1. Not much set-up needed here (and as for lineup updates, per reports, Karl Alzner is in, Brooks Orpik is a gametime decision (Taylor Chorney would go if he can’t) and Conor Sheary is in for Pittsburgh)…
#Caps Gameday! Preview Game One against Pittsburgh. Puck drop at 8 pm. #CapsPens #RockTheRed https://t.co/UiVdz38aPC pic.twitter.com/4Q080qHx76
— #RockTheRed (@washcaps) April 28, 2016
#WASvsPIT game day is finally here. We preview the @penguins Round 2 clash with the #Caps https://t.co/bVZWALCPTB pic.twitter.com/utEXCxG5rO
— Penguins PR (@PensPRLady) April 28, 2016
CAN’T WAIT FOR TONIGHT! #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/JLZFzID34b
— NHL on NBC (@NHLonNBCSports) April 28, 2016
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2. Braden Holtby is a Vezina finalist and, let’s face it… a mortal lock for the award.
2016 #Vezina finalists, answering the question of “Which two goalies will lose to Braden Holtby?” https://t.co/MBL1AvvWfW
— NHL on NBC (@NHLonNBCSports) April 27, 2016
I’d be willing to guarantee, 100%, that Braden Holtby wins the Vezina Trophy.
— Mike Kelly (@MikeKellyNHL) April 28, 2016
Given that Quick is a finalist (Holtby has better numbers across-the-board and it shows how much GMs value wins), Holtby’s a Vezina lock.
— Japers’ Rink (@JapersRink) April 27, 2016
But in a shocking turn of events, not everyone is happy:
Ya’ll know that Corey Crawford got robbed of a Vezina nomination, right? https://t.co/mq6CxrbCc8 via @YahooSports #Blackhawks #NHL
— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) April 27, 2016
#Blackhawks Corey Crawford’s Vezina snub exposes flaws in goaltender evaluation https://t.co/ZUTEz1sALf
— Second City Hockey (@2ndCityHockey) April 28, 2016
Bishop, Holtby and Quick are the Vezina finalists this year. Luongo snubbed.
— James Mirtle (@mirtle) April 27, 2016
3 deserving candidates: Lundqvist, Crawford, Mason. If you want to toss in Holtby because #wins, that’s on you. I’d go Fleury instead.
— Voodoo Non-Believer (@NMercad) April 27, 2016
As I wrote earlier (https://t.co/3t6rGO75oX)… I would’ve had Crawford, Lundqvist & Mason as the 3 Vezina finalists pic.twitter.com/4SylcCRxtA
— HockeyStatMiner (@HockeyStatMiner) April 27, 2016
Everyone is saying we need to reevaluate how we see goaltenders. Here’s this. @CapsOutsider #Vezina @JapersRink https://t.co/zCshtDVsmx
— Brandon Alter (@brandon__alter) April 28, 2016
For what it’s worth, we tend to agree with Wysh here (and anyone who thinks Jonathan Quick doesn’t belong). More importantly, let’s hope Holtby doesn’t have a Game 1 performance that resembles the one co-finalist Ben Bishop had last night.
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3. Interestingly, oddsmakers have the Caps and Pens as co-favorites to win the Cup:
(Updated) #NHL: Odds to win Stanley Cup
Pens 15/4
Caps 15/4
Blues 19/4
Stars 5/1
Sharks 25/4
Isles 17/2
Preds 17/2
Bolts 12/1— Yahoo Sports NHL (@YahooSportsNHL) April 28, 2016
Other models are less favorable, but it’s clear that whichever of these teams emerges when the dust settles on this one will be well-positioned to do the thing… just as it has happened the other two times these teams have met in the second round, first in 1991…
And then again in 2009:
(via Wiki)