The NHL Thread

[Morgbug]

Yeah, a Laine smile for sure.  Nice stroke of luck for not pulling the full on tank to end the year.  With Connor coming up we'll be very young and I imagine we'll miss the playoffs again, but the future looks brighter than it has. 

It may be a Matthews smile as well, for who knows what the Leafs will do.  If they want to pass on a #1 center, well that's up to them. 

Thanks for the explanation of the situation with the Wild, it seems we're of a fairly similar mind. 

Finally thanks to Chicago for the 22nd pick OA, appreciate you fellas losing in the first round. 

[P-Siddy]

Late in the game for picks, but pretty much Jeff's picks, but Caps over Pens.  That's a pretty good contest there.

I was at the Blues game last night.  That was fun, but kind of wish the final score wasn't as big.  I always feel like the goal-gods even things out.

[jjks]

PEKKA!

[Morgbug]

PEKKA!

I heard you were dead. 

[Jesse James]

A well done reference there.

[Rob]

PEKKA!

Whoa, hey.

[GrandMoffNick]

I wish someone would explain to the Capitals that the postseason is when you want to play good hockey. The Stanley Cup is the big trophy not the President's Trophy.

[McMetal]

I wish someone would explain to the Capitals that the postseason is when you want to play good hockey. The Stanley Cup is the big trophy not the President's Trophy.

Well, let's face it, the playoffs in most any sport are a straight up cash grab. Championships should be about recognizing the best team overall, not the hottest team, or the luckiest team. And the best team in most sports is the team that finishes the regular season #1. It's a much harder grind to excel over 100+ games than 7.

Hockey is a weird game. I would venture a guess that it is much rarer for the best regular season team to win the postseason trophy than it is in any other sport. I guess that makes it exciting and unpredictable too though.

Sad day in the DMV. 

[P-Siddy]

I wish someone would explain to the Capitals that the postseason is when you want to play good hockey. The Stanley Cup is the big trophy not the President's Trophy.

The Rangers needed that speech last year and probably several other teams in seasons past.   

[Rob]

Well, let's face it, the playoffs in most any sport are a straight up cash grab. Championships should be about recognizing the best team overall, not the hottest team, or the luckiest team. And the best team in most sports is the team that finishes the regular season #1. It's a much harder grind to excel over 100+ games than 7.

Eh, maybe it's less true in Hockey than say Football... but in the NFL it's not like every team plays every team... or maybe in hockey a team only plays another great team once or twice at varying points when they may or may not be as good.  The playoffs sort all that out on even footing - and yes, there's money to be made there.

[GrandMoffNick]

I'd buy all that if Washington (and Ovechkin) didn't crap out year after year.

I'm an Ovechkin fan and it's hard to watch teams/guys play who in my book don't seem to have that boot on the throat/killer/win when it counts mentalilty.

And sadly I think that's Alex.

McMetal you'd know better than me, but that's how I feel.

[McMetal]

I understand totally, they have to wear that albatross until they rip it off themselves. And Ovi certainly has to shoulder part of that blame as the face of the franchise. That said, I don't feel like he was a glaring no-show this series by any stretch. Did he do enough? Did he really lift the play of his teammates the way great players are expected to? Those are for sure legitimate questions...

Rob - football is a whole other animal, not a good comparison IMO because they don't do best of playoff series, plus they play do few games. Baseball or basketball are more what I'm thinking. Your point about the schedule is 100% valid. In the Overseas soccer leagues everyone plays everyone else the exact same # of times so that negates the concern, but that's a lot harder with leagues that have more teams I realize.

Anyway, just a passing thought, it's neither here nor there in the end. On to next year...

[P-Siddy]

Oshie and Holtby did well.  I think Ovi was good, but he wasn't the star that carries the team to the Cup and hasn't been so far... Not in the lines of a Crosby or Malkin.

[EdSolo]

The problem with the Caps is they can win night after night playing different teams, but they are horrible in a series.  If the Stanley Cup playoffs were best of three series, they would probably do a lot better.  I think teams figure them out quickly in a seven game series and they just don't adjust properly.  Getting hit with a double minor and allowing two goals off of it doesn't help.  Then to come back and get to overtime just to lose also sucks.  They would have probably tanked a game 7 anyways.

[Jeff]

Round 2 -
Lightning in 7
Penguins in 6
Blues in 7
SJS in 6

Round 1 = 6-for-8 (4-for-4 out west)

Round 2 = 4-for-4 

Round 3 =
Sharks in 6
Penguins in 5