I've said it several times this season. The NHL's regular season is almost completely meaningless -

[Captain Hilts]

'Home ice' doesn't have the utility that 'home court' does in basketball or home field in baseball.

Throughout the Caps' season I kept wondering, "why are they playing so hard when it means so little?"

[madinmaryland]

1. They might as well just show figure skating for the regular season.

:hide:

[joeybee12]

11. GREAT Idea!!! n/t

[TZ]

2. The corollary is now

Why are they playing like shit when it means so much? I really expect them to lose tonight. That would fit in with their playoff traditon....

[Captain Hilts]

3. Friends and I had season tickets for several years - center ice right underneath Kolbe...

But, at some point, you wonder, why. There's little advantage to playing the season well or having 'home' ice.

[Captain Hilts]

4. Games still peppered with 'clean coal' ads and a token appearance by Bubba and Butthead. nt

[inthebrain]

5. There's a difference between being a good regular season team and a good playoff team

the playoffs are about how well you match up and being better than the sum of your parts.

The regular season is really about playing well for long stretches. If you can play well for a long stretch you are going to win most of your games.

In the post season it requires having guys on your third and fourth lines that can shut people down for long stretches. You can get away with rolling two or three lines in the regular season. You need four in the post season.

[Captain Hilts]

6. That can be said of most sports, but the payoff for playing well during the season

just isn't that great in hockey, which is known for top seeds getting eliminated, sometimes in the first round.

[inthebrain]

45. I wouldn't say most sports

Usually in Baseball, Basketball and Football the best team wins.

In hockey it's more about who you match up with.

[Cush]

7. lol, Caps are still the Caps.......Kings of Choking

same ****, different year. At this point its to be expected, so it really doesn't bother me that much

[Forkboy]

8. You guys can now join me in my Montreal hatred.

Imagine losing games like that to Montreal for your ENTIRE CHILDHOOD!

Halak was in a total zone. 131 saves on 134 shots over the last 3 games is mind boggling. Plus, the Habs blocked over 60 shots in the last 2 games...got to give them credit. I don't think the Caps played bad at all in either of these last two games. Not much you can do when a goalie plays like that.

[Captain Hilts]

9. A large % of Caps fans are also Bruins fans, so, we're already there. nt

[Forkboy]

34. Then you have a team to root for still!

I know, not much consolation, is it?

[Captain Hilts]

64. Indeed I do. In fact, I have one of those Franklin Mint things of the Boston Garden

decked out with the Bruins' banner and home ice.

I have a Bruins sweater also. I want to have #38 put on it with the name 'Hurricane'.

[madinmaryland]

20. Why your hatred for Canada??? They are essentially an northern extension of

the Northeast..

:wtf:

[Captain Hilts]

21. And Bobby Orr's from Ontario, not Quebec. nt

[madinmaryland]

22. Well, you have a point. Ontario is essentially a part of Michigan, but you

have to drive through New England to get to Montreal and Quebec City. A New Englander has to be a supporter of their suburb to the north??

:D

[Captain Hilts]

27. The Bruins are very popular in Toronto, in part, because of the tie to Orr.

I see Phil Espisito pretty regularly when I'm in Toronto.

[Forkboy]

33. I love Canada, and the city of Montreal.

I've been there many times. The city is awesome. It's the hockey team that I hate. When I was a kid in the 70's the Bruins went something like 8 years without winning a single game up there. And the Bruins had good teams back then, but every fucking game it was the same thing....4-1 Montreal. x(

[Captain Hilts]

65. Now, remember, the Bruins had the smallest rink in the league and a team suited to that rink...

and that team just didn't play as well up on Montreal's ice.

[joeybee12]

10. Where does this rank in NHL lore in terms of greatest upsets?

I gather fairly high...but since I don't really follow NHL...gotta ask.

[Upton]

13. First time in NHL history..

a #8 seed has come back from a 3-1 deficit to defeat a #1 seed..

[joeybee12]

26. I didn't even know they were up 3-1...I thought they were going,

like 1-1 then 2-2, tying the series...yeesh.

[Captain Hilts]

14. 8th seeds beat 1 seeds pretty often. nt

[MadBadger]

17. Never before had an 8 come back from a 3-1 deficit.

[Captain Hilts]

18. True dat. nt

[Forkboy]

35. Pretty big. The point difference between the two was 33 points in the standings.

Habs just played smarter...the bastids!

[chollybocker]

12. All the car horns are honking

...down la rue Ste-Catherine tonight! ;) :) :) :)

[chollybocker]

24. 12:30 am, and they're still honking, a few cop/ambulance sirens,

...general looting, pillaging, etc. The sound of Montréal in the springtime. ;)

[Forkboy]

36. Playoff time in Montreal!

:rofl:

[BulletproofLandshark]

15. TRADE MIKE GREEN!

He's the Caps' biggest liability on defense.

[Forkboy]

37. Besides the rest of the defense.

Offensive teams like the Caps get exposed defensively in the playoffs when the games tighten up. Their goaltending was always a question (though to be fair, I thought Varlamov played alright last night, though i bet he wants that second goal back.

I personally wouldn't be in a hurry to trade Green myself, but if they're so inclined they'll get something decent in return. A lot of teams would like an offensive minded defenseman like that for their powerplays.

[Earth Bound Misfit]

16. Almost?

[Upton]

19. I was hoping the Caps would win..

but one good thing that's come out of this, at least from my point of view....is that the Sharks are no longer known as the current NHL's biggest chokers..

[Forkboy]

38. Sharks kicked that tag when they beat Phoenix.

If they lose to Detroit no one will call it a choke, even though they finished higher in the standings. That should be a great series, but only if the Sharks big line starts producing. One goal between Marleau, Thornton and Healey and a combined -7 is not the things Cups are made of. If they come through the series will be a nail biter. Pavelski played his ass off, but he won't carry them past a team like Detroit without lots of help.

And Nabby has to play a bit better as well.

[givemebackmycountry]

23. Don't overlook this factoid---

Four of the original six are still in it.
I'd LOVE to see a Montreal v Detroit finals and the Habs win it all.

[Captain Hilts]

29. Yes, that's good for ratings. nt

[Onceuponalife]

25. Awesome

The Habs deserve praise. They just did the Penguins a huge favor. Now if someone could just knock off Chicago....please?

[Forkboy]

39. A Hawks/Pens Cup rematch could be great stuff.

Though I'd be rooting for a different outcome this time around. x(

[PRETZEL]

28. I don't know if was that the regular season was meaningless or not,

Halak stood on his head 3 games in a row. Alot of times a goalie would steal a game by himself, but not 3 in a row like he did.

Montreal also blocked a ton of shots and really played within themselves.

[Captain Hilts]

30. A hot goalie can get you the cup. I have an autographed photo of Mike Vernon who got hot

and got the Flames the cup.

Hockey is the one game that one guy can really make the difference. In baseball, a hot pitcher does not pitch every day. And so forth.

Kudos to Halak having the poise to play so well. It was said in DC before the series began that a match up with Montreal was the one match up the Caps did not match up well with.

[1gobluedem]

31. Vernon won one with the Wings too

I never understood why they traded him.

[Captain Hilts]

32. He's a terrific guy. He plays well in red! nt

[LisaM]

40. The regular season establishes the lines, gets the rivalries stoked -

but one difference between hockey and other sports is that once you're in the playoffs, a hot goalie can absolutely change the game.

I like the Caps, but IMO one problem they had was all the media focus on Ovechkin. It's a team game (aside from the goalie issue), and it should be treated as such.

And, again to go along with the hot goalie, if one team has 41 shots on goal and the other 16 (which I think was the differential last night), that also means that the defense is stepping up and getting it done, too. That's what helped Detroit out on Tuesday. The defense was lights out and shots didn't always make it all the way to the net.

I love hockey.

[TZ]

41. Rivalries? Like the Washington Pittsburgh rivalry?

Sorry but when the most hyped rivalry of the last two years fails to even materialize in the playoffs that's a big fat FAIL! I don't particularly care for a TEAM sport where ONE player makes such a difference. It's also why I don't care for the NBA. Too diva/star driven.

[Forkboy]

42. "I don't particularly care for a TEAM sport where ONE player makes such a difference."

Ovechkin is THE single biggest game changer in the NHL. Without him the Caps would be a team fighting to make the playoffs every year instead of a constant top team in the NHL. He's also, by far, the NHL's biggest diva. Montreal played an all around smart game and outworked the Caps AS A TEAM. Halak did his job, and did it great, but he was far from the only one on that team who played a smart road game.

Montreal's goalie Halak isn't even close to being a diva (He wasn't even the teams starter most of the year), and coming from a Caps fan the whole argument is ridiculous. The team was nothing until Ovechkin got there, and who do you think they use to sell you guys all those tickets? Whose face is plastered on every promo for the team? None of this seemed to bother you before last night, and to be honest, you just sound pretty bitter about the loss (understandably, but don't take it on the league).

And tell me a single sport that isn't star driven? I can't think of a single one. :shrug:

[TZ]

44. Baseball, football both are not quite as INDIVIDUALLY driven

You can have a star pitcher but since he can only pitch once every five days, you need more than that. Plus when was the last time someone won a WS with only ONE player batting well?
Even football...Most teams that do well have a great QB+WR+decent RB combination plus a good defense.
I like the Caps cause they are my home team..and yes Ovechkin is a diva..but they would have probably advanced if they had played like they played in the regular season where OTHERS besides Ovechkin scored. And if Theodore the goal keeper had also played more like he did in the regular season. I really think hockey and the NBA are the most individual driven team sports in the US (maybe soccer is the same way, but I really don't know much about it)
FYI, one of my all time favorite teams in the Maryland Terps basketball team that won the National Championship because even though they had a leader in Juan Dixon, it was the team play that was what won it.
The Caps are NEVER EVER going to win the Stanley Cup unless they try HARDER to build around Ovechkin. And not be so overly dependent on him. Do you think its a coincidence that they scored only ONCE on a power play in the playoffs? I don't.

[Forkboy]

48. Some Caps didn't show up at all.

You guys could get a hell of a draft pick for Semin I would bet. And if he's going to disappear in the playoffs you might as well unload him. He flat out sucked. I thought the rest of the team played pretty well. They got almost 140 shots in the last three games, and that will win a boatload of hockey games. Just not this time.

While stars fuel any sport, you really can't win unless you play as a team in the NHL. Boston and Montreal and Philly all deserved their upsets because they didn't rely on any one player. Like I said before, Halak did play amazing over the last three games, but so did the team in front of him. Imagine if some of those 60+ blocked shots in games 6 and 7 had made it through. I bet a few would have found the back of the net and the Caps would be second round bound. Gill and Gorges played especially well for the Habs defensively. And I've always said that regardless of how good a team is offensively, it's a sound defense that usually wins in the playoffs.

As for the power play, it's easier to get a team to shut down a power play by playing a sound defensive system than it is for a good PP to overcome that. Buffalo went 0 for 19 in the Bruins series, and both the Canadiens and Bruins play a similar defensive system on the PK. It's a real simple style that doesn't ask anyone to try to do too much and relies on good puck support. When a team starts to click on the PK look out. It's a real momentum changer.

If I was a Caps fan I'd be bummed, but I wouldn't be that hard on the team. It's not like they threw in the towel after game 4. They outplayed Montreal in most ways, it was just a matter of a team getting momentum and finding their stride defensively, and sticking to their system. There's no way a team can run and gun with the Caps, so the style the Montreal coaches adopted was perfect. The Habs played with incredible patience, and it payed off.

The Caps need help defensively. Green is excellent, but an offensive specialist mostly. They need some muckers and grinders like a Mark Recchi type up front, and a solid, defensive minded defenseman. They also need to try to land a solid goalie (Tim Thomas might be available...the B's are paying him a lot but Rask in the man of the future for Boston. Thomas would be a good upgrade for the Caps...and he's a super nice guy. Hmmm...Semin for Thomas anyone?). Offensively, they don't really need to do a damn thing!

And you know how much I hate Montreal, so for me to praise them should tell you that they just did a lot right. It wasn't so much what the Caps did wrong, because they didn't do much wrong at all. It was what Montreal did right. And this is why I hate them...they always find a fucking way to win. x(

[TZ]

49. You know whats really frustrating is that

The Caps have been doing this for well on to thirty years now. Doesn't matter who the players,coaches,GM, opponents are, they always find a way to lose into the playoffs. It used to be the Philly Flyers they couldn't beat. Then it was Pittsburgh..Now.....
I just don't understand how one franchise can be so pathetic in playoffs for sooo long....With the one exception of the year they made the finals (and were swept). Caps have a well deserved rep as choking dogs in the playoffs.
And I couldn't remember his name but yes, it is Semin I was thinking of who was a total failure to contribute.

[Captain Hilts]

60. Semin was a complete failure and the loss weighs on him. He plays two decent games we're

still in the playoffs.

He needs to do some soul-searching and start attending all practices - even the non-mandatory skates.

Earn it as Ovechkin has.

[Captain Hilts]

58. Semin is one of the most talented guys in the league and he's young. I would NOT trade him.

I'd coach him. Get him a mentor.

[Forkboy]

61. Depending on the return value, I'd trade anybody.

No one is any sport should ever be off the trade block, imo. Even Orr got traded. But it would have to be a good package, and not just a trade for a trade's sake.

[Captain Hilts]

62. Orr's knees were shot. Semin isn't even 24 years old. Keep him. nt

[Forkboy]

66. Point taken.

What if you were offered someone like Kessel or Stamkos (hypothetical, of course, as neither is going anywhere any time soon), or a first round pick from a lowly team like Edmonton or Toronto?

[Captain Hilts]

67. Hmmm....more tempting, but Semin and Ovechkin

are fairly close personally, I gather. I think Ovechkin will help beat the crap out of him.

He's young and still in his formative years. Ovechkin and Crosby are truly prodigies. Semin's got some maturing to do.

[Forkboy]

68. You drive a hard bargain!

:)

[Captain Hilts]

53. A lone good hitter on a baseball team doesn't get good pitches as often as one on a good team. So

one good hitter can't really turn a team around.

Look at Don Mattingly. Rod Carew.

[Upton]

46. I don't know if you saw this..

but Barry Melrose on ESPN said Ovechkin cannot be considered the best player in the NHL as long the Caps keep underachieving in the playoffs. Sometimes I agree with Melrose, sometimes I don't...but in this case, I do.

Seems to me, you want great individual play..there's Ovechkin. You want great play AND leadership..there's Crosby.

[Forkboy]

47. If I was a GM I'd take Crosby any day, even though Ovechkin is a lot more fun to watch.

I agree with your statement 100%. And Melrose's comment as well.

[TZ]

50. I don't much like Crosby for many reasons

But there is little doubt in the last year he's the superior player.

[Forkboy]

51. I don't like him at all.

But he's currently the best all around player in hockey, hands down.

[Captain Hilts]

56. Better player? I'm not so sure. Better leader? Perhaps. But Crosby also has a slobbering

Canadian press machine backing him up. Remember how the NHL protected him and the Pens last year in the playoffs.

If Semin had played HALFway decently in the Habs series, we wouldn't be having this conversation.

[Forkboy]

63. Better all around, yes, imo

Ovechkin is a great scorer and good hitter (hitting is something lacking in Sid's game, though that's just my preference of style). Sid is far better at faceoffs (he's a center, so he should be, but that's one of the most important areas of the game), he's much better defensively, and he doesn't showboat and take attention away from his hard working teammates. Yes, the NHL hypes him a lot, as they should (just as they do with Ovie, who is also hyped all the time by the NHL). And I don't blame Crosby for the slobbering Canadian press. Who do you expect them to be excited over, Wayne Primeau? :shrug:

If anything, until just this year Crosby seemed very uncomfortable with the media spotlight. Winning the Cup made him more comfortable, but by all the accounts I've read he really doesn't like the spotlight at all, he's just realizing that it's going to come with the territory of being one of the elite players, and now he's learning to be that face for the NHL.

And sorry, he's 100% the better leader, no perhaps about it. A Stanley Cup and a Gold Medal show that. Ovie has no important hardware....yet. :)

[Captain Hilts]

54. Malkin hasn't let Crosby down as Semin let down Ovechkin. nt

[Captain Hilts]

52. But in no other sport can ONE guy get you a championship as in hockey. I think Ovechkin played

well enough.

Semin let down the team. Not Ovechkin and not either goalie.

And kudos to Halak for being so poised.

[TZ]

57. So what you are saying basically

Is that Ovechkin needs a Sottie Pippen...Like Michael Jordan did to win championships...

[Captain Hilts]

59. It helps, but the ONE guy is usually a goalie. Semin let Ovechkin down. Semin

needs coaching and an adult mentor. He's very talented and trading him might bite us in the butt.

Malkin is Crosby's Pippen. Norton to his Kramden. Ethel to his Lucy.

[Forkboy]

43. Montreal blocked over 60 shots in the final two games.

So hot goalie or not, the rest of the team played pretty damn good in front of him. Most of Washington's shots were confined to the outside, Montreal shut down Oveckin and Backstrom over and over before they could even get a shot off, and their D cleared whatever rebounds Halak gave up (which wasn't many). It's kind of a rope a dope style, but when you play a team that so overpowers you offensively as the Caps did, that patient style pays off. Washington played pretty damn good the last two games, just too many blocked shots and nice saves.

I hate Montreal with a passion, but I couldn't help but smile as they did what they did last night. It's a pretty big upset, and those are always cool. Montreal is far from a powerhouse team, but hard work and smart team play made up for it. The Caps rely on two or three players, and if those players fail to produce that's it. Semin was a total no-show for the playoffs. A 40 goal scorer and I think he had one assist for the series.

[Captain Hilts]

55. Montreal one the regular season series against the Caps also. They matched up well all year.

No one's saying they did not deserve to win.

They've been beating the Caps all year.