GDT: 4/18/22 - Capitals @ Avalanche

[Shane Diesel]

JMFJ is 8th behind MacDermid, who effectively took Tom Wilson out of the game last night.

MacDermid's hit on Wilson at center ice to deny him a controlled zone entry was a thing of beauty.

 

[Ceremony]

The best thing about JJ selling the jerseys the second time was how the whole time he had the puck on his stick, you knew exactly what was going to happen. I'd say at least he didn't have as bad a night as the referees but that's not really a positive.

 

[Balthazar]

MacDermid's hit on Wilson at center ice to deny him a controlled zone entry was a thing of beauty.

lol Wilson after the first hit takes a long look at who did that and then goes for round II...same result.

 

[GirardSpinorama]

If Toews is in the lineup instead of JJ, we win this game imo. Love the way the team responded to the physicality from the Caps in the first. Keep rolling towards the playoffs with no injuries and we'll be okay.

Oh 100%. Toews doesn't make that suicide pass and Toews can recover on the first goal to at least make it hard for Hathway to get a perfect shot off.

 

[GirardSpinorama]

Oh and JJ is not playing above EJ come playoff time. Not a chance. Even with injuries, I think we go with Murray first.

 

[GirardSpinorama]

If we get fully healthy I think LOC is gonna be the scratch. NAK is at least putting up points and he forechecks hard. He doesn't kill penalties but the avs have a ton of forwards that can kill penalties now.

I think we still have to gamble on LOC when games get hard. At his peak this season, he was still better as a bottom six guy than NAB.

 

[dahrougem2]

Oh and JJ is not playing above EJ come playoff time. Not a chance. Even with injuries, I think we go with Murray first.

I very much doubt Murray is ahead of him. I think EJ will definitely be ahead of JMFJ just based on how Jack has played recently, but Ryan Murray IMO is very clearly the 9th defensemen on this team's roster after Makar, Toews, Girard, Manson, Byram, EJ, JMFJ, and MacDermid in that order.

 

[Pokecheque]

JJ is definitely ahead of Murray on the depth chart, because frankly, one of Bednar's (and also both of his assistants) most annoying tendencies is to trust the most experienced PK guy, even if they're actually not any good at it. I've said before Graves was a much better penalty killer BEFORE they coached him up, and I bet Ben Meyers, if they were to just drop him in as the high forward on the PK with no real game time logged beforehand, would do worlds better than J.T. Compher. They think the PK is some overtly complicated system when it isn't, and they grossly overestimate the adaptability of some of their smarter forwards and defensemen.

 

[Foppa2118]

MacDermid's hit on Wilson at center ice to deny him a controlled zone entry was a thing of beauty.

MacDermid played in both games against Washington this season. First game Wilson passed up a big hit on MacKinnon with his head down. Both games he played a relatively mild mannered game and wasn't very noticeable.

The intimidation factor from players like MacDermid still works in the NHL.

 

[littletonhockeycoach]

I just got a chance to return to this board and wanted to address one last point regarding last night's game. Much has been made of the statement - noted first by Bednar - that the Avs didn't execute last night. That is true.

But when I asked myself what made lack of execution happen last night, I realized the Caps system and players were the reason.

It wasn't because of a lack of legs or intensity, it was because the Caps took away the center lane in all three zones and steered or kept the Avs to the boards taking away options to open up the ice. The Johnson/LOC turnover resulting in the 3rd goal was a perfect example of what they managed to accomplish all evening.

The Caps executed. The Avs were unable to. Pretty basic. Bednar only gave the media a partial explanation and nobody apparently asked him why.....

The Denver media covering the Avalanche is basically hockey ignorant.

 

[Foppa2118]

I just got a chance to return to this board and wanted to address one last point regarding last night's game. Much has been made of the statement - noted first by Bednar - that the Avs didn't execute last night. That is true.

But when I asked myself what made lack of execution happen last night, I realized the Caps system and players were the reason.

It wasn't because of a lack of legs or intensity, it was because the Caps took away the center lane in all three zones and steered or kept the Avs to the boards taking away options to open up the ice. The Johnson/LOC turnover resulting in the 3rd goal was a perfect example of what they managed to accomplish all evening.

The Caps executed. The Avs were unable to. Pretty basic. Bednar only gave the media a partial explanation and nobody apparently asked him why.....

The Denver media covering the Avalanche is basically hockey ignorant.

I would disagree slightly with the bolded. They competed hard and had their legs, but they didn't quite have the same fight we're used to seeing in them IMO.

I didn't have as strong a feeling that they could come back in the third as I usually do.

I think that was due to having a lot of games recently where they did have to fight for wins and points. It's hard to ramp that fight up in your game to the max every night. I think the Caps just had a little more in the reserve to fight for that win. They seemed a little more desperate.

Also, it was a lot like the Vegas series. The Avs very well could have won, but a couple mistakes from defenseman (JJ) were the difference. The Ovi goal was a little flukey as well.

 

[dahrougem2]

I just got a chance to return to this board and wanted to address one last point regarding last night's game. Much has been made of the statement - noted first by Bednar - that the Avs didn't execute last night. That is true.

But when I asked myself what made lack of execution happen last night, I realized the Caps system and players were the reason.

It wasn't because of a lack of legs or intensity, it was because the Caps took away the center lane in all three zones and steered or kept the Avs to the boards taking away options to open up the ice. The Johnson/LOC turnover resulting in the 3rd goal was a perfect example of what they managed to accomplish all evening.

The Caps executed. The Avs were unable to. Pretty basic. Bednar only gave the media a partial explanation and nobody apparently asked him why.....

The Denver media covering the Avalanche is basically hockey ignorant.

I think if the Avs play the Capitals like that more often than not they'll win the hockey game.

How many point blank slot chances did the Avs have where the Capitals players just dove in front to block it desperately? The Caps played that game like it was do-or-die for some reason.

 

[Pokecheque]

I think if the Avs play the Capitals like that more often than not they'll win the hockey game.

How many point blank slot chances did the Avs have where the Capitals players just dove in front to block it desperately? The Caps played that game like it was do-or-die for some reason.

Because it was do-or-die for them. They have to pass the Penguins in the standings or they're guaranteed to be out in the first round.

This is also the way they just have to play because their goaltending is horrid. Avs got way too fancy (again) and just should've thrown it at the net. The first Avs goal was off a good shot, but that's definitely one the goalie should stop. The second was merely doing the work in the slot area to pounce on a rebound. Too many passes that just weren't accurate and way too many of the shots taken were wide. Even the usually-reliable Cale was winging them all over the damned place.

 

[dahrougem2]

Because it was do-or-die for them. They have to pass the Penguins in the standings or they're guaranteed to be out in the first round.

This is also the way they just have to play because their goaltending is horrid. Avs got way too fancy (again) and just should've thrown it at the net. The first Avs goal was off a good shot, but that's definitely one the goalie should stop. The second was merely doing the work in the slot area to pounce on a rebound. Too many passes that just weren't accurate and way too many of the shots taken were wide. Even the usually-reliable Cale was winging them all over the damned place.

I don't know that they're guaranteed to be out in the 1st round if they play Florida. They've played 3 games this season and every single time it's been a 1 goal game. Washington's goaltending is horrid, yes, but they'd also be facing Bobrovsky on the other end.

 

[Pokecheque]

I don't know that they're guaranteed to be out in the 1st round if they play Florida. They've played 3 games this season and every single time it's been a 1 goal game. Washington's goaltending is horrid, yes, but they'd also be facing Bobrovsky on the other end.

There's obvious concern about whether Florida can get it done in the postseason but there's no way you can blame the Caps for choosing to get higher in the standings to avoid that particular matchup. If it's between them and the Rangers, I'd rather take the risk of getting goalie'd by Shesterkin in the first round.

 

[littletonhockeycoach]

I would disagree slightly with the bolded. They competed hard and had their legs, but they didn't quite have the same fight we're used to seeing in them IMO.

I didn't have as strong a feeling that they could come back in the third as I usually do.

I think that was due to having a lot of games recently where they did have to fight for wins and points. It's hard to ramp that fight up in your game to the max every night. I think the Caps just had a little more in the reserve to fight for that win. They seemed a little more desperate.

Also, it was a lot like the Vegas series. The Avs very well could have won, but a couple mistakes from defenseman (JJ) were the difference. The Ovi goal was a little flukey as well.

I think we actually agreed that they couldn't blame it on not having their legs.

The Caps executed. The Avs couldn't. That allowed a wee bit of skepticism to creep into my confidence. Why couldn't they? (The Caps were better...)

I was convinced coming into his game that the Avs were pretty much unbeatable. And told people as much. Now I'm being haunted by the ghosts of Golden Knights and Sharks past. LOL

 

[littletonhockeycoach]

I think if the Avs play the Capitals like that more often than not they'll win the hockey game.

How many point blank slot chances did the Avs have where the Capitals players just dove in front to block it desperately? The Caps played that game like it was do-or-die for some reason.

It's not that the Avs lost. It's how they lost. Their precision speed game was missing. And that's because the Caps took it away.

Not the time of year to have your hidden flaws exposed and exploited.

Game tape is now in the hands of all of the Avs possible WC opponents.