Some good points. I would definitely put the Rangers in the 10-20 rankings among teams, nowhere close to the Caps or Pens. The other thing I have a problem with is not rating them properly just because they haven't won. Washington and Pittsburgh can never meet in the final, so the final is overrated.
- james_tanner1

Then maybe adjust your thesis to one of the best "regular season" teams ever? lol

I'm not trying to be a smarta%%, but shouldn't playoff success factor in to the phrase of "one of best teams ever?" Players being able to rise to the occasion speaks to that statement. I'm not trying to create a Caps/Pens comparison debate, it's just the most convenient comparison for me lol.

I don't think the final is overrated. A team making that journey speaks to how good or great they are. Great teams can run into walls(Pens/Beezer), but when it keeps happening every year are they really that great?

Also, I don't think the Rangers are as good as the Caps; they definitely have more question marks going forward, but I think their forward group is built more for playoff hockey than the Caps.

President's trophies linked to greatest teams ever??? Being on top of the league for that long means something?

I guess that means the Canucks from 2010-2012 are in the conversation for greatest team ever? Without the "luck" of winning the cup?

I'd love to hear the poopstorm of debate from this lol

Hawks were better at forward and defense. Caps team is probably deeper on defence but the Hawks have a huge edge in the top 4.

Caps definitely have the edge in net.
- Gramps28

The top 9 forwards on that 2010 Hawks team:

Kane
Toews before he sucked
Brouwer
Byfuglien
Ladd
Versteeg before he sucked
Prime Hossa
Prime Sharp
Prime Bolland

IMO that's the best group of 9 fowards in NHL history, even if they were only together for a short time..

The top 9 forwards on that 2010 Hawks team:

Kane
Toews before he sucked
Brouwer
Byfuglien
Ladd
Versteeg before he sucked
Prime Hossa
Prime Sharp
Prime Bolland

IMO that's the best group of 9 fowards in NHL history, even if they were only together for a short time..
- SimpleJack

John Madden was the 4th line center.

The top 9 forwards on that 2010 Hawks team:

Kane
Toews before he sucked
Brouwer
Byfuglien
Ladd
Versteeg before he sucked
Prime Hossa
Prime Sharp
Prime Bolland

IMO that's the best group of 9 fowards in NHL history, even if they were only together for a short time..
- SimpleJack

You're right, that 2010 1st rd playoff matchup between the Canucks and Chicago was the Stanley Cup Final. A healthy Canucks team runs over over Boston in the cup final (They still did, but Tim Thomas was god).

We have similar tastes in movies, Walk Hard definitely goes on my list. I suggest you re-watch Anchorman 2. I also gave it a bad review upon first watching it 2 years ago. I don't know what it is, but I often expect too much or something from some movies and then I don't like them, but end up loving them on second view.

I don't think any movie has the jokes/per second of Anchorman 2 - it is literally impossible to keep up with them, which is why I think it works better once you aren't concerned with the plot.

Brick's funeral, Brick's friend Leon, Ron Going Blind, the RV scene, Champ's restaurant, "great Tony Danza's scrotum", when he first meets Linda, Dinner with her parents "will one of you pipe hitting bi*tches pass em the mashed potatoes".. ......there's an amazing amount of great jokes. Better than the original, I think.
- james_tanner1

The writing isn't nearly as clever as the original, and they tried way too hard to replicate the same jokes that were in the original without nearly as much creativity and obviously without any originality. They were way funnier the first time around. Most reviews and most critics would agree the movie was poorly written and rather sloppy.

John Madden was the 4th line center.
- Gramps28

Yup, also Eagar, Burish, Bickell, and Kopecky as 4th line winger options. But man the firepower in that top 9 is what really stands out to me. Just not fair.

You're right, that 2010 1st rd playoff matchup between the Canucks and Chicago was the Stanley Cup Final. A healthy Canucks team runs over over Boston in the cup final (They still did, but Tim Thomas was god).
- D-UNIT-

Thought we met in round 2 in 2010...

Thought we met in round 2 in 2010...
- SimpleJack

Sorry correct, it was 2011 we met in the first round haha. Was it 2009 2nd rd as well?

Let me preface this by saying I'm not being biased with Caps-hate lol...

I just don't feel you have GREAT bottom six depth. I think you have GOOD depth, but not playoff GOOD. As much as I hate certain things about Ovechkin, I have a weird love for him and would love to see him hoist a cup(as long as it's not at the expense of beating the Pens lol).

Burakovsky is definitely a solid player. Wilson and Winnik are warriors. Eller and Connoly are good players. On paper this is "great" bottom six depth. I just feel like they don't all come together at the right time and that does speak to chemistry or something.

Who knows, I'm probably slightly off-base here. Maybe it's just all timing, but when I look at the Pens and Rangers I see third and fourth lines that on any other teams would be 2nd and 3rd lines.

So I guess more to the point, your bottom six doesn't lead me to think this Caps team is one of "the best ever," but I think you're currently the best team in the NHL. Your defense in tandem with your goaltending is unmatched.
- Rinosaur

sorry didn't mean that any of those guys are great players nor did I say we were an all time great team. Its just that most teams even good ones have a fourth line that barely plays and contributes. The Beagle Winnik Wilson line is a main reason the Caps best players are all averaging career lows in minutes and the possession numbers for 3rd line are off the charts. Biggest question mark remains mental toughness, Caps have shown for 35 years that when anything bad happens in playoffs they fold

Sorry correct, it was 2011 we met in the first round haha. Was it 2009 2nd rd as well?
- D-UNIT-

Yes I believe it was. Gets hard to keep track of after a while I know.

IMO, Championships define greatness and in an era where every team gets points and only the terrible miss the playoffs, it is hard to define any team as great unless they have the silverware to back it up. Your honestly going to tell me that the Capitals great regular success puts them in the same category as the:

Red Wings of the 90's
Devils of the 90's and early 2000's
NY Islanders of the early 80's
Edmonton Oilers of the late 80's
Canadiens of the late 70's

Those teams define greatness. While the Capitals have become one of better teams in the NHL the past few seasons, not being able to even play in the Conference Championship puts a damper on the word "great" being thrown around.

"As to the standings, the Coyotes now have 66 points and lead the Blue Jackests by two."


No they aren't, that 75/76 Canadiens team was the best ever, followed by the 84 Oilers and then the 81-82-83 Islanders.

Hawks were better at forward and defense. Caps team is probably deeper on defence but the Hawks have a huge edge in the top 4.

Caps definitely have the edge in net.
- Gramps28

for some reason tanner still refuses to give credit to the blackhawks achievements it seems.

for sure there's luck involved in getting through the marathon that the playoffs are.
but when you do it 3 times in a relatively short span, (and lose in game 7 of the conference final against the leagues other best team in one of those miss years) it becomes about far more than just luck. not even sure the term can still be used in that instance.

yeah the first cup team was insanely deep, but that core of kane, toews, hossa, keith, seabrook is just flat out better than any core group the caps have put on the ice. in subsequent seasons too. and maybe even this year!

while i agree the caps and the pens are the leagues two best teams right now, discounting chicago out of the west after everything theyve accomplished by saying the eastern final is the be all end all is foolhardy.

i don't think there will be anyone too shocked other than tanner if the hawks got another ring this year


on an aside- not ready to count out a healthy bolts team just yet either

"As to the standings, the Coyotes now have 66 points and lead the Blue Jackests by two."


No they aren't, that 75/76 Canadiens team was the best ever, followed by the 84 Oilers and then the 80-83 Islanders.
- LeftCoaster

Hard to disagree with this.

But the again it's classic Tanner - jumping to wild conclusions using incomplete stats and small sample sizes....

Like I said, winning a Cup requires so much luck.
- james_tanner1

Winning 16 playoff games may require some luck but "one of the greatest teams ever" should be able to at win at least 8

Wedding crashers was great, but I'm glad to see some fans of Old School and Superbad, two of my all time favorites. I've also always been partial to Van Wilder too.

for some reason tanner still refuses to give credit to the blackhawks achievements it seems.

for sure there's luck involved in getting through the marathon that the playoffs are.
but when you do it 3 times in a relatively short span, (and lose in game 7 of the conference final against the leagues other best team in one of those miss years) it becomes about far more than just luck. not even sure the term can still be used in that instance.

yeah the first cup team was insanely deep, but that core of kane, toews, hossa, keith, seabrook is just flat out better than any core group the caps have put on the ice. in subsequent seasons too. and maybe even this year!

while i agree the caps and the pens are the leagues two best teams right now, discounting chicago out of the west after everything theyve accomplished by saying the eastern final is the be all end all is foolhardy.

i think there wont be anyone shocked other than tanner if the hawks got another ring this year


on an aside- not ready to count out a healthy bolts team just yet either
- HB77

Doesn't the struggles of the Lightning make the accomplishments of the Hawks' core even more impressive?

Also, even if you subscribe to Tanner's theory of luck, good teams take advantage of it. Bad team can't.

No Until they actually win something NO NO NO NO

No Until they actually win something NO NO NO NO
- holeinone

dude. takes luck to win something. apparently.

for some reason tanner still refuses to give credit to the blackhawks achievements it seems.

for sure there's luck involved in getting through the marathon that the playoffs are.
but when you do it 3 times in a relatively short span, (and lose in game 7 of the conference final against the leagues other best team in one of those miss years) it becomes about far more than just luck. not even sure the term can still be used in that instance.

- HB77

This is very true. If it takes a huge amount of luck to even win the cup once, then how is it possible for a team to win 3 different times in half a decade? By being unbelievably good.
I do believe there is a measure of luck involved in winning the cup, but this only emphasizes what a great team Chicago had in order to overcome any variables such as luck to win repeatedly within a short time span.

Stick to the yotes.

This is very true. If it takes a huge amount of luck to even win the cup once, then how is it possible for a team to win 3 different times in half a decade? By being unbelievably good.
I do believe there is a measure of luck involved in winning the cup, but this only emphasizes what a great team Chicago had in order to overcome any variables such as luck to win repeatedly within a short time span.
- Thecakeisalie

This

Agreed the Caps are the best team right now (with Pittsburgh)... That being said they 1) will almost definitely run into them in the 1st or 2nd round... We ll see if they win.. Pittsburgh is a Juggernaut with a healthy Letang, vulnerable WITHOUT HIM 2) They need to win a cup (at least make it deep into the playoffs...

In addition the Pens bottom 6 is better...
HBK
Kunitz Cullen-Wilson
Fehr a spare part...
this is scary good!!!!

Agreed the Caps are the best team right now (with Pittsburgh)... That being said they 1) will almost definitely run into them in the 1st or 2nd round... We ll see if they win.. Pittsburgh is a Juggernaut with a healthy Letang, vulnerable WITHOUT HIM 2) They need to win a cup (at least make it deep into the playoffs...

In addition the Pens bottom 6 is better...
HBK
Kunitz Cullen-Wilson
Fehr a spare part...
this is scary good!!!!
- Brianandr1

bottom 6 is better but as 4 head to heads have shown, the gap has closed considerably