ECQF: (1) Washington Capitals vs. (WC1) Columbus Blue Jackets | Caps Lead Series 3-2

[Vancouver Canucks]

I personally like Eller a lot and I think he's always played better in the playoffs. But yeah that was a freaking ugly goal.

Who cares? It looks the same on the score sheet.

 

[george14]

Real Caps fans are never confident. Be serious. That said we also know how these things work. That 2 game series lead sucks. Look where CBJ is now. They cant lose g4. If they do, the Caps have the momentum and are going home. They certainly cant claim any superiority after 3 games as with one more good play per game or one less bad play one team could be up 3 zip.

I think the good news for Washington is that Holtby looked like is typical zen like self. With Ovechkin Backstrom and Carlson being their top producers and Holtby back to himself, there isn't someone to point the finger at.

Now, if the Caps win g4, they will have all the pressure to win g5 at home.

The Jackets can definitely lose the next game and still be fine considering they were up 2-0 going home. Every game has been close.

 

[justafan22]

They're going to lose game 4, win games 5-6 and have a crushing game 7 loss at home.

It's what they do.

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

The Jackets can definitely lose the next game and still be fine considering they were up 2-0 going home. Every game has been close.

Yes, I like that optimism.

 

[third man in]

I personally like Eller a lot and I think he's always played better in the playoffs. But yeah that was a freaking ugly goal.

Eller is by far the best 3C the Caps have had in a good while. Really like his game.

 

[HunterSThompson]

The Jackets can definitely lose the next game and still be fine considering they were up 2-0 going home. Every game has been close.

Certainly. It is never over, but the momentum swing is huge. That is all he is really saying.

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

Certainly. It is never over, but the momentum swing is huge. That is all he is really saying.

Hope Holtby continues to play on that kind of a hot streak.

 

[txpd]

The Jackets can definitely lose the next game and still be fine considering they were up 2-0 going home. Every game has been close.

Hockey is a game of momentum and confidents. If Holtby puts up another zen like performance and the Caps even the series going home, they will have a clear momentum and bolstered confidents.

That's a clear advantage.

 

[Bladerunner]

To those commenting about the lucky, fluky, etc. 2OT goal. Those seem to count against the Caps when opposing teams score them There are no style points.

Will repeat part of a post in the Caps page. Going by the numbers/stats, plain or fancy, Caps should be leading the series 2-1. Bob outplayed Grubi/Holts in game 2. He stole that one for Cbus, something "playoff Bob" hardly ever does.

 

[bur and 666 others]

Caps fans seem like a broken fanbase these days. They used to be so confident. Back around 2010.

and who can blame us?

 

[MarkovsKnee]

Fluke goal - which sucked, but whatever - it happens.

Columbus was definitely the tired team in that 2nd OT. Caps were playing with more speed and confidence so as flukey of a goal as it was, it almost wasn't surprising.

Jackets are mostly going with 3 lines while Caps are playing 4. Got to think that'll catch up with the Jackets at some point even if they win this series.

Should've gotten a couple more depth players at trade deadline if Torts doesn't trust that line.

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

To those commenting about the lucky, fluky, etc. 2OT goal. Those seem to count against the Caps when opposing teams score them There are no style points.

Will repeat part of a post in the Caps page. Going by the numbers/stats, plain or fancy, Caps should be leading the series 2-1. Bob outplayed Grubi/Holts in game 2. He stole that one for Cbus, something "playoff Bob" hardly ever does.

So save percentage isn't a stat?

Jackets are mostly going with 3 lines while Caps are playing 4. Got to think that'll catch up with the Jackets at some point even if they win this series.

Should've gotten a couple more depth players at trade deadline if Torts doesn't trust that line.

Tortorella doesn't trust Milano, right or wrong. But Sonny is only drawing in because of the injury to Wennberg. Torts might prefer to have Lukas Sedlak available, but he's injured as well. Bjorkstrand's TOI is diminishing, but primarily because he's on a line with Milano.

Front office added Vanek and Letetstu at the deadline and its stabilized the roster. That Torts isn't using Milano isn't on management.

 

[CBJx614]

Wilson taking out Wennberg has really put a hamper on torts being able to roll all 4 lines and it's showing. Foligno is not a 2C and Dubinsky isnt even a 3C anymore.

 

[txpd]

Seriously. Do not go down that road. In 09 when the Caps lost that epic 7 games to the Pens. With a 2-0 series lead the Caps lost g3 when a centering pass bounced off a Caps skate in the net in OT. They then lost g5 in OT when another centering pass hit a Caps d and bounced in. The goals counted and the Caps lost. Eller went to the net. He was in the way when the d cleared the rebound. It counted. The hockey gods owe the Capitals a good number of those things

 

[txpd]

Wilson taking out Wennberg has really put a hamper on torts being able to roll all 4 lines and it's showing. Foligno is not a 2C and Dubinsky isnt even a 3C anymore.

I am not sure I understand this. The Caps have 2 legit all star caliber 1C's. They have quality 3 and 4 as well. By all appearances those 4 players are performing to their levels. How are the games all going OT if Foligno and Dubinsky are playing 4c level performance?

 

[HunterSThompson]

Game 5 will be 3 PM

 

[MarkovsKnee]

I am not sure I understand this. The Caps have 2 legit all star caliber 1C's. They have quality 3 and 4 as well. By all appearances those 4 players are performing to their levels. How are the games all going OT if Foligno and Dubinsky are playing 4c level performance?

Their centers grind well enough & compete on D, but Columbus' 6 man defense unit is excellent. Really really impressed with them. And then Bobcat is there to back them up.

It's making a huge difference as Washington's D tends to be far more error prone.

I feel like Columbus is 1-2 years from being a genuine contender. They need Dubois to mature a little more, keep Panarin & add one more good offensive piece upfront.

Columbus should be competitive for a long while if they can keep the majority of their core together. Haven't checked into their cap situation though.

 

[txpd]

Their centers grind well enough & compete on D, but Columbus' 6 man defense unit is excellent. Really really impressed with them. And then Bobcat is there to back them up.

It's making a huge difference as Washington's D tends to be far more error prone.

I feel like Columbus is 1-2 years from being a genuine contender. They need Dubois to mature a little more, keep Panarin & add one more good offensive piece upfront.

Columbus should be competitive for a long while if they can keep the majority of their core together. Haven't checked into their cap situation though.

That's all nicely written but what does any of it have to do with Dubinsky being able to play 3c level center? That Backstrom and Kuznetsov combined outclass most 1-2C packages in the league. That the Caps strength at center doesn't in anyway indicate that Foligno and Dubinsky suck.

 

[MoeBartoli]

Sharp should have slapped him.

It would have been the first sign of animation from Patrick the Mannequin, who maybe set a new standard for bad performance by a studio analyst.

 

[MayonnaiseOreo]

This has been the story of the past two years approximately. Take a peek on the Caps board and you'll see what I mean.

The game day threads are really sad over there. I was hanging out in it for game 2 and it was so depressing.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

The game day threads are really sad over there. I was hanging out in it for game 2 and it was so depressing.

This is what the playoffs do to us every year

I don't blame the people who are super pessimistic now.

 

[MoeBartoli]

Talk about a freebie, another soft goal by Bobrovsky. I love CBJ but this choker will cost them at some point.

Soft goal? Basically a total fluke that you can't account for....his defenseman banked it off Eller and into his own net.

 

[Sam Spade]

I don't blame the people who are super pessimistic now.

That's why winning a game or winning this series is so pointless. Pens next round will be another loss (for either team) and it will hurt. Not as much as it used to but still......

 

[TaketheCannoli]

To those commenting about the lucky, fluky, etc. 2OT goal. Those seem to count against the Caps when opposing teams score them There are no style points.

Will repeat part of a post in the Caps page. Going by the numbers/stats, plain or fancy, Caps should be leading the series 2-1. Bob outplayed Grubi/Holts in game 2. He stole that one for Cbus, something "playoff Bob" hardly ever does.

A goal is a goal, regardless of what that g00n guy says. Hey Wes Waltz won a game by carrying the puck into the goal in his pants. They all count as one.

 

[absolute garbage]

Yeah, I don't understand why the jackets slowed the pace down in the 2nd OT. They do better when they're skating. Maybe their team isn't in shape.

Torts only uses 3 lines. That shows in games like this.