2016/2017 NHL Thread: This is pucked up

[sycamore]

A Columbus team they just dominated?

Blue Jackets have no experience, it's not like they're the Pens with 2 generational players and the level of goaltending they have gotten on their runs.

I give them credit for their play but Holtby is better than Bobrovsky. Caps defense has been stout so if Kuznetsov, Burakovsky & Johansson can keep producing unlike last year, the Caps will beat any team.

Its a two horse race, Pens and Caps. The BJs and Rangers are just an afterthought.

 

[The Incredible Hulk]

LOL Stars



Chris Kelly gets credit for the goal, even though he wasnt even still on the ice when it went in.

 

[Immortalfire]

Red Wings owner Mike Ilitch has died http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/...oit-tigers-red-wings-dies-age-87?sf55705564=1

 

[The Incredible Hulk]

Sad news. Guy was an icon in the City, and kept Detroit relevant. He will be missed.

 

[sycamore]

TDL approaching. Caps and Pens in a massive bidding war for Blues Defenceman Shattenkirk. The winner will be showered with praise! The loser will be taunted and booed until my throat is sore!

Seriously, whoever gets him will be in the drivers seat for the Cup this year.

 

[Galactus10]

That's nerve-racking


edit: Looks like the Caps and Blues are finalizing a deal with Shattenkirk to WSH


Assuming the injured guys get better for the playoffs:

Ovechkin Backstrom Oshie
Johansson Kuznetsov Williams
Connolly Eller Burakovsky
Winnick Beagle Wilson

Carlson Alzner
Shattenkirk Orlov
Niskanen Orpik

Holtby




Damn that's stacked. Assuming all these guys can play, the Caps will never have a better chance to win the Cup & if they fail AGAIN, it's never going to happen for them

 

[Immortalfire]

Ovechkin is not enough of a leader or team player get Washington to the Cup.

 

[Galactus10]

Only lazy or casual hockey fans continue to pin the Caps playoff failures on Ovechkin every year.

What would you possibly know about the leadership or locker room of the Capitals? Newsflash bud, all great hockey teams aren't always led by their marquee star.

Alex is passing more than ever this season, his playmaking and backchecking is pretty reliable this season

 

[Themanofbat]

A hockey fan can base that simply by his on ice actions, and we've all seen too many videos of Ovechkin "giving up" on plays...

Admittedly, he seems like he's gone through some growth as a player this year, but old habits die hard.

It would appear that only TWO things can stop the Caps this year barring any serious injuries...

1) a very HOT goalie
2) they're collective frame of mind

Just my opinion.

 

[sycamore]

As a Caps fan, I'm stoked and AMAZED we landed Shattenkirk. Amazed, because this TDL was so un-Capital-like. The Caps have made an art form of talking big at the TDL, and then doing absolutely nothing. Well this year was different.

I'm not ready to hand them Cup just yet though. They still have to win the division, which won't be easy give that their remaining schedule is tougher than the Penguins. Then there is also the possibility that the Pens pull a big move of their own before the TDL -- Duchene in Colorado is still a big prize to be had.

Still, I have to say, at least on paper, this is probably the best team the Caps have EVER fielded.

 

[sycamore]

Ovechkin is not enough of a leader or team player get Washington to the Cup.

Dumbest post of the year so far.

 

[Hush]

Caps look good but history is hard to overcome. Coming from a Blues fan.

 

[Galactus10]

They still need to go out and do it but this is one of the most complete rosters I've seen in a long time.

St. Louis has never had a top 3 goalie to go along with the best defense in the league. Not to mention the offense talent.

Many franchises have never had a team as good as the Capitals roster. The good part is that there is still 20 games to integrate the top 20 defenseman they picked up. WSH also needs this stretch to get and make sure guys stay healthy.

The bad news, is that pressure bust pipes as Caps fans have seen all too much

 

[Rowsdower!]

Dumbest post of the year so far.

Enlighten us on how many cups the Caps have amassed over the 11+ years Ovechkin has been in the league.

 

[Themanofbat]

Enlighten us on how many cups the Caps have amassed over the 11+ years Ovechkin has been in the league.

And you won't need a hand to count them on hahaha...

 

[Pink Ranger]

Finally the Canucks are tearing the team down, a year or two too late by my estimation. Goddamnit, I have to root for the Sharks now to win the Stanley Cup. I just threw up in my mouth a bit typing that.

 

[sycamore]

Enlighten us on how many cups the Caps have amassed over the 11+ years Ovechkin has been in the league.

I think I'll answer this in couple of months or so, right after
the Shattenkirk-loaded Caps have finished mauling the rest of the league t:

Honestly, the Caps just won the TDL, AINEC. The Pens did NADA. Neither did the Jackets, the Ranger, the Habs, or any of the other wanna be's out there. Here's what the Caps current defense looks like:

Niskanen-Orlov
Carlson-Alzner
Orpik-Shattenkirk

Impressed? I am too.

Caps are the apex predator of the NHL for 2017. DEAL WITH IT.

 

[Galactus10]

Enlighten us on how many cups the Caps have amassed over the 11+ years Ovechkin has been in the league.

Again, anyone who pins the lack of Cups primarily on Ovie usually has some sort of weird continental bias or is a lazy or casual hockey fan.

Ovechkin is PPG in the playoffs which is a solid number if not otherworldly.

Every year there were reasons why the Caps lost, early on it was not having a reliable defense.

No doubt Ovechkin factors into not advancing since he was the best player most of the time but it's not like he was a no-show.

 

[Darepool]

Continental bias.

 

[Hush]

They still need to go out and do it but this is one of the most complete rosters I've seen in a long time.

St. Louis has never had a top 3 goalie to go along with the best defense in the league. Not to mention the offense talent.

We had Wayne Gretzky and Brett Hull with Al McInnis and Chris Pronger on D along with Fuhr in net and didn't win.

 

[Galactus10]

The Blues lost that season to an even more stacked roster. A deeper team that set the record for wins. Even they didn't win the Cup that year but went on to establish a modern hockey dynsasty in the process.

 

[Hush]

Which kinda furthers the point, no matter how complete you think your teams is it just didn't matter. We traded for THE GREAT ONE & still lost.

 

[Galactus10]

No it doesn't further the point.

The Red Wings were a well-oiled machine that had chemistry in spades and very little drop-off in lines and depth.

If anything, the Caps now resemble those old Red Wings teams that played together so much that their passing was a thing of beauty. The difference is that the Caps can't afford to choke again. The Wings strung together a couple in a row

Picking up an amazing player for less than 20 games doesn't equate to the same type of situation.

You can't win on paper but the Caps really have no holes now. PIT will be a difficult test, obviously, but they don't have the same level of depth, particularly on defense, with Shattenkirk added in the mix

 

[Hush]

Coming from someone who has watched Shatty for several years, he is good for is PP presence and that's it. Caps were good before him, I actually hope they go far but just don't think they will. Pitt looks too good and hell they have done it, that helps.

 

[Immortalfire]

Pitt got pounded by the Blackhawks tonight.