NHL 2024/2025

Boston beat the Lightning more convincing in game one of last series, and Tampa bounced back with four wins on the trot.

The Jets might be playing well but they didn't even win their division so to declare them the clear best team in the league is a stretch.
Boston didn't dominate tampa in that game the way the caps did, and the jets just beat the president trophy winners and were quite clearly, if marginally, the better team

And they smashed vegas in game 1. You can't afford the slightest mistake against them and they're so good at forcing mistakes
 
The Jets lose back to back games and also trail for the first time in this years play offs. Amazing achievement by Scheifele though to set a new record for road goals in the play offs, and he should get at least another two road games to add to that.
 
Aaaand here we go with the caps :lol:

Series should be 3-1. Instead it's 2-2 because they're the caps and so of course vasilevski got hot at the right time and now they will lose in 6 :lol:
 
Aaaand here we go with the caps :lol:

Series should be 3-1. Instead it's 2-2 because they're the caps and so of course vasilevski got hot at the right time and now they will lose in 6 :lol:

Tampa definitely rode their luck and stole that game. Vasilevski is the best young GK I have ever seen. When I first saw him I had the same feeling I had for DDG, this guy is going to be very special.

The Caps seemed in shock in the after game interviews. The Lightning really have played like shit this series but maybe last night will give them momentum. They peaked very early in the season and are struggling to find top form.
 
Aaaand with my infinite power of jinx, i cursed the jets(best team in the NHL), lightning(my pre-playoff favourites) and the caps(because after watching them slay the pen-dragon and jump to a deserved 2-0 lead against the bolts i thought it might be their year)

And yet i still expect the Knights to drop. I mean Fleury has fall to fall back to earth at some point, right? He's been standing on his head all playoffs. He's the reason the knights are 3-1 up instead of being swept. Jets have been clearly better in all games bar game 2 which was pretty even...
 
I just want a Tampa vs Vegas Final. Being a Tampa resident for 17 years they are my home team. Have plenty of friends down there so I will go to some of the games. I also have a good friend who is a cameraman for the Knights games in Vegas. I don't need much of a reason to make a trip to Vegas so a Stanley Cup game is good enough.
 
I don’t know how many people even open this thread, but if you’re here right now, please make sure that you do everything you can to watch game 5 between Vegas and Winnipeg on Sunday night. It should be on around 9pm UK time. It’ll be one of the best sporting events you’ll see this year, Vegas currently have a 3-1 lead in the series and can go to the Stanley cup final with a win in Winnipeg, whos fans create one of the best atmospheres of any sport. Vegas will come to intimidate and play hard, this game is going to be everything that makes hockey special.

Watch it.
 
Won't be the first time an expansion team made the Finals but that other time was in a bloated expansion year, 1967-68, that saw all six expansion teams placed in one division that ultimately lead to the Blues making the Finals in their inaugural season - and getting swept by Montreal.

Was a ridiculous decision to put all six expansion teams in one division with a straight path to the Finals. The Blues made it three straight seasons to start their NHL history, and haven't returned since.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1967–68_NHL_season
 
I don’t know how many people even open this thread, but if you’re here right now, please make sure that you do everything you can to watch game 5 between Vegas and Winnipeg on Sunday night. It should be on around 9pm UK time. It’ll be one of the best sporting events you’ll see this year, Vegas currently have a 3-1 lead in the series and can go to the Stanley cup final with a win in Winnipeg, whos fans create one of the best atmospheres of any sport. Vegas will come to intimidate and play hard, this game is going to be everything that makes hockey special.

Watch it.


Ditto to that !

I have been watching SC hockey every night for weeks now and its highly entertaining. There is nothing quite like Stanley Cup Hockey.
 
Ditto to that !

I have been watching SC hockey every night for weeks now and its highly entertaining. There is nothing quite like Stanley Cup Hockey.

Yep the playoffs this year have been a different level though. So much fun to watch.
 
Tampa were kind of lucky to win again last night. For a game with so much on the line I am shocked there was only one penalty all game. I think they need to end it in DC next game because the Caps are pretty solid in the road.
 
Last couple of games haven't been the best of the playoffs so far.

Vegas looked very fit and fresh today and the Jets looked jaded. Apparently the Knights train all the players pretty hard and have done all season.
 
The Vegas Golden Knights are in the Stanley Cup final!:eek: In their inaugural season!!

Absolute madness lolllll

But going for them all the way. People that say “well they don’t deserve to and it shouldn’t be this easy other franchises deserve it first” blah blah blah. Vegas picked the crappy leftovers from every team. They got Gallant who is the key to it all and picked their players according to the system he plays. The odds of this being the result for them as an expansion team was 1 in 100. They hit the lucky 1 and everything fell in place.

...another huge thing is the location. If the team is not in Vegas and elsewhere no way they’re as good. They probably have the only actual home advantage in the league other than Winnipeg who they just bested. Fans make a big difference, look at soccer and football but hockey fans too civilized to realize that. There is such a thing as home advantage but fans are way too quiet in most arenas but not in Vegas. It’s a party in there and there’s a reason they’re as good as they are at home. I witnessed it first hand probably the only time in Vancouver during the Sedins last home game. Got the team to a pull a victory out of their ass the place was so loud and rocking all game. I’ve went to Seahawks games and comeback having ringing ears for the next couple days. You think Seattle or BVB or Liverpool would have the same winning percentages @ home if they had the average hockey fans in the seats? Nope. And it’s an intangible you can’t measure for Vegas. Absolutely fecking scenes.
 
I think the Caps will take game seven and meet the Knights in the final. The Lightning are just not playing well and the Caps are solid on the road.

The Knights are in the best physical shape of the teams left and having the extra days rest will help them a lot. I fancy them to complete the fairy tale and win the cup.
 
Have no serious rooting interest amongst the three teams remaining, but wouldn’t mind seeing Ovie lift the cup. But also seeing Vegas do the unthinkable would be quite the story as well. I’m indifferent to TB, and they’ve already won it before.
 
Ovie goal a minute in.

1-0 Caps after the first 20.

...trip to the SCF on the line :nervous:
 
3-0, 1 period to go



Ovie vs Fleury showdown continues...who would’ve thought :p
 
Lightning can't buy a goal last two games. Amazing how you can be so free scoring 3/4 of the season and then can't find the net.

Neither of these teams will beat Vegas. They have the momentum and much more energy right now.
 
Well feck, it’ll be the lesser of two evils now, would rather the Caps win it just to see Ovechkin lift the Cup.
 
Holtby has been amazing this years play offs. Vegas Caps finals is the most unexpected match up. I hope and think Vegas will win, in it's first season!
 
Just booked a 3 day trip to Vegas that includes game 5, so really hope they don’t do it in 4!

This is the best final for the neutral hockey fan because really you can’t be upset with the outcome. Ovi gets a deserved cup, or Vegas pull off one of the most unexpected triumphs in sporting history.
 
Vegas's emphasis on fitness and conditioning from day one might just pay off. The caps were not all that convincing against a very tired looking Lightning struggling for form. Can't see them winning more than a game or two against the Knights.
 
Caps to lose the stanley cup finals against an expansion team built by GMGM, with Fleury in goal putting together one of the greatest playoff runs in history

It is kind of written in the stars
 
It better be written in the stars to have at least a game 5!
 
Amazing game 1! Please let it be 3-1 Vegas before game 5!