re: 2017 NHL Playoff Thread: PENGUINS WIN THE CUP, Crosby robs Malkin of the Conn Smythe

Round 2

Washington just beat a team who was playing very solid hockey this past month or so, this will serve them well next round. Caps -vs- Pens, should be good.

Toronto are the Pens-lite so hopefully it served as a good prep. I'm not expecting to beat the Pens until it actually happens.

If they get past the Pens they're winning the cup though.

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So no games for the next 2 nights? When is the schedule set for the next round?

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hopefully we see it tomorrow, was reading there is a shite ton of conflicting events with nashville and scott trade tho

Pens first 4 games were just announced

April 27th at 7:30e
April 29th at 8e

What a joke the teams with the most points in Eastern Conference are set up against one another in the semifinals. This format fricking blows.

Also, I have lost 7 straight bets on games that have gone into overtime.

It's pretty ridiculous. If three or four of those games go my way, I'm up an insane amount.

Satire, but makes you wonder

Price on trading block after going pointless in playoffs

The Leafs played a hell of a series. They remind me a lot of the 2008 Caps: great top line anchored by one of the best young players in hockey, tons of scoring depth, a suspect blueline, and speed, speed, and more speed. It was like playing your younger selves (who also pushed a team far ahead of them in the standings to the brink).

When the puck bounced off the corner right in front of the net and Matthews put it away on a slick move top shelf, it felt like another bad bounce had doomed the Caps. Instead, the team calmly responded by amping up the effort, getting more chances, and eventually getting an ugly goal, forcing an OT in which the Caps would utterly dominate before Mojo put in a rebound.

It's funny the Caps won off of a faceoff draw after getting so thoroughly destroyed on the dot all game long. Bozak and Nylander combined to be nearly 80% on faceoffs, which is unheard of. But an icing call meant Babcock couldn't get on one of his faceoff studs, and Boyle lost the draw to Kuznetsov. A couple seconds later, the Caps were celebrating the win. The Caps finally won an important faceoff, and they scored right thereafter.

The Mojo-Kuzy-Williams line has been the Caps best in this series, but Kuzy has squandered some great goal chances and Mojo had zero goals headed into tonight. It was nice to see their play finally rewarded with goals (other than Williams, who has 3). Hard work pays off, even if it takes awhile.

And for those who asked, I spend the game drinking heavily, swearing profusely, and not typing on a computer. I might check twitter for injury updates when Schmidt goes down on a knee-on-knee check, but I'm too locked into the game to deal with y'all. Or anyone.

Bring on the Pens. To be the king, you gotta beat the king.