Post-Game Talk: Caps 5, Pens 2 - At Least No Ovechkin HT

[KIRK]

Top nine is a mess. Zero cohesion.

Fleury strong, then wilted.

Letang drunk. Maatta drunk. Daley in Chicago form. Olesky in ECHL form.

Poor coaching from Sully. Get your **** together with the lines already, and show a tiny bit of imagination.

EDIT: JR has some real work to do with this top nine and can't stand pat on defense either. IMO, Kunitz and Fehr out for an impact top nine forward, Guentzel up, avoid Rust-Sid and Horny-Geno, and there's a legit chance that things can crystallize. Without that? I'd like to have even the slightest hint it's possible.

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[Steel Winning]

- Letang probably concussed on that EN

 

[Ogrezilla]

- deserved to lose that one.

+ If this game gets Schultz on the top PP for good, I'll take the loss.

 

[MrBurghundy]

Can you believe another terrible game by Kunitz!?!?!?

Pittsburgh Penguins @ Washington Capitals
1/11/2017

Period 1

- Shift 1 - KBK - Didn't drive to the net after his pass to Bonino. Instead tried to skate behind him and brought his defender to Bonino too causing a weak shot from the outside instead of a better scoring chance. Got lost in the defensive zone in front of the net forgetting his responsibility. He was the low forward and should have been helping behind the net. Missed an easy touch pass to Cullen along the goal line in the offensive zone.
= Shift 2 - PP - Nothing of note. He dumped the puck in and kept possession along the goal line.
= Shift 3 - KBK - Sprung Kessel with a nice pass down the right wing into the offensive zone. Other than that, nothing of note.
- Shift 4 - KBK - Centering feed to nobody. Didn't move his feet along the boards, and lost the puck allowing the Caps to get it out of the zone. Couldn't get the puck out of the defensive zone on multiple attempts causing the Caps to get a lot of grade A chances on net.
- Shift 5 - 4v4 (KC) - Fumbled the puck trying to stickhandle at the blue line and lost possession.

Period Recap - 3 Minuses, 2 Evens. Terrible period by Kunitz. He was just giving the puck back to the Capitals left and right. Either with passes to nobody, or poor effort in all 3 zones, he looked lost. If Kunitz doesn't give 110% effort every shift, he's terrible.

Period 2

- Shift 1 - KMK - Got sucked down to the goal crease forgetting his defensive responsibility. Iced the puck. Stayed out for a really long shift. Made a good pass to Cullen for a scoring chance.
= Shift 2 - KBK - Made a decent pass to Daley.
- Shift 3 - KCK - Kunitz brought his man right to Kessel at the offensive blue line killing any chance of entering the zone.
= Shift 4 - PP - Didn't do much, but at least he didn't lose the puck or turn it over.

Period Recap - 2 Minuses, 2 Evens. Kunitz didn't get a lot of ice time, but that was due to some special teams play. He still playing just as bad as he was in the 1st period though. Just more of the same.

Period 3

- Shift 1 - KBK - Weak shot on goal when he had a chance to actually shoot.
- Shift 2 - KBR - Couldn't keep the puck in at the offensive blue line. Bad back pass by Kunitz to Letang, and didn't even bother to go get the puck that Letang then dumped down behind the goal.
= Shift 3 - PP - Nothing of note.
= Shift 4 - KBF - Couldn't do anything with the puck when he had it on his stick. I don't know if I can blame him for any bad plays though. Just a non-descript shift.

Game/Period Recap - 2 Minuses, 2 Evens. There wasn't one redeeming quality in Kunitz this game. He was terrible. Another game where I'd bench him if I was the coach. I don't know if I missed any of his shifts or not, but if I did that can just be attributed to the fact that he was invisible if he wasn't too busy being terrible.

 

[Extra Texture]

God, something about seeing MAF trundle back over the boards after that goal just set me off. I think a sousaphone song was playing in my head as I watched it.

And I KNOW the game as a whole wasn't his fault

 

[Jaded-Fan]

Almost as meaningless as a preseason game.

Regular season almost means nothing to teams assured of the playoffs like the Pens.

Fleury in goal, you knew that the GAA was going to be high.

As an aside though, the Pens simply can not win faceoffs on the power play. I do not know where that split stat would be, but they have to be the worst in the league at it, and consequently have the least amount of PP zone time in the league. If not the worst they have to be close. Especially the first PP unit.

 

[EightyOne]

+Cullen never quits
+maybe some kids in WSH had fun and learned to love hockey at a cool game for them

-Sullivan
-LAZY skating in d zone
-perimeter offense

Team sucks. WSH was not only better, Pens were just way worse. Shoulda been a Holtby shutout.

 

[KIRK]

Can you believe another terrible game by Kunitz!?!?!?

What's scary is that you grade Kunitz generously.

 

[Shady Machine]

Letang was really bad. Daley was bad. Maatta was a pylon. Oleksy shouldn't be here. I agree with KIRK that our forward lines don't have cohesion but the lack of transition game tonight was a big problem.

 

[WayneSid9987]

Not good.
Pens have proved they can handle a slightly undermanned Rangers with no Zibenajad and barely beat a really undermanned Habs team so far this season.
That, does not make, a Stanley Cup contender...

 

[66-30-33]

Seemed like a typical Pens vs Caps game to me.

 

[PensPlz]

Getting the feeling that the Pens simply pick certain games on the road that they just don't play hard in. Maybe to conserve energy? To stay healthy? Idk, but it's hard to argue with their stats when they lose on the road. Starting not to seem like a coincidence.

 

[MrBurghundy]

What's scary is that you grade Kunitz generously.

I'm trying to be unbiased. It's an incredibly hard thing to do.

 

[SirBrad]

Seemed like a typical Pens vs Caps game to me.

same. seems like the same game every time. Caps aways want these regular season games more.

 

[mgd525]

We haven't lost many games this season but when we do...it's spectacularly ****ing ugly. What a **** show. It would be hard to figure out who the worst D man was on the team tonight. Lack of skating, out of position and couldn't complete short passes for a zone exit. Terrible. The offense...Yeah.... Kunitz is ****ing Lazy and washed up. Rust and Horn need to switch... God forbid we had another winger that could score in WBS.

 

[hooverdam]

These regular season games against the Pens are their Stanley Cup. Whether they try to kill us every game or beat us up on the scoresheet, that's how it is for them.

Only good defenseman tonight was Schultz, and the lines are terrible. Not a good combo. Oleksy needs to be demoted, Maatta needs to be better or go on the trading block, Letang is an idiot, Cole isn't the dman this team thinks he is, and Daley looks his age.

They either need to figure out how to maximize the pairings so they mesh and become more than the sum of their parts again, or they have to bring someone big in. Another 7th defenseman at the deadline isn't going to do it.

 

[WayneSid9987]

Seemed like a typical Pens vs Caps game to me.

Yea, when Bylsma/MJ were here.
Playing out under Sully last year, they made statements vs the Caps.
That huge win at home and the OT winner in the Caps buidling Sid scored.

If theres no statement games like the ones i mentioned to close out this season vs top teams, this team is going no where in the PO's.

I hate that MAF is still on the team.
I hate that Kunitz is still on the team.
I hate that Sully isn't playing his top players with his other top players.
I hate that he won't commit to Schultz as PPQB1.
I hate the inconsistency of the D-Core.

JR really does need to do something to give the roster a jolt but i'm suspecting he won't.

 

[The Greatest 101]

I couldn't watch the game, but why did Sullivan keep playing Olesky? Rud has outplayed him big time.

 

[Russian Factor]

Impotent all game. I'm honestly surprised they weren't shut out. One of those games that frustrates you from the get-go because they never looked good or like they were going to win. I don't want to make too much of it though. Regular season so they took a dump for this game. Whatevs.

 

[ColePens]

Meh.. not our game tonight. Caps played well, supported better, and were just the better team tonight. They look good. Metro is freaking tough. Saw a lot of things I didn't like. Saw a few I did - mainly Schultz on the top powerplay. Our defense tonight was horrible.

I say **** it.. go to sleep and get ready for tomorrow. If the problem persists, then I'll start really diving into it. But for tonight - I'll let the people who love to complain have their spotlight. I'm thinking positive things for tomorrow.

 

[WayneSid9987]

Impotent all game. I'm honestly surprised they weren't shut out. One of those games that frustrates you from the get-go because they never looked good or like they were going to win. I don't want to make too much of it though. Regular season so they took a dump for this game. Whatevs.

Thats about the only thing i CAN say too.
It's mid-January.
If they play top teams like this in Feb/March, i'll get a better idea of if this roster can do some damage or not.

 

[66-30-33]

Yea, when Bylsma/MJ were here.
Playing out under Sully last year, they made statements vs the Caps.
That huge win at home and the OT winner in the Caps buidling Sid scored.

If theres no statement games like the ones i mentioned to close out this season vs top teams, this team is going no where in the PO's.

I hate that MAF is still on the team.
I hate that Kunitz is still on the team.
I hate that Sully isn't playing his top players with his other top players.
I hate that he won't commit to Schultz as PPQB1.
I hate the inconsistency of the D-Core.

JR really does need to do something to give the roster a jolt but i'm suspecting he won't.

Last season it changed with a few key trades and a coaching change. Let's try it again with a few more key trades (Kunitz, Fleury), adding some help by using Jake and Sundqvist perhaps? i'd rather not go for Duchene as it would cost us Jake, Sprong, 1st most likely. It's pretty logical stuff that has to happen but wont because we don't exactly run a team logically! we run it more family like and more unprofessional. I want to win as many cups as we can with Crosby, not cater to useless players because they are liked in the lockerroom. THERE ARE LOTS OF PLAYERS LIKED JUST AS MUCH OR MORE!!!! if it does not help on the ice DON'T USE IT!!!

 

[ColePens]

Impotent all game. I'm honestly surprised they weren't shut out. One of those games that frustrates you from the get-go because they never looked good or like they were going to win. I don't want to make too much of it though. Regular season so they took a dump for this game. Whatevs.

I had that feeling after goal #1 that just nothing was going our way. And I don't blame MAF for goal #1, but damn it would have been nice for him to get a huge save early. Timely saves >>> big saves. That goal is definitely mostly on Daley and lack of team support coming back as Daley was in the zone for a cycle, but Letang also misplayed the 2 on 1, too, letting ovy change the angle. He shouldn't have done that. Both guys played like ****.

But if MAF could have weathered that early storm, maybe the boys get going and light it up. That's what they seem to do under #30. But when they are behind so quickly, they just play in mud. And it looked like that for so much of the night. **** poor stuff.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

+Sid and Geno each got a point in one of their games in hand on McDavid, getting one point closer to him. That's pretty much the only positive I'll take from tonight.

Maybe tomorrow Sullivan will finally put Hornqvist back with Sid.

 

[canadianguy77]

Caps seem to be gaining the mental edge against us. Doesn't bode well for our team if we happen to meet up against them in the playoffs. Kunitz and Fehr and sometimes Wilson are rendering us a two line team on a lot of nights. That's not going to cut it against teams like the Caps and Columbus. I hope JR doesn't plan on standing pat with these guys. It would be a real shame to throw away a legitimate chance at a repeat in 2017 for a now useless 2009 guy.