Post-Game Talk: Washington Capitals vs Le Club de hockey Canadien de Montréal @7PM

[Blitzkrieg365]

Weak as in physically, or weak as in not good?

Not as good

 

[g00n]

get some time back on the clock

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Garbage effort.

 

[Dr John Carlson]

Not as good

Of the regular skaters, that honor currently belongs to Wilson.

 

[Hivemind]

Looked great early, then fell asleep for the rest of the game until the last 5 minutes. Played on their heels too much.

 

[Blitzkrieg365]

Of the regular skaters, that honor currently belongs to Wilson.

At least Wilson is solid on the pk though and can bring a physical presence when called upon.

 

[g00n]

Habs have held the opposition to 21 shots or less in 4 of the last 5 games

 

[Hivemind]

Habs have held the opposition to 21 shots or less in 4 of the last 5 games

Habs are stingy defensively, but you can't just be another "opposition" stat if you want to win a Stanley Cup. You have to be the exception team.

 

[Holtbyisms]

Organization smackdown tonight. South Carolina get beaten up by the laughing stock of the ECHL. Hershey loses 5-4 to the second worst team in the AHL and the Caps go down. Gonna watch the last period of the Regina Pats game and hope Connor Hobbs does something cool. lol

 

[twabby]

Carlzner is just not a very good pairing. They look slow and got absolutely shelled in shot attempts while the other two pairings played very well.

 

[Capsman]

This is what we can pretty much expect in the playoffs. For God's sake, can't we just recognize that Trotz is a dead end? Perhaps there is nobody better available but really there's little to lose because another 1st or 2nd round exit is our current fate.

 

[g00n]

Habs have held the opposition to 21 shots or less in 4 of the last 5 games

correction, meant to say with Price in net. Was trying to see what kind of defense they've been playing in front of him. Earlier in the year and just about any time vs Boston they've given up more shots.

 

[Calicaps]

Even with the flat play for the second half of the game, the difference was one softy. I didn't hate this game.

 

[Langway]

Pretty much a perimeter game after Vrana's first shift or so. It's kind of amazing how little the blueliners contribute offensively. Aside from Orlov the rest are mostly zeroes. Do we know what exactly is wrong with Carlson? Him routinely looking like garbage some shifts is kind of concerning.

Trotz might as well flip lines around. It's not like they've established reliable, high level cohesion or anything. Keep on systeming and that's about it.

 

[g00n]

Habs are stingy defensively, but you can't just be another "opposition" stat if you want to win a Stanley Cup. You have to be the exception team.

They're 11th in the NHL in shots against per game. Caps are 5th. League average is about 30 as usual. MTL was giving up more than the average quite a bit earlier in the season. It seems lately with Price in net they're cracking down more.

 

[Sam Spade]

Even with the flat play for the second half of the game, the difference was one softy. I didn't hate this game.

This.

If the Caps played the Habs in round one, as they would if the playoffs started today, I wouldn't be super upset.

I am very scared of Carey Price, just not as scared as I am of the Rangers or Pens.

 

[Ovechkins Wodka]

That did feel like a playoff game. Look like a super team out of the gate, soft goal changes momentum. Can't score 5 on 5, relay on PP. Soft goals and bad 5 on 5 play same old caps.

 

[Hivemind]

Even with the flat play for the second half of the game, the difference was one softy. I didn't hate this game.

If they didn't have a stretch of 15 minutes without a single shot on goal, I might be in the same boat as you. But prolonged stretches of complete ineptitude are becoming far too frequent for this team.

 

[artilector]

Caps played pretty well (watched first two periods) -- at the same time, the scoring difficulties against a good team/goalie look like a realistic preview of playoffs.

All this talent -- and yet on offense every line combination is the sum of its parts, at best. Flashes of chemistry once in a while, nothing consistent. Not news, but... maddening.

One line that really clicks -- and maybe the Caps can contend, more or less.

 

[troyerlaw]

You win some, you lose some. That was a good game. We rang some iron.

The 5-on-3 PP was surgical.

 

[Capitals40]

All this talent? Good talent not great by any means...watch the league.

 

[AtNightWeFly]

Trotz hockey = defensive snoozefest.

I would LOVE to see what BB could've done with this line-up and not the 1 line bs team he initially had here.

 

[artilector]

All this talent? Good talent not great by any means...watch the league.

League-wide ranking of Caps' talent has nothing to do with my point.
They have more than enough skilled players, including high-IQ centers, to expect decent chemistry on offense for at least one line.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

So I missed a snoozefest. Feel better about missing the game now. Next time, I'll drive my damn car to DC instead of taking the unreliable planes. The first 5-7 minutes were good though.

 

[Sam Spade]

Trotz hockey = defensive snoozefest.

I would LOVE to see what BB could've done with this line-up and not the 1 line bs team he initially had here.

Until they get a true number one defenseman it doesn't matter if Scotty Bowman from the '70's Habs coached the team they aren't winning anything.

I just try to have faith that MAYBE they get lucky one year but I know in my head that without a Doughty, Keith, Weber, Hedman, etc. the odds are stacked against them.