It's time for The NHL Playoffs!

[fumei]

Never mind. I had not checked it out, but then I did.

Gotta laugh. There were quite a few long shot bets made on Vegas winning the Cup. $8800 return on a $50 bet is pretty good. Apparently a number of people bought bet tickets as souvenirs of Vegas' first season. Instead of a $50 T-shirt, I will buy a $50 bet - Vegas, gotta love it.

Although one person put $400 at 300:1 odds. YIKES!! That is a $120,000 payout! Yeah the bookmakers, even though they have of course lowered the odds for new bets, are seriously hoping for a Vegas loss. HaHaHa.

[catdaddy]

Originally Posted by fumei

Which is why discussing the fact of "an expansion team getting to the Final" (i.e Golden Knights and Blues) is apples and oranges.

The Blues played against all expansion teams.

Golden Knight played against none. It played against established teams. Not only did Vegas have new players (ALL of them), but a new organization (from coaching staff to office staff to logistical staff). Getting to the Final was a lot harder (IMO) than the Blues getting to the Final. Having them gel as a team, along with getting a serious fan base (although winning games helps a lot) is a major success story. Good on them.

And whoever takes the Eastern Conference, I do not think they are going to sweep Vegas.

Anyone know what the Vegas bookies are saying?

Apples and oranges indeed! The Blues were practically gifted a spot in the final. The Golden Knights have earned their way. Although the expansion draft parameters for Vegas were generous they weren't so generous that their roster was guaranteed to be successful. If their GM George McPhee and Head Coach Gerard Gallant had done anything less than the superb jobs they performed in their respective positions the Golden Knights would probably have joined the other non-playoff teams hoping to win the lotto for this summer's draft rather than playing in the SCF.

[Dru Edwards]

Originally Posted by catdaddy

Hyping expansion teams is nothing new for the NHL. Did you know that the Vegas Golden Knights are not the first first-year expansion team to play in the Stanley Cup Final? That's right. In 1968 the first year expansion team St. Louis Blues played the Montreal Canadiens in the Stanley Cup Final. The Canadiens beat the Blues in 4 straight games to win the Cup, but there's more to this story.

The Blues reached the final by beating the Philadelphia Flyers and the Minnesota North Stars in the Western Conference playoffs after finishing 3rd in the Conference in the regular season. But there was a catch. A big catch that was generated by the NHL. You see all of the teams in the Western Conference were first year expansion teams; The St. Louis Blues, The Philadelphia Flyers, The Los Angeles Kings, The Pittsburgh Penguins, The Minnesota North Stars, and the Oakland Seals. All of the original six NHL teams (Montreal, Toronto, Boston, New York, Chicago and Detroit) were in the Eastern Conference. So the Western Conference playoffs guaranteed that a first year expansion team would play in the Stanley Cup Final. How's that for hyping expansion?

Interesting history: The Blues went on to go to three consecutive Stanley Cup Finals starting with their inaugural year '67-'68. They were swept all three years against an Original 6 team. Who was their coach? Scotty Bowman - they were his first three years as a coach.

[jpd]

Originally Posted by Dru Edwards

Interesting history: The Blues went on to go to three consecutive Stanley Cup Finals starting with their inaugural year '67-'68. They were swept all three years against an Original 6 team. Who was their coach? Scotty Bowman - they were his first three years as a coach.

He did pretty good in Detroit too

[catdaddy]

Originally Posted by jpd

He did pretty good in Detroit too

And in Pittsburgh (1992).

[catdaddy]

Originally Posted by Dru Edwards

Interesting history: The Blues went on to go to three consecutive Stanley Cup Finals starting with their inaugural year '67-'68. They were swept all three years against an Original 6 team. Who was their coach? Scotty Bowman - they were his first three years as a coach.

And perhaps the only reason they didn't make it 4 in a row was that the NHL changed the playoff format.

[Dru Edwards]

Game 7 puck drops tonight! Some great stats on NHL Game 7s (from tsn.ca)

• 172nd Game 7
• Since the start of the conference era in 1975, teams with a 2-0 series lead in the conference semis or finals have a record of 39-2. (Washington was ahead 2-0)
• Over the past 50 years, clubs who take a 2-0 series lead on the road in the final two rounds of the Stanley Cup playoffs are 21-0.
• Ovechkin has three goals and three assists over 10 career Game 7s

Looks like history favors the Capitals.
Go Lightning!

[catdaddy]

Game 7s are always interesting to me. There's an expectation of a highly competitive game, and both teams have everything to win or lose depending on the outcome. Home ice has been mostly irrelevant in this year's playoffs, but I'll be rooting for Tampa to make their home fans happy tonight.

[Dru Edwards]

Originally Posted by catdaddy

Game 7s are always interesting to me. There's an expectation of a highly competitive game, and both teams have everything to win or lose depending on the outcome. Home ice has been mostly irrelevant in this year's playoffs, but I'll be rooting for Tampa to make their home fans happy tonight.

I hear ya. And many times the hero isn't the superstar (although Gretzky will prove me wrong on that).

[AX17609]

Originally Posted by Dru Edwards

Go Lightning!

Congratulations to the WASHINGTON CAPITALS!

[catdaddy]

Yes indeed, although my true blue Penguins' blood turns green as I type this; Congratulations to The Washington Capitals, Eastern Conference Champions.

The Caps certainly revealed that Nostradamus' reputation has nothing to fear from my prognosticating abilities. It seems pretty clear to me that the two most deserving teams will face off in what should be a great Stanley Cup Final. I'm not about to make a fool of myself again and try to predict a winner. I do know for sure though that the winner of this series will raise the Cup for the first time in their franchise history.

Can't wait for the puck to drop!!

VS

[Neil K Walk]

Originally Posted by catdaddy

Yes indeed, although my true blue Penguins' blood turns green as I type this; Congratulations to The Washington Capitals, Eastern Conference Champions.

The Caps certainly revealed that Nostradamus' reputation has nothing to fear from my prognosticating abilities. It seems pretty clear to me that the two most deserving teams will face off in what should be a great Stanley Cup Final. I'm not about to make a fool of myself again and try to predict a winner. I do know for sure though that the winner of this series will raise the Cup for the first time in their franchise history.

Can't wait for the puck to drop!!

VS

Here's to hoping that Fleury stands on his head once again and denies Ovechkin the prize. The Caps haven't vanquished ALL their demons!

[jpd]

Woowee ! The Caps weathered the early storm and the Lightning fizzled out I'll be rooting for the Caps to win it

[catdaddy]

Originally Posted by Neil K Walk

Here's to hoping that Fleury stands on his head once again and denies Ovechkin the prize. The Caps haven't vanquished ALL their demons!

Yeah! I gotta think it gives the Caps just a little pause to know that they'll be facing the guy who was the difference maker in the second round series with the Pens last year. In addition there'll be plenty of old familiar former Pens faces (Neal, Perron, Engeland, Reaves in addition to Fleury) to bring back some bad memories.

[Jim_G]

Congratulations to Washington and Las Vegas. Still not thrilled to see Vegas in the finals, but there is no denying that their front office and coaching staff have been brilliant right from the start. I'll get over it if they do win it all, but I'd rather it's Ovechkin skating around with the Cup above his head.