GDT: Capitals at Flames Oct 26, 2013 10:00 PM ET

[Dream Big]

Win vs Jets
Win vs Oilers
Loss vs Flames

2/3 on the road is pretty good so far.

 

[Coldplay619]

It's the way we're playing that has everyone miffed.

Ovi has been our jail out of free card for too many games already.

 

[FloridaCap]

He is the one that is paid to be a #1 Dman. No team can win a cup with with Mike Green as there #1. Make that no team can get out of the first round with Mike Green as there #1.

But... But.. he lead the league in goals for dman before.

And has never been a player the team can count on for anything. He is a weak sulking personality and is shows in his game way to often.

The team should have sold high on him years ago.

You can win with Mike Green as your 1D.

You can not, however, win with NATE SCHMIDT as your 2D.

That pairing is ****ing stupid.

 

[InfernalDark*]

Looks like I didnt miss anything.

 

[g00n]

It's the way we're playing that has everyone miffed.

Ovi has been our jail out of free card for too many YEARS already.

ftyf

 

[SashaSemin28]

Well, I'm glad I missed this

 

[Liberati0n*]

Are you a bot?

Bots usually have better English skills.


Can someone explain what happened with Holtby when he was pulled?

 

[Liberati0n*]

Also I see Fehr on 3 for Chimera's goal, Ward on 2 for Calgary's third, and Volpatti on 2 for his. Was there line-juggling going on or what?

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

The 4th goal was super soft, the rest were just terrible D.

Not trying to fault an individual, but a .786 save % is below average. That's all I was saying. Agree completely about the D....that's why I noted it.

 

[Langway]

Also I see Fehr on 3 for Chimera's goal, Ward on 2 for Calgary's third, and Volpatti on 2 for his. Was there line-juggling going on or what?

It was just partial line changes on the fly and temporary line combinations due to special teams situations.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

You can win with Mike Green as your 1D.

You can not, however, win with NATE SCHMIDT as your 2D.

That pairing is ****ing stupid.

Just trying to see if we can get another +50 for an NHL nobody....just to prove we can, not to try to win the Cup or anything...Mike Green needs a good hardnosed vet defender to bring out his best IMO, not an inexperienced guy. I don't get it...it's like they're trying to make it hard on Green.

 

[capitalsrock]

the team looked incredibly tired and slow except for the third line, Olesky, Erat, and Volpatti imo.

I know it was a late game but we just got completely outworked.

 

[Liberati0n*]

It was just partial line changes on the fly and temporary line combinations due to special teams situations.

Thanks.

This quote makes it seem like he probably wasn't yelling at Oates.

“That’s Adam’s call. That’s what I respect. I’d love to finish every game that I play but at the same time I think we haven’t been addressing our starts as a group because we’ve been masking them with winning a few games and tonight cost us,†Holtby said. “We’re going to have to realize it as a group to do something before the game and make sure we’re prepared because the majority of the games we’re losing is because of the frst period.â€

 

[trick9]

Hopefully he was yelling at Calle.

 

[Calicaps]

Not trying to fault an individual, but a .786 save % is below average. That's all I was saying. Agree completely about the D....that's why I noted it.

All true.

 

[Henderson19]

Not trying to fault an individual, but a .786 save % is below average. That's all I was saying. Agree completely about the D....that's why I noted it.

Also agree with concern over the D.

Regarding Holtby, it's also worth noting -- 14 shots in less than 13 minutes? That's a tough draw for any goalie.

 

[Dream Big]

Defensive play does not begin once you cross the blue line. Like "oh now it's time to play defence."

I miss winning face-offs. Boyd Gordon, Dave Steckel were tops. Even Jay Beagle is better than 55%.

Team defence is needed. Not just team offence.

 

[swimmer77]

Hopefully he was yelling at Calle.

Like "your D is for crap?"

 

[Vladiator16*]

Thanks.

This quote makes it seem like he probably wasn't yelling at Oates.

Whoever he yelled at he is absolutely correct.

 

[BobRouse]

Defensive play does not begin once you cross the blue line. Like "oh now it's time to play defence."

I miss winning face-offs. Boyd Gordon, Dave Steckel were tops. Even Jay Beagle is better than 55%.

Team defence is needed. Not just team offence.

I was going to mention this....face offs. Under BB we had great faceoff men and controlled puck possession.

Then we slowly lost our face off men and puck possession reversed.


RE: Calgary game

Good Dennis Wideman showed up for them. He was a threat everytime he had the puck and didn't suck defensively.

Schmidt is not good with Green. I concur with those who say that.

Erskine looks like he lost 3 steps.

We suck again

 

[marcel snapshot]

Good teams play team defense as if their livelihood is at stake when the opposition has the puck in the offensive zone. There is a spirit of hostility and unbridled commitment to right a wrong when the other team has the puck -- like your brother just stole one of your cherished possessions, and you're gonna fuggin kill him if you don't get it back right fuggin now. It's hard to do it game in and game out, but the good teams do it more often than not - and they can find it in themselves to play that way when the situation arises.

The Caps rarely play team defense with grit and determination. There are players on the team that embody those qualities: Ersk, Oleksy. But most of the Caps, particularly the forward group, seem to know that their livelihoods do not depend upon wresting the puck back from the opposition. One poster here once observed of the Caps play in their own zone that there was "no go fug yourselfness" to the Caps game. Instead, they play team defense with the attitude that they hope the other team coughs up the puck. This group won't have much success unless and until that attitude gets adjusted.

 

[marcel snapshot]

Just to follow-up on the necessity for an attitude adjustment: Holtby's flash of anger on Saturday and post-game comments about a lack of preparation are concerning to me. He said something similar after Game 3 of the Rangers series this spring, saying the Caps came into MSG too "loose" after going up in the series 2-0 at home (as if this bunch has any right to ever be "loose" about a playoff series).

I think Holtby is calling out the mental make-up of this team - that it's too unfocused and loose, insufficiently committed and lacks rigor. That's certainly the way the team plays. We're good at the power play because, hey, power plays are fun - everything else, though, seems to be too much of a grind for this crew.