Stanley Cup Final - Golden Knights (P1) vs Capitals (M1)

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Zach

Would love to see Vegas win just to see every hockey forum have a melt down. Also because they are fun to watch and Ovie is a ****

Since when did the CP swear filter start blocking the word "boss"?

[Oling_Roachinen]

Not that Kuznetsov or Ovechkin would be terrible Conn Smythe picks if Washington won, but I wonder how poorly Fleury would have to play before he loses out. The last time a goalie had a 0.947 save percentage or better in the playoffs (minimum 8 games) was 1969.

Right now, win or lose, Fleury has to be a huge favourite. Outside of completely dropping the ball in the finals, how do you vote against him?

Then again, Ovechkin has the starpower name recognition that Conn Smythe trophy voters love lately.

Giguere won it in a losing effort with 0.945.

[Mattman]

Originally Posted by Weitz

I'm curious if Bettman will get Boo'd if the cup is awarded in Vegas.

If they win it in Washington, absolutely, probably the worst in recent years.

If it's a Vegas win at home then you can bet they will have a Bettman chant going

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Originally Posted by Oling_Roachinen

Not that Kuznetsov or Ovechkin would be terrible Conn Smythe picks if Washington won, but I wonder how poorly Fleury would have to play before he loses out.

I really, really want to know the Conn Smythe odds. The Caps are +105 to win the series. Putting up $1000, betting 488 on the Caps to win the series and 512 on Fleury to win the Conn Smythe might amount to a free roll. Last time that happened was the 2012 final with Lundqvist vs the Kings, though in that series the Kings were the favourite.

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by Oling_Roachinen

Not that Kuznetsov or Ovechkin would be terrible Conn Smythe picks if Washington won, but I wonder how poorly Fleury would have to play before he loses out. The last time a goalie had a 0.947 save percentage or better in the playoffs (minimum 8 games) was 1969.

Right now, win or lose, Fleury has to be a huge favourite. Outside of completely dropping the ball in the finals, how do you vote against him?

Then again, Ovechkin has the starpower name recognition that Conn Smythe trophy voters love lately.

Giguere won it in a losing effort with 0.945.

Say the Capitals win in 5 or 6 and Holtby gets two shutouts in the 4 wins that would give him 4 shutouts in the final 6/7 playoff games....would that not push him ahead of Fleury?

Still lots that can happen in the finals before we give it to Fleury or Ovy.

[Senator Clay Davis]

^^Well this was before last night. Can't imagine Fleury's odds have changed

https://twitter.com/user/status/999343906159505408

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

^^Well this was before last night. Can't imagine Fleury's odds have changed

They certainly will have changed, they'll have gone up. There are fewer players available to win the trophy and therefore fewer available to bet on. That is useful, though, because if Fleury's odds are only like +130, then it's not really as good, you're only winning $177.60 on a $1000 bet (+150 was a $280 return).

Still, a free roll is a free roll, if you happen to have a hundred grand kicking around and want to put it up for a more or less guaranteed $17k return in less than a week.

[zamler]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

If this happens Don Cherry might have a stroke.

The good news is we won't be able to tell the difference.

[Weitz]

Originally Posted by Oling_Roachinen

Not that Kuznetsov or Ovechkin would be terrible Conn Smythe picks if Washington won, but I wonder how poorly Fleury would have to play before he loses out. The last time a goalie had a 0.947 save percentage or better in the playoffs (minimum 8 games) was 1969.

Right now, win or lose, Fleury has to be a huge favourite. Outside of completely dropping the ball in the finals, how do you vote against him?

Then again, Ovechkin has the starpower name recognition that Conn Smythe trophy voters love lately.

Giguere won it in a losing effort with 0.945.

I think only a losing team player will win if there are no good Winning team guys to pick from. In 2003 there wasn't really anyone on NJ that really stood out.

There are a few guys on Washington that stand out: Kuznetsov, Ovechkin, and Holtby.

At least thats my opinion. I don't think a losing player should win it at all personally. Undermines the winning team.

[CroFlames]

I don't think its a good idea to award the Conn Smythe to a losing player. I realize the Conn Smythe represents the playoff MVP for the entire playoff and not just the Cup Final, but it just felt dumb when Giguere won it and I think he agreed.



If Vegas wins, MAF.
If Caps win, Ovechkin, unless Kuznetsov really does something special to outpace him.

[Vinny01]

Slight rooting interest for Vegas but would be happy to see the Caps get the win. Just hoping for good entertaining hockey.

[Robbob]

I still think Fleury wins the Conn Smythe. His numbers are almost identical to what Gigurere had in 2003 when he won it on the losing side in the trap era. It is for the whole playoffs, so even with an average finals, IMO he still gets the Conn Smythe.

[Oil Stain]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

Say the Capitals win in 5 or 6 and Holtby gets two shutouts in the 4 wins that would give him 4 shutouts in the final 6/7 playoff games....would that not push him ahead of Fleury?

Still lots that can happen in the finals before we give it to Fleury or Ovy.

I think that the series basically has to go to 7 games for the losing goalie to win the Smythe.

I think if the Caps win in 5 he doesn't have much shot at it.

[Bownesian]

I was just in the Vegas area and went on the Hoover Dam tour. There was a school trip there (50 kids maybe, all grade 6 or so), and there were maybe 40 Knights jerseys/shirts/caps in that one tour group.


I'm hoping for the Caps though, but either is fine.

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by Weitz

I think only a losing team player will win if there are no good Winning team guys to pick from. In 2003 there wasn't really anyone on NJ that really stood out.

There are a few guys on Washington that stand out: Kuznetsov, Ovechkin, and Holtby.

At least thats my opinion. I don't think a losing player should win it at all personally. Undermines the winning team.

Good point. The scoring leader of the playoffs that year only had 18 points whereas Ovi already has 22 and Kuznetsov has 24. They have both been beasts. Also agree with Oil Stain that the series must go 7 games for the losing goalie to have a shot at the Conn Smythe.

[Flacker]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

They certainly will have changed, they'll have gone up. There are fewer players available to win the trophy and therefore fewer available to bet on. That is useful, though, because if Fleury's odds are only like +130, then it's not really as good, you're only winning $177.60 on a $1000 bet (+150 was a $280 return).

Still, a free roll is a free roll, if you happen to have a hundred grand kicking around and want to put it up for a more or less guaranteed $17k return in less than a week.

Um, that's not right. +150 is a $1500 win on a $1000 bet, at +130 it is a $1300 win.

$1000 bet at +150 = $2500 payout
$1000 bet at +130 = $2300 payout

[OmegaV4]

I've never been so torn in my life:

Do I want the Cinderella story to have a happy ending?

Or do I pull for the Great 8 to finally get one?

[c.t.ner]

I love the caps this year, but it's hard to get a read on how they'll match-up against Knights. Right now they're playing a very similar style to Vegas, although probably a bit heavier than Vegas has been. So the series should be a good one.

I don't think either team is going to sweep it in 4 or 5 games. It'll go to at least 6 games.

Both teams seem to be teams of destiny this year. The Knights for obvious reasons, but the Capitals have over come pretty much all of their previous nemeses in these playoffs - John Tortorella with Columbus, Crosby and the Pens, A goalie on a ridiculous hot streak via Vasilevskiy and finally most of the key players from those Rangers team that made up the Lightning team. So it's kinda fitting to win they have to defeat MAF and win against GM George McPhee.

[CSharp]

Vegas in 5 if not a sweep.

[Gaudfather]

Vegas is faster, Washington is meaner - speed kills in the end. So Vegas for the SC.

Bettman btw, is looking like a genius for betting on Las Vegas as a good expansion franchise.