Post-Game Talk: Game 3 | Washington Capitals @ New York Islanders | 12 PM [MOD NOTEs #183 & 706]

[NobodyBeatsTheWiz]

Uh, there certainly were adjustments from game 1 to game 2 WRT the breakout.

 

[RaindanceMaggie]

I'd like to see Trotz go to 8-92-43 & 90-19-42 as the top two lines, at least give the Caps some speed on OVs line.

 

[NobodyBeatsTheWiz]

How? Game 1 we had no chance. Game 2 they were ahead by 2 goals. Game 3 we really had no chance, it was all them.

How on Earth can you say that? We didn't play well, but it went to overtime. If the Caps had gotten the fortuitous bounce, the series is 2-1 the other way.

 

[tycoonheart]

How on Earth can you say that? We didn't play well, but it went to overtime. If the Caps had gotten the fortuitous bounce, the series is 2-1 the other way.

I don't remember a single good chance to go up after we tied the game. It was all them after the game was 1-1. If we had had some great opportunities and played well after tying the game, I'd have said we could've won the game.

At the end of the day its not 3-0 them or 2-1 us, its 2-1 them. And we have played some horse manure hockey.

 

[Fallschirmyager]

How on Earth can you say that? We didn't play well, but it went to overtime. If the Caps had gotten the fortuitous bounce, the series is 2-1 the other way.

See, this is the exact type of idea that I dislike. The bolded means a damn site more than the underlined. This team will continue it's futility until they decide to show up every game and play with more sense than a bucket of grits. Until then we're left to listen to excuses, hot goalie, bad bounces etc. from management.

The good part is I'll be able to reduce my cable bill soon.

 

[SpinningEdge]

Simply put, the Caps need to learn you can't play 80% of the game being dominated and then expect you're good enough to just make up for that.

Maybe losing this game will end up being a positive for them and they can tie the series Tuesday and get back the home ice advantage. If they lose today but learn that they need to actually play 60 minutes, it could be the difference in the series.

I think there's too many players on this team that just think/try to go out and work hard in a shift and not screw up instead of feeling like "I'm going to go score" or "I'm going to help get us a goal tonight".

It seems they just get in cruise control, do their normal shifts, and then expect Ovi or someone else to score. That's fine when you have a few scorers with a scoring mentality - but when you rely on that when the game tightens up in the playoffs and Ovi is being squashed b/c no #1 D fears Ward at all - there's a reason we've avg'd just 2 goals/game over like the last 30+ playoff games.

... or they're just not good enough.

 

[NobodyBeatsTheWiz]

See, this is the exact type of idea that I dislike. The bolded means a damn site more than the underlined. This team will continue it's futility until they decide to show up every game and play with more sense than a bucket of grits. Until then we're left to listen to excuses, hot goalie, bad bounces etc. from management.

The good part is I'll be able to reduce my cable bill soon.

Ok, well the Isles won due to two occasions of the underlined. That was my point. They won in OT due to good puck luck.

 

[tycoonheart]

Ok, well the Isles won due to two occasions of the underlined. That was my point. They won in OT due to good puck luck.

I dunno, I would say we lost because we are almost inept at leaving our zone.

 

[NobodyBeatsTheWiz]

I dunno, I would say we lost because we are almost inept at leaving our zone.

The game winning goal was a "throw it at the net and hope for the best" play. The first goal was a deflection of a calf/knee in the high slot. That's the puck luck I was referring to.

I didn't think breakouts were a huge problem today, as they were in game one. Gaining speed through the neutral zone and maintaining offensive zone time were much bigger issues.

 

[SpinningEdge]

IMO the best team won each game so far. Isles better team game 1, handed it to us.

Caps even though were down - were the better team by far in game 2. We got it done.

Today it was all NY for about 80% of the game. They desereved the win, and they got it.

Caps can't lose more than 1 more game the remaining 4 games of this series... them starting to play good and get it together needs to happen asap.

 

[RandyHolt]

Isles has 42 shots on goal today. Every player registered a shot.

If we are turtling, that's one thing. But if we are losing most of the game and giving up 40, that is a sign of a team being dominated. It doesn't mean you can't win, but that type of play is not sustainable.

 

[g00n]

Ok, well the Isles won due to two occasions of the underlined. That was my point. They won in OT due to good puck luck.

You think no luck or "softness" by the Isles was involved in anything good that happened for the Caps? Or that the Islanders had no bad luck? You think this team showed up with its A-game for most of this series so far?

Game 3 is an absolute rout if not for one guy: Holtby, who had a .952 save percentage in a losing effort. Shots were 42-25 Islanders in the end, and 33-13 after 2 periods. It was not even as close as that based on a semi-turtle by the Islanders and the typically leaky Halak late in periods.

And I disagree that the OT goal was puck luck. The Islanders made that play happen while the Caps let it happen. Carlson tried to ride the puck up the boards and the Isles took away the forward on the wall while pinching the blueline to keep it in, then funneled to the net. Those plays are SUPPOSED to produce goals like that...deflections and rebounds...what we should be doing more. That was by design and through effort on their part. It was killer instinct.

The Caps stood and watched too much. It's like they were all waiting for the puck to start going the other way...for someone else to do it so that top line could get their chance to score. Holtby made the first save and then had to make an immediate second pokecheck because Orpik smacked it right back at him, and the Isles pounced. That's not luck. That's one team shooting a ton and coming out ready to apply pressure, and the other team standing around passively with their brains still in the locker room...right where they've left them for most of this series, and far too often this year or any year in the playoffs.

It's almost identical to Ovechkin's goal in this series, when the Caps were mounting their comeback against a similarly dazed and lackadaisical Islanders team. If that OT goal was luck then so was Ovechkin's.

 

[RandyHolt]

I am surprised the Isles didnt win in regulation late in the 3rd. They seemed to have many quality chances go just wide, most of which were after a Holt save.

 

[Capsman]

An 11-0 shot deficit to start is what I might expect from the Caps verses Hershey. There has to be all types of dysfunction on our part to pull that off.

 

[Fallschirmyager]

Ok, well the Isles won due to two occasions of the underlined. That was my point. They won in OT due to good puck luck.

They made their own luck is why they won.

Bad bounces and dumb luck are one thing. Not showing up is another. The CAPS will not win this series showing up sometimes.

 

[Calicaps]

Not happy with the Caps play on the series so far, but the good news is they have shown they can be the better team if they execute. So it comes down to want and will. Do they have that? We'll see. That said, the Caps aren't getting any more blown out than any other team in the playoffs so far. They're all awfully close and this series is far from over. Standing by my prediction of Caps in 6.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

I was thinking of bringing in Burakovsky to be on Backstrom's wing on the top line ?
Bump Ward back to the 3rd line during Fehr's absence and play Bura to bring speed and skill to the first line ?

 

[Langway]

I didn't think breakouts were a huge problem today, as they were in game one. Gaining speed through the neutral zone and maintaining offensive zone time were much bigger issues.

Yeah, I'd say generally I've been most disappointed by their neutral zone play. Part of it's Trotz's slow dump and chase mentality generally but that's really just the beginning. Their overall puck support and passing are typically awful.

 

[Skrudland2Lomakin]

http://www.russianmachineneverbreak...hoice-words-for-alex-ovechkin-after-the-game/



I think I would be very pleased us destroying them.



MOD EDIT: possible NSFW language in link, RMNB has edited at least once already

 

[NobodyBeatsTheWiz]

*Sigh*

Is it so hard to understand that due to the general nature of puck luck, and the particular nature of the puck luck that won the game, it's disingenuous to say the Caps had "no chance" to win game 3? By any reasonable evaluation, they absolutely had a chance to win.

Did they deserve to win? No. Did they get outplayed? Yes. Do teams that drive the play have more opportunities for good puck luck? Absolutely.

It's not hard people. All I'm saying is that the series is not over and that they were a fortuitous bounce from it being 2-1 the other way. No reason to panic.

 

[Dr John Carlson]

I've been getting tired of hearing Pierre talk about how all the Isles players know their role, but there is some truth to that. I'm having a hard time figuring out what roles are filled by Laich, Chimera, Brouwer, and Glencross, besides mindless grinding.

 

[NobodyBeatsTheWiz]

They made their own luck is why they won.

Bad bounces and dumb luck are one thing. Not showing up is another. The CAPS will not win this series showing up sometimes.

Well, you seem to think the Isles can win the series showing up sometimes, because they got manhandled in game 2.

It's the playoffs. There are ups and downs. The Caps can take back home ice advantage on Tuesday.

 

[PanniniClaus]

The Isles are willing to sit back - the Caps showed how they need to play on the shift they tied it. 4 to 5 men in the cycle and work the d and small goalie.

Having Green with the Ovie line and then a decent left shot d would be nice so that shots, and plays could come off both sides.

Not sure if Orlov is ready to do this in Gleason's place.

The goal was a rushed play by Carlson and it almost seemed as though Ward thought the d was pressing him (it was not it was a forward) and his touch would be a chip out of the zone. That or he thought he could make a little touch play to the center but the center was nowhere near him.

The Caps need more of that 5 man cycle play and a little more urgency. The Isles have one of the worst d corps in the playoffs and a less than stellar goalie but they are playing very stifling , frustrating hockey. Their forwards have been exceptional - great mix of size, speed, toughness, skill and energy.

Caps need to bounce back in a big way.

 

[Fallschirmyager]

Well, you seem to think the Isles can win the series showing up sometimes, because they got manhandled in game 2.

It's the playoffs. There are ups and downs. The Caps can take back home ice advantage on Tuesday.

I'm not worried about whether the Isles show up or not. I'm worried about the CAPS not showing up which they have done far too often in recent playoff history. That they can control and they're not doing it.

Yes this team is talented enough that if they turn it on they can run the next 3 games with no worries. I just won't believe it until they start to consistently show up and play like they want to be here.

 

[artilector]

I'm not worried about whether the Isles show up or not. I'm worried about the CAPS not showing up which they have done far too often in recent playoff history. That they can control and they're not doing it.

Yes this team is talented enough that if they turn it on they can run the next 3 games with no worries. I just won't believe it until they start to consistently show up and play like they want to be here.

I am not sure about that. The forward talent is 8, 19, and a rookie Kuz. And team quickness is a question mark against the faster opponents.

Sure the Isles are not an uber-team and can be beaten, but if they play at their best and the Caps play like in Game 2, it might still be a pretty even match up.

Even if the Caps grind successfully, it still won't be easy to score goals -- so it's hard to really gain separation on opponents.

I'd whatever odds historically apply to 2-1 series leads are as good a guess as any for Caps' chances. Neither team has really shown the ability to consistently dominate the other.