Post-Game Talk: Caps and oilers (Stephenson vs Mcdavid)

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marcel snapshot

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Enjoyed watching the new kids tonight - Stephenson battles, keeps plays alive, and has bursty speed. Djoos is smart, and whiles he prone to getting out-muscled, he's usually on the right side of the puck. Feared that Lucic would wreck him with a career-ending hit once or twice, but he seems to know how to slip those. And Bowey was pretty solid all night.
 

Ridley Simon

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And dominating the last two seasons didn't work in the long run.

Personally, I have been clear, I am on board with tanking but if they got in as an 8th seed would anyone here really care?

What if they get in as a top 4 seed? Would anyone here really care?

You should. You only get so many good bites at the apple per generation. Be careful what you wish for, bud.

Edit -- Sam Spade is an Oilers fan? Well huh. Maybe that figures.
 
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Ridley Simon

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As far as the game goes, take the 2 points. Team is starting to form itself a little bit, as they wade through the hang over, off season departures, lame duck coaching, and the injuries.

21pts in 18 games is alright. All things considered, it's good. Niskanen is coming back, arguably their most indispensable skater, so the D should have 3 good pairs w Chorney as 7th.
Forwards have some pairs w chemistry (Kuz's and Eller's lines), and some that will figure it out (Backstroms line). Need to get the correct wingers for Beagle, figure out what to do w Vrana and Burakovsky, and they may have a fun team, for the playoffs.

Lots of time to work on their problems. Just wish they had a little more cap space.
 

brachyrynchos

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I wasn't able to watch the game, did the Caps just lack motivation?, again? And from what I've read here, Stephenson played well, good for him. Any other positives to build on from last night? Thanks.
 

Alexander the Gr8

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I wasn't able to watch the game, did the Caps just lack motivation?, again? And from what I've read here, Stephenson played well, good for him. Any other positives to build on from last night? Thanks.

We sat back for the entire game. Considering that the Oilers had McDavid on the ice for half the game, I'd say shutting him down and winning 2-1 in a shootout is a decent outcome.
 

Langway

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IINM their adjusted shots for rate is currently better than only four teams and none of those four teams made the playoffs last season (WPG, BUF, VAN & COL.) Only Colorado has a worse adjusted shot rate while giving up more shots.

Holtby+"structure" can steal games but they need to do a way better job of dictating play. It doesn't help that basically the only firm center they have these days is Eller. Everyone else tends to be some combination of flimsy, slow or cute. Their board play, forechecking and timing in general remains suspect.

Bowey & Djoos are coming along well all-around but Edmonton was playing the second of b2bs, three-in-four and four-in six. The Caps should have been much better able to dictate play based on scheduling. Instead it was either mostly a track meet or them just taking it easy.
 
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Sam Spade

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What if they get in as a top 4 seed? Would anyone here really care?

You should. You only get so many good bites at the apple per generation. Be careful what you wish for, bud.

Edit -- Sam Spade is an Oilers fan? Well huh. Maybe that figures.

Eh, I live in Maryland so I have followed the Caps since Ovie arrived. He is 100% my favorite player in the league. I live close to Hershey so it is so easy and cheap to get to their games.

I won't lie though, I did go through a phase in high school/college where I borderline stalked Wayne Gretzky. ;)

Honestly though, I just love hockey and my young son is a huge Caps fan so I follow them closely.
 

Sam Spade

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I care. I still want us to make the playoffs, because if we don't, we'll be in the no-man's land of 9th or 10th place. Everyone wants to tank these days but there's only one winner in the lottery. Besides, we shouldn't be trying to tank with a roster like ours. We're an average team but we need our young guys to become better to make the transition to the post-Ovechkin era smoother.

BTW, I saw on the Oilers board that you called yourself a huge Oilers fan and an Ovechkin fan, not a Caps fan. Good job infiltrating us, you had us believing that you were a Caps fan ;)

Kuzy I pm'd you years ok I have a west team and an east team.

I just know a ton about the Caps and their farm system because of location.

If the Caps win a Cup I will die a happy person, for all the long suffering Caps fans, but honestly I will be happiest for what it will do for Ovechkin's legacy.
 

Sam Spade

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Whoops! Someone has some 'splainin to do! haha Found the post below

People are allowed to root for more than one team you know.

The Oilers were horrible for a LOT of years, mismanaged, poor drafting, poor coaching, not much to talk about or cheer for.

Ovechkin came along at a time when I was really down on the NHL. That and living in Maryland made the Caps a team I would cheer for.

I can't be the only person here who follows/roots more than one team?

Now if I was also a Pens fan, I should be given a lifetime ban. ;)
 
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brachyrynchos

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We sat back for the entire game. Considering that the Oilers had McDavid on the ice for half the game, I'd say shutting him down and winning 2-1 in a shootout is a decent outcome.
Thanks. Yeah, shutting down McDavid and getting the 2pts is a good thing, just can't figure out what makes this team show up and why. How was Connolly?
 

txpd

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What if they get in as a top 4 seed? Would anyone here really care?

You should. You only get so many good bites at the apple per generation. Be careful what you wish for, bud.

Edit -- Sam Spade is an Oilers fan? Well huh. Maybe that figures.

As they have shown 3 times having the best team in the league doesnt help them i would say they have as good a shot as an 8
 

BiPolar Caps

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People are allowed to root for more than one team you know.

The Oilers were horrible for a LOT of years, mismanaged, poor drafting, poor coaching, not much to talk about or cheer for.

Ovechkin came along at a time when I was really down on the NHL. That and living in Maryland made the Caps a team I would cheer for.

I can't be the only person here who follows/roots more than one team?

Now if I was also a Pens fan, I should be given a lifetime ban. ;)
 

Sam Spade

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Thanks. Yeah, shutting down McDavid and getting the 2pts is a good thing, just can't figure out what makes this team show up and why. How was Connolly?

He hardly played, didn't notice him at all, except the fourth line got hemmed in a lot. Coming back from injury though so will cut him some slack.

They have to put Walker back in for someone. Does Gravoac play center because Beagle looks like ass.
 

brachyrynchos

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He hardly played, didn't notice him at all, except the fourth line got hemmed in a lot. Coming back from injury though so will cut him some slack.

They have to put Walker back in for someone. Does Gravoac play center because Beagle looks like ass.
Stephenson plays center, but I'm not sure how good he is in the circle, maybe drop Eller down to 4th? Walker should be playing,
Walker-Eller-Beagle?
 

marcel snapshot

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Connolly looked pretty off (understandable) - not in good spots for his linemates, unable to win board battles. Our board play was pretty meh last night, except for Eller - who really stands out along the wall on this team - and Wilson. Think those 2 may actually be helping Vrana up his game in that area. Stephenson is OK on boards as well. Rest of forwards were much less bueno.
 

um

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Stephenson plays center, but I'm not sure how good he is in the circle, maybe drop Eller down to 4th? Walker should be playing,
Walker-Eller-Beagle?

Eller has been amazing this year, don't be silly.

and why should Walker be playing? he does nothing out there, he's slighty better than O'Brian but without the toughness.

the lineup is fine as it is, we can have Chiasson as the 13th forward when everybody is healthy, and we can afford to give Connolly sometime to find his game. Now I never thought he'd be more than a 3rd/4th liner but he's still a better option than Walker/Graovac/O'Brian
 

maacoshark

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Stephenson plays center, but I'm not sure how good he is in the circle, maybe drop Eller down to 4th? Walker should be playing,
Walker-Eller-Beagle?
Stephenson is decent in the faceoff circle but I like him in the top six. I wouldn't mind Stephenson playing wing on Kuzys line but taking the faceoffs. Not sure what's going on with Beagle. He isn't playing very well. The only things he is bringing to this team right now is his faceoff ability but he was owned last night which was why we were hemmed in our own end so much
 

maacoshark

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Eller has been amazing this year, don't be silly.

and why should Walker be playing? he does nothing out there, he's slighty better than O'Brian but without the toughness.

the lineup is fine as it is, we can have Chiasson as the 13th forward when everybody is healthy, and we can afford to give Connolly sometime to find his game. Now I never thought he'd be more than a 3rd/4th liner but he's still a better option than Walker/Graovac/O'Brian
I agree with Walker not being in the lineup. He just hasn't shown he can play at this level. I might actually bump Connolly to our 13th forward
 
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brachyrynchos

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Eller has been amazing this year, don't be silly.

and why should Walker be playing? he does nothing out there, he's slighty better than O'Brian but without the toughness.

the lineup is fine as it is, we can have Chiasson as the 13th forward when everybody is healthy, and we can afford to give Connolly sometime to find his game. Now I never thought he'd be more than a 3rd/4th liner but he's still a better option than Walker/Graovac/O'Brian
I was being silly, what was I thinking? How about moving Eller into top 6 and dropping Backstrom for a few games? It rewards Eller and besides, Backstrom has been struggling. As for Walker, he may very well end up a poor man's Todd Krygier, I'd like to seem him play a few games in a row, which really hasn't been done yet, if he doesn't do anything, he got his shot andvthen he can be sent down or relegated to sit. My main problem with the Walker situation, is the way we moved up in the draft to get him, knowing his size was never gonna change, and that he was never get slotted into the top 6, and then never developed him into a better role player, esp. Penalty Killing.
 

brachyrynchos

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2 points!
And those 2 points will matter, come spring. The race in the East is ridiculously close right now, NYR are on a 6 game winning streak, Devils keep winning, Boston in the race with less games played. Build on the positives and get the points when you're supposed to.
 
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