Series Discussion: Capitals vs Bruins

[txpd]

Watching the replay, Schultz is skating diagonally and not directly at the puck. When it happened live, based off where Sammy is looking (directly making eye contact with Schultz), I thought it was incredibly obvious he was leaving the puck for him. If he was looking to make a pass up the boards, he would've been looking there, not directly at Schultz. Samsonov was already heading back into his net and Schultz still had a good step or two on Smith, no excuse for him getting beat to the puck there.

Maybe if Samsonov could speak English

 

[txpd]

In 18 the Caps trailed in each series. Every one. Here when they were trailing they were trash then too

 

[CapsDC]

They were dead in the water and losing that game regardless barring some crazy lucky bounce but hopefully losing that way doesn't linger into next game. Not sure if Ovechkin's tantrum will unite/motivate them or make things worse but I think we'll find out real quick in the next game. Boston will come out and go for the knockout

 

[illicit]

Maybe if Samsonov could speak English

I agree 100%, but this is a brutal play by Schultz. He also made an awful pinch on the play leading up to the Pastrnak breakaway along with just being soft on the puck in general. Schultz isn't generating anything offensively either, so it's not like he's making up for it with some points. Time to give TVR a go?

 

[g00n]

This. All. Depends. On. How. They've. Been. Coached.

Is Samsonov supposed to recognize the forecheck pressure and wing the puck around instead of leaving it? Is Schultz thinking that's what's going to happen and doesn't want to collide with Sammy?

Or did Schultz just brainfart on a normal play?

We won't know who's at fault unless we find out what they're told to do in that situation. Which will probably never happen. So we should probably move on.

 

[chilimac]

Former Capitals goalie Brent Johnson's take on the OT miscue as he gave it in the postgame show last night...

“The miscue is, Samsonov, once he touches the puck back here, he’s gotta go in the same way he came out with the puck because he’s got to provide that interference for Smith,” Johnson said. “So as soon as he stops the puck, he’s got to retrace his steps and provide that interference that he should have and that would have given Schultz — even if there was that miscommunication – that time to go back and grab the puck. [Samsonov] follows it around and keeps going around the net. By the time he looks back and notices that Smith has the puck, it’s behind him in the net.
“Almost every single time, as soon as you stop that puck behind the net, you cannot continue out the opposite side because your back is turned,” he continued. “If you go out the same way you came in, then you know what’s going on. Everything’s going on in front of you and that’s the miscommunication.”

This transcript is from the article at RMNB:
Miscommunication between Ilya Samsonov and Justin Schultz leads to Bruins’ double OT goal, Alex Ovechkin fuming at the bench

 

[Jacoby4HOF66]

 

[Calicaps]

My sense is that Ovie's reaction is about more than just this play. He has said that he regrets not learning English faster/sooner, and they've clearly told Sammy repeatedly that he needs to be able to communicate with his D.

 

[txpd]

I agree 100%, but this is a brutal play by Schultz. He also made an awful pinch on the play leading up to the Pastrnak breakaway along with just being soft on the puck in general. Schultz isn't generating anything offensively either, so it's not like he's making up for it with some points. Time to give TVR a go?

Nah

 

[txpd]

Oh brother

 

[ovikovy817]

This. All. Depends. On. How. They've. Been. Coached.

Is Samsonov supposed to recognize the forecheck pressure and wing the puck around instead of leaving it? Is Schultz thinking that's what's going to happen and doesn't want to collide with Sammy?

Or did Schultz just brainfart on a normal play?

We won't know who's at fault unless we find out what they're told to do in that situation. Which will probably never happen. So we should probably move on.

This.

and Ovi yelling's comment make more sense now
"we already talked about it"

But talked about what?
If you go behind the net clear the puck yourself?
Communication with the D?

We will never know (only the players and coaching staff knows)

 

[trick9]

Throwing Samsonov under the bus is stupid. He's the only reason the game was still going when that happened. Both him and Schultz are to blame. But it's a single mistake. Ovechkin and every top-6 member who is throwing him under the bus should get their head out of their ass and start making a difference with their own play to help the goalie and the D's out.

 

[max21]

They have to do something about the power play, I know we scored a goal on one but they just stack the blue line and don’t really allow entry. I miss Carlson’s shot from the top also, what is his deal

 

[SherVaughn30]

They have to do something about the power play, I know we scored a goal on one but they just stack the blue line and don’t really allow entry. I miss Carlson’s shot from the top also, what is his deal

He's playing injured.

 

[marcel snapshot]

I miss Marcus Johansson's zone entries - which is not a thing I'd thought I'd say. But the guy could make high-skill plays at speed, which made defenders reluctant to just stack the blue line on him - and thereby eased his entry into the zone. Kuzy at his best does the same thing, but he is far closer to ordinary right now and his best appears to surface only on random and inexplicable occasions

 

[trick9]

5-on-5 high-danger chances for/against paint a pretty ugly picture here for some guys:

John Carlson- For: 2 - against: 14
Dimitri Orlov- For: 2 - against: 15
Justin Schultz- For: 7 - against: 14
Brenden Dillon- For: 6 - against: 13
(Jensen and Chara are 11-3 and 12-5)

Tom Wilson- For: 3 - against: 10
TJ Oshie- For: 3 - against: 9

Doesn't really scream the best 5-on-5 team to me. Backstrom was 6-8, Ovechkin 5-5, Mantha was actually 9-5.

Major improvement is needed for a lot of guys. But lots of the guys listed have been banged up so this isn't really to point fingers but show just how bad it has been 5-on-5 at times.

 

[RandyHolt]

I bet Orlov is cut from the mold of the MJ entry role.

 

[max21]

He's playing injured.

Sure I won’t argue with you, but if he’s injured enough to not be able to take a slap shot from the blue line why is he even playing

 

[kicksavedave]

Throwing Samsonov under the bus is stupid. He's the only reason the game was still going when that happened. Both him and Schultz are to blame. But it's a single mistake. Ovechkin and every top-6 member who is throwing him under the bus should get their head out of their ass and start making a difference with their own play to help the goalie and the D's out.

I dunno... if he gave up a slightly soft shot to the corner over his glove from a sniper, one might be inclined to forgive and forget given how many other good saves he made. But his gaff was an unforced error that gave B's a free one, they didn't have to work hard for it or use superior talent, they just found themselves lucky at the right time. Sammy makes a fully routine play there, that goal doesn't happen.

Not throwing anyone under any bus, unless he gets benched for it. But blame being assigned properly is fair. In the playoffs, you don't get many do-overs. If this goes to game 7, that moment is pivotal. Just like Dillon's ridiculous turnover in OT in game 2.

 

[kicksavedave]

Sure I won’t argue with you, but if he’s injured enough to not be able to take a slap shot from the blue line why is he even playing

He's taken plenty of slapshots from the blue line and on the rush... none of them have gone in so they aren't memorable.

The "he's hurt" excuse would be more viable if this weren't largely how he played most of the year.

 

[marcel snapshot]

I bet Orlov is cut from the mold of the MJ entry role.

Spot on. One of the few Caps to consistently make good plays at high tempo. Really think his speed and mobility should be used more on the PP. The way Ovie is [not] playing right now, devoting one PP spot to 2 minutes of turret-like activity is not worth it - and I think he should be going off the ice with the rest of PP1. Also think they need Wilson for puck retrieval on PP1 and Kuzy for play-making on PP 2, so that change should be made as well.

Notably, Ovie's goal last night came when he activated - skated hard to a good spot and Mantha laid it right there so that he didn't even have to catch the pass before shooting (which was good because that's giving him problems too)

 

[um]

They have to do something about the power play, I know we scored a goal on one but they just stack the blue line and don’t really allow entry. I miss Carlson’s shot from the top also, what is his deal

It’s weird that with the bomb of a shot Carlson has, he is scared to shoot it.

we don’t need 2 Backstroms feeding Ovie, Carlson has forgotten his role.

 

[traparatus]

5-on-5 high-danger chances for/against paint a pretty ugly picture here for some guys:

John Carlson- For: 2 - against: 14
Dimitri Orlov- For: 2 - against: 15
Justin Schultz- For: 7 - against: 14
Brenden Dillon- For: 6 - against: 13
(Jensen and Chara are 11-3 and 12-5)

Tom Wilson- For: 3 - against: 10
TJ Oshie- For: 3 - against: 9

Doesn't really scream the best 5-on-5 team to me. Backstrom was 6-8, Ovechkin 5-5, Mantha was actually 9-5.

Major improvement is needed for a lot of guys. But lots of the guys listed have been banged up so this isn't really to point fingers but show just how bad it has been 5-on-5 at times.

Careful with all these stats. Some posters might get overwhelmed by a veritable barrage of numbers and their heads will literally explode. Chances For, Chances Against... what even is that?

Seriously, though. Caps top 2 D pairs are not handling Boston's top-6. Remarkably, Caps bottom-6 has provided enough value that we are somehow in a 1-2 series with all three games going to overtime. I will once again express a controversial opinion that Justin Schultz should be watching this series from the pressbox and John Carlson should have his minutes significantly reduced.

 

[ovikovy817]

Ovechkin and every top-6 member who is throwing him under the bus should get their head out of their ass and start making a difference with their own play to help the goalie and the D's out.

There is a difference between throwing someone under the bus by telling comments in the press on the next day
or yelling after 4 hours of intense skating. That's called emotions.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Former Capitals goalie Brent Johnson's take on the OT miscue as he gave it in the postgame show last night...

“The miscue is, Samsonov, once he touches the puck back here, he’s gotta go in the same way he came out with the puck because he’s got to provide that interference for Smith,” Johnson said. “So as soon as he stops the puck, he’s got to retrace his steps and provide that interference that he should have and that would have given Schultz — even if there was that miscommunication – that time to go back and grab the puck. [Samsonov] follows it around and keeps going around the net. By the time he looks back and notices that Smith has the puck, it’s behind him in the net.
“Almost every single time, as soon as you stop that puck behind the net, you cannot continue out the opposite side because your back is turned,” he continued. “If you go out the same way you came in, then you know what’s going on. Everything’s going on in front of you and that’s the miscommunication.”

This transcript is from the article at RMNB:
Miscommunication between Ilya Samsonov and Justin Schultz leads to Bruins’ double OT goal, Alex Ovechkin fuming at the bench

Just what the Sammy defenders don’t want to read.

Such a boneheaded play.