ECQF Game 1 | Hurricanes @ Capitals | 7:30 PM | USA,SN360, TVAS2

[Absolut]

Aho injured I assume? Doesn't look like his normal self.

 

[Primetime8]

Aho's skating stride definitely looks wrong/weird. Shame, would have been better for this series to have healthy Aho.

0 goals and 6 assists in his final 13 games, for reference.

 

[Fantomas]

Svechnikov will be brilliant.

 

[BusQuets]

Svechnikov will be brilliant.

Definitely will be top-10 winger in couple years. He has everything.

 

[Hint1k]

Svechnikov will be brilliant.

Scored twice more goals than Ovechkin in his 1st playoff game. And he is younger than Ovechkin was.

 

[The Winter Soldier]

Looked like the Caps were going to run away with it, but the Canes came back. I thought this was going to be a tough series for the Caps, it looks like this is taking shape.

 

[LetsGoBLUES91]

Didn’t get to see this game tonight. Did the Canes dominate as much as the shot totals indicate? I know that’s common for them.

 

[shtorm2005]

Scored twice more goals than Ovechkin in his 1st playoff game. And he is younger than Ovechkin was.

Laine was also better than Ovi at his age. Look how it ended.

 

[StrmSurge]

Congrats Canes, you're really good team.

If you happen to see Sebastian Aho let him know we're looking for him.

 

[stopclickbait]

That PP needs some help for Carolina just has no set plays it feels like.

Get Dougie and Svech out there on the points for one timers, Nino in the bumper spot, Aho and TT as the puck movers. Williams, Ferland Faulk should all go to the 2nd PP to waste time.

 

[ViD]

Probably 5-0

I almost got it bud

 

[Chips]

Didn’t get to see this game tonight. Did the Canes dominate as much as the shot totals indicate? I know that’s common for them.

They were chasing at times and kept taking penalties. They stopped getting calls the second half but the refs were trying to even it up (they were definitely still breaking rules lol) both the canes looked dominant in the first 10 and last dozen minutes. Between that the Canes had the puck a lot but they were hardly dangerous.

When the Caps get the puck it’s often going to be a scoring chance. Mrazek was great tonight, made some huge saves

 

[Sam Spade]

Nice to see the comeback. Canes won this 5v5. Unfortunately special teams play let us down.

This is not a lopsided matchup

Canes "win" almost every game 5 on 5, seriously.

 

[shtorm2005]

If you happen to see Sebastian Aho let him know we're looking for him.

Will do! And if you see Kuzy, tell him the same plz.

 

[Brucelenok]

Definitely will be top-10 winger in couple years. He has everything.

I predict he will be TOP 3 wingers in a few years.

 

[StephenPeat]

Canes were the better team but Caps got away with relying on better talent. They are going to have to match the Canes effort.

Point #1 here is being dramatically oversold. Were the Canes better?; uuuuhhhh it’s debatable. The Canes played a very good game and played to their strengths. To wit, the Capitals got away from their strengths 2/3 of the way through Period 2 and let the Canes back in. Make no mistake, during the critical moments of the game the Capitals were playing at a pace they controlled. Mrazek made the game look closer than it was. The Caps vets (Ovechkin, Backstrom) looked ready, young vets (Carlson, Oshie) made lazy mistakes and looked like they were on autopilot, Caps true youth (Vrana, Kuznetsov, Burakovsky) need to step up and put stretches of bad play behind them. Team as a whole looks like a work in progress.

No argument on Point #2, which is decidedly more important.

 

[Master P]

Might want to tweek that pk a tad.

 

[DrewGl]

Caps kept it simple. Didn't panic. The more experienced playoff team won.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

Didn’t get to see this game tonight. Did the Canes dominate as much as the shot totals indicate? I know that’s common for them.

The Canes are a really strong team. They are very fast and super aggressive and can be suffocating at times. That said, they throw the puck on net from literally any where. I thought the Caps scoring chances were of higher quality even if shot count was dramatically tilted in Carolina's favor. Mzarek made some incredible saves to keep the game at 3-0 or it was curtains. Holtby was solid but I can remember 4 or 5 saves from Mzarek that I thought were sure goals and I can't really recall any similar situations for Carolina.

 

[Canes]

Might want to tweek that pk a tad.

Yes, our PK is too aggressive and bad. Ovechkin usually has the same look every single game vs. us no matter what.

 

[Master P]

Yes, our PK is too aggressive and bad. Ovechkin usually has the same look every single game vs. us no matter what.

I'm just messing with ya. I think you guys played well. The difference in the game was Mrazek. If he plays better then I think you guys win that game.

 

[Canes]

The Canes are a really strong team. They are very fast and super aggressive and can be suffocating at times. That said, they throw the puck on net from literally any where. I thought the Caps scoring chances were of higher quality even if shot count was dramatically tilted in Carolina's favor. Mzarek made some incredible saves to keep the game at 3-0 or it was curtains. Holtby was solid but I can remember 4 or 5 saves from Mzarek that I thought were sure goals and I can't really recall any similar situations for Carolina.

This is pretty much spot on. Especially about the shots part and Mrazek. We shoot from anywhere while allowing way too many prime scoring chances against. Mrazek stood on his head in the 3rd prior to our 1st goal. Could have easily been 6 or 7-0 before Svech scored.

 

[Chips]

The Canes are a really strong team. They are very fast and super aggressive and can be suffocating at times. That said, they throw the puck on net from literally any where. I thought the Caps scoring chances were of higher quality even if shot count was dramatically tilted in Carolina's favor. Mzarek made some incredible saves to keep the game at 3-0 or it was curtains. Holtby was solid but I can remember 4 or 5 saves from Mzarek that I thought were sure goals and I can't really recall any similar situations for Carolina.

This. Possession isn’t winning, and winning is playing better. Possession just means you’re limiting their chances more than you would be if you had the puck less... that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re increasing your own chances.

The current Caps have historically been poor possession and expected goals team, and consistently out score their expected goals and the opposition by a way higher margin than the next closest team.

The previous edition of the Caps dominated possession regularly; seemingly endless shifts in the other teams zone, unloaded ridiculous amount of shots... but kept losing.

Possession is defense. You need offense. QUALITY offense

 

[Canes]

I'm just messing with ya. I think you guys played well. The difference in the game was Mrazek. If he plays better then I think you guys win that game.

It's all good and I mostly agree with you about Mrazek. If he saves the Caps 1st goal it's probably a different game. But the two goals he gave up on the PP I can't expect him to save with any sort of regularity, and he kept us in the game prior to our 2 goals.

 

[Absolut]

Folks, the Canes are going to be a very good team, very soon. Watch out.