GDT: Caps @ Rangers - 7pm ET

[SherVaughn30]

While I agree, this team still needs to find a way to score goals. Badly.

No disagreement there, but I like to see someone seriously argue against me that had Chucky been in net, this would have been maybe a 1 goal loss or maybe we at least steal a point and force it into OT. I wasn't expecting the Caps to shutout the Rags again if Chucky was in net, but he has an advantage over Kuemper with his reads and quickness, which are something a goalie needs to beat the Rags!

As I stated before, if the Caps start generating more capable offensive production from their back end, then it has to open up some space for the forwards to score more. Opponents still don't respect the idea of the Caps D being scoring threats so they basically collapse/cheat closer to their goalie to suffocate the Caps forwards trying to generate scoring threats below the dots.

Another thing, Kuzy is paid almost $8 million per year to have top end scoring production, yet he's showing almost nothing except in the measly shootout! BMac, ship his @SS out of here! If he aint gonna produce, then he can do his on/off switch routine somewhere else! Look, it might be a contract year for Mantha but at least he's stepping up and putting up points! Mantha looks like he might be finding his niche in Carbery's system and he's smiling having fun doing it. Kuzy is just becoming a total @SS and really getting annoying wasting a roster spot doing nothing, while we have younger players trying to bust their butt for the new coach and stay in the lineup!

I was gonna say, ‘At least Devils and islanders both lost in regulation.’ But the Devils tied it late. And then won in OT

Amazes me how the Devils team keeps bailing out Vanecek's suspect goaltending, which we all knew from his time here.

 

[SherVaughn30]

YOUNG. GUYS. NEED. TO. SCORE.

This is what you get when you rebuild with youth. I think we have the appropriate amount in with Lappy and Miro in Hershey. A bit too much youth when they are both in. But i like getting them some games. Will be good to see Oshie and Patches come in.

Patches, yes because I really want to see what he give offensively that this team hasn't shown yet. Oshie is no! I will never question his character and leadership, but the guy has been so banged up that honestly, he has nothing left in the tank.

 

[Ovechkins Wodka]

We go up 1-0 vs the Rangers and DK lets in a bunch of softies and it totally kills the team mo. I didnt get starting DK in the 1st place and he let us down. Check the teams record scoring 1st and holding the lead. Letting in all those bad goals is a back breaker.

 

[SherVaughn30]

We go up 1-0 vs the Rangers and DK lets in a bunch of softies and it totally kills the team mo. I didnt get starting DK in the 1st place and he let us down. Check the teams record scoring 1st and holding the lead. Letting in all those bad goals is a back breaker.

Better put than my lengthy, too long of a book read rant!

 

[SherVaughn30]

We go up 1-0 vs the Rangers and DK lets in a bunch of softies and it totally kills the team mo. I didnt get starting DK in the 1st place and he let us down. Check the teams record scoring 1st and holding the lead. Letting in all those bad goals is a back breaker.

My only thinking was that if they didn't start Kuemper, then his next possible start would be too long of a stretch of another 4 days, as they have the Isles/Preds back2back. This game was a big set back for Kuemper re-establishing himself as the #1. Now the coaches have back themselves into a corner a bit. Do you start Chucky against the Isles and then have Kuemper get lit up by the Preds, who can play a fast game like the Rags?

 

[Ovechkins Wodka]

You want to win the metro div games 1st

 

[RedRocking]

My only thinking was that if they didn't start Kuemper, then his next possible start would be too long of a stretch of another 4 days, as they have the Isles/Preds back2back. This game was a big set back for Kuemper re-establishing himself as the #1. Now the coaches have back themselves into a corner a bit. Do you start Chucky against the Isles and then have Kuemper get lit up by the Preds, who can play a fast game like the Rags?

The Isles one is potentially a 4 pt game, so you start your best option, Chuck. That is, ofc, if he’s 100%. He may not have started today cause he was so banged up by the end of OT against TB. If they can beat the Isles in regulation, they can lose to the Preds for all I care.

The team as a whole needs to be more decisive in shooting the puck. There’s way too much passing and overthinking going on - seam pass, drop pass, hold/stare, try to center - BLOCK. Guys have to be ready to shoot before the goalie has a chance to react/re-set, and then crash the net for rebounds - get dirty.

And as you’ve said, they need more offense generated from the blue line. It’s crazy that Carlson can’t buy a goal right now. Like to see more point shots with net front traffic for screens, deflections, or to jump on rebounds for greasy goals. *this message brought to you by Alan May*

 

[trick9]

Solid effort before collapsed. They kept Rangers to nothing but the wheels came off after the first goal and shortly after the 2nd period ended with 0-5 high-danger chance advantage for the Rangers. They had 1 in the first ~25 minutes.

Rough game for the top-line (shocker) and Miro showed that he's not ready just yet against these top teams.

As for Kuznetsov... i hope they have those buy-out papers ready for the summer.

 

[StrikingDistance]

DK is an average goalie, but you can't win by scoring only 1 goal.

From what I saw, Beck had the best opportunities to score....our 4th line winger.

Not good.

Also, wanted to see more grit/fight/nastiness from the Caps but think they were still enjoying the holidays.

 

[stephenball]

My take is that Kuemper was exactly as dogshit as the rest of the team after the first. He wasn’t good, but I also understand him getting the start, as he’s played really well in his past three games. I’m not going to bitch and moan and say “if we started Lindgren and he could shut them out again, MAYBE we could win the game”. The team was pathetic. It looked like you’d expect a Caps Rangers game to look based on preseason projections.

Kuemper has to be consistently better for sure. But if our dream is to try to win every game by scoring 1 goal and then winning the shootout I don’t know how well that’s going to work out in the long run.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

They normally start a bit slow then play better in the second and lock things down in the third. Last night was the exact opposite so that was a bummer.

They really need to figure out how to score, especially at evens. Ovi needs to get on track and hopefully Patches and Milano are back soon.

Book Kuznetsov on the first trip to the ISS please. Cosmonaut Kuzy reporting for duty.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

What did last night‘s (fancy stats) report card look like?

 

[zappa4ever]

Good 1st esp after the first 5+
Good 2nd until the late PPG, then the quickie/screened goals took care of the rest

Not really a bad game until into the 3rd
but luck is going to run out only scoring 1 thru 40 most games,
we've been fortunate to play so many tight games and hold on but it ain't gonna work that way all season

I see Kuemper is the whipping boy du jour

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

What did last night‘s (fancy stats) report card look like?

Caps had the majority of the shot attempts at even strength but got bullied in high danger chances after the first period. Washington was unlucky not to be winning after the first but New York crushed them in the second and the third was a wash by that point.

Edmundson and Jensen were brutal as was the Kuznetsov line. The Dowd line had one of their better games according to the fancies.

Kuemper let us 2.7 goals above expectation according to MoneyPuck. Not great. He picked a rough night to have a rough night.

 

[notDkristich]

What did last night‘s (fancy stats) report card look like?

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

That’s a lot of black holes….look at Kuzy looking relatively ok lol….

 

[TheSmokingMan]

While I think it's important to point out that the team only scored 1 goal, the goalie has to give the team timely saves and an opportunity to win. Caps weren't playing too bad until DK gave up those softies in the 2nd period and completely deflated the team. I've been a defender of DK, but there's no way around it in this one, he cost them the game.

I noticed that there was hesitation and uncertainty in his game, evidenced by how deep he was playing and not challenging the shooters. On the shots where he appeared to be screened, he wasn't tracking the puck very well and wasn't in the right position to make the save sitting so deep in the crease. He didn't look like a confident goalie.

I think you have to give Lindgren the starts until Kuemper proves he has his confidence back. With the lack of goalscoring, the Caps need a goalie in net that can steal games. Considering the number of back to backs we have, we actually need two.

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That checks out with my eye test, I thought Edmundson looked lost last night.