Pick 'Em: 2007-08 or 2008-09 Caps?

2008-09 was exciting from the moment they lost 7-4 to Atlanta in a disappointing opener until the time the final horn sounded in game 7 against the Pens. It was the first time in a very long time that I was captivated for every game, all season long.

2007-08 was remarkable (to say the least), and I don’t think that as a fan I’ll ever witness anything as exciting as that push for the playoffs they made (speaking strictly in regular season excitement here…), but in the end it was a season that started off very disappointing and ended without a playoff series victory, so my vote goes to this past season.

Looks like there’s a typo in the 07-08 regular season PK stat…I seem to recall it being a whole lot better than 20.4%!

I voted for ‘08-’09. They were a EC powerhouse pretty much from game 1 to 82, with a dominant intra-conference record. And, while their playoff result didn’t match their seeding, they progressed in the postseason and were oh so close to advancing further. Bottom line, they were a better team from beginning to end.

However, if you take the Rink Wrap scoring scale approach to this question, I’d probably give ‘07-08 an 8, and ’08-’09 a 7, just based on expectations going in.

Early voting has this past year’s squad in a landslide. No love for Matt Cooke, 65-goal scoring Ovechkin, Cristobal Huet or discipline?

2008-2009.

Why?

NIcklas Backstrom.

Just ran it through whatifsports once… the ‘08-’09 team won 3-1 on goals from Ovi (2) and Flash. Ovi scored the long goal for ‘07-’08, and Varly stopped 37 out of 38 shots (Huet was 45 for 48 at the other end).

Damn, does that sound like an entertaining hockey game.

When is the game being played?

Beginning of season – 08-09 wins
Down the stretch – 07-08 plows over a disinterested 08-09 team which takes 5 hooking penalties

I want Oct – Jan of 08-09 and Feb – Apr of 07-08. Also in my dream world, the mad run at the end of the 07-08 season includes the Game 7 victory in round 1 of 08-09.

That said, while frustrating at times, if I had to pick the full season, I’d go with 08-09.

Here’s hoping a little more experience lessens the frustration level of 09-10.

So if this is as easy and obvious an answer as the voting is making it out to be, what does Semin mean when he says, “In my opinion we played better last season?”

I’m gonna be contrary. I picked 2007-2008— I think they definitely had more fire in the belly, especially when they really needed it.
Shields up full.

08-09. Survived the 3-1 deficit and took the eventual champs to seven. Choosing between the two is tough though.

Isn’t it really all about the playoffs though? Regular season accolades are nice but…

This years team didn’t show any fire down the stretch in the regular season and fire definitely wasn’t lacking in 07-08. But both teams had enough heart and grit to make it to a 7th game in the first series. 08-09, with the same players, had fire and desire to finish that series with a win. (granted a weaker opponent in 08-09)

Also, do you think that last years Caps would have had a chance against the Pens in either year? Its still a sour taste for me, but the Pens used two OT Caps’ own goals to move foward, and it still took 7 games.

FWIW, the celebration on the left at the top of the post, when they beat FLA in the last game of the season, was magical. So too was the celebration on the right, when Steckel tipped in the game-winner in Game 6 in Pittsburgh. Push.

08-09 by a nose for me, and only because of the afterburner of a round 1 victory. The 07-08 run reminded me, at the time, of the same feelings I harbored during our cup run in 1998 (without all the expectations).

I’m more worried about if I have to pick the 07-08 and 08-09 Caps over the 09-10 Caps.

So, if you voted for ‘07-08 — if you were to grade this year’s team as a Rink Wrap, they’d get a 5 or less? I’d think you’d have to have expected the exact same thing as last year’s Gabby numbers, right?

Maybe it just makes me sad to think that there was no improvement, and possibly some regression, with this talented of a team. And, if there was that stagnation/regression this year, how can we possibly “expect” a trip to the Finals next season?

-d

It’s easily 08-09. Doesn’t mean they were necessarily more exciting – no question the stretch run last year was. But this year’s teams won boring games with ease – reminiscent of the late 90s Red Wings. Always winning 2-1, 3-2, 4-3. Never dominating, just confident enough that they’d always be one goal better. And there were plenty of boring games down the stretch – this team phoned it in from February on until the 2nd week of the playoffs. And they still finished 2nd in the conference.

I have no hesitation in choosing the 08-09 Caps. I don’t know that the previous year’s team was better in any facet of the game (except that the stud savior goalie played more in the regular season), though I’m sure there are stats out there that show they were. The 08-09 Caps played better in big games and did better in the playoffs (really the only criterion that matters to me in the grand scheme of things), while also showing the endurance to lead the division essentially the entire season. 07-08 was a thrill ride for sure, but the 08-09 Caps were a better team in my mind.

The (calendar year) 2008 Caps might be the best of all of them, though.

I picked 08-09. I think some teams took the 07-08 squad lightly. I don’t think anyone took the 08-09 squad lightly. This year’s team had a tougher path to travel, just because expectations were higher.

It’s funny, I think the 07-08 squad would have had an easier time with the 08-09 Rangers in the playoffs than this year’s squad did. But I think the 08-09 squad would have beaten the 07-08 Flyers — and probably in less than 7 games. A lot of last year’s playoff loss was inexperience.

For what it’s worth, I don’t think the 07-08 team would have been any better against the 08-09 Penguins. I think Huet would have crumpled.