Round 3: 2018 NHL Playoffs

[pi2000]

100% disagree. I love every second of that

 

same

 

 

They kinda are. There have been plenty of times when the "in game experience" has gotten in the way of me enjoying hockey.

 

I just don't need all that over-stimulated Disney BS to get excited about a hockey game.

 

Doesn't matter if you need it, it was still entertaining.  

[dudacek]

Stuff like that plays a lot better to blossoming fans in game three of the Western Conference final than jaded fans in game 33 of another lost season.

[Wyldnwoody44]

That was cool

And to add

 

I'm happy the knights are doing well, we're miserable as hell because our team sucks, get over it.

 

 

Sure they had a expansion draft that boded well for them, but how many other teams are loaded with talent that just plain suck, these guys are earning every second of spotlight they get,which is more than we can say for our guys.

[inkman]

The Las Vegas pre-game show stuff is hilarious. Not to my taste -- but for those who dig it -- have at it.

Is it supposed to be hilarious?

[Eleven]

It’s crazy how so many other fans from other cities are jealous that they shouldn’t be this good and the expansion draft gave Vegas an advantage. I say ######! They picked hardworking character players that work their ###### off and each has something to prove. Plus like I have been saying you can thank two teams for Vegas being good and that’s Florida and Minnesota. Sorry that’s piss poor management on both those teams. This Vegas community has been starving for pro sports and this community fell in love with the Knights. These players are just great character guys. Their is a story about Tuch running into one of his fans and he buys her lunch and sits down with her talking hockey. How cool is that. It’s been great since rookie camp and I didn’t even think Tuch was the best player at Rookie Camp.

 

Dude.  That expansion draft was .  Never should happen again.  Even if McPhee is a genius (he isn't; see DC for examples).

[SwampD]

Is it supposed to be hilarious?

Do you like movies about gladiators?

[Sabel79]

Welp. Bolts -Caps is pond hockey so far tonight.

[inkman]

Do you like movies about gladiators?

Possibly and Ive seen a grown man naked unfortunately not nearly as many times as strangers have seen me naked.

[Sabel79]

I don’t like to tell fans how to behave. But booing our team’s power play in game four of a series you’re currently ahead in is probably bad form, Washington.

[stuuuuuuuuu]

Dude. That expansion draft was ######. Never should happen again. Even if McPhee is a genius (he isn't; see DC for examples).

I have to respectfully disagree. It's not like anyone was projecting Vegas to be good. When the rules were announced we all said they would suck. Hell, even AFTER they picked the team we all said they would suck.

 

The draft wasn't rigged to make them good, Mcphee got very lucky on a few players, had a few gift wrapped to him (fla, min). I don't place much credit with the GM at all. Like many great creations, he was trying to achieve something else and stumbled into something better on accident.

 

The success vegas has achieved illustrates why hockey is the best game on earth. The story here is about the players and the coach. A bunch of underdogs: led by a coach with something to prove, collectively playing the best hockey of their lives as a team, with a huge chip on their shoulder.

 

I'm going to regret this tomorrow (thanks beer) but if they manage to win it all; this could go down as the second biggest hockey underdog story ever.

 

P.S. I've actively rooted against since day one. They haven't suffered enough to deserve this

Edited May 18, 2018 by Stu

[Sabel79]

I have to respectfully disagree. It's not like anyone was projecting Vegas to be good. When the rules were announced we all said they would suck. Hell, even AFTER they picked the team we all said they would suck.

The draft wasn't rigged to make them good, Mcphee got very lucky on a few players, had a few gift wrapped to him (fla, min). I don't place much credit with the GM at all.

The success vegas has achieved illustrates why hockey is the best game on earth. The story here is about the players and the coach. A bunch of underdogs: led by a coach with something to prove, collectively playing the best hockey of their lives as a team, with a huge chip on their shoulder.

I'm going to regret this tomorrow (thanks beer) but if they manage to win it all; this could go down as the second biggest hockey underdog story ever.

This is rather revisionist.

 

Look back to every prior expansion draft. The league's thumb can not be any more clearly on the scale. True, some (okay, one) GM's panicked and made a bad deal, but overall Vegas got to pick off everybody's middle six at forward and middle two at defense. This is unprecedented and awful. Particularly as contracts expire as early as this year and that's the end of that. The short-termism of it all is astounding. Vegas made a splash, don't expect a sequel.

[stuuuuuuuuu]

This is rather revisionist.

 

Look back to every prior expansion draft. The league's thumb can not be any more clearly on the scale. True, some (okay, one) GM's panicked and made a bad deal, but overall Vegas got to pick off everybody's middle six at forward and middle two at defense. This is unprecedented and awful. Particularly as contracts expire as early as this year and that's the end of that. The short-termism of it all is astounding. Vegas made a splash, don't expect a sequel.

This is all fair, they did have a deeper pool than CBJ or MIN. I would take James Neal over Geoff Sanderson or Wes Walz any day.

 

I just have a hard time with the "expansion draft was BS" talk. No one thought they would be anywhere near this good looking over their roster after the draft.

 

I agree this will be short lived and am interested with how many fans they have after a few lean years

Edited May 18, 2018 by Stu

[Wyldnwoody44]

Is this where the lightning take over and the caps choke

[stuuuuuuuuu]

I will also disagree that my post was "revisionist". In that sense it would be revisionist to say that William Karlsson was a long shot to pot 40 this year.

[Sabel79]

I will also disagree that my post was "revisionist". In that sense it would be revisionist to say that William Karlsson was a long shot to pot 40 this year.

When the draft happened absolutely everyone involved blew their tops,at the head start Vegas got.

 

Point in case: Not even Feorge McPhee screwed this up.

[Randall Flagg]

I would have bet everything I owned that Vegas would be a bottom 5 team. The roster was terrible, with all available information on players such as...Thomas Nosek, Deryk Engelland, Reilly Smith as a top 3-4 forward, and so on. Only it turns out, those terrible players weren't so bad in their first ever opportunity to be important players. 

[SabresBillsFan]

I would have bet everything I owned that Vegas would be a bottom 5 team. The roster was terrible, with all available information on players such as...Thomas Nosek, Deryk Engelland, Reilly Smith as a top 3-4 forward, and so on. Only it turns out, those terrible players weren't so bad in their first ever opportunity to be important players.

I agree. What people don’t know is they were having mock drafts here as management almost monthly. They have some good eye for talent here in Vegas. I have been saying for the longest time you can blame 2 teams. Florida and Minnesota. How do you give up a 30 goal guy making league minimum. It’s not like their coaches didn’t see these players everyday in practice. To me that’s piss poor management. If Florida keeps both they make the playoffs. Giving Tuch away for a 4th was like what Regier did in his early years. The guy that didn’t want to trade unless he was getting the better of the deal. I even thought they would be a non playoff team before the season but wouldn’t be the worst. I still think McPhee could have fleeced more teams then he did.

Hey we don’t know how long this ride is going to last but all these players have had a chip on their shoulder all season. Schmidt, Miller and Theodore have been awesome and all young. McNabb has been a steady stay at home defenseman. Engelland is playing the best hockey of his career. We have a lot of veteran leadership here and I can’t even tell you how valuable Bellemare is. Guy is so underrated and gives everything he’s got. He’s been so black and blue all year and he’s been a leader. Plus this team has played everyone which in my opinion is rarely seen. This team is a true team and they come to work and work hard and I didn’t even mention how good this coaching staff is. I have watched this team since it was assembled to where it is now and it’s been unbelievable. Never seen anything like this in any spot.

When the draft happened absolutely everyone involved blew their tops,at the head start Vegas got.

 

Point in case: Not even Feorge McPhee screwed this up.

I think a lot of teams overvalued guys they wanted to keep. Remember before the season Vegas signed a Russian centerman to center the first line and he was beat out by so many he couldn’t even make the team. Vegas Management built this team on character players who come to work and work their off. Even the players they drafted look solid. I thought Tuch wasn’t even the best player at Rookie camp. Branstrom who they took reminds me of Kimmo Timomen and Suzuki has sick hands and a wicked shot. And I didn’t even mention Cody Glass. Plus they might have found some gems in the later rounds. Edited May 18, 2018 by SabresBillsFan

[pi2000]

I agree. What people don’t know is they were having mock drafts here as management almost monthly. They have some good eye for talent here in Vegas. I have been saying for the longest time you can blame 2 teams. Florida and Minnesota. How do you give up a 30 goal guy making league minimum. It’s not like their coaches didn’t see these players everyday in practice. To me that’s piss poor management. If Florida keeps both they make the playoffs. Giving Tuch away for a 4th was like what Regier did in his early years. The guy that didn’t want to trade unless he was getting the better of the deal. I even thought they would be a non playoff team before the season but wouldn’t be the worst. I still think McPhee could have fleeced more teams then he did.

Hey we don’t know how long this ride is going to last but all these players have had a chip on their shoulder all season. Schmidt, Miller and Theodore have been awesome and all young. McNabb has been a steady stay at home defenseman. Engelland is playing the best hockey of his career. We have a lot of veteran leadership here and I can’t even tell you how valuable Bellemare is. Guy is so underrated and gives everything he’s got. He’s been so black and blue all year and he’s been a leader. Plus this team has played everyone which in my opinion is rarely seen. This team is a true team and they come to work and work hard and I didn’t even mention how good this coaching staff is. I have watched this team since it was assembled to where it is now and it’s been unbelievable. Never seen anything like this in any spot.

I think a lot of teams overvalued guys they wanted to keep. Remember before the season Vegas signed a Russian centerman to center the first line and he was beat out by so many he couldn’t even make the team. Vegas Management built this team on character players who come to work and work their ###### off. Even the players they drafted look solid. I thought Tuch wasn’t even the best player at Rookie camp. Branstrom who they took reminds me of Kimmo Timomen and Suzuki has sick hands and a wicked shot. And I didn’t even mention Cody Glass. Plus they might have found some gems in the later rounds.

 

I was at the expansion draft.   Fleury was the centerpiece at that time.   Him and Neal were the only guys anybody was excited about.   

 

The Ducks traded (gave) them Shea Theodore in exchange for the Knights selecting Clayton Stoner instead of Josh Manson or Sami Vatanen.    Stoner ended up on IR with a repeat abdominal injury.    IMO Theodore was and still is a better prospect than Vatanen.     They ended up trading Vatanen anyway.... I still don't understand the thought process there.    They should've made moves before the expansion draft so they could protect both Theodore AND Manson.    Instead they traded Theodore to keep Vatanen who they traded for Henrique.    Why not protect Vatanen instead of Bieksa? 

 

The Blue Jackets gave the Knights a 1st round pick in 2017 (24th overall), and a 2nd round pick in 2019 and in exchange the Knights agreed to select William Karlsson and take on David Clarkson's contract.    I understand the need for CBJ to move Clarkson's contract, but it cost them a 1st, a 2nd, AND a +40 goal scorer.      Why not protect Karlsson instead of Hartnell? 

 

And the FLA protects 4 D and 4 F, instead of 3 D and 7 F.    What!??!?!  They protect Ekblad, Yandle, Pysyk and Petrovic.    And expose a 30 goal scorer make $750k?     Just dumb.   

 

MIN gives the Knights Alex Tuch in exchange for Vegas selecting Eric Haula...  instead of Dumba, Scandella, or Staal.    Minny was in a tough spot, if they didn't want to lose a defensman, they were going to need to give up something significant.     Hard to argue with this strategy.   

[SabresBillsFan]

I was at the expansion draft. Fleury was the centerpiece at that time. Him and Neal were the only guys anybody was excited about.

 

The Ducks traded (gave) them Shea Theodore in exchange for the Knights selecting Clayton Stoner instead of Josh Manson or Sami Vatanen. Stoner ended up on IR with a repeat abdominal injury. IMO Theodore was and still is a better prospect than Vatanen. They ended up trading Vatanen anyway.... I still don't understand the thought process there. They should've made moves before the expansion draft so they could protect both Theodore AND Manson. Instead they traded Theodore to keep Vatanen who they traded for Henrique. Why not protect Vatanen instead of Bieksa?

 

The Blue Jackets gave the Knights a 1st round pick in 2017 (24th overall), and a 2nd round pick in 2019 and in exchange the Knights agreed to select William Karlsson and take on David Clarkson's contract. I understand the need for CBJ to move Clarkson's contract, but it cost them a 1st, a 2nd, AND a +40 goal scorer. Why not protect Karlsson instead of Hartnell?

 

And the FLA protects 4 D and 4 F, instead of 3 D and 7 F. What!??!?! They protect Ekblad, Yandle, Pysyk and Petrovic. And expose a 30 goal scorer make $750k? Just dumb.

 

 

 

MIN gives the Knights Alex Tuch in exchange for Vegas selecting Eric Haula... instead of Dumba, Scandella, or Staal. Minny was in a tough spot, if they didn't want to lose a defensman, they were going to need to give up something significant. Hard to argue with this strategy.

Yep, everything you said is true. Too many teams with really bad strategies and McPhee fleeced some and could have fleeced more in my opinion. Minny could have just let them pick whoever and they would have been fine. Their were some teams who didn’t have much to choose from like Arizona, Carolina, San Jose, Winnipeg, New Jersey, Detroit and even Buffalo. We all knew Botterill was going to do a deal to protect Ullmark. McPhee built this team with character players and these players work hard. Only questionable move right now is the Tatar trade. Edited May 18, 2018 by SabresBillsFan

[SwampD]

If it wasn't Florida and Min, it would have been two other teams. The rules were set up where teams couldn't protect everyone they wanted to. Yes, they took advantage of the situation, but don't pretend that the situation wasn't setup to give them the advantage.

[PASabreFan]

How much did the Vegas shooting days before the season and the response of the team on opening night bind the Knights and the community? Maybe a stretch, but who knows.

[LGR4GM]

I think you are right. I believe the knights retired their first number after the shooting in honor of the victims right?

Edited May 18, 2018 by Skurk Liger

[That Aud Smell]

I don't dismiss out of hand that the mass shooting in Las Vegas could have played a real role in the season they've had.

 

I was there for just one night - a home game night - this spring. And I am saying it: The energy in and around the arena was palpable. I think having a pro sports team to rally around was meaningful to people who live in the area.

[darksabre]

Part of me wants to be like "pffft, yeah, okay, like how 9-11 meant something to all the people using it for their own agendas." But I can't get there.

You know why I think it actually meant something to them? 

Because they don't talk about it non stop. Every post-game interview isn't "well we just wanted to win this one for the shooting victims". 

The team, and the city of Las Vegas, has been remarkably respectful and earnest about the whole thing. They haven't turned "rallying around it" into some kind of spectacle. 

Maybe it's because of how much the personality of Vegas is associated with entertainment. And that the incident happened at an entertainment event. It was kind of a direct shot at the soul of LV. 

[That Aud Smell]

^

 

Good take.