Eastern and Western Conference Finals

MiracleOfO2704

not AWOL
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Jul 12, 2005
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The Island
Seems like the Knights figured out that if they can turn the screws on the Jets’ defencemen, they’ll get juicy turnovers. I don’t know how Joe Morrow and Dmitri Kulikov help that.
 

Greg29fan

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Jul 14, 2005
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Every future expansion team that comes into existence in sports has an impossible task ahead them cause I'm going to guess this becomes the new expectation level when it's totally unrealistic.
 
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Salem's Lot

Andy Moog! Andy God Damn Moog!
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Jul 15, 2005
14,414
Gallows Hill
Vegas potentially winning the cup is why hockey is the greatest of all sports. A team of cast offs that came together, a coach that was cast off, that all came together and busted their balls to get to play for a championship. That's hockey.
 

cshea

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Nov 15, 2006
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Reaves scoring the winner is another reminder of the stupidity around the league. STL protected Reaves, left David Perron (66 point season for Vegas) unprotected.

Just all sorts of dumb during the expansion draft.
 

dcmissle

Deflatigator
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Aug 4, 2005
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Every future expansion team that comes into existence in sports has an impossible task ahead them cause I'm going to get this becomes the new expectation level when it's totally unrealistic.
Closest we’ve had to this probably is Jax and Carolina in NFL. They did what they did in their second seasons, not first, and they did not reach the Super Bowl.

You’re right. What makes this tasty is pro sports owners in the main are meatheads. They won’t ask for this outcome; they will demand it.
 

MiracleOfO2704

not AWOL
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Jul 12, 2005
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My kid’s experiencing her first sports heartbreak. This blows.

Trying to show her the positive side, I pointed out that if the Knights do it, we’ll be having a huge party when the Cup comes to town, instead of the class party she’d have had if the Jets won. It isn’t working.
 

veritas

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Jan 13, 2009
3,151
Somerville, MA
The Knights are why a contending team should just refuse to make deadline deals, they're a huge market inefficiency for selling teams. Give your own young players a shot. And if you keep your draft picks, you'll have young players to plug in in the future.

It's also hilarious that Vegas absolutely did not do this, trading a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd for Tomas Tatar, who's been useless for them.
 

Fred not Lynn

Dick Button Jr.
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Jul 13, 2005
5,252
Alberta
Vegas potentially winning the cup is why hockey is the greatest of all sports. A team of cast offs that came together, a coach that was cast off, that all came together and busted their balls to get to play for a championship. That's hockey.
Most expansion drafts have two teams taking turns, this was just Vegas taking who they wanted. Guess that makes a difference...
 

cshea

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Nov 15, 2006
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I don’t think the expansion draft rules were all that favorable, at least not in the sense that they would have a Cup contender right out of the gate simply by plucking a player from each team. At worst, teams were losing their 5th or 8th best forward and 4th or 5th best defenseman or their backup goalie. I’ve said if numerous times, but some teams panicked over the thought of losing 1 good player and ultimately sent 2 or more good players/assets to Vegas to keep the player they were afraid to lose. Then there was Florida who, needlessly handed over Smith and Marchessault. They had no reason to do so, but did it anyways. VGK looks a lot different without those 2. So that was 1 reason the Knights were good quick. Florida is a big culprit.

Additionally, the Knights got insanely lucky that their entire roster had career years. William Karlsson has 18 goals in 180+ career NHL games prior to this season. Then he goes out and rides a 23% shooting percentage to a 43 goal season. Eric Haula’s best year was a 16 goal season. 29 this year. David Perron set a career high in points. Fleury posted a .927 in the regular season, his previous career high was .921. He’s at an absurd .947 in the playoffs. Tim Thomas’ 2011 heroic effort was a .940. The list goes on and on. It’s crazy. Nobody had a down year for Vegas.

The interesting thing for me is the defense. They picked a bunch of skilled guys who were perceived to be poor defensively. Colin Miller, Nate Schmidt, to some extent Shea Theodore (who was a trade). Engellend and to a lesser extent Luca Sbisa turning into useful was an unforeseen development. They don’t have a #1 but turned this group into an above average unit. I used to think you needed a workhorse #1 to win, but the Pens won last year with a crappy D (no Letang) and now Vegas has steamrolled through with a collection of 3’s and 4’s. Maybe it’s something that is changing. Still, imagine if they pulled off the Karlsson deal at the deadline.
 

The Napkin

wise ass al kaprielian
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Jul 13, 2002
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Did we ever get a replay of the penalty that led to the Caps pp goal? All I remember is replays of the linesman getting hit.
And not understand why it wasn’t icing on the second goal.
Meh

Also, JT Miller should absolutely not be on the ice. The concussion protocol is a joke.
 

Mr. Wednesday

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Did we ever get a replay of the penalty that led to the Caps pp goal? All I remember is replays of the linesman getting hit.
They showed it at one point. It was just as much of a hook as the one that gave TB a PP earlier in the game.

And not understand why it wasn’t icing on the second goal.
I don't think it made it over the end line.
 

The Napkin

wise ass al kaprielian
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Jul 13, 2002
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They showed it at one point. It was just as much of a hook as the one that gave TB a PP earlier in the game.

I don't think it made it over the end line.
Thanks, I didn’t see the Tampa one either so...

Thought it did, could be wrong. They’ve called them without reaching the line all year though
 

AB in DC

OG Football Writing
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Jul 10, 2002
13,556
Springfield, VA
This game is shaping up one of two ways:

A) Tampa reels off four consecutive goals and win going away
B) Washington hangs onto a one-goal lead for 58 minutes, cough up a tying goal before the horn, then lose in OT.

Which of these is more likely, do you think?