Series Discussion: ECQF: Capitals vs. Leafs pt2 (Caps Win 4-2) (Leafs fans READ POST #1)

[twabby]

I don't think Barry suffocated the offense in Game 6. I thought the Capitals had numerous great chances, but Andersen was just very good for the first 50 minutes. Ovechkin, Oshie, Kuznetsov, Williams, and Burakovsky all had great chances to score from what I recall. Johansson did too and of course he buried his chances.

I was critical of Trotz early in the series but I thought he made the proper adjustments as the series went on.

 

[RandyHolt]

If any games screams foot on neck, it was 5 with the low shots. Both the goalies settled into game 6, and it was a duel. The X factor in game 6.... do you know which forward led our team in hits in game 6?

Yep, The Killer aka Marcus Johansson. He was clearly feeling it.

A side note, Martin and Boyle were both -2 in game 6. They both had less than 10 TOI for the entire game. There is something to be said for shortening the bench. If you hate Martin like I do, I find solace in his lame game 6 performance. I was really annoyed he was in Ovi's face before the period when he came back from injury.

 

[txpd]

At their foundation the Capitals are a defense first team. They are 1st in goals against. Everything good they do comes from that.

The Caps have far more offensive firepower than the typical defense first team and when the defense breaks a team down offense springs from it. They can create offense in other ways and do, but at their heart they are a defense first team that is comfortable all day and all night winning 2-1 games.

When they finish more of their chances and get leads other teams have to open it up to catch up which only brings the Caps guns to bare more often.

Toronto and Pittsburgh for that matter need to win games 4-3, 4-2. They would really struggle to win 2-1 games.

 

[RandyHolt]

Do we know that Barry wasn't trying to win every game vs Pitt last year, and Toronto this year, 2-1? It would be up his alley.

We missed the Grant Jennings by 1 goal last year. Nailed it this year.

I don't remember what I would call wide open games. It was more both teams collective defensemen effectively and consistently moving pucks up to forwards, and Barry trying to counter it. Barry was the one adjusting, on his heals more than I would like to see.

 

[txpd]

I think we can take shots at Trotz all we want about the 2-1 wins. Its cheap and easy.
I didn't see the Caps drop into a shell in TO in g3 and g4 when they started with 2-0 leads and blew them. What was wrong there was not the 2-0 lead but the blowing of that lead. The Caps of G5 and G6 and the regular season Caps don't blow those leads.

Giving up 2 goals or less is the program. How many more they score to win is up to the players ability to finish. Those 5-0 games mid season all started as shutouts with the blow out being the Caps ability to finish. The Caps didn't score just one in regulation in g6 because they didn't get chances. I saw Ov and Kuzy and Burt and Williams all standing alone in front of Andersen and didn't finish.

That said. The Caps are at home in a 1-1 game. They are fine in a 0-0 game in the 3rd when they give up a lucky bounce goal. They just keep playing.

I think I saw that Ov had 7 shots on goal in that game. He didn't score but came close and I am fairly sure he wasn't being held back by some Trotz desire not to score any goals.

 

[Blades of Steel]

The Caps came out with the offense and then tried to turtle in the games we lost. The Caps are a much better team when they just keep bringing the pressure all game long, that's part of why our D is good, not so much sitting back and absorbing/blocking shots.

 

[txpd]

Ive only seen pieces of some of those games in replay and so forth but I don't recall that after scoring 2 first period goals that the Caps went into turtle mode.

 

[Blades of Steel]

Ive only seen pieces of some of those games in replay and so forth but I don't recall that after scoring 2 first period goals that the Caps went into turtle mode.

really? Maybe I'm wrong then but it seemed to me like they sat back quite a bit after taking the lead instead of taking the play to the Leafs. I call that a form of turtling anyway.

 

[RandyHolt]

We turtled in the 3rd period twice IIRC. It worked, although we did surrender one goal. I think.

 

[Blades of Steel]

We turtled in the 3rd period twice IIRC. It worked, although we did surrender one goal. I think.

I think in those first 4 games we tried at some point to do so and it allowed the leafs to enter with speed and to get some pretty fortunate point shots and bounces/rebounds.

In games 5/6 we made them shoot more low danger shots and kept the line of sight open for Holtby. Breakouts seemed much cleaner and quicker because they weren't sitting back flat footed and we spent the majority of the game in their offensive zone.

 

[artilector]

I suspect that the replacement of Alzner with Schmidt -- and the concomitant (thank you google) shift of primary defensive duties to Niskanen & Orlov had a much greater effect than any (other) tactical adjustments the Caps made.

Carlson & Alzner were the weak link that allowed Toronto to consistently tilt the ice, and even if not scoring directly, to gather confidence and momentum, so vital for a young team like that. They were the crack in the dam that was there for opponents to attack in every game. Schmidt patched it up, and that made the game a whole lot easier to manage (tm).

 

[stanleycaps18]

I think it was clear that Alzner's injury was impacting his play, hence hitting the shelf after game 2.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

I think it was clear that Alzner's injury was impacting his play, hence hitting the shelf after game 2.

Alzner has been bad all year. Maybe he's been hurt all year, or maybe (likely) he's not recovery from the surgery he had in the offseason, but his struggles against the Leafs weren't a result of a new injury, nor were they unexpected.

 

[txpd]

really? Maybe I'm wrong then but it seemed to me like they sat back quite a bit after taking the lead instead of taking the play to the Leafs. I call that a form of turtling anyway.

Did they take their foot off the gas after grabbing a 2-0 lead? Might be. Did Trotz pull them back into a turtle defense? no. In the first several of those games the Caps defense and structure was erratic. They were not playing their game. In the final two games the Caps allowed just one regulation goal. Their defensive structure and goaltending returned to its correct level of play. That is critical if they are going to beat the Pens. They are not going to full on outscore them in a track meet. The Caps have far better defense and goaltending and need to make sure they perform in that area.

The goals will come. It was pointed out today that the Blue Jackets averaged 38 shots against the Pens in those 5 games. If the Caps are doing that they are scoring a lot more than CBJ did.