Post: #51

Efficient, lethal game by the Caps. Got outplayed early and then just took Vegas to school after that. One more MdW and you can celebrate hard. Oh and Tom Wilson and Evegeny Kuznetsov are beasts! And Ryan Reaves is a douchebag like he's always been.

Post: #52

I think the Jets would have beat this caps team in a best of 7.

Vegas doesn't have any superstar skaters, a bunch of forwards that overachieved all season. That Tomas Tatar trade was absolutely retarded, they could have used some of those picks on trading for EK this summer in a sign and trade situation. They could have picked up Vanek for basically nothing instead.

I can't believe people are trying to blame this on Fleury, he has been ok even though his stats don't reflect that. WSH has had too many quality chances. I don't think Vegas makes the playoffs next year unless they add some stars.

Post: #53

(06-04-2018 10:24 PM)doc holliday Wrote:  Efficient, lethal game by the Caps. Got outplayed early and then just took Vegas to school after that. One more MdW and you can celebrate hard. Oh and Tom Wilson and Evegeny Kuznetsov are beasts! And Ryan Reaves is a douchebag like he's always been.

I unfortunately did not watch last night's game due to a satellite issue while I was on duty. But I did hear about the douchebaggery of the Golden Knights. The Caps are in their head, definitely, and that is not a good sign for a team with their backs against the wall. I am curious whether Vegas will come out with the theatrics for the pre game show for a team down 3-1 in the series. It was a nice touch for a team that torched every Western Conference opponent in the playoffs.

Evegeny Kuznetsov definitely might compete for MVP for this series and maybe the playoffs if the Caps close it out.

Post: #54

I actually think Vegas may win Thurs night and extend the series but ultimately I think the Caps will do it for their first Cup. Kuznetzov should be the MVP but I think that there is no way that they won't give it to Ovechkin if the Caps win.

Sid, I think that while the Jets are a great team and will eventually win it all, they got outplayed by Vegas, got toasted by their speed and stifling D. Plus their goaltending while not horrible, still wasn't where it needed to be for a Cup contender. I think the Caps would have schooled the Jets similar to how they've handled Vegas so far. Thursday night will be a great night, can't wait!

Post: #55

(06-05-2018 01:57 AM)Sidney Crosby Wrote:  I think the Jets would have beat this caps team in a best of 7.

Vegas doesn't have any superstar skaters, a bunch of forwards that overachieved all season. That Tomas Tatar trade was absolutely retarded, they could have used some of those picks on trading for EK this summer in a sign and trade situation. They could have picked up Vanek for basically nothing instead.

I can't believe people are trying to blame this on Fleury, he has been ok even though his stats don't reflect that. WSH has had too many quality chances. I don't think Vegas makes the playoffs next year unless they add some stars.

Fleury has been a sport psychologist's wet dream. Playing with this guy would make any teammate nervous about his chances. Every play's a drama for frenchie.

Post: #56

^ Vegas D have been horrible against WSH, so many 2nd, 3rd and 4th chances and a lot of bad giveaways.

People can say whatever they want about MAF but he is the reason why they made it to playoffs also the reason they make it to the SCF.

Pittsburgh also wouldn't have won the cup last year without him and I don't think it was fair that he was replaced so easily last year after one ok/bad game.

Post: #57

Exactly. Fleury is not the reason that Vegas is down and he is the primary reason that Vegas is in the final. His meltdown was a few years ago and he got himself straightened out. He was great for the Pens last year in their run.

Post: #58

(06-06-2018 09:36 PM)Sidney Crosby Wrote:  ^ Vegas D have been horrible against WSH, so many 2nd, 3rd and 4th chances and a lot of bad giveaways.

People can say whatever they want about MAF but he is the reason why they made it to playoffs also the reason they make it to the SCF.

Pittsburgh also wouldn't have won the cup last year without him and I don't think it was fair that he was replaced so easily last year after one ok/bad game.

A goaltender's value is simply not that great. They're mostly interchangeable. However, MAF is simply a hazard for any team's chances of success as he's shown repeatedly that he has issues with pressure.

Post: #59

(06-06-2018 10:33 PM)doc holliday Wrote:  Exactly. Fleury is not the reason that Vegas is down and he is the primary reason that Vegas is in the final. His meltdown was a few years ago and he got himself straightened out. He was great for the Pens last year in their run.

Vegas is an expansion team in name only. They're a solid, veteran team with good legs.

About MAF.

Yes, he was great in the Pens' run, but ultimately he didn't start when it really mattered. That's telling.

Post: #60

^ People were saying the same things about Holtby like 2 weeks ago, look a Pekka Rinne's playoffs. Fleury was one of the best goalies in the regular season this year and he was the best goalie in the first 3 rounds of playoffs, his save % in this series is low but he is not melting down.

MAF's teammates in Pittsburgh loved him, over the last 15 years he has been one of the top goalies in the league. He will make the HOF, a goalie that "melts down" all the time doesn't make the HOF. MAF, like Luongo is one of the most underappreciated goalies in the league, these guys have been starting goalies since they were in their early 20's and consistently good, look at how many guys have had a good season or two and are nothing now, guys like Ben Bishop or Halak.

Vegas doesn't have the firepower up front or an elite D man. Ovi, Kuz and Backstrom are better than any forward Vegas has.

Before Holtby's back to back wins against Tampa last round many people in the media were talking about how he should be traded in the off season and how he can't take the pressure, now he will almost certainly win the cup and all that talk will be forgotten.

Post: #61

(06-07-2018 01:35 AM)Sidney Crosby Wrote:  ^ People were saying the same things about Holtby like 2 weeks ago, look a Pekka Rinne's playoffs. Fleury was one of the best goalies in the regular season this year and he was the best goalie in the first 3 rounds of playoffs, his save % in this series is low but he is not melting down.

MAF's teammates in Pittsburgh loved him, over the last 15 years he has been one of the top goalies in the league. He will make the HOF, a goalie that "melts down" all the time doesn't make the HOF. MAF, like Luongo is one of the most underappreciated goalies in the league, these guys have been starting goalies since they were in their early 20's and consistently good, look at how many guys have had a good season or two and are nothing now, guys like Ben Bishop or Halak.

Vegas doesn't have the firepower up front or an elite D man. Ovi, Kuz and Backstrom are better than any forward Vegas has.

Before Holtby's back to back wins against Tampa last round many people in the media were talking about how he should be traded in the off season and how he can't take the pressure, now he will almost certainly win the cup and all that talk will be forgotten.

Clearly Pen's management didn't think too highly of MAF in their 2-cup run. If pressure's not an issue for him, why didn't he start when it mattered? What does management know, that you don't?

Post: #62

^ Fleury won them their 08-09 cup, and has been the starter there since 19 years old. Matt Murray came in last season and is the future of the organization, that's how these things work.

Your quip about goaltenders being interchangeable is laughable.

Post: #63

^ It is laughable to consider goalies as interchangeable. Hall of famers like Patrick Roy, Marty Brodeur and Dominik Hasek say hi. Hasek in particular practically took a weak assed 1999 Sabres team by himself to overtime of game 6 of the Cup before Brett Hull scored his infamous skate in the crease goal. Roy took a 1986 Canadiens team filled with a bunch of no name players to a Cup win. Goaltending matters, bigly.

As for tonight, I think Vegas is going to win. They'll hit their open nets this time and Fleury will shut the door tonight.

Post: #64

(06-07-2018 03:32 PM)MaxMillion Wrote:  

(06-07-2018 01:35 AM)Sidney Crosby Wrote:  ^ People were saying the same things about Holtby like 2 weeks ago, look a Pekka Rinne's playoffs. Fleury was one of the best goalies in the regular season this year and he was the best goalie in the first 3 rounds of playoffs, his save % in this series is low but he is not melting down.

MAF's teammates in Pittsburgh loved him, over the last 15 years he has been one of the top goalies in the league. He will make the HOF, a goalie that "melts down" all the time doesn't make the HOF. MAF, like Luongo is one of the most underappreciated goalies in the league, these guys have been starting goalies since they were in their early 20's and consistently good, look at how many guys have had a good season or two and are nothing now, guys like Ben Bishop or Halak.

Vegas doesn't have the firepower up front or an elite D man. Ovi, Kuz and Backstrom are better than any forward Vegas has.

Before Holtby's back to back wins against Tampa last round many people in the media were talking about how he should be traded in the off season and how he can't take the pressure, now he will almost certainly win the cup and all that talk will be forgotten.

Clearly Pen's management didn't think too highly of MAF in their 2-cup run. If pressure's not an issue for him, why didn't he start when it mattered? What does management know, that you don't?

If they didn't think highly of him don't you think they would have traded him years ago or used a compliance buy out on him?

He was the starting goalie for 8 seasons there but management didn't like him?

Goaltending is the single most important position, elite goaltending or a hot goalie can carry a team.

Post: #65

Congrats to the Caps!! Ovi so happy it's hard not to love the guy. It's a good thing he won or hed be the Charles Barkley of the NHL.

Post: #66

Congrats to all the Caps fans! MdWanderer is hammered somewhere with his Ovechkin condoms about to celebrate balls deep in some chick with a Holtby jersey and no underwear on.

Post: #67

(06-07-2018 04:05 PM)TheFinalEpic Wrote:  ^ Fleury won them their 08-09 cup, and has been the starter there since 19 years old. Matt Murray came in last season and is the future of the organization, that's how these things work.

Your quip about goaltenders being interchangeable is laughable.

Fleury had 3.50-ish GAA in the 2009 run. Pittsburgh won in spite of Fleury.

Same can be said of Crawford in Chicago. Chicago was a dynamic, talented team with a superb run/gun offense. Crawford just took up space.

Post: #68

(06-07-2018 11:18 PM)MaxMillion Wrote:  

(06-07-2018 04:05 PM)TheFinalEpic Wrote:  ^ Fleury won them their 08-09 cup, and has been the starter there since 19 years old. Matt Murray came in last season and is the future of the organization, that's how these things work.

Your quip about goaltenders being interchangeable is laughable.

Fleury had 3.50-ish GAA in the 2009 run. Pittsburgh won in spite of Fleury.

Same can be said of Crawford in Chicago. Chicago was a dynamic, talented team with a superb run/gun offense. Crawford just took up space.

Fleury had a 2.61 GAA in the 2009 run. In the 2008 run it was 1.97. https://www.hockey-reference.com/players...rma01.html

He made clutch saves along the way that helped put the Pens over the top.








It is true that he had some rough playoffs in the early part of this decade, but that does not negate what he accomplished in 2008-09, part of 2017 and the first three rounds of this playoff.

Anyway, enough talk about Fleury. Tonight it's all about Ovechkin. He finally lived up to all the expectations that were placed on him when he came into the league. His legacy as one of the NHL's all-time greats is cemented.

Post: #69

(06-07-2018 11:18 PM)MaxMillion Wrote:  

(06-07-2018 04:05 PM)TheFinalEpic Wrote:  ^ Fleury won them their 08-09 cup, and has been the starter there since 19 years old. Matt Murray came in last season and is the future of the organization, that's how these things work.

Your quip about goaltenders being interchangeable is laughable.

Fleury had 3.50-ish GAA in the 2009 run. Pittsburgh won in spite of Fleury.

Same can be said of Crawford in Chicago. Chicago was a dynamic, talented team with a superb run/gun offense. Crawford just took up space.

Not in 2015 when the Hawks were down to 4 defencemen from the conference final to the cup final. The Hawks were in serious trouble against the Ducks and it was his goaltending that put the Hawks over the top. He then shut the Lightning down in the finals including shutting them out in game 6. Being a Hawks season ticket holder and having seen all those games live, there's no way in hell that the Hawks won in spite of Crawford, both in 2013 and 2015. There is no way any serious hockey fan can argue that goaltending isn't critically important. It's not just about stats, it's about making key saves at key times, making stops when the game is on the line. Hell if Crawford hadn't gotten injured this year, the Hawks would have been a borderline playoff team instead of way out of it.

Post: #70

Delete

Post: #71

Crawford will never get the respect he deserves. Puts up good numbers every year, reliable in the playoffs and kept a shiity Hawks team alive this season before getting injured. Kane was a fine choice, but that Conn Smythe probably should have been Crawford's in 2013.

Post: #72

Crawford is pretty good, Niemi sucks.

GAA can be raised pretty quickly with a blowout game or two.

Fleury played pretty good tonight, The 1st goal (breakaway), 2nd goal (wide open Ovi one timer on the PP) and 3rd goal (nice play by DSP) were all good goals. Even the 4th goal was tipped just in front of him.

I never thought Ovechkin was going to win a cup but him and the Caps deserved it.

Vegas won't make the playoffs next year unless they can get some star UFA's, the Pacific is too tough.

ANA should re-tool, they should shop Getzlaf,Perry and Kesler. A healthy Getzlaf or Kesler would put a contender over the top.

Post: #73

(06-07-2018 10:27 PM)doc holliday Wrote:  Congrats to all the Caps fans! MdWanderer is hammered somewhere with his Ovechkin condoms about to celebrate balls deep in some chick with a Holtby jersey and no underwear on.

Haha you are far too kind. I had a few beers at my watering hole then went home for the third period. I am in Detroit so since the Red Wings weren't in it nobody really gave a crap. There is absolute pandemonium in DC right now and I wish I was there to celebrate.

But what can I say. So many years of heartache, frustration, playoff chokes, and the Caps pull it out tonight. I am proud of this team and happy for Ovechkin, who will go down as one of the greatest players of all time. Lots of players stepped up, Eller, Smith Pelly, Kuzy, all had big goals and Holtby made the saves when it counted.

However, it wouldn't be RVF if I didn't ask this: Would You Bang?

Post: #74

Really happy the Caps won. Ovechkin needed at least one Cup win. One of the greatest players of this generation, and goal scorers of all time. He might end up second all time in goals if he sticks around long enough.


Stanley Cup, Conn Smythe, 3 Harts, 1 Art Ross, 7 Rockets and the Calder.

Post: #75

All 4 of them. But I'd be boning them with my Blackhawks hockey stick.

Yeah 44 years of frustration wiped away tonight, you must feel great! Congrats and enjoy for a lonnggg time. You guys could repeat too depending on who you lose ( I think Carlson is a free agent).

TigOl' I agree, I thought Crawford should have been MVP in 2013, was surprised that Kane won it that year.