Post-Game Talk: Flames @ Capitals 7pm

[Bladerunner]

.500 in the NHL sucks, there are only 6 teams below .500, and .500 teams don't make the playoffs. I don't believe for a second that because we lost Schmidt and Majo, we go from presidents trophy to missing the playoffs. This team is lazily coasting, and has no motivation/since of urgency. Still not sure how much is on the players and how much is on Trotz, but GMBM needs to kick somebody in the butt and do it soon.

I know all that. I'm a stats guy (as in reg job). I wrote .500ish, in and out of playoffs not meaning X pts in X games. We all know 82 pts at the end of the season and you're well out of a WC playoff spot.

That said, I agree w/most of what you stated. The team seems too frequently lethargic.

 

[troyerlaw]

Smith outplayed holtby tonight, for sure

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Boo them home crowd....boooooo__

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

Barf.

 

[GoCaps2004]

It’s 4 ****ing 1.....stars haven’t done ****....why not?

He is legitimately the worst player on the active roster

 

[StrikingDistance]

At this point, this team isn't even worth the curse words.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

He is legitimately the worst player on the active roster

And in that scenario it just didn’t matter.

 

[twabby]

Yeah if it were just Ovechkin not producing I’d chalk it up to the player. But every single big name player: Backstrom, Kuznetsov, Oshie, Ovechkin, etc. are playing mediocre to poor hockey. At some point you have to look to the coach for some answers and he’s not providing them.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

Not tonight, i’m not. He was one of our three best players IMO. Two nice feeds to DSP, rocked a shot off post, was pursuing puck and using body. Other nights, yes, but tonight i thought he was very good

He's not pushing the play forward at even strength. He makes nice passes every now and then but he is paid to be a dominant goalscorer and a leader. He's failing on both accounts in the past 2-3 weeks. He had an OK game but we need him to step up at least once for goodness' sake.

Career pass...

I could give him a pass when he was by far the best goalscorer in the game but that isn't the case anymore.

 

[troyerlaw]

He is legitimately the worst player on the active roster

Who?

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Yeah if it were just Ovechkin not producing I’d chalk it up to the player. But every single big name player: Backstrom, Kuznetsov, Oshie, Ovechkin, etc. are playing mediocre to poor hockey. At some point you have to look to the coach for some answers and he’s not providing them.

On the season 92, 77 and 74 are producing just fine. Ovy is slightly down but 19 is the real eyesore IMO.

 

[brachyrynchos]

Trotz with another stellar job of preventing goals for. 4 goals scored in the last 3 games.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

On the season 92, 77 and 74 are producing just fine. Ovy is slightly down but 19 is the real eyesore IMO.

When you take into account that Ovi had a hat trick and a 4 goal game back-to-back to open the season, his numbers don't look very good in the 19 other games. Backstrom is a real concern, I don't know what's wrong with him. Maybe Trotz should reunite them and see if they can work their way together out of their cold streaks.

Who?

Chiasson. As bad as he is, I don't think he's the worst forward on the team. That's Connolly IMO.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Heh May just mentions holding Vrana being held accountable, “but what about the other stars making lazy plays? “ Says “not Ovechkin”....

Says players should be dropped down lines because they’re infecting the roster. If not Ovy, who Alan? 19? 92?

 

[artilector]

Turned the game on in the 2nd period, saw same old disjointed/spastic skating, turned it off.

This team looks like a patient that was put back together after a major crisis and a few significant surgeries -- the remaining pieces resemble themselves at (different) times, but there is no cohesion, no harmony, and no real life in the whole thing. Everybody is more or less punching in the clock and moving on to the next game.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

Heh May just mentions holding Vrana being held accountable, “but what about the other stars making lazy plays? “ Says “not Ovechkin”....

Says players should be dropped down lines because they’re infecting the roster. If not Ovy, who Alan? 19? 92?

We have four star players. If May isn't talking about 8, that leaves 19, 77 and 92. It's not 77, he's been our best forward in the past 3 weeks. It's either 19 or 92.

 

[twabby]

A lot of the issue is that Orpik is playing a ton and he’s just not very good. He’s trying his hardest I’m sure but his results have been brutal: 42% Corsi and a -8% relative Corsi. Every Capitals forward is better without him on the ice:

http://hockeyviz.com/fixedImg/wowy/1718/WSH/orpikbr80/

When Djoos comes back they need to give him a shot as the permanent 2LD alongside Carlson instead of shuffling the pairs in-game. Djoos’s results are drastically better:

http://hockeyviz.com/fixedImg/wowy/1718/WSH/djoosch94/

I get that there isn’t a better option than Orpik right now, but once Djoos returns Trotz needs to trust him. This is a big reason why I was so disappointed they lost Schmidt: Orpik really isn’t at a point in his career where he can handle top 4 minutes.

 

[Devil Dancer]

They're so damn boring right now.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Orpik is pretty f***ing low on the issues list tonight. The numbers are what they are, but there are giant issues well ahead of him.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

Orpik is pretty ****ing low on the issues list tonight. The numbers are what they are, but there are giant issues well ahead of him.

I think the issues are bigger than individuals not performing. I see team-wide issues with this group. That's what Trotz has to correct first, he has to get everyone on the same page, and then take a look at individuals.

 

[itsjustsurvival]

Team passing is very poor.
Also they seem slow. Not a great combo.

 

[troyerlaw]

We have four star players. If May isn't talking about 8, that leaves 19, 77 and 92. It's not 77, he's been our best forward in the past 3 weeks. It's either 19 or 92.

Bingo. 19 and 92 have both been sucking ass lately.

Another one who disappoints me a lot this year is 83. What the hell happened to him? He used to be a really dynamic forechecker and penalty killer. His combination of speed and tenacity was very effective.

 

[Devil Dancer]

It's true, the only center over performing recently is Eller, and he's still not that good.

Backstrom has been particularly disappointing. When is the last time he set up a goal with a beautiful pass? Seems like forever. And that's on top of his goal scoring drought.

Then there's Ovie.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Bingo. 19 and 92 have both been sucking ass lately.

Another one who disappoints me a lot this year is 83. What the hell happened to him? He used to be a really dynamic forechecker and penalty killer. His combination of speed and tenacity was very effective.

Beagle looks like his motor lost a gear.

 

[ovikovy817]

The Eller and Connolly calls were very very very very soft calls (to not say BS calls) and all 3 PPGs came from those 2 calls.

If Oshie scores on PP (the post) and makes it 2-1, it's a totally different game.