NHL season 2017/2018 - Page 111

MonctonRad · #**2201** Posted **May 19, 2018, 2:43 PM**

The "best" team doesn't always win the Stanley Cup.

Heart, passion, discipline, belief and good coaching can make the difference. I think the Golden Knights have this in spades.

FWIW, I think Gerard Gallant (a good PEIslander from Summerside) is probably the best coach in hockey. He instilled discipline and belief in his players and made them buy into his coaching system.

Gallant is coach of the year, no question.......

Mrs Sauga · #**2202** Posted **May 19, 2018, 3:17 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by logan5

No we are not living in the same world as you.

I will agree with a previous poster who said that this looks bad for the league if Vegas wins the Stanley Cup. Even making it to the final looks kind of strange. This is something gimmicky that should happen in a fledgling new league, not in an established league like the NHL.

Put me in the "not really rooting for the Jets" camp. Would like to see Ovechkin win the cup.

Peace out.

I agree it looks gimmicky and even bush league. It's why I'm cheering for anyone BUT Vegas.

I want Washington to win too but if they squeak by Tampa they will get swept easily by Vegas. So I root Tampa by default.

TownGuy · #**2203** Posted **May 19, 2018, 3:33 PM**

It happens every year in the NHL though, this years team happens to be an expansion team. There's always that scrappy team playing above their heads, they are a cohesive winning machine right now, it's all about the mindset and confidence. Last year it was the Sens who were a goal away from the Cup Final and who knows what happens next. This year they were awful, next year I expect Vegas to be awful, it's hard to sustain this level of play for consecutive seasons when you lack top-end talent.

JHikka · #**2204** Posted **May 19, 2018, 3:34 PM**

Vegas winning isn't bush league, though. Franchise leagues are based around parity and Vegas is providing ultimate parity. It's why things like the draft and salary cap exist.

The most reminiscent run similar to the Vegas run in 2018 that I can think of is the 2003 Ducks run. That luck ran out in the SCF. The thing with Vegas is that everything is so high-risk, high-reward. They can sweep series or get swept in the same breath. Fleury is riding an unsustainably high save%.

GlassCity · #**2205** Posted **May 19, 2018, 4:41 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acajack

Given the 25-year Stanley Cup drought for Canada, it's not abnormal for a lot of Canadians to be pulling for any Canadian team that might have a shot at ending that.

While I agree that it's also totally normal for some Canadians to cheer for US-based teams for a variety of reasons, the fact that so many people can't even understand your point (and my first one) might indicate that some people could be a bit confused as to which country they're living in.

And like I get it if you don't divide the NHL into Canadian and American cities and just look at 31 teams overall, just I'm definitely not there myself.

Also, for as long as I can remember the social norm once the Canucks were eliminated from the playoffs was that everyone coalesced around the remaining Canadian teams, so it just seems like the natural thing to do for me. It is weird to see what you perceive as natural be contested.

And while I still can't shake the feeling that it's just contrarianism, the tone of people cheering against the Jets reminds me of people that say they don't watch the CFL; like they're proud of it.

I really don't mean to prescribe sports attachment onto anyone, I'm just interested in the differences I'm seeing.

WhipperSnapper · #**2206** Posted **May 20, 2018, 12:29 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by GlassCity

See I guess why this is such a weird mindset for me to understand is that I feel closer to Canadian cities - and by extension, their people - than I do to American ones. Yeah one of the most satisfying parts of the season is when the Canucks beat the Leafs, but this year and last I cheered for the Leafs all the way, because I'd rather have people from Toronto be happy than people from Boston or Washington. It's not about which team has more Canadian players or whatever, it's what place would I rather see experience the joy of playoff success? This schadenfreude towards fellow Canadians is just off to me.

I don't think it's weird for Canadians to have closer ties to American cities considering our country stretches across a large continent with how many time zones?

Firebrand · #**2207** Posted **May 20, 2018, 1:03 AM**

The Caps aren’t looking so good.

Acajack · #**2208** Posted **May 20, 2018, 1:22 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper

I don't think it's weird for Canadians to have closer ties to American cities considering our country stretches across a large continent with how many time zones?

Like Vegas???? How many Canadians even know someone from Vegas?

Metro-One · #**2209** Posted **May 20, 2018, 1:52 AM**

I want the Jets to win obviously, but after that it is Vegas, simply because people laid down 5 digit bets with insane 500/1 odds for Vegas winning the cup.

Firebrand · #**2210** Posted **May 20, 2018, 2:07 AM**

Judging by how things are looking so far, there will be the Knights vs Bolts SCF.

GlassCity · #**2211** Posted **May 20, 2018, 2:43 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper

I don't think it's weird for Canadians to have closer ties to American cities considering our country stretches across a large continent with how many time zones?

I will always feel psychologically closer to people in Saskatoon and Halifax (two places I've never been) than people in Seattle and Portland (two places I've been countless times). I still just think we have more in common. Voting for the same parties, a lot of shared context, even maybe more similar values. I don't know, I guess that border is just more salient to me than it is to others. I may have been to Seattle many times, but it's still foreign. There are no such cities in Canada for me.

Acajack · #**2212** Posted **May 20, 2018, 2:48 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by GlassCity

I will always feel psychologically closer to people in Saskatoon and Halifax (two places I've never been) than people in Seattle and Portland (two places I've been countless times). I still just think we have more in common. Voting for the same parties, a lot of shared context, even maybe more similar values. I don't know, I guess that border is just more salient to me than it is to others. I may have been to Seattle many times, but it's still foreign. There are no such cities in Canada for me.

I've tended to feel this way too int the past, though I've dialled down my buy-in quite a bit simply because I've noticed most people aren't really along for the ride.

That doesn't mean I am into Ogdensburg NY more than Vancouver... but let's just say I am more prudent and don't make assumptions as easily as before.

GlassCity · #**2213** Posted **May 20, 2018, 3:12 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acajack

I've tended to feel this way too int the past, though I've dialled down my buy-in quite a bit simply because I've noticed most people aren't really along for the ride.

That doesn't mean I am into Ogdensburg NY more than Vancouver... but let's just say I am more prudent and don't make assumptions as easily as before.

Well I don't really care if others agree with me or not, but yeah, I do tend to keep it to myself in real life.

suburbanite · #**2214** Posted **May 20, 2018, 1:53 PM**

Winnipeg leads in most statistical categories except for the most important one. Fleury is stopping 93% of shots compared to Hellebuyk's 89%. If Vegas ends up winning it could elevate Fleury's legacy to the next level.

WhipperSnapper · #**2215** Posted **May 20, 2018, 2:14 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by GlassCity

I will always feel psychologically closer to people in Saskatoon and Halifax (two places I've never been) than people in Seattle and Portland (two places I've been countless times). I still just think we have more in common. Voting for the same parties, a lot of shared context, even maybe more similar values. I don't know, I guess that border is just more salient to me than it is to others. I may have been to Seattle many times, but it's still foreign. There are no such cities in Canada for me.

I've never been to Victoria. I've been to Vancouver only for a few short visits. I'm in New York City all the time. It feels like home. I have more in common with New Yorkers than my impression of Vancouverites or the Western cities I do spend a lot of time in.

In sports terms, my patriotism is there for our national teams but, it ends once you get down to local, community based teams. The city (team) left I feel closest to isn't Vegas. I don't buy Canadian just for the sake of buying Canadian.

Metro-One · #**2216** Posted **May 20, 2018, 2:33 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by GlassCity

I will always feel psychologically closer to people in Saskatoon and Halifax (two places I've never been) than people in Seattle and Portland (two places I've been countless times). I still just think we have more in common. Voting for the same parties, a lot of shared context, even maybe more similar values. I don't know, I guess that border is just more salient to me than it is to others. I may have been to Seattle many times, but it's still foreign. There are no such cities in Canada for me.

I agree with you for what it is worth, and living overseas has solidified this feeling. I feel that my values and shared history are generally far more similar to a Canadian from any province than an American from Seattle and Portland. That is not to say that there are not some shared PNW similarities we enjoy (in all honesty though most of those just end up being maritime culture similarities that someone from coastal BC can share with someone from the Maritimes Provinces equally as well) but there is a true Canadian identity that isn’t so obvious until you actually live outside of Canada.

It gets to the point where there are companies here that actually prefer to hire Aussies, Canadians, and Brits over Americans (or the opposite) so unless everyone is just imagining things there are some real tangible differences.

Acajack · #**2217** Posted **May 20, 2018, 2:53 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper

I've never been to Victoria. I've been to Vancouver only for a few short visits. I'm in New York City all the time. It feels like home. I have more in common with New Yorkers than my impression of Vancouverites or the Western cities I do spend a lot of time in.

In sports terms, my patriotism is there for our national teams but, it ends once you get down to local, community based teams. The city (team) left I feel closest to isn't Vegas. I don't buy Canadian just for the sake of buying Canadian.

I can definitely see a Parisian saying he has more in common with a Londoner than with French "provincials".

But as with most such things much of this is probably more fanciful than it is based in reality.

Acajack · #**2218** Posted **May 20, 2018, 2:57 PM**

Was having breakfast with my wife and the NHL playoffs came up.

Starting with her.

- So do we still have a team in there?
- Yeah the Winnipeg Jets. But maybe not for long.
- Oh, who are they playing?
- Las Vegas.
- Vegas? Since when do they have a team?
- It's new as of this year.
- And they're this far in the playoffs?
- Yup.
- Who's their coach? Who owns the team?

(Not that the she would know the names if I told them to her.)

MonctonRad · #**2219** Posted **May 20, 2018, 3:18 PM**

I guess my prediction of a "Battle of the W's" for the Stanley Cup is going out the window........

GlassCity · #**2220** Posted **May 20, 2018, 7:35 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper

I've never been to Victoria. I've been to Vancouver only for a few short visits. I'm in New York City all the time. It feels like home. I have more in common with New Yorkers than my impression of Vancouverites or the Western cities I do spend a lot of time in.

In sports terms, my patriotism is there for our national teams but, it ends once you get down to local, community based teams. The city (team) left I feel closest to isn't Vegas. I don't buy Canadian just for the sake of buying Canadian.

I don't know, anywhere where people vote in separate elections, use different money, where I need to cross a border, where I need to get a visa to stay an extended amount of time, etc. can't feel closer to home than somewhere without these differences. No matter how many times I go there. Familiarity is not the same as belonging.