We are all Golden Knights

[Pabst]

The Orioles 30-3 loss a few years ago to the Rangers was less of an outlier that Houston's three point shooting in game 7. Because there was a game in the 19th century that was worse. It's not like GS is going to give them all a free look. Even if guarded by LeBron, a bad pro should be able to make 25%, and many of those were spot threes.

Fuck it, I'm watching puck. Not optimistic about Cleveland against the champs here.

Watch the video on the link you provided. On at least 2/3 of those 3pt attempts, there isn't a single Rocket within 10 feet of the basket.

GS was selling out to defend the perimeter, and Houston seemed content to bang their head against a wall on a night when their shooters were clearly off. Not having Chris Paul's dribbling/passing ability to collapse the defense killed Houston's game plan, and they never adapted.

I just look at this more along the lines of bad coaching (or decision making) rather than a statistical outlier.

[fractalsteel]

The hatchet/headhunter with a nice goal.
1-0

[drmalba]

Losing Kuznetzov could be huge for this series, but it looks like the Caps woke up.

[swissvale72]

Didn't watch the game hugely closely, but two of the three Caps goals brought back memories of 2012 & 2013 post-season Marc-Andre Fleury.

Hate to say it, but I think Caps are taking this series in 5 or 6.

[Donnie Brasco]

That Holtby save...holy fuck

[Louis Lipps Service]

Didn't watch the game hugely closely, but two of the three Caps goals brought back memories of 2012 & 2013 post-season Marc-Andre Fleury.

Hate to say it, but I think Caps are taking this series in 5 or 6.

2 of the 3 were cross ice passes to wide open guys that he had no chance on.

The third was a deflected bouncing puck.

Vegas' defense has been hanging Fleury out to dry this series. But then again, the Caps are simply doing what they've excelled at all playoffs, which is getting goalies moving left to right and sniping opportunities when they get them. Their accuracy on cross-ice one timers is freaking impressive. If it were any other team, it'd even be fun to watch.

[jeemie]

That Holtby save...holy fuck

Sorry. I wasn't impressed. Everyone was screaming about it but it wasn't THAT great.

That's Tuch not elevating more than anything else. It wasn't even that much effort for Holtby to stretch his stick out.

[drmalba]

Caps keep losing forwards and so I think its forcing Trotz to adapt, but they are playing team defense when it counts, especially on the PK. Nearly all of the D-men are playing above the line, but man the two-way play by the forwards is just great to see.

The other dimension is NZ play is well and beyond the best I have ever seen on any Capitals team in the postseason in the two+ decades I've been watching them. That is neutralizing Vegas' speed and relentless forecheck to some extent. In game one it sucked, so you saw it go up and down the ice. Even putting 4-5 goals up on Fleury, Caps wont win a series against this team that way.

That Holtby save...holy fuck

Sorry. I wasn't impressed. Everyone was screaming about it but it wasn't THAT great.

I think it has more significance due to the fact that it preserved the Capitals's first ever Stanley Cup victory, but it was at least as good as any save Fleury made in the previous series.

[SteelPro]

The 5-3 kill was pivotal. Caps special teams have been awesome throughout the playoffs.

[Donnie Brasco]

That Holtby save...holy fuck

Sorry. I wasn't impressed. Everyone was screaming about it but it wasn't THAT great.

That's Tuch not elevating more than anything else. It wasn't even that much effort for Holtby to stretch his stick out.

Everyone is blaming Tuch, but that's the wrong take

How do you want him to elevate that puck? He's almost as surprised as everyone else the puck has come near and onto his stick
Furthermore the puck is in front of him, making it difficult for him to elevate it as everyone wants him to do

The ice was pure shit and if he tries to maneuver so he could elevate it he risks losing the biscuit and everyone is pissed at him for that.

In those situations you are taught to put it on goal regardless of your positioning. Quickness is the priority over placement or velocity. And it's not like he shot it directly onto the ice either...was about 6 inches above it

If Holtby just puts his stick down along the ice in that situation, the puck goes over his stick. Can't discredit his effort

[jeemie]

That Holtby save...holy fuck

Sorry. I wasn't impressed. Everyone was screaming about it but it wasn't THAT great.

That's Tuch not elevating more than anything else. It wasn't even that much effort for Holtby to stretch his stick out.

Everyone is blaming Tuch, but that's the wrong take

How do you want him to elevate that puck? He's almost as surprised as everyone else the puck has come near and onto his stick
Furthermore the puck is in front of him, making it difficult for him to elevate it as everyone wants him to do

The ice was pure shit and if he tries to maneuver so he could elevate it he risks losing the biscuit and everyone is pissed at him for that.

In those situations you are taught to put it on goal regardless of your positioning. Quickness is the priority over placement or velocity. And it's not like he shot it directly onto the ice either...was about 6 inches above it

If Holtby just puts his stick down along the ice in that situation, the puck goes over his stick. Can't discredit his effort

OK...point taken.

My point still stands. Very good but not fantastically great save...certainly not worth the hype it got.

I think people see the wide open net and they think Holtby had to do something spectacular to get into position to make the save. He didn’t...he really didn’t.

Malba’s point that it preserved the Caps’ first-ever Finals win is also taken...but the significance of the save didn’t change its technical difficulty.

[drmalba]

Have you looked at the overhead shots? I agree from the side view (most of the initial replays) it looks like Holtby sort of just reached out. But from the top view you can see that he has completely twisted himself and is fully extended to make that save. It was incredibly athletic and there just aren't many goaltenders who can do that, not even considering the speed of the reaction necessary to get that stick in position.

I'm not necessarily gonna crown him in a world where Dominek Hasek exists (who probably has two or three of the greatest saves I have ever seen), but damn, it was pretty impressive.


http://www.sportingnews.com/nhl/news/stanley-cup-final-2018-braden-holtby-save-video-golden-knights-capitals-game-2-highlights/btfataeye43s1huwt6a1xt5ql

[Louis Lipps Service]

How about we just call it a "dramatic" save?

I put it in the same bucket as Fleury's on Lidstrom, honestly.

It seemed gigantic at the time, and considering the stakes, it was. But from a pure skill standpoint, if you go back and look at it 5 years from now, you probably won't be quite as impressed.

Doesn't diminish the importance of it.

[fractalsteel]

Probably the best save of the playoffs to date. Or at least the games I have seen this postseason.

It looked to me like Holtby had tracked the puck and was moving to cover the gaping hole before it left the player's stick.

Go back and look at the first goal scored against Fleury. Man, he was way out and left an ocean-sized hole to fill.

[Orangesteel]

Probably the best save of the playoffs to date. Or at least the games I have seen this postseason.

It looked to me like Holtby had tracked the puck and was moving to cover the gaping hole before it left the player's stick.

Go back and look at the first goal scored against Fleury. Man, he was way out and left an ocean-sized hole to fill.

That’s kinda what you get with MAF now. He’s a little slower than he used to be side to side, still very athletic, but yeah, he will come waaaaaay out to take away an angle, but he better hope to god his dmen have the guys split out wide taken care of, or goal #1 last night will happen.

VGK dominated the third period and didn’t score. Kudos to the Caps; they still suck balls.

[Suwanee88]

Get the fuck out of here with that shit Melba Toast - a total piece of shit organization

My team's still playing. Ergo, I'm not leaving.
What's your excuse, except to waste everyone's time and clog up the forum with the same one-note BS you've been posting a hundred times before?

Hahahahahahaha BS? Ergo? Funny Half breed.

[swissvale72]

Probably the best save of the playoffs to date. Or at least the games I have seen this postseason.

It looked to me like Holtby had tracked the puck and was moving to cover the gaping hole before it left the player's stick.

Go back and look at the first goal scored against Fleury. Man, he was way out and left an ocean-sized hole to fill.

I don't know shit about hockey, but that's exactly what I was talking about early...seemed like 2012-2013 playoff Fleury....He was completely out of his net on that one, and leaked the 3rd goal.

[jeemie]

Probably the best save of the playoffs to date. Or at least the games I have seen this postseason.

It looked to me like Holtby had tracked the puck and was moving to cover the gaping hole before it left the player's stick.

Go back and look at the first goal scored against Fleury. Man, he was way out and left an ocean-sized hole to fill.

He's been doing that the entire playoffs...his defense and other teams' impatience have let him get away with it.

That didn't happen last night.

[Donnie Brasco]

Probably the best save of the playoffs to date. Or at least the games I have seen this postseason.

It looked to me like Holtby had tracked the puck and was moving to cover the gaping hole before it left the player's stick.

Go back and look at the first goal scored against Fleury. Man, he was way out and left an ocean-sized hole to fill.

That's hockey 101 though: challenge the shooter and let your defense take the pass
Washington has been excellent passers though and finding the gaps through the Vegas defense. For whatever reason the other teams Vegas played weren't able to find the same seams

Maybe Trotz finally decided to coach and they found some tenancies with LV

[fractalsteel]

I get what you are saying but IMO on that particular goal, Fleury was too bold in taking the angle he did. He came out of this net and took a position and I believe with little regard for the weak side. It didn't help that Miller didn't have an eye on the cross-ice pass nor did he make a quick enough mover to counter it.

Watching it, again and again, it looks to me like Fleury's attention is solely on the play in front of him with no regard for the chance of the puck being moved across his goal.
Look at the safe Holtby made that is getting so much talk. He literally summoned himself to get into position for the cross-ice pass.

I thought Fleury was too bold in his actions on that goal.

[Orangesteel]

^

Agreed totally. There is coming out to challenge the shooter then there is what MAF did on that goal, which was practically come out to the face off circle to remove the angle. Not good. It wasn’t even a one timer by Eller; there was about a second there before he buried the puck.

Live by it, die by it. MAF better shape up or VGK will be in trouble.

[Hacksaw Jim Duggan]

Whelp, it took three series, but this is the Fleury I know all too well. I really like the people on the Knights team, including Reaves, Schmidt, Fleury, Engelland, and even Neal, but I can't root for an expansion team to win in their first year. It really would almost feel diminishing to the Cup. I took a break from hockey after the Penguins lost, but I watch this, and it just makes it all the more difficult realizing the Penguins could have and should have been playing tonight. I think a healthy Penguins team probably is playing tonight, despite the sloppiness that was the season as a whole.

If Washington wins, congrats to them. They sacrificed a lot, gave away a lot of players, regrouped, committed to some new kids.It took a hell of a road to get to the end. Minus Wilson and maybe Kuznetsov, I don't particularly hate any of the Caps players or team.

[jeemie]

I’m getting angrier and angrier at Kris Letang the more I watch this series.

I’m thinking the way Tampa played, and now the way Fleury is playing, Letang’s horrific play is why we will not threepeat.

[Legacy User]

I'm a glass half full kind of guy. I think the reason we twopeated is that Letang was hurt.

[Donnie Brasco]

I'm a glass half full kind of guy. I think the reason we twopeated is that Letang was hurt.

Letang was in the Conn Smythe discussion for the 2016 win

[fractalsteel]

I'm a glass half full kind of guy. I think the reason we twopeated is that Letang was hurt.

Letang was in the Conn Smythe discussion for the 2016 win

Some conveniently forget such.
In some ways, this season feels like 2010 when the Pens fell to Montreal and the chance at repeating and playing in a third straight SC fell short.
I remember that on this board a lot of posters planted most of the blame on Malkin and many were calling for him to be traded.
Thankfully that didn't happen.

This quote from Sullivan in his letter to the fans sums it up for me:"They almost became too confident in late comebacks and their resilient nature. "

Back to finals, Vegas is in a must win situation come Monday. I hope Fleury has a few supreme efforts left in him.

[Legacy User]

I would have picked him in 2016. But his game has really fallen off a cliff. I hope it's just delayed recovery.

[jeemie]

I'm a glass half full kind of guy. I think the reason we twopeated is that Letang was hurt.

Letang was in the Conn Smythe discussion for the 2016 win

Some conveniently forget such.
In some ways, this season feels like 2010 when the Pens fell to Montreal and the chance at repeating and playing in a third straight SC fell short.
I remember that on this board a lot of posters planted most of the blame on Malkin and many were calling for him to be traded.
Thankfully that didn't happen.

This quote from Sullivan in his letter to the fans sums it up for me:"They almost became too confident in late comebacks and their resilient nature. "

Back to finals, Vegas is in a must win situation come Monday. I hope Fleury has a few supreme efforts left in him.

I know what Letang did in 2016.

But this isn't like Malkin in 2010...you can directly trace at least two Penguin losses to the Caps to shitty plays by Letang.

[Legacy User]

Sure hope Vegas takes the next game. The NBA finals are already a complete dud.

[Legacy User]

letang was horrible. murray was very unspectacular.. watching caps win rubs salt in my pens wound..