2017 NHL Playoff Thread

[89Hen]

Caps hang on to even up their series.

They had to play the Leafs and the refs.

[Ivytalk]

Caps hang on to even up their series.

They had to play the Leafs and the refs.

Those goalie interference calls were absurd.

[tribe_pride]

Great Original Six matchup with Rangers and Canadiens. Rangers pull off Game 5 in OT to take a 3-2 series lead heading back to MSG in Game 6. Lundqvist stellar as always in the net.

Good chance that the winner of this matchup will be the lone Original Six team in the 2nd round. Detroit lost its playoff streak this year, Chicago got embarrassed as a #1 seed losing 4-0 to Nashville, Boston is down 3-1 to Ottawa and Toronto is tied 2-2 with the Caps.

[Baldy]

Pens dismiss the Blue Jackets. Resting up for either the Caps or Maple Leafs.
Heres to an epic 6 OT game 7.

[89Hen]

Pens dismiss the Blue Jackets. Resting up for either the Caps or Maple Leafs.
Heres to an epic 6 OT game 7.

Flower was just dumb last night in goal. Never in control, but stopped just about everything.

[tribe_pride]

Caps with the OT win to go up 3-2. Need to win 1 of 2 to have a top 2 teams matchup in the 2nd round.

Boston and Ottawa going to 2OT with Ottawa leading the series 3-1.

[Baldy]

Caps with the OT win to go up 3-2. Need to win 1 of 2 to have a top 2 teams matchup in the 2nd round.

Boston and Ottawa going to 2OT with Ottawa leading the series 3-1.

Looked like Ovi got his knee ripped up pretty badly. He came back and played, but doubt he'll be the same for the rest of the playoffs.

[Ivytalk]

Three more teams out now: Sharks, Wild, and Habs.

[93henfan]

Let's go Pens in Round 2!

[tribe_pride]

Round 2:
Eastern Conference starts on Thursday:
Caps vs. Pens in the feature matchup of the 2nd round by far. Even with Caps as the 1 seed, Pens have the experience so should be favorite

Rangers vs. Senators - Even though NYR are the wild card team, they are likely favorite and loved playing on the road this year with a 27-12-2 record on the road (and 2-1 in the playoffs) versus 21-16-4 at home (2-1 in the playoffs). Between that and the King being hot in goal as well as the team depth should be enough for an all Metropolitan Conference final.

Western Conference starts on Wednesday:
Blues vs Predators in the battle of 3rd Seed versus the Wild Card. Even though Predators swept the Blackhawks, I am picking the Blues to advance

Ducks vs. Oilers - Even though they are the 2 seed, I am picking McDavid and the Oilers to advance.

[ALPHAGRIZ1]

Oilers

[Gil Dobie]

So much for Pens vs Black Hawks.

[bandl]

"This Caps and Penguins series might be a classic. It shouldn’t be happening in the second round."

The Caps and Penguins — the first- and second-best teams in the NHL — both won in the first round, and will face each other this week, starting Thursday night. Seven other teams finished with at least 100 points; four of them have been eliminated. And so the second-round matchups have all the logical consistency of a third-grader’s Pynchon plot diagram.
Here are those matchups, based on regular season points:
12 vs. 13.
10 vs. 16.
6 vs. 8.
1 vs. 2.
And it isn’t just boring stuff such as wins and losses. The Penguins averaged the most goals per game; the Caps were third, while also allowing the least goals-against. Pittsburgh had the league’s third-best power play; Washington’s was fourth. Washington was 41-1-1 when leading after two periods; the Penguins were 37-1-1. Washington had the league’s best third-period goal differential; Pittsburgh was tied for second."

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/dc- ... e23314518a

Should be a helluva series. I think it would be slightly more enjoyable for all watching if it was the conference finals. But, oh well. If you wanna be the best, you gotta beat the best.

[ALPHAGRIZ1]

Pens win in 6

[93henfan]

Pens win in 6

I'll take four of five or seven as well.

[bluehenbillk]

"This Caps and Penguins series might be a classic. It shouldn’t be happening in the second round."

The Caps and Penguins — the first- and second-best teams in the NHL — both won in the first round, and will face each other this week, starting Thursday night. Seven other teams finished with at least 100 points; four of them have been eliminated. And so the second-round matchups have all the logical consistency of a third-grader’s Pynchon plot diagram.
Here are those matchups, based on regular season points:
12 vs. 13.
10 vs. 16.
6 vs. 8.
1 vs. 2.
And it isn’t just boring stuff such as wins and losses. The Penguins averaged the most goals per game; the Caps were third, while also allowing the least goals-against. Pittsburgh had the league’s third-best power play; Washington’s was fourth. Washington was 41-1-1 when leading after two periods; the Penguins were 37-1-1. Washington had the league’s best third-period goal differential; Pittsburgh was tied for second."

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/dc- ... e23314518a

Should be a helluva series. I think it would be slightly more enjoyable for all watching if it was the conference finals. But, oh well. If you wanna be the best, you gotta beat the best.

Caps vs Pens - winner hoists Lord Stanley's cup?

[bandl]

"This Caps and Penguins series might be a classic. It shouldn’t be happening in the second round."

The Caps and Penguins — the first- and second-best teams in the NHL — both won in the first round, and will face each other this week, starting Thursday night. Seven other teams finished with at least 100 points; four of them have been eliminated. And so the second-round matchups have all the logical consistency of a third-grader’s Pynchon plot diagram.
Here are those matchups, based on regular season points:
12 vs. 13.
10 vs. 16.
6 vs. 8.
1 vs. 2.
And it isn’t just boring stuff such as wins and losses. The Penguins averaged the most goals per game; the Caps were third, while also allowing the least goals-against. Pittsburgh had the league’s third-best power play; Washington’s was fourth. Washington was 41-1-1 when leading after two periods; the Penguins were 37-1-1. Washington had the league’s best third-period goal differential; Pittsburgh was tied for second."

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/dc- ... e23314518a

Should be a helluva series. I think it would be slightly more enjoyable for all watching if it was the conference finals. But, oh well. If you wanna be the best, you gotta beat the best.

Caps vs Pens - winner hoists Lord Stanley's cup?

If Pens win this series...I'd put my money on them winning the Cup as well because they are proven winners.
If Caps win this series....not so confident, simply because of their recent history in the playoffs. Although beating the Pens AND advancing past the second round would be a huge weight off their shoulders, so who really knows.

It's really a shame this match-up isn't the conference finals.
Will still be fun though!

[93henfan]

Recent history? As opposed to all the Stanley Cups they won back in the day?

Hahah I love Caps fans.

[89Hen]

Recent history? As opposed to all the Stanley Cups they won back in the day?

Hahah I love Caps fans.

Recent history of being one of the top regular season teams and not advancing. I still love the Flyers 93, but let's not pretend their cups in 74-75 are anything but ancient history. The Caps haven't won a Cup in 42 years. The Flyers haven't won one in 41. You really don't have a lot of ground on which to stand.

[93henfan]

Recent history? As opposed to all the Stanley Cups they won back in the day?

Hahah I love Caps fans.

Recent history of being one of the top regular season teams and not advancing. I still love the Flyers 93, but let's not pretend their cups in 74-75 are anything but ancient history. The Caps haven't won a Cup in 42 years. The Flyers haven't won one in 41. You really don't have a lot of ground on which to stand.

Miss the point much? What do the Flyers have to do with this?

I stand by my post. Recent Caps history: no Cups. Long term Caps history: no Cups.

[89Hen]

Recent history of being one of the top regular season teams and not advancing. I still love the Flyers 93, but let's not pretend their cups in 74-75 are anything but ancient history. The Caps haven't won a Cup in 42 years. The Flyers haven't won one in 41. You really don't have a lot of ground on which to stand.

Miss the point much? What do the Flyers have to do with this?

I stand by my post. Recent Caps history: no Cups. Long term Caps history: no Cups.

Flyers have to do with it because a Flyers fan made the statement laughing at Caps fans.

I read his comment differently. They were a weak team and lucky to make the playoffs back in the day. Recently they've been one of the top teams in the NHL, I haven't seen a stat, but I'm guessing they may have the best 5-6 year record running. A lot more is expected today compared to 80's, 90's, etc... Maybe I read too much into it but I'm pretty sure that's what he was going for with recent history.

[93henfan]

The entire history of the Caps franchise is underachievement, unless not winning championships is an achievement.

I don't even know how much of a Flyers fan I am. I doubt I could name five players on the team and I watched a grand total of zero games this year. The Flyers have a wonderful policy in the Philly TV market whereby you have to be a Comcast customer if you want to see their games. Seeing as how I cannot get Comcast where I live, I can't watch them. Satellite TV subscriber? No dice. Only games I can see is whatever makes it to NBC and isn't blacked out.

[89Hen]

The entire history of the Caps franchise is underachievement, unless not winning championships is an achievement.

I don't even know how much of a Flyers fan I am. I doubt I could name five players on the team and I watched a grand total of zero games this year. The Flyers have a wonderful policy in the Philly TV market whereby you have to be a Comcast customer if you want to see their games. Seeing as how I cannot get Comcast where I live, I can't watch them. Satellite TV subscriber? No dice. Only games I can see is whatever makes it to NBC and isn't blacked out.

Hell, I get 4-5 regular season Flyer games a year here (talking local not national coverage). I do have Comcast and after years of bitching to them that we should get CSN Philly for games when the Caps aren't playing, they're finally doing it.

As for the entire history of Caps franchise underachieving, they underachieved all year long most years. It's much harder to take when you're at the top of the heap in the regular seasons, beating everyone all kinds of ways and then not advancing far. Just like the Nats.

If they were eking their way into the playoffs and they lost first round, it would be sad, but not heartbreaking. Three President's Trophies with no Cup or even Cup appearances in those years... that's tough to take. People like to point to the Prez Trophy winner not winning the Cup often (only 8 times), but if you break it down a little further you will see that teams that have won mulitple PT's have at the very least been there those same years.

Teams with multiple Prez Trophies...

Red Wings - 6, won two Cups and lost one
Rangers - 3, won Cup
Caps - 3, nothing yet
Avalanche - 2, won Cup
Blackhawks - 2, won Cup
Stars - 2, won Cup
Bruins - 2, lost Cup (but won a different year)
Canucks - 2, lost Cup

[tribe_pride]

Rangers (likely opponent in conference finals) are 2-2 against the Caps and 2-3 versus the Pens this season. Rangers knocked the Caps out in 2012, 2013 and 2015 (last 3 series they faced each other in playoffs - Rangers were favorite in 2 of 3 of those series). Rangers will have some confidence if they face the Caps. Pens I think are big time favorite to repeat as champs unless this series takes a lot out of them.

[89Hen]

Rangers (likely opponent in conference finals) are 2-2 against the Caps and 2-3 versus the Pens this season. Rangers knocked the Caps out in 2012, 2013 and 2015 (last 3 series they faced each other in playoffs - Rangers were favorite in 2 of 3 of those series). Rangers will have some confidence if they face the Caps. Pens I think are big time favorite to repeat as champs unless this series takes a lot out of them.

All I hear is blah, blah, blah... Rangers are a little bitch.