League News: 2017-2018 General NHL Fan Talk - (News n' Scores n' Stuff)

[marcel snapshot]

Yea it was the years with BB that made these guys true winners. They have great hockey IQ and skate hard every shift.

That's on Ted and Patrick. They've always viewed Ovie as their meal ticket. And the team as Ovi and the Ovi-Ettes. And the coach's job is to make sure Ovi is happy. And then they wonder why they don't get out of the 2nd round. Like maybe a successful NHL franchise has to be more than catering to one guy. Somebody the other day was fulminating about the get Ovie 50 goals thing in game 82, and it was spot on. why does anyone give a f*** about 50 goals in the regular season. its as worthwile as a Southeast Division champ banner or Presidents Cup trophy. i dont blame Ovie for this. It's on Ted and Patrick more than anyone else

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

BB had these guys when they were young. And set them up to fail by not coaching a real system. He let them play based on more talent with no accountability. I do think more blame should be on the players but I also think the first coach sets a standard.

They’re not that great if they can’t mature and evolve as players.

 

[twabby]

I think there would be a different interpretation of the Boudreau years if their goaltending and defensive talent was anything but garbage. When you’re backstopped by Theodore, Varlamov, Neuvirth, and the corpse of Kolzig and your blue line has the likes of Jurcina, Erskine, Morrisonn, and Pothier playing significant minutes no team is going to look good defensively.

I’m not convinced he was the guy to take them to the Cup due to his deficiencies elsewhere as a coach but his reputation as a guy who didn’t give a shit about defense and let his stars run loose is completely unfounded, especially given what he has done in Anaheim and Minnesota to build them into strong defensive teams.

 

[kmart]

I think you are confusing developing young players and just having great talent. Playing for BB the team learned it was ok to give up odd man breaks all the time because they would just out score them. It plays a big part in the reason why these coaches come and go and none of them can get theses guys to play a solid system. Everything was based on great individual effort in the BB days. They had so much talent they won in spite of him not because of him.

the team that learned from boudreau is gone, there is only ovi and backstrom, maybe carlson, so your point is invalid. also choaches come and go in other organizations as well even on the cup winners. boudreau took the team in free fall and immediately improved... they won with him and before they mostly lost without him. boudreau implemented run and gun, u may not like it but it was still developed and got them always a good record in the nhl. u making bruce responsible for the faults this team has, 10 years after he took over is just bs. back then i called for his head when he changed run and gun into a complete opposite which in retrospect was the most stupid thing to do... it opened the doors for hunter, oates that just wasted time.

 

[marcel snapshot]

That's Fehr's goal, no?

 

[Devil Dancer]

The Jackets had the best record in the NHL over the last quarter of the season, Caps are never going to "crush" them.

They should, the Jackets are a trash team that always folds under pressure. Yeah they go on hot streaks once in a while but a competent team should put them down in 5, 6 at the most.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

I've never seen a more bi-polar start to a series than this Pens/Flyers series so far.

 

[RandyHolt]

Manning with a mini hal gill'd moment there

Brassard clearly has been coached to whine on every penalty

 

[twabby]

I've never seen a more bi-polar start to a series than this Pens/Flyers series so far.

Best way I heard it described was that it’s similar to a competitive NBA series in that it might go to 6 or 7 games but each individual game is a blowout.

 

[maacoshark]

They should, the Jackets are a trash team that always folds under pressure. Yeah they go on hot streaks once in a while but a competent team should put them down in 5, 6 at the most.

Are the Caps competent?

 

[Devil Dancer]

Are the Caps competent?

We'll find out soon!

 

[Sam Spade]

EVERY single series the team with the better regular season possession numbers is leading, every one. I would bet a large sum of money that the Bruins win the Cup this year.

This shit isn't rocket science:

Bruins (2) - Leafs (17)
Bolts (7) - Devils (21)
Caps (24) - Jackets (9)
Pens (5) - Flyers (18)

Knights (13) - Kings (16)
Sharks (12) - Ducks (22)
Jets (8) - Wild (30)
Preds (10) - Avs (27)

It's the most predictable thing and yet fans, not necessarily us, want to dismiss it. Caps finished fourth last season and I really thought that was the key.

The only outlier the last few seasons is the Pens, but apparently having two of the top three players of the last twenty years on your team is enough to overcome not having the puck a lot.

 

[Empty Goal Net]

EVERY single series the team with the better regular season possession numbers is leading, every one. I would bet a large sum of money that the Bruins win the Cup this year.

This **** isn't rocket science:

Bruins (2) - Leafs (17)
Bolts (7) - Devils (21)
Caps (24) - Jackets (9)
Pens (5) - Flyers (18)

Knights (13) - Kings (16)
Sharks (12) - Ducks (22)
Jets (8) - Wild (30)
Preds (10) - Avs (27)

It's the most predictable thing and yet fans, not necessarily us, want to dismiss it. Caps finished fourth last season and I really thought that was the key.

The only outlier the last few seasons is the Pens, but apparently having two of the top three players of the last twenty years on your team is enough to overcome not having the puck a lot.

I don't see Team(1) on the list. If possession is important, how did the best possession team not even get into the playoffs (where >50% of the sample show up)? And if the response is that RS possession isn't everything, then why use RS data to prove a point?

Not a complete disbeliever, but (as you observe w Pens) it's but one factor.

 

[Sam Spade]

I don't see Team(1) on the list. If possession is important, how did the best possession team not even get into the playoffs (where >50% of the sample show up)? And if the response is that RS possession isn't everything, then why use RS data to prove a point?

Not a complete disbeliever, but (as you observe w Pens) it's but one factor.

Year in and year out it is THE most important factor. And nope the Canes didn't make the playoffs but had they I would have picked them to any series they played until they got to the Pens.

 

[Empty Goal Net]

Year in and year out it is THE most important factor. And nope the Canes didn't make the playoffs but had they I would have picked them to any series they played until they got to the Pens.

Canes need better goaltending. Hard to overcome mediocre (much less crappy) goaltending even with the best possession stats.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

EVERY single series the team with the better regular season possession numbers is leading, every one. I would bet a large sum of money that the Bruins win the Cup this year.

This **** isn't rocket science:

Bruins (2) - Leafs (17)
Bolts (7) - Devils (21)
Caps (24) - Jackets (9)
Pens (5) - Flyers (18)

Knights (13) - Kings (16)
Sharks (12) - Ducks (22)
Jets (8) - Wild (30)
Preds (10) - Avs (27)

It's the most predictable thing and yet fans, not necessarily us, want to dismiss it. Caps finished fourth last season and I really thought that was the key.

The only outlier the last few seasons is the Pens, but apparently having two of the top three players of the last twenty years on your team is enough to overcome not having the puck a lot.

It's not an exact science. The Caps are dominating the Blue Jackets and have the most shots this postseason yet are down 2-0. Timely goaltending from Grubauer and this series is 2-0 the other way.

 

[Sam Spade]

It's not an exact science. The Caps are dominating the Blue Jackets and have the most shots this postseason yet are down 2-0. Timely goaltending from Grubauer and this series is 2-0 the other way.

In the end, the team with better possession numbers over the long haul will win, they usually do. The only thing that changes it is an epic goalie performance (good or bad).

I hope I'm wrong.

 

[Empty Goal Net]

TO takes a 2-goal lead v Bs with 3:35 remaining. That (formerly) hapless franchise is one I could root for. Ballard's "leadership" really throttled that team for years past his demise.

 

[Empty Goal Net]

Pierre refers to Marleau as the grandpa and Marner as the grandson. Even if the male line is fathering kids at age 15, we're talking a 50 year old playing with a 20 year old or a 45 year old with a 15 year old?

 

[maacoshark]

I don't see Team(1) on the list. If possession is important, how did the best possession team not even get into the playoffs (where >50% of the sample show up)? And if the response is that RS possession isn't everything, then why use RS data to prove a point?

Not a complete disbeliever, but (as you observe w Pens) it's but one factor.

There is no such thing as a possession stat.

 

[maacoshark]

In the end, the team with better possession numbers over the long haul will win, they usually do. The only thing that changes it is an epic goalie performance (good or bad).

I hope I'm wrong.

What possession numbers are you talking about? There is no true possession stat.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

There is no such thing as a possession stat.

I wish I could like this comment a million times.

 

[Sam Spade]

What possession numbers are you talking about? There is no true possession stat.

CF% is pretty much the universal possession stat. Caps are 24th, only two playoff teams are lower, all three will be gone by the end of the week.

Team Season Totals - Natural Stat Trick

Some people prefer xGF%, Caps are 25th in that one.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

This New Jersey / Tampa Bay game is nutty.

 

[Empty Goal Net]

CF% is pretty much the universal possession stat. Caps are 24th, only two playoff teams are lower, all three will be gone by the end of the week.

Team Season Totals - Natural Stat Trick

maybe there is no such thing in a literal sense, but CF is considered by almost all as an acceptable proxy