Post-Game Talk: Capitals 4, Penguins 3 - Letang Spots the Capitals a 2-1 Series Lead

[Ogrezilla]

Yeah, I get that argument but the bottom line is, is he worth what he is getting paid for his “contributions”?

Yes. He's head and shoulders our best dman.

 

[UnderratedBrooks44]

*sigh* Do we have to do this again and again? Letang is a really good defensemen with a couple glaring flaws. The sooner people live with this, the sooner their lives will improve.

It's almost like people have exhausted themselves talking about the Wilson hit and are looking for the easiest thing to complain about next.

 

[ZeroPucksGiven]

Wilson didn't slew foot Maatta on the GWG either. A trip, absolutely, but not a slew foot. There's a big difference, imo.

But the fact that it wasn't called is absurd, and the fact that he was even on the ice period is just mind-boggling.

I know this isn't a popular stance, but I'm not blaming the refs for the Dumo or ZAR hit and not calling a penalty. The game is extremely fast and unless you're standing right on top of it, it's hard to see exactly what happens. Could have screened views, etc. Maybe i'm being too much of a ref homer because I officiate lol

But to not call the Maata trip/slewfoot is horrendous. That's a play right out in the open and created a scoring chance. That's terribad

 

[Tom Hanks]

As for Wilson how many games?

History within eighteen months, including more than once and including this year.

Broken jaw, two concussions on borderline hits in two games, three in the last nine. And the player knocked out for the year with a broken jaw on an illegal (DOPS's words) hit to the head will be a consideration.

Kadri got three, I am thinking at least that, likely five to send a message.

Thoughts?

It’s hard to tell. 15-20 games would be a fair punishment. I am aware the NHL will go nowhere near that or may not even suspend him.

My thoughts on what will actually happen is 1-2 games and that will be based on what happened to Dumoulin, Sully’s comments and ZAR’s injury.

They will take all sorts of things into context to justify no or a soft punishment instead of just looking at the play (just like how their refs police the game).

It was a forceful hit to the head. If you choose to hit and **** up you should be punished. The fact that he was leaving his feet, has a history and there was an injury should just pile the games on

 

[Gurglesons]

It’s hard to tell. 15-20 games would be a fair punishment. I am aware the NHL will go nowhere near that or may not even suspend him.

My thoughts on what will actually happen is 1-2 games and that will be based on what happened to Dumoulin, Sully’s comments and ZAR’s injury.

They will take all sorts of things into context to justify no or a soft punishment instead of just looking at the play (just like how their refs police the game).

It was a forceful hit to the head. If you choose to hit and **** up you should be punished. The fact that he was leaving his feet, has a history and there was an injury should just pile the games on

Honestly, these types of plays SHOULD always be suspensions.

Just like Crosby’s swing on Methot SHOULD have been a suspension.

You want to play recklessly with your stick or shoulder that is fine, but when you destroy a hand or a jaw because of your reckless play you should sit.

 

[pistolpete11]

He stated that it looked like his right skate was off, left was on. Which is what I saw, as well.

I hate this logic, though. Remove ZAR from the equation and have Wilson do exactly the same thing. Do you think he keeps his skate on the ice? I say no chance which means he was already in motion of leaving his feet. Having the toe of his skate barely on the ice a split second before he hits someone in the head should not be the deciding factor if it is a clean hit or not.

 

[canadianguy77]

I brought up Barrasso cause the Cups stopped when his play deteriorated after 92 and Murray is looking that way too.

What a weird thing to say, considering Barrasso's best statistical season was in 97-98...when he was 32-33 years old.

 

[SouthGeorge]

Letang is ultimately the reason why this team is down in the series but I've just come to accept his bad play over the years. Right now I'm looking at every line besides #1. Our 3rd and 4th lines are so much better than theirs and producing nada. We beat them in years past with the HBK line. Brassard has been a huge letdown. Your going up against Eller, Connolly, Smith Pelly. Come on guy. Another note NHL forcing us to add Reaves to the trade to sit in Vegas and not even play is hurting too.

 

[Ogrezilla]

Letang is ultimately the reason why this team is down in the series but I've just come to accept his bad play over the years. Right now I'm looking at every line besides #1. Our 3rd and 4th lines are so much better than theirs and producing nada. We beat them in years past with the HBK line. Brassard has been a huge letdown. Your going up against Eller, Connolly, Smith Pelly. Come on guy. Another note NHL forcing us to add Reaves to the trade to sit in Vegas and not even play is hurting too.

That really is just a ludicrous statement

 

[Gurglesons]

What a weird thing to say, considering Barrasso's best statistical season was in 97-98...when he was 32-33 years old.

Sick burn! Barrasso was what he was.

I think the whole losing Larry Murphy thing might have effected our D. I dunno.

 

[Gurglesons]

Letang is ultimately the reason why this team is down in the series but I've just come to accept his bad play over the years. Right now I'm looking at every line besides #1. Our 3rd and 4th lines are so much better than theirs and producing nada. We beat them in years past with the HBK line. Brassard has been a huge letdown. Your going up against Eller, Connolly, Smith Pelly. Come on guy. Another note NHL forcing us to add Reaves to the trade to sit in Vegas and not even play is hurting too.

The depth is definitely an issue.

 

[Speaking Moistly]

Another note NHL forcing us to add Reaves to the trade to sit in Vegas and not even play is hurting too.

What?


I'm going to regret this, I know I am.

 

[SouthGeorge]

What?


I'm going to regret this, I know I am.

What's confusing?

 

[Speaking Moistly]

What's confusing?

The nhl forcing them to include Reaves. It hurting the Pens. Vegas not playing him not being a sign the Pens wouldn’t.

 

[BeatenLikeRentedMule]

What a weird thing to say, considering Barrasso's best statistical season was in 97-98...when he was 32-33 years old.

Does it matter when Mario already left? How'd he do in 96 against the Panthers or 93 against the Islanders?

 

[Neil Racki]

It was a forceful hit to the head. If you choose to hit and **** up you should be punished. The fact that he was leaving his feet, has a history and there was an injury should just pile the games on

 

[SouthGeorge]

The nhl forcing them to include Reaves. It hurting the Pens. Vegas not playing him not being a sign the Pens wouldn’t.

I just think it's jokes the NHL would stop a trade that was pretty much done to force Reaves to Vegas and Vegas doesn't even play him. I'd like to have him out there for Wilson even though I'm not a believer in the enforcer bs. I'm pretty sure Oleksiak has tried to fight Wilson a few times. You don't think Reaves would have got some time in this series especially with ZAR out ?

 

[canadianguy77]

Does it matter when Mario already left? How'd he do in 96 against the Panthers or 93 against the Islanders?

So you just expected them to win the Cup every year?

 

[Tom Hanks]

Watched the video and you see him leaving his feet

 

[xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

If you're defending the hit, you're stupid. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. You're a f***ing imbecile.

 

[Gurglesons]

Does it matter when Mario already left? How'd he do in 96 against the Panthers or 93 against the Islanders?

He had a 932 SV% against the Cats. Goaltending was not our issue that series.

Islanders was a weird one, I dunno if I’d put that on Brass though.

 

[Shady Machine]

I'm not - I'm positing a potential scenario that could have occurred had Oleksiak not gaffed then. I think it would have been a lot easier to get them demoralised by opening up a lead without that goal.

And, while it wasn't the one single turning point, it's certainly bad enough to be brought up in the post-game thread. And for me to be surprised that I'm the first one to do so.

Fair points.

 

[Speaking Moistly]

I just think it's jokes the NHL would stop a trade that was pretty much done to force Reaves to Vegas and Vegas doesn't even play him. I'd like to have him out there for Wilson even though I'm not a believer in the enforcer bs. I'm pretty sure Oleksiak has tried to fight Wilson a few times. You don't think Reaves would have got some time in this series especially with ZAR out ?

There’s no proof about the league forcing Reaves into the trade and Vegas did play him. They played him more minutes than the Pens until the playoffs started. The trade got rejected but afaik it was never specified why except that players had to briefly be on Vegas’ roster. Reaves was probably more cap related if it was more than wanting him gone than anything given that they wanted to add another D.

I don’t think he would have played because JR said Sullivan wasn’t going to play Reaves in the playoffs. If you don’t believe in enforcers then you shouldn’t want him out there anyway.

 

[Shady Machine]

I agree that Murray tightened his game up as game 1 went along and made some timely saves, some which where big. I would argue that Holtby lost the caps game 1 more then murray won it. Those where bad goals that Holtby let in. It's just that this is a pattern we've seen all year from Murray, very inconsistent with one game great, one game bad. Though in this case it was 1 good game, and 2 games bad.

So i do agree that it's an exaggeration that every goal had to be perfect, but the last 2 games it's feeling that way. If Murray stands on his head next game we are right back in it. I'm worried because he hasn't had a great 60 minute game in a while in the playoffs. The Flyers it's hard to get a read on his true performance because in those games we just clowned them in some of those wins, so getting a shutout when when your team is up by a bajillion goals is not quite the same thing as 1-0 or 2-0 shutout with even chances but he was, imo, rather excellent in 2 of those games against the flyers. Teams who do not get good to great goaltending do not win stanley cups, always been that way, and we have not been out played in any of our series. We had more chances, better chances the last 2 losses. So where does that lead you to point your finger?

You said Holtby is outplaying Murray and I was just pointing out that wasn't the case in game 1. Game 2 I thought goaltending was close to even and last night Holtby clearly had the edge. For the Pens to win Murray needs to be consistently good every night though. We agree overall. I just think Murray has been pretty solid on the whole, but he needs to be better than that for the Pens to win when their secondary scoring is struggling this badly.

 

[BeatenLikeRentedMule]

So you just expected them to win the Cup every year?

Everybody expected Pens to threepeat in 1993.