2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs Hockey • Page 154

The caps have definitely surprised me this year. Two main concerns on their end is handling the speed VGK and cracking MAF. The first one seems difficult to say the least and the second one seems damn near impossible these days. They're gonna have to play their best hockey and get a fair amount of luck (bounces, etc.). I think the caps can pull it off, but it definitely looks to be uphill.

 

Ovechkin finally getting a ring would be nice. But Vegas winning in their first season is just too good.

 

Go Vegas

 

I'll echo the sentiments @Micool1...half happy half sad, no matter who wins.

 

I'm cool with either team winning. Going to be a fantastic story either way.

 

The jets can't make room for Ryan reaves, right?

 

For those with a subscription to The Athletic, this a very cool read. I'll post the intro.

Entering an alternate timeline: What would this season have...

Somehow, someway the Vegas Golden Knights have made the Stanley Cup final, much to the chagrin of 30 other franchises, some of which haven’t been that far in decades (or ever).

Teams spend years building toward that very goal, fans suffer for years hoping to one day taste the same glory and this group of rag-tag misfits strolls into the final on the back of a 12-3 playoff record like it’s a Saturday afternoon walk in the park? That ain’t right.

While it’s a terrific story for the league – a once-in-a-lifetime (sorry Seattle, this won’t happen again) moment for the sport that has many outside hockey finally paying attention – it has to be a difficult thing to stomach for a number of fanbases, especially those who lost key players in the expansion draft.

This is clearly The Darkest Timeline – the one where Jeff Winger rolls a one, chaos reigns supreme and things get weird – which has me wondering what happens in all the other timelines. Specifically, the one where the Vegas Golden Knights don’t exist.

The team’s miracle season has been one of the best stories in hockey history, a wild, fun and unexpected ride and the hockey world is a better place for it. I’m not here to take any of that away. But, for the petty fans among us who think this inaugural success isn’t fair for the majority of the league that’s still suffering, I’m here to open up a portal to an alternate timeline, one with less suffering.

In this timeline, everything that happened before the expansion draft still happens (because it would be difficult to account for all the moving parts beforehand), but the actual draft doesn’t because an Ocean’s 11-esque heist (just go with it, okay) goes down a day before, robbing Vegas of its expansion fee money. No money, no team, and every team breathes a collective sigh of relief that they wouldn’t lose their 11th best player for the 2017-18 season.

So what happens next now that there’s no looming threat of an expansion franchise pillaging the rosters of established clubs?

 

lmao

 

I would love to see Ovi get a cup but I don’t think they can beat Vegas. That team, somehow, is ridiculously good.

 

Yeah Vegas’ forward core is more balanced throughout, Washington’s fourth line is going to get eaten alive

 

I am legitimately surprised at how many people are picking Vegas

 

Seems like Vegas is destined to win at this point. However, I want Ovi to get his cup and the caps can pull this off

 

WAshington struggles with speed and Vegas has it in spades

 

Tampa is equally as fast and more skilled, Washington had no real issues with that. Add in that Tampa has a better defensive core.

 

Washington has been handling speed pretty well this post season. Credit to Trotz's gameplans. They've really been able to clog the neutral zones and take away the easy lanes. VGK is rested as hell though, I expect them to come out flying.

 

Go Knights.

 

can Ovi crack MAF? Holtby's gonna have to reel it in a little. I still don't know how Hedman didn't score the tieing goal early in Game 7 when Holtby came way out and got deked

 

Go Vegas.

 

Tampa is not as fast as Vegas is. No chance.

 

It's hard to say if Ovi can crack MAF. He hasn't had good luck in the past. The way MAF is playing he definitely won't give up goals like the GWG in Game 7. They're gonna need a lotta traffic and that might not even be enough.

Ovi will probably get one or two PPGs just by floating by the dot and waiting to rip one though.

 

Pens fans are the fucking worst sometimes. The Penguins Facebook posted a "Happy Birthday Matt Murray" thing and like one of every three comments is about his performance this year. JFC. Sorry. Had to vent.

 

Scrub. Should've won 3 cups in a row.

 

#truth haha. Seriously there's a joke for PGH fans:
"How does a PGH fan change a light bulb?"
"They don't. They just complain about how great the old lightbulb was."