Capitals review: 1/4 season mark.

[CapitalsCupReality]

Anyone who doesn't give an A to this team is way too picky.

Ding ding ding!

 

[Ajax1995]

"A" is darn near 100%. I don't see how anyone can look at a team that's .333 against playoff teams and say, "Yeah, that's close to perfect."

So then yes, 19-3-1 is what it would take to get an A? Or would that be an A-, 20-2-1 an A? A+ = 3 dropped points all season?

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

My oh my, one good 1/4 of a season has apparently raised expectations to lofty status around here. Unrealistically I might add. As someone else said, an A isn't perfect. It's pretty damn good though. It's a long season and I expect some downswings/losing streaks still. I'm not getting worried or excited until March....

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

So then yes, 19-3-1 is what it would take to get an A? Or would that be an A-, 20-2-1 an A? A+ = 3 dropped points all season?

Tough crowd...huh.

 

[txpd]

So then yes, 19-3-1 is what it would take to get an A? Or would that be an A-, 20-2-1 an A? A+ = 3 dropped points all season?

I think an A- is probably the correct grade. I can't say they have proven to not be able to handle the top tier teams. I think the jury is still out on that, but the record itself is not impressive in a small sample size. Win the next game even without Price and that - can be erased.

I don't see a hole in their game and we all know that the regular season can be nice, but means so little for this franchise.

A-

 

[Hivemind]

So then yes, 19-3-1 is what it would take to get an A? Or would that be an A-, 20-2-1 an A? A+ = 3 dropped points all season?

If I were to simply base my rating on standings points, an A+ is perfection, and thus a perfect record.

However, I'm not simply basing it on standings points. I'm looking at how they played against good competition, and it simply doesn't measure up to what they've looked like while beating up teams at the bottom of the standings. If this team can play against New York and Montreal like it does against Colorado and Philadelphia, then they deserve an A+. However, there are still flaws and inconsistencies, and thus areas of improvement. If you can still have definite improvement, I don't know how you can justify giving an A grade.

In other words, I use the "measuring stick games" (as we've referred to them) as a measuring stick. And the Capitals haven't fully measured up in those games, yet.

 

[Midnight Judges]

If I were to simply base my rating on standings points, an A+ is perfection, and thus a perfect record.

That's just not realistic. No team in the history of the sport has ever had a perfect record. The most wins ever was 62 - a .756 winning percentage (and they lost 20 games), but you wouldn't give that team an A+ for their regular season efforts? This Caps team has a .740 winning percentage - not far from the pace of the best of all time.

That's like saying Usain Bolt has a lot of room for improvement because he didn't run the 100 meter dash in 0.00 seconds.

 

[capitalsrock]

I'm grading each player based on how I think they have played at their roles.

A
Kuznetsov (incredible player, most humble guy on the team. superstar in the making. Improved dramatically defensively.)
Holtby (top 5 goalie, always reliable)
Chimera (he won't keep up this scoring all season, but I really thought he was gonna slow down and be a 4th liner/healthy scratch this year)
Williams (didn't expect so many points, reliable in all situations)
Ovechkin (about what you'd expect from Ovi)
Oshie (one of our best pkers, creativity is through the roof)
Alzner (love the physicality, no mistakes whatsoever)
Niskanen (very underrated start to the season)

B
Carlson (always puts up points but has been less than stellar, especially defensively for a 1D)
Backstrom (great start but has slowed down)
Schmidt (fits much better on the 3rd pair)

C
Beagle (obviously wasn't going to be a perfect 3C but not a terrible stopgap)
Orlov (great offensively but too many defensive mistakes)
Latta (does the 4th line job perfectly)
Chorney (he's played surprisingly well with Orpik out)
Wilson (deserves to be in the top 9 over Bura right now)
Johansson (way too streaky, been very good and very bad at times)

D
Burakovsky (expected him to take a top 6 spot, i'd like to see him in the AHL, but management probably thinks it's too late.)
Grubauer (below average, it's only his first full season though)

F
Laich (absolutely useless)

 

[ChibiPooky]

MoJo needs to go go.

Does he have to wake you up first?

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

I'm grading each player based on how I think they have played at their roles.

A
Kuznetsov (incredible player, most humble guy on the team. superstar in the making. Improved dramatically defensively.)
Holtby (top 5 goalie, always reliable)
Chimera (he won't keep up this scoring all season, but I really thought he was gonna slow down and be a 4th liner/healthy scratch this year)
Williams (didn't expect so many points, reliable in all situations)
Ovechkin (about what you'd expect from Ovi)
Oshie (one of our best pkers, creativity is through the roof)
Alzner (love the physicality, no mistakes whatsoever)
Niskanen (very underrated start to the season)

B
Carlson (always puts up points but has been less than stellar, especially defensively for a 1D)
Backstrom (great start but has slowed down)
Schmidt (fits much better on the 3rd pair)

C
Beagle (obviously wasn't going to be a perfect 3C but not a terrible stopgap)
Orlov (great offensively but too many defensive mistakes)
Latta (does the 4th line job perfectly)
Chorney (he's played surprisingly well with Orpik out)
Wilson (deserves to be in the top 9 over Bura right now)
Johansson (way too streaky, been very good and very bad at times)

D
Burakovsky (expected him to take a top 6 spot, i'd like to see him in the AHL, but management probably thinks it's too late.)
Grubauer (below average, it's only his first full season though)

F
Laich (absolutely useless)

For some it would seem you're completely ignoring their role.

Laich solid 4th line/PK/leader - B
Grubby - solid backup - C
Wilson - doing well "in his role" - B
Mojo - Only average? Earns a D from me.
Beagle - Only average? - B
Orlov - B (doing better than expected, both he and Schmidt)

90 and 65 are the only guys I'm really disappointed with so far if we're discussing individuals.

 

[Midnight Judges]

What on Earth has Tom Wilson done to deserve anything?

And hate on Brooks Laich all you want but to say he is worthless is an exaggeration - he's useful on the PK. Say he is overpaid. Give him an F. But he's not a 0.

 

[Calicaps]

I'm grading each player based on how I think they have played at their roles.

A
Kuznetsov (incredible player, most humble guy on the team. superstar in the making. Improved dramatically defensively.)
Holtby (top 5 goalie, always reliable)
Chimera (he won't keep up this scoring all season, but I really thought he was gonna slow down and be a 4th liner/healthy scratch this year)
Williams (didn't expect so many points, reliable in all situations)
Ovechkin (about what you'd expect from Ovi)
Oshie (one of our best pkers, creativity is through the roof)
Alzner (love the physicality, no mistakes whatsoever)
Niskanen (very underrated start to the season)

B
Carlson (always puts up points but has been less than stellar, especially defensively for a 1D)
Backstrom (great start but has slowed down)
Schmidt (fits much better on the 3rd pair)

C
Beagle (obviously wasn't going to be a perfect 3C but not a terrible stopgap)
Orlov (great offensively but too many defensive mistakes)
Latta (does the 4th line job perfectly)
Chorney (he's played surprisingly well with Orpik out)
Wilson (deserves to be in the top 9 over Bura right now)
Johansson (way too streaky, been very good and very bad at times)

D
Burakovsky (expected him to take a top 6 spot, i'd like to see him in the AHL, but management probably thinks it's too late.)
Grubauer (below average, it's only his first full season though)

F
Laich (absolutely useless)

So many things here that make no sense, but I'll just feature 1: "Latta (does the 4th line job perfectly)" somehow equals a C???

If a guy does his job perfectly, that's an A. What exactly are you grading here?

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

What on Earth has Tom Wilson done to deserve anything?

And hate on Brooks Laich all you want but to say he is worthless is an exaggeration - he's useful on the PK. Say he is overpaid. Give him an F. But he's not a 0.

As an energy-type guy, how is Wilson not doing well? That's his role, like it or not. And I don't agree Laich is an F in his role. Certainly overpaid but we're not here...

 

[g00n]

Looking at a few of the top teams the Caps lost to...

Rangers lost to: Carolina, Tampa, Philly (twice), Winnipeg, NJ (borderline?)
Dallas lost to: Colorado, Florida, Toronto (twice)
Sharks lost to: Anaheim, Columbus, Preds (borderline), Islanders (twice, also borderline)


NYR, DAL and SJ lost to multiple teams in the bottom half of their division or else got their butts handed to them by borderline squads. The Caps only "bad" loss if you're applying a similar standard is the 2nd meeting vs Calgary. Compared to these other top teams the Caps have been better at beating who they SHOULD beat, while also picking up some games against tougher opponents.

That puts them squarely in the "A" category, imo.

 

[Midnight Judges]

As an energy-type guy, how is Wilson not doing well? That's his role, like it or not.

The only reason that's his role is because he can't do anything else! He's a first rounder that they wanted to work out in the top 6. He had a trial there and was not successful.

The guy has 1 goal, and that was only because the goalie kicked it in. I agree he could be a forechecking machine but you gotta mix in some offense there.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

The only reason that's his role is because he can't do anything else! He's a first rounder that they wanted to work out in the top 6. He had a trial there and was not successful.

The guy has 1 goal, and that was only because the goalie kicked it in. I agree he could be a forechecking machine but you gotta mix in some offense there.

That's not exactly correct. GMGM and HCBT both said their goal for Wilson this year was to get him more minutes, more involved in ES and in the PK, and to do something other than fighting. They both said their plan was to move Wilson into the top 6 in a year or so. Wilson hasn't put up a ton of points but he's improved at every aspect of his game, and his forechecking abilities have led to multiple goals. And not every 1st round pick has to be in contention for the Art Ross to be good at what they do.

 

[Midnight Judges]

That's not exactly correct. GMGM and HCBT both said their goal for Wilson this year was to get him more minutes, more involved in ES and in the PK, and to do something other than fighting. They both said their plan was to move Wilson into the top 6 in a year or so.

I was actually referring to last season when Wilson saw some time with Ovechkin.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

I was actually referring to last season when Wilson saw some time with Ovechkin.

It wasn't unsuccessful, in my opinion. I'd say if anything it was encouraging. Wilson's style of play opens up time and space for other players. I still think Wilson can be a top-6 guy with a little more seasoning.

 

[sycamore]

Caps now ranked #2 in the league on ESPN's power ranking polls:

http://espn.go.com/nhl/powerrankings

 

[txpd]

That's not exactly correct. GMGM and HCBT both said their goal for Wilson this year was to get him more minutes, more involved in ES and in the PK, and to do something other than fighting. They both said their plan was to move Wilson into the top 6 in a year or so. Wilson hasn't put up a ton of points but he's improved at every aspect of his game, and his forechecking abilities have led to multiple goals. And not every 1st round pick has to be in contention for the Art Ross to be good at what they do.

Wilson has actually been really good on the PK. The goal in the TO game was a direct result of his well earned rep as a destroyer. Getting that shot off was not easy and the goalie only kicked it in after it went thru his legs.

 

[RandyHolt]

B

Since we cannot vote with + / -.... an A has to be reserved for grade A play. Like when our team peaked before the Olympics after trading Clark.

 

[Mackinnonen]

Considering their roles:

A
Kuznetsov
Holtby
Chimera
Williams
Alzner
Schmidt

B
Ovechkin
Backstrom
Carlson
Oshie
Niskanen
Orlov
Chorney

C
Orpik
Beagle
Wilson
Johansson
Latta
Grubauer

D
Burakovsky
Laich

Team rating: B

There's still room for improvement imo and that just shows how much potential this team has.

 

[Sam Spade]

Looking at a few of the top teams the Caps lost to...

Rangers lost to: Carolina, Tampa, Philly (twice), Winnipeg, NJ (borderline?)
Dallas lost to: Colorado, Florida, Toronto (twice)
Sharks lost to: Anaheim, Columbus, Preds (borderline), Islanders (twice, also borderline)


NYR, DAL and SJ lost to multiple teams in the bottom half of their division or else got their butts handed to them by borderline squads. The Caps only "bad" loss if you're applying a similar standard is the 2nd meeting vs Calgary. Compared to these other top teams the Caps have been better at beating who they SHOULD beat, while also picking up some games against tougher opponents.

That puts them squarely in the "A" category, imo.

Caps have played exactly ONE bad game this season, SJ 5-0 loss. They have played some bad periods but overall have been in every game. They outplayed Dallas, and they outplayed the Rangers for the last 30 minutes of the game. Letenin and Lundqvist were the difference.

It wasn't unsuccessful, in my opinion. I'd say if anything it was encouraging. Wilson's style of play opens up time and space for other players. I still think Wilson can be a top-6 guy with a little more seasoning.

Do you know why no one cross checks Backstrom or Ovechkin in the back of the neck or why Marge is not dead from all the times he is front of the net? Guy on the team by the name of Tom Wilson.

Any team would take him, any day of the week.

 

[um]

For some it would seem you're completely ignoring their role.

Laich solid 4th line/PK/leader - B
Grubby - solid backup - C
Wilson - doing well "in his role" - B
Mojo - Only average? Earns a D from me.
Beagle - Only average? - B
Orlov - B (doing better than expected, both he and Schmidt)

90 and 65 are the only guys I'm really disappointed with so far if we're discussing individuals.

Wilson started the season with the 3RW role and he got demoted due to providing almost no offense, so he hasn't lived up to his role. Johanssan on the other hand has been his usual 0.5 ppg pace and mediocre in all areas, so he has kept his spot on the 2nd line. They should both be C's.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

Looking at a few of the top teams the Caps lost to...

Rangers lost to: Carolina, Tampa, Philly (twice), Winnipeg, NJ (borderline?)
Dallas lost to: Colorado, Florida, Toronto (twice)
Sharks lost to: Anaheim, Columbus, Preds (borderline), Islanders (twice, also borderline)


NYR, DAL and SJ lost to multiple teams in the bottom half of their division or else got their butts handed to them by borderline squads. The Caps only "bad" loss if you're applying a similar standard is the 2nd meeting vs Calgary. Compared to these other top teams the Caps have been better at beating who they SHOULD beat, while also picking up some games against tougher opponents.

That puts them squarely in the "A" category, imo.

Thank you g00n for busting the only argument for the people giving a B to the team. The truth is, all the top teams have dropped the ball on occasions. We got beat by teams who are mostly ahead of us or at least by teams who are doing well so far.
The Rangers got spanked 3-0 by the Flyers, the Stars were swept by the Leafs this season ans the Habs lost against the likes of the Oilers.

Nothing is ever perfect for any team but this is the 2nd best start to the season in Caps history.