James Tanner: Line-Up Changes and Stupid Narratives: Game 2 Is On.

Lets go Pens!

Tanner, you're an idiot. Luck, game of inches... that's hockey, baby! It evens out. Hot goalie excuse? Don't you recognize that goalies are an integral part of a team? So far, Holtby hasn't come through in the playoffs. That goes to the bottom line of which is the better team, the one with the goalie who doesn't come through, vs the one with the goalie who does.

According to you, the Caps have been the best team in the NHL for the past two years??!! Too bad they don't award the Stanley Cup based upon Corsi percentages, moron.

According to you, the Caps have been the best team in the NHL for the past two years??!! Too bad they don't award the Stanley Cup based upon Corsi percentages, moron.
- BMWChiFan

Uh, what about just total games won? Who's the moron now?

Caps dont have luxury of moral victories anymore. Fair or Not Caps are failures if they dont win cup. At this stage, ALL teams can win, but only one team wins. Luck, bounces etc. Play a part in every game/series. The narrative of The "Caps should have won" means poop!!!!! Win on the scoreboard or deal with the naysayers and stop making excuses. Win or go home you big baby .

Hares another narrative is caps lose.......Obi can't beat Crosby...internationally or in NHL

Uh, what about just total games won? Who's the moron now?
- james_tanner1

All luck.

All luck.
- jmatchett383

Champion.ships are ALL that matter! Everything else is participation trophy, which I'm sure u are in favor of.

I'm a ranger fan and I enjoy how they make playoffs all the time of late, but it means crap to me if they dont win the cup!!!

Big difference between winning no-pressure regular season games against frequently mediocre opponents, as opposed to high pressure Cup games where an opponent can match-up and hone in on your weaknesses over the course of a series. Prime example: the Blackhawks getting totally dominated by the Preds in Round 1.

You need to go back to covering the Yotes, where regular season games are the only ones the team plays. And yes, you are the moron.

"The Capitals are the best team in the NHL. Have been for over two years." Yes Tanner, when people look back they will say Washington was a dynasty the last decade. The teams like Chicago and Pitts with their multiple cups and long playoff drives will long be forgotten.

At the end of the day, you are your own worst enemy. You talk about luck, luck, luck and that Washington consistently is better. Well my friend, doesn't winning when it counts year after year after year rule out luck. Isn't that the opposite of luck. You stick to your one game stats and whine all you want.

The bottom line is that when 1 team consistently wins big games, it is not good luck. When 1 team consistently losses big games it is not bad luck. You only use the scope of a time frame when it is to your advantage. Pens have been better than Washington for the better part of any time period you want to use in a LONG time. So has Chicago and perhaps many others.

Good day sir

Big difference between winning no-pressure regular season games against frequently mediocre opponents, as opposed to high pressure Cup games where an opponent can match-up and hone in on your weaknesses over the course of a series. Prime example: the Blackhawks getting totally dominated by the Preds in Round 1.

You need to go back to covering the Yotes, where regular season games are the only ones the team plays. And yes, you are the moron.
- BMWChiFan

You didnt know? Tanner is smartest man alive! He knows ALL. ...hockey, politics, real estate, finance and of course.............if you disagree with him, you are a dumb, stupid moron

"The Capitals are the best team in the NHL. Have been for over two years." Yes Tanner, when people look back they will say Washington was a dynasty the last decade. The teams like Chicago and Pitts with their multiple cups and long playoff drives will long be forgotten.

At the end of the day, you are your own worst enemy. You talk about luck, luck, luck and that Washington consistently is better. Well my friend, doesn't winning when it counts year after year after year rule out luck. Isn't that the opposite of luck. You stick to your one game stats and whine all you want.

The bottom line is that when 1 team consistently wins big games, it is not good luck. When 1 team consistently losses big games it is not bad luck. You only use the scope of a time frame when it is to your advantage. Pens have been better than Washington for the better part of any time period you want to use in a LONG time. So has Chicago and perhaps many others.

Good day sir
- Putty649

Dynasty!!!? Gotta win a few cups in consecutive years to be called a dynasty. Lol. Good team yes . until they win something, not to mention get past 2nd round, thats all they are...a good team. Just like the Rangers have been for past few years

That was sarcasm..... thought it was obvious

That was sarcasm..... thought it was obvious
- Putty649

Thank goodness..lol. Missed that. I am dumb, Tanner always says so.

"The Capitals are the best team in the NHL. Have been for over two years. Winning the Stanley Cup takes an incredible amount of luck and the "best" team hardly ever wins"

~Those that believe "luck" is some imaginary mystic gift that happens to only some people and not others are lost in their own delusion. Luck comes from determination and an opportunity presents itself from that determination. James, once again Im not sure which reality you live in.....oh right a "would have or could have" reality, not actual reality, not actually what happens reality. It must be tough being a Capital fan writing about would have or could have scenarios.

James Tanner vowed that Washington would win in five games so good luck winning four straight boys. Does anyone hear a choking sound? Oh that's just the Capitals.

@Putty649 said "At the end of the day, you are your own worst enemy"

You nailed it about James....he says he all these narratives are "dumb" but he buys into the narratives if he brings them up, kind of a paradox he is....James really is his own worst enemy! :-)

Champion.ships are ALL that matter! Everything else is participation trophy, which I'm sure u are in favor of.

I'm a ranger fan and I enjoy how they make playoffs all the time of late, but it means crap to me if they dont win the cup!!!
- rrentz

Are you new here?

James Tanner vowed that Washington would win in five games so good luck winning four straight boys. Does anyone hear a choking sound? Oh that's just the Capitals.
- MaDdMuNk87

He looked into his crystal ball and saw that the Caps would be "luckier" in games 2-5.

Man, if only the Avalanche were a little luckier, they would have won the Presidents' Trophy.

Also, I love that the goalie is not considered part of the team.

Another dumb blog by the #1 writer around

Having done nothing differently, they could be up 1-0 vs the Penguins

The only thing they needed to do was differently was to score two more goals in game one but other than that, theyre still 0-1.

Uh, what about just total games won? Who's the moron now?
- james_tanner1

The best team is the team that wins the cup not the regular season champs. If that were the case the caps would be referred to as the defending champs not the pens. Remember the patriots that went undefeated all the way to the super bowl and lost to the giants? Pats were the best team too, this blog was filled with excuses to begin with and then it became the dumbest thing I can remember reading. Caps most wins best team lol by all measures except the biggest one

I only got to watch the 3rd of last game but from what I saw in the 3rd, Caps out played the Pens almost the whole period. If they play like that the entire game, eventually pucks will go in. I'm still saying Caps in 7

I only got to watch the 3rd of last game but from what I saw in the 3rd, Caps out played the Pens almost the whole period. If they play like that the entire game, eventually pucks will go in. I'm still saying Caps in 7
- Maverick1818

They had more chances and I thought outplayed pens but they didn't win. I hope they win the series

I still don't understand this "luck" component...

Pens dominated the first half and Caps the second half. Given, the Caps second half was better than the Pens first half. The Pens shut the game down because of Fleury.

Last I checked, Fleury plays for the Pens, so a Pens player helped them to win. Holtby came up short. Where was the "luck" exactly? DId the Pens get a fluky goal? No. Did they get a favorable call that should not have been called that led to a goal? No.

There was no luck. All that happened wss the team that played better later in the game lost because a player on the other team came up bigger.

No luck, homes.