CapitalsCupReality
It’s Go Time!!
- Feb 27, 2002
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Series Discussion: Round 2 (Caps vs Penguins) 2016 Playoffs (Pens fans, read note in OP) - Part II
- Thread starter spiny norman
- Start date
SpinningEdge
Registered User
I can totally see a BB thing happen with Trotz.
We win presidents trophy kicking ass all regular season. Upset in playoffs. Next season completely freak out and change systems completely. Waste 5 years getting back to being a contender again.
System isn't broken - just needs tweaked. A great offensive minded assistant could go a long way.
We win presidents trophy kicking ass all regular season. Upset in playoffs. Next season completely freak out and change systems completely. Waste 5 years getting back to being a contender again.
System isn't broken - just needs tweaked. A great offensive minded assistant could go a long way.
ALLCAPSALLTHETIME
Great Dane! Love that Eller feller.
Corby78
65 - 10 - 20
I completely agree. The Caps have had numerous moments where I'm left wondering "HOW did the puck not go in?!" - and it hasn't been because of Murray. The Caps can't buy a bounce! Meanwhile the Pens are scoring goals from double deflections off Caps' sticks and off skaters' backs and everywhere else
yeah, I wish it wasn't that way, but for some reason its never "our year" for things to go right. When I look back at 98 where we got some nice breaks with opponents and had some unsung heroes step up (Juneau, Niko), got balanced scoring, and had deadline moves that worked. We won I think 5 OT games that year.
Since that time, we have guys slump in the post season, trades don't work, no surprise performances (maybe outside Kuzy last year), and have costly bad break goals. I honestly don't have any answers to fix that right now, outside of keep putting the best team you can out there and hope one year it changes.
Corby78
65 - 10 - 20
Yeah if they can't pull this back (I still have some hope), I don't want to see major changes. We said it was a 2 year window, don't close it early just because.
txpd
Registered User
you forgot that boudreau changed the team around Christmas time because they were not scoring anymore. not scoring and losing. so, the offense drying up forced the change to defense. not boudreau panicking after the upset in the playoffs.
RandyHolt
Keep truckin'
- Nov 3, 2006
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I am not saying you are wrong, but in my mind, Oshie is one crafty slick deceptive SOB with the puck on his stick. It's why he dominates in shootouts. Head fakes, extreme skate angles, he can make a goalie look like a doofus. Say, maybe opening up the 5 hole. We don't know what he made the goalie think was going to happen, before the 3 shots. rest assured, if anyone works that **** with the goalies brain angle on our team, its him.
He busts his ass too. A goal may not look like a pure snipe, but he busted ass to get the chance.
The wrap around goal, was largely coaching, but still a great play. I didn't see anyone else even try one. Wrap around goals don't happen often enough for them to be gifts. Murray was right there, and Oshie just barely beat him.
It is so difficult to score in the NHL, I give our players the benefit of the doubt on goals that don't ricochet in off 3 different guys.
ALLCAPSALLTHETIME
Great Dane! Love that Eller feller.
Fair enough. I remember the analysts saying that the second Oshie goal was weak and definitely stoppable and to me it looks like Murray put the puck in his own net on the Oshie OT goal. Just my opinion, of course. Oshie is crafty and I do hope he can score a few more goals this series.
Anyway, I think Murray has been solid but not spectacular. The Caps can get to him if they bear down.
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Devil Dancer
Registered User
- Jan 21, 2006
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I think I've ditched the playoff avatar every year at some point when things have gone wrong, so I figured this year I'd keep it for the duration no matter what. Things can't go any worse than they have in the past, right?
Next year I'm thinking about ignoring the AV theme and going with a best of. I still have all of mine going back to DSB in Ovie's first playoff year, and I could rotate them throughout the post season.
RandyHolt
Keep truckin'
- Nov 3, 2006
- 34,818
- 7,152
Good stuff.
It seems like in the regular seasons, all our goals are because our guys are great.
When we give up goals, its because Erskine / Weber or someone else f'd up
I am not used to hearing our best players goal scoring endeavors not being credited to them.
I guess grading/debating all goals for an entire series keeps us busy between games.
Speaking of which, it's almost time for 442 to fire up the 442.... GDT. And Olds 442 if he has one.
I think (hope) that GMBM/Trotz are smart enough not to do that.
I think the Caps are playing a fundamentally solid style of hockey, and next season they will be a stronger team simply from young players getting better. Kuznetsov, Burakovsky, Wilson, Orlov, Schmidt, Grubauer should all play better next season after their experiences from this year. I expect Vrana and Stephenson will make the jump to the NHL as well. Maybe Williams or Orpik lose a step, but other than that most of the Caps' players are in their "prime" at the moment.
The Caps have a 2-year window with this team. There are (on paper) no glaring weaknesses - 4 solid lines, 3 solid d-pairs, 2 solid goalies. Add to that a dominant PP and a dominant PK. Just because things don't go our way this season (and they still might!) doesn't mean we shouldn't try again next season.
ALLCAPSALLTHETIME
Great Dane! Love that Eller feller.
Good stuff.
It seems like in the regular seasons, all our goals are because our guys are great.
When we give up goals, its because Erskine / Weber or someone else f'd up
I am not used to hearing our best players goal scoring endeavors not being credited to them.
I guess grading/debating all goals for an entire series keeps us busy between games.
Speaking of which, it's almost time for 442 to fire up the 442.... GDT. And Olds 442 if he has one.
I hope to not give credit to 15 odd goals in games 5, 6 and 7. Lol.
CapsJunkie
Beaglchuck scores
SpinningEdge
Registered User
1.59 GAA average in 10 playoffs games.
.945 save percentage in 10 playoff games.
5 and ****ing 5 record. Pathetic.
Caps need another goal scorer for another line this offseason. Similar to what Pitt did to get Kessel. Burro isn't there yet. He still needs to hit the weight room to be a playoff success. Johansson, Kuzy, Backstrom, etc are all pass first guys.
Caps should look at trading Johansson and maybe a 1st or 2nd rd pick for a real secondary goal scorer who can add 30 goals/season on a line with Kuzy. Williams is old now and who knows what he'll even be like next playoffs - and trusting Johansson or Burro in that spot is somethign that I don't think works.
Anyone know who may be available that you think could be a 30 or 30+ goal scorer on a line w/ Kuzy next year?
.945 save percentage in 10 playoff games.
5 and ****ing 5 record. Pathetic.
Caps need another goal scorer for another line this offseason. Similar to what Pitt did to get Kessel. Burro isn't there yet. He still needs to hit the weight room to be a playoff success. Johansson, Kuzy, Backstrom, etc are all pass first guys.
Caps should look at trading Johansson and maybe a 1st or 2nd rd pick for a real secondary goal scorer who can add 30 goals/season on a line with Kuzy. Williams is old now and who knows what he'll even be like next playoffs - and trusting Johansson or Burro in that spot is somethign that I don't think works.
Anyone know who may be available that you think could be a 30 or 30+ goal scorer on a line w/ Kuzy next year?
Burakovsky, or maybe Vrana even. They shouldn't make a trade. Keeping Johansson as the 3C is more important, and keeping that 1st to get another top-6 winger or top-4 defenseman is more important.
Here's my opinion: there's absolutely no point in going "all in" during a specific season. This is easily the best team the Caps have had in franchise history, they're playing well, and still they're losing. If anything, this season has solidified my view that I want as many "good" chances as possible at winning the Cup, instead of one really good chance.
The Caps are set to have Ovechkin, Backstrom, Kuznetsov, Burakovsky, Vrana, Johansson as a "core" for the next 5-10 years, and I don't want to mess that up.
it would be so ironic to come back and win this series in game 7 
for now - I believe !
I change very little for next season
whenever the off-season starts, i offer Chimmer and Richards the same contract for 1 year stating unfinished business ... if either doesn't want in, bye
Weber walks
Burt had his ups and downs this year, but still ended up with 17 goals ? ... another year older, i'd bet on him potting 25 next year and allows Mojo to play 3C all year
Wilson, Orlov and Schmidt will be a year older, and Kuzy should be a little more hardened for the long grind
perhaps Vrana 2017 is Burt 2016 - inconsistent but might give us some timely goals
failure by 2017, and I look squarely at Trotz and probably rejig Mojo, Orpik and perhaps 1 or 2 others
for now - I believe !
I change very little for next season
whenever the off-season starts, i offer Chimmer and Richards the same contract for 1 year stating unfinished business ... if either doesn't want in, bye
Weber walks
Burt had his ups and downs this year, but still ended up with 17 goals ? ... another year older, i'd bet on him potting 25 next year and allows Mojo to play 3C all year
Wilson, Orlov and Schmidt will be a year older, and Kuzy should be a little more hardened for the long grind
perhaps Vrana 2017 is Burt 2016 - inconsistent but might give us some timely goals
failure by 2017, and I look squarely at Trotz and probably rejig Mojo, Orpik and perhaps 1 or 2 others
txpd
Registered User
not sure why you would think that. Ov scores a lot of goals that look bad on the goalie. Broduer talked about Ov's shot having a spin that digs a puck thru goalies like no other shooter he saw. Those look like bad goals.
Ov scores goals because he shoots when goalies are not prepared for a shot and make goalies look bad. Ov also scores straight up bad goals because he just shoots so much that things happen.
Teammates score bad goals often because goalies are so fixated on where Ov is that pucks that have no right to go in go in with regularity.
Empty Goal Net
I don't smell disgusting, musky, and rancid
- Feb 13, 2010
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there's this year, there's next year, then there's (likely) expansion and an expansion draft.
assuming the NHL adds one or two teams after next season, 2017-18 will see rosters adjusted more than normal for all teams. although division alignment should be static, playoff structure may change. so GMBM looking at a two-year window for this core makes sense.
important to figure out what ails the second line. williams seems to have run his course, but his falling off this post-season could be injury-related. kuzy hit a wall. bura ?
until the expansion draft, teams will be jockeying to a) build rosters to compete in 16/17, and b) realign rosters as they determine whom to protect in the draft. bargains may be had if teams heavy on players with NMCs take steps to offload those guys instead of protecting them. caps could become a preferred landing spot for some of those players.
assuming the NHL adds one or two teams after next season, 2017-18 will see rosters adjusted more than normal for all teams. although division alignment should be static, playoff structure may change. so GMBM looking at a two-year window for this core makes sense.
important to figure out what ails the second line. williams seems to have run his course, but his falling off this post-season could be injury-related. kuzy hit a wall. bura ?
until the expansion draft, teams will be jockeying to a) build rosters to compete in 16/17, and b) realign rosters as they determine whom to protect in the draft. bargains may be had if teams heavy on players with NMCs take steps to offload those guys instead of protecting them. caps could become a preferred landing spot for some of those players.
Disagree completely. Well kind of. Its a solid style....for some team other than ours. I think the board work just isnt there on enough lines, and its costing us on the dump and chase. And we seem to slow up so much on entry that we fail to pound their D. Problem is im no expert - I think i can see the flaws, but have little to no idea how to fix them.
RandyHolt
Keep truckin'
- Nov 3, 2006
- 34,818
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From reading thousands of reactions to his goals?
If I am wrong, you should be able to find countless points in our GDT's were Ovi scores and it being a soft goal is pointed out. I bet you cannot find a single one.
RandyHolt
Keep truckin'
- Nov 3, 2006
- 34,818
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Agree, we are slow playing our offense.
Has anyone even seen vintage Ovi flying on the rush?
We need 2 litters of beagles to maximize the offense we run. Which I am struggling to even call an offense of late. If we want to dump, we have to pound the D.
I think Barry needs to risk running and gunning more with the Pens. I feel like the Pens D welcomes not facing Ovi at 90 km/hr. They want him dumping it mucking along the boards for his shifts, instead. And the Pens D welcomes not getting targeted on dump ins.
Empty Goal Net
I don't smell disgusting, musky, and rancid
- Feb 13, 2010
- 4,434
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I like the bolded.
As to targeting the D ... although Caps are hitting, so far the hits don't seem to be making a difference in the outcomes.
Caps and Isles respective hit totals:
G Caps-Isles
1 43 29
2 31 33
3 58 44
4 41 45
Arguably the two "heaviest" teams left, both are down 1-3 in their series.
Maybe the effects of the hits will become more evident in G5 ... and with home ice and last change, if pounding D is (still) a strategy, we should see a bunch tonight, assuming the game situation is conducive.
HecticGlow
Registered User
- Burakovsky should be better - but he could well turn out to be a streaky player.
- Kuznetsov might improve - certainly I'd hope his defence improves - but I suspect Kuzy isn't far off his upper potential. Remember he's only a year younger than Mojo, and has been playing professional hockey for several years now (albeit only a couple in the NHL). He's clearly a talented player, but I'm worried he might have been a 'special' player because his talent allowed him to do things he'd picked up in the KHL that the NHL didn't expect or know how to react to (essentially what Kuzy said in a WashPo interview). There's no guarantee he will progress to a true superstar.
- Orlov and Schmidt should get better - but part of the question is whether they are what this team actually needs right now. Carlson needs a sturdy, tough defensive d-man - if Orpik declines, I don't think Orlov's defensive game will reach a top-pairing level, nor will Schmidt's physical game. It also remains to be seen whether Orlov will become a good defenseman.
- Grubauer will be better, but that doesn't help in the playoffs. There's also a fair chance he'll be headed to an expansion team, especially if the Pens trade away one of their goalies before the expansion draft
- Vrana could be a difference maker, but it's impossible to know how long it'll take him to reach a top-6 or elite level in the NHL (see Burakovsky as an example)
- Stephenson will depend on which position he's vying for - the Caps had the chance to bring him up, and instead brought in Richards. Either he's developed a lot in 9 months, or it'll take him a while before he really improves our center depth.
- If Williams has declined, or does decline, that leaves open a difficult position to fill at 2RW. It's not going to be Wilson replacing him in the near future, and I think you'd struggle to get a well balanced top-6 out of Ovi, Backstrom, Oshie, Kuzy, Mojo and Burakovsky full-time (though fingers crossed for tonight...)
I also want to make it clear now I would re-sign Mojo in a heartbeat for next season at least - we don't currently have any other top-6-worthy centers or wingers who can easily fill in, nor much quality in the bottom-6. Equally, you can't rely on players like Vrana and Stephenson to replace Chimera and Richards if you want a deep run - while neither JC or MR have added much production this playoffs, Kuzy and Burakovsky have proven how even talented young players can go cold in the run-up to playoffs.
