Post-Game Talk: Capitals vs. Flames 11/4/14 7:00 PM Caps Lose 4-3 OT

[ChibiPooky]

Carlson has a four-game point streak?

 

[Hivemind]

Here's a piece by Gormley! on why the Caps coaches used spray paint at practice yesterday.

How clever do you think Gormley felt about that pun in the first line?

 

[HunterSThompson]

How clever do you think Gormley felt about that pun in the first line?

Very clever

 

[Chukcha]

Just watched the game. Chill out guys, we are on the right way. The long winning streak will start soon.

 

[ChibiPooky]

Here's Prewitt's take on the net presence issue Gormley wrote about as well.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...g-for-greater-net-presence-and-interior-play/

 

[g00n]

Here's Prewitt's take on the net presence issue Gormley wrote about as well.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...g-for-greater-net-presence-and-interior-play/

It should tell you something that we've got 3 deflection goals all year and we've probably given up that many to other teams in a single game.

 

[txpd]

It should tell you something that we've got 3 deflection goals all year and we've probably given up that many to other teams in a single game.

you could surmise that is a reason why fehr got the dog house. might also explain why kuz gets to sit. not exactly a dirty areas player

 

[ChibiPooky]

Aren't 2 of them Backstrom, too?

 

[g00n]

Aren't 2 of them Backstrom, too?

The deflection goals? Could be. And Wilson most recently. So yeah, our "heart and soul, gritty veterans" aren't showing any of that. Except maybe Chimmer playing with a sideways nose.

 

[tycoonheart]

They all came off Ovi shots.

One by Wilson, one Nicky and one Ward I think.

 

[txpd]

didn't Obrien's goal count as a deflection?

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

you could surmise that is a reason why fehr got the dog house. might also explain why kuz gets to sit. not exactly a dirty areas player

Fehr is what he always has been....an average NHL player. So many expected him to excel on the top line. Not this Caps fan.

 

[Atlas]

I agree with a lot of that.

I may be a bit partial, but I still like Fehr as a cost-effective player. He's inconsistent, yeah, but so are pretty much all of our role players/secondary scorers/grinders. The leaderz go invisible just as often, and are (significantly) more expensive. And when he's going, he's one of our best forecheckers. So... I dunno, he wouldn't be near the top of my list of players to ship out/upgrade. Even if Wilson proves to be the long term 1RW, with Fehr there's still the option of going back to him with Chimmer and Ward, who on balance have been one of the best lines in recent years.

Kuz.. yeah, there's a disconnect with partners. But.. it's been less so recently -- one can see him getting more confident and starting to move at higher speed, and the most skilled partner he's had so far has been MoJo, so.. we're talking about him not (yet) being able to carry a line like that and make it a consistent scoring threat.. but that's a pretty tall order. Actually, I think last time Backstrom played a significant stint with those kinds of linemates without Ovi, he also couldn't do much at ES...

Green.. I'm no big fan of his, I think he's been good this year on the 3rd pairing, but I can't get past the prospect of paying 7m or whatever for a guy who is still scary defensively if asked to play a big role, and who has an equally scary injury history. That just... exceeds reasonable risk, IMO, especially when the Caps have assembled enough depth to cover for this kind of eventuality.

I agree with all of that. The next few games will be interesting. They could right the ship or get sunk. I'm enjoying the games anyway. McPhee and Oates are gone! Woohoo!

We do need a few hockey trades to fill the holes at forward. And maybe goalie. But there is reason to hope we'll be good in a couple years.

 

[Halpysback*]

Hartnell tearing it up for Columbus. They got him for a guy comparable to Laich, Laich with 500k retained would probably be a better deal than Umberger for Philly. A huge chunk of the deflections/net presence problem solved along with some solid veteran leadership.

Ovechkin Legwand/Grabo style C Wilson
Hartnell Backstrom Kuznetsov
Johansson Burakovsky Brouwer
Chimera Latta Ward

Would have been a hell of a lineup

 

[txpd]

is hartnell tearing it up? he's playing first line minutes. he has 1 goal. he is getting assists while not being known as a play maker. is he really doing better than Johansson or Burakovsky or what Wilson is now doing?

edit: Hartnell has 10pts. Ward Johansson Brouwer and Burakovksy have 8 pts. Hartnell has 7 es points. Brouwer hs 7 es points. Wilson has 3pts in 4 games. Hartnell has 0 es goals.

 

[HTFN]

If I recall, a few of Hartnell's points earlier in the year were of the "in-traffic" variety, at least the ones I saw. Kudos to being in the right spot, but with the Blue Jackets being so determined in the zone this year and crashing the net super hard, just seems like a few of the early ones are garbage points, bound to see regression. I might be incorrect, I've only watched two or three Jackets games this year, but I remember one or two "assists" smacking off of his shins.

Also, regarding Gormley's article (and more specifically, the goal distribution chart), was I wrong in the interpretation of the goal definitions? I had assumed that deflections were "accidental", like off a body or an opposing player, while traditional "stick in the lane" plays like Backstrom and O'Brien were called tip-ins.

EDIT: Was trying to find a goal by Joel Ward that I thought was fuzzy between calling it an actual shot or some variant of the deflection/tip, and in doing so, was reminded of his sweet goal against Arizona. If Backstrom has two tips, O'Brien presumably one (from around the same area as Ward's to boot), that's already more than 3 (college paying off), so I think I may have posed a pointless question.

 

[Halpysback*]

is hartnell tearing it up? he's playing first line minutes. he has 1 goal. he is getting assists while not being known as a play maker. is he really doing better than Johansson or Burakovsky or what Wilson is now doing?

edit: Hartnell has 10pts. Ward Johansson Brouwer and Burakovksy have 8 pts. Hartnell has 7 es points. Brouwer hs 7 es points. Wilson has 3pts in 4 games. Hartnell has 0 es goals.

I like how you spin Hartnell being basically PPG (3g, 9a in 13 games) on an offensively depleted CBJ team into a bad thing. Never change

 

[Ajax1995]

Would have been a hell of a lineup

Woulda, coulda, shoulda games are the best aren't they...?

 

[txpd]

I like how you spin Hartnell being basically PPG (3g, 9a in 13 games) on an offensively depleted CBJ team into a bad thing. Never change

to be honest and right you would have pointed out the 1 goal and not the 3 goals he has after scoring two AFTER I made my post.

but that's ok.