But reality is, winning a cup in 2011 takes far less than it did 10 years ago.
Salary cap = Parity
Sure, the B's are a solid team, but really, they're NOT that much better than us (and the question if Max Pac would have made THE difference is still valid, particularly since we lost in OT, game 7).
Honestly, I don't think we are that far away to winning the cup because I think once you're in the playoffs, anything can happen. A good goalie can bring you very far in the playoffs almost by himself. No team is guaranteed of winning the cup no matter how good it looks on paper. The game is on the ice.
With MaxPac and another player to help our top 6/9, we could be battling for the cup as soon as next season.
But reality is, winning a cup in 2011 takes far less than it did 10 years ago.
Salary cap = Parity
Sure, the B's are a solid team, but really, they're NOT that much better than us (and the question if Max Pac would have made THE difference is still valid, particularly since we lost in OT, game 7).
They're not that much better than us, but, realistically, we match up well against them, I think. With no Markov and Gorges, and then Patches, it was probably a little bit of a miracle that that series went the distance.
Another thing is that the first round is always full of upsets and general craziness. After that, more often than not the teams that make the final kind of 'deserve' to be there (and certainly the team that wins it all does). I think we would've been filtered out by someone along the way. We're not far off but we're missing a piece or two in addition to the injuries we had.
Honestly, I don't think we are that far away to winning the cup because I think once you're in the playoffs, anything can happen.
That is rarely the case. I can't think of a case where an 8th place team has gone on to win the cup. It's usually a top legitimate contender coming out on top.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Stradale
A good goalie can bring you very far in the playoffs almost by himself. No team is guaranteed of winning the cup on paper no matter how good it looks. The game is on the ice.
Most cup winning teams have multi HOF players playing in their prime leading the way. Brodeur had Niedermayer and Stevens for example. The only team that I can think of that won almost entirely on goaltending is Patrick Roy with Montreal. Hasek almost did it with Buffalo too.
If Thomas pulls it off this year, it will be the worst team I can remember winning a cup and it will be due mostly to goaltending. Still, Thomas has Chara (an almost sure thing HOFer) in his prime in front of him too.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Stradale
With MaxPac and another player to help our top 6/9, we could be battling for the cup as soon as next season.
Maybe if that 'other player' is Sidney Crosby.
We'll need a lot more up front that MaxPac to get us there. We have Price and a defense that can score. Unfortunately our forwards aren't nearly good enough and we don't have enough grit to win. We have some key pieces for the future that we can build around and that's something to be happy about, but I don't see us being contenders next season.
But reality is, winning a cup in 2011 takes far less than it did 10 years ago.
Salary cap = Parity
Sure, the B's are a solid team, but really, they're NOT that much better than us (and the question if Max Pac would have made THE difference is still valid, particularly since we lost in OT, game 7).
Super cop-out answer to help make your thread not sound serious as you cater to the majority.
We'll need a lot more up front that MaxPac to get us there. We have Price and a defense that can score. Unfortunately our forwards aren't nearly good enough and we don't have enough grit to win. We have some key pieces for the future that we can build around and that's something to be happy about, but I don't see us being contenders next season.
As our top 9, we still have no chance to win the cup? With a top 9 like that (or close to that), I'm pretty sure we could be battling against any teams for the cup.
There is more parity for sure. And I think that you could make an argument that MaxPac would've been a difference maker against Boston but I think that's as far as you could legitimately take the argument. Just because Boston is in the finals doesn't mean we'd be there instead. And it certainly doesn't mean that we'd beat Vancouver.
On the other hand, it's also hard to say that we wouldn't have gone to the finals (hence, your first two bolds, which to me reads ''a possibility''), and it's easier to say that we would have lost to the supposed best team in the NHL in the finals (hence, your last bold ''certainly''). I agree with these assumptions...
But the difference lies in that I perceive it that there was a potential to have a decent fighting chance in making the finals (I agree, East is weak), and less odds of beating the #1 seeded Canucks.
Nevertheless, if the the Habs would have won the cup this year it would have not been classified as a miracle imo... by virtue of parity in the salary cap era.
As our top 9, we still have no chance to win the cup? With a top 9 like that (or close to that), I'm pretty sure we could be battling against any teams for the cup.
How is that a Stanley Cup winning core of forwards? That would be among the absolute worst group to ever win a cup. We'd have a better chance of missing the playoffs than competing for a championship. And last I heard we haven't signed Jaromir Jagr.
Price would have to stand on his head for us to win. If he's not the 2nd coming of Ken Dryden then this club has no chance.
Quote:
Originally Posted by coolasprICE
On the other hand, it's also hard to say that we wouldn't have gone to the finals (hence, your first two bolds, which to me reads ''a possibility''), and it's easier to say that we would have lost to the supposed best team in the NHL in the finals (hence, your last bold ''certainly''). I agree with these assumptions...
But the difference lies in that I perceive it that there was a potential to have a decent fighting chance in making the finals (I agree, East is weak), and less odds of beating the #1 seeded Canucks.
Nevertheless, if the the Habs would have won the cup this year it would have not been classified as a miracle imo... by virtue of parity in the salary cap era.
It would've been considered a miracle by anyone not on the Habs board. It would've been a complete shock.
Heck, the Bruins have Thomas who had one of the best goaltending seasons of all time as well as this year's probable Norris winner and future HOFer Zedeno Chara and if they win THAT will be considered a huge shock.
Most people would've bet their houses against Montreal winning this year and those people were right.
With Markov, Gorges and Pacioretty all healthy, I can say 100% certain that we would have beaten the Bruins and we could have made a long way into the playoffs. However, if we would have beaten them, we would have met with Washington and yes, we can beat them. Tampa Bay and Philadelphia are the 2 teams we would have problems dealing with.
How is that a Stanley Cup winning core of forwards? That would be among the absolute worst group to ever win a cup. We'd have a better chance of missing the playoffs than competing for a championship. And last I heard we haven't signed Jaromir Jagr.
Where did I say that we signed Jagr?
So you're saying that you already knew who would win the cup or make it to the finals after the trade deadline?
I'm not saying that we are winning the cup for sure with that line up but we could be battling for the cup with that line up. Both of the Stanley Cup finalist were at 1 goal from being eliminated in the first round, everything is possible in the playoffs.
And lol at thinking we would be worst than the Leafs, Trashers(Jets), Islanders, Carolina, Sens, Panthers, Sabres, Rangers etc with that line up above.
A debate on this board a while back centered on whether a team can win the cup without at least one or two franchise or bordeline-HOF talent pieces. And whether we have any.
While maybe not future HOFers, we have potentially two star pieces in Price and Subban (and a healthy Markov, hypothetically). We easily have a mix that can challenge for a cup without having to add any superstar, if we add some ingredients -- some big, nasty pri*k on D, preferably.
We would have beaten Boston for sure IMO. Probably in 5 or 6 games. Patches was a huge difference maker for our offense before he got hurt. Dude was on fire.
We would have played the Caps which, I think we could beat if Price were to play like he did against Boston and Cammy kept up his pace.
Than I'd assume Tampa (they probably could have beaten the Flyers. Imagine that offense against that **** show goaltending... not pretty). I don't know if we could beat Tampa in 7 games, especially if Roloson played well. It probably would go 6-7 games however.
I hear the B's have like 15 million in cap space this summer. They can get Richards and Jagr, or maybe Parise and Jagr or whoever. It will take the Habs 5 years to catch up if they make some smart decisions. They have players making half the money and doig as good a job as out players making double that. We have too many players that are being overplayed.
I hear the B's have like 15 million in cap space this summer. They can get Richards and Jagr, or maybe Parise and Jagr or whoever. It will take the Habs 5 years to catch up if they make some smart decisions. They have players making half the money and doig as good a job as out players making double that. We have too many players that are being overplayed.
They have 52+ mil committed, if the cap goes up to 62-63 they have about 10 mil with Kaberle, Ryder, Recchi as UFA's and Marchand as a RFA. Marchanbd will cost 2.5-3 mil, Recchi and Ryder will need to be signed or replaced(5 mil) and they need a pMD if Kaberle walks. If they go after a big fish up front they will leave their defense weaker.
We could have scorerd 5 on 5 against Phillie, did you see their series against Boston? They have 3 goalies that can't stop a puck.
Who knows if we would have played Philly? We would have faced Wash first and then the winner of TBay and Philly. As far as not stopping the puck, well Philly did end up making the playoffs. Losing Pronger was a big blow to their defense, but we don't know for sure that we would have gotten to the areas that Boston got to in working hard and in being physical with Philly. Those goals were not all slapshots from the red line.
I don't usually buy in to these types of pools and speculation but over a 7 game series, we could have dearly used his size, skill and speed. Given that 3 of the 4 losses were in OT, it's hard to argue that he couldn't have made the difference of one goal in those games.
