Official '19-'20 NHL Thread - v. Hedman is a cupman.

[Anguyen92]

^^ That is true.  I just keep forgetting that the Panthers exist.

[Nick]

Florida /Colorado in '97 was a fairly Southern final

That may be the next closest, but while Florida and Tampa Bay are about the same Denver is about 450 miles further north than Dallas.

It shouldn't be a big surprise as the traditional hockey markets are not in the South, but I think that makes this finals kind of special, even if they're playing in Edmonton. But yeah, you've never seen Phoenix and Tampa, Florida and Kings, Dallas and Thrashers, etc.

[pg1067]

Florida /Colorado in '96 was a fairly Southern final

ftfy


This is unquestionably the southernmost SCF.  The only NHL team further south than Tampa Bay is Florida.  The Panthers play in Sunrise, FL, which is at 29^o9'26" north latitude, whereas Tampa is at 27^o58'05" north latitude, so the Panthers are further south by about a degree and a half.

Denver, however, is almost seven degrees further north than Dallas (39^o44'21" north, compared to 32^o46'45" north), so 2020 is, in the aggregate, the southernmost SCF ever.

HOWEVER, since every game will be played in Edmonton, which is the northernmost NHL city, 2020 will be both the southernmost AND northernmost SCF.

[Nick]

HOWEVER, since every game will be played in Edmonton, which is the northernmost NHL city, 2020 will be both the southernmost AND northernmost SCF.

That's some pretty awesome shit right there, couldn't have scripted that at the start of the year.

[TheCountOfNYC]

Three games in, and Tampa looks like the better team. I've learned not to count Dallas out at this point (I predicted a first round exit for them and was dead wrong), but right now my money is on the Stanley Cup making it's return to the Gulf of Mexico.

[jingle.boy]

Agreed.  Game 1, the Bolts were clearly bagged from only having had 1 night off after a gruelling serious against the Isles, while the Stars were rested for a few days.  Now, it's seemingly clear who the better team is.  And with a B2B tomorrow/Saturday, who knows how well the 34-year old Khudobin can muster thru that.

[pg1067]

Cheers to Joe Pavelski for becoming the highest scoring U.S. born player in NHL playoff history.  What a massive goal to tie up game 5!  Go Stars!

[TAC]

Let's see if the refs give the Bolts another OT win..

[pg1067]

Also, Corey Perry is the only player in NHL history to score both a regular season goal and a playoff goal in September.

[TAC]

[TAC]

Is Tyler Seguin even playing in this game?

[gmillerdrake]

Dallas has been outmatched the entire series really. Rode a hot goalie for two rounds and got the W in game 1 cuz of a tired TB.

But, this is one of those games that one team is just controlling the play but one play and Dallas wins it. It’s crazy.


Edit:
 
Had a feeling that would happen.

[jingle.boy]

Cheers to Joe Pavelski for becoming the highest scoring U.S. born player in NHL playoff history.  What a massive goal to tie up game 5!  Go Stars!

His response to being asked the question the other night when he tied Mullen was exceptional.

"Keep it.  Next question"

Like an individual stat of that nature means anything when you're down 3-1 in trying to capture your first cup.

@ Gary... yeah, I had the same gut feel as soon as they tied it.  Man did they get outclassed in that 1st overtime period.  Only good thing they did was block a lot of shots.

Overall, great game.  I hope they have another rabbit in the hat, and can force a game 7.

[hunnus2000]

We'll take it!

Go Stars!!! Puck off!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKqwX_nTy5c

[TAC]

Tampa was a fucking wagon. There was really no question who was winning the Cup.

They were easily the best team.

[faizoff]

Yay


Playoff hockey is awesome.

[gmillerdrake]

Tampa was a fucking wagon. There was really no question who was winning the Cup.

They were easily the best team.

True Dat


Maroon with back to back cups! StL boy! 

[Anguyen92]

Hurray, nicely done Bolts.  This team has been consistently strong in the standings in the last how many so years.  It's nice they finally make it to the end of the road to the cup.  After getting swept by Columbus of all teams last year, this is a nice redemption story.

Anywho, onto the draft.  The Kings got a tough decision to make with #2.  I've been reading HF boards, lately, and once you filter out the low-content posts, the cases between the top two candidates in that slot are pretty compelling.  I just hope whoever they pick don't turn out to be a bust for LA in 5 years.  It's been 12 years since Drew Doughty got drafted.  I think the time is now to find another solid franchise centerpiece.  I know those are impossible and a huge crapshoot to find, but yeah.

[Nick]

Outcome was as expected, but still a very entertaining game and finals. Frankly between Point, Kucherov, Hedman, and Vasilevsky I couldn't argue much with anyone winning the Conn Smythe.

Seeing Flyers throwaways like Luke Schenn and Brayden Coburn lift the cup was painful.

[TheCountOfNYC]

Outcome was as expected, but still a very entertaining game and finals. Frankly between Point, Kucherov, Hedman, and Vasilevsky I couldn't argue much with anyone winning the Conn Smythe.

Seeing Flyers throwaways like Luke Schenn and Brayden Coburn lift the cup was painful.

I know how you feel. Seeing former Rangers captain Ryan McDonaugh hoist the Cup was brutal. With that said, congrats to Tampa Bay. They've had a chip on their shoulder since last year's first round embarrassment at the hands of Columbus. Once they got past the Blue Jackets this year and shook off the demons from last season, there was really no stopping them.

[jingle.boy]

Outcome was as expected, but still a very entertaining game and finals. Frankly between Point, Kucherov, Hedman, and Vasilevsky I couldn't argue much with anyone winning the Conn Smythe.

Seeing Flyers throwaways like Luke Schenn and Brayden Coburn lift the cup was painful.

I know how you feel. Seeing former Rangers captain Ryan McDonaugh hoist the Cup was brutal. With that said, congrats to Tampa Bay. They've had a chip on their shoulder since last year's first round embarrassment at the hands of Columbus. Once they got past the Blue Jackets this year and shook off the demons from last season, there was really no stopping them.

Seems there were more than a few 'throwaways' - Shattenkirk and Bagosian were both bought out weren't they... the latter by Buffalo... BUFFALO.  Not good enough for the Sabres, but a key defensive shutdown player for the Cup winners.

Anyway, Dallas had nothing left in the tank.  Hard fought playoffs for them.  Other than Calgary (where they were probably a push), they were not expected to win their series'.  They over-achieved, but a few key defensive injuries (D and Forwards) finally caught up with them, along with a #2, 34-year old goalie that played more hockey than he'd ever played in his life over this 2 month stretch. 

I'm sure the US broadcasts have said it over and over and over, but this will most definitely go down as the hardest Cup to win - but an even harder Cup to lose.  All that effort and isolation ... only to start October with the same thing that Detroit, Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver, and the Isles do.  Nothing.  Nada.  Bubkiss.  Jack Squat.  Actually that's not true, they all have the opportunity to try again next "season".

[axeman90210]

Didn't catch any of the finals, but glad to see Blake Coleman win a Cup. One of the easiest guys to root for when he was on the Devils (and netted us a pretty good haul when we sent him to Tampa as well).

[jingle.boy]

Didn't catch any of the finals, but glad to see Blake Coleman win a Cup. One of the easiest guys to root for when he was on the Devils (and netted us a pretty good haul when we sent him to Tampa as well).

Netted the Bolts a pretty good haul too!

[hunnus2000]

Today, Hunnus is sad. 

No more Go Stars.......

Hunnus is going to go back to bed curl up in the fetal position and cry like a baby......

[jingle.boy]

Today, Hunnus is sad. 

No more Go Stars.......

Hunnus is going to go back to bed curl up in the fetal position and cry like a baby......

There's always the Cowboys!

[hunnus2000]

Today, Hunnus is sad. 

No more Go Stars.......

Hunnus is going to go back to bed curl up in the fetal position and cry like a baby......

There's always the Cowboys!

Dammit! Going back to bed again!   

[axeman90210]

Didn't catch any of the finals, but glad to see Blake Coleman win a Cup. One of the easiest guys to root for when he was on the Devils (and netted us a pretty good haul when we sent him to Tampa as well).

Netted the Bolts a pretty good haul too!

Yup, I'd say that one worked out for both sides. Given the way this season went, we're probably a couple years away anyway, so happy to get a great prospect (Foote) and a first round pick. Tampa finally gets their Cup and they have Coleman for another year at a very reasonable rate.

[pg1067]

Anywho, onto the draft.  The Kings got a tough decision to make with #2.  I've been reading HF boards, lately, and once you filter out the low-content posts, the cases between the top two candidates in that slot are pretty compelling.  I just hope whoever they pick don't turn out to be a bust for LA in 5 years.  It's been 12 years since Drew Doughty got drafted.  I think the time is now to find another solid franchise centerpiece.  I know those are impossible and a huge crapshoot to find, but yeah.

I'm not sure what your point is with harkening back to the Doughty pick, but the overwhelming majority of the Kings' #1 picks since then have been excellent or used to bring key players to the team:

2009 -- Brayden Schenn (5th overall) -- packaged with Wayne Simmonds in the trade that brought Mike Richards, a key piece to the 2012 and 2014 Cup runs.

2011 -- the pick was traded for Dustin Penner, another key piece in the 2012 Cup run.

2012 -- Tanner Pearson (#30 overall because the Kings had just won the Cup), a key player in the 2014 Cup run.

2013 -- the pick was part of the trade that brought Jeff Carter to the Kings.

2014 -- Adrian Kempe (#29 overall).

It's still too early to judge 2017-19, but at least Vilardi and Turcotte are looking good.

Only 2010 (Derek Forbort) and 2015 and 2016 (traded for Milan Lucic and Andrej Sekera, respectively) didn't really pan out.

I agree that having the #2 pick is a critical opportunity given where the Kings are right now.  Although I don't trust Blake as much as I did Lombardi, I'm also not as down on him as a lot of folks are.  However, since I know nothing at all about hockey prospects, I'll just wait and see.

[Anguyen92]

I agree that the way Kings drafted since then, for the most part, turned to be great pieces or was converted to great pieces, but I'm thinking more of the lines like a #1 Franchise player along the veins of Doughty or Kopitar.  Again, that part is impossible to predict and draft and it's never a sure thing, but I just want to be hopeful that this year's draft we get someone like that growing in 5 years.

[TAC]

Lundqvist bought out.

[jingle.boy]

Lundqvist bought out.

This is my shocked face.

[Anguyen92]

Yep.  Rangers now have to eat $13 million of dead cap space for this next season.  Kings aren't that far behind.  $11 million in dead space for them....  Thank goodness luck is on their side and high draft picks is coming for both teams to cure part of that pain of dead cap space.

[TheCountOfNYC]

I knew it was going to happen. I understand that it had to happen. And honestly, deep down, I probably wanted it to happen. But at the end of the day, I'm still absolutely heartbroken. Henrik Lundqvist has been the heart and soul of the Rangers for the past two decades. Even though he never wore the C as is the case with most goalies, everybody knew who the leader in the MSG locker room was. He has been the pride of New York hockey ever since he took the starting job, and he is a sports legend in the greatest city in the world. I was an infant in '94, so all of my best hockey memories have been more recent, and Hank was front and center for all of them, the face of the Rangers post-lockout success. Through all of that success, and of course through all of the failures, the defeats, the letdowns, and the goodbyes that had to be said to some great players like Ryan Callahan, Rick Nash, JT Miller, Ryan McDonagh, and Mats Zuccarello especially, there was always a sense of comfort, a feeling that things would be ok. That came from knowing that we had a once in a generation talent in net, one of the greatest goalies in NHL history. Then things started to change. Hank got older. He couldn't bail his team out, steal games like he used to. He started to become a liability. Father time catches every great player, but to watch it happen to your hero is always painful. With his diminishing skills and the stellar play of Igor Shesterkin, the time had come, like so many great players before him, for our king's reign to come to an end.

Lundqvist, I will always remember the victories you stole, the saves that shouldn't have been possible, the countless winning seasons, and will always regret that this team the team I root for and the team you carried for so many years, couldn't bring you a Stanley Cup. I hope you earn your title in your next landing point, but no matter what success you may find in your eventual landing spot, your crown and throne will remain here in New York. You were, are, and always will be, our King Henrik.

[jingle.boy]

That was a very touching post, Count.  Well said.

[TheCountOfNYC]

That was a very touching post, Count.  Well said.

Thank you. The Rangers have a bright future ahead of them, but this is gonna take some time to get over. Lundqvist is an absolute legend in this city, up there with guys Jeter, Namath, and Messier. His legacy is secured here.