Lord Stanley's Cup thread

[slapshot]

Now that, my friends, was a very "soft goal" between Timmy's wide open 5-hole.

Good for the Caps. Bad for my B's.

[durango46]

Boston thugs !

Why do they have to F with Backstroms head in scrums ? well I know why....

dirtiest team in hockey

[slapshot]

Boston thugs !

Why do they have to F with Backstroms head in scrums ? well I know why....

dirtiest team in hockey

Why do you think they refer to them as the big bad bruins:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYiBj...e_gdata_player

The history behind the transformation:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8lj5...e_gdata_player

A reputation that has been built up over decades of intimidating play.

It's hockey.

That said, I think the title currently goes to the Flyers as the dirtiest...

But it's hockey. Not bothered in the least.

[durango46]

Why do you think they refer to them as the big bad bruins:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SwWj...e_gdata_player

A reputation that has been built up over decades of intimidating play.

It's hockey.

That said, I think the title currently goes to the Flyers as the dirtiest...

But it's hockey. Not bothered in the least.

guy gets back from a big time concussion and lets go after his head in a scrum
well if I'm Nick I take my stick and carve Charas face up

after all it's hockey

ALAN MAY where are you

[slapshot]

Good God, he's a stone wall in net. Bruins should have capitalized on that shift...hope that doesn't come back on them?

[durango46]

Schultz thee worst defensemen in all of hockey

flat footed concrete feet worthless turd

[AntiMoon]

Terrible decision by Holtby to pokecheck but is anybody surprised Schultz was on the ice for the goal against? Now for our usual OT chokejob.

[durango46]

so holtby gets a roughing call yesterday
but not thomas........and he threw a punch
then backstrom gets tackled by his head from behind.....


FIX IS IN....tainted

again the Bruins are the dirtiest team in hockey

[slapshot]

So, to all you Caps fans: Now we're headed into OT...is it time to turn it off?

Just wondering?

Agree about bad decision for Holtby coming out of the net....

IMO, Holtby is still the difference maker for the Caps. Without his play, Caps have no chance. B's are a high scoring team, and he's shutting them down (essentially).

[slapshot]

Hope you boys didn't turn it off? Caps even it at 1-1.

I'll stay with my prediction...the series will go 7 (maybe 6).

Two very good teams makes for a great series.

Oh, and the "Caps do not suck". Far from it.

[slapshot]

I hear crickets...

From ESPN:

"BOSTON -- For two years, Tim Thomas has been one of the best goalies in the world.

For two games, Braden Holtby has matched him save for save.

Making just his second NHL postseason appearance, Holtby stopped 43 shots Saturday to lead the Washington Capitals to a 2-1 victory over the Boston Bruins. One game after the Bruins opened the playoffs with a single-overtime victory, Nicklas Backstrom scored 2:56 into the second overtime to help the Capitals tie the defending Stanley Cup champions at one game apiece.

"There's not a lot of chances out there," Backstrom said. "This is how it's going to be, I think. For you, maybe it's boring; I don't know. But for us, it's fun."


Backstrom sums it up - maybe low scoring/boring to the non-hockey folks, but to hockey aficionados, this has been one heck of a series so far. Can't wait for the next game.

But Holtby is exactly what's been missing from the Caps the last few years. If he stays healthy, and as young as he is, he will lead the Caps to a Stanley Cup one day. That's fact. Not Ovie. But your goalie. He's the real deal deal.

[Eastside Terp]

good call on the caps win today slapshot ........

I didn't see any of the game ........

spent some time with my teenage son working on some things at the links today ........

[durango46]

I hear crickets...

From ESPN:

"BOSTON -- For two years, Tim Thomas has been one of the best goalies in the world.

For two games, Braden Holtby has matched him save for save.

Making just his second NHL postseason appearance, Holtby stopped 43 shots Saturday to lead the Washington Capitals to a 2-1 victory over the Boston Bruins. One game after the Bruins opened the playoffs with a single-overtime victory, Nicklas Backstrom scored 2:56 into the second overtime to help the Capitals tie the defending Stanley Cup champions at one game apiece.

"There's not a lot of chances out there," Backstrom said. "This is how it's going to be, I think. For you, maybe it's boring; I don't know. But for us, it's fun."


Backstrom sums it up - maybe low scoring/boring to the non-hockey folks, but to hockey aficionados, this has been one heck of a series so far. Can't wait for the next game.

But Holtby is exactly what's been missing from the Caps the last few years. If he stays healthy, and as young as he is, he will lead the Caps to a Stanley Cup one day. That's fact. Not Ovie. But your goalie. He's the real deal deal.

Alright I'll bite

so let me get this straight, Ovechkin after several superstar seasons (maybe the best player in hockey over that period) and 2 mediocre seasons ( compared to his other seasons) will not lead this team to the promise land yet Holtby will.

all this after 2 playoff wins....well I hope Holbty does but it's way to early for those accolades.

Ovechkin is still a superstar, 35 goals which is 5th in hockey this year without the only real center icemen Backstrom

Ovechkin haters crack me up

[AntiMoon]

Many NHL people have said that Holtby was the best of our young threesome of goalies. Hershey fans are shocked because he was terrible in the playoffs down there last year

[Balt Observer]

I hear crickets...

From ESPN:

"BOSTON -- For two years, Tim Thomas has been one of the best goalies in the world.

For two games, Braden Holtby has matched him save for save.

Making just his second NHL postseason appearance, Holtby stopped 43 shots Saturday to lead the Washington Capitals to a 2-1 victory over the Boston Bruins. One game after the Bruins opened the playoffs with a single-overtime victory, Nicklas Backstrom scored 2:56 into the second overtime to help the Capitals tie the defending Stanley Cup champions at one game apiece.

"There's not a lot of chances out there," Backstrom said. "This is how it's going to be, I think. For you, maybe it's boring; I don't know. But for us, it's fun."


Backstrom sums it up - maybe low scoring/boring to the non-hockey folks, but to hockey aficionados, this has been one heck of a series so far. Can't wait for the next game.

But Holtby is exactly what's been missing from the Caps the last few years. If he stays healthy, and as young as he is, he will lead the Caps to a Stanley Cup one day. That's fact. Not Ovie. But your goalie. He's the real deal deal.

Holtby has been a bit uneven in his NHL career so far, but he's standing on his head at the right time. He could be the money goalie that the Caps have always seemed to lack.

[slapshot]

Alright I'll bite

so let me get this straight, Ovechkin after several superstar seasons (maybe the best player in hockey over that period) and 2 mediocre seasons ( compared to his other seasons) will not lead this team to the promise land yet Holtby will.

all this after 2 playoff wins....well I hope Holbty does but it's way to early for those accolades.

Ovechkin is still a superstar, 35 goals which is 5th in hockey this year without the only real center icemen Backstrom

Ovechkin haters crack me up

Not an Ovechkin hater. He's by far the best offensive player in the NHL. He's just not the key to Washington winning their first SC.

My point is - what works during the regular season, often doesn't during the SC playoffs. Most teams clamp down on D when it comes to the playoffs. It's defense that wins SC's, not offense....and particularly important, is the goalie.

No matter what team, I'd always pick the goalie as the most critical player on the ice during the playoffs. If a team doesn't have a great goalie, then it goes without saying he has to either rely on the rest of the D to give him help, or for the offense to make up the difference. But, as good as Ovechkin is, any good defense, like what the Bruins have, can shut him down. How many shots on net does Ovechkin have this series? How many of those shots were actual good, scoring chances? By the way, when a team really has a lot of confidence in their goalie, look for that team's defensive players to "pinch in" more to contribute to the offense, but if a team doesn't have 100% confidence that their goalie can be a wall, they have to lay back, and play more conservative. It would not surprise me if the next game is higher scoring.

[slapshot]

Holtby has been a bit uneven in his NHL career so far, but he's standing on his head at the right time. He could be the money goalie that the Caps have always seemed to lack.

The mark of a great goalie is how he responds to the pressure. I would say at age 22, he's done a remarkable job at handling the enormous pressure that awaits any goalie in the playoffs.

[slapshot]

Many NHL people have said that Holtby was the best of our young threesome of goalies. Hershey fans are shocked because he was terrible in the playoffs down there last year

Could be very true. Don't know what he did in Hershey. But with that said, somebody within the Caps organization that knows a hellava a lot more about hockey than I do, must have seen something very promising in him? At least for now, whoever made the call to bring him up, are looking like a genius. But still a lot of hockey to be played. Regardless of how the series ends, I think Holtby looks like the Caps net minder for the future. He's fearless (maybe a bit too careless at times), he quick, goes with his instincts (with time and experience, this will get better), he's young (this is a young man's game), His mechanics are sound, and most importantly, he says the right things in the locker and to the press to get his team mates behind him.

I like him as the Caps goalie. I like him a lot.

[Balt Observer]

Could be very true. Don't know what he did in Hershey. But with that said, somebody within the Caps organization that knows a hellava a lot more about hockey than I do, must have seen something very promising in him? At least for now, whoever made the call to bring him up, are looking like a genius. But still a lot of hockey to be played. Regardless of how the series ends, I think Holtby looks like the Caps net minder for the future. He's fearless (maybe a bit too careless at times), he quick, goes with his instincts (with time and experience, this will get better), he's young (this is a young man's game), His mechanics are sound, and most importantly, he says the right things in the locker and to the press to get his team mates behind him.

I like him as the Caps goalie. I like him a lot.

Well, I think he's playing now because there weren't any other options with Vokoun and Neuvirth injured. He's the starter by default. But the way he's been playing, I don't think he'll be replaced barring a stunning collapse, regardless of the health of the other goalies.

[AntiMoon]

Not an Ovechkin hater. He's by far the best offensive player in the NHL. He's just not the key to Washington winning their first SC.

My point is - what works during the regular season, often doesn't during the SC playoffs. Most teams clamp down on D when it comes to the playoffs. It's defense that wins SC's, not offense....and particularly important, is the goalie.

No matter what team, I'd always pick the goalie as the most critical player on the ice during the playoffs. If a team doesn't have a great goalie, then it goes without saying he has to either rely on the rest of the D to give him help, or for the offense to make up the difference. But, as good as Ovechkin is, any good defense, like what the Bruins have, can shut him down. How many shots on net does Ovechkin have this series? How many of those shots were actual good, scoring chances? By the way, when a team really has a lot of confidence in their goalie, look for that team's defensive players to "pinch in" more to contribute to the offense, but if a team doesn't have 100% confidence that their goalie can be a wall, they have to lay back, and play more conservative. It would not surprise me if the next game is higher scoring.

Pit and Van are finding out once again that it's about defense and goaltending in the playoffs. Ovie has been by far our best player in the playoffs the last 5 years so you're clearly right that he's not the key to us winning a Cup. Best news for the Caps so far is Carlson and Hammertime are playing WAY above the level they showed during the season.