How Do You Feel...about the Caps?

[txpd]

This season so far has proven to me that Kuznetsov is a nice compliment to Nicklas Backstrom. He is not better than nor a replacement for Backstrom. If I had to chose, I would keep Backstrom and trade Kuznetsov. I don't think that choice will have to be made, though. Without Ovechkin,, Backstrom is the franchise player. You keep him. As his game is not predicated on speed, I don't see it suffering as he ages so long as he remains healthy

 

[Sam Spade]

• I feel like Burakovsky is not getting it and we should move on if we can get some value. I love his shot and he earned some credit for his “fight” before the injury but ultimately I think his potential will remain untapped here. He doesn’t seem to be progressing from year to year.

Not thread jacking but you just gave me a great idea for a trade, Galchenyuk for Burakovsky (plus maybe a 3rd rounder).

 

[txpd]

I feel like Burakovsky is not getting it and we should move on if we can get some value. I love his shot and he earned some credit for his “fight” before the injury but ultimately I think his potential will remain untapped here. He doesn’t seem to be progressing from year to year

Him not progressing is more perception than reality. 9 goals, 17 goals, 12 goals looks like a lack of progression, but he only played 64 games last season with the broken hand.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

This season so far has proven to me that Kuznetsov is a nice compliment to Nicklas Backstrom. He is not better than nor a replacement for Backstrom. If I had to chose, I would keep Backstrom and trade Kuznetsov. I don't think that choice will have to be made, though. Without Ovechkin,, Backstrom is the franchise player. You keep him. As his game is not predicated on speed, I don't see it suffering as he ages so long as he remains healthy

Kuznetsov is the future of this team. He isn't better than Backstrom and will never be as good as Backstrom at his best, but it won't be long before he surpasses Backstrom. We need to keep both if we want to be successful.

 

[maacoshark]

There was a lot of negative commentary going into this season from hockey analysts and HF community. While there is no denying that Caps lost valuable players in the off season but a team is a sum of players that are still here and not players that have left. Backstrom, Kuznetsov, Eller is a top-3 center group in the league. Ovechkin, Oshie, Vrana, Burakovsky is a wicked group to round out the top-6. Orlov, Niskanen, Carlson, Orpik are not the greatest defense in the league but it's enough to make the playoffs.

Playoff loss last year hurt, no question about it. While I was not worried about talent level of this line up, I was afraid of apathy. If you are a part of the core, how do you motivate yourself to be the best you can be? What is it that you can do differently this season to achieve greater success? For players like Ovechkin, Backstrom, Carlson, Holtby it cannot be easy to see a path to success and a Stanley Cup. It's a testament to the coaching stuff and leadership group of this team that they put a hard stop to lazy, disinterested, penalty filled play after the awful loss in Colorado. There is good energy and swagger surrounding the Caps now and we don't have to dig ourselves out from the bottom of the standings. Good thing, considering the insane nature of our division.

So, that's all good. However, I still have to ask why will this team succeed where past ones failed? Can you imagine Caps having to face Pens in the playoffs again? There is only so much losing that a core of players can go through before they are no longer confident of victory.

Caps are a younger team this year and they are set to become even younger next season. Jay Beagle will be put out to pasture after this season, Orpik after next one. Lars Eller might no be re-signed and who knows what the future holds for John Carlson.

Is it perhaps time to envision the future of this team with a different core group? People will get very angry at me for saying this but I wonder what this team would like without Nicklas Backstrom. He is 30 years old and is signed for two more years after this one on a very nice $6.7m per season deal. His value is immense. With Kuznetsov on the roster, Caps are in a position where they can sacrifice a little bit of quality from top-2 centers. There might be an opportunity to completely re-envision this team and improve what is a very mediocre farm system while also creating some much needed cap room. Backstrom is one the greatest players this franchise has ever seen and his number will be up in the rafters when it's all said and done. However, after a decade of playoff disappointments something gotta give.

I would say Backstrom is the best 2way forward to ever put on a Caps uniform. The next best would be Gustafson. Backstrom value is sometimes under appreciated.

 

[marcel snapshot]

Love seeing much less glide and much higher motor rate from Ovie lately. If he can sustain that, it's going to make me hopeful again. Think Wilson's youth, energy, and strength along the boards have actually given a jolt to Ovie's game. When Ovie plays committed, it ripples all the way through the lineup. Ovie's hands seem better this year (fewer passes bouncing off his tape, less fumbling) and his ability to make high-skill plays at pace has really made a difference. Could he still benefit from moving his feet a bit more in the D zone? Yes he could. But his recent run of play has provided the kind of leadership this team needs. Really hope it becomes consistent - and he does not revert back to character-from-Russian-novel-mood-swinging-dude that vacillates between euphoria and moroseness.

 

[Calicaps]

As my (non-hockey fan) husband said, "let the false hope begin." I am trying very hard to not be hopeful. The last 2 playoffs took years off my life.

 

[txpd]

As my (non-hockey fan) husband said, "let the false hope begin." I am trying very hard to not be hopeful. The last 2 playoffs took years off my life.

There is no hope. They have to get into the 3rd round before I allow any hope to surface. They could win a cup at any moment. But we know they wont the second they win game 1 of a series. Doesn't mean watching a game now and then and seeing Ov and Holtby play isn't fun. There is just no reason for lasting expectations.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

There is no hope. They have to get into the 3rd round before I allow any hope to surface. They could win a cup at any moment. But we know they wont the second they win game 1 of a series. Doesn't mean watching a game now and then and seeing Ov and Holtby play isn't fun. There is just no reason for lasting expectations.

This is a weird sentence. Could you elaborate please?

 

[txpd]

This is a weird sentence. Could you elaborate please?

its not that weird really. maybe over generalized to save space. we all know as soon as the Caps get a series lead, which is often in the first game, the monster arises. the caps win the first two games at home and the feeling of doom and the attention in the media is strong. you have to know what I am saying

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

its not that weird really. maybe over generalized to save space. we all know as soon as the Caps get a series lead, which is often in the first game, the monster arises. the caps win the first two games at home and the feeling of doom and the attention in the media is strong. you have to know what I am saying

But when we lose the first game, we can lose the series too, just like we did last year.

 

[txpd]

But when we lose the first game, we can lose the series too, just like we did last year.

I get the feeling of doom when they drop the puck.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

I get the feeling of doom when they drop the puck.

Yeah well, the only way for this franchise to get over the hump is to accept the past and let go of it.

 

[marcel snapshot]

Yeah well, the only way for this franchise to get over the hump is to accept the past and let go of it.

Very zen, grasshopper

 

[txpd]

Yeah well, the only way for this franchise to get over the hump is to accept the past and let go of it.

ive been saying that. they need to own it and beat it. trotz continues to dismiss it.

 

[Ridley Simon]

ive been saying that. they need to own it and beat it. trotz continues to dismiss it.

Welp, Trotz may get dismissed himself in the coming months if he doesnt adderess it.

See what I did there?

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

ive been saying that. they need to own it and beat it. trotz continues to dismiss it.

It's a different approach to the problem. It's hard to say what exactly would get them all over the hump mentally. The whole thing is ridiculous when you think about it. I know hockey players have a superstitious nature but how did these guys become professional athletes if they can't learn from previous failures and if they don't know how to shake off the stress before a big game?

 

[Raikkonen]

Love seeing much less glide and much higher motor rate from Ovie lately. If he can sustain that, it's going to make me hopeful again. Think Wilson's youth, energy, and strength along the boards have actually given a jolt to Ovie's game. When Ovie plays committed, it ripples all the way through the lineup. Ovie's hands seem better this year (fewer passes bouncing off his tape, less fumbling) and his ability to make high-skill plays at pace has really made a difference. Could he still benefit from moving his feet a bit more in the D zone? Yes he could. But his recent run of play has provided the kind of leadership this team needs. Really hope it becomes consistent - and he does not revert back to character-from-Russian-novel-mood-swinging-dude that vacillates between euphoria and moroseness.

I guess Gretzky called him and told something like: "Come on, dude, you're letting me down. 30 goals for a season? Seriously? You've got 300+ to catch me, train harder!"

Then some random (weekly) Oates message came: "I think it's maybe your stick. Maybe it's time to change it?"

 

[Corby78]

So how many people thought we would have a legitimate shot at seeing Ovie's 600th this season? I thought it would be tough.

 

[Langway]

Him not progressing is more perception than reality. 9 goals, 17 goals, 12 goals looks like a lack of progression, but he only played 64 games last season with the broken hand.

It looks more like regression on the surface. His production has roughly held steady...which is a...lack of progression. For me it's mostly decision-making that hasn't progressed. That and shooting high/wide all the time. He's filled out physically but mentally he remains a pretty flimsy, loose and undetermined player.

 

[txpd]

It looks more like regression on the surface. His production has roughly held steady...which is a...lack of progression. For me it's mostly decision-making that hasn't progressed. That and shooting high/wide all the time. He's filled out physically but mentally he remains a pretty flimsy, loose and undetermined player.

my main issue with Burt is that he tends to be really streaky. Long cold streaks

 

[Vilica]

I have a hypothetical that I'm curious about, and this thread seems about as good a place as any to get some opinions. Much has been made of the Caps inability to get out of the "2nd round", so I'm curious. If instead of losing to Pittsburgh two times in a row in the 2nd round, the Caps had lost to them in the Eastern Conference Finals two times in a row, how would you feel about the Caps? Same disappointing end to the season, just one round further in. Would you feel the same, more optimistic, less optimistic? You can also divide the hypothetical into two parts, looking back and looking forward. Obviously looking back, there's not much a difference between losing in r2 or r3, because of expectations. Looking forward though, coming off back to back ECF losses, maybe people would be more optimistic?

Anecdotally, it seems more people have expressed frustration with losing in round 2 again more than losing to Pittsburgh again, but I might just be seeking confirmation of my hypothesis. As for me, I thought I'd watch less Caps/consume less Caps media, but so far this season, the hfboards changeover has had more of an influence than the Caps.

 

[g00n]

The franchise has made it beyond the 2nd round before and it has beaten Pittsburgh before, just not in the Ovechkin era. I don't think there's much of a distinction. Both are frustrating and the fact that they keep happening is what's irritating.

Your hypothetical seems like an obvious mixed bag. Making the ECF would be encouraging to some but losing to the Pens again would probably cause some to feel like even with our best teams we're cursed to have our path blocked by Pittsburgh. And of course it would still allow Pens fans to gloat because their team will have gone further, and to another Finals. So cold comfort but at least Trotz would have broken a personal barrier, which would likely buy him some more time at the helm.

 

[txpd]

Had the Caps lost to Pittsburgh in the 3rd round rather than the 2nd round either time, it changes the narrative upwards. Part of the weight of the Caps playoff monkey is that Ov has never made past the 2nd round. It only compounds the pain when that can be said of a team that lost in a 1st v 2nd seed match that was effectively in the wrong round. The killer playoff loss was neither of the Penguins losses but the Rangers loss before that. They were less than 2 minutes from making the ECF. It should have happened.

That actually fits a Caps pattern. they have a 3-1 series lead and coast thru losing game 5. Then they run into a goalie buzzsaw and lose the series. They should have beaten the Rangers. because they failed they were dealt a team they shouldn't be playing in the 2nd round two seasons in a row.

 

[maacoshark]

Had the Caps lost to Pittsburgh in the 3rd round rather than the 2nd round either time, it changes the narrative upwards. Part of the weight of the Caps playoff monkey is that Ov has never made past the 2nd round. It only compounds the pain when that can be said of a team that lost in a 1st v 2nd seed match that was effectively in the wrong round. The killer playoff loss was neither of the Penguins losses but the Rangers loss before that. They were less than 2 minutes from making the ECF. It should have happened.

That actually fits a Caps pattern. they have a 3-1 series lead and coast thru losing game 5. Then they run into a goalie buzzsaw and lose the series. They should have beaten the Rangers. because they failed they were dealt a team they shouldn't be playing in the 2nd round two seasons in a row.

All of those losses hurt but the one to the Rangers was one we should have had. We choked. And the officials helped the Rangers out on that series if I remember correctly.