Pre-Game Talk: Capitals Clinch Playoff Berth, who would you rather play?

[Neil Racki]

New York bc f*** the Rangers.

 

[zappa4ever]

They could play perfectly but their goaltending will still be their Achilles heel.

That's loser talk.

Playoffs are their own beast, you don't know what will happen.

This is the best time of year

 

[g00n]

Never have a preference. You have to assume you'll need to beat the best. Why would you want anything less?

Look at MTL last year. Anyone give them a chance of going deep?

Put me down for "don't care".

 

[SecretaryofDefense5]

That's loser talk.

Playoffs are their own beast, you don't know what will happen.

This is the best time of year

Hey there. Don’t blame me for putting a roster together where VV and Sammy are their only options. That falls on the shoulders of management.

 

[msrulo]

I have a feeling we’ll do well against NY so I voted NY

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

I refuse to vote….if you want some…

 

[Corby78]

I don't care. We will need to play better and more consistent to beat any of those teams. Basically its on them, the opponent isn't going to matter if we aren't playing better.

 

[zappa4ever]

Hey there. Don’t blame me for putting a roster together where VV and Sammy are their only options. That falls on the shoulders of management.

Win as a team, lose as a team
Pull together for your team

VV and Sammy are NHL goalies and they're not horrible.
They're not Top-10, but they're not scrubs

Maybe Playoffs will get them to focus on details and rise to the occasion
We don't know until the games get played

 

[Hivemind]

Kill 'em all.

Every team has weaknesses

If the Caps step it up from the start and give a shit, they can beat anyone

There's positive thinking and then there's denial.

 

[DWGie26]

Maybe the question now is “who wants to play the Caps in the first round”. I doubt there are many raising their hands.

 

[zappa4ever]

There's positive thinking and then there's denial.

Bullshit.
Perfect example just happened tonight
@SecretaryofDefense5

If you watched tonight's game and see how they played as a team, playing hard for each other, good defense, blocking shots
If that happens in the Playoffs they can beat anyone.
Anyone.

I don't buy into Hive mind thinking or group think or the all-too-prevalent miserable whining that b/c we're not icing an All-Star team out there that there's no chance

We just went into the best Team in the Leagues' house, with an unreal home record, on a 9 game W streak and T.C.O.B.

 

[g00n]

Bullshit.
Perfect example just happened tonight
@SecretaryofDefense5

If you watched tonight's game and see how they played as a team, playing hard for each other, good defense, blocking shots
If that happens in the Playoffs they can beat anyone.
Anyone.

I don't buy into Hive mind thinking or group think or the all-too-prevalent miserable whining that b/c we're not icing an All-Star team out there that there's no chance

We just went into the best Team in the Leagues' house, with an unreal home record, on a 9 game W streak and T.C.O.B.

It's easy to be a "realist" in one's own mind when it's really just default pessimism. Since one team wins the Cup every year it's much safer and easier to say "they're not going to win it", and then "atodaso" after elimination. The odds always favor the pessimist when picking your team to win or lose it all. It's not a sign of superior hockey intellect.

"Denial" is more likely to describe refusal to accept something that's already happened, or is impossible. The playoffs are in the future and as we know almost anything is possible.

So yeah. F the whining.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

They’ve won 15 of their last 21 and they have, in my opinion, the best 4th line in hockey. Mantha has been terrific since he’s been back. Carlson and Orlov are playing fantastic hockey. If the goaltending can hold up…

Stupid Caps are getting my hopes up again.

 

[caps4cup]

I like their matchup against Carolina, Florida, and NYR better than Boston OR NYI the last 2 playoffs, so that’s a start.

Florida’s skill could be overwhelming but so could Carolina’s speed and forecheck, or NYR’s PP and goaltending.

I think they can beat any of the 3 but if push comes to shove, I’m taking NYR due to their over reliance on goaltending and PP so far this year. I like the way our forwards match up against theirs as well. And while Fox is amazing, I don’t know how he’s going to hold up in a series being hit by Wilson, Ovechkin, Hathaway, etc. and the rest of their D isn’t too impressive. They definitely have been better since the TDL, but they’re still clearly the worst 5v5 team of the 3.

 

[Langway]

I still think they're probably two skaters short, one up front and one on the back-end. Schultz has the worst +/- among any EC playoff team and the awkwardness of TVR on his off-side isn't ideal. Then again, neither was Djoos but I'm not sure they can hide players as well as they used to.

Johansson/Sheary/Larsson came through last night but in light of Backstrom's decline they likely need one more consistently dangerous attacking forward. They're going to be a handful for anyone, at least physically if they can manage to make it a longer series, but the biggest question still seems to be whether they can manage to produce more dangerous chances while they're controlling play.

 

[caps4cup]

I still think they're probably two skaters short, one up front and one on the back-end. Schultz has the worst +/- among any EC playoff team and the awkwardness of TVR on his off-side isn't ideal. Then again, neither was Djoos but I'm not sure they can hide players as well as they used to.

Johansson/Sheary/Larsson came through last night but in light of Backstrom's decline they likely need one more consistently dangerous attacking forward. They're going to be a handful for anyone, at least physically if they can manage to make it a longer series, but the biggest question still seems to be whether they can manage to produce more dangerous chances while they're controlling play.

I agree about the forwards (and think inserting CMM for Mojo could help).

But in regards to Schultz, I think he’s actually been perfectly fine as a 5/6D. The stats don’t show it, but in my eyes, I think he’s been a lot better than last year. His xG% is nearly 51%, but he’s been killed by a low SH and SV%. I’d be interested to see his JFresh/Evolving Wild player card because according to the Athletic, he’s been roughy worth his salary this year. Now, I think they could use that cap space more effectively than spending 4mil on him, but I think his performance for his role has been fine.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

I agree about the forwards (and think inserting CMM for Mojo could help).

But in regards to Schultz, I think he’s actually been perfectly fine as a 5/6D. The stats don’t show it, but in my eyes, I think he’s been a lot better than last year. His xG% is nearly 51%, but he’s been killed by a low SH and SV%. I’d be interested to see his JFresh/Evolving Wild player card because according to the Athletic, he’s been roughy worth his salary this year. Now, I think they could use that cap space more effectively than spending 4mil on him, but I think his performance for his role has been fine.

CMM is not just very good at wing…..he’s impactful at C at least…

 

[EroCaps]

Carolina is ripe to get picked off.

Florida might be a paper tiger.

Shesterkin bothers me and the Caps never match up well against the Rangers.

Want no part of Toronto.

 

[caps4cup]

CMM is not just very good at wing…..he’s impactful at C at least…

Yeah he is definitely better at C than W, but I think I’d still take him at wing over Mojo.

 

[Jags]

Schultz has the worst +/- among any EC playoff team and the awkwardness of TVR on his off-side isn't ideal.

I've been curious about the same thing. I'm wondering -- and you Hershey experts can help me out here -- if one of our LD prospects along with TVR on his strong side might be a better pair than TVR/Schultz. When I look at the things Schultz still does well, they mostly line up with TVR's strengths, so there might be some redundancy there, and I'm not sure that TVR at 3RD isn't an upgrade all by itself. It's just a question of whether we have a 3LD on the farm that could perform as well as TVR does in that spot now...

Johansson/Sheary/Larsson came through last night but in light of Backstrom's decline they likely need one more consistently dangerous attacking forward.

Eller has been looking much better lately, but I'd be interested to see if McMichael centering Mantha/Wilson might click more offensively. Their speed, finish, and size (and Wilson's physicality) could open things up more for McMike to get the creativity he's been known for prior to the NHL back into his game. Not sure where Eller might fit in that scenario, but I'd use some of these last few games to figure it out.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Yeah he is definitely better at C than W, but I think I’d still take him at wing over Mojo.

I wouldn’t….not for this playoff run. Kid doesn’t make a real difference at wing for my tastes.

 

[YippieKaey]

Agree with much of what you're saying. And love the positivity. I'll get onboard that train - will enjoy the playoffs regardless of the outcome (setting expectations early).

The young, fast teams are what really worry me about the Caps. I just can't see how our team can handle them. In the past they would use physicality but our current team seems to have lost that edge? I could swear it just vanished into thin air. They were always talked about as a big, physical team who would wear down opponents and then they.....just............weren't?

I think that capacity is still there. Getting rid of Chara, Dillom, Gudas etc made our D-corps a lot softer but more mobile. However Wilson, Hathaway, Eller, Dowd and Oshie are still pretty grindy. Added to that both Ovi and Mantha can be very physically imposing when they want to and from what i hear Larsson can be pretty nasty too.

But yeah, at least one Orpik type D-man would have been nice to have

 

[Langway]

Now down to the Panteras or Rongos.

 

[EroCaps]

Now down to the Panteras or Rongos.

Rongos then.

Igor looks burnt out.

 

[PlushMinus]

Rongos then.

Igor looks burnt out.

They could play Georgiev and he'd still stop more puck than the nitwits we've got in goal.