Eastern Conference: (2) Washington vs. (7) Rangers

[playmaker26]

lanky wrote:

playmaker26 wrote:

Throw that 5-4 game when Washington came back out. While it was a great comeback, that will never happen to a Lundqvist team again.

You only point out the Rangers\' faults. They are not as bad as you think.

they are pretty bad. they squeeked into the playoffs somewhat by default, as buffalo tanked without miller, florida was inconsistant down the stretch, and montreal sucked something amazing the second half of the season. I wouldn\'t chose the rangers to even be in playoff contention if they were in the western conference... and i really don\'t think that they are that viable of an upset candidate.

You say that 5-4 comeback would never happen to a lundqvist team again... why? why not? It happened to him before, it can happen again. The capitals are on of the better teams in the league at coming back from behind. I\'ve watched them do it numerous times over the last 2 years.

What is different now about lundqvist that would cause that comeback to \"never happen\" again?

They went 11-7-2 or something like that under Tortorella. That\'s not really \"squeaking\" in. They were not playing as bad as you think. They did what they had to do to get in.

It doesn\'t matter if they wouldn\'t contend in the West...they\'re in the East, that argument has nothing to do with this.

I say that comeback will never happen because not only are comebacks like that rare, Lundqvist is too good of a goalie for it to happen.

I think Washington is going to win the series but it won\'t be a quick series like you think. And if it is quick, the games will not be close. With the way you are talking, the Caps are going to win 5-0 every game.

[lanky]

playmaker26 wrote:

They went 11-7-2 or something like that under Tortorella. That\'s not really \"squeaking\" in. They were not playing as bad as you think. They did what they had to do to get in.

It doesn\'t matter if they wouldn\'t contend in the West...they\'re in the East, that argument has nothing to do with this.

I say that comeback will never happen because not only are comebacks like that rare, Lundqvist is too good of a goalie for it to happen.

I think Washington is going to win the series but it won\'t be a quick series like you think. And if it is quick, the games will not be close. With the way you are talking, the Caps are going to win 5-0 every game.

HAHA. i\'m sorry if that\'s how i\'m coming off. Don\'t get me wrong.. the caps will be given nothing when the playoffs start... just like every other team, they\'ll have to fight for every win. I just really don\'t think that the caps fighting vs. the rangers fighting is really that close a series. The games (individual battles) will probably be close, but the war (series) will be a \"capital\" success for Washington.

I\'m not saying that they\'ll sweep the rangers or that the rangers won\'t put up a fight, but when your best shutdown defender is a 21 year old, you\'re going to have problems over the course of the series with the potent lineup that the Capitals has to offer.

I mean we\'re talking about the 2nd most efficient scoring team in the east, and the third most efficent scoring team in the league here. It\'s going to be a very difficult task for the Rangers. VERY difficult.

I mean really... 90% of the statistics going into this series are in washington\'s favor... you just can\'t discount all that...

I\'m not saying it\'s going to be a landslide. They\'ll have to fight for every inch, but i just really don\'t think that NY will upset in this series. They can pull off a win or two, but I just don\'t see them getting four.

[Zorro]

This series is going to be ugly, I think anyway. Avery won\'t be able to get Ovechkin, Semin, and Backstrom\'s attention.. I think Caps win in 5, even with Theodore.

[playmaker26]

lanky wrote:

playmaker26 wrote:

They went 11-7-2 or something like that under Tortorella. That\'s not really \"squeaking\" in. They were not playing as bad as you think. They did what they had to do to get in.

It doesn\'t matter if they wouldn\'t contend in the West...they\'re in the East, that argument has nothing to do with this.

I say that comeback will never happen because not only are comebacks like that rare, Lundqvist is too good of a goalie for it to happen.

I think Washington is going to win the series but it won\'t be a quick series like you think. And if it is quick, the games will not be close. With the way you are talking, the Caps are going to win 5-0 every game.

HAHA. i\'m sorry if that\'s how i\'m coming off. Don\'t get me wrong.. the caps will be given nothing when the playoffs start... just like every other team, they\'ll have to fight for every win. I just really don\'t think that the caps fighting vs. the rangers fighting is really that close a series. The games (individual battles) will probably be close, but the war (series) will be a \"capital\" success for Washington.

I\'m not saying that they\'ll sweep the rangers or that the rangers won\'t put up a fight, but when your best shutdown defender is a 21 year old, you\'re going to have problems over the course of the series with the potent lineup that the Capitals has to offer.

I mean we\'re talking about the 2nd most efficient scoring team in the east, and the third most efficent scoring team in the league here. It\'s going to be a very difficult task for the Rangers. VERY difficult.

I mean really... 90% of the statistics going into this series are in washington\'s favor... you just can\'t discount all that...

I\'m not saying it\'s going to be a landslide. They\'ll have to fight for every inch, but i just really don\'t think that NY will upset in this series. They can pull off a win or two, but I just don\'t see them getting four.

I agree, I don\'t think the Rangers WILL win the series. But I think they CAN.

Staal has playoff experience. His age is not a question mark. He is a great defender and I think he is the type of guy who could have some type of success against the Caps. It\'s impossible to stop their offense but if you limit the damage done on the PP, you can contain them.

Stats aren\'t everything. I love stats but playoffs are much different (and I\'m sure you know this). Whenever Detroit was upset, 90% of the stats were probably in their favor as well.

[lanky]

playmaker26 wrote:

I agree, I don\'t think the Rangers WILL win the series. But I think they CAN.

Staal has playoff experience. His age is not a question mark. He is a great defender and I think he is the type of guy who could have some type of success against the Caps. It\'s impossible to stop their offense but if you limit the damage done on the PP, you can contain them.

Stats aren\'t everything. I love stats but playoffs are much different (and I\'m sure you know this). Whenever Detroit was upset, 90% of the stats were probably in their favor as well.

playmaker... you must really like seeing your screenname in the forums because you\'re the \"latest post\" on EVERY single playoff discussion thread lol.

man... you\'re either really passionate about all these matchups, or just incredibly bored at work today haha.

[playmaker26]

lanky wrote:

playmaker26 wrote:

I agree, I don\'t think the Rangers WILL win the series. But I think they CAN.

Staal has playoff experience. His age is not a question mark. He is a great defender and I think he is the type of guy who could have some type of success against the Caps. It\'s impossible to stop their offense but if you limit the damage done on the PP, you can contain them.

Stats aren\'t everything. I love stats but playoffs are much different (and I\'m sure you know this). Whenever Detroit was upset, 90% of the stats were probably in their favor as well.

playmaker... you must really like seeing your screenname in the forums because you\'re the \"latest post\" on EVERY single playoff discussion thread lol.

man... you\'re either really passionate about all these matchups, or just incredibly bored at work today haha.

Sorry for liking hockey and being active I guess?

[lanky]

playmaker26 wrote:

Sorry for liking hockey and being active I guess?

no appologies required buddy. I just think it\'s funny sometimes when you see the same name all the way down the boards :laugh:

I do it too sometimes, and I\'m sorry i\'m not around more today to spar with you a bit (since the boards seem pretty inactive overall today), but I spent so much time setting sentium straight yesterday regarding detroit, that I actually have to do some work today.

B)

[playmaker26]

lanky wrote:

playmaker26 wrote:

Sorry for liking hockey and being active I guess?

no appologies required buddy. I just think it\'s funny sometimes when you see the same name all the way down the boards :laugh:

I do it too sometimes, and I\'m sorry i\'m not around more today to spar with you a bit (since the boards seem pretty inactive overall today), but I spent so much time setting sentium straight yesterday regarding detroit, that I actually have to do some work today.

B)

Haha. Home for summer after my season and getting my wisdom teeth out are a pretty good combination for me to be on here a lot lol. I just can\'t wait until the playoffs.

[lanky]

playmaker26 wrote:

Haha. Home for summer after my season and getting my wisdom teeth out are a pretty good combination for me to be on here a lot lol. I just can\'t wait until the playoffs.

nice. good luck with those wisdom teeth. they are a crapshoot. when i got mine pulled, i went to the swimming pool the same day, never took any of the painkillers, and was eating steak the next day. When my wife got her\'s pulled, she was a chipmunk for a week, was drugged up 24-7, and was on a applesauce diet for nearly a month lol.

Stanley cup playoffs sure is a nice time to be layed up following surgery though haha.

[playmaker26]

Haha I know right.

[Flyer Fan]

I think a team flying in to play the Caps on Tuesday night checking into their hotel room Monday night, telling their best checker that it\'s his job to stick to Ovechkin, and then spending a half an hour at the morning skate talking about the importance of keeping an eye out for Green sneaking in from the point; is probably about as deep as most teams get as far as gameplanning for the Caps during the regular season...

Torts is a very good tactical coach with plenty of time to plan, implement, and adjust as needed. He doesn\'t have to shut them down either, he just has to give his guys a chance by limiting the damage they do.

An overmatched Flyers team once neutralized the unstoppable Bobby Orr, and won a Stanley Cup by continually dumping the puck in behind him, and tiring him out by forcing him to go back and get it, and carry it, and hitting him every time he did.

If Bobby Orr can be game planned for by a smart coach, ...then I have to believe Mike Green can be game planned for as well, ...remember the Caps aren\'t the Pens, Wings, Ducks, Sharks etc with a series of talented puck moving defensmen, ...after Green, they become a below average squad that can be exploited.

I\'m also factoring in a more motivated Rangers squad as well, ...Zherdev for instance would seem to have another gear available that wasn\'t often seen during the regular season, ...I don\'t think it\'s much of a reach to expect guys like Naslund, Gomez, and Drury to elevate their games as well.

I\'m also thinking about Sean Avery\'s waving of the stick in Marty Brodeur\'s face during last season\'s playoffs as well, ...how will the Caps respond to his antics???

Staal is a 21 year old kid, ...but he\'s also a very experienced 21 year old kid, ...he\'s played the shutdown role against world class players successfully on the international stage, ...he won\'t be phased by the assignment, and his youth means he\'s also got the stamina to stay with Ovechkin shift for shift and stride for stride throughout the series.

I\'ve ready everybody\'s posts, and there\'s some good reasons to make the safe pick and opt for the Caps here, they certainly are very capable of winning this too, and I could very well be wrong, but if I were a Rangers fan, I\'d like my chances against the Caps better than against any other team in the East except the Habs.

Despite what the statistics say, the Rangers can play with these guys, and they have the three most important factors favoring them:

Goaltending, Goaltending, and Goaltending.

We all knew the Cap\'s season was lost when they failed to sign Huet, this series will just make that official.:laugh:

[lanky]

Flyer Fan wrote:

I think a team flying in to play the Caps on Tuesday night checking into their hotel room Monday night, telling their best checker that it\'s his job to stick to Ovechkin, and then spending a half an hour at the morning skate talking about the importance of keeping an eye out for Green sneaking in from the point; is probably about as deep as most teams get as far as gameplanning for the Caps during the regular season...

Torts is a very good tactical coach with plenty of time to plan, implement, and adjust as needed. He doesn\'t have to shut them down either, he just has to give his guys a chance by limiting the damage they do.

An overmatched Flyers team once neutralized the unstoppable Bobby Orr, and won a Stanley Cup by continually dumping the puck in behind him, and tiring him out by forcing him to go back and get it, and carry it, and hitting him every time he did.

If Bobby Orr can be game planned for by a smart coach, ...then I have to believe Mike Green can be game planned for as well, ...remember the Caps aren\'t the Pens, Wings, Ducks, Sharks etc with a series of talented puck moving defensmen, ...after Green, they become a below average squad that can be exploited.

I\'m also factoring in a more motivated Rangers squad as well, ...Zherdev for instance would seem to have another gear available that wasn\'t often seen during the regular season, ...I don\'t think it\'s much of a reach to expect guys like Naslund, Gomez, and Drury to elevate their games as well.

I\'m also thinking about Sean Avery\'s waving of the stick in Marty Brodeur\'s face during last season\'s playoffs as well, ...how will the Caps respond to his antics???

Staal is a 21 year old kid, ...but he\'s also a very experienced 21 year old kid, ...he\'s played the shutdown role against world class players successfully on the international stage, ...he won\'t be phased by the assignment, and his youth means he\'s also got the stamina to stay with Ovechkin shift for shift and stride for stride throughout the series.

I\'ve ready everybody\'s posts, and there\'s some good reasons to make the safe pick and opt for the Caps here, they certainly are very capable of winning this too, and I could very well be wrong, but if I were a Rangers fan, I\'d like my chances against the Caps better than against any other team in the East except the Habs.

Despite what the statistics say, the Rangers can play with these guys, and they have the three most important factors favoring them:

Goaltending, Goaltending, and Goaltending.

We all knew the Cap\'s season was lost when they failed to sign Huet, this series will just make that official.:laugh:

i really hope that the caps make it to the finals this year if not for any other reason than to prove people wrong. I\'m so tired of people suggesting that this team is easy to beat, or that they are over-rated, or that they are a good playoff matchup.

This is a team that lost 9 games at home all season. NINE. Out of 41. The Rangers are a team that won less than half of their games on the road (they won only 17 total road games).

I mean i can go blue in the face talking about everything that the caps have going for them, and everything that the rangers don\'t, and yet people still say that they think the caps will be upset.

There\'s a reason that the caps are SECOND in the eastern conference people. And as far as the goaltending arguement goes...

Osgood sucks. And fleury is average at best at controlling rebounds. Yet both were in the stanley cup finals last year, while Brodeur, Luongo, Nabby, Kiprusoff, Lundqvist, etc. were not. TEAMS win championships. NOT goalies.

I really hope the caps just mop the floor with the rangers... i\'d love to see it, but i\'d love it even more that all the rangers koolaid drinkers would get their shit handed to them.

EDIT:

Oh and BTW. How\'s Huet doing this season anyways? Oh yeah... that\'s right... he\'s not even the starter and he\'s got almost as many losses as theodore despite starting 20 less games.

Yeah... that was a huge loss to the caps. That doomed them.

Anyone who thought that the caps\' season was lost without huet is absolutely ******ed.

[playmaker26]

Flyer Fan wrote:

I think a team flying in to play the Caps on Tuesday night checking into their hotel room Monday night, telling their best checker that it\'s his job to stick to Ovechkin, and then spending a half an hour at the morning skate talking about the importance of keeping an eye out for Green sneaking in from the point; is probably about as deep as most teams get as far as gameplanning for the Caps during the regular season...

Torts is a very good tactical coach with plenty of time to plan, implement, and adjust as needed. He doesn\'t have to shut them down either, he just has to give his guys a chance by limiting the damage they do.

An overmatched Flyers team once neutralized the unstoppable Bobby Orr, and won a Stanley Cup by continually dumping the puck in behind him, and tiring him out by forcing him to go back and get it, and carry it, and hitting him every time he did.

If Bobby Orr can be game planned for by a smart coach, ...then I have to believe Mike Green can be game planned for as well, ...remember the Caps aren\'t the Pens, Wings, Ducks, Sharks etc with a series of talented puck moving defensmen, ...after Green, they become a below average squad that can be exploited.

I\'m also factoring in a more motivated Rangers squad as well, ...Zherdev for instance would seem to have another gear available that wasn\'t often seen during the regular season, ...I don\'t think it\'s much of a reach to expect guys like Naslund, Gomez, and Drury to elevate their games as well.

I\'m also thinking about Sean Avery\'s waving of the stick in Marty Brodeur\'s face during last season\'s playoffs as well, ...how will the Caps respond to his antics???

Staal is a 21 year old kid, ...but he\'s also a very experienced 21 year old kid, ...he\'s played the shutdown role against world class players successfully on the international stage, ...he won\'t be phased by the assignment, and his youth means he\'s also got the stamina to stay with Ovechkin shift for shift and stride for stride throughout the series.

I\'ve ready everybody\'s posts, and there\'s some good reasons to make the safe pick and opt for the Caps here, they certainly are very capable of winning this too, and I could very well be wrong, but if I were a Rangers fan, I\'d like my chances against the Caps better than against any other team in the East except the Habs.

Despite what the statistics say, the Rangers can play with these guys, and they have the three most important factors favoring them:

Goaltending, Goaltending, and Goaltending.

We all knew the Cap\'s season was lost when they failed to sign Huet, this series will just make that official.:laugh:

+1 when I reload. Great post.

[hockeyislife]

This may be the one series over faster than Vancouver/St.Louis.

Say what you will about Theodore, he can get the job done when push comes to shove. No, I don\'t consider him elite, I consider him capable. All he really needs to do is make the saves when they need to be made; Washington isn\'t going to ask him to pitch a bunch of zeroes after all.

Will Lundy steal a game? Absolutely he will, but I don\'t see him stealing three. The Rangers made it to the dance, but I think they\'ll be leaving early and unhappy, while Washington goes on to bigger and better things.

Washington in 5.

just my $.02

[playmaker26]

Washington 4
New York 2

Empty net goal seals the deal tonight.