2017 NHL Thread

**HoustonRaven** · 02-09-2017, 09:19 AM

I know some of you are puck heads so I figured some of us can talk puck for the rest of the off season.

Loving what I am seeing from the Caps! Metro division is stacked and they're running away from everyone else. Holtby is again making the case for the best goalie in the league this season.

By far, the best Caps team in the past ten years.

I cannot believe the Habs have lost 4 straight. WTH is going on there? 4-0 rout by the Avalanche?!?!

**srobert96** · 02-09-2017, 10:22 AM

Originally Posted by HoustonRaven

I know some of you are puck heads so I figured some of us can talk puck for the rest of the off season.

Loving what I am seeing from the Caps! Metro division is stacked and they're running away from everyone else. Holtby is again making the case for the best goalie in the league this season.

By far, the best Caps team in the past ten years.

I cannot believe the Habs have lost 4 straight. WTH is going on there? 4-0 rout by the Avalanche?!?!

Caps season ticket holder. Caps need to play well in the playoffs obviously. I will get that out of the way before all the posters come in and beat it to death. That being said this team is definitely different than previous season 1. They play great team defense. 2. They roll 4 lines strong. If you look at the minutes per game the Caps are very very low across the board. Ovie and Backstrom are playing the lowest minutes of their career. Grubby is playing a ton more games this year than last year. I really think Holtby played too many games last year. 3. This team is great 5v5 where as last year they were power play heavy for their scoring. 4. This team starts fast in games rather than last year they found themselves in a hole early. Part of that is the team D as well as having so many strong lines. 5. Finally have 3 strong centers and with Beagle stepping up 4.

I hate the way the NHL does the playoffs now. There is no way that they should no be reseeding after each round. Metropolitan is so strong it is a shame that Washington, Pittsburgh and Columbus will be playing each other in round 1 and 2. It is really important this year to finish in the top spot in the metropolitan because having to play Pittsburgh and Columbus in back to back series would be brutal.

**bst3975** · 02-09-2017, 10:46 AM

Originally Posted by srobert96

Caps season ticket holder. Caps need to play well in the playoffs obviously. I will get that out of the way before all the posters come in and beat it to death. That being said this team is definitely different than previous season....

Completely agree. What's impressive is how they are dominating not just bottom feeders but the really good teams, too (now, watch them struggle with Red Wings tonight....). I think they have something like 9 straight home games scoring 5 goals, not done in 25 years. Really balanced scoring.

Of course they still have to get by Pittsburgh in the playoffs, who always seems to have their number. While I think the Caps are better, they have to show it, and the history cannot be ignored. Plus, a long way until the playoffs begin, can they keep up the sharpness until then?

**GreatWhiteNorthRaven** · 02-09-2017, 10:49 AM

Originally Posted by bst3975

Of course they still have to get by Pittsburgh in the playoffs, who always seems to have their number. While I think the Caps are better, they have to show it, and the history cannot be ignored. Plus, a long way until the playoffs begin, can they keep up the sharpness until then?

This is essentially what I'm getting at. The history is not favourable.

That being said my team is garbagio, so what the hell do I know (Go Sens Go lol)

**bst3975** · 02-09-2017, 10:53 AM

Originally Posted by GreatWhiteNorthRaven

This is essentially what I'm getting at. The history is not favourable. That being said my team is garbagio, so what the hell do I know (Go Sens Go lol)

Then again, neither was Ravens history versus Steelers in the playoffs. But that has changed. And each year they add players who have not experienced that history (this year especially Eller and Connolly). It will happen. Probably. Hopefully.

**GreatWhiteNorthRaven** · 02-09-2017, 10:34 AM

The Caps are the NHL team that always blows it in the playoffs. I dont think they're any better than last years team.

They're on fire lately though. Best team in the league since mid-December.

**HoustonRaven** · 02-09-2017, 10:44 AM

Originally Posted by GreatWhiteNorthRaven

The Caps are the NHL team that always blows it in the playoffs. I dont think they're any better than last years team.

They're on fire lately though. Best team in the league since mid-December.

They're much better. Take a look at their third line in particular. 10 or more goals for each of them.

That's why they lost to the Pens last year. And losing to the eventual champs isn't blowing anything. They were just the better (and red hot) team.

**GreatWhiteNorthRaven** · 02-09-2017, 10:48 AM

Originally Posted by HoustonRaven

They're much better. Take a look at their third line in particular. 10 or more goals for each of them.

That's why they lost to the Pens last year. And losing to the eventual champs isn't blowing anything. They were just the better (and red hot) team.

56-18-8 and not winning the cup is absolutely blowing it. President Trophy with 120 points and nto winning is pretty bad.

It was just like the 2009-2010 season when they lost to Montreal in the first round or 2010-2011 when they were 1st in the division and got swept by the Lightning.

Bad playoffs isn't new for the caps.

**HoustonRaven** · 02-09-2017, 10:53 AM

Originally Posted by GreatWhiteNorthRaven

56-18-8 and not winning the cup is absolutely blowing it. President Trophy with 120 points and nto winning is pretty bad.

It was just like the 2009-2010 season when they lost to Montreal in the first round or 2010-2011 when they were 1st in the division and got swept by the Lightning.

Bad playoffs isn't new for the caps.

Plenty of teams win the President's Trophy and not win the cup. It's quite a long list actually.

Yes, the Caps have a history of playoff choke jobs. Last year however wasn't one of those examples. They had crap depth and lost to a red hot Pens team. That scenario plays out every year in the NHL.

**srobert96** · 02-09-2017, 10:56 AM

Originally Posted by GreatWhiteNorthRaven

The Caps are the NHL team that always blows it in the playoffs. I dont think they're any better than last years team.

They're on fire lately though. Best team in the league since mid-December.

If you don't think they are any better than last year, you obviously do not follow the NHL closely. Team has a completely different make up than last year. The additions of Connelly and Eller to go with more seasoning of Kunetzov, Burakovsky and Orlov are big reason. Eller and Connelly are huge upgrades over Mike Richards and Chimera.

**GreatWhiteNorthRaven** · 02-09-2017, 11:11 AM

Originally Posted by HoustonRaven

Plenty of teams win the President's Trophy and not win the cup. It's quite a long list actually.

Yes, the Caps have a history of playoff choke jobs. Last year however wasn't one of those examples. They had crap depth and lost to a red hot Pens team. That scenario plays out every year in the NHL.

I'm not saying because they win the President's Trophy they should win the cup, but they had a very very dominant regular season (that's the subjective part beyond winning the presidents trophy).

I'm speaking to the amount of choke jobs they have when they have very very good regular season teams.

Originally Posted by srobert96

If you don't think they are any better than last year, you obviously do not follow the NHL closely. Team has a completely different make up than last year. The additions of Connelly and Eller to go with more seasoning of Kunetzov, Burakovsky and Orlov are big reason. Eller and Connelly are huge upgrades over Mike Richards and Chimera.

They were very good last year. They are very good this year. You're exaggerating their improvement.

I hate when people disagree and the rebuttal is "you must not following the league closely". No I simply disagree with you that they're better than last year. You're taking that as if I'm saying they're worst. They're a similar team to last year.

They may be getting more production for their 3rd line, but they're getting less from their top 6. Is that a bad thing? Not at all, but there's definitely a balance. This may be the first year in a while that Ovi doesn't go 50+, Kunetsov's production fell off a bit.

I'm not saying that's bad. Pittsburgh showed the value of 3 scoring lines last year. But does that make them better this year? I'm not sure it does. But hey I should probably follow the league more closely. :grbac:

**HoustonRaven** · 02-09-2017, 11:20 AM

Originally Posted by GreatWhiteNorthRaven

They may be getting more production for their 3rd line, but they're getting less from their top 6. Is that a bad thing? Not at all, but there's definitely a balance. This may be the first year in a while that Ovi doesn't go 50+, Kunetsov's production fell off a bit.

Nobody has fallen off, it's been spread between the lines, which was their issue last year. That dispersement is something Trotz talked about at the end of last season and is deliberate this season.

And I'll clean out my retirement account right now and make a bet with you that Ovie finishes with 50+. He's only four off the league lead and sitting very comfortably at 26.