The Caps changed for game 6 because without Backstrom to help contain Crosby and company, they had to. Before that I really didn't see anything much different out of the team than the way they have generally played.
But I just don't buy the "Everyone in the Pittsburgh organization thought they had it in the bag" argument. That is NOT a fact. It is your opinion. Frankly, I think more of it may be that after 2 Stanley Cup seasons and some more work in this year's playoffs, the Pens may finally have run out of gas a little. Malkin made a sort of elliptical comment about that in the postgame last night. And their defense sure looked as if it was succumbing to battle fatigue at times out there.
As for the Tampa series, I agree, that will be a tough matchup. A big concern is that we aren't really sure what's wrong with Backstrom, and we'll never really know until after the playoffs are over, if then. The two most likely possibilities are a broken bone or a deep bruise, and neither is something that goes away in a few days. We really need our array of defensive centers in place against Tampa -- right now they are a lot more balanced scoring team than Pittsburgh was. And if the Caps manage to get by the 3rd round, there will be another tough matchup in the finals no matter who advances out of the West.
If the Caps can figure out a way to win the Cup this year, no one will be able to say that they didn't earn it.
You're still missing the point, . . .the changes gave us an advantage that we never created or took before. Injuries and suspensions to three regular players should not be the only the reason not to use the same line-up card every night, ya know the naive ideology that some treat is the 11th Commandment.
To put it bluntly: they know how to beat us. They aren't great, its not luck, its not divine intervention, its not Shakespearian tragedy. The know what we will do from system to player and they know how to beat it. All the time there where minimal adjustments, tricks, misdirections, shuffling, ambushes, traps, or anything of the sort. Just the "same line up card, same system, with skill and luck we have a chance"
As you said earlier, "they had to change". . . unfortunately it took being forced to adjust, to do something that disrupts their scheme instead of just shouting
"heaven makes the faithful suffer but will reward in the end, can I get an A-MEN!" for 10 years as we do the same thing over and over again.
And you give the Pennsyltuckey trash and their man-crushes way to much credit, No one would fear a team that gave them three Cups* because of their commitment to marketing and entertainment. We have let them look way better than they are for 20 years, why would they respect us in the least?
And yes, if (IF) Caps make it they would of earned it, . . unlike The Hens and theirCups that where pre-engraved in October.
