Post-Game Talk: Caps Isles 700

[RandyHolt]

The PP has been masking these same issues for years... always exposed come playoff time.

 

[bur and 666 others]

are we less skilled group in the nhl? heard somewhere that usually more skilled group wins the 2nd period where there are long shifts and we are dead 2nd from last at the 2nd periods.

why aren't we scoring in the 2nd period? even if the system is off, shouldn't we score when long shifts in the 2nd with the talent we have? it's puzzling me.

 

[g00n]

Well Holtby, this is what happens when you throw the team that got you paid under the bus.

lol OK. They stink just as bad before or after being called out, but it's Holtby's fault. Serious post.

 

[Hivemind]

Trotz disagrees with that assessment. I'm not sure he's altogether wrong but the top unit does IMO miss Johansson's net presence. There's zero without him now and the second unit hardly ever has anything going. Between that and terrible point play most nights the PP is going to remain an issue.

Whether or not Trotz sees Kuznetsov or Johansson as the best option, the fact the default zone entry is now the left wing dump-in play says all that needs to be said about his approach to the PP zone entry in 2016. It's a travesty. And his inability to make the adjustments needed to fix the issue, either with personnel or strategy, speaks volumes.

 

[Efactor]

The PP has been masking this same issues for years... always exposed come playoff time.

That is so true. We lose when the whistles get put away. Also, we are starting to look slow.

 

[hockeyfan88]

Barry Trotz is a very good coach. But this roster shouldn't been playing this kind of system. It's a waste.

Too bad Leonsis is freaking awful.

 

[aonb]

love this board, after win 3 or 4 pages of GDT, after spectacular loss already 11

by the way, on 100 shots taken by Niskanen, 101 is off target. guy is phenomenal at this department

 

[Devil Dancer]

They remind me of Oates' last year with the team. No identity, no cohesiveness. Terrible.

Lately they've been reminding me of the Cassidy\Jagr team from 2002-2003 that I think lost to TB in the playoffs. They were a veteran team with some decent weapons but almost no consistency or structure.

 

[HecticGlow]

Whether or not Trotz sees Kuznetsov or Johansson as the best option, the fact the default zone entry is now the left wing dump-in play says all that needs to be said about his approach to the PP zone entry in 2016. It's a travesty. And his inability to make the adjustments needed to fix the issue, either with personnel or strategy, speaks volumes.

I find it disturbing that he'd suggest Kuzy has the better zone entry, and then change the system to dump in. Having been on record before the personnel switch as saying their zone entries were fine.

I honestly don't think Trotz has a handle on what's going wrong here.

 

[Ovechkins Wodka]

lol OK. They stink just as bad before or after being called out, but it's Holtby's fault. Serious post.

It's not all on Holtby but he def threw gas on the dumpster fire

 

[Brian23]

I wish we could change time and find someway to swap Boudreau for Troz with the timings of their coaching stints. Trotz is such a good guy for instilling a culture and building a poor team up to respectable levels but he just doesn't have the offensive side of the game necessary to win in todays game. Bruce is terrible at building a team, but for a short time he can give a team a giant bump in play and (if tied with a team that's had a defensive mentality for quite awhile) he'd be able to get this team flying.

 

[g00n]

It's not all on Holtby but he def threw gas on the dumpster fire

If your star goaltender calling you out to play better and work harder makes you play worse you really shouldn't be on a championship team. Or even in the NHL.

 

[Brian23]

It's not all on Holtby but he def threw gas on the dumpster fire

No, he was airing out the gangrene wound that the teams been trying to hide under fancy frills. This game isn't on him and if the team quits because he called them out, they all should be shipped out.

 

[Ovechkins Wodka]

If your star goaltender calling you out to play better and work harder makes you play worse you really shouldn't be on a championship team. Or even in the NHL.

It's more of a divide in the team. They are skating hard and not getting last years record pace results, don't need the goalie ******** on you when you giving your all.

 

[twabby]

I don't think they played any worse collectively than they have in recent games, but they certainly weren't good either. The difference is they didn't have any puck luck tonight vs. many nights when they win despite playing poorly. The problem is far deeper than one loss.

Certain players are underperforming but there is really no excuse for the low to high system currently in place (in addition to the power play opting for point shots far more often than high quality chances). The Capitals generate far too few high quality chances as evidenced by their expected goals percentage being much lower than their shot attempt percentage (i.e. their shot attempts are from low danger areas moreso than their opponents).

This is what concerns me most, since this seems like a Trotz staple from the days when he had Shea Weber blasting 110 mph slap shots from the point. This system doesn't make sense when teams are willing to lay down the body and block shots. Guess what time of year opponents are more willing to sacrifice the body to block point shots? It's no wonder the Capitals struggle to score goals come postseason.

 

[g00n]

It's more of a divide in the team. They are skating hard and not getting last years record pace results, don't need the goalie ******** on you when you giving your all.

He's saying they're not. I think he would know more than a bunch of fans like us, don't you?

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

It's more of a divide in the team. They are skating hard and not getting last years record pace results, don't need the goalie ******** on you when you giving your all.

"Giving your all"?!! you're kidding right?

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

Didn't watch. Reading that Orlov had a high pizza/60 tonight? Chimdog with a backhanded snipe?

 

[Blitzkrieg365]

Orlov needs to sit for a game after tonight. It would be interesting to see Bowey play a game just to see how he does but bringing him up when the team is playing so poorly probably isn't the best idea.

 

[Capsman]

Barry Trotz is a very good coach. But this roster shouldn't been playing this kind of system. It's a waste.

Too bad Leonsis is freaking awful.

He is a very good coach if you have a team lacking forward talent.

 

[Ovechtrick89*]

This team needs to play fast, honestly with the players they have there is no other way.

 

[g00n]

-3-0 shutout loss to last place team and hated divisional foe
-against former goaltender who quit on the team in a playoff push
-plus scored on by former Capital
-while a veteran is victim of a cheap headshot from hated rival player with nobody standing up for him
-all despite 4 days of rest against a team that's played 3 games in 4 nights
-at home
-while going 0-6 on the power play, which now sits in the bottom third of the league
-after being bag skated by your coach and called out by your star goalie....

 

[Ovechkins Wodka]

I like tortz but after last seasons success of playing the right system every night and failure. Tortz one message has grown old. I can't think of a better coach or how he can change his ways with the team.

 

[Hivemind]

Jack Eichel playing well helps Bylsma's job security. Dislike.

 

[Ovechkins Wodka]

Jack Eichel playing well helps Bylsma's job security. Dislike.

To be real, Tortz prolly has the driver seat of the next window.