Earlier today, a group of ESPN analysts predicted (with caveats!) that Philipp Grubauer would become a Vegas Golden Knight this summer. This afternoon ESPN kept the crystal ball thing going.
Big brains Craig Custance, Scott Burnside, and Rob Vollman all pick the Washington Capitals as Stanley Cup favorites.
Which, by my reckoning, means that the Caps have a 10- to 15-percent chance to win it all.
A smattering of quotes to grow your ulcer:
Custance: “It’s the Washington Capitals. Without a doubt.”
Burnside: “Since Ovechkin joined the team in 2005-06, they’ve never advanced beyond the second round. Shocking but true. That streak ends this spring.”
Vollman: “This is the year the Capitals can finally take it all.”
It was not unanimous. Matthew Coller voiced support for the Hawks, Joe McDonald picked the Jackets, and Pierre LeBrun chose the Lightning, who are currently a point outside the wild card. ¯_(ツ)_/¯
Can’t wait to see the Caps fans react to this one.
@russianmachine make it stop. No bad juju needed. pic.twitter.com/hxERHejRCp
— Jenn (@OsRavensCaps) March 28, 2017
The playoffs are a gauntlet, you guys. The best team in the league in any given postseason probably doesn’t have better than a 1-in-4 chance of winning the Cup. In my mind being the “favorite” means something like a 1-in-7 or 1-in-8 chance. Insert your own Han Solo gif here.
A final note: last year, a potato chip that Ian found also predicted the Capitals would win the Cup. The Capitals did not win the Cup last year.
Headline photo: Alex Reut’s oil painting
