GDT: 1. Washington Capitals @ Buffalo Sabres 7PM ET 1.14.2021

[Caroline Says ll]

The optimist in me knows a lot of these first games have been ugly and that you can see even with Eichel and Hall looking like they can't move they still generate goals.

The negative I'm pushing away until tomorrows result.

 

[joshjull]

It would be better if he stayed with the same weight, at least he was noticeably lighter and faster

Hard to say yet. Only because he was shying away from hits and physical play. That’s literally why he put the weight on. Why would he avoid that stuff if he’d spent all off season prepping for it.

 

[Panthaz89]

I still can not fathom how Skinner is ever put on the 4th line when we have Tage Thompson on the 1st line killing possession constantly.

 

[Royisgone]

Rob Ray actually said Carter Hutton has had a pretty good game. He said that. It's pathetic.

He's paid to say things like that.

Were you expecting him to say this was another night taken off by most of the team with little chance of making the playoffs?

 

[Fjordy]

Hard to say yet. Only because he was shying away from hits and physical play. That’s literally why he put the weight on. Why would he avoid that stuff if he’d spent all off season prepping for it.

Well, he looked very slow and clumsy, I don't know what the problem is

 

[littletonhockeycoach]

How has joker looked?

Unremarkable.

 

[Buffaloed]

Probably to make him stronger in front of the net...

too bad it came at the expense of his mobility

He's not in game shape. Thompson and Rieder looked like the only Sabres that are close.

 

[buffalojedwardo]

Well these aren't takes about his abilities as a hockey player, they're takes about physical fitness, which I think are perfectly fine to comment on at any given point. Multiple people observed the same thing tonight: Eichel and Dahlin added size and looked slow. That's just an observation of the present situation and it's probably correct.

I didn't see the same...im actually happy with the product on the ice. Did you really think we were going to win? Caps are an established, veteran team. Good first test we'll adjust. Happy to see the Mccabe fight.

 

[TehDoak]

1. Holy crap, get Thompson off that top line. It should be pretty obvious that a guy who hasn't played in a NHL game in a year +, wasn't great when he WAS in the NHL, and obviously isn't up to game speed. Let him earn the top line RW spot.
2. Cozens looked a little overmatched at times.
3. Hall-Eichel didn't look great at ES. I don't think they are great line mates TBH, they like to occupy the same spots. I'll give it a few games, but if its not working, I hope Kruger won't force the issue for long. Hall can drive his own like and so can Eichel.
4. Hutton, not surprisingly, didn't look great. However, neither did the team in front of them.

My patience with Krueger is already pretty thin after last year. It looked like a Pro team vs a AHL team for long stretches. Buffalo looked disorganized and unprepared, Washington showed up and was ready to roll.

 

[Paxon]

He's paid to say things like that.

Were you expecting him to say this was another night taken off by most of the team with little chance of making the playoffs?

He could say something like that about someone who actually looked good. Hutton got hung out to dry but to claim he had a good game is just insanity.

 

[joshjull]

Well, he looked very slow and clumsy, I don't know what the problem is

Maybe he had a bad burrito before the game

 

[SwedeChristoffer]

Well, he looked very slow and clumsy, I don't know what the problem is

He looked good in the Ozone.

It's most likely all in his head, hasn't had the chance to practice defense in almost a year. And those scrimmages played at 50% speed obviously won't help that.

 

[K8fool]

Y

He's not the problem tonight, Jack is.

Yep.. Jack wasn't ready for this game.. Neither was Stall..
My wife calls Hutton a lil b*tch always on his knees w no reward..

They looked like a fighter that hadnt fought for a year and didnt know what to do for two periods after being punched in the mouth..

Then they woke up.. A little.

Hall came to play.. They will be fine w ullmark.. Consider this a preseason warm up and we'll stomp them tomorrow

 

[sabremike]

I don’t know that I’d say good game. I get what you’re saying. It could’ve gone a lot worse for a team that hadn’t played in 10 months. And quite honestly that’s what it looked like. It looked like a team that a) hadn’t played in 10 months, and b) has half its forward corps as new players.

I get why Ralph said he’s not gonna coach much tonight. He essentially used tonight as pre season. I’m okay with it. This loss isn’t gonna cost us the season. It’s all about how this team and coaching staff responds.

Lastly, I’d rather put a stinker up to start and continually get better every game rather than start strong and fizzle like we’ve done in previous years.

You can't throw away games in a 56 game season in a division of death. BTW the Devils got a point vs the Broooinz tonight, maybe hiring a proven coach with a real track record of success is the smart thing to do.

 

[Fjordy]

Maybe he had a bad burrito before the game

Apparently this burrito was eaten by all our defense and Jack

 

[Buffaloed]

I think they sucked. Look like they’re a month away from getting into game shape.

I read that Lavy put the Caps through some hard skates. Krueger discussed principles and concepts with the Sabres.

 

[Ace]

Until that goal, Olofsson was invisible. 5v5 hockey is not his thing.

until we landed on the moon it was just up there in the sky doing nothing.

he made two of the best plays in the game and was the reason for half of their goals.

 

[joshjull]

until we landed on the moon it was just up there in the sky doing nothing.

he made two of the best plays in the game and was the reason for half of their goals.

Eyeroll.

can’t have a non entity 5v5 on one of the top lines

 

[sabresEH]

You can't throw away games in a 56 game season in a division of death. BTW the Devils got a point vs the Broooinz tonight, maybe hiring a proven coach with a real track record of success is the smart thing to do.

Yeah it’s tough. We’re not going 56-0 and we have a chance to evaluate, put in a better goalie and see how we respond against the same team tomorrow night.

We come out and win in regulation and split with a Stanley cup contender that’s not a bad thing.

 

[UnleashRasmus]

We need Okposo back as soon as possible. Good god, the bottom six is terrible right now. To be completely honest, I'm just going to chalk this up to not playing organized hockey in 10 month's, seven to eight new players and just sloppy play. However, Montour should not be on the ice for the PK. Isn't that why we brought in Irwin. Colin Miller looked like he forgot how to square up his forward assignment. Reinhart, got bumped to the ice at least three to four visible times. Cozens looked lost out there. The number of passes that hit an opponents stick, just dreadful. I want Hutton off of this roster, just go with Ullmark and Johansson for the rest of the year.

 

[Panthaz89]

probably would have taken them to OT if Stall hadn't basically given them a goal right after we got within one with such an unnecessary weak pass knowing someone was right there.

 

[joshjull]

Eyeroll.

can’t have a non entity 5v5 on one of the top lines

@Ace

I don’t hate the player and was primarily talking about his 5v5 play.

Olofsson is what he is. A specialist who does his best work on PP and extra man situations. But 5v5 he doesn’t have a good enough all around game to play so high in the lineup.

 

[joshjull]

probably would have taken them to OT if Stall hadn't basically given them a goal right after we got within one with such an unnecessary weak pass knowing someone was right there.

We really kicked our own asses tonight. Tied the game in first followed by dumb penalty. Then had a chance later in game to make it 3-2. Instead it’s 4-1 when they score after we blow two glorious short handed scoring chances. Then the Staal incident you mentioned

 

[sabresEH]

@Ace

I don’t hate the player and was primarily talking about his 5v5 play.

Olofsson is what he is. A specialist who does his best work on PP and extra man situations. But 5v5 he doesn’t have a good enough all around game to play so high in the lineup.

I get that Skinner doesn’t need elite players to produce but him and Olofsson should be switching roles. Let Skinner play with better players 5v5 and try and capitalize his abilities to score in those situations. And then utilize Olofsson by giving him big PP minutes. Let him be OV for all I care and stay out there for the full 2 minutes. As long as he makes plays like he did tonight(on the Hall goal) which can keep the other team honest

 

[DapperCam]

Team doesn’t seem to be in game shape. I’ll probably skip the first couple of weeks and check back in to see if things look better.