Post-Game Talk: caps canes 7:00 hockey yay

[Capsman]

Boy we really are offensively dysfunctional. Not a chance in hell we get out of the second round.

 

[Raikkonen]

At least I can use those 2 PIM in my pool.

 

[Coldplay619]

Stick to the script.

 

[Hivemind]

Stick to the script.

Will over Skill

 

[Brian23]

Seems like a great time to demand some accountability. Send Sanford down and call up Vrana maybe.

This would literally be status quo. You'd be telling the veterans nothing by sending a rookie down.

 

[troyerlaw]

Penguins gonna spank us next week

 

[CapsCrazyX17]

Boy we really are offensively dysfunctional. Not a chance in hell we get out of the second round.

At this rate we won't even get out of the first round

 

[troyerlaw]

Will over Skill

I didn't see either one tonight

 

[troyerlaw]

If the team looks like junk at mid-season, I would can Trotz and bring up the Hershey coach. This approach has worked for Pens both times they've done it, and to a lesser, but still significant degree, it worked for Caps when they promoted Boudreau. Arrivals of Bylsma, Boudreau, and Sullivan, respectively, ignited dramatic turnarounds. Can be especially fruitful with a roster like ours which is talented but underperforming.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

If the team looks like junk at mid-season, I would can Trotz and bring up the Hershey coach. This approach has worked for Pens both times they've done it, and to a lesser, but still significant degree, it worked for Caps when they promoted Boudreau. Arrivals of Bylsma, Boudreau, and Sullivan, respectively, ignited dramatic turnarounds. Can be especially fruitful with a roster like ours which is talented but underperforming.

The Bears' coach Mann looks good. I don't know if the time to fire Trotz is now or not (too early IMO), but I'd hope for Mann to be his successor.

 

[artilector]

I only bothered watching the first period.

It feels like Oates' team with better individual players (they are, aren't they??).
Maybe Trotz needs a bunch of North American hardasses(es) to live and die with tight sphincter defense and sandpaper grinding shifts from sunrise to sunset.
With all the skill on the team, the all-time best Trotz line has been Chimera-Fehr-Ward.

Of course, it's still crazy that we haven't seen one consistently functioning line out of Backstrom/Ovi/Kuz/Oshie/Bura/Mojo/etc -- I don't care what the underlying system is. It's like the Caps have managed to collect the only possible puzzle pieces that don't really fit in any combination.

The most incredible thing to me might be that I am still writing something about this right now, heh. After this "final window" season I think I'm not gonna care about SC chances, either. Just give me a 2009 Caps team that scores nice goals in bunches, they can use pylons on defense, doesn't matter. And... a great goalie to piss other teams off in playoffs, haha.

 

[Dr John Carlson]

With all the skill on the team, the all-time best Trotz line has been Chimera-Fehr-Ward.

IIRC, the Chimera - XXXXXX - Ward wasn't that good after Oates was exterminated.

 

[Devil Dancer]

This would literally be status quo. You'd be telling the veterans nothing by sending a rookie down.

There aren't many options in a cap world. It isn't like they can cut someone significant or make a trade. Sanford for Vrana (or someone else) is one of the few moves they can make. It's that or more line juggling.

 

[RaindanceMaggie]

I know this will probably come off wrong and get some heat but in terms of offence I think our struggles stem from a lack of competent centre men. Both Nick & Kuz have been terrible so far this year and have provided almost zero support to OV, MOJO & Oshie who have had to shoulder the offence so far. I'm sure one of them will figure it out and start playing better probably Backstrom but I don't see us even getting out of the first round with Kuznetsov playing as bad as he currently is.

 

[HecticGlow]

I know this will probably come off wrong and get some heat but in terms of offence I think our struggles stem from a lack of competent centre men. Both Nick & Kuz have been terrible so far this year and have provided almost zero support to OV, MOJO & Oshie who have had to shoulder the offence so far. I'm sure one of them will figure it out and start playing better probably Backstrom but I don't see us even getting out of the first round with Kuznetsov playing as bad as he currently is.

I wonder if that's true, or if the wingers are to blame. Last season Kuzy had consistently good wingers - particularly Bura and Williams. Bura has, again, forgotten how to score, and Williams is barely even 'there' right now. Ovi hasn't gotten going with Backstrom or Kuzy, whereas Mojo has been good regardless of center. And Oshie's only really looked good with Eller.

Orlov and Carlson seems to have been playing more with Ovi than Kuzy lately - they should change that up, as Orlov can be the fourth skater receiving Kuzy's passes.

What is increasingly clear is that we're missing at least one scoring winger - curiously in place of Williams, not Wilson as I'd expected.

I'm wondering if there's a plan to trade Winnik - he's a good, grinding, PKing pending UFA - shouldn't be that hard to package him away, exposing a good $2.25m cap hit. Throw in the spare cap space from sending Galiev down and the Caps have $2.5-2.75m spare (and obviously that money will have been banked a little). What I find curious is that they continue to alternate between Winnik, Connelly and Sanford, but Winnik is getting minimal PK time when he does play (Oshie has replaced him on PK1 with Beagle it seems). If Winnik isn't going to PK, his value to us has gone down significantly, and Trotz specifically mentioned it had been a good 'test' that they could 'PK by committee'. So, who could you get for that cap hit (and exchanged for Winnik + picks/prospects)?

 

[ovikovy817]

Penguins gonna spank us next week

I'm more worried about Columbus. 10 against MTL, 8 against STL

 

[trick9]

Well that was waste of time.

Orpik-Schmidt bleeding chances and goals against.

Remember when everyone wanted Backstrom to shoot more and cringed whanever Johansson took a shot. Well, someone flipped their shooting abilities now.

Grubauer the best Caps player in the game. Capitals propably gave up nearly 20 high-danger scoring chances there.

 

[twabby]

I only bothered watching the first period.

It feels like Oates' team with better individual players (they are, aren't they??).
Maybe Trotz needs a bunch of North American hardasses(es) to live and die with tight sphincter defense and sandpaper grinding shifts from sunrise to sunset.
With all the skill on the team, the all-time best Trotz line has been Chimera-Fehr-Ward.

Of course, it's still crazy that we haven't seen one consistently functioning line out of Backstrom/Ovi/Kuz/Oshie/Bura/Mojo/etc -- I don't care what the underlying system is. It's like the Caps have managed to collect the only possible puzzle pieces that don't really fit in any combination.

The most incredible thing to me might be that I am still writing something about this right now, heh. After this "final window" season I think I'm not gonna care about SC chances, either. Just give me a 2009 Caps team that scores nice goals in bunches, they can use pylons on defense, doesn't matter. And... a great goalie to piss other teams off in playoffs, haha.

The Capitals were excellent this season with Kuznetsov and Ovechkin on the first line and Tre Kronor as the second line. As long as Trotz doesn't insist on Backstrom and Ovechkin being paired together there are combinations that work well together.

Trotz also needs to consider shaking up the defensive pairings. Alzner and Niskanen has been the worst possession pairing by far and there's no reason they absolutely have to be together just because it's the way Trotz has always done it. I've said it before but I'd flip Alzner and Orlov. What's to lose at this point? More importantly, what is there to be gained? Two dynamic defensive pairings could be the result.

 

[kmart]

The most incredible thing to me might be that I am still writing something about this right now, heh. After this "final window" season I think I'm not gonna care about SC chances, either. Just give me a 2009 Caps team that scores nice goals in bunches, they can use pylons on defense, doesn't matter. And... a great goalie to piss other teams off in playoffs, haha.

i am on that side too, actually i think a lot are. sadly they cant make the transition to a 2009 caps team anymore even if they wanted to. ovy is not in his mid 20 and the rest is not build to play north south fast pace. we have nothing, no entertaining full throttle regular season team and no playoff proven warriors either. dont know if the window is open right know, anyway people stopped caring u can see it in the gdt pages every game.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Oye...

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

Thanks for showing up.

 

[Bladerunner]

i am on that side too, actually i think a lot are. sadly they cant make the transition to a 2009 caps team anymore even if they wanted to. ovy is not in his mid 20 and the rest is not build to play north south fast pace. we have nothing, no entertaining full throttle regular season team and no playoff proven warriors either. dont know if the window is open right know, anyway people stopped caring u can see it in the gdt pages every game.

Me three.

I've noticed that too if you're referring to a lack of interest, lower participation. Btw this is my 1st HF post this season
Maybe due to an early part of the season effect... or jaded due to good to great reg seasons coupled w/playoff disappointments.