NHL 1st Round: Metro (#1) Washington Captitals vs (WC#2) Philadelphia Flyers

[OccamsRazor]

6 minutes ago, JagerMeister said:

Flyers in 7 0r 6??? Lol, I know many here are flyers fans but come on... Washington are the superior team in almost every aspect. Washington in 5.

 

 

Well the season series doesn't agree with you. It was 2-2-0 and the Flyers didn't have Coots for the 1st two games in Washington and they only had Ghost and Coots for the last game which the Flyers won by the way. So chew on that.

[mojo1917]

DGAF

isn't just a rock progression...

I am excited for playoff hockey, our guys will win some.

if they lose this series...BFD they are truly playing with house money.  You could have knocked me over with a feather if you told me this team makes the playoffs in December.

It is all good... all of it.

that said i will still want them to win it all, but if the end comes early or whenever it comes,  i still view this season as a success.

[aziz]

54 minutes ago, radoran said:

Yes, the Flyers have one more 50+ point guy. And the Caps have three guys over 70 points where the Flyers have zero. The only other 70+ point guys in the East are Tavares and Crosby,

 

There just might not be as many "unassisted or single goals" as you might think.

 

They also have two guys with 50+ assists. The Flyers have zero. The Pens have one. The Rangers, Islanders, Panthers, Lightning and Red Wings also have zero.

 

Four guys with 30+ assists. The Flyers have three. Red Wings 2. Tampa 2. Florida 4. Isles 4. Rags 4. Pens 4.

 

right, but everything you mention above about the caps revolves around 5 players.  ovechkin, backstrom, kuznetsov, carlson and williams.  add in holtby and you are up to 6 notable players.  to the extent carlson or williams are actually notable at this point aside from 31 and 30 assists, respectively.

 

my point is that the caps got where they did in the regular season on the backs of a very small number of players.  the rest of the team was strong enough to support that handful of guys, but the idea of some massive depth on that squad, i just don't see it.  this is not the cup winning blackhawks or bruins or kings, with enough depth that their bottom 6 would be top 6 on half the teams in the league.  the cap's bottom 6 would be a bottom 6 everywhere, and the GM would likely be hoping to upgrade most it.

 

none of this is to suggest the flyers are any deeper, obviously.  i just see the caps as a few elite players that steamrolled their way through a very weird season in an ultimately weak conference, and that kind of construction tends to do a lot of nothing once opponents can focus on you for 4 to 7 games at a go.

[radoran]

Just now, aziz said:

 

right, but everything you mention above about the caps revolves around 5 players.  ovechkin, backstrom, kuznetsov, carlson and williams.  add in holtby and you are up to 6 notable players.  to the extent carlson or williams are actually notable at this point aside from 31 and 30 assists, respectively.

 

my point is that the caps got where they did in the regular season on the backs of a very small number of players.  the rest of the team was strong enough to support that handful of guys, but the idea of some massive depth on that squad, i just don't see it.  this is not the cup winning blackhawks or bruins or kings, with enough depth that their bottom 6 would be top 6 on half the teams in the league.  the cap's bottom 6 would be a bottom 6 everywhere, and the GM would likely be hoping to upgrade most it.

 

none of this is to suggest the flyers are any deeper, obviously.  i just see the caps as a few elite players that steamrolled their way through a very weird season in an ultimately weak conference, and that kind of construction tends to do a lot of nothing once opponents can focus on you for 4 to 7 games at a go.

 

I don't see "massive depth" but I do see depth that is comparable if not superior to their Conference competition. Look at every team and it revolves around a handful of players - usually less than six. So if you have "five or six" that's actually pretty darn good.

 

Who do the Pens have? Crosby, Malkin, Kessel, Letang, Fleury. And they're missing Malkin and may or may not have Fleury.

 

Tampa has Kucherov, Stamkos, Hedman... Palat? Bishop? And no Stamkos.

 

Florida's second-highest scorer is Jussi freaking Jokinen and their leading scorer is 44...

 

Anaheim, for that matter, has three 50+ point players. Once you get past Perry, Getzlaf, Kesler... Silfverberg? Vatanen?

 

Again, I think the Flyers have a very good shot in this series - especially if they can take one of the first two in Washington.

 

But I just don't see the Caps as as big of a longshot for the Finals/Cup as you seem to.

 

If they get by Philadelphia.

[aziz]

3 minutes ago, radoran said:

I don't see "massive depth" but I do see depth that is comparable if not superior to their Conference competition. Look at every team and it revolves around a handful of players - usually less than six. So if you have "five or six" that's actually pretty darn good.

 

that's a good point, parity around the league really does have just about everyone bone thin.

 

still, i see this caps team splatting on someone else's windshield in the next little bit.

[radoran]

2 minutes ago, aziz said:

 

that's a good point, parity around the league really does have just about everyone bone thin.

 

still, i see this caps team splatting on someone else's windshield in the next little bit.

 

Yeah, Chicago was riding the two cap circumvention deals to Hossa and Keith and still ran into cap problems.

 

We're living Bettman's parity dream.

 

If the Caps were in the Atlantic side of the bracket I'd have them in the Conference Final with little trouble. Against the Flyers and then maybe the winner of NYR/PIT they have arguably the toughest route of anybody.

 

Wouldn't surprise me at all if they lost this first round. Wouldn't shock me if they won the Cup.

[Podein25]

3 hours ago, aziz said:

 

no, you're right, OV, kuznetsov and backstrom.  after that?

 

so, more than one actual forward line, but only because one of their top three guys skates on a different line.  tj oshi and jason chimera are depth, definitely, but in a "insert random meh NHL forward here" kind of way.

 

I dunno about that. Oshie is more than just chopped liver. Justin Williams has won a lot of playoff games and some Cups. Burakovsky is a very talented young player. Marcus Johansson is a nice player. Not chopped liver. They got Winnik for depth etc etc. And they have Barry Trotz coaching. Anyway, we can agree to disagree, if you wish.

[JagerMeister]

3 hours ago, OccamsRazor said:

 

 

Well the season series doesn't agree with you. It was 2-2-0 and the Flyers didn't have Coots for the 1st two games in Washington and they only had Ghost and Coots for the last game which the Flyers won by the way. So chew on that.

I'll concede I presumed the worst. I mean, it is the best assembled caps team in history according to their fans. While you guys are kinda meh in comparison. (No offense...)

[OccamsRazor]

1 minute ago, JagerMeister said:

I'll concede I presumed the worst. I mean, it is the best assembled caps team in history according to their fans. While you guys are kinda meh in comparison. (No offense...)

 

 

No arguments on that on paper i agree they are the better team. There is a reason no one is really given them a chance. But i have been on the other side where the Flyers have had 7 20 goal scorers and yet still didn't get it done.

 

But at the end of the day they have to play the game and it won't be on paper.....pressure is a killer....and the pressure is all on the Caps the president trophy winner and #1 seed in the NHL...opening at home to the lowly 8th seed Flyers.

 

There have been 3 teams the last 15+ years to win the president trophy and the Cup the same year....not very good odds i say.

 

But first things 1st...the Flyers stand in the way. And the Flyers have played some great hockey the last quarter of the season despite at times this year losing Coots, Giroux, Del Zotto, Neuvy and Jake. They are no pushover by any means. Infact i want the Caps to underestimate them in works to the Flyers advantage.

[OccamsRazor]

14 minutes ago, Hockey Junkie said:

If they can regain their midseason form, they will be plenty tough.  The West is still far better than the East.  Washington are easily the best team in the East.  You starry eyed dreamers in cheese steak heaven will come crashing back to reality after your first round spanking!  Bend over for daddy!?

 

 

I'm just happy they are getting your jinxing kiss of death blessings....it's like money in the bank. Flyers in 6!

[ruxpin]

On 4/12/2016 at 3:41 PM, OccamsRazor said:

 

 

I remember watching this live. Good times. 

[sarsippius]

The moron below was another post by you.....just sayin'

 

1 hour ago, Hockey Junkie said:

Yeah right!  And to the moron below, the Sabres are right on schedule on the rebuild.  Do you honestly think the Flyers can win?

[Samifan]

2 hours ago, Hockey Junkie said:

If they can regain their midseason form, they will be plenty tough.  The West is still far better than the East.  Washington are easily the best team in the East.  You starry eyed dreamers in cheese steak heaven will come crashing back to reality after your first round spanking!  Bend over for daddy!?

Keep making those horrible predictions HJ. I can't wait to see which bandwagon you jump on for these playoffs. I'm sure you will have 2-3 favorite teams before June. 

 

 

Miller

[hf101]

I think every rational thought I have says the Caps will win this in 6, except I can't actually vote that in the polls.   I dunno, maybe it is that intrinsic factor of just I think the Flyers will play harder every game and be rewarded for it.  The Capitals will make too many mistakes and spend far too many minutes in the penalty box.  This series is won by the Flyers at home in 6.

[Bertmega]

12 hours ago, Hockey Junkie said:

Yeah right!  And to the moron below, the Sabres are right on schedule on the rebuild.  Do you honestly think the Flyers can win?

You wrote below that post re-re.

 

Nice to see you back in full troll mode. Are you so salty because you cannot afford Vicodin and Halibut, or that the Sabres are the laughing stock of the NHL? Dealers Choice.....

[pilldoc]

wow...isn't this a telling stat that @hf101 posted in the shoutbox....

 

hf101Today 6:28 AM

@billmeltzer From Jan 5th onward, Flyers record was 26-12-7 (15-15-7 before). The Capitals went 27-11-5 (29-7-3 before).

 

Pretty evenly matched... should be a great series.

[Puck_Pun]

10 hours ago, hf101 said:

I think every rational thought I have says the Caps will win this in 6, except I can't actually vote that in the polls.   I dunno, maybe it is that intrinsic factor of just I think the Flyers will play harder every game and be rewarded for it.  The Capitals will make too many mistakes and spend far too many minutes in the penalty box.  This series is won by the Flyers at home in 6.

 

I really want the Flyers to win the cup- if for no other reason than it being a fantastic narrative, the team holding up the trophy in honour of their founder and so forth. But at the same time, the Caps have had a great year. It'll be an interesting seven games.

[AndyS]

Further proof that it's in their heads (from the Washington Post):

 

 

[Podein25]

All things considered, this really is the best scenario for the Flyers: huge underdog, dead owner and facing a team that simply has to win or else their tombstone will forever read: choke artists. 

[Samifan]

3 hours ago, Hockey Junkie said:

Well you should know by now my second favorite team has always been St Louis

 

Yes, if my memory serves me correctly, the Blues became your second favorite team immediately after Miller was traded there.

[aziz]

3 hours ago, Hockey Junkie said:

Xxxx xxx xxxxxx xxxx xx xxx xxxx xxx Xxxxx xxx xx xxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxx. 

 

Rick,  we can't see what you're typing,  coming across just as x's. 

[B21]

16 hours ago, OccamsRazor said:

 

 

I'm just happy they are getting your jinxing kiss of death blessings....it's like money in the bank. Flyers in 6!

 

[Samifan]

29 minutes ago, B21 said:

 

 

Put'em in the bathroom, I don't wanna see his mush face!

[Samifan]

 

[radoran]

47 minutes ago, Hockey Junkie said:

Can you read this or is it just xs?   I have no clue what is going on?

 

This is your chain

 

This is your chain being yanked

 

Any questions?