GDT: #60 | Devils vs. Capitals 7pm | Groundhog day edition

[Sir Fenwick Corsi]

Merrill needs to go? How about Helgeson and his magical ability to either flub the puck or get beaten to it practically every time he's on the ice? Cammalleri sucks for being injured? What about Henrique sucks for playing at maybe 60% effort for most games. What am I reading here?

How do we not know that Adam isn't nursing something? He's looked a step slow for quite a while now. I know henrique can look like He's not always busting it out there but I don't think he'd be not giving it his all at this point.

Cammalleri doesn't suck at all. He's a very good player. Just one you can't count on to stay healthy.

 

[guitarguyvic]

Who cares how Lou or any other gm handles it. That's not the issue as most general managers keep these kinds of things in-house. What's annoying about the vagueness in this instance is that we can't even point to an incident that may have led to the injury. Dude has missed like 26 games and we have no idea how it may have happened. No timetable of return except they say he's not ready every couple days. I don't expect them to tell us he has a broken arm or what not, but it's adding to the frustration not knowing what's going on.

So you're frustrated that you're not getting information you wouldn't normally expect to get anyway? Don't really understand that.

The guy is injury prone and it sucks and it's a huge negative for him and the team at this point. Knowing what happened with this specific injury isn't going to change that reality.

Last night's game was really infuriating and disappointing, I'll grant that. But after getting over it, I'm just happy that Boucher had a great night. Conversely I'm still left wondering what we have with this defense. It's really difficult right now to gauge if their inconsistency and lack of offense is due to their lack of experience or if that's just what they are. As a fan of a rebuilding team, those are the things I'm really concerned with...wins and making the playoffs as an 8 seed that has no realistic shot at winning a round are secondary.

 

[JimEIV]

And I hope the Caps win the cup, their fans are great, been to about 5 games their and never once given a hard time.

Ovechkin deserves it. Not a player in the league even close to him in my opinion. It's a shame Washington wasted so many of his prime years with poor coaching and lack of organizational vision.

That guy has been all world under Trotz.

 

[Unknown Caller]

Ovechkin deserves it. Not a player in the league even close to him in my opinion. It's a shame Washington wasted so many of his prime years with poor coaching and lack of organizational vision.

That guy has been all world under Trotz.

Agreed, Ovechkin will go down as one of the greatest of all time. Even more impressive that in addition to all of his skill, he plays as physical of a game as any power forward. He deserves a cup and he's better than Crosby.

 

[StvBroDan]

There should be a rule, you do not send out the 4th line when holding a lead with less than 8 minutes left in the 3rd.

Gio with a -2 on the last two goals.
I believe he had a chance to clear the zone before one of the goals.

The bubble has burst

You have been saying that for awhile now. Every squirrel finds his nuts or whatever that saying is.

If people get back to work and others dont go out for weeks then maybe they pull a shot at the playoffs. PLAYOFFS? wa PLAYOFFS?

 

[Brooklyndevil]

Merrill needs to go? How about Helgeson and his magical ability to either flub the puck or get beaten to it practically every time he's on the ice? Cammalleri sucks for being injured? What about Henrique sucks for playing at maybe 60% effort for most games. What am I reading here?

Merrill was horrible. Granted Helgeson and Blandisi had a number of turnovers and was is worst game. However, when Helg blocks out a man he stays blocked and wins most of his board battles, while Merrill is softer than tissue paper. Defense isn't only about skating pretty and making an occasional nice pass, it's also about clearing the crease, taking your man out and winning battles. He puts up hardly any points and gets pushed around. Watch the game again because he got butt slapped all night.

 

[Emperoreddy]

How do we not know that Adam isn't nursing something? He's looked a step slow for quite a while now. I know henrique can look like He's not always busting it out there but I don't think he'd be not giving it his all at this point.

Cammalleri doesn't suck at all. He's a very good player. Just one you can't count on to stay healthy.

He is still busting his ass in the defensive zone for the most part. Something isn't right.

And this isn't a normal Cammy injury. He almost never misses this much time. He is legit hurt.

 

[Emperoreddy]

I was at the game yesterday, Merrill looked very good

Ya he was fine yesterday. I don't know what people were watching to blame him. There wasn't much he could do on the flukey goal that went off Hulk's skate. Honestly not much anyone could, it was a flukey goal as the Caps didn't even get a proper shot off to get it on net.

 

[Bleedred]

Ya he was fine yesterday. I don't know what people were watching to blame him. There wasn't much he could do on the flukey goal that went off Hulk's skate. Honestly not much anyone could, it was a flukey goal as the Caps didn't even get a proper shot off to get it on net.

The way it went in was absolutely a fluke, but I saw it coming as soon as I realized that Tootoo's line couldn't get off the ice.

That was the first time they were pinned in last night, but they sure made it count.

 

[Lou is God]

Ovechkin deserves it. Not a player in the league even close to him in my opinion. It's a shame Washington wasted so many of his prime years with poor coaching and lack of organizational vision.

That guy has been all world under Trotz.

Always liked him and his game, would be a pleasure to see him lift the cup over his head.

 

[Lou is God]

Ya he was fine yesterday. I don't know what people were watching to blame him. There wasn't much he could do on the flukey goal that went off Hulk's skate. Honestly not much anyone could, it was a flukey goal as the Caps didn't even get a proper shot off to get it on net.

Yesterday's game was about our bottom lines of forwards getting dominated, until we strengthen it and get subpar players like Gionata and Tootoo out of the lineup, we're going to be nothing but a marginal team.

 

[Bleedred]

Yesterday's game was about our bottom lines of forwards getting dominated, until we strengthen it and get subpar players like Gionata and Tootoo out of the lineup, we're going to be nothing but a marginal team.

This!

Though while Gionta isn't perfect, I don't think he's nearly the liability that Tootoo is. I don't want any of them back next year, other than Farnham.

We need to purge them after this year, to make room on the 4th line for the guys like Kalinin and Josefson that are playing on the 3rd line this year.

 

[Emperoreddy]

Yesterday's game was about our bottom lines of forwards getting dominated, until we strengthen it and get subpar players like Gionata and Tootoo out of the lineup, we're going to be nothing but a marginal team.

Well I agree overall we absolutely need to strengthen our bottom 6, I think fatigue played a big part in those later periods. Everyone was starting to become a step to slow.

Back to back and the fact we played with 11 forwards for two games in a row (Gio getting hurt, and Tootoo getting tossed) so some guys played extra minutes the last few games.

I think we get quicker changes and at least get to OT if we were a bit more rested...but that is how hockey works so it is what it is.

Still agreed we need to bolster the bottom 6. We need some size, and we could use some skill down there too.

 

[Emperoreddy]

This!

Though while Gionta isn't perfect, I don't think he's nearly the liability that Tootoo is. I don't want any of them back next year, other than Farnham.

We need to purge them after this year, to make room on the 4th line for the guys like Kalinin and Josefson that are playing on the 3rd line this year.

Would like to find a slightly better Farnham. I think we need more sandpaper in the bottom 6 honestly. Also faceoffs. We are extremely bad in the dot.

 

[Bleedred]

Would like to find a slightly better Farnham. I think we need more sandpaper in the bottom 6 honestly. Also faceoffs. We are extremely bad in the dot.

Whatever gets us more offense from the 3rd line, I'm all for it.

Maybe that's JQ or Zacha (one of them) being able to make the team, Stempniak and one of Boucher or Blandisi on the 3rd line. Maybe a UFA.

That would be nice, but Josefson and Kalinin were a failed experiment in the 3rd line. They really don't deserve another chance next year, though you could argue Kalinin might, since he will have only played less than 80 NHL/North American games by next year. Josefson will have had close to 250 games and no offensive improvement.

If he's on the power play next year, that's fine with me, as long as he still helps the power play. But we need guys on the 3rd line that can score more than 15-20 points a season.

I think Kennedy has also proved he's no longer a 3rd liner.

 

[Zippy316]

Would like to find a slightly better Farnham. I think we need more sandpaper in the bottom 6 honestly. Also faceoffs. We are extremely bad in the dot.

We need more size and defensive skill on the fourth line. While Farnham isn't bad, he's not the most reliable guy. Tootoo is a liability as well. Gionta is fine but he needs to be at wing and with bigger players or he gets exposed.

I would try to sign Trevor Lewis. Can play C/RW and PK minutes. Can move up when needed. I would also aim to make Kalinin - Josefson - Lewis our fourth line. Find another gritty guy to be the 13th forward since injuries are bound to happen. Farnham could be that. He would stay rested in order for him to wreak havoc in the few games he plays. All three of those players can move up in a pinch as well.

 

[NJDevs26]

Always liked him and his game, would be a pleasure to see him lift the cup over his head.

I never understood why people here don't like Ovechkin, unless they're just holding the Caps' playoff foibles against him

 

[Bleedred]

I never understood why people here don't like Ovechkin, unless they're just holding the Caps' playoff foibles against him

I don't have a problem with him personally, I've even said that you can make a good case that he might be the best goal scorer of all time.

But I'm annoyed with their annual lay down to the Rangers in the playoffs. The 2012 series wasn't that bad, but the last two times when they blew a 2 game lead in the series and had a combined 5 chances to win a game to eliminate them, I've had it with them. And they won't be getting the benefit of the doubt from me against them, until they can win a series against them. I'd probably pick them to beat any other team though, at least in the East.

 

[glenwo2]

Ovechkin is the Anti-Kovy. That is all.

 

[tr83]

I would try to sign Trevor Lewis. Can play C/RW and PK minutes.

I like this idea!