Post-Game Talk: Eastern Conference Final G1: Caps @ Bolts | 5/11/18 | 8:00pm EST

[Skrudland2Lomakin]

Have not read this whole thread, was busy. Maybe someone mentioned the hit by Miller on Wilson? TW made a point of staying low, showing his intentions early, and staying level. The result was Miller rose up through the hit and caught Wilson high enough to flip him backward.

So every other player in the league is allowed to explode or rise into hits, but TW isn't because people can't take it when he does.

Seriously, when did this staying down thing become part of the rule? It used to be about not launching/jumping, but there's a difference between staying in some static crouch position and not jumping into a hit.

I noticed several high hits on Wilson last evening. It seems like their gameplan is to either take him out or to agitate him into take retaliatory penalties, good on Tommy for keeping his cool.


Also it wouldn't even bother me if their strategy was to take out Wilson. I'm tired of everyone acting on the main board that this isn't common place in contact sports. In the last two weeks I've been polling people I know who played either hockey or football and seeing if I'm insane. Every single one of them confirmed what I remembered from playing myself, you find the best player, you lay brutal hits on him, you hope he doesn't want to come back. It's the difference between hurt and injured, you don't want to injure the guy, but damn if you don't want to hurt him. If you read the main board you'd believe hockey has always been this gentlemanly sport in which checking is just a necessary component to removing the puck and that there is no ill will involved. Sorry, in the real world if you can make your opponent hurt so much he doesn't want the puck or he's avoiding you on the ice, you've won.

 

[Skrudland2Lomakin]

Stephenson should have had 3 or 4 assists as well. He set up some quality chances. His speed is making a difference.

The third period and our finishing overall are my two negatives from the game. We had so many prime opportunities created by fast young guys that were then squandered by the puck chewing a guy up on the pass or a guy not being ready for it. We could have easily had two more goals if guys like Connolly and Bura could actually bury the puck.


Still, I like that all 4 lines were generating offense.




Also I'm 80% sure that Eller shot under Dominque's pad crossed the line. Obviously there is no evidence to support it, but if you look at how hard it's flying, how Dom brings his pad down, and how he scuttles out of the net, I think it def crossed the line.

 

[maacoshark]

I noticed several high hits on Wilson last evening. It seems like their gameplan is to either take him out or to agitate him into take retaliatory penalties, good on Tommy for keeping his cool.


Also it wouldn't even bother me if their strategy was to take out Wilson. I'm tired of everyone acting on the main board that this isn't common place in contact sports. In the last two weeks I've been polling people I know who played either hockey or football and seeing if I'm insane. Every single one of them confirmed what I remembered from playing myself, you find the best player, you lay brutal hits on him, you hope he doesn't want to come back. It's the difference between hurt and injured, you don't want to injure the guy, but damn if you don't want to hurt him. If you read the main board you'd believe hockey has always been this gentlemanly sport in which checking is just a necessary component to removing the puck and that there is no ill will involved. Sorry, in the real world if you can make your opponent hurt so much he doesn't want the puck or he's avoiding you on the ice, you've won.

I agree with that. That stuff does happen, especially in hockey. I don't think take out is the right word. You don't want to see anyone get hurt but absolutely get physical with your opponents key players. A lot of teams try to target their opponents top dmen to wear them out and force them into making poor decisions. Or they will try to get physical with some of the softer scoring forwards that don't like the physical play. Or like you said they could be trying to bait a guy like Wilson into taking a penalty. That doesn't work will all players. Playing physical on Ovi doesnt work because he doesn't mind playing physical himself.

 

[maacoshark]

The third period and our finishing overall are my two negatives from the game. We had so many prime opportunities created by fast young guys that were then squandered by the puck chewing a guy up on the pass or a guy not being ready for it. We could have easily had two more goals if guys like Connolly and Bura could actually bury the puck.


Still, I like that all 4 lines were generating offense.




Also I'm 80% sure that Eller shot under Dominque's pad crossed the line. Obviously there is no evidence to support it, but if you look at how hard it's flying, how Dom brings his pad down, and how he scuttles out of the net, I think it def crossed the line.

I also thought Eller may have scored on that. It was similar to the Hornquist non goal. They only showed a couple views but didn't blow it up. From the angles I saw, I couldn't tell if it was in.

 

[Skrudland2Lomakin]

I agree with that. That stuff does happen, especially in hockey. I don't think take out is the right word. You don't want to see anyone get hurt but absolutely get physical with your opponents key players. A lot of teams try to target their opponents top dmen to wear them out and force them into making poor decisions. Or they will try to get physical with some of the softer scoring forwards that don't like the physical play. Or like you said they could be trying to bait a guy like Wilson into taking a penalty. That doesn't work will all players. Playing physical on Ovi doesnt work because he doesn't mind playing physical himself.

You do want to see someone get hurt.

Hurt and injured are not the same thing.

Hitting without pain is pointless, it's an inconvenience at best. When you hit and a guy feels physical pain, that takes a toll on him. You extrapolate that over a game or even a series and it pays dividends in terms of motivation and ability.


Being hurt is simply not being able to cope with the pain.


Being injured is having something medically wrong with you, something you need medical attention for, and something that physically prevents you from playing due to safety, mobility, or danger.


You aim to hurt the guy, you don't aim to injure.


One of the most important lessons of my life was the realization that there is a difference between hurt and injured. Are you in pain? Yes. Can you physically not continue? No, then you're not injured, you're just hurt. Some people never reach that realization, it's what holds them back.

 

[Ajax1995]

Canadian media. Steve Yzerman=Darling. Ovechkin is Russian=Black hat. Fine.

That isn’t just a Canadian thing. IMO it applies to the entire North American traditional hockey media.

 

[maacoshark]

You do want to see someone get hurt.

Hurt and injured are not the same thing.

Hitting without pain is pointless, it's an inconvenience at best. When you hit and a guy feels physical pain, that takes a toll on him. You extrapolate that over a game or even a series and it pays dividends in terms of motivation and ability.


Being hurt is simply not being able to cope with the pain.


Being injured is having something medically wrong with you, something you need medical attention for, and something that physically prevents you from playing due to safety, mobility, or danger.


You aim to hurt the guy, you don't aim to injure.


One of the most important lessons of my life was the realization that there is a difference between hurt and injured. Are you in pain? Yes. Can you physically not continue? No, then you're not injured, you're just hurt. Some people never reach that realization, it's what holds them back.

I don't want to see anyone get injured. Or even hurt if it's a cheapshot.

 

[maacoshark]

That isn’t just a Canadian thing. IMO it applies to the entire North American traditional hockey media.

The Canadian media is a bunch if Crosby homers and Leaf homers. It disgusts me.

 

[Ajax1995]

The Canadian media is a bunch if Crosby homers and Leaf homers. It disgusts me.

Sure but I think people sometimes forget that Milbury is American and he is as happy to run Ovechkin down, and most Russian players in general, as Cherry and Canada’s xenophobic best.

That’s all I’m saying, it isn’t just a Canadian thing. Old school Americans do plenty of it also.

 

[hockeykicker]

Well technically no caps player is on ice today

 

[Barry Amsterdam]

Well technically no caps player is on ice today

Wow went from possible game 1/2 to optimistic about the series? That’s not great news

 

[hockeykicker]

Wow went from possible game 1/2 to optimistic about the series? That’s not great news

sounds like it depends on what version you look at, others say that he was smiling like he knows hes close

 

[Blades of Steel]

Caps are playing fine without backstrom, let him recover successfully

 

[BallardEra]

Wow went from possible game 1/2 to optimistic about the series? That’s not great news

Could also just be Trotz trying to keep expectations and the hype low. Just let the boys keep playing and not waiting and hoping for Backstrom's return.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

Could also just be Trotz trying to keep expectations and the hype low. Just let the boys keep playing and not waiting and hoping for Backstrom's return.

I think it's a good strategy to place upon the players the responsibility to perform in Backstrom's absence. For a guy like Eller, it would be easy to say: "Well, I just have to hold on until he gets back and my job will get easier.".

 

[McVechkin]

Wow went from possible game 1/2 to optimistic about the series? That’s not great news

The question was asked in a weird way. I wouldn’t read into it that much

 

[Barry Amsterdam]

I think it's a good strategy to place upon the players the responsibility to perform in Backstrom's absence. For a guy like Eller, it would be easy to say: "Well, I just have to hold on until he gets back and my job will get easier.".

Eller should play with 77 and 13 even when nick gets back tho imo

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

Eller should play with 77 and 13 even when nick gets back tho imo

That would force Nick in a shutdown role, and I'm not sure I want an injured superstar to be doing that.

 

[hockeykicker]

cant they just put backstrom on third center when he comes back? a guy like that on 3rd line would be huge

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Them challenging Wilson is just plain dumb unless they’re just planning on injuring him and taking him out. Same with Ovy IMO. I say BRING IT....plays right into our hands.

 

[txpd]

Wow went from possible game 1/2 to optimistic about the series? That’s not great news

Reading between the lies and hockey code words, Backstrom isn't going to be playing. His hand is broken. Trotz says that he would put him right back in the lineup without skating even once with the team before hand and you know that isn't going to be happening.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

Them challenging Wilson is just plain dumb unless they’re just planning on injuring him and taking him out. Same with Ovy IMO. I say BRING IT....plays right into our hands.

I think we have a definitive edge in toughness. This is not the type of game TB wants to play. I'd say the only team still alive that could just outmuscle us is Winnipeg, and neither us nor them is there yet.

 

[maacoshark]

Reading between the lies and hockey code words, Backstrom isn't going to be playing. His hand is broken. Trotz says that he would put him right back in the lineup without skating even once with the team before hand and you know that isn't going to be happening.

Do we know his hand is broken for sure?

 

[maacoshark]

Sure but I think people sometimes forget that Milbury is American and he is as happy to run Ovechkin down, and most Russian players in general, as Cherry and Canada’s xenophobic best.

That’s all I’m saying, it isn’t just a Canadian thing. Old school Americans do plenty of it also.

I agree with that. In fact the US might even be worse than Canada. In North America they want to give all the credit to the home boys and none to European players.

 

[Carlzner]

That would force Nick in a shutdown role, and I'm not sure I want an injured superstar to be doing that.

18-19-65 would not be a shutdown line. I think it would work really well actually.