Has an 8 seed ever eliminated the defending champ?

[evolver115]

For my part, I'm a little less forgiving of the Penguins' plan in this series. I don't think they've done enough to get Halak off his game. They've gotten some net presence, but it hasn't been consistent enough, and they haven't really wreaked havoc with that presence. They need to bump him, just a little bit, every few shifts. Just drift slowly backward into him. He'll start thinking.

I also don't think they've put together a full 60-minute game, especially defensively. Montreal's a fast team, and they're using it well, but the Penguins need to recognize that and slow them down. And not turn the puck over in the neutral zone or at the blue lines. There's been too much of that in this series for the Penguins, and it's led to goals almost every time.

As far as the Capitals taking more punishment, I think it's simply shock factor. Had the Penguins won this series handily, it would have been viewed as either a flukey upset or the Capitals choking. But because the Canadiens won that series before playing the Penguins, fans are a little more conditioned to the Canadiens maybe actually being legitimate contenders.

Plus Halak has continued to play god-like hockey.

It's a fair assessment. I don't necessarily agree with it, just for the sheer fact that there is only so much you can do to get a goalie off of his game.

IMO, I've seen the Pens increase their net-front traffic by quite a bit since game 2. I just think the Canadiens are doing what they need to by clearing the pens out of the slot and the blue paint, and they are doing it by any means necessary.

As far as the turnovers go... it comes hand in hand with the style of offense the Pens play. Their gameplan is to skate in the offensive zone as much as possible, and wear out the defense. When you are playing your game in the opponent's end as much as they are, you are bound to have odd-man rushes going the other way. Kinda like if you play with fire, you're bound to get burned at some point. The Habs have converted those opportunities more often than not.

 

[Darkstone42]

It's a fair assessment. I don't necessarily agree with it, just for the sheer fact that there is only so much you can do to get a goalie off of his game.

IMO, I've seen the Pens increase their net-front traffic by quite a bit since game 2. I just think the Canadiens are doing what they need to by clearing the pens out of the slot and the blue paint, and they are doing it by any means necessary.

As far as the turnovers go... it comes hand in hand with the style of offense the Pens play. Their gameplan is to skate in the offensive zone as much as possible, and wear out the defense. When you are playing your game in the opponent's end as much as they are, you are bound to have odd-man rushes going the other way. Kinda like if you play with fire, you're bound to get burned at some point. The Habs have converted those opportunities more often than not.

I'm talking about trying to get it into the attacking zone and turning it over. Players trying to do too much. Just get it deep and start crushing bodies. That'll free up the front of the net eventually, too, because the defense will be so worn down. The third and fourth lines have been good about doing that, but the top two lines haven't been.

 

[evolver115]

I'm talking about trying to get it into the attacking zone and turning it over. Players trying to do too much. Just get it deep and start crushing bodies. That'll free up the front of the net eventually, too, because the defense will be so worn down. The third and fourth lines have been good about doing that, but the top two lines haven't been.

What I've noticed more than anything else are quality scoring chances that are there, but either the pass is just late, the player over skates, the shooter shanks or completely wiffs on the shot, or the hacking and beating the Pens are taking in front of the net winds up with them on their backs.

I give the Canadiens credit, they are playing great defense in front of Halak. They are trying to make sure he can see the shots coming in. Even with the Pens increasing their traffic, they're still giving him a fighting chance of seeing the shots come in. And when he does, he doesn't miss. He's like a black hole.

 

[ROOLZ]

I'm not going to, but the way you phrased the thread title and talking about "payback" in your OP, you should understand why some people see you the way they do. Just food for thought.

You mean how i didn't sugar coat anything? Or how i was up front and honest about it? I was pissed off after coming in here the night the Caps lost the series, to see the biggest upsets in the last 20 years thread.

I took crap for taking offense in that thread as well.

I mean ANY Caps fan should have taken offense. i'm a die hard Caps fan. I naturally took offense.

 

[KindaChang]

Lowest seed to knock off the defending champs I can think of were the 7th seeded Mighty Ducks in 2003.


On a side note: anyone notice how Giguere is just run of the mill now that the size of pads has been reduced?

 

[elocomotive]

You mean how i didn't sugar coat anything? Or how i was up front and honest about it? I was pissed off after coming in here the night the Caps lost the series, to see the biggest upsets in the last 20 years thread.

I took crap for taking offense in that thread as well.

I mean ANY Caps fan should have taken offense. i'm a die hard Caps fan. I naturally took offense.

Hey man, I'm just trying to give you some helpful advice. I never even saw that thread. No one is saying you can't say anything bad about the Pens, or vice versa. This board is about trying to push the needle toward the discussion end of the spectrum, rather than the troll end. Just trying to show you why some of the Pens fans and even some of your own sometimes get annoyed by your posts. If you don't want to listen, that's your business.

 

[Darkstone42]

You mean how i didn't sugar coat anything? Or how i was up front and honest about it? I was pissed off after coming in here the night the Caps lost the series, to see the biggest upsets in the last 20 years thread.

I took crap for taking offense in that thread as well.

I mean ANY Caps fan should have taken offense. i'm a die hard Caps fan. I naturally took offense.

Simply put, your rhetoric is poor. What you say isn't bad, it's how you say it. You just need to use better judgment in your word choice. There's a difference between being direct and not sugar coating things (that's how I write) and being defensive, antagonizing, or overly emotional. Be careful of how you walk that line.

 

[HonusWagner66]

Nope. #8 has never beaten a defending Cup Champ. A #8 seeded Pens club beat the Devils in 1999, a team that would win the Cup the following season. That's as close as it gets me thinks.

 

[quoipourquoi]

On a side note: anyone notice how Giguere is just run of the mill now that the size of pads has been reduced?

Actually, he had a mental collapse following his father's death. As recently as 2008, he has placed #3 in SPCT. He won a Stanley Cup the year prior. After coming to Toronto, he posted a .916 SPCT, indicating that a change in scenery was a needed step towards recovery.

I'm a little late in posting this, but I couldn't let the obvious go unchallenged. Giguere is in no way a product of his pads; his butterfly positioning is the best in league history. He's just fucked up in the head.

 

[Gooch1034]

I am the one who made the "Biggest Upsets in the Last 20 years" thread and ROOLZ and I already talked it out. I honestly didnt make the thread to piss anyone off. Just that the Caps losing the series made me curious about things. I missed a lot of hockey before and after the strike and asking questions like that thread help me fill in some of the blanks I have. Same reason someone asked if an 8 seed has ever knocked off the defending champs before this year. Pens getting KOed made them wonder.

I think as we all get to know each other more, we will be able to see what personalities we all have here. ROOLZ isnt hiding the fact that he hates the Pens. No problem with that. Hes not trying to piss anyone off, but its perfectly normal for people to defend their team. Hell, its sports.......you gotta get some charged discussion sometimes as long as its tactful.