I agree. Its unrealistic to think we will repeat. Winning the cup is a difficult task. I'd also like to see us get past a couple rounds. The best case scenario we luck out and repeat. Worst case we lose to the Pens.
I was confident in last years team. I'm not so confident this year.
Yes, it is completely unrealistic, almost fictional to think we'll repeat.
Teds message from Mt Zion is "This is the Greatest Team Ever, Keep them together, do the same thing, and we will win again, and remember you can die happy now". Which the zealots and video gamers are lapping up with their blind entertainment lust, but the 15 other teams in this conference are laughing at.
We aren't gonna sneak up on, sneak past, or play against teams that are just using the effective "wait for The Caps to screw up" this year. There will be a very large target on us, particularly from the teams we beat last year.
Add to that "the Cup hangover", the hightened egos and entitlements, a new coach, and a near guaranteed zero change in philosophy,. . . it is unlikely this will end well.
But, tough shit. We won a Cup, that is now the expectation every year, not settle for the "we have chance", and we tried. and at least we scored some goals, bullshit that people are content with.
So Cup or nothing. If Monumental Entertainment really does know what they're doing, last year wasn't a fluke, and this team is as good as the zealots and EA crowd believe they are, then repeating shouldn't be hard.