Post-Game Talk: Qualifying Round Game 1: Caps vs Bolts | Mon, 8/3 | 4p ET

[AlexBrovechkin8]

Caps went 3-0-0 against Tampa (0-2-1) this season but this will be their first matchup since 12/21/19. Official lines to posted once available. Per reports this weekend, Carlson is expected to play and Holtby will be in net. Expected lineup:

Ovechkin-Kuznetsov-Wilson
Vrana-Backstrom-Oshie
Hagelin-Eller-Kovalchuk
Panik-Dowd-Hathaway

Kempny-Carlson
Dillon-Orlov
Sigenthaler-Jensen

Click to read more...

 

[Ovechkins Wodka]

Not be suck

 

[ovikovy817]

Let's go boys. Win this in regulation and then watch a must win BOS TBL (for both team) where the loser will get PIT in round 1.

 

[twabby]

Let's go boys. Win this in regulation and then watch a must win BOS TBL (for both team) where the loser will get PIT in round 1.

Montreal is going to beat Pittsburgh!

 

[tenken00]

Let's go boys. Win this in regulation and then watch a must win BOS TBL (for both team) where the loser will get PIT in round 1.

Pitt needs to get to Round 1 first.

 

[tenken00]

Don't really care about score, just want to see some intensity. Boston looked lethargic against the Flyers yesterday.

I guess that means if we beat Tampa today, we would be in sole possession of #1 seed in the early going?

 

[Foots]

Is Carlson still out?

*edit* I didn't read the op.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

Is Carlson still out?

He practiced with the team this weekend and it's expected he'll play, unless they think playing could aggravate the injury or cause a longer-term setback (per Rierden).

 

[Midnight Judges]

Is this game important at all? Serious question.

 

[Midnight Judges]

Yikes Gudas not even getting a jersey.

 

[tenken00]

 

[txpd]

Don't really care about score, just want to see some intensity. Boston looked lethargic against the Flyers yesterday.

I guess that means if we beat Tampa today, we would be in sole possession of #1 seed in the early going?

The Caps have Ovechkin, Oshie and Wilson and as a result, I expect the Caps to start by reminding Tampa that playing the Caps hurts. Whether the Caps are going to be remotely sharp moving the puck around, I dont know.

 

[tenken00]

The Caps have Ovechkin, Oshie and Wilson and as a result, I expect the Caps to start by reminding Tampa that playing the Caps hurts. Whether the Caps are going to be remotely sharp moving the puck around, I dont know.

Let's go rested old men intensity!

 

[John Price]

Jenks was a good one. After the playoff games during the Cup run he was always on F street with the fans. Someone once threw him alcohol at the parade and he drank it on camera

 

[txpd]

Yikes Gudas not even getting a jersey.

He hadnt been getting a jersey. He only played 1 of the 5 games in March. He was the odd man out when they got Dillon

 

[DCRedhawk21]

Interested to see what they do with the defense pairs over the next three games.

 

[trick9]

Finally some hockey. Although i don't think these round robin games are as important as most people think. Expecting a boring game but a few big hits could change that in a hurry.

 

[txpd]

Ok, so, what is the rule of thumb on "Game time decision"? Doesnt that usually mean the guy isnt playing?

 

[aonb]

3-1 loss and i couldn't care less, just stay healthy and put some work on PP, it'll be crucial in the near future

 

[txpd]

Just looked at the Tampa Bay GDT. All that work. Havent seen a normal GDT open in a long time. I am glad we do it the way we do it

 

[bov]

Did Gudas' comments about not having a future with WSH affect his standing at all? Thought he was a regular even after the Dillon trade...

 

[HecticGlow]

Did Gudas' comments about not having a future with WSH affect his standing at all? Thought he was a regular even after the Dillon trade...

Think it was more the other way around – he realised he didn't have a future by the time he couldn't crack the top-6.

 

[txpd]

Did Gudas' comments about not having a future with WSH affect his standing at all? Thought he was a regular even after the Dillon trade...

The Capitals got him as a place holder and for salary cap reasons. There was next to no chance he was staying regardless

 

[HecticGlow]

Ok, so, what is the rule of thumb on "Game time decision"? Doesnt that usually mean the guy isnt playing?

There are plenty of times top players have played when they were a game time decision, but I share your scepticism on this one. Trotz and Reirdon did a lot of 'we expect to have him back shortly, he's a game time decision, we'll see if he practices tomorrow' kind of stuff when Orpik and then Carlson went out a couple of years ago, which proved to be lengthy injuries. Unless the guy is definitely out for the playoffs or for several weeks, there's no advantage to forecasting to your opponents that a top guy is out.

If he's a GTD that suggests he's still ailing, in which case it makes no sense whatsoever for him to play in a relatively meaningless game in which he might further injure himself.

What will be interesting is to see the pairs if Carly is out – given Kempny and Jensen are both ahead of Siegs and Gudas in the depth charts, and Fehervary didn't even crack the exhibition game top-7, I wouldn't be surprised by something like:

Dillon-Orlov
Kempny-Jensen
Siegenthaler-Gudas

 

[hockeykicker]

Carlson game time decision per Rierden