Originally Posted by Roose13 (Post 16409270)

Now we're talking about hockey players like basketball players? "Kobe had this, LeBron had that, MJ had everything..." Ovi is not the reason the Caps have choked in the playoffs the last two decades nor is it because he didn't have a cast of players around him. There are 18 skaters responsible for success, not six or seven players. Come on guys.

Originally Posted by Dramageek (Post 16409273)

This. And I also look back to Game 2. The Caps should have momentum coming off an OT winner and Oshie hat trick. But the Pens shore up defensively, and the Caps don't register a shot for the first 15 minutes of the second period.

Despite all that, the Caps threw everything and the kitchen sink at the Pens. They have a great team, and should still be great next year. Though with the current playoff format, we may see a rematch of this series next year.

But for now, I can't wait for Round 3 to start! Bolts are big, fast and feisty. It should be fun to watch. Kucherov scares me.

^ I agree. Ovi is not the problem. He maybe could have been more productive, but credit the Pens defense. Ovi still made some noise.

Originally Posted by ~Crashintome89~ (Post 16408990)

lol historic ride? Are you serious, Brohan? What you did in the regular season was not historic nor anything special. You won the Presidents' Trophy, you were the best team, by far, in the regular season.

And then you blew it in the playoffs. Your offensive juggernaut with Ovi, Backstrom, and recent additions in Oshie and Williams got you nowhere. Your offensive juggernaut couldn't even sweep the pathetic Flyers, who shouldn't have even been in the playoffs in the first place. Your offensive juggernaut couldn't beat a rookie goaltender in Matt Murray. Your offensive juggernaut who now has to scratch their heads and behinds for a few months on the golf course wondering what exactly happened.

Your team choked. Plain and simple. Choked.

Originally Posted by ~Crashintome89~ (Post 16408999)

Your team, as in the team you root for--hasn't gotten past the 2nd round since 1998.

Do you know who won Best Picture at the Oscars in 1998?

Titanic.

Seems pretty fitting, if you ask me.

Originally Posted by Brohan_Santana (Post 16408978)

Being a Caps fan you're just so numb anymore. Win or lose there really is no feeling either way. It's almost better this way now the swings are much more neutral, but being a Caps fan you're really just numb to everything.

Holtby was a beast but Caps should have finished it out in the 3rd. They have no one to blame losing this series but themselves. Had so many chances and just too many missed opportunities to overcome.

It's going to be a long 11 months until playoffs again.

Idiots will blame Ovechkin and say how he choked, but he didn't. He played a solid game and a solid series. And when he gets that Cup one day he'll finally be crowned the winner in the rivalry against Crosby. Backstrom & Ovechkin line neutralized Penns top line and Crosby all
series and no one will care.

Caps have essentially everyone coming back, but will have to make some changes to get better BL depth and forward depth as well.

Great season Caps. Great ride and historic ride, didn't get the bounces when it was needed and couldn't pounce when you should.

In the end I truly believe this team will get its title shot, just another year in DC


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Originally Posted by TMoore4075 (Post 16409162)

Yes there is still plenty of time but Yzerman had been the two conference finals by this point.

Originally Posted by TheLastPig (Post 16409268)

Caps got manhandled 5 on 5 last night. If it wasnt for that insane string of penalties it never gets close to OT. Nice to see the Pens keep their heads and rally to take it in OT.

Originally Posted by TMoore4075 (Post 16409289)

He's the face of the franchise, he's gonna get the brunt of it. No matter how unfair. Is it all on him? No but when Kane, Toews, Crosby, Malkin, Kopitar all have Cups and you don't. It's what happens.

Originally Posted by barbogast (Post 16409356)

Haven't back read all the way yet, and I know you were overly excited because it's Brohan, but I don't agree with this post. This wasn't a choke. They came up short and there's reasons for that, but it's not because they choked. Not this time. They got out skated and slightly out goaltended, but they certainly didn't choke. The offensive additions weren't exactly bad in the playoffs either. Backstrom kind of no showed, and Williams wasn't great. But Oshie was easily the best Cap through 12 playoff games. You keep saying barely beat the Flyers who shouldn't have been there blah blah blah, but that's nonsense. The Caps had to play the two teams that were playing better than anyone down the stretch and they beat one of them and almost beat the other.

I don't want to hear anyone talk about how the Caps choked this time. They didn't. And I would absolutely call them out on it if they had. They got a shit draw and played well. They came up short. I'm surprised I'm defending them like this too, but they played too well to deserve this happening again quite honestly.

Originally Posted by barbogast (Post 16409379)

The Penns out scored the Caps by 1 in this series. If that's not almost beating them I'm not sure what is

Originally Posted by barbogast (Post 16409383)

Also they didn't get dominated 5 on 5 either. Most games in fact it was the opposite

Originally Posted by ~Crashintome89~ (Post 16409391)

I still think they choked. Anything less than a Cup Finals appearance is a choke job for a Presidents' Trophy winning team, IMO.

Also, none of that was directed at you Barbs, as I'm sure you're aware.

Originally Posted by hailtopitt (Post 16409395)

this isn't the premiere league, we don't go by aggregate goals

it was 4 wins for the Pens, and 2 for the Caps...and like was mentioned earlier, Pens were closer to sweeping than the Caps were to actually winning the series



uhhh no it wasn't...Game 3 was the only game i felt the Caps were the better team 5-on-5 and the Pens still won that game :lol

Originally Posted by barbogast (Post 16409402)

:thumbsup

I'm not in the mood

Congrats to you and your team

Originally Posted by barbogast (Post 16409383)

Also they didn't get dominated 5 on 5 either. Most games in fact it was the opposite

Originally Posted by barbogast (Post 16409356)

Haven't back read all the way yet, and I know you were overly excited because it's Brohan, but I don't agree with this post. This wasn't a choke. They came up short and there's reasons for that, but it's not because they choked. Not this time. They got out skated and slightly out goaltended, but they certainly didn't choke. The offensive additions weren't exactly bad in the playoffs either. Backstrom kind of no showed, and Williams wasn't great. But Oshie was easily the best Cap through 12 playoff games. You keep saying barely beat the Flyers who shouldn't have been there blah blah blah, but that's nonsense. The Caps had to play the two teams that were playing better than anyone down the stretch and they beat one of them and almost beat the other.

I don't want to hear anyone talk about how the Caps choked this time. They didn't. And I would absolutely call them out on it if they had. They got a shit draw and played well. They came up short. I'm surprised I'm defending them like this too, but they played too well to deserve this happening again quite honestly.

Originally Posted by barbogast (Post 16409398)

Yeah I know. And I agree with your thought in general that they should've gone farther, but there's no denying the difficulty of their draw. It was unlucky

Originally Posted by fonzz41 (Post 16409434)

I'm really excited for the SJ/NAS game 7... like, more excited than I have been in a while for a game 7. That's easily been my favorite series of the playoffs thus far.

Originally Posted by fonzz41 (Post 16409422)

I'm sorry your team lost, Barbs, and I totally get not being in the mood to argue about it. They had a great year and hopefully they can turn this into a positive experience and build on it for next year.

The one really big positive for this series was TJ Oshie. I mean, he had a decent regular season where he definitely didn't suck or anything like that, but he was an absolute animal in the playoffs. And I'm not talking scoring. All over the ice, looking like the true leader of the team. Going back to his STL days, I always thought he'd make a good captain. Kid just gives 110% all the time. Great acquisition for the Caps.

Originally Posted by TMoore4075 (Post 16409450)

I've heard this argument the last couple days about the format and the two best teams in the East having to face in round 2. But wouldn't they just have to face them in the next round if it was a different format? yes maybe that's more of an ECF matchup but still have to beat them. The only difference would be a pat on the back for finally getting to an eastern conference final.

Originally Posted by hailtopitt (Post 16409436)

yea TJ Oshie is the real deal

Originally Posted by barbogast (Post 16409496)

I can't say I believe either Tampa or the Islanders would've given them that much trouble. That's very much them being unlucky.

Originally Posted by unccrombie (Post 16409504)

knew he was the real deal when he was on Team USA and netted all those breakaway goals

Originally Posted by hailtopitt (Post 16409520)

:lol that game was so much fun to watch

Ovie and Malkin probably scared shitless that Putin was going to send them to the firing squad after that

Originally Posted by unccrombie (Post 16409525)

legitimate concern though

Originally Posted by barbogast (Post 16409496)

Getting to the conference final is a huge deal for this team in particular though. I can't say I believe either Tampa or the Islanders would've given them that much trouble. That's very much them being unlucky.

Originally Posted by TheLastPig (Post 16409421)

Caps hardly had any sustained offensive zone time outside of game 3 or Power plays.

5 on 5 they couldnt keep up most of the time. It was a tight series, but to think the caps dominated play is just flat out wrong. The ice was constantly tilted in the penguins favor.

Originally Posted by Bron Yr Aur (Post 16409548)

The series was basically dead even. Pens had a handful more shots on goal, Washington had a few more scoring chances.....

To say that "the ice was constantly tilted in the penguins favor" is utterly laughable.

Yeah, look at this and tell me the Pens dominated :rolleyes

http://war-on-ice.com/series.html?te...t=3&scoresit=2

Originally Posted by barbogast (Post 16409496)

Getting to the conference final is a huge deal for this team in particular though. I can't say I believe either Tampa or the Islanders would've given them that much trouble. That's very much them being unlucky.