Capitals 2023-24

[varoadking]

19 seasons of arguably the first or second greatest goal scorer in NHL history, and just one Stanley Cup.

And no points this year in the playoffs.

How is it arguable that he is either the first or second greatest goal scorer in NHL history?  Mike Bossy had perhaps the most consistently great 10 year run...but it was a only ten year run.

The NHL has had a salary cap in place for as long as Ovi has been on the ice.  The days of the multiple back-to-back-to-back-to-back Cup winners like the Islanders and Habs are long gone...not to mention those teams had multiple HOF players.

There have been 12 different Cup winning teams in the 18 Cup Finals since the 2005-2006 season...only 4 teams have won more than one accounting for 8 Cups, and 2 of those have won back-to-back, one in the 2020 Covid-19 year.

In the time Ovi has been playing, at least 3 of those winners have manipulated the LTIR provisions in order to stack their teams.  The Caps were not one of them.

You and Royce have been spoiled with your Vegas franchise being handed a stacked deck at expansion and winning a Cup in their first 6 seasons.

Ovi is 38...his best years are behind him.  To be disappointed in not winning more than one Cup with him other than in 2017-2018 seems a bit silly...because it was real and it was spectacular...and it's really freakin' hard to win one in 19 years...and there's not going to be another one before he retires...

[imref]

So you don't think it's disappointing that the Caps only won one cup during the Ovi era (so far).

OK.

[Natsinpwc]

If he would hurry up and break the record they could trade him to another team so he can win another Cup! 

I think one Cup is fine. No other Finals or even. Conference finals is disappointing considering how good the team was.  Such is life. It’s very similar to the Nats run.

[imref]

If he would hurry up and break the record they could trade him to another team so he can win another Cup! 

I think one Cup is fine. No other Finals or even. Conference finals is disappointing considering how good the team was.  Such is life. It’s very similar to the Nats run.

Well, I guess we can't be disappointed with anything related to the Nats, pre or post-2019, since we won a WS.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

If he would hurry up and break the record they could trade him to another team so he can win another Cup! 

I think one Cup is fine. No other Finals or even. Conference finals is disappointing considering how good the team was.  Such is life. It’s very similar to the Nats run.

I can't honestly say as a Bergeron / Krejci / Marchand fan that I'm all that more satisfied with the 2 Cup final losses they had on top of the 1 win. The Stanley Cup is a big crapshoot with hot goalies and injuries. Frankly, folks should be happier about their Presidents trophies than they are. That's a lot more than a hot goalie and rewards skills like Ovi over time. 50+ goals shows skills.

[varoadking]

So you don't think it's disappointing that the Caps only won one cup during the Ovi era (so far).

OK.

Hell no...takes more than one player...just ask Royce...

You can't pin this on Ovi...

[varoadking]

Well, I guess we can't be disappointed with anything related to the Nats, pre or post-2019, since we won a WS.

And haven't won a playoff series before or after...THAT's disappointing...

[imref]

And haven't won a playoff series before or after...THAT's disappointing...

Winning in the playoffs is hard, or so i'm told.

[varoadking]

20 of 32 teams haven't won a Stanley Cup in the Ovi era and the Caps aren't one of them...and we should be disappointed... 

Sounds like all the folks that said Ovi wasn't great because he hadn't won A Cup...

[varoadking]

Winning in the playoffs is hard, or so i'm told.

Gotta get there first...

[JCA-CrystalCity]

20 of 32 teams haven't won a Stanley Cup in the Ovi era and the Caps aren't one of them...and we should be disappointed... 

Sounds like all the folks that said Ovi wasn't great because he hadn't won A Cup...

do you think the President's Trophy is undervalued? I think we are a bit too playoff-obsessed in the US and Canada when judging the quality of teams, especially in hockey. Best record out of 32 teams over an 82 game season is hard and a good test for quality. You can have complete dogs do well in the playoffs, like last year's Panthers.

[varoadking]

do you think the President's Trophy is undervalued? I think we are a bit too playoff-obsessed in the US and Canada when judging the quality of teams, especially in hockey. Best record out of 32 teams over an 82 game season is hard and a good test for quality. You can have complete dogs do well in the playoffs, like last year's Panthers.

I don't...the regular season is just a seeding process...underdogs just find ways to win in the playoffs...

The 2012-2018 Nats are a good example of choking dogs...be it in regular or postseason...

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

I'm pretty okay with this season...I view the final results as being over a denominator that is based on expectations.  The Leafs on the other hand...

[Natsinpwc]

I'm pretty okay with this season...I view the final results as being over a denominator that is based on expectations.  The Leafs on the other hand...

If you had any expectation for the Leafs in the playoffs,,,They are like the gift that keeps giving. 

[Natsinpwc]

[varoadking]

Oshbabe uncertain if he will return in 24-25 due to nagging back issues.

Also, suffered a broken hand on Rempe hit in Game 3...

[imref]

Oshbabe uncertain if he will return in 24-25 due to nagging back issues.

Also, suffered a broken hand on Rempe hit in Game 3...

i saw he was the last one off the ice at the end of game 4 and seemed to take some extra time to soak it in.

[Smithian]

19 seasons of arguably the first or second greatest goal scorer in NHL history, and just one Stanley Cup.

And no points this year in the playoffs.

I really can't complain about only one Stanley Cup.

But, like the Nationals, I can be angry at how it fell apart. While it wasn't Nationals bad, not making it out of the first round again is embarrassing.

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

We upper-deckered at Chez Gritty (and Pinguin) on the very last day of the season which has to count for something 

[Natsinpwc]

We upper-deckered at Chez Gritty (and Pinguin) on the very last day of the season which has to count for something 

They actually eliminated Detroit and Pittsburgh. Flyers were already eliminated when Detroit did not lose in regulation. 

[KnorrForYourMoney]

Hell no...takes more than one player...just ask Royce...

You can't pin this on Ovi...

Exactly.  Ten years of Trotz and we're probably dealing with a fuller cabinet of trophies.

Instead, most of Ovi's best years were wasted on flash-in-the-pan types like Bruce (who has proven time and again that he's good for like 1-2 exceptional regular seasons and not much else), Oates, and Reirden.

I really can't complain about only one Stanley Cup.

But, like the Nationals, I can be angry at how it fell apart. While it wasn't Nationals bad, not making it out of the first round again is embarrassing.

And again, it comes down to Trotz.

Or really, it comes down to spray-tan Ted being a nitwit and thinking that letting go of Trotz was the play after that Cup run.  Then he goes off to Long Island and makes fools of the Caps' front office.

In my mind, this is the most frustrating "what if" in recent DC sports history - much more so than anything related to the Nats' downfall, which was much more of a death by firing squad (too many problems from too many angles, all at once).