Congratulations to the Las Vegas Golden Knights

[Squarepants]

Re: Congratulations to the Las Vegas Golden Knights

Apparently not enough for this series.

He did play smarter in the playoffs than when he first came aboard after the trade. But they put a healthy Carrier back in for the last game.

I wasn't terribly happy with the trades at the time, as it messed with the intangibles and chemistry of the team, reminding a band of brothers playing better than the sum of their parts as part of the whole #VegasStrong situation that they were just commodities after all. To my eye, they dipped after the trades in part as a result of that intangible dynamic.

In that vein, I attribute a fair amount of their again going on a losing streak at the end to quotes that I saw from the team made to the national Stanley Cup Finals media that they had been winning because they were good. That mentality again took them out of the mindset/intangibles that had played a large part in getting them there.

But all the #VegasStrong intangibles aren't going to carry over into following seasons.

And, on the ice, they need a more physical presence, including in front of both nets.

 

[DrunkenGoon]

Re: Congratulations to the Las Vegas Golden Knights

You don't win or lose the Stanley Cup finals because of your enforcer. The truth is Holtby outplayed Fleury in the series by a large margin, that was the difference.

So the team makes those trades and gets to the final. Do you think they would have made it that far without Reeves and Tatar? Would they have won the cup without them? I thought they overpaid for Tatar at the time as well, but Reeves is a bit of a different commodity and there aren't too many like him in the league that he warranted the big price.

They were so close to doing the Karlsson and Ryan from Ottawa trade at the deadline, I though it would have been smart of them to take on Ryan for the stretch and playoff and then use the buyout option this summer while locking up Karlsson long term but they decided to invest those assets in Tatar. Maybe they take another swing at Karlsson at the draft but they might not get as close as they did at the deadline.

 

[Squarepants]

Re: Congratulations to the Las Vegas Golden Knights

. . . .

So the team makes those trades and gets to the final. Do you think they would have made it that far without Reeves and Tatar? Would they have won the cup without them? I thought they overpaid for Tatar at the time as well, but Reeves is a bit of a different commodity and there aren't too many like him in the league that he warranted the big price.

. . . .

I really don't think the trades were a determinative force in them getting to the finals. Reeves put them into multiple penalty kill situations immediately after arriving during the regular season and remained off the ice thereafter until the Carrier injury during the playoffs. He did play well after that, and I would have left him on the ice in Game 5, although it likely wouldn't have made a difference the way the team as a whole was playing. Tatar was a good contributor, but not a make-the-finals-versus-get-swept-in-the-first-round contribution. Regardless of how the trades were on paper and/or their benefit over the long run, I don't believe that the trades were the missing piece this season that propelled the team into the finals. If anything, the trades in the short term during the regular season messed with the chemistry of a team that had been firing on all cylinders.

As a local fan, I of course was happy with their success this year. But they need get more physical in this offseason. When they struggled, going all the way back into October, it was when they let other teams camp out in front of their net and failed to establish a presence in front of the other team's net. People tell me that hockey has changed since I was that kid cheering for the Bruins. But to my mind what I just described still is not a good way to win hockey games.

Reeves was added at the deadline in recognition of that need, but I don't think that he can play more than one shift at a time. Once he settled down when he was brought back on the ice in relief of Carrier, he played some solid, smart hockey. But the team still needs to get more physical.

And that does tend to help the netminder. Fleury let some single-vector shots get by during the finals that he hadn't earlier on, and I think that the Caps' familiarity with him as a Penguin helped them a good bit in dissecting him. But he also was exposed to a lot multiple-vector situations with threats coming from multiple angles close in, and I think most goalies are going to having issues defending that.

To a certain extent, by definition, the series winner's goalie is going to play better -- they have to let less pucks get by than the other guy to win -- but, as I say, a more physical team tends to put their goalie in position to be that better guy.

I was happy for their success, but I was concerned the whole season that a recurring inability to establish a presence in front of the nets, both defensively and offensively, would eventually hurt them in the playoffs. Sort of like Peyton Manning's regular season dominance that in so many seasons faded as he climbed the playoff ladder against increasingly good defenses.

What a way to start a franchise, though.

 

[winkyduck]

Re: Congratulations to the Las Vegas Golden Knights

You don't win or lose the Stanley Cup finals because of your enforcer. The truth is Holtby outplayed Fleury in the series by a large margin, that was the difference.

The save Holtby made on Tuch in the dying seconds of G2 changed the series and knowing how things ended, should go down as the greatest/most important play in Caps' history. Without that save it is 3-3 and odds are very good the Knights win that game in OT and go UP 2-0 instead of being 1-1. Who knows what happens in Washington but at worst for the Golden Showers it is 2-2 and they still have HIA and there is a very good chance we have a game on Wednesday in Vegas for the Cup.

 

[FISHHEAD]

Re: Congratulations to the Las Vegas Golden Knights

REEVES, in a poll of the players, was voted the toughest player in the league by a large margin.

 

[fifty cint]

Re: Congratulations to the Las Vegas Golden Knights

The League has few legit tough guys any more.4th line guys who used to be big physical brawlers are now European stick checkers who hide behind their visors.

Reeves was a healthy scratch for game 5....LOL Used to be a great sport the NHL Not so much any more

 

[Bushay]

Re: Congratulations to the Las Vegas Golden Knights

The League has few legit tough guys any more.4th line guys who used to be big physical brawlers are now European stick checkers who hide behind their visors. [/B]

Reeves was a healthy scratch for game 5....LOL Used to be a great sport the NHL Not so much any more

interesting. Can you name a few? Or how about just a couple.

Designated hitters, 3 point shots, 2 point conversions, no more bonfied 7 footers who play with their back to the basket centers, penalty shots, the inevitable removal of the kickoff. The significant of concussions, What sport from yesteryear hasn’t changed?

 

[Bushay]

Interesting how so many in this thread we’re not only off in year one but doubled down in year 2 on the Knights slide. They went to the finals last year and still were able to add Stastny, Pacoretty and Stone without losing anything of significant off last years roster. Will more than likely need to beat the Jets again, but I make the Knights the Cup favorite today going forward. There’s no bigger money player left in the playoffs other than Mark Stone. Well, maybe Ovie. Stone thrives on playoff hockey.

 

[trytrytry]

they are fun to watch in the playoffs

 

[sharky99]

Interesting how so many in this thread we’re not only off in year one but doubled down in year 2 on the Knights slide. They went to the finals last year and still were able to add Stastny, Pacoretty and Stone without losing anything of significant off last years roster. Will more than likely need to beat the Jets again, but I make the Knights the Cup favorite today going forward. There’s no bigger money player left in the playoffs other than Mark Stone. Well, maybe Ovie. Stone thrives on playoff hockey.[/QUOTE

I agree they lost Tuch, Schmidt, Stastny and Pacioretty to significant time during the season ..... add everyone back healthy for the most part and Stone, they are better on paper and on the ice and figured they were the team to beat in the West when the playoffs started but surprises often occur in the NHL playoffs