The Official 2022 Stanley Cup Playoff Thread
- Thread starter mikethompson
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I can understand why, but to me it feels different this year. Nathan MacKinnon is dying to cement his legacy as one of the best players to suit up in this era, and he needs a deep playoff run to do that. Caps fans would have had the same feeling going into their cup run a few years back, that they would inevitably tank again despite regular season dominance, but Ovechkin finally willed it to happen. Given that Nathan MacKinnon is a much better all around hockey player than Ovechkin, and he finally has some significant tools around him (namely Makar) to make it happen, I think they will at a minimum make the conference final and likely the final as Edm/Cal can be quite hot and cold. He looks like a man possessed and his team looks like they are on that train as well. The key for them will be defense and goaltending. Sometimes teams are too fast for their own good (Calgary sure looked that way in game 7) and give up chances as a result, and the Avs are at risk for that.
But you never ever ever ever know. That's the beauty of the playoffs.
Ovi willed it to happen? Uh no. It was Kuznetsov Oshie and Carlson that truly delivered. Especially Kuznetsov. He was an absolute playoff beast.
You are right about Kuznetsov especially, didn't mean to imply that it was entirely an individual effort, just that the team can feed off the energy of their leader, which I believe the Capitals did during that cup run, and I see a lot of the same determination in the faces of the Avalanche this season. That's all. That said he averaged more than a PPG during the playoffs which is certainly not inconsequential.
You won't get an argument from me when it comes to Ovechkin in general. If he had any sort of leadership abilites or any commitment to being a 2 way player the Capitals could have won numerous cups by now. As it stands they have only made it past the second round one time in 13 playoffs during his tenure. He is one of the most talented, yet least effective Captains in hockey when it comes time for the playoffs, but he seemed particulary motivated during that run and I think that contributed.
He has the natural talent to be on par with people like Crosby, Messier, Lidstrom, etc. Some of the great team leaders in history. But there is something about him that just doesn't do well in that role for whatever reason. Likely his reputation for being a selfish player and a bit childish that plagued him for the first 10 years of his career. Lately though, he does seem more mature. Maybe it's just the gray hair
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Not quite an exact repeat I hope.
He's always struck me as a player with a little bit of cockiness to him, but he's always had the talent to back it up.
Let me tell him! Let me tell him!
First, let me throw on a Rush album
He's always had the talent, no doubt about that. He has just struggled to live up to expectations when it comes to leading his team to playoff wins. Something changed in him in 2018 though, for sure. I'd wager Barry Trotz had a lot to do with it, but he and the team around him seemed way more motivated to win.
The Battle of Alberta will only soften up the winner for the likes of MacKinnon & Co. The Curse of '93 will surely hit the 30 year mark.
All of Canada is suffering, and just from one excessively curved piece of wood the Habs planted in the Kings' stick rack 29 years ago come June 3rd. I think a simple asterisk in the record books might break the curse. Someone should start petitioning!
Go Whalers!
All of Canada is suffering, and just from one excessively curved piece of wood the Habs planted in the Kings' stick rack 29 years ago come June 3rd. I think a simple asterisk in the record books might break the curse. Someone should start petitioning!
Go Whalers!
Totally agree. It was like he realized he needed to play a bigger role.
You are probably right. Whoever escapes that cage match will be bruised and beaten up.
Not a curse when it’s self inflicted. ‘Bucks dumped stupid ?on Bobby Lou. (After Blowing a Cup) Oilers wastes 3 Number #1s in four years (uh, ever heard of drafting some defense?The Battle of Alberta will only soften up the winner for the likes of MacKinnon & Co. The Curse of '93 will surely hit the 30 year mark.
All of Canada is suffering, and just from one excessively curved piece of wood the Habs planted in the Kings' stick rack 29 years ago come June 3rd. I think a simple asterisk in the record books might break the curse. Someone should start petitioning!
Go Whalers!
). Montreal? Well they’re just all around dumb. Insisting their coach speak French (they’ve passed on a lot of true talent and settled for the likes of Thierien and Julien?) not to mention wasting Carey Price’s best years by refusing to back him up with some solid D men (Hell; Price will just stop everything?).Calgary has just been too cheap. Ditto the Jets.
And the Leafs.... well if they’d ever bring accountability to their players, they’d have mounds of success. But they continually allow dumb players to shoot themselves in the foot (Kadri Anyone)
The Oilers #1 picks have been Taylor Hall, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Nial Yakupov, and Connor McDavid.Oilers wastes 3 Number #1s in four years (uh, ever heard of drafting some defense?
They're only misstep was with Yakupov and everybody was hot on him.
With hindsight they should have definitely traded that 2012 pick for some defence, but live and learn.
Hall wasn’t worth a number 1. NH definitely was. Yakupov was a dreadful waste. Especially since they already had a solid Eberle. It was draft offense, offense, offense. With little regard to how players would mesh. Nor with foresight on how to build a champ.
Then they made the colossal mistake of getting Chiarelli to run things. (Did they miss the part where he gave away a generational player like Sequin for nothing?)
They are finally assembling a contender. A little more grit, and they’ll hoist some hardware soon.
Hall was what they needed at the time.
The problem of looking at past drafts is that you have the benefit of hindsight. I think Mark Messier went in the 32rd round or something like that lol.
The problem of looking at past drafts is that you have the benefit of hindsight. I think Mark Messier went in the 32rd round or something like that lol.
They do have the benefit of less travel time though!
Since we missed the playoffs, I’ll settle for this
Hard to dethrone a champ that’s allowed to circumvent the salary cap three years in a row. I guess $17 million over the cap ISN’T a competitive advantage.