Stanley Cup Finals: (WC2) Florida Panthers vs (P1) Vegas Golden Knights | VGK Lead 3-1

[53or8]

Never thought the cup was going to be paraded through the Las Vegas strip. The single greatest journey that cup will ever take.

Don't think anyone is gonna go harder than when ovechkin won in vegas

 

[ChanceVegas]

I don't think Vegas fans have been bad at all in any of the series threads, so I'm not sure what issue you're alluding to, but I guess I'll agree with you.

We will win with dignity, like we lost with dignity a few years ago. Hopefully the losing team can do the same.

How's the saying go? "Haters gonna hate?"

From what I have read, he lives in Vegas and hates everything about it.

Don't think anyone is gonna go harder than when ovechkin won in vegas

Agreed. Don't think it's humanly possible to go harder than Ovi did.

 

[BattleBorn]

How's the saying go? "Haters gonna hate?"

From what I have read, he lives in Vegas and hates everything about it.

Vegas isn't for everybody. I spent most of my life there and now I live amongst the trees and water because I'm over the desert and Vegas is pretty ugly, though I love it and it will always be my home.

If that's the impetus of a ref complaint session, that's disappointing and semi-sad.

 

[Felidae]

That 2nd goal shows how bad Hill really is...I mean he had time and still could not get across. You'd figure teams would have figured this out about him, every shot attempt should be rapid cross ice passes.

Dude is leading the postseason in sv%. And even if you think it's propped up by Vegas defense, he still has a career .910sv% in 101 games half of which playing for teams like Arizona and San Jose.

Not saying he's gonna be a Vezina candidate or even a regular starter in the future. But you've been fixated on how awful he is and the stats point to him at least being a respectable backup goaltender.

 

[TheBeard]

I don't think Vegas fans have been bad at all in any of the series threads, so I'm not sure what issue you're alluding to, but I guess I'll agree with you.

We will win with dignity, like we lost with dignity a few years ago. Hopefully the losing team can do the same.

Not so much here. Just social media, in person. I imagine the Vegas fans here are true hockey fans as opposed to just the “hey this hockey thing is cool and we’re good so I guess it’s my thing now” crowd.

or not

I think they are. Not necessarily for a particular team, but I do think the league does tell their refs what their call expectations are.

 

[BattleBorn]

Not so much here. Just social media, in person. I imagine the Vegas fans here are true hockey fans as opposed to just the “hey this hockey thing is cool and we’re good so I guess it’s my thing now” crowd.

I mean, I'm not even trying to argue with you, but isn't that how every hockey fan that hasn't laced up skates starts off?

If you weren't a Sharks guy and the Knights weren't winning, would it bother you as much?

Is there a chance that you're the issue in this scenario?

 

[TheBeard]

How's the saying go? "Haters gonna hate?"

From what I have read, he lives in Vegas and hates everything about it.

I have my reasons for despising the majority of Vegas hockey fans and the manner in which the city in general treated hockey prior to 2016.

 

[Laus723]

Hard to win when Marc Staal is better out there than your supposed #1 defenseman. Goes for a stupid change, careless with the puck, slow af on their 2nd goal.

Not all on him of course, several forwards didn’t show up and Tkachuk is clearly hurt, but dumb shit in a Cup Finals game is…dumb.

 

[TheBeard]

I mean, I'm not even trying to argue with you, but isn't that how every hockey fan that hasn't laced up skates starts off?

If you weren't a Sharks guy and the Knights weren't winning, would it bother you as much?

Is there a chance that you're the issue in this scenario?

My issue stems from the way this city treated hockey prior to the knights and the same people and bars that would practically roll their eyes at me whenever I said something hockey related now can’t wait to regurgitate some random hockey info like they’re trying to catch up in fandom for some reason. I remember the years begging now “official bars of the golden knights” to change baseball games and college football scrimmages (true story) to Stanley cup (not even playoff games) and the sheer lack of interest from the other patrons who now walk around with golden Pom poms spouting “the knights made hockey fun!” (Again, true story). I remember last year and how all those very same issues reappeared once the team was eliminated. I’ve seen what this city is and despite the enthusiasm it has now, and make no mistake, it’s impressively intense, the truth from my history here is that it’s a golden knights town and not a hockey town. Kudos to the hockey fans out here. There are a good amount and they’re the ones that tend to be the most respectful (like the ones here), but it’s easy to pick out the ones (of which there are many more) who don’t care about the sport so much as the spectacle of winning. Everyone’s prerogative and it’s just one person’s opinion.

 

[BattleBorn]

I have my reasons for despising the majority of Vegas hockey fans and the manner in which the city in general treated hockey prior to 2016.

You just had to look harder, bubba.

There were literally thousands of us supporting the Wranglers, making it a great ECHL city. Even more of us back in the Thunder days.

If you're mad there's so many more fans now than when the Thunder or Wranglers were in town, I guess, I dunno...pro sports versus sports people in general don't care about, and hockey applies.

When it comes to bars, they'll play the shit people wanted to see, and if you let them know you wanted to see hockey, they'd put it on. There was a deep Vegas hockey core, and it's just gone parabolic since the Knights arrived. It's to be expected, but you can't hold the ECHL city to NHL standards when it comes to support and think that's normal. It's a new market, there's going to be new fans. That's a good thing.

 

[BattleBorn]

My issue stems from the way this city treated hockey prior to the knights and the same people and bars that would practically roll their eyes at me whenever I said something hockey related now can’t wait to regurgitate some random hockey info like they’re trying to catch up in fandom for some reason. I remember the years begging now “official bars of the golden knights” to change baseball games and college football scrimmages (true story) to Stanley cup (not even playoff games) and the sheer lack of interest from the other patrons who now walk around with golden Pom poms spouting “the knights made hockey fun!” (Again, true story). I remember last year and how all those very same issues reappeared once the team was eliminated. I’ve seen what this city is and despite the enthusiasm it has now, and make no mistake, it’s impressively intense, the truth from my history here is that it’s a golden knights town and not a hockey town. Kudos to the hockey fans out here. There are a good amount and they’re the ones that tend to be the most respectful (like the ones here), but it’s easy to pick out the ones (of which there are many more) who don’t care about the sport so much as the spectacle of winning. Everyone’s prerogative and it’s just one person’s opinion.

I feel, I had my previous response typed out before I saw this one.

I had a couple experiences where the bartenders wouldn't put the game on versus the NBA, but that's because the NBA or MLB was more important and likely had more gambling money on it.

That's not the case anymore, and that's actually a good thing.

 

[mkatcherin00]

SO another "weak West" team is going to sh**kick a powerful East team for the cup 2 years in a row huh.

 

[TheBeard]

You just had to look harder, bubba.

There were literally thousands of us supporting the Wranglers, making it a great ECHL city. Even more of us back in the Thunder days.

If you're mad there's so many more fans now than when the Thunder or Wranglers were in town, I guess, I dunno...pro sports versus sports people in general don't care about, and hockey applies.

When it comes to bars, they'll play the shit people wanted to see, and if you let them know you wanted to see hockey, they'd put it on. There was a deep Vegas hockey core, and it's just gone parabolic since the Knights arrived. It's to be expected, but you can't hold the ECHL city to NHL standards when it comes to support and think that's normal. It's a new market, there's going to be new fans. That's a good thing.

There may be a deep hockey core, and I can respect them, many of them didn’t change their allegiances. In fact most of the friends I’ve made out here were through hockey and few left their first love. And frankly, even if they all did, the number isn’t one tenth of the newfound “diehards”. Like I said in my Longer post; it’s just my opinion and I doubt anyone cares. I’ll be more impressed when the team hits their inevitable rough patch and the city can maintain even half of the support it gets now. From the way people were acting last year when they were eliminated and the vitriol they spread and the threats of bailing on the team (emotional response, I get it), I don’t have a lot of faith. I hope they prove me wrong.

I feel, I had my previous response typed out before I saw this one.

I had a couple experiences where the bartenders wouldn't put the game on versus the NBA, but that's because the NBA or MLB was more important and likely had more gambling money on it.

That's not the case anymore, and that's actually a good thing.

That’s fine. Then it’s a knights town first, a betting town second and then sports come third. And then there’s a hierarchy in sports where I’m sure hockey is somewhere in between golf and MLS.

Does my being a sharks fan make it worse? Sure does; but not just for the reason you think. The crap I had said to me in that first year and hell even after the major, I’ve never personally dealt with such a classless group of dirtbags in hockey and I’ve live in Vancouver! I know you’re going to say it’s a very select few but the reality is it was a lot more than a few. I had my front license plate holder smashed just because it was a sharks holder (I assume). My point is my hatred doesn’t just stem from “a rival team and their success”.

 

[HanSolo]

Was at a wedding for the whole game. Thrilled to be one away but man what an shit fracas after the final horn.

 

[BattleBorn]

There may be a deep hockey core, and I can respect them, many of them didn’t change their allegiances. In fact most of the friends I’ve made out here were through hockey and few left their first love. And frankly, even if they all did, the number isn’t one tenth of the newfound “diehards”. Like I said in my Longer post; it’s just my opinion and I doubt anyone cares. I’ll be more impressed when the team hits their inevitable rough patch and the city can maintain even half of the support it gets now. From the way people were acting last year when they were eliminated and the vitriol they spread and the threats of bailing on the team (emotional response, I get it), I don’t have a lot of faith. I hope they prove me wrong.


That’s fine. Then it’s a knights town first, a betting town second and then sports come third. And then there’s a hierarchy in sports where I’m sure hockey is somewhere in between golf and MLS.

I was you once.

I'm 40, I'm from Chicago as a kid, I was a Blackhawks fan. My wife is from San Jose. When we'd visit, we'd see the "city of Sharks" murals and her much younger brothers and sisters had their MySpace or Facebook (I don't remember which) pages filled with Sharks stuff, or San Jose stuff in teal and I kept my hockey nose up. They're casual fans. That's kind of what we want. Winning makes fans, and Vegas is winning.

I think there's a better shot than most that the Knights will maintain decent support when they suck, and that time is nigh, but I guess we'll see. However, Vegas is a hockey town now, and that's what's important, just like San Jose.

Lot less Sharks shit in SJ a few months ago when I visited. Ebbs and flows, but I'm confident in what's been developed in this peak maintaining through the tough shit. I legitimately think it's a SJ situation where they're good for a decent amount of time in a city that previously didn't care. Except, hopefully, we'll have a cup.

Switching from the Hawks to the Knights (which I thought originally would take decades) has been eye-opening.

 

[TheBeard]

Lot less Sharks shit in SJ a few months ago when I visited. Ebbs and flows, but I'm confident in what's been developed in this peak maintaining through the tough shit. I legitimately think it's a SJ situation where they're good for a decent amount of time in a city that previously didn't care. Except, hopefully, we'll have a cup

Difference is the sharks have endured the hardships in the past. Fans came out to the old cow palace in droves in the first few years even when they won a whopping 11 games in 92-93. I can sympathize with a struggling fanbase primarily because they know what the struggle feels like. Some stick around, others don’t. I can’t take any fanbase seriously though until they’ve experienced the lows and not just the highs. That’s why people rant about how it’s not fair because “the team hasn’t struggled”. It’s not even about the team, because all players at some point whether in the nhl or below have learned to respect the game with dignity because sometimes it sucks and it’s hard.

 

[Mike C]

“...and I paaid $100 to PARK!!!!?!!”

Hubcap update?

 

[ChanceVegas]

Vegas will have down years a coming. It is inevitable. When they do, and if fans don't show, what then? You get to shout "told you so" to an empty barn?

Doesn't seem to have much to do with the price of tea in China ad it relates to right now, and all of the fans enjoying right now.

 

[Mike C]

Dude is leading the postseason in sv%. And even if you think it's propped up by Vegas defense, he still has a career .910sv% in 101 games half of which playing for teams like Arizona and San Jose.

Not saying he's gonna be a Vezina candidate or even a regular starter in the future. But you've been fixated on how awful he is and the stats point to him at least being a respectable backup goaltender.

He's the prohibitive favorite for the Conn Smythe at the moment

 

[olli]

That 2nd goal shows how bad Hill really is...I mean he had time and still could not get across. You'd figure teams would have figured this out about him, every shot attempt should be rapid cross ice passes.

Was a bad goal but it’s not a good representation of how good he’s been 99% of the time these playoffs.

 

[Sombastate]

I have my reasons for despising the majority of Vegas hockey fans and the manner in which the city in general treated hockey prior to 2016.

As a person who lives in Vegas and plays hockey here. I was told MANY times to play a real sport, that hockey is “f*gs” and that I played a sport for racists

And everyone of the people who said that now have a VGK license plate. So I can relate to you and that’s precisely why I’m rooting against them. I find them to be a likable team, but can’t root alongside these people

 

[Mike C]

Not for nothing but Bruce needs to be screaming at these guys about losing every single faceoff in the last 5 minutes. They played well but were lucky to hang on

 

[ChanceVegas]

What a pic...

 

[TheBeard]

Vegas will have down years a coming. It is inevitable. When they do, and if fans don't show, what then? You get to shout "told you so" to an empty barn?

Goddamn right I will.

 

[ChanceVegas]

As a person who lives in Vegas and plays hockey here. I was told MANY times to play a real sport, that hockey is “f*gs” and that I played a sport for racists

And everyone of the people who said that now have a VGK license plate. So I can relate to you and that’s precisely why I’m rooting against them. I find them to be a likable team, but can’t root alongside these people

Sorry for your experience, but not all of "those people" are "these people." If you allow the few to color your opinion of the many, are you doing better than they were?

Goddamn right I will.

It's good to have dreams.