1. #1
    jtoler
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    How Can Hockey Be So Great If...

    An expansion team in its inaugural year can make it to the Western Conference Finals and possibly finals and of course possibly become Stanley Cup Champions. This would never happen in any other sport. Admittedly I dont know much about hockey but does it say something about the lack of skill level needed in order to play this game, that there isnt a wide distance between the best and worst nhl players, what gives?
    Last edited by jtoler; 05-16-18 at 07:15 PM.

  2. #2
    lakerboy
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    That's the good part though. It isn't controlled by 3 teams

  3. #3
    hotcross
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    in all seriousness there are several factors, so I'll attempt giving you 2 -

    1. Expansion draft rules were significantly different this year than ever before in any other sport. In hindsight, many look at the players who were made available to the Golden Knights from the other teams, and it looks like those other teams were trying to see if they could save salary with certain players who they probably shoulda kept. Couple that with the management of the Golden Knights very smartly choosing players to fit into their envisioned system, and in short you have the successful team we are all witnessing.

    2. Star players in hockey make the least amount of difference compared to other sports. Every player only has possession of the puck for "seconds" not minutes in an entire game. If you follow that logic, it's why hockey is perhaps the most "team" sport there is.
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  4. #4
    GzaTheGenius
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    Expansion draft rules for the NHL will be changed in sure if Seattle or another team joins

    Knights had a giant pool of great players to choose from

    I knew they'd be good , didn't think their chemistry would be as good as it is this soon

    Than again Las Vegas seems like a good place to bond quickly haha

  5. #5
    unde0087
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    Quote Originally Posted by lakerboy View Post
    That's the good part though. It isn't controlled by 3 teams
    apparently troler loves when the same two teams play against each other every year and as a fan 99% of most other leagues know before the season starts they have zero chance.

  6. #6
    jtoler
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    k boys, I figured it had to be because of a great expansion draft, still its crazy. thanks hotcross for keying me in on what I suspected about the talent and skill level not being as big a deal in this sport.

  7. #7
    jtoler
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    Quote Originally Posted by unde0087 View Post
    apparently troler loves when the same two teams play against each other every year and as a fan 99% of most other leagues know before the season starts they have zero chance.
    what are you on tar baby, nobody wants to see the same teams over and over I sure dont, which is why we will never see the tar heels make another final 4.

  8. #8
    hotcross
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    keep in mind, each team features 4 staking "lines" usually (also Power Play lines)....so the pairings of the best players typically on the top line, then down it goes to Line #4 with the lower skilled players

    It's been said the Knights have caliber of Line 1,2,2,3 instead of Line 1,2,3,4 due to the quality of players they drafted being a lot of #2 type players....something like that

  9. #9
    keely85
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    I mean they were still getting a decent amount of players that were deemed okay to let go of, and made a shit load of trades prior to AND DURING the draft. They gamed hard, and it amazingly resulted in controlling the draft for the next 3 years. Vegas will be good for a while. While they will prob add 1 more protection player (in a panic that it worked too well) lets not think this was supposed to happen. Even with their team on paper at the start of the season, no one gave them over 60points.

  10. #10
    alling
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    Same guy the build the team trade Filip Forsberg for Martin Erat and Michael Latta. Both of which quickly got booted out of the NHL. Clearly the expansion rules for building the roster need to be changed. Buttman screws up yet again. How does this guys still have a job? Ratings still stink.

  11. #11
    A4K
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    Quote Originally Posted by lakerboy View Post
    That's the good part though. It isn't controlled by 3 teams

  12. #12
    jjgold
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    NHL needs Vegas in finals or epic disaster

    75 Canadians will watch

  13. #13
    jtoler
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    Quote Originally Posted by alling View Post
    Same guy the build the team trade Filip Forsberg for Martin Erat and Michael Latta. Both of which quickly got booted out of the NHL. Clearly the expansion rules for building the roster need to be changed. Buttman screws up yet again. How does this guys still have a job? Ratings still stink.
    They guys that built the team got booted out of the league or the players they traded and what for?
    Last edited by jtoler; 05-17-18 at 10:09 AM.

  14. #14
    LT Profits
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    Vegas now FAVORED to win Stanley Cup!

    (Would change quickly though if Jets steal a game in Vegas)

  15. #15
    shadymcgrady
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    Don't follow the sport at all but from the few games I've been to it seems like a better product than the other pro leagues

    The fans are cult like and die hard. What Vegas is doing this year is remarkable and indicates that the NHL promotes competition that is more pure than say the nba or nfl. The very essence of sports

  16. #16
    lakerboy
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    Quote Originally Posted by LT Profits View Post
    Vegas now FAVORED to win Stanley Cup!

    (Would change quickly though if Jets steal a game in Vegas)
    Yes but Jets series line is not good.

  17. #17
    jtoler
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    Quote Originally Posted by shadymcgrady View Post
    Don't follow the sport at all but from the few games I've been to it seems like a better product than the other pro leagues

    The fans are cult like and die hard. What Vegas is doing this year is remarkable and indicates that the NHL promotes competition that is more pure than say the nba or nfl. The very essence of sports
    If it was "pure" then they wouldnt be in west coast finals, posters say expansion draft was geared in their favor it appears. They probably gave Knights tons of concessions or something, seems they had to.

  18. #18
    ikid2groove415
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    Viva Las Vegas - best game in the world !! REAL MEN PLAY HOCKEY!! Not a game for bitches and pu^^YS

  19. #19
    Harry N. Lloyd
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    I watched the entire Vegas/Winny game last night, never once flipped the channel to Golden State/Houston. Fantastic game.

    Had bet the over 5.5. Won the bet with 2 seconds to go on clock.

    Compelling.

  20. #20
    gdon44
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    Quote Originally Posted by jtoler View Post
    An expansion team in its inaugural year can make it to the Western Conference Finals and possibly finals and of course possibly become Stanley Cup Champions. This would never happen in any other sport. Admittedly I dont know much about hockey but does it say something about the lack of skill level needed in order to play this game, that there isnt a wide distance between the best and worst nhl players, what gives?
    It's not about the level of skill. The skill these guys have is incredible and to diminsh what the world's best players do on a daily basis is ridiculous. I think what your question is asking is the impact of an individual vs the team as a whole. It's called strong-link vs weak-link and there has been plenty of research on it. Strong link games are ones where the best player has a strong influence on results. In contrast, in a weak link game, the team without the worst player usually wins.
    Soccer is a weak link game because it's low scoring and no one player has possession of the ball for very long. Therefore their impact is reduced. Basketball is a stong link game because Curry/Lebron play all but a few minutes and have the ball in their hands for a large % of time.
    Hockey falls in between. In the reg. season it's been shown as a strong link game in that the team with elite talent ends up winning. But in the playoffs I would argue it's the opposite. It's low scoring, and the top players don't touch the puck as often as opposing teams have time to game plan against specific players...time they don't have during the reg. season. This means mistakes and luck play a larger role. You can't control luck but teams with fewer weak players don't make mistakes.
    That's what has happened in Vegas. Gallant is a hell of a coach and right from day one the players have bought in to the team concept and without a big name star they just don't make mistakes and have enough skill to capitalize when the other team makes mistakes.
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  21. #21
    ikid2groove415
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    Only reason why hockey isn’t big is because they got a dumb commissioner - no really big TV NETWORK deal besides NBC

  22. #22
    Rich Boy
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    Thats exactly why NHL is the best sport, what a stupid thread.

  23. #23
    oilcountry99
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    The sport is about TEAM, not Lebron James
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  24. #24
    jjgold
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    NHL players also lead cleaner lives and less drama

    Family guys for the most part and much more educated than NBA players

  25. #25
    MinnesotaFats
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    Vegas has 3 lines full of B and B+ players

    They have no A players but may be the deepest team in NHL

    Teams elected to keep their stars and youth during draft, freeing up a pleathrea of talented but not star players

    Reminds me a lot of those Suns teams in NBA late 90s/ 00s with a bunch of borderline all stars... Marle, Mullen, Anderson, etc

    Of the Raiders early 00s w Rice, Woodson, Gannon....a bunch of vets a little past prime but still players

    Indians MLB of 90s w Baerga, Lofton, Rameriez, Belle, Winfield, Morris, Herscheser, etc.....just a roster of good players, no HOF... Angles too that era...Finley, Langston, Abbott, Edward's, Anderson, etc..

  26. #26
    5918mike
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    That's the beauty of hockey. I am a fan and STH for a WHL team in Everett, WA and our expansion year was similar, went to the league finals in the inaugural season. They beat the eventual memorial cup champs (Kelowna) in the WHL conference finals too.

  27. #27
    ikid2groove415
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    Quote Originally Posted by MinnesotaFats View Post
    Vegas has 3 lines full of B and B+ players

    They have no A players but may be the deepest team in NHL

    Teams elected to keep their stars and youth during draft, freeing up a pleathrea of talented but not star players

    Reminds me a lot of those Suns teams in NBA late 90s/ 00s with a bunch of borderline all stars... Marle, Mullen, Anderson, etc

    Of the Raiders early 00s w Rice, Woodson, Gannon....a bunch of vets a little past prime but still players

    Indians MLB of 90s w Baerga, Lofton, Rameriez, Belle, Winfield, Morris, Herscheser, etc.....just a roster of good players, no HOF... Angles too that era...Finley, Langston, Abbott, Edward's, Anderson, etc..
    Flurry will be a 4x champion

  28. #28
    ikid2groove415
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    Quote Originally Posted by jjgold View Post
    NHL players also lead cleaner lives and less drama

    Family guys for the most part and much more educated than NBA players
    Baldy you know a few hockey players? Don’t act like this guys ain’t COKE UP?

  29. #29
    MinnesotaFats
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    Quote Originally Posted by ikid2groove415 View Post
    Flurry will be a 4x champion
    Perhaps

    But he is past his prime, thou clearly has game left

    No one on knights squad is going to get massive contracts

  30. #30
    thechaoz
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    Quote Originally Posted by hotcross View Post
    in all seriousness there are several factors, so I'll attempt giving you 2 -

    1. Expansion draft rules were significantly different this year than ever before in any other sport. In hindsight, many look at the players who were made available to the Golden Knights from the other teams, and it looks like those other teams were trying to see if they could save salary with certain players who they probably shoulda kept. Couple that with the management of the Golden Knights very smartly choosing players to fit into their envisioned system, and in short you have the successful team we are all witnessing.

    2. Star players in hockey make the least amount of difference compared to other sports. Every player only has possession of the puck for "seconds" not minutes in an entire game. If you follow that logic, it's why hockey is perhaps the most "team" sport there is.
    Let's not forget that they scored a HOF goalie in Fluery. He played insane last night and with most, if not all other goalies currently playing Vegas loses that game.

    If anyone wonders how they got him, Pitt hit the jackpot with a young Murray who is insanely good as well, so they the problem of two outstanding goalies. Vegas scored big time on that

  31. #31
    thechaoz
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    Quote Originally Posted by MinnesotaFats View Post
    Perhaps

    But he is past his prime, thou clearly has game left

    No one on knights squad is going to get massive contracts
    I suggest you watch his saves last night. I actually witnessed the greatest save I've ever seen in all my years. He's still got it.

  32. #32
    jtoler
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    Quote Originally Posted by lakerboy View Post
    That's the good part though. It isn't controlled by 3 teams
    Are you sure?

    Stanley Cup Champions

    2009 Penguins
    2010 Blackhawks
    2011 Bruins
    2012 Kings
    2013 Blackhawks
    2014 Kings
    2015 Blackhawks
    2016 Penguins
    2017 Penguins
    Last edited by jtoler; 05-17-18 at 01:08 PM.
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  33. #33
    ikid2groove415
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    Quote Originally Posted by MinnesotaFats View Post
    Perhaps

    But he is past his prime, thou clearly has game left

    No one on knights squad is going to get massive contracts
    Flurry been a stud all playoff ? that is the biggest problem when you bring up Vegas - oh there a expansion? There games Plays nothing like a expansion team - give them credit for there PLAY instead -

  34. #34
    ikid2groove415
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    I forgot? Did Minnesota make the PLAYOFFS PAL? LOL

  35. #35
    lakerboy
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    Quote Originally Posted by jtoler View Post
    Right, more like 4 teams.

    Stanley Cup Champions

    2009 Penguins
    2010 Blackhawks
    2011 Bruins
    2012 Kings
    2013 Blackhawks
    2014 Kings
    2015 Blackhawks
    2016 Penguins
    2017 Penguins
    Carefully selected I see.

    I remember at the beginning of this season when everyone had jets vs Vegas and tb vs caps in the conference finals. So easy.

    No one had rockets vs warriors and of course no one predicted James would be playing in his 8th straight east finals.

    How many NBA franchises won titles from 2000 - 2010? How many made it out of the West?

    Only one NHL team with most regular season points have won the cup last 9 years. 8 seeds beat 1 regularly

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