Post-Game Talk: Capitals vs. BJs at 7pm

[Coldplay619]

We've made one good trade, when we flipped Brouwer for Oshie. We've made two solid signings, Niskanen and Williams. Other than that, I agree with you, the Caps destroyed the league last year because we had 3 All-Star forwards and the best goalie in the league.



Here's the thing. Trotz is partially right on this one. Some players on the team right now aren't scoring because they're not working hard enough.

Ovi was scoring at his usual 50 goal pace because he was going to the net to get deflections and rebounds. Now he's on the perimeter and not making an effort to carry the play, so he's been kept scoreless in the past 2 games. Kuzy is not scoring because something is wrong between his ears, and as a result he's not working to get his points. He was a hound on the puck last year, now he's just floating around and forcing passes.

The others guys like Burakovsky or Sanford aren't scoring, but it's not because they're not trying. They're just lost, and it's Trotz's job to get them back on track.

I'll tell you what, Trotz is a dinosaur when it comes to coaching offense. That's why your typical grinders like Beagle, Chimera or Ward were able to succeed in his system. He can't coach an Alex Ovechkin or a Evgeny Kuznetsov in the offensive zone. Kuzy and Ovi under Trotz have been scoring thanks to their natural brilliance offensively. Kuznetsov doing his trick passes and Ovechkin hammering one timers has nothing to do with Trotz's coaching, but it allowed us to destroy the league last year.

Guess what, other teams have adapted to us and are now neutralising our stars. Yes, they should try harder but we need to go back either to a speed game or a full on physical game. We can't continue to be this half-assed physical/skill hybrid team. We need an identity.

Absolutely, but the problem is that he thinks everything is an effort problem or can be solved by trying harder.

You play the best goal scorer of the generation and maybe of all time with Jay Beagle and then you come out and say some guys aren't committed to scoring?

He keeps absolving himself of any wrongdoing.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

Absolutely, but the problem is that he thinks everything is an effort problem or can be solved by trying harder.

You play the best goal scorer of the generation and maybe of all time with Jay Beagle and then you come out and say some guys aren't committed to scoring?

He keeps absolving himself of any wrongdoing.

Like all the dinosaurs, they're reluctant to take the blame and admit their mistakes. Go read CBJ's thread. The guys over there had a good laugh when they saw Beagle on a line with Ovechkin. Damn it, I understand shaking things up, but at least put someone like Johansson at center with Ovi. 8-90-77 played very well in their short time together last year when Backstrom sat out 2 games.

8-83-65 was asking for trouble, and if he goes with that line again tomorrow we stand no chance.

 

[Brian23]

I think Trotz is a big part of the problem. But I agree that without Kuzy and OV playing at an all star level, which they are not, this team is not that good. Our draft picks the last 2-3 years have been subpar and we have not made any great trades either.

They've gotten like zero time, outside of Burakovsky, because of vets in head of them. In the lower leagues, they're still killing it...

I expect Vrana and Johansson to be up here in the next year or so to look good.

 

[troyerlaw]

He keeps absolving himself of any wrongdoing.

This. For a guy who preaches accountability, you never ever hear him say, 'Maybe i had the wrong combinations tonight.' Or, 'I didn't have our guys ready.' Or, 'We were outperformed tonight, from the head coach on down.'

It's not unprecedented. Occasionally coaches say it.

Trotz always just says, 'It's gotta come from the group.' Or, 'It's gotta come from in the room.'

Team looks complacent. Last two years they really did play a so-called 'heavy game.' This year i don't see it.

I was disappointed with ovie's game tonight. I wasn't impressed by carlson, orlov, or nisky either. I'm not sure why 88 is only d-man earning spot in press box lately.

Backstrom looked great.

Beags and oshie always bust their tails.

I thought wilson was effective on both forecheck and PK.

Chorney played a sound game. Took care of the puck.

Kuz, bura, williams, eller ... none of them shows any apparent confidence in, or expectation of, scoring right now. Even when we were winning games a couple weeks ago, the goals were hard to come by. Definitely in a funk on offense.

Any way we can call up vrana, walker, boyd, barber, any of them? Just for an infusion of energy? Not a lot of f----s are being given right now.

Could we send down sanford and connolly? Anyone else?

Overall vibe of the team right now reminds me of the latter days of Boudreau. Ineffective and not very feisty.

 

[um]

#makethecapsoffensiveagain

Bruce Boudreau was the only coach to use the Caps' firepower properly. I wonder what guys like Q and Babcock would do with a team like this on their hands.

Barry Trotz is not the man to guide them to a Stanley Cup. Maybe he is the perfect Leonsis coach...You know, get into the playoffs, keep the cash flowing, managing the games...

Babcock is doing a great job utilizing his Leafs offense, passive hockey doesn't seem to be the strategy to any winning coaches.

 

[Brian23]

Babcock is doing a great job utilizing his Leafs offense, passive hockey doesn't seem to be the strategy to any winning coaches.

Its why the Trotz hire was kinda poor in hindsight. We hired a guy who should have been the coach 4 or 5 years ago, his style of play just doesn't fit in this day and age. In all honesty, we need a Boudreau...

 

[hockeyfan88]

Its why the Trotz hire was kinda poor in hindsight. We hired a guy who should have been the coach 4 or 5 years ago, his style of play just doesn't fit in this day and age. In all honesty, we need a Boudreau...

Yep. They are a "western hockey team" playing in a free flowing, speedy eastern conference these days.

The Caps have no passing game, no creativity. I'm worried for the future.

 

[Langway]

I expect Vrana and Johansson to be up here in the next year or so to look good.

Vrana is often guilty of exactly the sort of skilloverwillishness that the coaching staff can't harness or direct in any way other than to put it on blast. Such a negative approach in today's game wears thin pretty quickly, esp. when not coupled with more guidance beyond Work Hard. That's development?

What's the deal with their lack of speed through the neutral zone (hardly anything new)? Why can't they generate any odd man rushes? They're so preoccupied with defensive structure that they've taken offensive fundamentals for granted precisely because of how skilled they are and how easily goals usually come. Now that they're hitting a rough patch they're likely overthinking it and making it worse. They need to relax and have fun again or else it's going to be a long, joyless season. They need to be flexible enough in their approach to get 92/65 going and if they have zero ideas beyond rah-rah and the whip then they're not the answer. If Trotz can't make skilled players more effective offensively and help make them more cohesive collectively it's a significant coaching weakness.

 

[troyerlaw]

Ovie's 14:12 is his lowest TOI for a full game since 2005, according to WaPo.

I thought i rmembered it once getting down to 13 and change under Hunder, but maybe that was a playoff game.

Either way, not a vote of confidence from the coach.

And even with just 14 min, he managed to be on ice for both GA

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

Ovie's 14:12 is his lowest TOI for a full game since 2005, according to WaPo.

I thought i rmembered it once getting down to 13 and change under Hunder, but maybe that was a playoff game.

Either way, not a vote of confidence from the coach.

And even with just 14 min, he managed to be on ice for both GA

Ovi's been garbage tonight, there's no denying that. In a close game like this, you've got to give him more ice time because he can make the difference at any instant. I'm sorry, a player of this caliber should never be getting 13-14 min in a game.

 

[Ovie's Neighbor]

They've gotten like zero time, outside of Burakovsky, because of vets in head of them. In the lower leagues, they're still killing it...

I expect Vrana and Johansson to be up here in the next year or so to look good.

I am not sold on Vrana. I remember everyone saying the same thing about Galiev. To me these two are tweeners. Great AHL players but subpar NHLers. Obviously I hope I am wrong.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Losing streak, called it.


I'll be in the house tomorrow night, 3 rows behind goal. Worried.

 

[Coldplay619]

Losing streak, called it.


I'll be in the house tomorrow night, 3 rows behind goal. Worried.

It'll be a blowout for the pens, enjoy.

 

[Holtbyisms]

Just finished the game, watched it on delay cause of work. Man that was a frustrating loss. Hope we can pick it up. Plenty of time left and games to play. Go Caps!

 

[Brian23]

I am not sold on Vrana. I remember everyone saying the same thing about Galiev. To me these two are tweeners. Great AHL players but subpar NHLers. Obviously I hope I am wrong.

I just disagree. Galiev was always a "hope" guy, I can't recall him tearing anything up to back that hope up.

 

[Holtbyisms]

I just disagree. Galiev was always a "hope" guy, I can't recall him tearing anything up to back that hope up.

I agree completely. Galiev vs Vrana are apples and oranges. Not even close. Galiev has .54 points a game and had his breakout year at a MUCH older age. Vrana has almost a point a game as a 19-20 year old? Very very different path for them both.

Galiev was a failed prospect and could barely stick in the ECHL for awhile. He had a awesome year in Hershey and we started to think maybe he was a late bloomer. Vrana is another level of talent. He's a sure fire sniper waiting for his chance in the NHL.

 

[Hivemind]

Galiev did tear up the Q in his post-draft years, but that was also on a stacked team (Huberdeau, Coyle, Jurco, Beaulieu). He then struggled in the AHL, failing to become a regular until age 22. There were injuries involved and some like to blame the coach, but if you're destined to be an NHL top 6er, you're going to be good enough at lower levels to force the coach to play you. You're not going to get demoted to the ECHL two seasons in a row. Although to be fair, he was a point/game player in the ECHL (there was never a point he wasn't sticking in the ECHL, he was pretty consistently tearing it up down there).

Vrana, by comparison, established himself as an AHL regular at age 19. He's now on a tear at age 20, and starting to knock on the door of the next level. I don't know if I'd go so far to call him a "sure fire sniper" in the NHL, but he's progressed infinitely better than Galiev did. There are still concerns about whether or not Vrana's game will translate successfully to the NHL (especially to the level of being an impact player), but he's doing what he needs to be doing at the lower levels. There's not much reason he shouldn't get a chance to show what he can do at a higher level. At least a cup of coffee in the near-ish future.

 

[ovikovy817]

Where is the consistency in the NHL. Oshie offside and Kuznetsov (last year) was not offside? For me it was the same play.

With our offense, maybe the most important thing we need to have the killer instinct back. You can't just give the puck to the opponents and watch them come back. (Columbus, Chicago, Jets2x)


Against Pens, I'd like to see those lines.

90-19-77
8-20-65
82-92-14
26-83-43

 

[Coldplay619]

Troy Mann will be our Head Coach before the end of the year.

Book it.

 

[g00n]

So yet another loss where the mental commitment is questioned. "Will over Skill" has a dual meaning for that locker room. The first has to do with the mental will to succeed. The second is apparently related to Trotz's intransigent philosophy/style and prioritization of non-scoring disciplines WHILE ALSO CRITICIZING HIS PLAYERS FOR NOT LOOKING TO SCORE. Figure that one out.

If the team looks lost it's because they're getting mixed messages and, as expected, have a conflict of roster and identity.

This game vs the Pens is one of those "if you can't get up for this one there's something REALLY wrong" tests. It may seem early but the signs are still there. Remember, Hanlon was fired right around Thanksgiving. Boudreau was, too.

 

[hockeyfan88]

So yet another loss where the mental commitment is questioned. "Will over Skill" has a dual meaning for that locker room. The first has to do with the mental will to succeed. The second is apparently related to Trotz's intransigent philosophy/style and prioritization of non-scoring disciplines WHILE ALSO CRITICIZING HIS PLAYERS FOR NOT LOOKING TO SCORE. Figure that one out.

If the team looks lost it's because they're getting mixed messages and, as expected, have a conflict of roster and identity.

This game vs the Pens is one of those "if you can't get up for this one there's something REALLY wrong" tests. It may seem early but the signs are still there. Remember, Hanlon was fired right around Thanksgiving. Boudreau was, too.

I agree. And here we are, on year 2 of "the window", expecting a Stanley Cup win, and the discussion still is about the team "waking up" for big games. How ****ing pathetic.

 

[crazy8888]

Troy Mann will be our Head Coach before the end of the year.

Book it.

it could be Troy Mann, an assistant getting promoted, hell even Scotty Bowman couldn't get this team past the second round. Im really starting to believe this team is cursed. Instead of firing/hiring coaches i think the next move Ted should make is an appointment to a psychic like they did in Spacejam. A little advise from the spirits, some wise words from dead ancestors.....third round here we come!!!!!

 

[hockeykicker]

Kinda funny, last year at this time people were saying lay off the gas, save it for the playoffs where it really counts. Now that they are saving more energy like ovechkin less ice time, it's oh this team is so bad. This is what half of you all wanted last year. Defensive play and save energy. Can't have it both ways. They will be fine

 

[g00n]

Kinda funny, last year at this time people were saying lay off the gas, save it for the playoffs where it really counts. Now that they are saving more energy like ovechkin less ice time, it's oh this team is so bad. This is what half of you all wanted last year. Defensive play and save energy. Can't have it both ways. They will be fine

IIRC I think we started talking about it when the injuries began piling up and the team started struggling. I was willing to cut them some slack if they were getting scared of further injuries, but the "flip the switch" thing never really happened after that.

I don't think they can coast this year and flip the switch. They need to cultivate good habits and leave it on the ice. If they get hurt, they get hurt. At least they took their shot in the last year of the current "window".

 

[hockeykicker]

IIRC I think we started talking about it when the injuries began piling up and the team started struggling. I was willing to cut them some slack if they were getting scared of further injuries, but the "flip the switch" thing never really happened after that.

I don't think they can coast this year and flip the switch. They need to cultivate good habits and leave it on the ice. If they get hurt, they get hurt. At least they took their shot in the last year of the current "window".

But they also can't keep the mentality of lets just out score our opponents. I think they are focusing more on playing well in the defensive zone (they struggle a little there lately yes) but how can they go far if they don't know how to clear the zone or clean out in front of the goalie. Not saying they will be a super incredible team but having them focus more on defense has to be a breath of fresh air. They were able to control the Hawks offense. You may be right in a month or two but I'm glad they are at least trying to work on things instead of just thinking they can outscore people