Series Discussion: Capitals vs Bruins

[Raikkonen]

He wont. Orlov could go I guess. Hes in good state.

 

[max21]

LOL

You make the next GDT.

If they win, I'll ban myself for a year.
If they lose, you're banned for a year.

Deal?

It's a win-win for me. Save me some time from doom-scrolling through all the faceless weirdo crying on here.

I don’t think he was being serious, or at least I hope he wasn’t lol

 

[txpd]

The NHL is designed for the recovery from 3 games to 1 down. Caps need only win the next game to force the issue

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

The NHL is designed for the recovery from 3 games to 1 down. Caps need only win the next game to force the issue

I'd think they have a chance if they were playing well and just unlucky but it's clear the guys who were out hurt the last week or two of the regular season are nowhere near at full strength. They look like a team icing a bunch of their best players at 60-70% and that's not going to cut it against a Boston team that's fully healthy and hitting their groove at the right time. I think if the rosters are 100% healthy the Caps win this series but they caught the injury bug at the worst possible time and are playing like a wounded animal just waiting to be put down.

On a positive note, I think Sammy has looked like he's the clear #1 moving forward.

 

[Empty Goal Net]

///It seems like the problem isn't the PP structure so much as THIS YEAR, and possibly THIS OPPONENT, who had the 2nd best PK in the league during the regular season.

Caps have the 3rd most PPopp/G in the NHL this postseason so there's no excuse when it comes to chances.

Bruins pressure the puck on the PK and that prevents the perimeter work our PP relies on. They have to skip-pass and get the middle spot more involved to make the Bruins pay for that tactic.

From what my eyeballs tell me, the bolded seems to be the key to neutralizing the Caps' PP. Because their PP positioning is so static compared a team like the Pens, PKers who are fast to the puckholder can double-team and gum things up along the boards. Due to the Ovie shot, Caps' players move infrequently on the PP and often it's merely to swap positions. Two guys have to be open if the PKers are double-teaming the puck carrier. Find one of them!

 

[YippieKaey]

So get rid of the best goal scorer we've seen in decades...that will surely help us. He's aging, yes but he still puts pucks in the net on a pretty constant basis. He's not going anywhere and I think we all know that. He's hurt and you know he wanted to hit 30 goals this year during the regular season. No way he'd just sit out at the end of the season if there wasn't something really bothering him.

I agree and Ovi is my all time favourite but at some point the jig is up. One cup and 2 second round series in his entire career. That's just not good enough. I love Bäcks aswell but we need killer instinct at this point. Unacceptably weak performances even if they're injured.

But ok. Keep Ovi aswell so he can break the record.

 

[Misery74]

The NHL is designed for the recovery from 3 games to 1 down. Caps need only win the next game to force the issue

I agree. Just win game 5 should be the mantra.

That said, if they lose, it’s time to throw the deck chairs off the Titanic. Start with BMac.

 

[pman25]

Gonna be fun when we get bounced and then of the 5 or 6 guys playing injured, two will have surgery and not be ready to start the next season

 

[John Price]

How pissed will you be if we get eliminated tomorrow and Ovechkin flies to the world championships?

Meh he does this every year lol

 

[Melkor]

How pissed will you be if we get eliminated tomorrow and Ovechkin flies to the world championships?

Wouldn't care really. He'd suck over there too. He's been notorious for years for his underwhelming performances in team russia uniform.

 

[txpd]

I'd think they have a chance if they were playing well and just unlucky but it's clear the guys who were out hurt the last week or two of the regular season are nowhere near at full strength. They look like a team icing a bunch of their best players at 60-70% and that's not going to cut it against a Boston team that's fully healthy and hitting their groove at the right time. I think if the rosters are 100% healthy the Caps win this series but they caught the injury bug at the worst possible time and are playing like a wounded animal just waiting to be put down.

On a positive note, I think Sammy has looked like he's the clear #1 moving forward.

I agree entirely that they appear to be severely damaged. Frankly it makes the 3 OT games quite impressive. I am just pointing out that if they find a way to win g5, that all pressure is dropped straight on Boston for g6

 

[SpinningEdge]

I agree and Ovi is my all time favourite but at some point the jig is up. One cup and 2 second round series in his entire career. That's just not good enough. I love Bäcks aswell but we need killer instinct at this point. Unacceptably weak performances even if they're injured.

But ok. Keep Ovi aswell so he can break the record.

He’s at a point per game in these playoffs.... no one else is even close.

he’s only one of our main guys creating anything right now. Wilson, Kuzy, Backstrom, and Oshie have all been bad.

 

[txpd]

I agree. Just win game 5 should be the mantra.

That said, if they lose, it’s time to throw the deck chairs off the Titanic. Start with BMac.

I want to be sure I understand you. It appears that Ov, Backstrom, Oshie and possibly Wilson are injured. That Eller is injured. That Carlson and Schultz are injured. That these deck chairs are to blame for the loss and should be thrown overboard? That MacLellan is to blame for having them on the roster. Yes?

 

[txpd]

He’s at a point per game in these playoffs.... no one else is even close.

he’s only one of our main guys creating anything right now. Wilson, Kuzy, Backstrom, and Oshie have all been bad.

They are all injured except for Kuzy who didnt skate for 2 weeks because COVID. We should be blaming the players for this? They dont care because they allowed themselves to be injured? Oshie isnt giving is best effort?? Ok

 

[BiPolar Caps]

Folks here thinking that the Capitals have been snake bit with injuries and as a result it's impacting their play. Newsflash, guarantee that other teams have a alot of players that are injured as well, but many of those players are finding a way to push through. The 2018 SC fed the beast, the beast is no longer as hungry as it was before 2018 and of course it's older. Father time marches along, here's the ages of some of the players come the 2021/22 season:

Ovechkin - 36 (come September)
Backstrom - 34 (come November)
Oshie - 35 (come December)
Hagelin - 33 (in August)
Eller - 32 just turned that
Carlson will be 32 in January
Jensen, Schultz and Dillon will all be turning 31 within the next 6 months

The team's mojo is not there, you could see it in their body language last night after the second Bruins goal.

Can we finally stop the team's and Ovechkin's window chatter. The window has closed, no more pissing away draft picks at TDL for that magic bullet. Time to take a different approach.

 

[YippieKaey]

He’s at a point per game in these playoffs.... no one else is even close.

he’s only one of our main guys creating anything right now. Wilson, Kuzy, Backstrom, and Oshie have all been bad.

I know. But he's not really creating anything. All his points have been from shots on goal. Which he gets because everyone on the PP waits for him to shoot. He also fumbles a ton of pucks and some plays die on his stick. Same goes for pretty much everyone but the 4th line but the top 6 is severely underperforming.

 

[Devil Dancer]

One cup and 2 second round series in his entire career.

Pretty sure they've been to the second round many more times than that. I think it's 7 in the Ovie era, including 2018?

 

[TheLegendOfPatPeake]

They are all injured except for Kuzy who didnt skate for 2 weeks because COVID. We should be blaming the players for this? They dont care because they allowed themselves to be injured? Oshie isnt giving is best effort?? Ok

What was the excuse for last year and the year before that? 3 flame outs in the first round (one pending) is an issue.

 

[TheLegendOfPatPeake]

Folks here thinking that the Capitals have been snake bit with injuries and as a result it's impacting their play. Newsflash, guarantee that other teams have a alot of players that are injured as well, but many of those players are finding a way to push through. The 2018 SC fed the beast, the beast is no longer as hungry as it was before 2018 and of course it's older. Father time marches along, here's the ages of some of the players come the 2021/22 season:

Ovechkin - 36 (come September)
Backstrom - 34 (come November)
Oshie - 35 (come December)
Hagelin - 33 (in August)
Eller - 32 just turned that
Carlson will be 32 in January
Jensen, Schultz and Dillon will all be turning 31 within the next 6 months

The team's mojo is not there, you could see it in their body language last night after the second Bruins goal.

Can we finally stop the team's and Ovechkin's window chatter. The window has closed, no more pissing away draft picks at TDL for that magic bullet. Time to take a different approach.

Don’t be rational. That isn’t allowed here. ​

 

[TheLegendOfPatPeake]

Pretty sure they've been to the second round many more times than that. I think it's 7 in the Ovie era, including 2018?

6 times they have made it to the second round

 

[txpd]

What was the excuse for last year and the year before that? 3 flame outs in the first round (one pending) is an issue.

Oshie was injured and Kempny was out. Oshie is the heart of the team and they didnt have a plan b to cover for Kempny. Overall beat after winning a cup. All legit reasons that they lost.

No excuses for what happened in the bubble they werent interested and or hated the coach.

This season its clearly the injuries. They have been very competitive and engage up to the collection of injuries at the end. If their injuries are what they appear they might be, that they are in the game in this series is remarkable. This is 180 degrees different than the bubble.

 

[Misery74]

I want to be sure I understand you. It appears that Ov, Backstrom, Oshie and possibly Wilson are injured. That Eller is injured. That Carlson and Schultz are injured. That these deck chairs are to blame for the loss and should be thrown overboard? That MacLellan is to blame for having them on the roster. Yes?

Yes. The roster is flawed. The GM overpaid too many players.

How many more first round exits are acceptable? You tell me?

The players you mentioned I wouldn’t get rid of, save Carlson and Schultz, I would look to move them honestly.

 

[Jacoby4HOF66]

 

[TheLegendOfPatPeake]

Oshie was injured and Kempny was out. Oshie is the heart of the team and they didnt have a plan b to cover for Kempny. Overall beat after winning a cup. All legit reasons that they lost.

No excuses for what happened in the bubble they werent interested and or hated the coach.

This season its clearly the injuries. They have been very competitive and engage up to the collection of injuries at the end. If their injuries are what they appear they might be, that they are in the game in this series is remarkable. This is 180 degrees different than the bubble.

 

[HecticGlow]

I agree entirely that they appear to be severely damaged. Frankly it makes the 3 OT games quite impressive. I am just pointing out that if they find a way to win g5, that all pressure is dropped straight on Boston for g6

I’m thinking it’s not so much impressive, as cause and effect. The conditioning of guys like Kuzy, Oshie, Eller, Wilson and Ovi may be significantly down on where it should be because of their injuries and absences. They’ve played essentially three regulation games in six days, plus around another 30 mins or so of OT during that time. Game 4 was their worst this series, and they looked to me like guys without much left in the tank. That game ending in regulation might actually work to their advantage if they were doomed to lose it anyway.

Equally, guys who’ve played consistently (and generally lower minutes) are amongst the best performers. Jensen, Dowd, Hathaway... if I’m Laviolette, I’m focussing a little more on TOI and game day ability level than I am matchups or routine.