Post-Game Talk: Caps @ Flyers 8pm Rivalry Nightâ„¢

[AtNightWeFly]

Blue jax, pens, flyers cant ALL continue their total dominance, can they? Feels like at least one has to cool off eventually

This makes me smile the ugly smile because the team that looks like its cooling off is the Caps!!!

 

[Holtbyisms]

...The ghost of Hobey Baker, Tyler Sloan, Winger the original Caps mascot, a conditional 3rd round pick, the Capstronaut pending parole, Jose Three-or-more, Daniel Winnik...

He would have actually been #1 before Oshie, probably the Capstronaut too.

 

[Capsman]

I'd rather the Caps catch fire after the all star like the Pens did. Let Columbus and the Rags have their fun right now

Not gonna just happen without changes.

 

[Ovie's Neighbor]

No, we can pass, that's what we do 95% of the time. The problem is that we overpass, hence the turnovers.

Right that is my point. We cannot pass and yet we overpass. It makes absolutely no sense. I mean I counted at least 5 terrible passes in the last 5 minutes of the game. The second Flyers goal was a bad pass. Kuzy made several bad passes in OT. We need to simplify our game, kind of like we did to score our second goal.

 

[Capitals40]

83 goals for. If the Caps made the playoffs they would struggle to score their usual 2 goals for per game in the playoffs.

 

[Ovie's Neighbor]

83 goals for. If the Caps made the playoffs they would struggle to score their usual 2 goals for per game in the playoffs.

Agree. And what is concerning is that I cannot remember a game where the other goalie stole the game. We just do not get any quality scoring chances at all. We make it so easy on the other team.

 

[Skrudland2Lomakin]

So the two best teams we've played in the past 8 games we've lost both. Yes, the 6 game winning streak was nice - but it seems like we are really just right there w/ everyone else in that second tier level.

GMBM needs to do more than Gleason, Weber, etc moves this season. If you don't perform - you need to go. This means Wilson, Schmidt, etc. If you can't perform and don't contribute - you just don't belong on the team. Flip them for someone who can contribute to a team looking to go deep in the playoffs NOW.

Also, sicne the All Star break last year Trotz hasn't been the same guy. Teams have figured something out about us. When we scored first early last year - it was game over. This year we blow leads and when we get leads teams tie it right after. That means a team isn't scared - they know something and stick to the gas. Trotz or his assistants need to start doing better. Blowing a first goal lead and then a 2-1 lead on a national televised game that's a big division game is VERY concerning.

You're going to flip third line pairing guys like Schmidt or third line grinders like Wilson into contributing trade dead line acquisitions? This is the same laughable narrative that always begins to blossom around the TDL, basically a "take my garbage, give me gold" type ideology you see on the main trade boards. Realistically all teams have depth like ours, and on paper our team is and has been for a while a SCF candidate, the acquisition of more talent is not the issue. The problem is not guys like Wilson or Schmidt (both of who have actually played very well considering their place on the team) contributing stats in line with their position on the depth chart. The problem is (an always has been) our big guys not showing up come the playoffs, it's seemingly a revolving door of our all star caliber players who go MIA come May.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

This makes me smile the ugly smile because the team that looks like its cooling off is the Caps!!!

How can we be cooling down when we haven't been hot in the first place?

Right that is my point. We cannot pass and yet we overpass. It makes absolutely no sense. I mean I counted at least 5 terrible passes in the last 5 minutes of the game. The second Flyers goal was a bad pass. Kuzy made several bad passes in OT. We need to simplify our game, kind of like we did to score our second goal.

Yeah, we just have to be a little bit wiser about passing late in games. The last 20 minutes of the game tarnished the work done during the previous 40 minutes where we were making nice passing plays like on the goal by Burt.

It's a shootout loss against a strong rival, not the end of the world. We'll get right back at them when they visit DC.

 

[Coldplay619]

We're Nashville 2.0 right now.

 

[bur and 666 others]

No urgency at the game. Flyers played Backstrom tight, took all his space. Same with Oshie. Kuznetsov was brutal, even though with his recent resurgence he is bad at forecheck and near boards. Can't enter the zone, dump the puck and then never can chase it. Ovie is not himself, hasn't scored forever. Good thing - the 3rd line is creating chances thanks for easier assignments against them. 4th line is at their usual awesomeness. Johansson wasn't visible much today, but he's good and this year he's awesome. Hated his game before, constantly loosing puck, but now he's solid. Orlov looked good, seems he's picked up his game from last his pizza deliver and after getting a new partner. Shmidt was brutal, too soft. Carlson - meh, but that's not the news. Azner and Niskanen can't shoot, what's the point to shoot from the point if their shots are so weak? Orpik - solid. If not Hotlby, the game could be ugly. Too many odd man rushes to my likening. We definitely don't look dominant, kind of an average team in the middle of pack. If the Russians (8 & 92) and Carlson wake up, this team will be unstoppable, but at this point I'm afraid that they aren't that good as we think.

 

[AtNightWeFly]

Hits are 28-42

What was wrong with last years style that they had to change it?

 

[Skrudland2Lomakin]

I probably sound like a broken record, but all this Chicken Little stuff with the firing or Trotz or trade all the players is silly. Would anyone on this board actually feel better if we were far and away the best team in the league right now? How can any Caps fan with a memory fool themselves into believing the regular season translates to the post season. It's not even January yet, I joked about it earlier, but I actually feel a little more excited than usual this year because this is a different type season for us, and that's what I want/what we need.


Some of you want to see us coast to another Prez trophy, I've seen that movie twice, I'd prefer to see what this team looks like if it has to be in a dog fight all season.

 

[Skrudland2Lomakin]

Hits are 28-42

What was wrong with last years style that they had to change it?

It didn't win us a Stanley Cup

 

[bur and 666 others]

We're Nashville 2.0 right now.

only without Weber and Josi. I thought we are more Blues without Tarasenko and with less spectacular D

 

[AtNightWeFly]

It didn't win us a Stanley Cup

And this new style wont even get us into the playoffs :/

 

[RaindanceMaggie]

I don't think fans are worried about the fact we aren't dominating like last season, the issue is that literally every team in our division outside of NJD have looked and are better than us so far. Something needs to change or we're going to look like this all season.

 

[troyerlaw]

Some of you want to see us coast to another Prez trophy, I've seen that movie twice, I'd prefer to see what this team looks like if it has to be in a dog fight all season.

Meh. We've seen both movies. They end same way.

 

[Tweedsuitcase]

I though they should have played for a whistle much earlier in OT. We have IMO a decent advantage over most teams 3v3 vs 4v4.

 

[Coldplay619]

Isabelle Khurshudyan ‏@ikhurshudyan 52s52 seconds ago
Trotz mentioned that Williams used to play here, still lives around here and just thought Williams would have the touch.

 

[Holtbyisms]

this

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Sometimes a hunch pays off sometimes it doesn't.

 

[AtNightWeFly]

This dude has officially lost it.

 

[RandyHolt]

OT PPs should be a 3 on 2. And an OT loss should count as a straight up loss... If we need to have losses in 2 categories, OT wins should be split as well.

Nick could be a bit more creative. His predictable 5 hole is fine, but at least get the goalie thinking or moving beforehand. Maybe someone can pull the shootout fancies on players not stickhandling before shooting.

Barry will never toss a bone to young high skill players that score and give them a shootout slot.

 

[SpinningEdge]

You're going to flip third line pairing guys like Schmidt or third line grinders like Wilson into contributing trade dead line acquisitions? This is the same laughable narrative that always begins to blossom around the TDL, basically a "take my garbage, give me gold" type ideology you see on the main trade boards. Realistically all teams have depth like ours, and on paper our team is and has been for a while a SCF candidate, the acquisition of more talent is not the issue. The problem is not guys like Wilson or Schmidt (both of who have actually played very well considering their place on the team) contributing stats in line with their position on the depth chart. The problem is (an always has been) our big guys not showing up come the playoffs, it's seemingly a revolving door of our all star caliber players who go MIA come May.

We have picks and prospects that can be added to deals. You add Schmidt or Wilson or someone else who does nothing just so the incoming roster player takes that persons spot.

We know those two aren't going to get anything valuable in return - but they're both on ELC's and we have picks and other non roster players to get a much better player in return than what those two bring...

 

[twabby]

I really hope Trotz's solution to the top 6 struggling isn't to go back to 8-19-77. Because that line has been bad for two years straight. Go with 90-19-14/8-92-77.