Board 8 > NHL Discussion Topic - Stanley Cup Round 2

(+) Yeah! (+)

Whew. It's so much nicer to watch a Game 7 without the anxiety.
---

ExThaNemesis posted...

The way these playoffs work, the Sens don't get home ice do they?

That'd be sweet, but yeah, at this point I'm pretty sure it's point totals that determine home ice. Not even a question since Ottawa and Pittsburgh were both 2nd in their divisions, anyhow...

SmartMuffin posted...

You were better TONIGHT. That's fair. But there shouldn't have BEEN a tonight. It's like this every time for the Caps. Tonight isn't the issue. If Holtby OR Fleury play to their season/career averages, this series is over in 5.

It is frustrating how Fleury was embarrassed in Game 6, at home, and then comes back and pitches a shutout.

....Goddamn I hope Gibson doesn't pull that shit next

Pens have home ice
---

GOAL OILERS!!!!

wooo
---

And honestly, the WORST part of this is that they came back to force 7. Now there will be no panic. There will be no sense of urgency. There will be no change. They aren't embarrassed at all. Ovechkin, Trotz, Holtby, Leonsis... they'll all say the same thing. "We were so close. Pittsburgh is such a great team. We just had some bad luck. Needed a few more bounces."

Nothing will change. They have all the excuses they need for "we'll get em next year!" for the 10th year in a row.

Maybe if they would have lost in 5 it would have been different... but NOOOOOOO
---

SmartMuffin posted...

We should lose, but this Sens team finds ways to win. Karlsson is full god mode right now.

Cinderella is over. You are going to get swept. Everyone who plays good stops playing good when Pittsburgh gets to play them. They are the luckiest team in the history of sports. Anderson will probably grab the puck and throw it into his own net like 10 times.

St Louis Cardinals are luckier but ya
---

WOOOOO
Nice job, Theodore
---

lmao that was the most ridiculous goal I've seen thus far.
---

but yeah when i was looking at tickets for the ECF today it was games 3,4 and 6 here

also $270 minimum for 2 tickets. I don't really like to do sports solo and even then, $135 is lots

I think I will wait and hope we make the finals and blow my bank there.
---

Nashville the only non-hateable team left in the playoffs.
---

Whiskey_Nick posted...

but yeah when i was looking at tickets for the ECF today it was games 3,4 and 6 here

also $270 minimum for 2 tickets. I don't really like to do sports solo and even then, $135 is lots

I think I will wait and hope we make the finals and blow my bank there.

There's a decent chance, depending on the schedule, I'll be at game four!
---

Game 1 - Sunday
Game 2 - Tuesday
Game 3 - Thursday
Game 4 - Saturday

i think
---

Nick and SMuffin, if you guys go to Game 4, I'll make the drive up and go as well and we can meet up before/after
---

Preds are also the only team left that worries me a tremendous amount.
---

Caps/Pens is basically Steelers/Patriots.

Patriots always beat the Steelers and every year we hear how the Steelers finally can stop Brady. Never happens.
---

Unless you guys are buying my ticket I really shouldn't. Already been to 3 games this playoffs and while two of those games were free tickets thanks to family, I am not in a situation to keep spending so much on entertainment.

I always end up spending 60+ on beer
---

Well it's a six hour drive for me, and on a normal work day, so I shouldn't go either.

If all three of us go, SMuffin buys the drinks because he's loaded.
---

ExThaNemesis posted...

Nick and SMuffin, if you guys go to Game 4, I'll make the drive up and go as well and we can meet up before/after

I'm actually traveling to Ottawa to meet a girl and she'll probably be super offended if I spend time with people who aren't her <_<
---

I mean I can offer a couch or futon or pull out bed to sleep on

but yeah, I feel like spending all my money on hockey when I have a kid is a bad idea
---

Oh good this sounds like its a bad idea on all ends, so lets just pretend we went
---

SmartMuffin posted...

I'm actually traveling to Ottawa to meet a girl and she'll probably be super offended if I spend time with people who aren't her <_<

you think you could have any better wingmen than Nick and I?
---

ExThaNemesis posted...

fucking Malkin one on one with Holtby, misses the net and then takes a penalty.

trade him.

i wish there was a way extha and smartmuffin could both lose
---

Not Dave posted...

Who's gonna be the sucker who pays Shattenkirk way too much?

I would be shocked if he doesn't sign with us
---

ExThaNemesis posted...

SmartMuffin posted...

I'm actually traveling to Ottawa to meet a girl and she'll probably be super offended if I spend time with people who aren't her <_<

you think you could have any better wingmen than Nick and I?

I feel like if he is going that far to meet her, he already has guaranteed sex
---

Whiskey_Nick posted...

Sens can beat the Pens in a 7 game series. We don't play fancy but our style keeps us in pretty much any game. Also Karlsson is the best player on the planet right now. Just need to win four 1 goal games.

lol
---

JetJaguar posted...

i wish there was a way extha and smartmuffin could both lose

just disappointed we won't get to end both SMuffin's and TimJab's teams seasons again.
---

ExThaNemesis posted...

JetJaguar posted...

i wish there was a way extha and smartmuffin could both lose

just disappointed we won't get to end both SMuffin's and TimJab's teams seasons again.

If you beat us, through X-Stats... you will have
---

A proper offside call against the ducks? whoa
---

that was onside....

what was that whistle for? Offsides?

That was a goal
---

Oilers have been cheated on goalie interference twice though

so whatever

that looked onside to me, but really close
---

Whistle went way before he shot.
Talbot didn't even try
---

ExThaNemesis posted...

Man SMuffin you wanna talk about luck. We were the best team in the league the one year Crosby got his concussion or we would have another Cup in the bag. We got Halak'd along with you guys the one year where we were definitely one of the best teams. We could have 4-5 Cups in the Crosby era by now and I can't imagine your angst at that point.

But it's not totally about luck, it's about a team that has weathered a bunch of Game 7s before doing it one more time and a team that has never weathered anything wilting once again. We're just better.

lol it's luck that you even got crosby through the lockout bullshit. the rangers were the worst team in the league and ended up with the 16th pick in the draft
---

Oh I know the whistle went way before the shot, so Talbot half assed it, but if it was for offsides then the whistle was wrong (maybe) very close
---

ExThaNemesis posted...

lmao that was the most ridiculous goal I've seen thus far.

clearly missed karlsson's game winner in game 1
---

Don't forget the clear offside goals the Ducks got in game 4 and 5
---

Whiskey_Nick posted...

but yeah when i was looking at tickets for the ECF today it was games 3,4 and 6 here

also $270 minimum for 2 tickets. I don't really like to do sports solo and even then, $135 is lots

I think I will wait and hope we make the finals and blow my bank there.

i paid $350 each for both ranger games i went to
---

JetJaguar posted...

ExThaNemesis posted...

Man SMuffin you wanna talk about luck. We were the best team in the league the one year Crosby got his concussion or we would have another Cup in the bag. We got Halak'd along with you guys the one year where we were definitely one of the best teams. We could have 4-5 Cups in the Crosby era by now and I can't imagine your angst at that point.

But it's not totally about luck, it's about a team that has weathered a bunch of Game 7s before doing it one more time and a team that has never weathered anything wilting once again. We're just better.

lol it's luck that you even got crosby through the lockout bullshit. the rangers were the worst team in the league and ended up with the 16th pick in the draft

uhhhh

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2003%E2%80%9304_NHL_season

Pens seem lower than Rangers
---

JetJaguar posted...

Whiskey_Nick posted...

but yeah when i was looking at tickets for the ECF today it was games 3,4 and 6 here

also $270 minimum for 2 tickets. I don't really like to do sports solo and even then, $135 is lots

I think I will wait and hope we make the finals and blow my bank there.

i paid $350 each for both ranger games i went to

New York being that expensive doesn't surprise me. Much bigger and better market there.
---

Whiskey_Nick posted...

uhhhh

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2003%E2%80%9304_NHL_season

Pens seem lower than Rangers

and crosby didn't enter the draft until 2005, which wpulr have been after the 2004-05 season, not based on these standings. meanwhile, from your own link:

The end of the season saw two of the most extensive housecleanings in League history, as the Rangers and Capitals traded away many of their stars and entered "rebuilding mode." The Capitals traded away Jaromir Jagr, Peter Bondra, Sergei Gonchar, Robert Lang and Anson Carter, while the Rangers moved Petr Nedved, Brian Leetch, Anson Carter and Alexei Kovalev to other NHL teams.

The Rangers were primed to be historically awful in 2004.
---

http://cdn.fansided.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/229/files/2017/04/9BBF9AAE-12F9-419B-8468-64075D132600.jpg

Don't complain about prices please
---

and obviously, in the 2004 draft the caps got ovechkin and the penguins got malkin. the rangers got al montoya.

so, the rangers were the clear frontrunner to get crosby until the lockout fucked them. extha has no idea how lucky he is.
---

SmartMuffin posted...

And honestly, the WORST part of this is that they came back to force 7. Now there will be no panic. There will be no sense of urgency. There will be no change. They aren't embarrassed at all. Ovechkin, Trotz, Holtby, Leonsis... they'll all say the same thing. "We were so close. Pittsburgh is such a great team. We just had some bad luck. Needed a few more bounces."

Nothing will change. They have all the excuses they need for "we'll get em next year!" for the 10th year in a row.

Maybe if they would have lost in 5 it would have been different... but NOOOOOOO

This is true. It's like in the 2013 playoffs, when the Red Wings took Chicago to 7 games while having problems on the horizon and at the present that should've been addressed. Instead, management all stuck the course, thinking they would still have a good enough team to go even with the champs. And it's been a slow drop since then, with bad contracts given to players from that team during the descent.
---

timjab has whined to me about not getting Crosby for the last like 10 years now lol
---

Reading all this Smuffin salt has makes the Penguins victory even tastier.

Penguins vs Senators should be fun. Hoping Ducks pull this out but Preds vs Oilers would be a lot of fun too.

Excellent hockey making up for a terrible basketball playoffs.
---

Could you imagine an all Canadian final?
Bettman would kill himself (hopefully)
---

Oilers/Senators would be the NHL's nightmare scenario.

But it'd be a really good series. Really any matchup from here would be fun.
---

this will be the 5th time we've met the Pens in the playoffs - that's more than we've run into any other team.

pretty damn worried about Ceci/Phaneuf going up against those forwards...
---

I think any final not involving the Pens at this point is the NHL/NBC's nightmare scenario. They don't want to have to hype up Anaheim/Nashville/Canada for the majority of Americans.
---

pens-oilers final? let's do this
---

Think this sums up Washington perfectly (and tonight might give reason for a similar graph with the Ducks):

https://twitter.com/Steelo626/status/862489482460749824
---