NHL Playoffs: and there were four

[Pabst]

And MAF still hasn’t won shit outside of Pittsburgh.

9-17
That is the record for Crosgod and his band of merry underachievers since the last cup.

I don't see the need to gloat about Fleury's playoff troubles once he left the Pens. How have other former Pens done since then? Why no comments about them?

Fleury was a great teammate who never embarrassed the franchise. He was the catalyst to the beginning of a great run that lasted almost 15 years.

Blame Fleury for Vegas falling short this year and you ignore guys like Stone and Marchessault, two guys who were invisible almost the whole playoffs. Guys counted on to be top players during the run. Stone didn't have a single point in his last 7 playoff games.

Don't want to speak for Orange, but i feel like his comment is directed at the chorus of Pens fans/media claiming that we should have kept Fleury rather than toward MAF himself.

Goaltending has become a scapegoat among Pens fans - the vile spewed at Matt Murray after last season's exit being a perfect example.

[fractalsteel]

"And for all those clamouring for years that the Pens kept the wrong goalie, look at how that turned out?"

Orange is welcome to take his shots at who cares to just as I'm welcome to challenge those shots.

I really don't know how he feels about MAF but I'm appreciative of what he meant to this franchise.
It seems to me that a lot of fans focus on his failures rather then his accomplishments.
Remember the 2010-11 and 2013-14 playoffs? Pens lost to the Rangers and Tampa in 7 games and in both game 7's they lost 1-0. Fans were all over MAF both times.
2010-11 we didn't have either franchise player and 2013-14 neither distinguished themselves in the series.

[Pabst]

You need to be on a different level mentally to be an NHL goalie. Seems like every casual fan's knee-jerk reaction is to blame the goalie in a loss.

BTW, fractal - If there's any blame to be placed in Vegas, look no further than them going 0-15 on the Power Play in that series.

[Orangesteel]

I just made an obvious statement. I love MAF; always will. My comment was only saying just what it said, that his only cup glory came in the Burgh. That is all. My goodness people.

[fractalsteel]

BTW, fractal - If there's any blame to be placed in Vegas, look no further than them going 0-15 on the Power Play in that series.

True that but Vegas failed on other levels as well.
One thing they talked about before the series was getting net presence in front of Price. You can't let that black hole have full view of the play in front of him.
Vegas failed to do that, badly with any consistency.

I didn't think Vegas was nearly physical enough.

Gotta give Montreal credit, they are streaky but got hot at the right time.

[Orangesteel]

Islanders finally lose.

I’m all Habs now. Back to back by a Florida based team would be an abomination.

[fractalsteel]

Oh Canada, hope you celebrate a cup win this year.

I can't stomach another championship in Tampa.
My douchebag cousin( a lifelong Packers fan) has taken to the Lightning bandwagon even though he knows shit about hockey.

The worst though, fuckface Tom Brady made a video during the last series cheering on the Bolts.
Obnoxious fuck he is.

That said, Tampon in 6

[Pabst]

Bit of a side note, but i am anxious to see what Tampa does in the offseason. They are something like $5 million over the cap and don't even have a full roster yet

[fractalsteel]

Bit of a side note, but i am anxious to see what Tampa does in the offseason. They are something like $5 million over the cap and don't even have a full roster yet

I did some looking: 3 players with no movement clause
2 no trade
4 modified no trade

Not sure what that adds up to but if you have to juggle the roster I'll wager it would be difficult.

[Pabst]

Bit of a side note, but i am anxious to see what Tampa does in the offseason. They are something like $5 million over the cap and don't even have a full roster yet

I did some looking: 3 players with no movement clause
2 no trade
4 modified no trade

Not sure what that adds up to but if you have to juggle the roster I'll wager it would be difficult.

And I think it means they need to expose a talented player in the expansion draft: Either Point/Cirelli at F, or Sergachev/Cernak on D. There's no way Goodrow or Coleman (for example) would sign a UFA deal under the circumstances.

I just double checked CapFriendly - they are just over $5m over the cap with only 12 F and 5 D signed for next season. The Bolts are 100% all-in for a Cup this year. That team will look much different in the Fall.

[alancac98]

Bit of a side note, but i am anxious to see what Tampa does in the offseason. They are something like $5 million over the cap and don't even have a full roster yet

I read somewhere that Tampa's current lineup in the playoffs is something like 18 mill over the cap. there doesn't seem to be a salary cap in the playoffs. I believe they were about 8-10 million over the cap last year as well. It seems they have hit a trend of IRing an expensive player, only to make a trade and get another expensive player, then when the playoff come around, bring back the guy on IR and all things are good. With that said, I know many teams are over the cap during the playoffs due to injuries, but those numbers typically range between 1-4 million over the cap. Tampa has taken it to a whole other level!!!

[Pabst]

Bit of a side note, but i am anxious to see what Tampa does in the offseason. They are something like $5 million over the cap and don't even have a full roster yet

I read somewhere that Tampa's current lineup in the playoffs is something like 18 mill over the cap. there doesn't seem to be a salary cap in the playoffs. I believe they were about 8-10 million over the cap last year as well. It seems they have hit a trend of IRing an expensive player, only to make a trade and get another expensive player, then when the playoff come around, bring back the guy on IR and all things are good. With that said, I know many teams are over the cap during the playoffs due to injuries, but those numbers typically range between 1-4 million over the cap. Tampa has taken it to a whole other level!!!

Well, they knew damn well that Kucherov wouldn't play this year, so they managed their cap accordingly. Basically, it let them delay their cap issues for a year, but here is where things will stand now:

- Brayden Point, Anthony Cirelli, and Mikhail Sergachev are no longer on their entry level deals. One of these guys is likely to be exposed in the expansion draft, and given their cap situation there is a non-zero chance than another one gets traded

- Two quality depth forwards in Blake Coleman and Barclay Goodrow are UFA and probably won't/can't be resigned.


If it's me, I'm protecting Point at all costs. 25 year old point-per-game Centers are rare commodities.
That means that Tampa (probably) ends up losing 4 middle-six forwards as well as a quality defenseman in the offseason.

[Pabst]

Fleury wins the Vezina.

That has to lock him into the Hall, does it not?

[fractalsteel]

Fleury wins the Vezina.

That has to lock him into the Hall, does it not?

I think he was a lock prior this just accelerates his getting in. So happy for him.

McDavid is the unanimous MVP but still no playoff success.

[Pabst]

That's fair. I can't think of a modern-era goalie in the Hall without a Vezina (excluding Tretiak, for obvious reasons). It was just a glaring hole in his resume that has now been filled.

Edit: I just checked Hockey Reference, and MAF had never been a Vezina finalist until this season. That is kind of surprising.

He has a decent shot of catching Roy for 2nd on the all time wins list, too.

[fractalsteel]

I think Fleury should have been nominated before this year. At least a season or two where he was the equal of any tender in the league.
KInd of like Letang who has never sniffed the Norris. This year I thought he might break through and was disappointed for him that he didn't.

Then again, maybe the media spotlight is so bright on Crosby and Malkin to a degree that both players above have not been given their proper due.

[Orangesteel]

Tampa is ridiculous. Like, it’s not fair.

Can we build a team like that?

[fractalsteel]

All their lines get it done.
Hedman is scary good.
Best team in hockey.

That said I hate that they are going to repeat cause it is so close to what the Pens did 4 years ago. Part of me says that Tampa shouldn't be mentioned with those Pens teams because they won their cups on 'short' seasons. Another slice says that isn't fair because they still had to win 16 games to hoist the cup and last year was such a tough year.

[alancac98]

Bit of a side note, but i am anxious to see what Tampa does in the offseason. They are something like $5 million over the cap and don't even have a full roster yet

I read somewhere that Tampa's current lineup in the playoffs is something like 18 mill over the cap. there doesn't seem to be a salary cap in the playoffs. I believe they were about 8-10 million over the cap last year as well. It seems they have hit a trend of IRing an expensive player, only to make a trade and get another expensive player, then when the playoff come around, bring back the guy on IR and all things are good. With that said, I know many teams are over the cap during the playoffs due to injuries, but those numbers typically range between 1-4 million over the cap. Tampa has taken it to a whole other level!!!

Well, they knew damn well that Kucherov wouldn't play this year, so they managed their cap accordingly. Basically, it let them delay their cap issues for a year, but here is where things will stand now:

- Brayden Point, Anthony Cirelli, and Mikhail Sergachev are no longer on their entry level deals. One of these guys is likely to be exposed in the expansion draft, and given their cap situation there is a non-zero chance than another one gets traded

- Two quality depth forwards in Blake Coleman and Barclay Goodrow are UFA and probably won't/can't be resigned.


If it's me, I'm protecting Point at all costs. 25 year old point-per-game Centers are rare commodities.
That means that Tampa (probably) ends up losing 4 middle-six forwards as well as a quality defenseman in the offseason.

Actually, I believe they knew full well that Kucherov would be ready to play for the playoffs and they knew full well that there is no salary cap for the playoffs as well. So, they managed their roster for the regular season knowing that when Kucherov returns, the team will be even stonger! They used the loop hole to create a better team for their playoff run knowing they would have an unfair advantage being 18 mill over the cap and more talented player on the ice. Trust me - they knew what they were doing because they did it to a much smaller degree last year!

[Pabst]

Actually, I believe they knew full well that Kucherov would be ready to play for the playoffs and they knew full well that there is no salary cap for the playoffs as well. So, they managed their roster for the regular season knowing that when Kucherov returns, the team will be even stonger! They used the loop hole to create a better team for their playoff run knowing they would have an unfair advantage being 18 mill over the cap and more talented player on the ice. Trust me - they knew what they were doing because they did it to a much smaller degree last year!

After "actually" You literally just repeated what I said in my post.

Kucherov is a Hart trophy winner and a top 5 NHLer. They took a huge risk in keeping him out for the entire season, and it paid off for them. All that happened is they pushed out their reckoning with the salary cap until 2021-22.

[alancac98]

Actually, I believe they knew full well that Kucherov would be ready to play for the playoffs and they knew full well that there is no salary cap for the playoffs as well. So, they managed their roster for the regular season knowing that when Kucherov returns, the team will be even stonger! They used the loop hole to create a better team for their playoff run knowing they would have an unfair advantage being 18 mill over the cap and more talented player on the ice. Trust me - they knew what they were doing because they did it to a much smaller degree last year!

After "actually" You literally just repeated what I said in my post.

Kucherov is a Hart trophy winner and a top 5 NHLer. They took a huge risk in keeping him out for the entire season, and it paid off for them. All that happened is they pushed out their reckoning with the salary cap until 2021-22.

I'm sorry Pabst - I misread your post a bit.

[Orangesteel]

Well Tampa built a super team so no shit they were going to win again.

Very lame final. Pretty lame year, actually. Bring on football I guess.

[Pabst]

I'm sorry Pabst - I misread your post a bit.

No worries! I do that about once/week around here.

Very lame final. Pretty lame year, actually. Bring on football I guess.

Honestly, I thought the playoffs were pretty dang unpredictable, which made it alot of fun (minus the Pens losing, of course).

[fractalsteel]

I thought the NHL did a good job(again) running the playoffs but they were a bit boring for me.
The finals blew dog big time.
When Tampa wasn't winning the FO's in the OZ they fore checked the fuck out of the Habs and made them turn the puck over and over time and time again. It was like watching Groundhog day.

[Pabst]

My respect for Nikita Kucherov has gone up about 20 points after his post-Stanley Cup presser. If you haven't seen it yet, I highly recommend:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBsOuA5qgFg

[fractalsteel]

You just won the cup for the second year, pony up for some real beer.
I laughed when he tossed the empty aside and popped the next one.
All that was missing were him cutting a few rails out on the table and the Asian hookers under the table.