GDT: Buffalo @ Washington | 1/3/23 | 7:00p ET

[IafrateOvie34]

No issue with the Eller penalty. That was a byproduct of Kuzy’s idiocy. But the OT play, that was classic Lars.

Absolutely.

 

[Jags]

Tough loss. 3v3 is fun to watch, but boy do we suck at it a lot of the time. The personnel choices -- who they're not playing as much as who they are -- are bewildering.

3v3 requires guys with high offensive and defensive IQs. Gotta have both. So yeah, Eller doesn't belong out there, but the more confusing part is the laundry list of guys who should be out there instead.

We have a football coach in DC that didn't know his team could be eliminated last weekend. Do you think maybe our GM and coach are similarly misinformed about NHL contracts? Like maybe they don't know that you don't have to keep AND play a guy until his contract runs out?

That would make more sense to me than whatever the hell is actually going on.

 

[dire wolf]

View attachment 630023

Dare I suggest Tage’s wrister rivals Ovie’s?

Just dropping by to applaud the Slow Horses reference : ) Carry on.

 

[usiel]

Sigh... Should've had 2 points from this one.

I'd say Buffalo fans should be excited about their future. But I've seen that movie before, and it always ends in tears.

Remember that year they one year they wwon presidents trophy they were lets say...quite unbearable that season. But always good to see a team that hasn't had success in a long time start to turn the corner.

 

[YippieKaey]

So i hear we lost in OT due to players goofing it? Sounds familiar....

 

[g00n]

Interesting game to be at. Fairly light crowd. Couldn’t believe how loud it got when Buffalo scored.

Milano looked great tonight. First two lines looked good in general. We found a way to lose that one. At least we got the loser point. Tage owned us!

Buffalo fans travel and are vocal. Was there a big group in the nosebleeds?

Some years they'd show up and several fights would break out in the stands.

 

[bacchist]

Was Kuznetsov just being a pest knocking the goalie's mask off, or was he trying to get a whistle? Seems like there are a few rules that could have sent him to the box there. Unsportsmanlike conduct, delay of game, high sticking? Can someone explain this to me? Truly bizarre.

I was about to say I've never seen anything like it, but then I remembered Esa Tikkanen reaching over during a faceoff and pulling a guy's helmet down over his face. That was hilarious.

 

[tycoonheart]

Was Kuznetsov just being a pest knocking the goalie's mask off, or was he trying to get a whistle? Seems like there are a few rules that could have sent him to the box there. Unsportsmanlike conduct, delay of game, high sticking? Can someone explain this to me? Truly bizarre.

I was about to say I've never seen anything like it, but then I remembered Esa Tikkanen reaching over during a faceoff and pulling a guy's helmet down over his face. That was hilarious.

He was trying to bat the puck out of air.

 

[max21]

Tage Thompson is just sick, dude is 6’7” wtf

 

[StrikingDistance]

The refs calling that Kuzy penalty with 2mins left was atrocious. Then Lars decided to one-up him by really tripping someone and then the OT scramble began. I hope Lavi seeing his 'trusted vet' cough the puck up and lead to a GWG decreases Eller's ice time.

Rhetorical questions: How does he get icetime in OT after a dumb penalty? And why is he on the ice at the same time as one of the hottest goal scorers in the league is? Dumb.

 

[Jags]

I was about to say I've never seen anything like it, but then I remembered Esa Tikkanen reaching over during a faceoff and pulling a guy's helmet down over his face. That was hilarious.

This one's my favorite. I miss that guy.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

This one's my favorite. I miss that guy.

I liked Williams a lot. A shame his only G7 loss is with us.

 

[Empty Goal Net]

The refs calling that Kuzy penalty with 2mins left was atrocious. Then Lars decided to one-up him by really tripping someone and then the OT scramble began. I hope Lavi seeing his 'trusted vet' cough the puck up and lead to a GWG decreases Eller's ice time.

Rhetorical questions: How does he get icetime in OT after a dumb penalty? And why is he on the ice at the same time as one of the hottest goal scorers in the league is? Dumb.

At that point of OT, I was expecting/hoping that Dowd would be out there at C. He was 18-4 on faceoffs last night.

 

[twabby]

A lot was made of gaffes by Kuznetsov and Eller, and rightfully so.

But to me one of the bigger disappointments this year has been Dmitry Orlov. His defensive game has dropped off a lot this year, and I wonder if his injury is still affecting him either physically or mentally in some way. He was really bad last night IMO especially on the first goal against.

In the three years before this one Orlov was a highly rated defensive defensemen in the NHL by Evolving Hockey's GAR (84th percentile), but this year he's been below replacement at the 25th percentile.

It's something to keep an eye on, especially with a contract decision looming.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

That’s two OTs in a row they’ve had a comically bad error to lose it. Simplify or change the personnel. No reason Milano, Dowd, Mantha, Jensen, Johansson shouldn’t be playing when you’re throwing out Eller and Oshie. Eller is terrible and Oshie is too slow for the open ice.

Also, Washington lost the goaltending battle handedly last night. That was Kuemper’s worst game in a while. The Thompson PPG was a goal no NHL goalie should give up. He played the situation poorly in OT. The first goal, while a nice play by Buffalo, went through him. Minus a few clutch saves he was off last night and was the primary reason they lost — MoneyPuck had him at -2.5 goals saved above expectation. Washington should have won last night in regulation as they carried play for most of the final two periods.

 

[marcel snapshot]

My guess is Milano displaces Protas, when Wilson comes back. Dowd-Hath-Milano could be a really good 4th line, as long as Milano stays committed defensively. Credit to Protas for showing that commitment all this year, he just may lack a few tools in his box that Milano seems to have right now.

Eller-Osh-Gus out there on the OT winner. Bit of a head-scratcher, that

 

[tycoonheart]

That’s two OTs in a row they’ve had a comically bad error to lose it. Simplify or change the personnel. No reason Milano, Dowd, Mantha, Jensen, Johansson shouldn’t be playing when you’re throwing out Eller and Oshie. Eller is terrible and Oshie is too slow for the open ice.

Also, Washington lost the goaltending battle handedly last night. That was Kuemper’s worst game in a while. The Thompson PPG was a goal no NHL goalie should give up. He played the situation poorly in OT. The first goal, while a nice play by Buffalo, went through him. Minus a few clutch saves he was off last night and was the primary reason they lost — MoneyPuck had him at -2.5 goals saved above expectation. Washington should have won last night in regulation as they carried play for most of the final two periods.

Yeah Keumper hasn't looked as good since he came back from the injury. Both the recent OT losses are games I think we win with Lindgren. Lindgren is just that much better right now.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

Yeah Keumper hasn't looked as good since he came back from the injury. Both the recent OT losses are games I think we win with Lindgren. Lindgren is just that much better right now.

It’s a bit of a strange situation. The Caps have lost four of the six games he’s played in since 12/1 and four of those games went to OT (Washington has lost three of those). His stats weren’t bad though — in his five games in December he had a 2.36 GAA and a .920 save percentage. He pitched a shutout against the Rangers in his first game back from injury and in the OT loss to Ottawa he had 41 saves in a game they were outplayed in. Besides last night I don’t think he’s been bad per se but I don’t know that he’s made the clutch save when they need him to.

 

[itsjustsurvival]

Pretty fun game everything considered. It's nice to see the Capitals are in pretty much every game.

Some concerns though:

1) Forward chemistry is going to be a challenge with players returning to the lineup. Like others have said, it's going to suck if Milano or Protas come out of the lineup. Milano really was a nice pick up. Definitely makes the top 6 more dangerous. I also think Protas is coming along nicely. Maybe wasn't his best game last night, but I'm constantly impressed with his vision and passing in his limited role.

Dowd has impressed me as well and it was cool to see him play with different people.

2) Irwin had a rough game. The Sabres' aggressiveness forced errors on the Caps in general, but he regularly makes the worst possible decision under pressure. I understand that you can only expect so much from your 6th defenseman, but there is no way Alexeyev and Johansen are worse in own zone. If you won't play the younger D, then they need to pick up a better depth defender if they are in a playoff spot.

 

[Calicaps]

The refs calling that Kuzy penalty with 2mins left was atrocious. Then Lars decided to one-up him by really tripping someone and then the OT scramble began. I hope Lavi seeing his 'trusted vet' cough the puck up and lead to a GWG decreases Eller's ice time.

Rhetorical questions: How does he get icetime in OT after a dumb penalty? And why is he on the ice at the same time as one of the hottest goal scorers in the league is? Dumb.

I thought Eller's penalty was a goal- and therefore game-saver. Otherwise yes.

 

[um]

The refs calling that Kuzy penalty with 2mins left was atrocious. Then Lars decided to one-up him by really tripping someone and then the OT scramble began. I hope Lavi seeing his 'trusted vet' cough the puck up and lead to a GWG decreases Eller's ice time.

Rhetorical questions: How does he get icetime in OT after a dumb penalty? And why is he on the ice at the same time as one of the hottest goal scorers in the league is? Dumb.

It was a good call on Kuzy.

I respect the refs for actually calling it, instead of being scared of doing anything.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

I thought Eller's penalty was a goal- and therefore game-saver. Otherwise yes.

Perspective is an interesting thing…..so many just howling mad because it was him. I need to go back and watch that now….

 

[Peeri]

 

[Midnight Judges]

My guess is Milano displaces Protas, when Wilson comes back. Dowd-Hath-Milano could be a really good 4th line, as long as Milano stays committed defensively. Credit to Protas for showing that commitment all this year, he just may lack a few tools in his box that Milano seems to have right now.

Eller-Osh-Gus out there on the OT winner. Bit of a head-scratcher, that

Agree. Protas has got to be the odd man out. He just isn't producing.

 

[StrikingDistance]

It was a good call on Kuzy.

I respect the refs for actually calling it, instead of being scared of doing anything.

Disagree. Watch that again. Maybe at the beginning of the game, but with 2mins left. Nah.