Miracle On Ice v.2 (Stanley Cup)
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Not a big ice hockey fan, but this Las Vegas Golden Knights cinderalla story is pretty incredible.
They are a first-year expansion team.
They are comprised wholly of players that other teams in the NHL did not want.
They opened the season at odds of 150/1 to win the Cup. (It probably should have been closer to 1000/1.)
Just minutes ago they eliminated the Jets winning their series 4 games to 1.
And they’re in the Stanley Cup final.
Jesuschrist, what must Maple Leaf fans be thinking??!!
It’s hard to think of a reasonable comparison, like maybe the Sunwolves winning a Super Rugby title in their first year, but nope, this is bigger.
I might actually watch this one...
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Awesome! We have a few Candians at work who are massive fans of Ice Hockey. I didn't know of this story until your post.
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I'm gutted since I'm a Winnipeg Jets fan and thought after making it past Nashville that my team would be on their way to the Stanley Cup finals. Winnipeg actually outplayed Vegas in games three and four however the Vegas goalie (Fleury) was a brickwall with save after save.
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The final could be against the Tampa Bay Lightning. You don't think of LV and Tampa as hockey cities.
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The Eastern Conference Finals between Washington and Tampa Bay is going to a Game 7.
The NHL will be hoping that Washington wins - they have a huge star in Ovechkin and have been a playoff team for the last decade or so with no luck - constantly being overshadowed by their rival Pittsburgh Penguins. While Tampa Bay also have a big star in Stamkos, Tampa Bay itself is quite a small market and not a traditional hockey area. Washington by comparison, in the North East, would bring in more viewers for the Stanley Cup.
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What the NHL really wants is to have a Canadian team in the finals. No luck again.
A Caps-Golden Knights final would be good as there would be a first-time winner.
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What do hockey fans actually think of teams in places that never see snow or ice? I just find that a little bit shit. But I guess it's nothing new in hockey. Been happening for decades.
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@rancid-schnitzel said in Miracle On Ice v.2 (Stanley Cup):
What do hockey fans actually think of teams in places that never see snow or ice? I just find that a little bit shit. But I guess it's nothing new in hockey. Been happening for decades.
Ignorant question but does Vancouver get snow? I'm assuming they ahve always had a hockey team
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@hooroo said in Miracle On Ice v.2 (Stanley Cup):
@rancid-schnitzel said in Miracle On Ice v.2 (Stanley Cup):
What do hockey fans actually think of teams in places that never see snow or ice? I just find that a little bit shit. But I guess it's nothing new in hockey. Been happening for decades.
Ignorant question but does Vancouver get snow? I'm assuming they ahve always had a hockey team
I believe it's relatively mild for Canada but they do get snow and ice. They hosted an Olympics so there must be some access to winter sports.
Another question I have is whether there any top hockey players who grew up and leant the game in warmer climates?
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@rancid-schnitzel said in Miracle On Ice v.2 (Stanley Cup):
@hooroo said in Miracle On Ice v.2 (Stanley Cup):
@rancid-schnitzel said in Miracle On Ice v.2 (Stanley Cup):
What do hockey fans actually think of teams in places that never see snow or ice? I just find that a little bit shit. But I guess it's nothing new in hockey. Been happening for decades.
Ignorant question but does Vancouver get snow? I'm assuming they ahve always had a hockey team
I believe it's relatively mild for Canada but they do get snow and ice. They hosted an Olympics so there must be some access to winter sports.
Another question I have is whether there any top hockey players who grew up and leant the game in warmer climates?
Ha ha!! Of course they did. I plumb forgot.
Good point. Not many I imagine.
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@rancid-schnitzel said in [Miracle On Ice v.2 (Stanley Cup)]
Another question I have is whether there any top hockey players who grew up and leant the game in warmer climates?
Ironically the Toronto Maple Leafs young superstar Auston Matthews grew up and learnt the game in Phoenix, Arizona.
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I wonder what interest there will be in these exhibition matches? No current NHL players in the squads but there will be a novelty factor for the Kiwis.
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@kiwimurph said in Miracle On Ice v.2 (Stanley Cup):
@rancid-schnitzel said in [Miracle On Ice v.2 (Stanley Cup)]
Another question I have is whether there any top hockey players who grew up and leant the game in warmer climates?
Ironically the Toronto Maple Leafs young superstar Auston Matthews grew up and learnt the game in Phoenix, Arizona.
Wow. That is pretty incredible! It's not like he had Canadian parent or parents that even knew anything about hockey.
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@kiwimurph Since Gretzky came to LA there is a growing movement of Hockey in the US. There are alot of good US bred NHL players. Some of the best teams are in the pacific conference with the San Jose Sharks, Anaheim Ducks, LA Kings and now Vegas. Here is an impressive list of US players presently:
Active American NHL Players ‑ All-Time Stats
All-time active American NHL players scoring leaders | NHL statistics for all active American players.
And that list does not include Matthews, Ichel and others who are younger.
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@rancid-schnitzel Here are the young ones:
Active American NHL Players ‑ 2017-2018 Stats
Active American NHL players during the 2017-2018 season | NHL statistics for all active American players during the 2017-2018 regular season.
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Ovechkin is going to his first Stanley Cup final.
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The NHL couldn't be more happier - the expansion team from Vegas doing the unthinkable in it's first year of existence Vs the game's most accomplished player yet to win a Cup.
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@sneakdefreak This year's NHL playoffs are the most watched playoffs in the US in 21 years.
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Vegas Golden Knights vs Washington Capitals series started today
Vegas Golden Knights win an action packed Game 1 on home ice by a scoreline of 6-4.
It was tied 2-2 at the end of the first period and 3-3 at the end of the second period.
I think it was a record for the number of lead changes in a Stanley Cup Final game (4).
Wildly entertaining game.
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From what I have heard Las Vegas plan was to get the fastest players available. You can’t teach speed. These fast nobodies suddenly had other speed playing on their lines, not plonkers, and they’ve gelled. I’ve seen enough hockey to know team speed kills. A great goalie doesn’t hurt. It’s making the rest of the league look like fools. I love it.
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@salacious-crumb said in Miracle On Ice v.2 (Stanley Cup):
From what I have heard Las Vegas plan was to get the fastest players available. You can’t teach speed. These fast nobodies suddenly had other speed playing on their lines, not plonkers, and they’ve gelled. I’ve seen enough hockey to know team speed kills. A great goalie doesn’t hurt. It’s making the rest of the league look like fools. I love it.
There was nothing terribly revolutionary about how they picked at the expansion draft when you are picking from a teams 6-9th best skaters speed is going to be one of the only skills in surplus.
Looking back at past cup winners since 1994 there hasn't been a team that will ultimately have at least 2 skaters in the very exclusive Hall of Fame - the Knights almost certainly have none that will even be in consideration. The prevailing thought has been you really need a world class 1C or 1D it all the way, although this by-committee with a all-time goalie has produced a couple of cinderella runs that end in elimination.
Hockey is tinny though, Edmonton were the bookie favourites to win heading into the season and finished 2nd last. Colorado had possibly the worst NHL season in history last year, and made the playoffs this year. Don't think it would surprise anyone if Vegas finished mid-table or lower next year.
Personally want to see Ovi win, there already is a "yeah, but..." with him given all his contemporaries have a cup.
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I only watched final period of Game Two, which was very exciting, but Caps held off Vegas for a 3-2 win to level the series, which now moves to Washington. I’d love to see this go the full seven games.
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Ovechkin was much better in Game 2. Much more involved. Yeah great series so far. Be interesting to see what the energy is like in Washington this weekend - their first Stanley Cup home game in 20 years.
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@kiwimurph OV does more than he is given credit for. He is a goal scorer but he has good instincts in knowing when to distribute the puck. Even though he has scored one goal I think he has been solid and he is getting up there in age. Great games so far though.
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Ovie is a fearless badass. He seems to get as much enjoyment from laying out an opponent into the boards as he does scoring goals.
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That's Game 3 in the books.
Pretty dominant performance by the Capitals to take Game 3.
Still a long way to go but the longer this series goes the more the Capitals look the better team.
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The Ovi, Kuzy, Wilson line is so damn good. Caps up 3-0 after the first period of game 4 with goals from Oshie, Whip and DSP.
C A P S. Caps Caps Caps. DC is going mad, huge watch parties for the last few weeks. Either outside the arena during games, or 15K in the arena during away games. Its been awesome for a win starved city
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The watch party outside the Capital One Arena. Fans with no tickets, there for the party!
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Caps win 6-2 and Ovi is closer to finally shutting up all his critics.
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That’s an impressive crowd.
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Should the Caps finish it off next game, it will be pretty amazing to see Ovechkin skating around with the Cup over his head. But Game 5 is in Vegas... he might want to save the skate for Game 6 back at home. The Stanley Cup is the coolest trophy in world sports.
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Great game. Great for OV cause of the usual BS stigma that comes with not winning a cup, or Super Bowl or whatever.
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Oh frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!
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I don’t think any hockey fan begrudges the Caps, and think most probably are happy for them. They’ve been a snakebitten franchise for so long, it’s good to see a team win their first, and good to see Ovechkin will get his name engraved in the Cup. He deserves it, and can tick that box and shut all the haters up, once and for all.
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NHL must be happy the season ended in Vegas. It’s the first time Gary Bettman hasn’t been booed out of the arena while presenting the Cup in a quarter-century.
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Season is a real grind. Not counting pre-season exhibition games, the Caps played 106 regular season + playoff games before holding the Cup over their heads. That is gruelling.
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@salacious-crumb said in Miracle On Ice v.2 (Stanley Cup):
I don’t think any hockey fan begrudges the Caps, and think most probably are happy for them. They’ve been a snakebitten franchise for so long, it’s good to see a team win their first, and good to see Ovechkin will get his name engraved in the Cup. He deserves it, and can tick that box and shut all the haters up, once and for all.
And they had to get past their nemesis the Pens to get to the finals. A win-win for the Caps faithful.
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@salacious-crumb I think the emotion expressed in that photo of OV shows the intensity of what he is experiencing. Great pic.
