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Can we Take Down Pittsburgh?

Can we beat the Penguins?
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Apr. 12, 2017 at 9:05 p.m.
#1
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I do think we beat them this year. Of course, I've thought that about every year, but I have a different feeling this year. The two teams are very similar, for sure. They both have three lines that can score, a fourth that dominates possession, three defense pairings that can push the puck and play solid defense, and elite goaltending. But the Caps do these things better than the Pens.

For starters, Sidney Crosby isn't the best player in the world. He's not even the best player on his team. That'd be Malkin. Crosby was invisible against the Caps last year in the playoffs, while Malkin was the reason they won Game 2. All four of our lines have better than average possession numbers, and any of them are capable of shutting down Malkin. Crosby won't do anything against us anyways, he hasn't since 2009.

Letang being out for Pittsburgh wouldn't be nearly as big a blow if we didn't get Shattenkirk. Now we have the elite puck moving defenseman, to go along with John Carlson and Matt Niskanen. Orlov pushes the pace as well from the left side, and then Alzner and Orpik provide excellent defense. At the end of the day, there's no way the Pens beat us.

UNLESS we get no bounces (like last year) and the refs seem like they were born and raised in Pittsburgh (also like last year). It's ridiculous some of the bounces that they get. For example, Alzner was blocking a shot and instead of the puck hitting his shin pad and falling right in front of him, it bounced underneath his shin pad, then took a wicked bounce over Holtby's glove. They also scored goals off of a player's back, and multiple goals that should've been called dead for penalties (most notably Hagelin when he tripped Schmidt right in front of the net). We dominated that series last year, we should've won 5 of the 6 games played. If there's another series like that, we have no chance. But if the bounces are even, or even just less favored, and the refs are a little more consistent, we're winning.
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Apr. 12, 2017 at 11:15 p.m.
#2
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In my opinion Crosby is the best player on the pens, but i don't think he's the best in the league, i think he's the second best in the league (as i think Mcdavid is the best in the league).
And yes, i think the Caps can beat the pens, AND i think the pens could beat the caps.

On nhl.com i saw something where they picked who has the better one of these 7 things for each 1st round playoff matchup:
Forwards
Defence
Goaltending
Penalty Kill
Power Play
Leadership
Coaching

I give Washington 6 of those of those over Toronto in the 1st round (Toronto gets Coaching), and i think Washington beats Pittrbugh 7-0 in those categories. I think Washington has better forwards than Pittsburgh, better defence than Pittsburgh, better goaltending than Pittsburgh, better penalty kill than Pittsburgh, better power play than Pittsburgh, better coaching than Pittsburgh, and better leadership than Pittsburgh. But they're all pretty close i guess.
Apr. 13, 2017 at 1:54 a.m.
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I like the Penguins, but I don't think they're goin' far unless Justin Schultz actually turns into the second coming of Kris Letang. Everyone knows that the Penguins' forward group is one of the best in the league, but all of the questions lie at defense with Letang's absence. That, to me, is the biggest thing.
Apr. 13, 2017 at 12:55 p.m.
#4
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Quoting: DragonRaptorHybrid
I like the Penguins, but I don't think they're goin' far unless Justin Schultz actually turns into the second coming of Kris Letang. Everyone knows that the Penguins' forward group is one of the best in the league, but all of the questions lie at defense with Letang's absence. That, to me, is the biggest thing.


Well i think one of the crazy things recently in hockey is how Justin Schultz had been expected to be REALLY, REALLY good, and then he totally didn't fit in with the Oilers. And he was not playing anywhere near how they wanted him to. And then now, in Pittsburgh, he is playing like they expected him to be when he came into the league, maybe even better. So i think he might be as good as Letang this year, and we'll have to wait and see how he does next year, but this year, he's having the best year of all Pittsburgh defensemen in my opinion.
Apr. 13, 2017 at 12:59 p.m.
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Got to take down Toronto first, lol
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Apr. 13, 2017 at 3:30 p.m.
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Quoting: Banks
Got to take down Toronto first, lol


That shouldn't be too hard for the caps Sticking Out Tongue
Apr. 14, 2017 at 3:15 p.m.
#7
BreKel
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Quoting: rangersandislesfan
Quoting: Banks
Got to take down Toronto first, lol


That shouldn't be too hard for the caps Sticking Out Tongue


Barely did it last night.
Apr. 15, 2017 at 4:18 p.m.
#8
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Quoting: BreKel
Quoting: rangersandislesfan


That shouldn't be too hard for the caps Sticking Out Tongue


Barely did it last night.


I know, right? But they did.
Apr. 17, 2017 at 6:30 p.m.
#9
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I'm so confused how Pittsburgh is doing anything without Letang and Murray but it shows you can't write them off.
Apr. 17, 2017 at 8:15 p.m.
#10
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Quoting: gojetsgo
I'm so confused how Pittsburgh is doing anything without Letang and Murray but it shows you can't write them off.
A lot of Penguins fans are surprised but generally happy that it's working out well so far.

re: Letang's absence, the Penguins' back-end is now more of a committee approach. Game 1, everyone played between 18 and 20 minutes; Game 2 was more of the same, except that Trevor Daley played 22 minutes; and Game 3, everyone played between 22 and 25 minutes, thanks to the overtime period.

re: Fleury, he's a competent goalie. "But he's a playoff choker" blah blah blah. Individual playoff series are smaller sample sizes and have larger variance; his regular season stats show that he's at least competent, and that's a good quality to have for somebody who's replacing your prospective franchise goalie while the latter's injured.
May 6, 2017 at 11:24 p.m.
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Washington Capitals Won Tonight Against Pittsburgh Penguins 4-2 In Game 5 In Washington D.C. And Win Games 6 And 7 In Pittsburgh And Back Too D.C.
May 7, 2017 at 5:55 p.m.
#12
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Quoting: jasongura25
Washington Capitals Won Tonight Against Pittsburgh Penguins 4-2 In Game 5 In Washington D.C. And Win Games 6 And 7 In Pittsburgh And Back Too D.C.


I hope the Caps win ... but i don't think they will.
May 8, 2017 at 10:27 p.m.
#13
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Go Capitals in game 7!!!!!!!!!!
May 11, 2017 at 12:21 a.m.
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Apparently not
May 11, 2017 at 12:41 a.m.
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In so many armchair-gm teams there are Ovechkin trades ... doesn't make sense to me why they'd trade for him. In my opinion it would make more sense to go for the cup next year than to give up and trade you're 30 goal scorer, possible selke candidate, leader, captain, superstar player.
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May 11, 2017 at 5:59 p.m.
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Quoting: rangersandislesfan
In so many armchair-gm teams there are Ovechkin trades ... doesn't make sense to me why they'd trade for him. In my opinion it would make more sense to go for the cup next year than to give up and trade you're 30 goal scorer, possible selke candidate, leader, captain, superstar player.


I'd only trade him if we got the right collection of young talent in the deal. We need to build around Kuzy, Bura, Vrana, Orly, Carlson, our defense prospects, and then Holts/Samsonov. Backstrom has a couple more years left. To me, if we get a sizable return for Ovi, I'd move him. It would absolutely crush me to see it happen. When we had nothing, we had Ovi. But we aren't going to win with him.

And there's no way in butthole he's a Selke candidate ever
May 11, 2017 at 10:26 p.m.
#17
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Quoting: krakowitz
Quoting: rangersandislesfan
In so many armchair-gm teams there are Ovechkin trades ... doesn't make sense to me why they'd trade for him. In my opinion it would make more sense to go for the cup next year than to give up and trade you're 30 goal scorer, possible selke candidate, leader, captain, superstar player.


I'd only trade him if we got the right collection of young talent in the deal. We need to build around Kuzy, Bura, Vrana, Orly, Carlson, our defense prospects, and then Holts/Samsonov. Backstrom has a couple more years left. To me, if we get a sizable return for Ovi, I'd move him. It would absolutely crush me to see it happen. When we had nothing, we had Ovi. But we aren't going to win with him.

And there's no way in butthole he's a Selke candidate ever


Not saying he should have been up for the selke, but he was probably considered.
May 24, 2017 at 8:29 p.m.
#18
get ur corsi up
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Tee hee, I love how confident you Caps fans were about your team. Tee hee, heart breaker.
Jun. 4, 2017 at 2:46 a.m.
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Quoting: DarylthePony
Tee hee, I love how confident you Caps fans were about your team. Tee hee, heart breaker.


This is so weird. Every year they are expected to win the cup but never make it past round 2. Why is that?
Jun. 4, 2017 at 7:11 p.m.
#20
get ur corsi up
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Quoting: rangersandislesfan
Quoting: DarylthePony
Tee hee, I love how confident you Caps fans were about your team. Tee hee, heart breaker.


This is so weird. Every year they are expected to win the cup but never make it past round 2. Why is that?


Because Pittsburgh happens. They look good until Crosby murders them.
Jun. 4, 2017 at 8:27 p.m.
#21
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Quoting: DarylthePony
Quoting: rangersandislesfan


This is so weird. Every year they are expected to win the cup but never make it past round 2. Why is that?


Because Pittsburgh happens. They look good until Crosby murders them.


I hope the Pens lose. GO PREDS!!!! NOT THE EVIL PENGUINS!!!!!!
Jun. 5, 2017 at 3:41 p.m.
#22
get ur corsi up
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Quoting: rangersandislesfan
Quoting: DarylthePony


Because Pittsburgh happens. They look good until Crosby murders them.


I hope the Pens lose. GO PREDS!!!! NOT THE EVIL PENGUINS!!!!!!


Same here, I guess we have one thing we agree on.
Jun. 8, 2017 at 1:55 p.m.
#23
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Quoting: DarylthePony
Quoting: rangersandislesfan


This is so weird. Every year they are expected to win the cup but never make it past round 2. Why is that?


Because Pittsburgh happens. They look good until Crosby murders them.


Crosby didn't murder us bud. He didn't do crap the entire series except get a concussion. Fleury got us. That's what happened.
Jun. 8, 2017 at 3:11 p.m.
#24
get ur corsi up
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Quoting: krakowitz
Quoting: DarylthePony


Because Pittsburgh happens. They look good until Crosby murders them.


Crosby didn't murder us bud. He didn't do crap the entire series except get a concussion. Fleury got us. That's what happened.


Hey krakowitz, have you ever heard of hyperbole? A little something I was using there, so stop taking everything so seriously. nod
Jun. 10, 2017 at 10:51 p.m.
#25
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Quoting: DarylthePony
Quoting: krakowitz


Crosby didn't murder us bud. He didn't do crap the entire series except get a concussion. Fleury got us. That's what happened.


Hey krakowitz, have you ever heard of hyperbole? A little something I was using there, so stop taking everything so seriously. nod


I know he didn't actually murder us, I'm not stupid.

But you actually think that Crosby played well in the series? Malkin was the only reason that team had anything going offensively most of the series. Crosby did nothing.
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