GDT: G70: Blues @ Capitals | 3/17/23 | 7:00p ET

[CapsGr8]

Uh oh Sandin stinks now. That’s not good!

They're overworking him. His TOI/G is 25:34 since being acquired. He was averaging 18 for TOR.

 

[troyerlaw]

With him not giving 2 shits about giving any effort beyond a slap shot I‘m not all that excited about the scoring record record. Breaking the record while coasting the next 2-3 seasons and doing little else besides taking a slap shot from the left dot definitely takes some of the luster off the record in my view. He doesn’t drive play or help the possession game one iota, at least make some effort on defense. Sure he’s never made much effort on that end even in his prime, but great players adapt their games to make up for things they’ve lost. OV is content doing what he’s doing.

-4 tonite

 

[Corby78]

Please no more playoff talk. That is all

 

[bacchist]

With him not giving 2 shits about giving any effort beyond a slap shot I‘m not all that excited about the scoring record record. Breaking the record while coasting the next 2-3 seasons and doing little else besides taking a slap shot from the left dot definitely takes some of the luster off the record in my view. He doesn’t drive play or help the possession game one iota, at least make some effort on defense. Sure he’s never made much effort on that end even in his prime, but great players adapt their games to make up for things they’ve lost. OV is content doing what he’s doing.

It's true that he's pretty much a liability and dragging the team down, but I still want him to pass Gretzky.

Hopefully a new coach will deploy him better. Having him out there for a full two minutes every single power play is dumb, for example.

 

[Ovechkins Wodka]

Please no more playoff talk. That is all

Well, if we wanted any chance, this was a horrible game to not show up for

 

[Langway]

It's true that he's pretty much a liability and dragging the team down, but I still want him to pass Gretzky.

Who isn't a liability, though? None of the supposedly higher-end players are at the height of their game and make those around them better. At least not to the point of maintaining that level single-handedly even when the rest of the team slacks off. They don't really possess momentum-changing level players at the top. It's something they have to attack collectively, patiently over time and hope to get at more via discipline and attrition.

After these sorts of efforts--and there have been at least a dozen--I don't know where you even begin. It's why I, again, can't see them rebounding back into playoff territory next season. Every team has clunkers but they're running out of highway and are a great deal more limited than I think we grasp. How you even go about shuffling around 3 or 4 large ticket players for whatever happens to be available elsewhere and expect that to even mesh together is asking a lot in any one off-season.

A new coach can try to set the agenda and focus more methodically in some areas but they'll need a miracle worker. As-is their instincts are often pretty bad. Like, do you ever see teams wrong-side themselves as often as this team when they're struggling? A lack of athleticism combined with suspect anticipation and work ethic is a pretty fatal combination. And it's hard to believe those limitations will quickly and conveniently be resolved.

 

[g00n]

*hugs*

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Probably right but at least we can see what some of the young guys can really do. They need to assess what they have in the system IMHO. Playing Craig Smith and Sheary in the top nine does nothing.

Yeah sure….I just feel like we all know what they can do…..and it’s not great, (or even good)…..

 

[Misery74]

Yeah sure….I just feel like we all know what they can do…..and it’s not great, (or even good)…..

We actually don’t know that. AA seems to be playing ok, he was stapled to the bench all year.

 

[Misery74]

I saw Laviolette interviewed before the game. He talked about how big the two points were.

Then, to watch dog shit on ice, lead by their captain, who was the worst of the bunch.

What are we doing?

 

[YippieKaey]

I saw Laviolette interviewed before the game. He talked about how big the two points were.

Then, to watch dog shit on ice, lead by their captain, who was the worst of the bunch.

What are we doing?

I would say that we are tanking, but not everyone has gotten the message.

 

[SecretaryofDefense5]

I would say that we are tanking, but not everyone has gotten the message.

There is a disconnect between the coach and the GM. I firmly believe that. One more reason I don’t believe Lavi will be coming back for next season.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

We actually don’t know that. AA seems to be playing ok, he was stapled to the bench all year.

He’s been very up and down..just like he was before in his limited time. Seems like a bottom pair, 4/5 at best…..as expected.

But now that the season is pretty much lost, we can sacrifice game time to an experiment that’s unlikely to yield anything new.

 

[Misery74]

He’s been very up and down..just like he was before in his limited time. Seems like a bottom pair, 4/5 at best…..as expected.

But now that the season is pretty much lost, we can sacrifice game time to an experiment that’s unlikely to yield anything new.

If he is 4/5, that would be great. Laviolette has treated him like a 7/8.

As to your last point, the coach doesn’t see it that way.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

There is a disconnect between the coach and the GM. I firmly believe that. One more reason I don’t believe Lavi will be coming back for next season.

I think this is made up in the minds of fans who want Lavi gone…

If he is 4/5, that would be great. Laviolette has treated him like a 7/8.

As to your last point, the coach doesn’t see it that way.

“At best”……he’s no where near that today and likely never will be. He is a 7/8 today on a non-tanking team.

 

[Misery74]

I think this is made up in the minds of fans who want Lavi gone…


“At best”……he’s no where near that today and likely never will be. He is a 7/8 today on a non-tanking team.

He’s played like 20 games. You have no idea what you are talking about.

The GM sold at the deadline. The coach is a lame duck. Pretty clearly a divide between the two.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

He’s played like 20 games. You have no idea what you are talking about.

The GM sold at the deadline. The coach is a lame duck. Pretty clearly a divide between the two.

Ok man….They can simply agree to part ways (which they may already have). Lavi didn’t sign up to coach a tanking old team either. I‘d wager he’s come to terms with the idea of moving on to a team headed in the other direction, (sorta like Trotz did at the time)…..we’ll see.

Show me any real indication of a divide…..GMBM comments about coaching decisions? Snide soundbites about Lavi in pressers? Anything?

 

[SecretaryofDefense5]

I think this is made up in the minds of fans who want Lavi gone…

“At best”……he’s no where near that today and likely never will be. He is a 7/8 today on a non-tanking team.

I don’t agree. If you listen to BMac’s recent interviews he said they need to find a spot for McMichael for instance and said the young guys need to play down the stretch. Then asked if Lavi has a hard time playing young guys he took a very diplomatic approach when answering but if you read between the lines there are some philosophical disagreements. If you don’t agree that is fine but I would argue it’s fairly obvious.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

I don’t agree. If you listen to BMac’s recent interviews he said they need to find a spot for McMichael for instance and said the young guys need to play down the stretch. Then asked if Lavi has a hard time playing young guys he took a very diplomatic approach when answering but if you read between the lines there are some philosophical disagreements. If you don’t agree that is fine but I would argue it’s fairly obvious.

Yeah, when McMichael is ready to fill a roster hole (Lars)…….show me the exact comments indicating a divide between HC and GM…..I’ve seen or heard nothing that indicates some divide you Lavi haters are mentally fabricating…and they literally have nothing left BUT to play the young guys down the stretch….

 

[Misery74]

Yeah, when McMichael is ready to fill a roster hole (Lars)…….sow me the exact comments…..I’ve seen or heard nothing that indicates some divide you Lavi haters are fabricating…

He just told you. The GMs actions tell you. He traded all the UFAs.

How is the a fabrication?

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

He just told you. The GMs actions tell you. He traded all the UFAs.

How is the a fabrication?

Nah….sorry….They simply accepted their catastrophic injury issues were too much to overcome…..and they're still going down fighting…..despite your crew wanting them to roll over every night now.

 

[Misery74]

Nah….sorry….They simply accepted their catastrophic injury issues were too much to overcome…..and they're still going down fighting…..despite your crew wanting them to roll over every night now.

Sorry, it didn’t look like they were fighting to win this huge game, against a bad team.

 

[Brian23]

Yeah sure….I just feel like we all know what they can do…..and it’s not great, (or even good)…..

Absolutely not true, and kind of ridiculous you'd still believe that. You were boo hooing AA all year, suddenly he gets games and he seems like he can at least belong on a 3rd pair.

And magically, people don't get better if not given the opportunity. Absolutely wild concept, I know.

 

[g00n]

LOL there is no sign of some "disconnect". No need to invent intrigue. They're an inconsistent team fighting an uphill battle at the end of a shitty year.

Players don't tank. They have no interest in the draft and are more likely to protect their own jobs and the jobs of their teammates rather than lose to increase the chances some draftee takes away their own paycheck.

Coaches in a contract year don't tank, either. Lavi is not coming back, imo. He would've been extended by now if he was. Gmbm is just letting this play out while saying the right things to the press and public. And Lavi is more or less doing the same.

Common sense.

 

[Misery74]

Nah….sorry….They simply accepted their catastrophic injury issues were too much to overcome…..and they're still going down fighting…..despite your crew wanting them to roll over every night now.

You don’t think they rolled over last night?