Post-Game Talk: G11 - Caps - Rags - 7pm-ish

[txpd]

It would be absurd for me to think I know more than the coach, but I am concerned about how much he is playing some of our guys. Surely Chara needs a game off to rest or at least reduce his minutes for a few games.

Vanacek as well - at the very least start Anderson for a game and if he is awful then VV can sub in.

I would much rather we lose a couple of games at this part of the season than over-work some players and have them gassed going into the playoffs. Even though there are only 56 vs 82 games, it's a much more compressed schedule and there's no Xmas, All Star break.

Lets be honest. The Caps are playing 1 game in 5 days. While resting Chara or Vanecek or watching mins makes some sense one game in 5 days isnt the time to give Chara a game off. Wait for a back to back or 4 games in 6 nights to do that.

 

[Eirikrautha]

At least he's not paired with Chara. Not feeling good about this one. The Caps let Boston back in two games in a row. That suggests either mental or physical fatigue, either of which is disturbing at this point in the season. The killer instinct has always been this team's weakness, and it's going to be more important this season than any other in recent memory...

Our only saving grace is that it's against the Rags...

Damn, I hate being right...

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Jensen was much better.

Carlson looks like butt in his own end. That has got to stop. Remember back in his younger days when he'd get under guy's skin? What happened to that guy?

Ovie was strong on the puck today. He needs to keep that up.

Orlov looks like the best defenseman on the team. Great poke checks. A few mistakes though. He needs to break out that slap shot of his more often. I don't know why the Caps have underutilized it so badly over the years.

Dillon is not impressing me.

Chara has been fine. A steal for $700K really. He's more slick with the puck than I expected. Makes smart passes.

Vrana did some good things. Didn't get the goal but he was a threat.

NOT seeing that at all...

 

[max21]

We suck, the Lemeuix thing was kinda funny. Vitek tried to sell it lol, he might have skated a bit too deep in the crease tho

 

[Eirikrautha]

We suck, the Lemeuix thing was kinda funny. Vitek tried to sell it lol, he might have skated a bit too deep in the crease tho

Well, maybe Vitek was trying to get his guys riled up for the next game. You know, get them playing like they actually care about something...

 

[hb12xchamps]

Didn’t watch the game besides the highlights but saw Vitek was in net.

Vitek hasn’t played this much since coming to North America. He’s used to playing 2 out of 3 games on a weekend at most. I’m surprised they haven’t given him a day off yet. I’d give Anderson or Samsonov (if healthy) the net for the next game just to give Vitek some rest. Don’t want him wearing down as the season rolls on

 

[Langway]

It says here you need more than two healthy NHL centers to be any good. Huh.

Oshie at center is like a fish out of water. I guess there are cap issues at hand but if there was ever a time to see what McMichael could possibly do with talent around him it's now.

 

[John Price]

Getting a bit impatient with these 2 losses in a row, hopefully they right the ship

 

[Raikkonen]

Best they can offer is still 8-92-43 when 92 isnt messing around.

13-20-77 is a good line too.

They need two more competent wingers with high workrate.

4th line is good, its just playing 2nd line situations, almost.

But from that top-9 list almost every one is on decline...

Id consider trading one of the D for F.

PS: Remembered Pens getting Zucker. Many thought he will become better comparing to when he was with Minnesota. So getting some subst for Vrana wouldnt be easy.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

It says here you need more than two healthy NHL centers to be any good. Huh.

Oshie at center is like a fish out of water. I guess there are cap issues at hand but if there was ever a time to see what McMichael could possibly do with talent around him it's now.

is it really needed? Not ready surrounded by more talented is still not ready right?

 

[txpd]

Didn’t watch the game besides the highlights but saw Vitek was in net.

Vitek hasn’t played this much since coming to North America. He’s used to playing 2 out of 3 games on a weekend at most. I’m surprised they haven’t given him a day off yet. I’d give Anderson or Samsonov (if healthy) the net for the next game just to give Vitek some rest. Don’t want him wearing down as the season rolls on

realistically speaking they are going to give him a day off when the schedule forces it. That Rangers game is one game in a 5 day stretch. He has two days off before the next one. Given him a game off makes sense. Making it last night or Sunday doesnt make as much sense.

Note: The Caps play both Saturday and Sunday the next two weekends after this weekend.

 

[Ovechkins Wodka]

Oshie with another -3 I hope we dont use him at center vs Philly Sunday... another -3 on the way

 

[twabby]

Orlov has been back for 2 now. Two days off then a game Sunday. If Orlov is still skating 3rd pair on Sunday, its more than just getting his wheels back. Ov played nearly 30 mins tonight. I would suggest that coach thinks 9 needs to bring more than he has.

Even disregarding Orlov, it should be Dillon playing alongside Carlson. They showed decent chemistry last year and Dillon can handle those minutes unlike Chara.

 

[Langway]

is it really needed? Not ready surrounded by more talented is still not ready right?

Oshie will never be ready for center either. It's not even a stopgap move because they've all but neutered one of their more effective secondary hard-working wingers. Elevating the fourth line helps compensate for that very slightly but not nearly to the extent they've been used.

If nothing else, bump up Sgarbossa. This was the risk in letting Boyd go and not replacing him organizationally. Pinho wasn't going to be the answer. Trying to fill a square peg into a round hole doesn't work. It hasn't worked. It won't work. It only weakens the lineup further.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

I see, less about McMichael, more about wanting a better option over Oshie. Something we all want.

 

[txpd]

Even disregarding Orlov, it should be Dillon playing alongside Carlson. They showed decent chemistry last year and Dillon can handle those minutes unlike Chara.

We will see if Laviolette and McCarthy are good coaches if they go that way

 

[kicksavedave]

Lets be honest. The Caps are playing 1 game in 5 days. While resting Chara or Vanecek or watching mins makes some sense one game in 5 days isnt the time to give Chara a game off. Wait for a back to back or 4 games in 6 nights to do that.

Well lets also not forget, the whole season is 56 games. No one should be worn out or tired come playoffs time based on this schedule, not even Grandpa Chara. But if they are, one game rest won't make much difference. What wears these guys down over 82 games is the cumulative beating and nagging injuries that pile up. They will all have less of that this year than normal.

Most goalies play better when they play more, I know I did. I was always stellar in the 2nd game of a back to back and I did a ton of them when I played in multiple leagues. If you ask every NHL goalie they will say they want more work, not more rest, and its not just ego talking. If we play Anderson, it would be to see if he's capable and because Vanny is slumping, not because Vanny is tired and needs a break.

 

[txpd]

Well lets also not forget, the whole season is 56 games. No one should be worn out or tired come playoffs time based on this schedule, not even Grandpa Chara. But if they are, one game rest won't make much difference. What wears these guys down over 82 games is the cumulative beating and nagging injuries that pile up. They will all have less of that this year than normal.

Most goalies play better when they play more, I know I did. I was always stellar in the 2nd game of a back to back and I did a ton of them when I played in multiple leagues. If you ask every NHL goalie they will say they want more work, not more rest, and its not just ego talking. If we play Anderson, it would be to see if he's capable and because Vanny is slumping, not because Vanny is tired and needs a break.

The Caps are going to play 6 games in 10 nights and then 5 games in 8. Thats pretty heavy

 

[SherVaughn30]

Regarding Anderson not getting a start yet, I think this falls on Caps goalie coach Scott Murray in a negative way. He's still a young goalie coach and might not see the value of having/using an experienced goalie. I remember Murray was not able to help Holtby and Korn had to step back in to help Holtby get back on track when they won the Cup. To me Murray never really connected well with Holtby and I feel there might be the same pattern with Anderson. Don't get me wrong, VV has performed better than expected, but at the same time Copley/Samsonov were both rookie backups and won 16 games each. From following Vanecek detail wise, there are little things in his game that he really needs to work on, that are actually effecting how the Caps play in front of him in the D-zone. Stuff like coming out to play the puck and stopping pucks behind the net, rebound control(he really needs to learn where to place his rebounds and when to hold on to the puck), communication with his d-men(Vanecek seems a bit too much on the quiet side) and in some instances he still needs to improve his technique on how he makes a save in certain situation.

Anderson with his long experience has seen everything. He knows what saves to make in certain situations, knows where to put rebounds and when to hold on to the puck. Handling the puck I can most certainly tell you he's better at it than Vanecek. Communication wise, he could be able to point details to his d-men that Vanecek hasn't experienced yet. While Vanecek might be use to playing the tight scheduling(AHL is known for that), riding a rookie for 8 - 10 straight starts could become costly. Against the better teams in the division, he's looked more average. One thing I can tell you, VV was never a workhorse goalie with Hershey. He never had more than 39 starts in 5 seasons with the Bears.

What bothers me most about this situation is the Caps haven't even given Anderson a start to see what they have in him. Copley might have been the backup had his salary cap not been so high at $1.1 million. Hell Ficale could be backing up if the team is deciding to only use one goalie. I just don't think Scott Murray has a clear cut direction with our goaltending.

 

[Ovechkins Wodka]

Regarding Anderson not getting a start yet, I think this falls on Caps goalie coach Scott Murray in a negative way. He's still a young goalie coach and might not see the value of having/using an experienced goalie. I remember Murray was not able to help Holtby and Korn had to step back in to help Holtby get back on track when they won the Cup. To me Murray never really connected well with Holtby and I feel there might be the same pattern with Anderson. Don't get me wrong, VV has performed better than expected, but at the same time Copley/Samsonov were both rookie backups and won 16 games each. From following Vanecek detail wise, there are little things in his game that he really needs to work on, that are actually effecting how the Caps play in front of him in the D-zone. Stuff like coming out to play the puck and stopping pucks behind the net, rebound control(he really needs to learn where to place his rebounds and when to hold on to the puck), communication with his d-men(Vanecek seems a bit too much on the quiet side) and in some instances he still needs to improve his technique on how he makes a save in certain situation.

Anderson with his long experience has seen everything. He knows what saves to make in certain situations, knows where to put rebounds and when to hold on to the puck. Handling the puck I can most certainly tell you he's better at it than Vanecek. Communication wise, he could be able to point details to his d-men that Vanecek hasn't experienced yet. While Vanecek might be use to playing the tight scheduling(AHL is known for that), riding a rookie for 8 - 10 straight starts could become costly. Against the better teams in the division, he's looked more average. One thing I can tell you, VV was never a workhorse goalie with Hershey. He never had more than 39 starts in 5 seasons with the Bears.

What bothers me most about this situation is the Caps haven't even given Anderson a start to see what they have in him. Copley might have been the backup had his salary cap not been so high at $1.1 million. Hell Ficale could be backing up if the team is deciding to only use one goalie. I just don't think Scott Murray has a clear cut direction with our goaltending.

Im sorry... Are you at practice watching him play? The little we saw of him he looked like trash. Dont throw coaches under the bus when you have no idea how this guy is playing. Yes we are on our 3rd string goalie and Anderson cant get a game that speaks alot to itself.

 

[SherVaughn30]

Im sorry... Are you at practice watching him play? The little we saw of him he looked like trash. Dont throw coaches under the bus when you have no idea how this guy is playing. Yes we are on our 3rd string goalie and Anderson cant get a game that speaks alot to itself.

I have 30 years of goaltending experience. I'm not saying it to brag, but as to where my thought process is coming from. I watch highlights and games of all the NHL goalies and I can tell you there are backups/rookies that are not playing that well. So to put in net a 39 year old experienced goalie, it not as bad as you might think. When you have a new coach and system, riding a rookie goalie might not be the best way to get the players in order with the new system. In this case the Caps are having serious issues defending in their own end. The goalie is part of the issue if you look at the fine details. This is not like the old NHL when goalies just needed to stop pucks. Now a days they need to be smarter and have a more important impact to the team, especially in regard with the team defending their own end of ice. If a goalie is kicking out rebounds in the wrong place, then players can't get to those pucks before the opponent does. It could be the players are in the right position, but the goalie is putting the rebounds in the wrong place! Vanecek has been better than expected, but he's gonna have to become better if the Caps are gonna find a fix in defending better in their own end of the ice.

 

[Ovechkins Wodka]

I have 30 years of goaltending experience. I'm not saying it to brag, but as to where my thought process is coming from. I watch highlights and games of all the NHL goalies and I can tell you there are backups/rookies that are not playing that well. So to put in net a 39 year old experienced goalie, it not as bad as you might think. When you have a new coach and system, riding a rookie goalie might not be the best way to get the players in order with the new system. In this case the Caps are having serious issues defending in their own end. The goalie is part of the issue if you look at the fine details. This is not like the old NHL when goalies just needed to stop pucks. Now a days they need to be smarter and have a more important impact to the team, especially in regard with the team defending their own end of ice. If a goalie is kicking out rebounds in the wrong place, then players can't get to those pucks before the opponent does. It could be the players are in the right position, but the goalie is putting the rebounds in the wrong place! Vanecek has been better than expected, but he's gonna have to become better if the Caps are gonna find a fix in defending better in their own end of the ice.

I appreciate your perspective as a long time goalie. But Anderson looked so bad in the scrimmage game the only footage we got to see of him. If he looks like that in practice there’s no chance he’s going to get an NHL game.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

I have 30 years of goaltending experience. I'm not saying it to brag, but as to where my thought process is coming from. I watch highlights and games of all the NHL goalies and I can tell you there are backups/rookies that are not playing that well. So to put in net a 39 year old experienced goalie, it not as bad as you might think. When you have a new coach and system, riding a rookie goalie might not be the best way to get the players in order with the new system. In this case the Caps are having serious issues defending in their own end. The goalie is part of the issue if you look at the fine details. This is not like the old NHL when goalies just needed to stop pucks. Now a days they need to be smarter and have a more important impact to the team, especially in regard with the team defending their own end of ice. If a goalie is kicking out rebounds in the wrong place, then players can't get to those pucks before the opponent does. It could be the players are in the right position, but the goalie is putting the rebounds in the wrong place! Vanecek has been better than expected, but he's gonna have to become better if the Caps are gonna find a fix in defending better in their own end of the ice.

so.....our “AHL goalie” who is only playing because of circumstance, has some holes in his game, makes mistakes, could be better.......you don’t say?

Since when does Murray decide the value of “having/using an experienced goalie”? Isn’t that on Lavi? If he’s not getting in games, he’s not making an impression (in practice) is the way I read it.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

I appreciate your perspective as a long time goalie. But Anderson looked so bad in the scrimmage game the only footage we got to see of him. If he looks like that in practice there’s no chance he’s going to get an NHL game.

bingo...

 

[SherVaughn30]

so.....our “AHL goalie” who is only playing because of circumstance, has some holes in his game, makes mistakes, could be better.......you don’t say?

Since when does Murray decide the value of “having/using an experienced goalie”? Isn’t that on Lavi? If he’s not getting in games, he’s not making an impression (in practice) is the way I read it.

Lavi as the coach has the final decision. Scott Murray makes a recommendation and Lavi decides if he wants to go with it.