NHL 2017-18 Season

[$iljanus]

The opening to the first game is rather epic. But it is Vegas. It’s like Medieval Times on Ice!

[Jolor]

Based on my reactions to the goals scored tonight, I'm a Caps fan for this series. No idea why. Just am.
VGK look unstoppable, though. Are they ... playing with house money at this point?

[LawBeefaroni]

Based on my reactions to the goals scored tonight, I'm a Caps fan for this series. No idea why. Just am.
VGK look unstoppable, though. Are they ... playing with house money at this point?

The only thing I want to see is Ovechkin taking that Cup.

Crazy fast game tonight. Don't like the outcome but was fun to watch.

[TheMix]

The first period was insane. They definitely slowed down some in the second and third. Though there were still some short stints of crazy fast hockey. It was like being at a tennis match at times. Some of those goals were flawlessly executed.

I do thing the Caps were robbed on that one goal. Even though I can never seem to figure out what constitutes a foul, the announcer seemed pretty clear on it. Without the hit to the back knocking down the Caps player, there probably wouldn't have been the go-ahead goal.

[pr0ner]

Tickets to game 4, acquired!

[tjg_marantz]

Nice!

First ever SCF game with 4 lead changes. Crazy year.

[pr0ner]

I wish I were watching the Calgary Flames in a SCF game, but I'll take getting to watch the local team just fine.

[Jolor]

Tickets to game 4, acquired!

Enjoy!

[The Meal]

I wish I were watching the Calgary Flames in a SCF game, but I'll take getting to watch the local team just fine.

Hope you don't get to see the Cup awarded (though that'd be a pretty awesome ticket).

[pr0ner]

I wish I were watching the Calgary Flames in a SCF game, but I'll take getting to watch the local team just fine.

Hope you don't get to see the Cup awarded (though that'd be a pretty awesome ticket).

The person who's tickets I'm using for that game says he hopes the Cup isn't in the building for that game. While it would be awesome to see the ceremony, I don't think I want to see the Caps get swept.

[LawBeefaroni]

So that intro. I was already rooting for the Caps but I was able to dig deep and find a lot of hated for Vegas. Embarrassingly bad.

[The Meal]

So that into. I was already rooting for the Caps but I was able to dig deep and find a lot of hated for Vegas. Embarrassingly bad.

You'll have to link me to it (eventually, I went searching for it and it' s not yet on the webz) as we had a friend over and I missed the pregame and first period. However, I saw the WCF and earlier SCF intros and they weren't gag-inducing. Basically an outdoor Treasure Island freebie performance done inside TMobile arena before the games -- I enjoy the Vegas kitchiness to go with their hockey games.

[LawBeefaroni]

I'll try to find it. It was an on-ice performance. There was a narration with an on-ice graphic to start out. "The enemy is at the gate" stuff. Some hooded bad guys skated out waving a Capitals flag. A knight came out to fight them off. He beat them but someone cheap shotted him. He managed to fight them off again. Then some Ovechkin looking bad guy came out and beat the knight (another cheap shot?) Then something happened in the castle in the rafters. Some woman shot arrows at the Ovie-baddie or something, he retreated, knight yelled something ("finish him" maybe?) and they fired a trebuchet at him and blew out half the ice and he fell through (on-ice fx).

It was surreal. I mean maybe this is a normal thing for them but I thought they were mostly doing the standard jumbotron thing. This was like Disney on ice if Disney was absolute crap.



Lots of good bounces for Vegas so far. That's playoff hockey but damn, like 4 posts for the Caps?

[The Meal]

Sounds pretty standard. Did they refer to beating the Kings, Sharks, and Jets as winning on the Land, Sea, and Air? If so, that's the same performance as they used for games 1 and 2. Totally cheesy amped to the n-th degree. Perfect for Vegas. Lots of hockey people have been bitching because it pushes back the puck drop that much more (a "6pm game" actually starts at 6:24 instead of 6:17 or whatever). They whine because "that's not hockey," and "we paid for the game, not that crap." But it's a new market, and they're certainly allowed to "Vegas up" their team.

Holy wah, DSP with another SCF goal! This kid...

[Skinypupy]

This is a horrible way for a team with the most 3-1 comeback losses in history to tempt fate and invite a severe karmic beatdown.

The last thing the Washington Capitals need right now is some bad juju. They are just one game away from winning their first Stanley Cup in franchise history, all they have to do is hold down a 3-1 series lead over the Vegas Golden Knights.

Easier said than done, however. Caps fans know the deal: they’ve been subjected to the most blown 3-1 leads in all of professional sports, choking in 1987, 1992, 1995, 2010, and 2015. This victory is far from guaranteed with the series moving back to Vegas, but that didn’t stop Modell’s and Dick’s Sporting Goods around DC from testing the hockey gods with these overconfident flyers:

[The Meal]

LOL clock!!!!

[$iljanus]

Arrrgh, two shots on an empty net missed! Oh my agita! Go Caps!

I almost screamed out “Where the fuck did the time go?”

YEEESSSSSSSS!

[The Meal]

C'mon Red Wings. Sign Barry Trotz!

edit: Most predictable SCF champion ever? Two more happy Russians in Washington DC.

[Isgrimnur]

Congrats to the Capitals.

[LawBeefaroni]

So beautiful.

Also, props to Knights fans, nice booing of Bettman.

[Isgrimnur]

Some things are universal.

[malchior]

[tjg_marantz]

Stay classy Vegas!

Spoiler:

Edited to spoiler tag the boobies - ImLawBoy

[Skinypupy]

C'mon man, at least stick that in a spoiler with a NSFW tag.

[raydude]

I'll try to find it. It was an on-ice performance. There was a narration with an on-ice graphic to start out. "The enemy is at the gate" stuff. Some hooded bad guys skated out waving a Capitals flag. A knight came out to fight them off. He beat them but someone cheap shotted him. He managed to fight them off again. Then some Ovechkin looking bad guy came out and beat the knight (another cheap shot?) Then something happened in the castle in the rafters. Some woman shot arrows at the Ovie-baddie or something, he retreated, knight yelled something ("finish him" maybe?) and they fired a trebuchet at him and blew out half the ice and he fell through (on-ice fx).

It was surreal. I mean maybe this is a normal thing for them but I thought they were mostly doing the standard jumbotron thing. This was like Disney on ice if Disney was absolute crap.

A friend and I saw it on the big screen outside Capital One Arena. We couldn't exactly tell what was going on. I was like "Wait, why did all the dudes fall down?" My friend: "He cast magic missile."

[pr0ner]

Barry Trotz resigned as head coach of the Caps yesterday.

Toxic Mike Hoffman has been traded twice this morning. Wonder if he can go for the hat trick.

[tjg_marantz]

Barry Trotz resigned as head coach of the Caps yesterday.

Toxic Mike Hoffman has been traded twice this morning. Wonder if he can go for the hat trick.

Pierre Dorion's one directive in the trade was to not trade to a division rival...

Hehe.

[pr0ner]

Barry Trotz resigned as head coach of the Caps yesterday.

Toxic Mike Hoffman has been traded twice this morning. Wonder if he can go for the hat trick.

Pierre Dorion's one directive in the trade was to not trade to a division rival...

Hehe.

Well, *technically*, he didn't, but that was a shrewd move by San Jose and a bad one by Ottawa.

[Jolor]

Barry Trotz resigned as head coach of the Caps yesterday.

Toxic Mike Hoffman has been traded twice this morning. Wonder if he can go for the hat trick.

Pierre Dorion's one directive in the trade was to not trade to a division rival...

Hehe.

Well, *technically*, he didn't, but that was a shrewd move by San Jose and a bad one by Ottawa.

Hearing from Dreger that he hasn't heard this is the case, contrary to it being out there. I think Dorion got played, plain and simple.
I'm betting on an offer sheet for Stone; blood in the water and I doubt the Sharks are the only ones circling.

Melnyk selling (to Laliberte?) would be the best solution. Melnyk hiring a President, CEO, Head of Hockey Ops, and infrastructure (scouts, sales, etc.) and getting the heck out of the way would be second best. If he wants to micro-manage a hockey, let him play with a junior team ... preferable the Marlies

As for EK65, I'd assume he has been disappointed by the lack of organizational support for he and his family and has already made plans to either accept a trade or hit UFA next year. God. I could go for pages on what's wrong with this franchise and it all stems from ownership.

[tjg_marantz]

To be clear, yeah I also think Dorion had no clue about the flip. It's just another nail in the Ottawa coffin.