Post-Game Talk: Capitals @ Lightning, 7:30

[AtNightWeFly]

Barry could roll his bottom pair with his best defensive forwards.

I think he is waiting to unleash the debutante Djoos after Pitt. Bummer, as I was interesting in seeing how he would hold up in what will likely be our most physical game in the foreseeable future. Reaves at ramming speed looking to revenge a Wilson truck is his worst nightmare.

Why you gotta do him like that?

 

[RaindanceMaggie]

We didn't play great, but that bottom pairing really gave us little chance. I'll give Chorney a bit of a pass on the Kucherov play but otherwise him and Ness are just not NHL caliber players.

 

[txpd]

We didn't play great, but that bottom pairing really gave us little chance. I'll give Chorney a bit of a pass on the Kucherov play but otherwise him and Ness are just not NHL caliber players.

Chorney against Kucherov? That's not a fair fight at all

 

[txpd]

Our D sucks and our green rookies will continue to be green rookies if we don't play them with the vets. Orpik is paid for playing defense, bringing leadership and for being a mentor to the young D. It's his job to make the rookies comfortable on defense. Sure, you might have a few losses because of it but in the long run, the rookies gain experience and learn valuable lessons. Playing 2nd pairing and 3rd pairing minutes alongside vets like Carlson and Orpik isn't exactly throwing them to the wolves.
.

Orpik is well cut out to mentor and break in a rookie D. He did great with Schmidt and Orlov. Carlson didn't. Carlson cant play his game backing up a rookie. Which is why I return to playing one of them at a time.

 

[RandyHolt]

Before worrying what Sid will do to our defenders, Barry needs to first try logical pairs.

Is Carlson a good fit for Djoos - will they have any chemistry at all? Is Bowey going to get the green light playing with Orpik - or will Barry have the roles almost reversed and make Bowey learn D for a few years. With Orpik playing the typical aggressive LD role we have done since the Bruce days?

Maybe we'll only see DJoos Bowey at home, for now.

It would help by playing those 2, but they are clearly not ready to play Djoos as yet.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

Orpik is well cut out to mentor and break in a rookie D. He did great with Schmidt and Orlov. Carlson didn't. Carlson cant play his game backing up a rookie. Which is why I return to playing one of them at a time.

Carlson and Schmidt played reasonably well when Schmidt was a rookie. Whatever, we can't continue to ice Chorney and Ness. We'll lose games faster at this rate, and we won't gain anything from it.

 

[RandyHolt]

Why you gotta do him like that?

It's just an expression I use in hockey circles that means a coming out party for a player.

Just like with Sarge under Hunter, he went into hiding for a few months, all to reinvent his game. He was the most recent debutante and is looking to pass the torch. IIRC, a few months after the new Sarge was debuted, he had his monster 11 blocks in 1 period.

Maybe Reirden is working his magic and we won't see him for some time yet. Or, we will see right after Pitt.

 

[AtNightWeFly]

^^^ Oh I thought you were being more literal. I noticed he's quite petite with long hair.

Juice isn't gonna play until someone gets injured or they go on a losing streak. Barry is too old to change.

 

[maacoshark]

We have to do something with our 3rd pairing. Im hoping they call up Bowey and pair him with Orpik. Not sure about Djoos. He is very small for an NHL defenceman.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

We have to do something with our 3rd pairing. Im hoping they call up Bowey and pair him with Orpik. Not sure about Djoos. He is very small for an NHL defenceman.

We said the same thing about Schmidt and he ended up becoming one of our most important D.

 

[Hivemind]

We said the same thing about Schmidt and he ended up becoming one of our most important D.

Schmidt is 6'0" 194lb
Djoos is 6'0" 168lb

 

[maacoshark]

We said the same thing about Schmidt and he ended up becoming one of our most important D.

Schmidt has 20lbs on Djoos. Schmidts skating got him where he is. I guess Djoos couldnt do any worse than Ness. I think Bowey is our best option and Djoos next. None of our other prospects are ready.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

Schmidt is 6'0" 194lb
Djoos is 6'0" 168lb

We've been over this before, Djoos won't be the first NHL D to weigh around 170 lbs. Yes, Krug and Spurgeon are shorter and have a lower center of gravity, but size isn't that big of a deal in today's NHL. If you are elusive, you can escape hits, just like Gaudreau does.

 

[um]

We won't know until we give the kid a chance, he's proven himself in the AHL. It's time he gets a chance up here, especially considering our third pairing

 

[g00n]

Vrana has looked great on the first line. How did he go from AHL doghouse "head case" to one of the best top lines in the NHL? I don't think it's because he found some magic elixer in the offseason. It's because he was finally being put in a position appropriate to his skill level and developmental needs. Some players can sense when they're not where they should be and they become obstinate. Others need the guidance of coaches to help them figure it out.

Point being, rookies have to play eventually and mediocre JAGs need to be moved out of the way. This organization has long had issues in handling in-house talent. Some middle tier guys are kept around too long, while younger prospects are often kept away from the fray. At some points during the GMGM era it was the opposite, with young players being thrust into key roles way before they were ready and with no veteran guidance.

The upshot here is that players like Chorney and Winnik hold back your Boweys and Vranas. If you want to avoid future Erat situations where you grasp desperately at a veteran TDL band aid while undervaluing a good prospect, you need to start playing the younger guys as soon as you think they can handle it, even if they make mistakes and maybe make you look bad for a while. That's what it means to look out for the franchise instead of your job.

 

[RandyHolt]

We will see if Djoos's build is a big deal after we see him play - every player is different. Strength is important, as is battle quotient, balance, durability, endurance... I really hope he plays tonight.

Skating is the big deal now. How is Djoos's skating, elusiveness, etc. I assume it is about average. What is his path to success. Bulking up more, stick and body positioning, anticipation of pucks to avoid physical battles, quick move ups of pucks, will he be a PP specialist... will Barry have him stepping up to confront guys at the blue as he usually has his LD do?

Maybe his time off is being spent... eating. It's just very rare to see a lanky 23 year old defensemen.