GDT: Caps vs Rangers 7pm ET Feb 24

[CapitalsCupReality]

Didn't watch it. Did we lose because of goaltending? Or do we suck in general? Not good trend going to the playoffs we'll be lucky to win a game in the 1st round

hung in there until the first softy and it spiraled from there….common theme…

 

[Capsman]

He might not be the solution, but Samsonov definitely isn’t, and VV is the better option.

You more or less know what you’re getting with VV. Sure he might be small at times, probably doesn’t have Sammy’s flexibility, but I’ll take the consistency. One area I think he definitely is better than Sammy is stopping the 2nd and 3rd shot. Sammy, in the process of making saves, really takes himself out of position or gets himself off balance. I also don’t like the way he moves in the crease, doesn’t stay upright while pushing from side to side. Just not very wrong on his skates in my view. His puck handling is meh. Honestly I liked his goaltending better last season than this. Which brings me to coaching. It’s truly a shame that we haven’t upgraded from Murray.

 

[usiel]

Kinda taken back how soft and passionless this team is. They came out of the gate like a sloth on anti-depressants. They should have been pumped for this game after a week off and at the Garden. Game could have used some nasty right off the bat Wilson was clearly laying off hits. But I remember the regular season SC year that when they needed to get going AO and Wilson would just start punishing the D and wearing them down till they started giving up the puck like a hot potato. This is the time of the year they have to put on their boot straps. Hate Hate Hate the D has no confidence to step on the defensive blue line even when they can. Also the lack of energy or fire reminds me when it is time for a coaching change.

Still boggles my mind just how bad the PP and PK is.

 

[SherVaughn30]

Just putting this in perspective regarding Sammy. J.F. Berube is the emergency 3rd string goalie for the CBJ's, as their #1 Elvis M. and #2 Korposalo are both injured. On the road against the offensive juggernaut Panthers, Berube stops 39 of 42 shots to help this team win 6-3. Caps didn't play for a week, but goalies don't have an excuse like the players of not playing for a week. Sammy had flashes of great play, bad rebounds in front and worst of all misreads on certain plays that a 3rd year NHL goalie should have picked up on by now.

He's just not showing the maturity needed to grow into a #1 goalie.

 

[SherVaughn30]

Most nights when you out shoot a team 37 to 21, you are more likely to win the game. Besides bad goaltending, awful PP, the Caps also lacked finish and bad passes. Even though the Caps didn't play for a week, they should have still beat the Rangers tonight.

 

[Pigskin]

At least Pit lost today

If we don't pull our finger out of our butts quick and go on a run, gonna be facing Carolina or Florida first round
Much rather play Pit or the Rags

 

[SherVaughn30]

At least Pit lost today

If we don't pull our finger out of our butts quick and go on a run, gonna be facing Carolina or Florida first round
Much rather play Pit or the Rags

I don't want to play either of them, becuz against both they will screw the Caps over calling penalties.

 

[nothingbeatshockey]

Had to watch this when I got home from work. Thank God I didn't watch this pathetic excuse of an effort live. The Caps looked like they forgot that their break was over. As someone said earlier ..."like a sloth on anti-depressants".

They looked like we cared more about them winning than they did.

Done with Sammy. If Montreal really is interested in him, send him to them with another forward [Hags?] to get some cap relief and find a goalie.

 

[um]

I don't want to play either of them, becuz against both they will screw the Caps over calling penalties.

It'd be a good strategy on their part.

Get into a special teams battle with the Caps and you will probably win.

 

[aonb]

now watch sammy play 2 decent games in a row and this board would start talking about him in terms of #1 goalie again. this guy is 25
25 and all we see are flashes, nothing more

 

[SherVaughn30]

Had to watch this when I got home from work. Thank God I didn't watch this pathetic excuse of an effort live. The Caps looked like they forgot that their break was over. As someone said earlier ..."like a sloth on anti-depressants".

They looked like we cared more about them winning than they did.

Done with Sammy. If Montreal really is interested in him, send him to them with another forward [Hags?] to get some cap relief and find a goalie.

I think it's becoming very obvious who BMac can package together for a #1 goalie. You have Sammy, Sprong, Schultz and Kempny as trade chips. Maybe some lower tier prospects as well.

 

[SherVaughn30]

now watch sammy play 2 decent games in a row and this board would start talking about him in terms of #1 goalie again. this guy is 25
25 and all we see are flashes, nothing more

Caps need to cut ties with Sammy. It's a pipe dream if he becomes a #1 goalie with this team. Ironic how Sammy was projected to be a #1 goalie and VV was projected to be a backup, yet Vitek has been the better goalie. Sammy has digressed for a 2nd season in a row compared to his rookie year(this season the Caps defense is better than last season). Vitek has actually improved from his rookie year.

 

[IafrateOvie34]

I don't want to play either of them, becuz against both they will screw the Caps over calling penalties.

I say play whoever. If we're going in, we're going to be playing one or all of them. We exorcised the demons in 2018, let's get in and see.

 

[ovikovy817]

We're back in the times where we're happy to say "at least Ovi scored"

 

[marcel snapshot]

The persistent stickiness of Carlson’s suckage is really concerning. The stuff he didn’t do that well - skate, be positionally strong defensively - he’s much worse at, and lots of the stuff he did well - move the puck deftly, jump into the rush smartly, get his shot thru and hit the net - ha fallen off

 

[g00n]

Caps need to cut ties with Sammy. It's a pipe dream if he becomes a #1 goalie with this team. Ironic how Sammy was projected to be a #1 goalie and VV was projected to be a backup, yet Vitek has been the better goalie. Sammy has digressed for a 2nd season in a row compared to his rookie year(this season the Caps defense is better than last season). Vitek has actually improved from his rookie year.

 

[Ovie's Neighbor]

I don't want to play either of them, becuz against both they will screw the Caps over calling penalties.

The way the Caps are playing right now they are losing against whoever they play in the playoffs. I am not thinking about matchups one bit.

 

[Midnight Judges]

Caps need to cut ties with Sammy. It's a pipe dream if he becomes a #1 goalie with this team. Ironic how Sammy was projected to be a #1 goalie and VV was projected to be a backup, yet Vitek has been the better goalie. Sammy has digressed for a 2nd season in a row compared to his rookie year(this season the Caps defense is better than last season). Vitek has actually improved from his rookie year.

Vanacek isn't the answer either.

 

[marcel snapshot]

The match-up calculating seems like a fool's errand. I've felt like almost every year in the playoffs beginning with - and since - the Montreal debacle, the Caps most formidable foe has been . . . the Caps. In 07-08 when we lost to the Flyers and in 08-09 when we lost to the Pens, we lost to the better team. Since then, my view is that for the most part we lose series by beating ourselves. We win them by not beating ourselves.

Maybe it will be different this year, because we look so old and slow and sluggish right now. But if what we see right now is all that we can bring to the table, then anybody is better than us, and so the matchup game again doesn't matter - but for an entirely different, and more deflating, reason.

 

[Langway]

Some data to chew on and spit out:

Among 295 skaters that have played 600+ minutes 5v5 Tom Wilson ranks seventh-last among forwards in On-Ice Shots/60. Their highest-ranked on-ice shot pace 5v5 player in that group is Carlson at 110th. Hagelin (!!!) is their best forward at 135th. The next highest forward is Ovechkin at 179th and then Kuznetsov at 235th. Those are the only four forwards that have played that amount to date. Hathaway will soon join them and would become their highest-pace 5v5 on-ice shot producer. Overall McMichael leads regulars and would seem to now be the first man to sit. Sprong is third and already sitting. Overall team 5v5 Shots/60 is 15th but only STL/DAL/NYR are worse among playoff teams.

The Caps are tops in the league in scoring first at 35. They're also tied for the least trailing first games with CGY/CAR, who have played three fewer. But their Points% when scoring first is eleventh-worst and only NJD/ARI have more regulation losses when scoring first. The only playoff teams with a worse Points% when scoring first are LAK/STL. That's a STL team that has the best Points% when trailing first. WSH's record when trailing first is 16th but the only playoff teams worse are CGY/DAL. Only eight teams have fewer trailing first wins and none are playoff teams (they're tied with CGY/DAL/NJD with just six).

After tonight they're 10-9-4 against current playoff teams (w/ DAL included over EDM). They started the season 6-1-3 and have gone 4-8-1 since 11/28. The four wins were vs. NSH (twice), PIT in OT and the DAL rout.

They're a fringe team with little apparent strength beyond being a generally good road team and having fair 5v5 defensive numbers. That's generally the impact of the coaching staff's priorities but it comes at the expense of any substantial ceiling. It feels a lot like Hunter hockey, albeit more up-ice and preventative than parking the bus. But similarly glib and hands-off when it comes to offensive fundamentals or execution in any sense. It's a recipe for points and getting into the playoffs but little more. And maybe not even that.

 

[max21]

It’s actually comical how often they still talk about Tom Wilson over there, they will never let it go. I love it!

 

[crazy8888]

At least Pit lost today

If we don't pull our finger out of our butts quick and go on a run, gonna be facing Carolina or Florida first round
Much rather play Pit or the Rags

Jackets are right on their tail. If finger is not pulled from butts quickly the only opponents the boys are going to see is on a golf course.

 

[Peeri]

Jackets are right on their tail. If finger is not pulled from butts quickly the only opponents the boys are going to see is on a golf course.

It's true and also pretty incredible. Capitals playoffs chances were like 98% just few weeks ago, but dropping now at fast pace. It's still very likely that they make it, but it's no longer a given.

 

[Langway]

Just noticed Backstrom played a team-low 10:05 at EV in this one. The Talk may need to happen this summer.

Also surprised McMichael played just ten seconds less than Wilson at EV and more than HDH.

 

[twabby]

Just noticed Backstrom played a team-low 10:05 at EV in this one. The Talk may need to happen this summer.

Also surprised McMichael played just ten seconds less than Wilson at EV and more than HDH.

Yeah I noticed the Backstrom number last night and just got a little sad. You can’t even really say he should have got more ice time since he’s laboring so much and not contributing to anything dangerous offensively.

I’m struggling to see a path forward with him in the top 6. It’s not rust any more, he’s played 20 games and has had months to get into shape. His hip just isn’t allowing him to play any more and it stinks. I don’t know what the team can do about it. LTIRement is an option but if he’s not in constant pain or w/e would he go for that? Hockey players have a lot of pride and I doubt he wants to go out that way.