Post-Game Talk: HNIC: Caps @ Leafs

[CapitalsCupReality]

For me it just feels like the coach is letting them off the hook with that kind of sound bite.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

John Carlson should be in the press box. No reason to have him out there if he's gonna play like that, I don't care if it's because he's injured or because he's garbage.

 

[um]

 

[ForzaItalia]

Was at the game tonight. What a pathetic performance. Went with a buddy of mine that doesn't know much about hockey and was telling him I was worried about this being 3 games in 4 nights for the Caps. You know when you just know? Within the first 5 minutes I knew the Caps weren't winning this one. It was fully confirmed when the Caps got a lucky bounce off the boards in the second period only to see it jump over the blade of the Caps player in the slot. (Don't remember who it was, left handed shot)

I only sat in the stands for the first two periods. For the third I was watching at the bar in the concourse and that early Leafs goal reaffirmed my decision.

Embarrassing.

 

[Hivemind]

Was at the game tonight. What a pathetic performance. Went with a buddy of mine that doesn't know much about hockey and was telling him I was worried about this being 3 games in 4 nights for the Caps. You know when you just know? Within the first 5 minutes I knew the Caps weren't winning this one. It was fully confirmed when the Caps got a lucky bounce off the boards in the second period only to see it jump over the blade of the Caps player in the slot. (Don't remember who it was, left handed shot)

I only sat in the stands for the first two periods. For the third I was watching at the bar in the concourse and that early Leafs goal reaffirmed my decision.

Embarrassing.

Sanford

 

[philip]

Amazing.

 

[ovikovy817]

Niskanen lower body. Oh ****

 

[g00n]

For me it just feels like the coach is letting them off the hook with that kind of sound bite.

Agreed. I don't care whether or not it's true, you can't let players get the idea in their heads that excuses are waiting for them if they fail.

 

[Ajax1995]

Agreed. I don't care whether or not it's true, you can't let players get the idea in their heads that excuses are waiting for them if they fail.

What should he have said in your opinion?

 

[trick9]

Poor effort.

 

[g00n]

What should he have said in your opinion?

What exactly you say depends on the question and the message you want to send. Start with not making excuses or leaving the door open for future excuses, end with something more inspirational and motivational.

What was the question?

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

Watched the first 10 minutes then binge-watched This Is Us with the wife. Looks like I made the right choice.

 

[txpd]

What exactly you say depends on the question and the message you want to send. Start with not making excuses or leaving the door open for future excuses, end with something more inspirational and motivational.

What was the question?

three games in four nights on a back to back with international travel doesn't create fatigue issues?

Lets be realistic. I don't think that its always smooth to throw your team under the bus for every odd bad performance particularly with that schedule. Trotz is known to be pretty straight forward. He often calls them out for sucking when they suck. Laying a loss off on being tired is not is not SOP for him. So, its my take that he answered that question truthfully.

Lets be honest. The Caps playing the Penguins on the back end of a back to back looked pretty ugly coming in part because it was a back to back. Them winning that game was a reflection both good for the Caps and hideous for Pittsburgh. It was not the normal result for the 2nd game in two nights.

 

[g00n]

three games in four nights on a back to back with international travel doesn't create fatigue issues?

Lets be realistic. I don't think that its always smooth to throw your team under the bus for every odd bad performance particularly with that schedule. Trotz is known to be pretty straight forward. He often calls them out for sucking when they suck. Laying a loss off on being tired is not is not SOP for him. So, its my take that he answered that question truthfully.

Lets be honest. The Caps playing the Penguins on the back end of a back to back looked pretty ugly coming in part because it was a back to back. Them winning that game was a reflection both good for the Caps and hideous for Pittsburgh. It was not the normal result for the 2nd game in two nights.

Let's be accurate. I never said fatigue couldn't be a factor. I said what I said. It's there to be read and not morphed into some other hypothetical.

 

[trick9]

So...

How long before this Dmitri Orlov in the top-4 experiment is over?

If Niskanen isn't hurt that badly that he doesn't miss any games, maybe try Schmidt and Carlson together. They tried that last season when Orpik went down and it didn't look as bad as this. Maybe that gets Orlov producing more again too since he clearly can't handle the better competition.

To be honest, i don't like the Schmidt -experiment that much either. It might be worth a shot though because i don't know if Orpik can handle the top minutes now. Orpik-Schmidt 3rd pairing can't exactly be counted to produce that much offense either. Orpik is a pure defensive guy and Schmidt can't shoot the puck to save his life. Something just needs to happen because now neither Carlson or Orlov are producing enough and they often have moments where they clearly aren't at the same page.

I would still look to add someone capable of playing top-4 LD role at the TDL unless someone steps significantly up. Depth never hurts.

 

[Ajax1995]

What exactly you say depends on the question and the message you want to send. Start with not making excuses or leaving the door open for future excuses, end with something more inspirational and motivational.

What was the question?

I don't know what the exact question was. I guess I really don't care what a coach says to the press too much, though I don't think running your team down in the press is a good idea unless you have tried pretty much everything else.

I do care what is said in the room and unfortunately we don't know what is said there.

And frankly there is a reason when schedules come out one of the first things we all look at is the number of back to backs and 3 in 4's they have and it isn't because those situations don't matter.

So bottom line I am ok with Trotz protecting his team in the press and giving them a bit of an out because of the situation and I hope he is saying in the room that while yes these kinds of stretches are tough but every team has them and they need to be better.

 

[g00n]

I don't know what the exact question was. I guess I really don't care what a coach says to the press too much, though I don't think running your team down in the press is a good idea unless you have tried pretty much everything else.

I do care what is said in the room and unfortunately we don't know what is said there.

And frankly there is a reason when schedules come out one of the first things we all look at is the number of back to backs and 3 in 4's they have and it isn't because those situations don't matter.

So bottom line I am ok with Trotz protecting his team in the press and giving them a bit of an out because of the situation and I hope he is saying in the room that while yes these kinds of stretches are tough but every team has them and they need to be better.

Once in a while against a backdrop of crunch time performance and doing/saying all the right things is understandable. But we're talking about a pattern and culture with this team that's been around for a very, very long time. Every little bit either helps or hurts when trying to overturn that culture.

 

[Ajax1995]

Once in a while against a backdrop of crunch time performance and doing/saying all the right things is understandable. But we're talking about a pattern and culture with this team that's been around for a very, very long time. Every little bit either helps or hurts when trying to overturn that culture.

I think you are reaching for something to be upset about simply to be upset while holding the team/coach/franchise to standards that you imagine all champions pretty much always display but in reality no team does even semi regularly.

 

[g00n]

I think you are reaching for something to be upset about simply to be upset while holding the team/coach/franchise to standards that you imagine all champions pretty much always display but in reality no team does even semi regularly.

No it's pretty standard sports psychology straight from the mouths of top sports psychologists, and it's what champions do. It shouldn't be voodoo in 2016.

 

[txpd]

Once in a while against a backdrop of crunch time performance and doing/saying all the right things is understandable. But we're talking about a pattern and culture with this team that's been around for a very, very long time. Every little bit either helps or hurts when trying to overturn that culture.

You seem to be saying that if they are tired and beat up from a back to back and 3 games in 4 nights run and a 4 wins in 5 games homestand, that acknowledging that they were tired is bad? Sometimes its just true.

when the Caps have been flat this season, Trotz has called them out and/or shaken up the lineup. Demoted and scratched guys. You make it sound like Trotz is coddling them where I don't think he is.

Sometimes its just true.

Meanwhile I didn't see any give up. They didn't mail it in

On a related note. Lets talk about Carlson and what's going on there and Ovechkin's ice time and whats going on there. Not sure what is going on there but a possible answer to those issues would make them more vulnerable to fatigue.

 

[g00n]

You seem to be saying that if they are tired and beat up from a back to back and 3 games in 4 nights run and a 4 wins in 5 games homestand, that acknowledging that they were tired is bad? Sometimes its just true.

when the Caps have been flat this season, Trotz has called them out and/or shaken up the lineup. Demoted and scratched guys. You make it sound like Trotz is coddling them where I don't think he is.

Sometimes its just true.

Meanwhile I didn't see any give up. They didn't mail it in

On a related note. Lets talk about Carlson and what's going on there and Ovechkin's ice time and whats going on there. Not sure what is going on there but a possible answer to those issues would make them more vulnerable to fatigue.

Ok let me know when teams who leave the door open for excuses start winning Cups.

What's wrong with just saying nothing at all on the topic? Or say "tired or not, we need to play better than that if we're going to deep in the playoffs when everyone's tired and the guy with the most stamina and desire has the advantage". How hard is that?

I didn't invent the brain so I didn't write the rules on how it works. But how it works is pretty universal. If you program the subconscious to accept reasons for failure then it will look for ways to do so. That includes the coach himself.

On the other hand if you stop looking for ways/reasons to lose and begin to expect nothing but success, then you will start achieving it more.

People get paid six figures or more for this kind of advice. I'm giving it to you for free. Take advantage.

 

[txpd]

Ok let me know when teams who leave the door open for excuses start winning Cups.
.

This is just from a single search

Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane admitted the stretch had likely worn him and his teammates down.
"We've had a lot of games in the past 11 days," Kane said. "I think it's seven games. So maybe there's a little excuse there."

Quenneville and his players thought rest was exactly what the team required right now.
"We just got to take a couple days off, get away, gather some energy," Quenneville said. "I think when you're able to play the game when you feel good I think your thought process is that much more effective.
"I think that's something sometimes whether it goes directly to your hands or your feet or your legs, when you're not thinking good, it slows down your team game. But I think everybody should get some energy and get back."
Blackhawks center Andrew Shaw was ready for that.
"We have to recuperate the mind and the body," Shaw said. "Go home, get some sleep, get some good food into us, get some water. I think we'll be fine. We'll take this half comeback momentum into next game."

Every team says this from time to time. 3 games in 4 nights is not how hockey is meant to play. The worst package is when games 2 and 3 are back to back. That 3rd game is brutal.

ok...I know. Quennville and the Blackhawks can make excuses because they have won a cup.

Interesting headline in the Toronto Sun on the game last night.

Rested Maple Leafs outplay tired Capitals in big win

 

[Ajax1995]

Ok let me know when teams who leave the door open for excuses start winning Cups.

Since always. The idea that you don't understand that reiterates what I was saying earlier about your unrealistic expectations of what you think winners do and don't do.

 

[g00n]

Ok, sure guys. Don't believe me. I'm making it up, right? No big deal. They'll get what they put into it.

 

[Langway]

Cup winners get the benefit of the doubt. Perennial disappointments don't until they've earned it. The perspectives and knowledge are very different. Perennial playoff losers that go about their business in the same old way are just asking for more disappointment. No one should be surprised if this club largely sleepwalks through the regular season once again. And disappoints once again.

To seemingly lack the self-awareness of what needs to be improved upon beyond working harder is alarming. MacLellan has alluded to some of the bigger picture issues and yet it's not at all apparent that they're day-to-day priorities for this club, despite a pretty decent record so far. Playing with more effective pace? Building a truly formidable third line? Having any sort of standard for the bottom six's play on most nights? Improving the offensive contributions from the back-end? Faring better against faster teams? Everything constantly seems to get boiled down to hard work but Trotz knows damn well he's not going to get that on many nights in the regular season. It seems even more unlikely when there aren't meta areas they're actively working on in any apparent way. Competing is important to be sure but there has to be room for skill development and more intelligent play. That way when they don't actually have tons of energy in the tank there's still more refined execution that allows them to truly manage the game.

As-is they seem like a team that just doesn't learn and that should be chilling organizationally. Trotz may win the battle but to this point he doesn't seem like a coach that wins the war. (Not unless the roster is more fully tailored to his low maintenance inclinations.) It's not 100% on him. I think MacLellan's inexperience is likely a factor in some key ways from a managerial standpoint and the players aren't exactly brilliant. But if the process is half-assed then full-assing it probably doesn't get the job done in practice either.