Post-Game Talk: Caps vs Tampa Bay Bucs News at 7

[txpd]

You cover Ov and Oshie leads the team in power play goals.

Please I am curious. What alterations would you like? The pp shooters are all right handed and are spread over the zone.

 

[Ovie's Neighbor]

I think the PP should have some alterations after all these years. You cover Ovi and limit the zone entry: No PP goal.

Also, no anger here. Just having a laugh that Blaine used a timeout to map what everyone knew he was going to do. Sure you can have the best players whatever, but if it’s predictable, you can defend it.

Ciao!

Realistically he used the timeout to rest the players. Sure he drew up some plays but that wasn’t the major reason why.

 

[marcel snapshot]

Kuzy, Ovie, 4th line good. D good, especially Jensen and Fever. VV outstanding, but he did not look well-positioned on that OT goal.

 

[Baszie]

The OT goal was poor from Ovie. If you can’t keep up with your man, just take the penalty with 15 sec to go.

 

[traparatus]

Exceptional game for Vanecek, I thought. Lightning had a ton of chances and this game could have turned really ugly if not for the goaltending.

 

[Melkor]

Mantha as usual looked disinterested and out of sync. Sometimes I wonder tf is he doing/not doing at practice to look this bad. He's like Vrana but with a different sauce and on a different plate. Still tastes like shit

 

[AussieCapsFan]

Mantha as usual looked disinterested and out of sync. Sometimes I wonder tf is he doing/not doing at practice to look this bad. He's like Vrana but with a different sauce and on a different plate. Still tastes like shit

Yeah he's a strange one. Definitely has talent but seems like he's not yet dialled in mentally. Might end up being one of those frustrating hot and cold type players. Still too early to criticise him imo, especially given that Eller has been very very average these first two games.

 

[g00n]

The defensive effort tonight was solid enough against an excellent TB team, but only generating 2 xG (and only about 1 at ES) is indicative of the big issue going forward. They need to be able to generate more chances at ES, it’s been their big downfall the past few postseasons.

Why do you keep repeating this? We've gone over it many times.

They were THIRD in the NHL in 5v5 goals last season, FIFTH the year before, THIRD the year before that, etc.

What would satisfy you? Being first overall every year in the regular season? Does moving up one or two spotss guarantee playoff performance?

The "big issue" is choking in the playoffs. Full stop.

 

[marcel snapshot]

Saw very little from Sheary and Sprong. Would think on of them sits for McMichael soon if they keep being non-factors. Jimi was Ok, but seemed a bit unsure in the D zone

 

[Baszie]

Why do you keep repeating this? We've gone over it many times.

They were THIRD in the NHL in 5v5 goals last season, FIFTH the year before, THIRD the year before that, etc.

What would satisfy you? Being first overall every year in the regular season? Does moving up one or two spotss guarantee playoff performance?

The "big issue" is choking in the playoffs. Full stop.

2nd and 3rd line wasn’t able to create any offense. All our chances came from Ovi and a version of Kuzy that we had not seen for a couple years.

 

[g00n]

2nd and 3rd line wasn’t able to create any offense. All our chances came from Ovi and a version of Kuzy that we had not seen for a couple years.

Are we talking about one game? The 2nd game of the season vs the b2b defending champs and possibly best goalie in the world?

Yeah not going to extrapolate a hell of a lot from any panic about that yet.

 

[pman25]

Play McMichael

 

[BiPolar Caps]

I have to say that after two games, I've been overall pleasantly surprised with the Capitals performance. Seems like the team is feeling the full effect of a Laviolette/McCarthy training camp. Team seems to be better disciplined (didn't give up the PP opportunities to the Bolts) and better structured.

Vanecek has been strong. Ovie is the Picture of Dorian Gray. Orlov, TVR, Jensen and Fehervary have all been impressive. Would have liked to have seen Fever play in the 3v3 last night instead of Schultz and was thinking that just before Schultz blew a tire that almost cost us a goal. Fever has the wheels take advantage of that with the more open ice, same goes for Sprong and Lapierre would have liked to have seen them with more open ice with the 3v3. Fourth line has been outstanding and you saw it last night as Lavy kept going back to them, curious what their minutes were for the game. Won't say anything about the 2nd line of Eller, Mantha, Sprong as I want to be positive after just two games. Kuzy looks engaged and Wilson is always engaged!

 

[Raikkonen]

Fever had his share of blunders too. If VV wasn't that good those could have been goals.

2nd game only anyway

 

[Langway]

We often talk a lot about skating/pace up front but the middle six also lacks wiggle and playmaking. Oshie has some but not the pace so much. Sheary has PKed some but to me if there's another forward to sit aside from Lapierre it's him. Mantha is indeed disappointing considering what could be imagined with that skill set vs. what's applied.

It resembled the playoffs an awful lot. They're in such good shape with having a fourth line able to match up against top lines. NYI is the only other team that comes to mind remotely capable of that. But it's wasted when the middle six doesn't exploit favorable match-ups. The PP also crucially couldn't come through. All in all a strong barometer but one where you wonder just how much they'll be able to improve upon it. Even a healthy Backstrom isn't an amazing 5-on-5 creator. The defense, although good, is likely not capable of adding terribly much more at both ends. They have the look of a playoff team at least but there's a fair degree of subtlety and hockey IQ that I'm not sure whether they're able to incorporate into their game at this stage. With more games they'll continue to add chemistry but that goes for every team.

 

[ClevelandCapsfan]

Mantha as usual looked disinterested and out of sync. Sometimes I wonder tf is he doing/not doing at practice to look this bad. He's like Vrana but with a different sauce and on a different plate. Still tastes like shit

Really starting to worry whether the Mantha acquisition was a big mistake. I just don’t see any fire from him let alone any chemistry with any veterans. At what point does the honeymoon period end?

 

[kicksavedave]

Really starting to worry whether the Mantha acquisition was a big mistake. I just don’t see any fire from him let alone any chemistry with any veterans. At what point does the honeymoon period end?

Its a fair question, but I would say the answer has to be after a full season, 82 games, at the least. Hell Richard Panik got what, 95 games to show us he didn't belong in the NHL anymore. Mantha has only played 16 rs games for us, and he was one of the better players in our splendid 5 game playoff journey.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Its a fair questions, but i would say the answer has to be after a full season, 82 games, at the least. Hell Richard Panik got what, 95 games to show us he didn't belong in the NHL anymore. Mantha has only played 16 rs games for us, and he was one of the better players in our splendid 5 game playoff journey.

Yep this…..reel it in people…..have some patience.

 

[crab]

Hendrix isn’t ready, talented but he needs more time to develop.

Eller/Sprong/Mantha isn’t working.

They need to upgrade Sheary he brings nothing.

Ideally Backstrom comes back healthy soon. McMichael slots in for Sheary.

 

[zappa4ever]

Good game
tight game
TB played very good defense 1st 2 periods
Vanecek came up big again

Any game we give up only 1 in reg is a good game. period.
take the point, leave the cannoli, or somethin'

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Interesting how much Tampa rides their top-4….29, 27, 25, 25 mins….5/6 got 10/8 mins….

 

[ovikovy817]

Interesting how much Tampa rides their top-4….29, 27, 25, 25 mins….5/6 got 10/8 mins….

Rutta left the ice I think in the middle of the game but still amazing the number of minutes for Hedman

In the beggining of the 3rd I saw a graphic with 20+ minutes for him

 

[BiPolar Caps]

Hendrix isn’t ready, talented but he needs more time to develop.

Eller/Sprong/Mantha isn’t working.

They need to upgrade Sheary he brings nothing.

Ideally Backstrom comes back healthy soon. McMichael slots in for Sheary.

I anticipate the slide rule coming into play for Lapierre. He'll get his 9 games and then back to juniors. Then it should be McMichael's time or maybe Eric Staal?

 

[ClevelandCapsfan]

Interesting how much Tampa rides their top-4….29, 27, 25, 25 mins….5/6 got 10/8 mins….

That’s not sustainable over the course of a full season. They will have no jolt from fresh legs come playoff time like the did with Kucherov returning from IR last season.

 

[tenken00]

My fault guys. My GDTs never win. Was just checking to see if it remained true