Post-Game Talk: Canes @ Caps 7pm 1st in the standings, last in Corsi

[Revelation]

Mostly trap games?? You mean against mainly weak teams?

Grubs has been excellent - but Holtby is still dominant consistently. He could win vezina 2nd year in a row....

Yeah, like LA or in Dallas where they won for the first time in 20 years.

No, I mean road games that everyone knows the team is gonna take a night off in like Ottawa and the Isles game coming off the all star break.

 

[twabby]

I know I sometimes post unpopular opinions but arguing for Grubauer over Holtby after a 5-0 Holtby shutout is out of bounds even for me.

 

[g00n]

Yeah can we please cut the "trade Holtby" crap after every win already. Jeez.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

Holtby earns a league leading 7th shutout, is second in SV% and 1st in GAA.

--> Trade Holtby

This schtick is getting old

 

[ALLCAPSALLTHETIME]

Another dominating win.

I could get used to this.

What is really encouraging to me is that Carolina has given the Caps trouble over the last couple of years and now they've blown them out 6-1 and 5-0 over the last two games.

Nice to see Ovie hit 50 points on the year and get his 95th career GWG. He's heating up.

One negative is that they got owned in the face off dot.

 

[Devil Dancer]

I don't understand how this team went from being mediocre at passing to super elite in a couple of months.

 

[Ovechkins Wodka]

I don't understand how this team went from being mediocre at passing to super elite in a couple of months.

Having 2 of the best passers in the league helps

 

[ALLCAPSALLTHETIME]

I don't understand how this team went from being mediocre at passing to super elite in a couple of months.

Indeed. It is mystifying. Especially at home where the ice quality is always poor to downright terrible.

It's like something finally clicked.

 

[ovikovy817]

This 3rd line is something. And 2/3 members of this line, weren't on the team last year.
GMBM

 

[txpd]

Indeed. It is mystifying. Especially at home where the ice quality is always poor to downright terrible.

It's like something finally clicked.

Its an evolution. These players could always pass. The proof in this is the good passers that were struggling. Its the system. It takes time to get the players where they are supposed to be with consistency so the puck can be moved so quickly. It takes a lot of reps at game speed.

If you were juggling two balls and I gave you 5 you would drop them even if a good juggler. With practice and reps and coaching you would improve.

What they are doing is very hard and very complicated. This why no one seems to be able to adjust to what they are doing and keep getting blown out.

THIS is a reason to consider whether a player from outside this group would be able to pick up their game and fit in with a short time to prepare.

 

[RandyHolt]

The players all knew how to pass. In my illustrious roller career, the only guys that couldn't pass were the head down spaz types that shot the puck at every chance. A full slapper every time, of course.

The differences I see are that the priority to pass it to.... no one - aka dump it to grind, is simply gone. Imagine the burden that has in their heads. OK don't try to do what I do best, Barry said get it to the corner. Cat in a shoebox offense smothering its most talented players.

Barry simply unleashed the players from a defense first system, to one that is testing, that the best defense is a good offense. That's it.

The players no longer have to go out of their way to avoid.... let's call it direct offense - trying immediately to score. All game long. Gone is the hunker and pray 3rd period. Good riddance. We really have given sound traditional defensive hockey 30 years of chances to win us a cup. Now its time for the modern version.

 

[Midnight Judges]

Having 2 of the best passers in the league helps

Absolutely, but it's not just them. Everybody is making great passes right now.

 

[marcel snapshot]

That game started out just as I'd feared - the Canes beating us to loose pucks, winning one-on-one battles, out-skating and out-working us. Shots were 5-0 or 6-0 against, and they were playing against us just the way I think we should be played - you don't try to contain us, you attack us.

And then the Canes took a penalty, and Ovie made them pay. And after they went down a goal, you could see the Canes pull back from their aggressiveness, seemingly concerned about not letting the game snowball against them - and thereby sealed their fate.

The Connolly goal, the Canes D totally backed off and conceded the zone entry, and it was pretty much the same thing on the entry that preceded the Eller goal. When our puck movement and positioning/puck support is as proficient as it's been over the last month, there's just not chance for a team that opts to play on their heels and play to contain. In that way, it's very much like 2008-09, only our defense and goal-tending is tons better.

 

[RandyHolt]

Good obs Marcel, I will need to watch for how teams are defending us more closely.

 

[g00n]

One thing I've noticed over the last few months is just how efficient we've become at pokechecking.

While switching styles from a heavy game to a faster rush attack we seemed to be unsure or lacking in proficiency when it came to our defensive approach. Guys would lay half-assed hits and find themselves out of position with the player they were defending not really neutralized or affected much. Or else they would kind of take a weak stab at the puck while on their way to doing something else.

I don't see that "riding two horses" problem as much now. The goal seems a lot clearer in their minds and their technique is top notch. Being better at this one skill and doing it decisively is enabling much of what we're seeing on defense and the transition to offense.

 

[SpinningEdge]

One thing I've noticed over the last few months is just how efficient we've become at pokechecking.

While switching styles from a heavy game to a faster rush attack we seemed to be unsure or lacking in proficiency when it came to our defensive approach. Guys would lay half-assed hits and find themselves out of position with the player they were defending not really neutralized or affected much. Or else they would kind of take a weak stab at the puck while on their way to doing something else.

I don't see that "riding two horses" problem as much now. The goal seems a lot clearer in their minds and their technique is top notch. Being better at this one skill and doing it decisively is enabling much of what we're seeing on defense and the transition to offense.

Yeah - another thing is passing back to defenders and getting them involved. Not sure what it is - but Caps are getting shots in front of net a lot lately with no defender in site... there's something Caps are doing to create this. I know it's a lot of great cycling and moving the puck/being in good position - but defenders are doing a great job too.

People keep saying caps shooting percentage over last 20 or so games I sent sustainable - which is proudly true - but when you have no defender around you and get within 10 or 5 ft from the net - pucks are going to go in.

 

[RandyHolt]

JoeB stated last night a stat about consecutive 5 goal games at home - help me remember.

He said 91-92 Pens were the last team to score 5 goals or more in 8 straight home games. Was that what he said?

If true, we beat that. Sure, we have OTs and shootout padding scoring obscuring things probably, regardless that is an impressive run that bears repeating.

Laws of Sustainability says we cannot sustain. Those same laws stated we wouldn't have gotten close to touching a scoring record from the early 90's (likely now 1980's), but here we are.

Breaking the Law ♫ Circa 1980

 

[txpd]

There was OT in 91 was there not? Any of these last 9 games go to OT?

Add to that of the last 10 home games 5 have been shutouts. So, those two things together. The median game in that 10 game run is 5-0. Its silly. Then add that one was the Jackets. One was the Pens. LA and Carolina had won 5 and 4 in a row respectively.

 

[RandyHolt]

Yeah they probably had OT then. I laughed a bit last night when Locker talked about new systems... cue locker voice they are playing a lot more tic. tac. toe. JoeB expanded on it somewhat, but this is the level of technical analysis that we get discussing the changes Barry made... sure its hockey and only us fanatics care one way or the other. But I thought it was funny.

Those 2 have front row seats at something amazing happening, dare I say unprecedented in the modern era.

Its perplexing for gamblers. You think its a slam dunk to take the 5.5 over, but then we post shutouts galore, and score 5, and the under comes in.

 

[BiPolar Caps]

On June 23, 1983, the NHL introduced a regular-season overtime period of five minutes. If the five-minute overtime period ended with no scoring, the game ended as a tie (the World Hockey Association had used a 10-minute regular season overtime period, as had the NHL prior to World War II)

 

[4thTierSport]

It is so nice to see the team with a go for the throat mentality. How often over the past two years have we seen that 2-0 lead go to turtle mode and win 2-1 or something like that? They stay responsible but they are pounding teams into submission.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

It's incredible how starved for offense this team is. Go back to the play where Ovechkin forced a turnover deep in the Canes zone by hitting a D. As soon as the puck is free, all 5 Caps on the ice started skating around and whacking at the loose change with energy, and Alzner ripped a shot off the crossbar. It looked like a piece of meat dropped in a pool filled with piranhas.

 

[BobRouse]

Ovechkin's hit on Pesce (sp?) early in the game turned the momentum around and woke up the Caps.

 

[TRASHCAT]

Scoring always been our problem in the playoffs maybe this is the year

 

[Corby78]

Is it legal to do team bonuses for the players? Everyone gets 1k for each 5 goal game, or shutout, etc... I would think guys would press a little more when a game is 4-1, 3-0 and more money is on the line. You could offset it by having more fan interest in a fun team to watch.