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

[BDog]

I would take anybody else across the board over the Rangers - East or West. They are the weakest link in the playoffs.
They will do well just to make this a series.

[Gaborlick]

lanky wrote:

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.

Lanky, this about sums it up for me. lol

The caps are an awesome team. I really think they will go deep this playoffs.

the Rangers...are we all serious? They are a team of players no one else wants whether it be lackluster play of Zherdev and Naslund or the antics of Avery. They have great goaltending, they have Staal but they just aren\'t a good team overall. and most definitly not good enough to beat, Green, Ovechkin, Semin, and Backstrom, I think their core players are much better than Gomez, Zherdev and Naslund and who, REDDEN? come on. Funny how Chara is doing great things and redden just sucks without him.

ack but I digress. THere is always a chance of upset, but the caps are just too good to let the silly rangers beat them.

[nag.daddy]

once they lose 3 of the first 4 games the rangers will give up... ovechkin, semin & green are gonna fire at least 25 shots at lundy per game.... Washinton\'s only competition in the east are the bruins... they\'ll beat the rangers 4-1.

[duballstar014]

lanky wrote:

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.

Rangers in four.

[playmaker26]

duballstar014 wrote:

lanky wrote:

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.

Rangers in four.

:laugh:

[playmaker26]

Great call on Girardi...

[drury2396]

Where\'s Lanky? :laugh:

Here\'s what I thought about the game (from my blog):

In a game that was \"Example A\" of why stats have no importance in the playoffs, the Rangers were able to scratch and claw home ice away from the Capitals. Without their captain, Chris Drury (Upper-Body Injury from a blocked shot...but who really knows), the Blueshirts were able to take the lead in this best-of-seven series thanks to a great dangle-and-roof-daddy by Dubinsky, a dominant three point performance in the second from Scottie Gomez, and a spectacular performance from Lundqvist.

Despite the Caps\' stars (Ovechkin and Green) having dominant games, despite outshooting the Rangers by 14, despite being given seven power-plays, and despite pounding (understatement) their opposition in the face-off circle, the Caps couldn\'t find a way to win the one stat that matters- goals scored.

Wade Redden (yes, that bum) had a surprisingly solid game, while Antropov and Naslund (despite some stupid penalties) contributed on offense.

It\'s important to note that Drury was clearly missed. The Rangers lacked that dominant second penalty-killing tandem up front, and were also pummeled on the dots.

If I were Bruce Boudreau, Theodore would be on a short-leash. He by no means cost his team the game tonight, but that Gomez goal was brutal, and he was two Callahan-post shots away from allowing two more goals of questionable validity.

Great win for New York. The Rangers found a way to \"Block the Red\" (okay, brutal pun on the Caps\' slogan, but you get the point).

http://jr-spacetime.blogspot.com/

[goavsgo]

You guys think another game like that and Theo\'s out, Varlamov\'s in? Boudreau must have been pretty close to swapping tonight if you ask me, Theo was not looking good.

[playmaker26]

goavsgo wrote:

You guys think another game like that and Theo\'s out, Varlamov\'s in? Boudreau must have been pretty close to swapping tonight if you ask me, Theo was not looking good.

Have to think so. I think Theodore\'s leash could be bigger than what it should be due to the fact that Varlamov is a rookie. Just my personal opinion, could be wrong.

[The Comish]

Anyone else think Avery was effective tonight? Helped create a goal by running into (subtle pick) Mike Green at the blueline.

Tortorella has been consistently putting Redden out in crucial situations. Does he really trust Redden or does he not have any other options? Or just maybe we fantasy guys have been giving Redden a bad rap? Okay I\'m kidding about that last one, but only a little!!

[drury2396]

He\'s been playing better the last month (defensively, offensively he\'s been invisible).

[goavsgo]

Some real big hits tonight too, Green went FLYING into the Rangers bench courtesy of Avery haha

[honduranhockey]

The Rangers... and Theodore... just made this series a whole lot more interesting!

[mapletreemarty]

Wow I couldn\'t believe this game last night... Theodore was fighting the puck constantly even on long shoot ins the guys just didn\'t look like he wanted to be there.... Schultz on that Dubinsky goal... are you kidding me?? I thought that \"move\" wasn\'t supposed to work past pee-wee hockey.

Caps need to make the following changes to be successful in Game 2... Theodore out, Varlamov in....I think throwing Varlamov into MSG in Game 3 down 2-0 is not exactly the ideal environment to bring in a rookie goaltender. 2nd change... replace Schultz with a pylon :silly:

[joos]

Just horrible positioning and reading from Schultz. Once I saw that happen, I was like... this is gonna be a goal.