2018 NHL Playoffs

govmentchedda · Post by **govmentchedda** » Thu May 24, 2018 7:48 am

mister d wrote: ↑Thu May 24, 2018 7:20 am I’m going to go out on a very long and thin limb and say this series will be lost by a goalie.

Well, I've got the field in the Conn Smythe, so I'm hoping that goalie is Flower. Then again, that would mean Tom Wilson wins the Cup. Sophie's choice.

Nonlinear FC · Post by **Nonlinear FC** » Thu May 24, 2018 8:38 am

brian wrote: ↑Wed May 23, 2018 10:45 pm
brian wrote: ↑Tue Apr 24, 2018 10:17 am I wouldn't bet any real money on it, but just have a weird feeling it's going to somehow be the Golden Knights and Capitals in the Finals. I think I said that during the regular season thread, but going to throw it out there now just in case.

(And if that happens, it will be fun to watch the rest of America fall in love with Nate Schmidt like Washington and Vegas fans have.)
I obviously wish I would have had the balls to bet this parlay.

You absolutely said it during the regular season, because I remember being incredulous at the time.

I'm super credulous expialoudocious now!

wlu_lax6 · Post by **wlu_lax6** » Thu May 24, 2018 10:46 am

Last time the Caps were in the Cup Finals...(Sidney Ponson reference...). I was in the UK as the Red Wings were sweeping the Caps.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/dc- ... up-finals/

A_B · Post by **A_B** » Thu May 24, 2018 10:48 am

wlu_lax6 wrote: ↑Thu May 24, 2018 10:46 am Last time the Caps were in the Cup Finals...(Sidney Ponson reference...). I was in the UK as the Red Wings were sweeping the Caps.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/dc- ... up-finals/

OMG! I was at UK then, too!

Nonlinear FC · Post by **Nonlinear FC** » Thu May 24, 2018 11:09 am

Beating Tampa and Pittsburgh, in their respective barns... That's not the kind of character you'd typically ascribe to a Caps team.

=-=-=

I know it's annoying to VGK fans to have to wait until Monday, but boy do the Caps need a breather. They gutted that thing out... until Bura came out of nowhere to make the third slightly less of a grind. I'm sure the boys get today off... A guy that does videography for us is also a night time news crawler guy and he was at Dulles and showed me some awesome footage/interviews... They got in around 2:45am.

Unlike in 1998, where the Caps really were crazy underdogs and just happy to be there (IMO), this team just seems to grasp the moment. They best not fuck around with dumping two home games again.

I remember posting after the Caps lost in Vegas that Beagle was on local radio hoping to play them again... And they promptly came to our rink on Super Bowl Sunday and beat us 4-3. I went back and looked at the highlights this morning... Boy is this a different Caps team.

Post by **brian** » Thu May 24, 2018 11:14 am

The rest will help the Caps no doubt, but I still wonder if there might be a cumulative effect to these last three series, which have all been stressful to varying degrees. I guess no one knows and it's easy to take either side. Either the Caps are a) battle-tested and hardened or b) running on fumes.

Vegas was able to eventually exhaust Winnipeg after their tough seven-game series against Nashville, but the extra three days off here will definitely help Washington more than it does Vegas.

Nonlinear FC · Post by **Nonlinear FC** » Thu May 24, 2018 12:34 pm

brian wrote: ↑Thu May 24, 2018 11:14 am The rest will help the Caps no doubt, but I still wonder if there might be a cumulative effect to these last three series, which have all been stressful to varying degrees. I guess no one knows and it's easy to take either side. Either the Caps are a) battle-tested and hardened or b) running on fumes.

Vegas was able to eventually exhaust Winnipeg after their tough seven-game series against Nashville, but the extra three days off here will definitely help Washington more than it does Vegas.

Well, I'd be more inclined to be worried if the Caps took every series to seven games. For all the drama, they closed out each of their conference series in game 6, on the road. And none of those close out games were even close.

Which, taking a step back, is fucking surreal for this fan base.

Anyways, they were tired last night, but only if you were really watching guys closely. Like, Oshie, who is hurt in some undisclosed way, really couldn't go very long by the middle of the third period. They also lost DSP after he took that shot to the back of the head... yes, he came back, but later was done for the night.

Overall, the fact that they aren't more dinged up (Backstrom, in particular) is kind of minor miracle.

I'll take 4 days to mend all day.

ETA - I meant they went to 6 up until this series.

sancarlos · Post by **sancarlos** » Fri May 25, 2018 10:24 am

Nonlinear FC · Post by **Nonlinear FC** » Fri May 25, 2018 12:26 pm

Interesting, I guess.

1) Stamkos is a known guy with hockey people, he's not Sydney or Ovi. Frankly outside of those two guys, who else is a known person by non-hockey fans? Patrick Kane? Maybe? Jagr??

I don't really have great perspective (none of us really do), but my point is that you can't really compare dogging Ovi versus Stamkos.

2) This is probably too nuanced, given what I just said about the general sports public, BUT... Within hockey circles, the knock on Ovi isn't/wasn't that he didn't show up, it's that he showed up in somewhat counterproductive ways. He would double and triple shift ALL THE TIME, especially when the team was losing. Great effort, but it fucks up the other lines, reeks of panic, and ultimately put him in a place where he was wiped out at the end of the game or for the next game.

He also would try to fire up the team by throwing his body around. Which, great, thanks for the effort, but... Now you're taking yourself out of the play/position and the other team KNOWS you are going to do that, they waited on it and you've got odd man rushes all the time.

The difference with Ovi this year, and frankly to be fair to him, the last couple of postseasons, is that he's just WAY more disciplined. We talked about it a lot, just not this directly. On Mon(!) and to a lesser extent on Wed, he and Wilson were wrecking guys, but doing it within the defensive or fore-checking system.

I think brian alluded to it... This version of Ovi and the Caps are scary, not because of a reckless abandon, but the opposite... Disciplined punishment, super aggressive forechecking but picking spots and clogging up the middle if it's not there... And the offensive decisions are just better this year. They aren't taking shots just to see the ticker go up. They are trying to move the goalie laterally, and they are watching video and picking apart weaknesses. 2 of the 3 goals on Wed came from shots at the 7 hole. They were relentless on shutting high on Murray. I don't remember Bob's weakness, but I remember hearing from the local coverage guys that they were after it (glove side high?)

ETA - I know it was 4-0, but obviously the empty-netter isn't germane to the discussion.

Nonlinear FC · Post by **Nonlinear FC** » Fri May 25, 2018 12:38 pm

degenerasian · Post by **degenerasian** » Fri May 25, 2018 12:52 pm

Is it crazy for me to think that the Caps can't win this series with speed?

A superstar team with by far the best player in the series against an expansion team and it's the superstar team that has to trap and slow it down to a boring grind? That's insane isn't it?

Nonlinear FC · Post by **Nonlinear FC** » Fri May 25, 2018 1:23 pm

I don't know about all that. Before this last series, all we heard was how fast Tampa was and we'd have to slow down the game just to stay close.

No offense to the resident Bolts fans, but that narrative got turned on its head pretty fucking quick.

The Caps have a lot more speed than people understand or acknowledge. Particularly on the 3rd and 4th lines... Those guys can fly, and there guys watching in suits that have even more speed if it looks like they need to add them. Chiasson, Gersich and Walker can fly and they aren't on the ice. Burakowsky, Stephenson, Smith-Pelly, Connelly.. Those guys are fast.

And on the backline, with the notable exception of Orpik, the backline is pretty fast... The addition of Kempney was HUGE, because it allowed them to partner Djoos (very fast) with Orpik (not so much)... It's not talked about a lot, but Kempney is one of the biggest reasons the Caps are still playing. Holtby getting his head straight is probably the most obvious, but a lot of what happened early in the season comes down to HORRIBLE defending, which really came down to really bad chemistry on the backline.

Nonlinear FC · Post by **Nonlinear FC** » Fri May 25, 2018 1:37 pm

I would also add that the Caps have always mitigated opposing speed with puck possession and being smart entering the zone. They are even better this year than in the past, which is a combo of just better play/production from the bottom 6 and the above mentioned backline just being better in all 3 pairings. Having Djoos/Orpik as your 3rd D line is pretty nuts... Wouldn't have known that 3 months ago because both were struggling before Kempney, playing above their level too often.

Post by **brian** » Fri May 25, 2018 1:41 pm

It's been a fun journey to see NLFC get from "fuck this team" to "ALL IN, MOTHERFUCKERS!" in just five weeks.

Post by **brian** » Fri May 25, 2018 2:02 pm

I mean that in an endearing way in case it's not obvious.

Nonlinear FC · Post by **Nonlinear FC** » Fri May 25, 2018 2:04 pm

brian wrote: ↑Fri May 25, 2018 1:41 pm It's been a fun journey to see NLFC get from "fuck this team" to "ALL IN, MOTHERFUCKERS!" in just five weeks.

I'm a fucking lunatic.

I just tried REALLY hard not to get emotionally invested. And it was easy at the beginning of the year. But when I went back through the regular season thread... I'm still posting in there and keeping tabs on them. But compared to years past, where I was all in from day one... The only way I could really stay sane was to just say "fuck this team," even though I never truly walked away.

Like, for example, I absolutely stopped paying attention to the Redskins about a decade ago. I stopped following the Orioles before that. DCUnited used to be an obsession, I don't know if I could name 3 players right now.

I'm either obsessed and crazy (MI football/basketball/hockey, USMNT, Hopkins lax [sorta]), or I'm barely going to acknowledge a team exists. I was somewhere on that spectrum with the Caps this season, and if felt nice knowing I was going to get dick-punched in the spring.

Then these fuckers go up to Columbus and win 2 straight and... Fuck. I'm back in all the way.

Lunacy.

Nonlinear FC · Post by **Nonlinear FC** » Fri May 25, 2018 2:10 pm

brian wrote: ↑Fri May 25, 2018 2:02 pm I mean that in an endearing way in case it's not obvious.

Oh, believe me, I'm the Caps nut in my circle of friends and they've been giving me shit, in a good-natured way, all season. They'd ask me a Caps question and I'd say I have no idea (who's hurt, who's in Hershey, what's going on with certain players, etc). At first they were asking because in years past, they knew I'd know. This season, "After last year, I said I was done and I meant it. I'm not paying attention this year!" It was the running gag for months to get me riled up.

Now they're texting me all the damn time with the "it's our year!", knowing that I hate that jinxing bullshit talk.

I'm very easy to fuck with, partly because I love playing along with it, partly because I can take it so they feel comfortable in that space.

wlu_lax6 · Post by **wlu_lax6** » Fri May 25, 2018 2:37 pm

very simply....time to

Post by **brian** » Fri May 25, 2018 3:04 pm

Random stat that might only interest me:

57-19-7

That's VGK's record (regular-season & playoffs) when one of their top three goalies started. Interestingly, it's almost EXACTLY an 82-game season and would be a 121-point season, which would be tied for 6th all-time with the...2009-10 Washington Capitals.

degenerasian · Post by **degenerasian** » Fri May 25, 2018 3:11 pm

brian wrote: ↑Fri May 25, 2018 3:04 pm Random stat that might only interest me:

57-19-7

That's VGK's record (regular-season & playoffs) when one of their top three goalies started. Interestingly, it's almost EXACTLY an 82-season and would be a 121-point season, which would be tied for 6th all-time with the...2009-10 Washington Capitals.

I have a better stat for you. If Vegas sweeps the Final, they would have gone 16-3 in the playoffs, the 2nd least games played to win a cup. Edmonton went 16-2 in 1988.

Nonlinear FC · Post by **Nonlinear FC** » Fri May 25, 2018 3:17 pm

I have an even better stat:

That shit ain't gonna happen.

Post by **brian** » Fri May 25, 2018 3:21 pm

No, I expect not. What I do know is that Monday needs to get here because this layoff is making me crazy.

Post by **brian** » Fri May 25, 2018 4:20 pm

Nonlinear FC wrote: ↑Fri May 25, 2018 3:17 pm I have an even better stat:

That shit ain't gonna happen.

Though Lozo and Sean MacIndoe both predict Capitals in 4.

sancarlos · Post by **sancarlos** » Fri May 25, 2018 6:12 pm

I love both those guys (great twitter follows, too). But sometimes I can’t even tell if they are serious. Picking Washington to sweep on an assumption Fleury comes back to earth and gets outplayed this round by Holtby seems like a curious bet.

I do think that officiating will matter. If they call it by the book I expect the Caps to take penalties and Vegas to make them pay. If they swallow the whistles, I think that helps Washington.

Post by **brian** » Fri May 25, 2018 6:42 pm

I think that’s a good point. I also think the whistles get swallowed though. We’ve already seen that in both conference finals.

govmentchedda · Post by **govmentchedda** » Fri May 25, 2018 7:11 pm

sancarlos wrote: ↑Fri May 25, 2018 6:12 pm I love both those guys (great twitter follows, too). But sometimes I can’t even tell if they are serious. Picking Washington to sweep on an assumption Fleury comes back to earth and gets outplayed this round by Holtby seems like a curious bet.

I do think that officiating will matter. If they call it by the book I expect the Caps to take penalties and Vegas to make them pay. If they swallow the whistles, I think that helps Washington.

I don't think Lozo is ever serious.

Post by **brian** » Sat May 26, 2018 10:07 pm

The cheapest tickets in our section are going for $1200 per game. Down in our rows closer to $1400

Post by **brian** » Sun May 27, 2018 4:31 pm

Watching the NHL media day coverage so I’m definitely insane now.

Post by **brian** » Sun May 27, 2018 10:37 pm

Weird to believe but it’s true — several players during Media Day said today was the first time they had ever seen The Stanley Cup in person.

wlu_lax6 · Post by **wlu_lax6** » Mon May 28, 2018 9:58 am

brian wrote: ↑Sat May 26, 2018 10:07 pm The cheapest tickets in our section are going for $1200 per game. Down in our rows closer to $1400

What was face value?
Game 3 tickets in DC are $820 before fees for the worst tickets in the house and $4800 for best via TickerMaster's verified reseller

Post by **brian** » Mon May 28, 2018 10:47 am

wlu_lax6 wrote: ↑Mon May 28, 2018 9:58 am
brian wrote: ↑Sat May 26, 2018 10:07 pm The cheapest tickets in our section are going for $1200 per game. Down in our rows closer to $1400
What was face value?
Game 3 tickets in DC are $820 before fees for the worst tickets in the house and $4800 for best via TickerMaster's verified reseller

Depends if you agreed to not resell or not. $275 if you did, $390 if you didn’t.

Post by **brian** » Mon May 28, 2018 11:06 am

Seen a lot of shitty/weak/hot takes from Canadian sportswriters this weekend (especially Torontonians). Jealousy is such a nasty emotion.

degenerasian · Post by **degenerasian** » Mon May 28, 2018 11:43 am

brian wrote: ↑Mon May 28, 2018 11:06 am Seen a lot of shitty/weak/hot takes from Canadian sportswriters this weekend (especially Torontonians). Jealousy is such a nasty emotion.

Just from that I can tell it's Steve Simmons. That guy is garbage.

Post by **brian** » Mon May 28, 2018 11:58 am

degenerasian wrote: ↑Mon May 28, 2018 11:43 am
brian wrote: ↑Mon May 28, 2018 11:06 am Seen a lot of shitty/weak/hot takes from Canadian sportswriters this weekend (especially Torontonians). Jealousy is such a nasty emotion.
Just from that I can tell it's Steve Simmons. That guy is garbage.

His was the worst for sure.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Mon May 28, 2018 2:17 pm

I’m blocked but I can’t remember why. It’s a positive.

sancarlos · Post by **sancarlos** » Mon May 28, 2018 3:25 pm

Simmons is the worst. And, Damien Cox is bad too. But there are a lot of Toronto-based hockey guys I like to read - Veillette, Arthur, Mirtle, McIndoe, Spector, Bourne, Filipovic, Dobber...

Post by **brian** » Mon May 28, 2018 4:19 pm

Pre-gaming outside T-Mobile. It’s a festive atmosphere as you might expect.

Post by **brian** » Mon May 28, 2018 5:48 pm

Rams Fanny and I were just in the front row at the NBCSN remote and had a great view of Kathryn Tappen’s ass. A+

Post by **brian** » Mon May 28, 2018 5:59 pm

Can’t believe I’m at a Stanley Cup Finals game.

Nonlinear FC · Post by **Nonlinear FC** » Mon May 28, 2018 6:10 pm

My BIL and are looking at booking a room for game 3, just to be down there.

Good luck to you and Rams Butt. Gonna be a “fun” ride.