2016 NHL Playoffs, Rite of Spring: "You thought God was an architect"

[Unocal]

Mike Sullivan was so mediocre in Boston. Amazing to think THAT guy suddenly looks like a god

[FiddySicks]

2 hours ago, FGM13 said:

Pittsburgh is gonna win the cup. You heard it here first.

Close, but no cigar.

 

On 5/3/2016 at 0:05 AM, Bucfan56 said:

 

I've been thinking Pittsburgh over Dallas in 4 for quite some time now. 

[Morgan33]

1 hour ago, the admiral said:

Just realized Jim Rutherford is the general manager of the Penguins. ew. How did they not trade all their draft picks for dudes from Ferris State?

 

Regardless of how much you hate the Hurricanes, the guy did win a championship

[Unocal]

At this point, Caps fans, maybe it might be time to find another team to root for.

[ninersdd]

3 hours ago, Morgo said:

 

They've squandered what should have been a dynasty.  It's hard to associate the cup winning team to the current one, due to their complete futility these past 6 years.  One conference finals appearance and they get swept with, arguably, their most stacked lineup to date....

2012 they were pretty stacked as well. Of course Fluery was beyond bad against the Flyers which submarines any chance they had.

[Crabcake]

Think about it - this series has come down to two words: Matt. Murray. 

 

The Caps have had some glorious chances on goal in every game of the series, shots that I'm convinced would've been goals even if you put Fleury in there, much less some average goalie. Murray has stood on his head, and is the only reason in which the Penguins have won three of these games, when they have deserved, IMO, to win maybe one or two of the games. 

[Cosmic]

8 hours ago, Crabcake47 said:

We're never going to get past the second round, are we?

Maybe just drive down to Hilton Head for a few days.  Hang out on the beach.

[chcarlson23]

8 hours ago, SabresRule7361 said:

 

I was referring to their hot streak since the coaching change

A hot streak since the coaching change isn't really a hot streak anymore. The change happened in December. It's now May. The Penguins are just that good right now. They found their game, and they're not going to lose it anytime soon. If they had maybe started this hot streak when the playoffs started, I could see it coming down soon, but they've played this well for months...

 

I'm sorry, but you keep being surprised by how good a team is playing right now. Do you even watch the games? Do you even pay attention to the season? 

[Sport]

As is the Pittsburgh way, a bunch of random plugs, useless in other places, are playing like all-stars (Bonino, Daley, some rando goalie named Matt Murray)

 

The Lightning, Islanders, Sharks, Predators, Stars, Blues aren't beating them. The Capitals were our only hope and they're a bigger mess than the republican party. Pittsburgh will win the cup because sports are a complete waste of time. 

 

 

 

 

[Kramerica Industries]

I realize there's an implied degree of pedantry to that post and I never want to take away something's right to a good bit of pedantry (because it's fun!), but I could have told you that the Penguins were the most likely team to reach the Final from the East as far back as February. Call the Penguins' bottom-six a bunch of plugs if you want, but hockey isn't all that much different from, say, football, where a player can look totally different, for better or worse, depending on the system that they play in. Mike Sullivan transformed Pittsburgh from the grinding, defense-first team they were under Johnston, a system that didn't suit the strengths of their personnel at all (...how on earth did a largely-the-same Pens team nearly miss the playoffs last year and were off to a g-d awful start this season?) to an aggressive forechecking team that used their speed to create chances off the rush and on counters. Pittsburgh quite likely has the best team skating in these playoffs. I saw some of these signs back in January in a pair of games where they probably should've beaten the Lightning but MAF was an open door on those nights. 

 

Mike Sullivan can't get enough credit for the job he's done. It might seem simple enough - implementing a structure that is most suited to the overall strengths of the roster, but it's amazing how many coaches won't do this, favoring their own structures they've used throughout the coaching ranks in the past. I'm not really sure Sullivan is one of the best head coaches around, but he's been more than good enough for the Penguins since his appointment.

[Unocal]

Sullivan wasn't great in Boston (blew a 3-1 lead in 2004 playoffs, Joe Thornton trade) yet somehow with a different black and yellow he seemingly can do no wrong

[BrianVlietDesign]

17 minutes ago, SabresRule7361 said:

Sullivan wasn't great in Boston (blew a 3-1 lead in 2004 playoffs, Joe Thornton trade) yet somehow with a different black and yellow he seemingly can do no wrong

 

If he's blown a 3-1 series lead before, I'm hoping he'll do it again.  No offense Pens fans.  I just want to see the Caps break this funk for once.

[Alex Houston]

4 hours ago, McCarthy said:

As is the Pittsburgh way, a bunch of random plugs, useless in other places, are playing like all-stars (Bonino, Daley, some rando goalie named Matt Murray)

 

The Lightning, Islanders, Sharks, Predators, Stars, Blues aren't beating them. The Capitals were our only hope and they're a bigger mess than the republican party. Pittsburgh will win the cup because sports are a complete waste of time. 

 

Agreed and it will likely be very annoying.

 

Also, please tell me you're buying some of these to hang up in your apartment: http://goo.gl/xPy37G

[Sport]

1 minute ago, Alex Houston said:

 

Agreed and it will likely be very annoying.

 

Also, please tell me you're buying some of these to hang up in your apartment: http://goo.gl/xPy37G

No disrespect to Anthony Zych, I think he did a really great job on some of these, but outside of a few they're just not my cup of tea. They started off a little more conceptual and then after a while kind of just started going for the easy gag associated with any given opponent. I'd also probably be more likely to buy one from one of the games I attended, but for the first time since the 99-00 season I went through a hockey season without going to a CBJ game. 

 

The artist moved to working for the Devils so I hope the Blue Jackets open it up to more artists next season to get more of a style variety. I also like what he started so hopefully more teams do gameday posters next season. It's a fun thing to look forward to as part of each gameday morning. 

[Morgan33]

16 hours ago, Ice_Cap said:

Well if anything? My cynicism regarding the Caps and Ovechkin earlier in the season will be justified.

 

Barring a miracle it was right on the money.  For some reason I thought this year would be different...  It's as if their 2010, first round collapse, taught me nothing.  Forever the Sharks of the East.

[worcat]

7 hours ago, McCarthy said:

The Lightning, Islanders, Sharks, Predators, Stars, Blues aren't beating them. 

 

 

 

 

I'm sorry, have you watched ANY of the Blues games? Elliott has literally been a brick wall. Still along way to go but I think the Blues could handle the Penguins. It's the Capitals I was concerned about.

[Crabcake]

5 minutes ago, worcat said:

I'm sorry, have you watched ANY of the Blues games? Elliott has literally been a brick wall. Still along way to go but I think the Blues could handle the Penguins. It's the Capitals I was concerned about.

Don't need to worry about that anymore, partner

[IceCap]

1 hour ago, Morgo said:

 

Barring a miracle it was right on the money.  For some reason I thought this year would be different...  It's as if their 2010, first round collapse, taught me nothing.  Forever the Sharks of the East.

Never bet on a team of chokers to not choke. It's partly a coaching thing. It's partly a player thing. It's mostly a cultural thing. The Caps won't get to the big dance until they clean house completely and build it all back up again. The current lot's ruined as constructed. 

 

Trust me. I'm a Leafs fan. I'm intimately familiar with how team culture murders franchises.

[worcat]

8 minutes ago, Crabcake47 said:

Don't need to worry about that anymore, partner

You're not out yet my friend. Although it may seem like too deep of a hole to climb out of, you still have the leagues best regular season team. Good luck!

[Unocal]

The Blues had that same culture and look where they are now. Everyone would've told the Blues to clean house had they lost to Chicago.

 

I know it's the Caps, but my god you'd think the Penguibs have already won the Cup.

 

Murray will turn into a pumpkin before it's all said and done