Post-Game Talk: Birds that can’t fly @ Majestic eagles 7:00 PM

[TheLegendOfPatPeake]

Jarry did outplay VV, but this was on the caps having poor puck control. You can’t let a talented scoring team that many chances. I don’t know one goal that was a “bad” goal. The snipe angel wasnt that bad, it was a great shot. For those who don’t know, the goal is bigger than the goalie.

Plenty of us have played hockey on here champ. We know.

 

[SoulessGingerCapsFan]

How about you head for an early exit with your negativity...

They have an amazing team. So balanced on D and all 4 lines. Goaltending is clearly some of the weakest in the league. In the playoffs, you need big saves. We don’t get that from either

 

[Corby78]

The numbers don't agree. At 5-on-5 the Caps controlled 60.5% of the scoring chances and 68.8% of high danger scoring chances but were outscored 4-2. VV did not play well and rarely bailed them out when they needed him to. Jarry won the game for Pittsburgh or Vitek lost the game for Washington -- pick whichever one you think is more fitting.

Do the fancy stats tell you who coughed up the puck in the defensive zone. What do the fancy stats say about chara getting his doors blown off and Mantha leaving 19 in a 2v1 for a tip on the doorstep. VV wasn’t great, but he wasn’t bad. This board hates goalies I get it, but man oh man it’s beyond stupid how we jump on them every time they don’t shut somebody out.

 

[GoCaps2004]

The team is playing better we just need the goaltending to catch up

The Caps’ defensive play was, um, not strong.

 

[Corby78]

Plenty of us have played hockey on here champ. We know.

You don’t sound like it

 

[TheLegendOfPatPeake]

You don’t sound like it

I don’t know how to respond to that because I’m not even sure what you are disagreeing with me on.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

Do the fancy stats tell you who coughed up the puck in the defensive zone. What do the fancy stats say about chara getting his doors blown off and Mantha leaving 19 in a 2v1 for a tip on the doorstep. VV wasn’t great, but he wasn’t bad. This board hates goalies I get it, but man oh man it’s beyond stupid how we jump on them every time they don’t shut somebody out.

Yeah, they do. They're called high-danger scoring chances and the Caps had a lot more of them.

 

[twabby]

Don’t worry Caps fans, just remember that goaltending is pretty much random so whatever happened tonight has pretty much no bearing on what will happen in the postseason!

 

[TheLegendOfPatPeake]

Yeah, they do. They're called high-danger scoring chances and the Caps had a lot more of them.

 

[Corby78]

Yeah, they do. They're called high-danger scoring chances and the Caps had a lot more of them.

Jarry played well, made a huge save in OT right before the winner. But that doesn’t mean VV sucked. He was ok, could be better. The goalie hate around here is over the top. 3 goals in three games, now they both suck again.....

 

[caps4cup]

Do the fancy stats tell you who coughed up the puck in the defensive zone. What do the fancy stats say about chara getting his doors blown off and Mantha leaving 19 in a 2v1 for a tip on the doorstep. VV wasn’t great, but he wasn’t bad. This board hates goalies I get it, but man oh man it’s beyond stupid how we jump on them every time they don’t shut somebody out.

You realize that mistakes are made though right? If nobody ever turned the puck over or missed coverage, nobody would ever score. Nobody is saying the team was great tonight or denying the fact that there were some bad turnovers/coverage. But the Caps still outplayed the Penguins and got more scoring chances and high danger chances.

Maybe none of the goals were LOLtby level bad, but the Caps were the better team tonight and lost because VV was outplayed by Jarry and made very few big saves (the one on Rust on the PP in the 3rd is really the only one that comes to mind). He wasn’t horrendous, but he definitely wasn’t very good, and I think it’s more about the fact that if he makes a couple (or even one) more big saves, the Caps win as they probably deserved to.

 

[maacoshark]

Jarry played well, made a huge save in OT right before the winner. But that doesn’t mean VV sucked. He was ok, could be better. The goalie hate around here is over the top. 3 goals in three games, now they both suck again.....

Vanecek wasn't terrible but it would have been nice if he could have bailed out the defense atleast once.
I still think Vanecek plays small when he is in the butterfly. He leaves alot of room, especially upstairs.

 

[Corby78]

You realize that mistakes are made though right? If nobody ever turned the puck over or missed coverage, nobody would ever score. Nobody is saying the team was great tonight or denying the fact that there were some bad turnovers/coverage. But the Caps still outplayed the Penguins and got more scoring chances and high danger chances.

Maybe none of the goals were LOLtby level bad, but the Caps were the better team tonight and lost because VV was outplayed by Jarry and made very few big saves (the one on Rust on the PP in the 3rd is really the only one that comes to mind). He wasn’t horrendous, but he definitely wasn’t very good, and I think it’s more about the fact that if he makes a couple (or even one) more big saves, the Caps win as they probably deserved to.

Sure I’ll agree to that, he makes on more big save we win. And I’ve said he got outplayed by Jarry tonight. But we need to stop acting like they suck if they aren’t great. vv isn’t even supposed to be on the team this year and we’re bashing him when he doesn’t stand on his head.

 

[Ovie's Neighbor]

Do the fancy stats tell you who coughed up the puck in the defensive zone. What do the fancy stats say about chara getting his doors blown off and Mantha leaving 19 in a 2v1 for a tip on the doorstep. VV wasn’t great, but he wasn’t bad. This board hates goalies I get it, but man oh man it’s beyond stupid how we jump on them every time they don’t shut somebody out.

It’s not that this board hates goalies. It’s that if you look at any objective statistic or watch other goalies around the league it’s very clear our goalies are some of the weakest. We have the worst goaltending of the East playoff teams and the worst of any current playoff team really.

 

[TheLegendOfPatPeake]

Vanecek wasn't terrible but it would have been nice if he could have bailed out the defense atleast once.
I still think Vanecek plays small when he is in the butterfly. He leaves alot of room, especially upstairs.

If the Caps had even marginally above average goaltending tonight they win.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

Jarry played well, made a huge save in OT right before the winner. But that doesn’t mean VV sucked. He was ok, could be better. The goalie hate around here is over the top. 3 goals in three games, now they both suck again.....

I mean, they do kinda suck. The numbers bear it out they save fewer shots than they should and they are incredibly inconsistent. Every night is a coin flip. The goalie hate may be over the top but I think the concern is warranted. It's tough because it could be their Achilles Heel in a few weeks on a team that really has very few, if any, other weaknesses. This is a great team relying on two young, unproven, and inconsistent goalies to take them where they can (and probably should) go and it'll be tough to see goaltending undo that.

That said, goaltending is random (right @twabby??) . Holtby was absolutely trash in 2017-18 and managed to get it together for ~25 games. There's still hope one of them catches fire and gives them what they need but there's plenty to be concerned about.

 

[TheLegendOfPatPeake]

I mean, they do kinda suck. The numbers bear it out they save fewer shots than they should and they are incredibly inconsistent. Every night is a coin flip. The goalie hate may be over the top but I think the concern is warranted. It's tough because it could be their Achilles Heel in a few weeks on a team that really has very few, if any, other weaknesses. This is a great team relying on two young, unproven, and inconsistent goalies to take them where they can (and probably should) go and it'll be tough to see goaltending undo that.

That said, goaltending is random. Holtby was absolutely trash in 2017-18 and managed to get it together for ~25 games. There's still hope one of them catches fire and gives them what they need but there's plenty to be concerned about.

This is easily the most reasonable post I’ve read on these boards in a long time.

 

[TRASHCAT]

we had a cup winning vezina winning goalie the last two years in the playoffs and he sucked ass

 

[Ovie's Neighbor]

we had a cup winning vezina winning goalie the last two years in the playoffs and he sucked ass

Oh I agree it can be a total crap shot. Just look at Binnington or how hard Murray has fallen off. But I would still be more confident if our goalies were not bottom 25 in nearly every stat.

 

[caps4cup]

Sure I’ll agree to that, he makes on more big save we win. And I’ve said he got outplayed by Jarry tonight. But we need to stop acting like they suck if they aren’t great. vv isn’t even supposed to be on the team this year and we’re bashing him when he doesn’t stand on his head.

I don’t think anyone is necessarily bashing him in the sense that he sucks, or that anyone has ire for him (or samsonov). It can just be frustrating watching the Caps lose games they shouldn’t due to weak goaltending.

They’ve been pretty good lately (as has the team) and hopefully that continues. Obviously, they’re not gonna be great every game. Just would hope for a little more from VV tonight.

 

[Holtbyisms]

BIG GAME GOALIES WIN BIG GAMES. RIDE SAMMY, STOP WASTING YOUR f***ING TIME. *cough*

 

[crab]

You can't expect the Capitals to defensively shut it down like they did to the Islanders every game, especially to a strong offensive team like the Penguins. They are going to give up scoring chances and the goalie has to make some difficult saves. Yes there was some bad turnovers and defensive plays but Vanecek wasn't up to that task tonight and he was the main reason they lost. Jarry covered for more mistakes, turnovers and bad defence on the Penguins side.

 

[sycamore]

Just saw the highlights. Just one of thise exasperating games between these two teams where the Caps dominated and yet the Pens still won.
That said, Pittbsurgh looked like they were overwhelmed by our size and physicality. Mantha in particular was too much for them to handle. And that's without OV in the lineup.

In a series I think we take 'em.

 

[Empty Goal Net]

Was there in the 400s. Nice to be back in person, but the on-ice product was uneven. VV could've made a few saves that he didn't. But imo the bigger issues were the Caps' inability to deal w/ Pgh forecheck - Caps' d taking too long to move the puck, moving the puck to a covered teammate, trying to pass the puck thru opponent-infested territory (looking @ you, Mantha), and the like - and the Pens' ability to make long direct/indirect passes from outside their attacking zone to a streaking player. Pens' forecheck and speed (and the absence of any appreciable Caps' adjustment to same), and VV's inability to make another key save or two doomed the effort tonight.

 

[SherVaughn30]

Please tell me how many of those goals were poor goaltending where Sammy saves it? The breakaway snipe to the corner? The OT tip? How about the turnover behind the net walk right in front goal?

When Sammy is ON TOP OF HIS GAME, HE CAN STOP ALL 5 OF THOSE PENS GOALS! That's how potentially great Sammy can be.

Kapanen's 2nd goal has to be stopped. Allowing a goal short-side is inexcusable. As the goalie, make the right-handed shooter beat you far corner stick-side. VV looked small when he dropped into the butterfly(had he even lifted his glove-hand shoulder, he might have got a piece of the shot). He made it a lot easier for Kapanen to pick that top corner. It almost seemed like Vanecek dropped into a tight butterfly hoping the shot puck would hit him. For me as a goalie, I would have stayed upright, forcing Kapanen to beat me five-hole or just over my right leg pad.