What's Next for Washington?

[swimmer77]

Trade for Halak to maybe reverse the jinx somehow. They have had talent galore through the coaching tenures of Boudreau, Oates, Hunter, Trotz. Ironically, in the last few years, the inexperienced Hunter came within a smidgen of getting them to the conference finals but then Joel Ward struck.

They need some luck but just cannot find it. I have no solution for them. LOL

 

[Varan]

should they go for tavares?

 

[Midnight Judges]

[mod] He's been the Capital's best playoff performer by far over the course of his career.

Dumping your best player seems like a really dumb idea. (I can't believe I am having to type this.)

 

[MrGone]

Just please don't trade Ovechkin. They sure as hell aren't going to be winning the Cup anytime soon, so they may as well keep Ovechkin so that the regular season remains enjoyable.

Keep lowering that bar and you will always be happy.

 

[Fantomas]

Caps fans see their team down 0-2 and have already given up. What a crappy fanbase.

 

[Blades of Steel]

Last years defense was "the best" the Caps have had with Ovie, it was there best shot.

I still look at poor coaching and roster decisions.

Come on, we traded Forsberg for f***ing Erat.

We lost Schmidt.

I honestly have never seen a good coach in Ovies time here. Sure, Bruce Boudreau was awesome at getting the offense, but the Caps had a AWFUL defense and goalie to go anywhere then. Trotz is a good dude but he's not with the times and poor to adjust. Oates? Hunter?

It's been awful watching Ovie get blamed all this time though typically that's only from haters or unappreciative hockey fans, and if you're real honest with yourself it's not him at all. Sure at times he can take some blame but overall he's been the only thing this team has going for it on a consistent basis.

 

[nystromshairstylist]

Trade for Halak to maybe reverse the jinx somehow. They have had talent galore through the coaching tenures of Boudreau, Oates, Hunter, Trotz. Ironically, in the last few years, the inexperienced Hunter came within a smidgen of getting them to the conference finals but then Joel Ward struck.

They need some luck but just cannot find it. I have no solution for them. LOL

Halak is a FA, so is Hickey, they can have them both. That would be interesting, seeing hickey on the same team as his and my least favorite athlete alive, tommy wilson.

As long as a team has that idiot on their roster, I will root against them and revel in their repeated failures - and right now I am smiling broadly hoping for a first round sweep of the caps.

I should add that all those caps' fans who mocked the NYI two weeks back for missing the PO, well if the caps get swept or lose in the first round were you really better off? The NYI get a far better pick not playing an extra 4 games; I think I'll take that scenario over getting blown out in the first round.

 

[valet]

the core is fine for at least 2 more years, they just need a better supporting cast

 

[Dr John Carlson]

Caps fans see their team down 0-2 and have already given up. What a crappy fanbase.

Pretty difficult to remain positive after how unsuccessful the team has been.

 

[Mickey Marner]

If that core couldn't win in 2016 & 2017 it never will.

 

[KoozNetsOff 92]

Management is the problem. When OV was at his peak (05/06-10/11) the team had terrible D and goaltending. Those teams looked great in the RS because OV, Backstrom and Semin would pile up the pts but I don't know of any team that went far in the playoffs with a D core of Green/Schultz/Poti and random washed up goalies like Huet/Theodore. They also hire random unproven coaches every time. Boudreau has proven away from Washington that he isn't good in the playoffs, Hunter was as random as they get, Oates hasn't gotten another HC job for a reason. When they finally built a competent blue line in 14/15, OV was almost 30 and they hired a coach like Trotz who somehow has an even worse playoff record than the caps themselves. It's just a complete joke, but Ted doesn't mind because he's making his money.

 

[DudeWhereIsMakar]

The big problem with trading Ovechkin now is that the whole team collapses. They head to a slow dismantle and would believe it takes a long time to rebuild. But I would trade him maybe if he's heading towards the end to a contending team that's most likely to win the cup.


If Edmonton had never traded Gretzky (Messier and Kurri too) they'd probably be as good as Pittsburgh right about now. It's like if Pittsburgh traded Lemieux, the Penguins probably would be in Kansas City or elsewhere.

 

[GordieHowsUrBreath]

Hell no. Thank God the caps were dumb enough to draft a winger over a center

at the time ovechkin was considered the best prospect in decades, nobody in pittsburgh was excited to get malkin instead

 

[3074326]

at the time ovechkin was considered the best prospect in decades, nobody in pittsburgh was excited to get malkin instead

Yes we were... lol. What are you talking about.

 

[GordieHowsUrBreath]

Yes we were... lol. What are you talking about.

absolute lie, malkin was considered a great consolation prize

 

[Dzonna]

Everyone tuning in for this one tonight? In before ovechkin gets another two goals and is deemed a poor playoff performer. Calling a 5-2 tonight

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

Trade for Halak to maybe reverse the jinx somehow. They have had talent galore through the coaching tenures of Boudreau, Oates, Hunter, Trotz. Ironically, in the last few years, the inexperienced Hunter came within a smidgen of getting them to the conference finals but then Joel Ward struck.

They need some luck but just cannot find it. I have no solution for them. LOL

We've had Halak before, the experiment didn't go well to say the least...

 

[42]

What's next is a must-win game tonight. They can still win the series. Maybe Holtby rediscovers his playoff form from 2015.

 

[swimmer77]

We've had Halak before, the experiment didn't go well to say the least...

And that's why the jinx will continue. He will forever haunt the Caps.

 

[SomeDude]

Yes we were... lol. What are you talking about.

Only in hindsight. Losing the draft lottery to Washington was a punch to the gut (especially because the Pens got a little hot at the end and still finished last while the Caps openly tanked and still fell short of last overall)

Yes, people who knew more about it were preaching that Malkin was a great consolation prize, but it was terrible to miss out on Ovechkin with all his hype. Obviously, it was better in the long-run as winning the draft lottery would have lost the Pens a ball in the Crosby lotto and they likely wouldn't be in Pittsburgh anymore, but to say fans were excited for Malkin after losing Ovechkin is not accurate.

 

[Kaapo Cabana]

Whats next?

The rest of the game

 

[Uncle Scrooge]

Last 4 playoff rounds (including this ongoing one) the Caps have 4 regulation wins, that's 18% of all the games.

If you don't have the presence of mind to close games out and make the big plays when the game is on the line you're not going to do much.

 

[BlueDream]

Well the Sharks almost did that.

I mean, at least the Sharks showed the ability to make it to the 3rd round a few times...

The Capitals are allergic to doing that. And continuing to change coaches won’t do anything. Their players just mentally cannot break through and get it done.

 

[Ducks in a row]

They need to do smart trades and make the team really fast and really soft.

They need to utilize Ovi like Kessel on the Pens.

Trade Backstrom for Dahlin.

Hire Sutter. Or you know a coach that has passed round 2 at least once in 18 seasons.

You think a team is going to trade a young defenseman with his potential for a 30 year old who is only signed for 2 more seasons ROFL no way will that happen.

 

[txpd]

update. next? game 4 tomorrow.

sidebar. The Capitals are not going to trade Ovechkin. Their roster construction plans will be built around that reality