Post-Game Talk: Capitals Vs. Blue Jackets 12/11/14 Caps Lose 3-2 (OT)

[artilector]

5 on 3 and a 4 minute PP. With the 2nd rated PP versus 25th? PK. We should've converted more.

At least wore them down for more ES production.

I don't see it as a huge outlier. Caps generated a ton of PP chances, including some very good ones. There have been plenty of games where Caps scored on the PP while generating much less overall. That's just statistics, luck and goaltending.

Basically, I don't think the PP was worse than for example ES performance. Caps didn't have their A game in any aspect today, IMO.

 

[Devil Dancer]

I can't remember the last time the PP cost this team a standings point.

 

[artilector]

It's beyond hilarious that the Flyers gave up on Bobrovsky.

It's their curse... Too bad some other teams don't have a curse. Rags used to have a free agent curse, but salary cap (eventually) knocked some sense into them. Do the Pens have a curse? They ought to get one.

 

[hockey4sale]

Caps didn't go to the net or screen Bob enough on PPs, Fehr needs to be on 1st PP unit, Caps playing like bunch of ******* on the PP, just passing on outside hoping Ovie can score without a good screen or deflection...

 

[Mickstix]

Sorry, just not buying that Bob stole this game.. He made all the routine saves he should have, that's about it.. When Ovie's aim is off on the PP, it's not hard to predict that one timer coming 25 times a game.. All the shots in the gut, shoulder, etc. not making the goalie move, never in position for a rebound, you get the basic result..

Just looked like they got outplayed to me. Green, Nisk and Schultz all healthy and you can barely get across the blue line? No 5 on 5 dominance like in Tampa.. Trotz playing to lose in OT. Chimera being Chimera.. Just not good enough on any level, imo..

1 point at home after losing the lead twice.. Yay! "Par" for the course..

 

[Lard Stanley]

On one hand I like the idea of accountability, but on the other I'm concerned that Chimera is going to be a scapegoat and a target for Trotz's anger in a game that could've been won on those multiple missed power play opportunities, and was kept close by a Vezina goaltender. The Chimera penalty may have been dumb and led to the GWG for cbus, but several other players had bonehead moments or failed to deliver.

Yeah, but if you're attempting to beat the stupid out of the team, his penalty is a good place to start. You have to have both stones and smarts at the end of games. There will be games where, even though you badly outplay a team, the opposition will hang around...happens all the time in sports. In those games, you can't make the last mistake.

 

[MrGone]

Yeah, but if you're attempting to beat the stupid out of the team, his penalty is a good place to start. You have to have both stones and smarts at the end of games. There will be games where, even though you badly outplay a team, the opposition will hang around...happens all the time in sports. In those games, you can't make the last mistake.

We have a long list of fail this game. And the last one on the list is Chimera and its all his fault.

 

[troyerlaw]

Yeah, but if you're attempting to beat the stupid out of the team, his penalty is a good place to start. You have to have both stones and smarts at the end of games. There will be games where, even though you badly outplay a team, the opposition will hang around...happens all the time in sports. In those games, you can't make the last mistake.

plus, one of the reasons he's out there is that he's expected NOT to do that. he isn't out there for his silky mitts and his playmaking. he's out there for his wheels and his supposed veteran savvy. it was a dumb penalty, no question.

i agree that others shouldn't get a free pass. there was a sequence with 3 minutes left in regulation where we must have turned the puck over three separate times on same aborted effort to leave D-zone.

Carlson and Alzner both seemed sloppy and slow on passing to partner, or dishing puck behind net to reverse the flow. We just didn't seem sharp back there at all. The 4-minute PP was underwhelming, too.

Oh well. As someone else pointed out, 7 points out of possible 8 in last four games. Now let's see if we can crank up the energy and execution for Bolts again. And the good news about Chimmer heading to the doghouse is maybe it frees up a sweater for 65. It'll be interesting to see how he looks after the sojourn in healthy-scratch purgatory

 

[artilector]

Yeah, it seems like taking it out on Chimmer is kind of disproportionate, although I guess since it's been a multi-game issue, coaches tend to get cranky about that.

And the way Chimmer has been playing overall, hard to feel upset about him sitting out, esp. if it's in favor of Bura. Though I don't understand either why Bura wasn't at least playing 4th line minutes like Kuz was before, I think he's actually more capable than Kuz of playing grindy.. and besides, 4th line hasn't looked all that great lately, even by its not so lofty standards.

Also Kuz and Bura look better on the 2nd PP unit than Kuz and whoever they've been sending out instead of Bura.

 

[trick9]

Couple of points...

What happened in the 3rd after that Brouwer goal? They dominated the whole period and when they finally got the goal, they just looked like they didn't care anymore and stopped playing. Not exactly a shocker that it only took ~90 seconds for CBJ to get back even.

Bobrovski saved 17 of 18 shots against the Caps PP. I didn't realise this was even possible. It propably happened because refs finally gave some PP's to them but it was in the game coming back from the road trip...which for this Caps seems to be the inevitable loss. Caps could have hit the 10 spot if that McElhinney guy was in net again.

What is it with all the Wilson mugging? He drew 3 clear penalties and there were atleast 2 other times when he was driving the net and got flat out destroyed despite being nowhere near the puck. You can see one of those with ~8 minutes left in the 3rd where he is going 2-on-2 with Backstrom. He is clearly holding back his anger which benefits the Caps because he drews tons of penalties, but look out when there eventually comes a game which Caps are losing by bigger margin and someone tries to do that to him then.

 

[txpd]

Caps didn't go to the net or screen Bob enough on PPs, Fehr needs to be on 1st PP unit, Caps playing like bunch of ******* on the PP, just passing on outside hoping Ovie can score without a good screen or deflection...

the caps use the player you would put in front of the net in the slot as a shooter. the brouwer hole. that is done to take advantage of teams overplaying Ovechkin.

remember that the Fehr deflection was in 5 on 3 configuration and 8 was standing next to him.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

The team is playing noticeably better. We hit at least two posts last night and Bob was fantastic. Jackets will be in this until the end with him in net. To say the Jackets outplayed us means you're looking to hate at all costs. Just ridiculous.

 

[Jacoby4HOF66]

No hate here, and I think the Caps have played very well the last 3-4 games as a team, but the Jackets deserved that OT win. Accept for some stretches here and there by the Caps, the Jackets dictated play, IMO. And were more physical than the Caps. Yes they have a very good goalie between the pipes, and the rest of the team appeared to play with the confidence knowing they have a very good goalie provides. The Caps could play that same game if/when they get a goalie like that to be confident in.

The Caps still got a point out of it, and I got to see a slap pass from a defensemen actually lead to a goal. To bad it wasn't from Alzner.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

No hate here, and I think the Caps have played very well the last 3-4 games as a team, but the Jackets deserved that OT win. Accept for some stretches here and there by the Caps, the Jackets dictated play, IMO. And were more physical than the Caps. Yes they have a very good goalie between the pipes, and the rest of the team appeared to play with the confidence knowing they have a very good goalie provides. The Caps could play that same game if/when they get a goalie like that to be confident in.

The Caps still got a point out of it, and I got to see a slap pass from a defensemen actually lead to a goal. To bad it wasn't from Alzner.

That was a beautiful play. Our only two goals came on deflections. Maybe Trotz is on to something with this whole net presence thing.

 

[Capitals40]

"They need to stop giving away points and put teams away. It will come back to haunt them in Feb as they only have two games against none playoff teams."

This.

 

[IafrateOvie34]

The team is playing noticeably better. We hit at least two posts last night and Bob was fantastic. Jackets will be in this until the end with him in net. To say the Jackets outplayed us means you're looking to hate at all costs. Just ridiculous.

As for me, I thought the Caps played well overall, but I am concerned with 5v5 scoring. Caps should have won this game.

 

[Hivemind]

I agree, I don't think Columbus played a good game at all. However, the shot totals are that way also because we had 18 PP shots. Only 23 ES, that's an issue.

Remember that 15:44 of the game was spent with one team or the other on the powerplay. That's 28.1 SF60 at even strength. Not great, but nothing particularly notably bad for a one game sample, either.

Welp.

Bobrovsky was excellent, Holtby was not. Difference in the game.

I won't disagree that Bobrovsky was better than Holtby, or that Cbus' 2nd goal was soft. That being said, Holtby bailed out the Caps with a few real key saves in the game. The Jackets had some real great opportunities spoiled by Holtby (with the glove save on Atkinson really standing out as the save of the game).

 

[Blades of Steel]

Remember that 15:44 of the game was spent with one team or the other on the powerplay. That's 28.1 SF60 at even strength. Not great, but nothing particularly notably bad for a one game sample, either.

True, I just keep thinking about how when the Caps are killing a ton of penaltys we are worn out and being dominated at ES. I was thinking that should translate to a much higher shot total for us in the same situation, guess not. Thanks for pointing that out though I didn't think about it.

 

[RandyHolt]

Yeah loser point!

I really hate 3 point games. Rewarding failure. Everyone gets a loser trophy. #BiggestLoser

I am still laughing at the dynamic duo Beagle and Orpik breaking in 2 on 1

 

[ChibiPooky]

Let's also keep in mind that the Caps had as many even-strength shots on goal as the Jackets had total.

 

[Capsman]

Yeah loser point!

I really hate 3 point games. Rewarding failure. Everyone gets a loser trophy. #BiggestLoser

I am still laughing at the dynamic duo Beagle and Orpik breaking in 2 on 1

That duo looked about as good 2 on 1 as any other Caps combo this season. Still trying to recall the last successful 2 on 1 or 3 on 2 we've had.

It seems to me the Caps tend to stay awfully wide on these breakaways, every shot comes from a bad angle and not particularly close. Defenders are clearly taking away the pass, as they should, but it looks like there is space to attack the net a little more, just my 2 cents.

 

[Blades of Steel]

That duo looked about as good 2 on 1 as any other Caps combo this season. Still trying to recall the last successful 2 on 1 or 3 on 2 we've had.

It seems to me the Caps tend to stay awfully wide on these breakaways, every shot comes from a bad angle and not particularly close. Defenders are clearly taking away the pass, as they should, but it looks like there is space to attack the net a little more, just my 2 cents.

We used to be like the Harlem Globetrotters with the puck, never knew what you were going to get.. now its predictable and shots mostly to the goalies chest, or 2' wide/over the net.

 

[tycoonheart]

That duo looked about as good 2 on 1 as any other Caps combo this season. Still trying to recall the last successful 2 on 1 or 3 on 2 we've had.

It seems to me the Caps tend to stay awfully wide on these breakaways, every shot comes from a bad angle and not particularly close. Defenders are clearly taking away the pass, as they should, but it looks like there is space to attack the net a little more, just my 2 cents.

There is almost no passing any time we a 2-on-1. Whoever has possession always shoots. Mojo and someone else had a 2-on-1 last night, and I thought he had a good opportunity to pass the puck, but he ended up shooting it and got no where.

 

[Marshall]

Jason Chimera, please report to the press box.

 

[troyerlaw]

In post-game presser, Trotz waxed positively nostalgic over what it's like to have an elite goalie. I am guessing he was talking about Rinne. Certainly didn't seem he was talking about Holts. Sounded like he was dipping into the foggy ruins of time to remember what a goalie-stolen game feels like for the winning team.

He even went into the Blue Jackets' heads for us, and guessed at what they were thinking as they sat on bench watching Bobrovsky make big saves.

He also sounded like a 2nd-grade teacher trying to explain the concept of elite goaltending to the students/beat reporters. With the clear implication being, 'You guys don't know about this thing called elite goaltending, since you've been here in DC.'

Which is actually unfair. We know all about it.

Having been Halak'd four years ago.