expecting lots of 3-2, 2-1 games.

 

[Andre Palot]

Anyone have a Gabby playoff avatar I can use?

 

[I Am Chariot]

Where am I betting on Lundy to be average?

Your post was focused on the EXPERTS not "figuring out" that Lundqvist has had a cake walk and faced inferior teams.

1. I sort of disagree as playoff time all teams are hard to beat.

2. Even if those teams are inferior it doesn't change the history the guy has of being Vezina nominated Superstar goalie for the last NINE YEARS.


If anyone should be worried about who faced inferior talent thus far.... the Kings have not faced Lundqvist.


You faced great teams but were any of their tenders showing up as the best player on the ice? Because that's a big reason why the Rangers are here. Lundqvist has been that good.

 

[redcard]

Fun Facts:

11 of the guys playing tonight are already in the top 25 for all-time playoff points by a King.

Comparing that to the other 4 franchises that came into the league in 1967 and are still around:

Trevor Daley has the most career playoff points by a Star on their current roster...he's 79th all time in Minnesota/Dallas history.

David Backes has the most career playoff points by a Blue on their current roster...he's 64th all time for them.

The Penguins have 5 players on their roster in the top 25 career playoff points for the team, Flyers only have 2.

That all pretty spectacularly shows both the limited success of the pre-2010 Kings teams and how much playoffs are a much bigger part of the careers of our homegrown players now than in the past. 13 guys on this team have played more than 54 playoff games in a Kings jersey, only 6 players in the first 45 years as a franchise could say the same thing.

 

[Reclamation Project]

Paging this guy...

Would love for him to go off on one of his former rival teams.

 

[etherialone]

Your post was focused on the EXPERTS not "figuring out" that Lundqvist has had a cake walk and faced inferior teams.

1. I sort of disagree as playoff time all teams are hard to beat.

2. Even if those teams are inferior it doesn't change the history the guy has of being Vezina nominated Superstar goalie for the last NINE YEARS.


If anyone should be worried about who faced inferior talent thus far.... the Kings have not faced Lundqvist.


You faced great teams but were any of their tenders showing up as the best player on the ice? Because that's a big reason why the Rangers are here. Lundqvist has been that good.

Again you are imagining things if you think I have said ANYTHING ANYWHERE other than Lundy being a truly great goalie. Instead of making up things that you imagine me to be saying you should go back and read exactly what I have actually said.

I said Hank is great and you guys belong here but you faced inferior opponents to what we had to and that is why your team appears to have done so well. Now I have also said that this series will determine who is the better team and lets not forget so I will say it again to be perfectly clear, your team belongs here.

I cant put it in any more simple or clearer terms for you.