Post-Game Talk: DC Capitals @ Peg Jets: Real Slim Ovi edition

[CapitalsCupReality]

It was less that he was playing 4-on-4 than him being out there in that game situation. Like I said, he skates fine and manages the puck better than Orlov typically but when it comes to actually defending he's their weakest option. He's easily their least physical defenseman in a group that otherwise can more than hold their own.

When it comes to defending he's the weakest option? Like actual DEFENSE?! Or do you mean physically weak?

Orlov is lacking in defensive skill more than 88 IMO.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

There will always be excuses. 3 in 4. Early season rust/fitness. Mid-season doldrums. Late season fatigue. etc etc

Winning teams don't have excuses.

6 of 8 on a west coast swing is more than acceptable IMO. Seems like we've gotten tough to please as fans, but perspective perspective....

 

[Langway]

When it comes to defending he's the weakest option? Like actual DEFENSE?! Or do you mean physically weak?

Orlov is lacking in defensive skill more than 88 IMO.

It's close and I mean both. I guess it depends on how much sheer physical weakness is considered a limitation compared to some instinctual issues. So far Orlov has mostly been fine and it's a little easier to reign in bad habits compared to gaining strength. I tend to find physical weakness in a defender a big issue and it's been kind of glaring with Schmidt the past couple games and, of course, going back to the playoffs.

Orlov's issues may stand out a little more glaringly but Schmidt's playoff issues and him getting bodied isn't a good look either. That Hagelin goal was just as bad as anything Orlov's ever done.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

When it comes to defending he's the weakest option? Like actual DEFENSE?! Or do you mean physically weak?

Orlov is lacking in defensive skill more than 88 IMO.

88 is hands down our worst D. 9 at least brings some physicality.

 

[Carlzner]

Schmidt is quite significantly the better defensive player than Orlov...

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

There will always be excuses. 3 in 4. Early season rust/fitness. Mid-season doldrums. Late season fatigue. etc etc

Winning teams don't have excuses.

They are winning...

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

88 is hands down our worst D. 9 at least brings some physicality.

Uh, no, not by a long shot. Orlov can't defend a 2-on-1 and his pizzas served/60 is highest on the team. 44 also brings physicality. I'm pretty sure everyone here told me that physicality =/= good defense.

 

[trick9]

Schmidt has looked better again defensively this season. He really struggled at times during the last Playoffs, even more so than Orlov. That being said Schmidt should never see the ice during 4-on-4 when opposing teams have 2 forwards like Scheifele and especially Wheeler on the ice. He has no chance physically to contain someone like Wheeler who made him look silly on that goal.

They seem to struggle with speed because 2 of their 3 D pairings have pretty slow guys in it. Carlson has been skating in mud again this year (seemed to start last season after he came back from injury) and that's becoming somewhat of a problem because once the opposing team figures how to attack them with speed both Carlson and Orpik are going to be in tons of trouble with faster players. We've only seen few flashes of those because they've taken away opposing teams speed pretty well for most of the games but that's going to be a major problem in the Playoffs when they go against Penguins or Lightning.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

Uh, no, not by a long shot. Orlov can't defend a 2-on-1 and his pizzas served/60 is highest on the team. 44 also brings physicality. I'm pretty sure everyone here told me that physicality =/= good defense.

Schmidt doesn't dish as many pizzas as Orlov, but that's also because he doesn't carry the puck and he generates less offense. Schmidt lacks power, it is essential for a good D to have enough power to outmuscle the forwards in front of the net or in the corner. He can't, therefore he loses a ton of puck battles. Orpik and Orlov win those battles.

FWIW, I think our best all-around D so far this year is Niskanen.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

Niskanen
Alzner
Carlson

Orpik/Schmidt/Orlov

 

[txpd]

Schmidt doesn't dish as many pizzas as Orlov, but that's also because he doesn't carry the puck and he generates less offense. Schmidt lacks power, it is essential for a good D to have enough power to outmuscle the forwards in front of the net or in the corner. He can't, therefore he loses a ton of puck battles. Orpik and Orlov win those battles.

FWIW, I think our best all-around D so far this year is Niskanen.

Orlov turns the puck over more often. Orlov is awful defending a 2 on 1. The puck carrier can always make the pass. Orlov is worse defending one on one than Schmidt.
Right now I believe that they are both producing the same 2 assists with Schmidt not playing as much and getting no power play time.

 

[g00n]

They are winning...

CUP winning. They were winning games last year and in other seasons but for whatever reason there have been excuses going into the playoffs that tie back to the regular season in some way. When they started the "heavy game" with Trotz it was supposed to be all about learning how to bring "playoff style hockey" on a nightly basis. They didn't just come up with that remedy to cure an imaginary ailment. They have a problem.

 

[txpd]

CUP winning. They were winning games last year and in other seasons but for whatever reason there have been excuses going into the playoffs that tie back to the regular season in some way. When they started the "heavy game" with Trotz it was supposed to be all about learning how to bring "playoff style hockey" on a nightly basis. They didn't just come up with that remedy to cure an imaginary ailment. They have a problem.

The how you win the cup is a moving target. Do you think that if the Pens don't win the Cup this season it will be because someone beat them at their own game or beat them with a different game?

The Caps beat the Penguins if Kuznetsov produced. Kuznetsov collapsing was not a matter of the Pens spreading their offense and or being faster. The Caps lose the next round without Alzner.

 

[g00n]

The how you win the cup is a moving target. Do you think that if the Pens don't win the Cup this season it will be because someone beat them at their own game or beat them with a different game?

The Caps beat the Penguins if Kuznetsov produced. Kuznetsov collapsing was not a matter of the Pens spreading their offense and or being faster. The Caps lose the next round without Alzner.

"If". Was it all Kuz? What IF Crosby plays well the entire series? What IF the Flyers had made a goaltending change or gone to a more aggressive PK sooner? We can always find some "if".

I didn't say anything about the Pens style anyway. It's about bringing your full game and full effort to each game, no matter what. That's what wins championships, whatever the style. Execute your style at an elite level and you have a shot.

And taking time off during the regular season to coast is a trap. I gave them a pass last year because I figured fear of injury was a concern. Not this year.


Man the **** up, boys.

 

[txpd]

"If". Was it all Kuz? What IF Crosby plays well the entire series? What IF the Flyers had made a goaltending change or gone to a more aggressive PK sooner? We can always find some "if".

I didn't say anything about the Pens style anyway. It's about bringing your full game and full effort to each game, no matter what. That's what wins championships, whatever the style. Execute your style at an elite level and you have a shot.

And taking time off during the regular season to coast is a trap. I gave them a pass last year because I figured fear of injury was a concern. Not this year.


Man the **** up, boys.

Its all what if, brah. If Holtby plays like a Conn Smythe winner v the Pens they might have won. Had Orpik not gotten suspended they might have won.

What is for certain is that the Caps leading scorer had 1 pt in the playoffs and even average production would have made a difference. Kuzy was the team's advantage. Without him producing they are a different team and need a different way to win. Regardless, they don't win without Alzner the next round anyway.

I didn't notice the coasting after Edmonton.

Edit: bah...who cares? I mean, really. They do it every season so they have now taken the fun out of every game they win now. They suck and are fatally flawed when they win. if the aren't, then we know they cant keep it up. if they lose its proof. I guess people who have tickets are using them, but now that the season has started and the arguing over the roster has stopped, conversation about the team is pretty well dead in the water. doom.

 

[RandyHolt]

It's not doom.

It's, improve on last years flaws.

In a way to compete with the top teams in both conferences.

 

[Devil Dancer]

The most obvious reason they weren't more dominant on this road trip is because the top line was bad. Not OK, not kinda weak, BAD. Ovie looks slow and has been turning over pucks left and right, Williams can't do anything right in the O zone right now and Backstrom, the supposed playmaker, hasn't been consistently making plays for a couple weeks now.

It's a shame because 2-4 look pretty good. So how do you spark 1 without breaking up the other three?

OTOH, their competition was pretty terrible. Let's see how 2-4 do against good teams. It may not be worth keeping 2-4 together if they can't score or defend against the top teams.

 

[txpd]

It's not doom.

It's, improve on last years flaws.

In a way to compete with the top teams in both conferences.

which is not being done, thus the complaints, which means doom

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

How about we all relax and just wait for the whole thing to unfold?

 

[RandyHolt]

I for one was hoping to see a new approach this fall. Maybe we will see the changes unveiled after the ASG/Storm.

I suppose his line shuffling is somewhat new, as is the lack of hitting.

Otherwise, I wanted to see positive signs of a cup grade offense moving up ice, starting with quick passing, on the tapes at speed. Less of the holding of the puck, and looking around, before passing. Know where your teammates will be without having to look.

The other big thing I wanted to see, being difficult to play against. Physically. More than Ovi Willie and Orpik. Take away space more than our LD moving up at center, over and over. I want to see it all over the ice. Ain't happening.

 

[Caps Circle]

I for one was hoping to see a new approach this fall. Maybe we will see the changes unveiled after the ASG/Storm.

I suppose his line shuffling is somewhat new, as is the lack of hitting.

Otherwise, I wanted to see positive signs of a cup grade offense moving up ice, starting with quick passing, on the tapes at speed. Less of the holding of the puck, and looking around, before passing. Know where your teammates will be without having to look.

The other big thing I wanted to see, being difficult to play against. Physically. More than Ovi Willie and Orpik. Take away space more than our LD moving up at center, over and over. I want to see it all over the ice. Ain't happening.

Our shot attempts allowed per game has dropped by nearly five shots against. Last year, that was the difference between us and LA, the best shot suppression team in the league. Small sample size, sure, but our defense is doing a stand-up job from preventing shots, and I don't see how that happens unless we are more difficult to play against. The fact is that this is a damn good team that has been outplayed in only one game this year, and even then not by much (final 5 v 5 score adjusted shot attempts were nearly even against the Jets). There is absolutely no reason to be as impatient as a lot of the guys on the board have been.

 

[txpd]

it could be that they know where their teammates are without having to look. The issue is the other team and that requires looking.

caps have the second lowest goal against in the league. they are 2nd in shots for and 6th in shots against. their special teams are in the bottom half of the league.

I would say to give it time.

or we can hope they start a long losing streak to them a new coach like Pittsburgh did last season

 

[g00n]

Ok let's cherrypick stats

14th in the NHL in goals for average
Haven't beaten a team with a current winning record (NYI, COL, FLA, VAN, CGY, WPG)
Lost to the only teams they played that are currently above .500 (PIT, NYR, EDM)

So they're juicing their stats against struggling teams and coming up short against the class of the league.

DOOM.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

Ok let's cherrypick stats

14th in the NHL in goals for average
Haven't beaten a team with a current winning record (NYI, COL, FLA, VAN, CGY, WPG)
Lost to the only teams they played that are currently above .500 (PIT, NYR, EDM)

So they're juicing their stats against struggling teams and coming up short against the class of the league.

DOOM.

At least if we're expecting to get bounced in the first two rounds, we won't get our hopes crushed when the hockey gods exercise their inexorable will

 

[bur and 666 others]

Ok let's cherrypick stats

14th in the NHL in goals for average
Haven't beaten a team with a current winning record (NYI, COL, FLA, VAN, CGY, WPG)
Lost to the only teams they played that are currently above .500 (PIT, NYR, EDM)

So they're juicing their stats against struggling teams and coming up short against the class of the league.

DOOM.