2017 ECSF New York Rangers vs. Ottawa Senators

[GMRwings1983 8,794]

15 hours ago, chaps80 said:

Yeah Lundqvist's best option is a  trade to a top contender, either offseason or deadline deal. Deadline seems more realistic though. Pull a Bourque. No Cup with Boston in his long career there. Traded to the Avs, got his Cup and retired. Probly be hard for him to leave NY, but you gotta do what you gotta do. He should honestly have a Cup or two by now, but the team in front of him didn't want it as bad I guess. I remember how pissed he was losing that 2015 Conference Final to Tampa in 7 games smashing his stick over the crossbar.

Being one of the best goalies in the league doesn't get you a Cup these days.  There's a reason guys like him, Luongo, Price and Rinne haven't won a Cup in their careers.  The salary cap has resulted in teams building all other positions outside of goaltending.  You don't need a HOF goalie these days to win the Cup.  Just build a great team in front of them.  Chicago did it masterfully with that doll faced scrub Niemi in net in 2010.  Then they smoothly transitioned to Crawford.    

[ChristopherReevesLegs 7,022]

1 hour ago, F.Michael said:

Smith played well for the Rags.

Wouldn't be surprised he signs on for a few more seasons.

As for King Henrik...He really didn't look so good this series.

I thought the Ottawa series was Smitty's best. Still looks more like a warm body than a difference maker out there though.

[chaps80 1,591]

10 hours ago, GMRwings1983 said:

Being one of the best goalies in the league doesn't get you a Cup these days.  There's a reason guys like him, Luongo, Price and Rinne haven't won a Cup in their careers.  The salary cap has resulted in teams building all other positions outside of goaltending.  You don't need a HOF goalie these days to win the Cup.  Just build a great team in front of them.  Chicago did it masterfully with that doll faced scrub Niemi in net in 2010.  Then they smoothly transitioned to Crawford.    

Yeah I know. Even before the cap being a top 5 goalie year in year out didn't mean you'd win a Cup. Joseph rounded out the top 5 of his generation along with Brodeur, Hasek, Roy, and Belfour, but he was the only one not to win a Cup. That was his main reason for leaving Toronto (a city he loved playing in) for Detroit. Couldn't pass up the opportunity to join the defending Cup champs who still had a loaded roster. But In his three seasons there he suffered a first round sweep to Anaheim, a six game semifinal loss to Calgary, and a lockout. Not to mention a battle with Hasek and being put on waivers and sent to GR for a spell. After that, he just fizzled out playing in Phoenix, Calgary, then retired after a badly failed return to Toronto.