Post-Game Talk: Ghost of Ryan Miller’s chest vs Carl hagelins shot

[troyerlaw]

Lucky win. Vanecek was beat on all 3 shootout attempts. I think the Sabres hit 6 posts.

Kinda wish fucale could get a game again. I thought VV looked mediocre tonight

 

[g00n]

Also I missed most of the game tonight but saw the shootout and VV looks like he needs contact lenses or maybe a few poppers because his glove hand is SLOOOOOWWWW

 

[Empty Goal Net]

The Caps had over 40 shots and had alot of high danger scoring chances. I would say they were terrible.

Is that what you think or did you omit "not"?

 

[Gabrielor]

Gratz.

7 straight loses. Really don't want to go for 17 or whatever again.

 

[troyerlaw]

The Caps had over 40 shots and had alot of high danger scoring chances. I would say they were terrible.

They really only showed up for one period. And benefitted from an absolute clankfest of posts. In my book they were pretty terrible, esp the PP.

 

[hockeykicker]

The Caps had over 40 shots and had alot of high danger scoring chances. I would say they were terrible.

*bears

 

[BallardEra]

Got the two points and they’re off until Wednesday so hopefully some more bodies come back.

I think we’ll see Backstrom return against Chicago.

 

[ClevelandCapsfan]

Got the two points and they’re off until Wednesday so hopefully some more bodies come back.

I think we’ll see Backstrom return against Chicago.

Need Wilson back even more tan Backstrom.

 

[troyerlaw]

Need Wilson back even more tan Backstrom.

Dowd, Hathaway, and TVR too. Those guys are somewhat unsung, but are clearly important to this team

 

[SherVaughn30]

Kinda wish fucale could get a game again. I thought VV looked mediocre tonight

He looked even below average to me. Every time he drops into the butterfly, he leaves a lot of room for shooters to shoot the puck top corners. The better shooting teams take advantage of his flaw, but the Sabres didn't or messed up trying to. I thought they shot too many times low on Vitek. Caps were very lucky to get it to OT. They should have lost the shootout...

So do I regarding Fucale. It's a shame because Fucale numbers have dipped a lot with Hershey(went from a .930 SV% to now .898 SV%). I think the fact that Hershey had to send up so many players to the Caps because of injuries and COVID-19, the Bears haven't been able to field a good enough team and the fact that they had to cancel a bunch of games because of COVID-19.

To me Fucale has the better goalie fundamentals than Vanecek.

 

[SherVaughn30]

Also I missed most of the game tonight but saw the shootout and VV looks like he needs contact lenses or maybe a few poppers because his glove hand is SLOOOOOWWWW

It's not so much that it's slow, but the fact he holds it too low or brings it too low at the wrong time. Just another thing Scott Murray has not had Vitek correct. The fact that Vitek was beat on all 3 Sabres shootout attempts should tell you something. He doesn't shuffle quick enough to keep his angle on shooters, as he lapses into being too positional at times. If I was a shooter, I would just fake shooting low every time and put it top shelf on him. He will bite on 1st moves.

 

[Corby78]

Games like this where you miss Hathaway, dowd, Wilson. Not because of the scoring but the energy. They are the energizer bunnies we are missing

 

[tycoonheart]

Games like this where you miss Hathaway, dowd, Wilson. Not because of the scoring but the energy. They are the energizer bunnies we are missing

I honestly think we are missing some of the rookies too. Specifically someone like AJF who busted his ass shift after shift. I think that type of hustle had an effect on the entire team and got them going. They've looked flat the last 2 games, just going through the motions type of thing.

 

[SoulessGingerCapsFan]

2 ugly as heck points. Move on. Rest up. Never making a game day thread again haha

 

[shtorm2005]

In my book they were pretty terrible, esp the PP.

I could swear there wasn't any PP =))

 

[shtorm2005]

2 ugly as heck points. Move on. Rest up. Never making a game day thread again haha

You said you won't make GDT if they lose, they didn't so...

 

[txpd]

Dowd, Hathaway, and TVR too. Those guys are somewhat unsung, but are clearly important to this team

I wouldnt say unsung. I realize that Hagelin is a magnet around here but many are unhappy with the role and the size of the roll that Hagelin Dowd Hathaway play. They want the rookies to play more and for them to play less.

Are the Caps winning because of the coaching management of the depleted roster or inspite of that?

 

[traparatus]

Starting to notice a serious lack of discipline from the team. Players are constantly overstaying their shifts, low percentage passing plays, a barrage of odd man opportunities against.

I think the work load is starting to get to Jensen-Orlov pairing a little bit. Kuznetsov and Ovechkin, too. On some of the odd man rushes against, the guys are so exhausted that they don't even try to back check. That said, it's December and injury/Covid situation is very serious.

Take the two points and run. Also, power play sucks and is an absolute momentum drain. Awful.

 

[Devil Dancer]

When the PP struggled under Trotz we would get stories about the team working on it. I haven't seen that with the current regime, though that could be because the people covering the team have changed since then.

This team should be constantly trying to improve the PP, because it's costing then points, and it's going to cost them games in the playoffs if this continues.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

Tough crowd. They lost one of their most important players in Wilson and had to travel to Buffalo for a back to back, still put up over 40 shots and played really well for stretches of the game (including a really strong 3rd), they got the two points… and there’s a decent amount of complaining on here. That was not an easy trip for them and I’m happy with the win.

Really hope Tommy isn’t hurt too bad. His loss would be tough to manage.

 

[txpd]

Tough crowd. They lost one of their most important players in Wilson and had to travel to Buffalo for a back to back, still put up over 40 shots and played really well for stretches of the game (including a really strong 3rd), they got the two points… and there’s a decent amount of complaining on here. That was not an easy trip for them and I’m happy with the win.

Really hope Tommy isn’t hurt too bad. His loss would be tough to manage.

Yes, this is a tough crowd. There is always something to complain about our team. Lets face it. this team since making the playoffs the first time in the Ov era has the best record in the NHL. They always win. I heard this week that the Caps have more players playing 6 or more years together than any team in the league. So, the best players are always the same players. Win and stability is boring. The most fun this forum is going to have short of winning another cup is being able to trash the power play or, dare I say, Carl Hagelin.

I mean, this coach has had the best first 82 of any Capitals coach ever. He did this under horrible conditions. Yet, there are corners of our group that think he is screwing up all the time.

 

[trick9]

2 points. The one and only thing that matters.

 

[txpd]

When the PP struggled under Trotz we would get stories about the team working on it. I haven't seen that with the current regime, though that could be because the people covering the team have changed since then.

This team should be constantly trying to improve the PP, because it's costing then points, and it's going to cost them games in the playoffs if this continues.

If you watch the daily presser, Laviolette will often comment that they worked on the power play in a given practice. Its fairly consistent. He says the same about the penalty kill. The media coverage has talked about the pp problem, but when it comes down to it, they have a staffing problem on that pp that can't be fixed with a rotation of back up players. Penalty kills just guard Ovechkin and Carlson and will do that regardless of where you put them

 

[Holtbyisms]

It's not so much that it's slow, but the fact he holds it too low or brings it too low at the wrong time. Just another thing Scott Murray has not had Vitek correct. The fact that Vitek was beat on all 3 Sabres shootout attempts should tell you something. He doesn't shuffle quick enough to keep his angle on shooters, as he lapses into being too positional at times. If I was a shooter, I would just fake shooting low every time and put it top shelf on him. He will bite on 1st moves.

Said it when we traded to get him back...should have just let him go and kept the draft pick. Sammy is getting better with more starts and Fucale could have done the 20-25 game backup job. At that time I said Copley but either one really could have given us spot starts on b2b with at least average goaltending.

 

[maacoshark]

He looked even below average to me. Every time he drops into the butterfly, he leaves a lot of room for shooters to shoot the puck top corners. The better shooting teams take advantage of his flaw, but the Sabres didn't or messed up trying to. I thought they shot too many times low on Vitek. Caps were very lucky to get it to OT. They should have lost the shootout...

So do I regarding Fucale. It's a shame because Fucale numbers have dipped a lot with Hershey(went from a .930 SV% to now .898 SV%). I think the fact that Hershey had to send up so many players to the Caps because of injuries and COVID-19, the Bears haven't been able to field a good enough team and the fact that they had to cancel a bunch of games because of COVID-19.

To me Fucale has the better goalie fundamentals than Vanecek.

I agree about Vanecek. When he goes down in the butterfly the top half of the net is open. The shooter can pick whatever side of the net he wants to shoot at.
His body is low when he is in the butterfly and he plays deep in the net. Not challenging shooters to cut down the angle.
I have saved a few stills of Vanecek giving up goals upstairs when he is down. There is a ton of room for shooters. The best view I got was from a game against Buffalo earlier this year on a goal by Cody Eakin.