Series Discussion: (M1) Washington Capitals vs (WC1) Columbus Blue Jackets

[HunterSThompson]

Gordie Howe, Mario Lemieux and Mark Messier never scored one.

 

[RandyHolt]

Aren't there... thousands of NHL players that never scored an OT winner.

I think he is due for one. So no one else does. I am a bit surprised. But if the stars don't shine in OT, do you want Barry shortening his lines, and rolling his best players? Or, using his 4th line more?

What's the end game. The more great names folks throw at me, the more I see why we choke so much. Pressuring and expecting Ovi to score, using him more....

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

Anyone still not want to talk OT goals? OK lets talk Ovi. The center piece of our franchise. OK so Ovi has been shutout. Rough math. Say 6 years of 14 playoff games. We have OT games ~35% of the time, so that is 30 games with an OT. Let's say OTs average 20 minutes for simplicity, since many go to multiple OTs. Ovi has played in 10 full OT games, which amounts to about 250 minutes of personal TOI. Say we got 10 PPs in those 10 games.... not much of a chance there for Ovi to do his thing with PKers so aggressive on him, and extra so in the loffs. So what's the deal.

Dale Hunter was famous for scoring OT goals. Was he really just lucky? No one would ever bet Dale a pass first pest would have more OTs goal than Ovi, one of the best goal scorers of all time. But here we are. But but but other stars only have just 1 further supports my garbage can cup ambitions. But maybe "they" only have one because they regularly trounce their opponent in regulation.

Some folks wonder why Ovi doesn't up his game in the playoffs. In his prime Ovi was all about full effort shooting skating and hitting as hard as he can, all regular season long. There is really no where else to go from there. No playoff switch to flip. So what he may need to do, is put on his hard hat, and lower his head and steam roll the goalie like Knuble did before Ward scored, and as Dale made his living. And indeed this year, we have seen Ovi standing in front more than any other season ever. Maybe even, combined. So I am calling it. Ovi garbage OT winner tonight.

I want a study done, what % of playoff OT winners are garbage fluke (code for bottom 6) goals, and what is the variance of that from non OT play. Certainly, with the capitals leading the charge in OT games, we may be able to answer that question from our memories alone.

Feel free to ignore this I am clearly wound up for the game tonight and hate work. Any why the **** do we have so many OT games? If this continues for another decade Caps fans may have shorter life spans. All fans, prematurely grey bald single and on anti-depressants. Or, self medicating via Dr Green

Ovi will get an OT winner someday. Doesn't matter when, doesn't matter if he never scores one, just as long as it's a guy on our team that gets the winner.

 

[Skrudland2Lomakin]

Only the Caps routinely make trash teams look like gold. They are ****ing savants at allowing their opponents to dictate the style and pace of play.

Ordinarily I'd agree, but I think Philly really is the only "trash" team in the east right now. Philly was the only team I wanted and it's proving true. Even though Boston and TB are comfortably in the drivers seat of their series both of them have had difficulty with their opponents. Save for the brain fart of Game 2, Pitt hasn't looked like they've cared or even had to try against Philly.

Watching both the Bolts and Bruins, those guys are sweating it out even though they're winning.

 

[NoLookPass]

Caps need to step up the physical game. Make them think twice on the breakouts. Not seeing very many finished checks by them.

 

[ovikovy817]

OT of a playoff game it's the last moment when you want to get scored on. The ultimate level.
So of course, when you have the goat goal scorer on the other side, you follow him even closer than usual. You look at him even if he's on the bench adjusting his helmet.

That's why Ovi doesn't have an OT playoff goal.

Ps : Orpik >>> Ovi Messier Howe ... per that logic

 

[Skrudland2Lomakin]

Caps need to step up the physical game. Make them think twice on the breakouts. Not seeing very many finished checks by them.

I would actually go the opposite route, Caps look miles ahead with our fast players coupled with our net crashers.

I'd drop Orpik in favor for Jerabek, I'd drop Chiasson for Gersich, I'd lean heavy on that speed and forget about playing the size game.

We won in OT because our guys had more their legs under them and we crashed the net. I felt like we controlled the pace in both OT's and a lot of it had to do with our ability to easily gain entry into their offensive zone. I know they didn't really roll with 4 lines so they were extra fatigued, but even at early 5 v 5 periods the only time the Caps have stood out is when we've had our younger and faster guys pushing the pace. Our ability to finish is hit or miss, but hopefully after last game our guys realize that when you crash the net good things happen.

Right now I'd favor CBJ in over 5v5 play and that's mainly because we're so inconsistent with the type of game we're playing. Are we going heavy? Are we trying to just play possession? Are we using speed? Barry says yes to all the above but it isn't a hybrid game, it's a disjointed team that constantly breaks its own momentum with awkward transitions from line to line. Because we have jammed all these mismatched puzzle pieces into one lineup it creates multiple times a game where the team might be feeling itself with the speed and possession but then our heavy plodders get on the ice and suck out the energy.

If we get into a hitting contest with these guys we'll be lucky to be in one piece if we win the series.

 

[HunterSThompson]

Here is a nifty youtube of most of the Caps playoff OT goals.

 

[Skrudland2Lomakin]

OT Ovie is still a valuable asset, he's maybe one of the few guys who did not seem shy about just throwing literally anything he had on the net. We need more of that and Barry needs to tell the guys that in OT you just throw garbage at the net, crash it, and good things will happen. The amount of behind the net drag and curls we saw in OT was maddening. Guys were looking for the perfect shot as if this was a PP in the first period, there was a sequence where Kuzy used his speed to gain easy entry, used his skill to hold possession, brought the puck around the net, and was subsequently pick pocketed for a CBJ offensive zone clear.

It's like, bro you're killing it out there, just throw that trash on net. It's like they were looking for Panarin like snipes so they didn't have to hear how pretty his Game 1 goal was anymore.

 

[Skrudland2Lomakin]

Here is a nifty youtube of most of the Caps playoff OT goals.

I don't even have to watch those to know that the two most important ones (Joe Juneau in the ECF and Ward vs. Boston) are the exact types of goals we need, crash that damn net! Not a lot of curl and drag lacrosse goals in that montage, maybe someone should forward this to Leonhardt.

 

[Ridley Simon]

Aren't there... thousands of NHL players that never scored an OT winner.

I think he is due for one. So no one else does. I am a bit surprised. But if the stars don't shine in OT, do you want Barry shortening his lines, and rolling his best players? Or, using his 4th line more?

What's the end game. The more great names folks throw at me, the more I see why we choke so much. Pressuring and expecting Ovi to score, using him more....

Fresher legs in OT are usually the players that did the lightest lifting to get it to OT in the first place. There is a paradox here, perhaps you dont see it.

 

[HunterSThompson]

I don't even have to watch those to know that the two most important ones (Joe Juneau in the ECF and Ward vs. Boston) are the exact types of goals we need, crash that damn net! Not a lot of curl and drag lacrosse goals in that montage, maybe someone should forward this to Leonhardt.

Some are greasy, some very greasy, some less greasy. I will say that there were not a lot of individual effort goals.

 

[HunterSThompson]

And for the other kind of medicine

 

[txpd]

Aren't there... thousands of NHL players that never scored an OT winner.

I think he is due for one. So no one else does. I am a bit surprised. But if the stars don't shine in OT, do you want Barry shortening his lines, and rolling his best players? Or, using his 4th line more?

What's the end game. The more great names folks throw at me, the more I see why we choke so much. Pressuring and expecting Ovi to score, using him more....

You don't shorten the bench to score. You shorten the bench to remove liabilities. One mistake and you lose. So Vrana gets the bench and not Beagle.

Look at the video of all the OT winners. Backstrom has 3. There is a reason. He gets more room in OT because they are tighter on Ovechkin.

Also, the reason roll players get OT goals is because they are on the ice against offensive players that are prone to mistakes.
Tonight's game isn't going OT anyway

 

[Skrudland2Lomakin]

You don't shorten the bench to score. You shorten the bench to remove liabilities. One mistake and you lose. So Vrana gets the bench and not Beagle.

Look at the video of all the OT winners. Backstrom has 3. There is a reason. He gets more room in OT because they are tighter on Ovechkin.

Also, the reason roll players get OT goals is because they are on the ice against offensive players that are prone to mistakes.
Tonight's game isn't going OT anyway

Vrana, Djoos, and Stephenson were among the best players in OT in my mind. Fresher legs score. CBJ shortened their bench in OT and the difference between fatigue was noticeable. As it has been pointed out several times there is no direct correlation to skill and OT goals.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

Here is a nifty youtube of most of the Caps playoff OT goals.

Ward's will always be my favorite. I was living in California at the time and didn't have a lot of friends who were hockey fans, and even less friends who were hockey fans and Caps fans, so I brought my buddy along with me who is from the DMV but who had almost no interest in the sport. He is black, and when Ward scored he goes crazy and screams, "Tell me the black dude just scored! Who says black dudes don't play hockey!" Now he's a hockey fan.

 

[twabby]

The silly thing is Ward's goal would have certainly been waved off for goaltender interference under the new rules.

Of course it doesn't even come close to making up for this missed call:

 

[Empty Goal Net]

Making the plays that do not result in odd-man rushes is particularly important in OT. Guys at the point CANNOT have their shots blocked, it's critical to get the puck in low. Use the angles and the boards behind the nets, hope for deflections and bounces. And having guys near the net. It's an area where Wilson would seem to have alot of potential.

 

[RandyHolt]

Fresher legs in OT are usually the players that did the lightest lifting to get it to OT in the first place. There is a paradox here, perhaps you dont see it.

I see it, I am just killing time before the game and spurring some discussion that rarely gets elaborated on extensively - something more than just get pucks at the net. The stars can do that as good as the grinders, no?

It's a shame that 10 years from now, only Eller will be remembered on the goal he didn't even know he scored. Cono made that happen by one timing an innocent line rush pass from DSP and surprising Bob. I will remember. Like Ward, after Knuble made the key plays to win that series for us. Blocking a shot with his shin pads, and storming Tim Taylor head down. Ward scored!

I want to see Ovi take some line rushes at RW tonight in OT, so he can get forehand passes from Kuzy and crush one timers like the plugs did 2 nights ago. Something we rarely even try with LH centers that don't try a backhand pass to Ovi on the rush but once or twice a year.

 

[RandyHolt]

The silly thing is Ward's goal would have certainly been waved off for goaltender interference under the new rules.

Of course it doesn't even come close to making up for this missed call:

There rules WERE in place IIRC. I refused to celebrate for about 5 minutes waiting for bad news.

As far as I know, there was no review done at all, mostly because the Caps stormed the ice and dictated that the game was over, and also partly because the refs and league likely just wanted the game ended.

 

[twabby]

There rules WERE in place IIRC. I refused to celebrate for about 5 minutes waiting for bad news.

As far as I know, there was no review done at all, mostly because the Caps stormed the ice dictated that the game was over, and also partly because the refs and league likely just wanted the game ended.

They didn't have video review of goaltender interference at that time. It was up to the refs to make the call on the ice, which they missed/didn't care to call.

Now it would have triggered an automatic review since it was OT, where they certainly would have ruled interference on Knuble for pushing Thomas's pad in the crease.

 

[HunterSThompson]

There rules WERE in place IIRC. I refused to celebrate for about 5 minutes waiting for bad news.

As far as I know, there was no review done at all, mostly because the Caps stormed the ice dictated that the game was over, and also partly because the refs and league likely just wanted the game ended.

I am pretty sure incidental contact with the goalie was not reviewable at that time, which is why they instituted the coach's challenge for it.

 

[HunterSThompson]

Of course there is this one too.

 

[txpd]

Vrana, Djoos, and Stephenson were among the best players in OT in my mind. Fresher legs score. CBJ shortened their bench in OT and the difference between fatigue was noticeable. As it has been pointed out several times there is no direct correlation to skill and OT goals.

Djoos played 17 minutes in a double OT game. Nobody else on D played less than 24.

 

[ALLCAPSALLTHETIME]

Of course there is this one too.

That...was an absolutely terrible call. *Ugh*