Post-Game Talk: Caps and Pens 7:30

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troyerlaw

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If Barry won't change after tonight, he won't for the rest of his tenure.

This year already has ‘midseason coaching change’ written all over it, regardless of what he does.

I hope they give Troy Mann the gig, when it happens. At least on an interim basis.

I wish we’d done it last year, honestly.

I’m a proponent of the midseason coaching change, especially when you have a very solid successor in AHL who knows the younger personnel inside and out.

Boudreau, Bylsma, Sullivan ... tapping the AHL bench boss can really boost a team down the stretch.

My .02.
 

amjay13

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Played OK, had many high quality chances. Need to stay out of the box.

Djoos should have earned some more games.

Surprised Chorney sat over Ness tonight. Chorney is a NHL player. Perhaps as a 7th D-man but he's proven to be at least adequate when called upon in a pinch. Ness is an AHL'er.

All in all, despite the loss, can't be too upset about the first four games. The stars are flying, the few young players in the lineup have looked fine. Hoping to see more of Walker, Djoos and eventually Bowey. Vrana has proven he belongs.
 

bur and 666 others

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Have you read the Mark SCHEIFELE piece on the PT? The piece about Karlsson is very interesting: "I think their whole team gets so much confidence from his ability to make the perfect breakout pass. This is especially crucial in the playoffs when the space is so tight and you can’t afford to turn the puck over. When you can come out of your zone flying instead of having to muscle it out, it makes such a difference, and that’s why Karlsson is so valuable."

I hope Trotz sees this and understands why it's important to have someone like Djoos in the lineup over Chorney/Ness. Yes, there will be growing pants with Djoos/Bowey and etc, but we have 82 regular season to make them learn the league and game. They have natural skills to be good PMDs and all they need some seasoning to make fewer mistakes. While Chorniness never will learn to make the perfect breakout pass. Don't get the point why we are playing them instead of rookies.
 

Ovie's Neighbor

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Jan 23, 2007
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Have you read the Mark SCHEIFELE piece on the PT? The piece about Karlsson is very interesting: "I think their whole team gets so much confidence from his ability to make the perfect breakout pass. This is especially crucial in the playoffs when the space is so tight and you can’t afford to turn the puck over. When you can come out of your zone flying instead of having to muscle it out, it makes such a difference, and that’s why Karlsson is so valuable."

I hope Trotz sees this and understands why it's important to have someone like Djoos in the lineup over Chorney/Ness. Yes, there will be growing pants with Djoos/Bowey and etc, but we have 82 regular season to make them learn the league and game. They have natural skills to be good PMDs and all they need some seasoning to make fewer mistakes. While Chorniness never will learn to make the perfect breakout pass. Don't get the point why we are playing them instead of rookies.
Or maybe someone like Nate Schmidt.....:(
 

Langway

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It's not a proper Pittsburgh game without bleeding breakaway chances.

Mann isn't the answer. He's just as simplistic as Trotz.

Ultimately, they'd be better off running two fourth-lines than only having four or five NHL defensemen (and many of those playing sloppy). So much of Trotz's strategy is defense-first that it makes no sense whatsoever to be running out gong-show blueliners on the regular. If they don't give Djoos some track to run with, they're morons. Similarly, if neither Ness nor Chorney are up for not just being regulars but quality regulars then they need to give another youngster a chance. Turning to the youth is likely the only way they're going to be a decent possession team so it should be unavoidable. As much as they may want to buy time with further seasoning, Bowey is ready physically so it. It should really just be about managing their minutes and living with some mistakes while they gain experience and confidence. It makes zero sense sticking with no upside stopgaps that can't even survive, let alone give the top four a break at any point going forward.
 

Alexander the Gr8

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Have you read the Mark SCHEIFELE piece on the PT? The piece about Karlsson is very interesting: "I think their whole team gets so much confidence from his ability to make the perfect breakout pass. This is especially crucial in the playoffs when the space is so tight and you can’t afford to turn the puck over. When you can come out of your zone flying instead of having to muscle it out, it makes such a difference, and that’s why Karlsson is so valuable."

I hope Trotz sees this and understands why it's important to have someone like Djoos in the lineup over Chorney/Ness. Yes, there will be growing pants with Djoos/Bowey and etc, but we have 82 regular season to make them learn the league and game. They have natural skills to be good PMDs and all they need some seasoning to make fewer mistakes. While Chorniness never will learn to make the perfect breakout pass. Don't get the point why we are playing them instead of rookies.

I really thought Shattenkirk would be that guy last year. Now it's painful watching our D throwing the puck up the ice blindly. Orpik, Chorney and Ness can't move the puck at all.
 

bur and 666 others

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I really thought Shattenkirk would be that guy last year. Now it's painful watching our D throwing the puck up the ice blindly. Orpik, Chorney and Ness can't move the puck at all.
Shattenkirk was a fiasco and knowing our luck i'm pretty sure the pick we gave up for him will turn out to be a great player that we are lacking. with that being said, i still applaud the caps management for going all in last year.
 

troyerlaw

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In hindsight, having lost MoJo for nothing, and with Carlson’s big pay day around the corner, and with him looking like the permanent and rightful inheritor of the Too Many Marijuanas demeanor and compete level, it is abundantly clear that Schmidt should have been protected.

Should have exposed mojo or carlson.

We are really feeling absence of 88’s speed on breakout. Ness, chorney, orpik, and carlson look like junk. Rest of league went younger, faster. We went with, I don’t know what we went with, but it wasn’t younger, faster.
 
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Alexander the Gr8

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This is what I've been saying all summer. The immediate future doesn't look very bright for the Caps. 2 great chances and we blew both. How long until GMBM pulls the plug on Trotz? How long until Leonsis pulls the plug on GMBM? Let's just not worry about the Cup anymore. Let's just enjoy watching this team playing and we'll see about the playoffs later.

Shattenkirk was a fiasco and knowing our luck i'm pretty sure the pick we gave up for him will turn out to be a great player that we are lacking. with that being said, i still applaud the caps management for going all in last year.

They didn't have the balls to do it in 2015 and 2016, and they did it last year. I didn't think GMBM would have the balls to trade for Shattenkirk but he did. Can't blame him for trying, he built the best roster he could possibly build in the salary cap era. It's not his fault Shattenkirk played like crap in the playoffs.
 

Calicaps

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In hindsight, having lost MoJo for nothing, and with Carlson’s big pay day around the corner, and with him looking like the permanent and rightful inheritor of the Too Many Marijuanas demeanor and compete level, it is abundantly clear that Schmidt should have been protected.

Should have exposed mojo or carlson.

We are really feeling absence of 88’s speed on breakout. Ness, chorney, orpik, and carlson look like junk. Rest of league went younger, faster. We went with, I don’t know what we went with, but it wasn’t younger, faster.
This. That was some epic management failure. Expose Mojo and Gruby. Maybe you get to keep both 88 and 90. But expose a promising young D and of course he gets taken.
 

Sam Spade

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This. That was some epic management failure. Expose Mojo and Gruby. Maybe you get to keep both 88 and 90. But expose a promising young D and of course he gets taken.

Nate Schmidt is 26. Not saying I didn't like NS but he played 60 games last season.

Anyway I think they exposed him because they have Bowey, Djoos, Hobbs, Johansen, etc. coming and Schmidt fit the expansion player requirements. AND, Schmidt got $2.15 in arbitration, and will look to get his big payday, his last contract so to speak, after that, it's why he asked for a one year deal.

Caps just don't have the cap room.
 

philip

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Jun 27, 2014
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Most of the game we just weren't looking after the puck well enough. Needlessly giving it away. Also weren't aggressive enough and hitting enough. Mid way through the 3rd a few players started hitting and low and behold, the puck started freeing up and the Pens started coughing it.

Plus side, Djoos looked good. That calm control and pass for Ovis goal was lovely for a guy making his debut.
 
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4thTierSport

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We have had players get mixed up with other teams goalies and get no penalties. I do believe Toronto was upset last year because they felt we kept running their goalie.

Like I said, **** happens. Did Holtby get hit? Yeah. Did he embellish? Yeah.

Every team in the league believes their team is under the microscope of the NHL.
Oh I'm sorry, you can't tell the difference between going to the net and bumping around and a drive by head shot?

Murray is on the other side of the ice whining about someone bumping his glove when he was standing up reaching for the puck in midair. Mean while Holtby took a shot to the head and continues to take all kinds of stick work before and after the whistle stretching back to last season.

Toronto, the team that got a goal called off because their goalie grabbed Backstrom?
 

g00n

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Nov 22, 2007
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Ovie wasn't great on those keep-ins but to my eye there may have been some bad ice and rolling pucks. He wasn't the only one losing control of the puck for no apparent reason. It's hard to blame a guy who has 8 goals in the first 4 games for failing to save the day when the rest of the team could've stepped up and made the mad dash unnecessary.

Regarding GMBM's tenure, recall it took missing the playoffs for McPhee to get the can. That's probably the same standard the current GM is subject to, and his own threshold for firing the coach. The only way this gets shifted is if Ted sees Ovie's career winding down and feels like he owes him a better shot at a Cup.

As the year grinds on we may see less and less of the younger players unless they're contributing to wins. Playoff Chorney may be a reality.
 

ovikovy817

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When I think pens and refs duo can't surprise me anymore, they do it again.

First goal should never happen. Shoulder to the head of the GOALIE.
On the 2nd goal, Djoos is penalised because of Hornqvist hit Niskanen's leg.
Don't forget those weird penalties called for PIT after WSH had 1, 2 good chances, the refs need to calm down the Caps comeback. (like after Djoos's goal).
On Kuzy's play, how you cannot see the trip by Murray???
Even if we don't deserve to win, but we also didn't deserve to lose like that.

Very happy for Djoos, at least, he can shoot to the net. But what I even prefer is his assist. Not every guys in their first NHL game could do a simple play like that when your team is down by 2 in the 3rd against the rival and you need to comeback. Nice play by Backy too.

At least Ovi continue to score and continue his race to the 50.
 
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RandyHolt

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Djoos..... dominated. Wow. Now we have 2 skilled LH shot D. When is the last time that happened... never?

What I think he needs to do to survive is do exactly what he did, have direct hands in scoring chances.

It really is high time to rethink Ovi at LP extra man. He's not facing a passive PK, he is facing 5 guys swarming to get the puck out desperate to pad their stats with an ENG. Why not have a guy that practices there full time? When Ovi's primary directive becomes keep ins and chasing down pucks, we are taking him away from what he does best. I'd rather see our tank up front parked down low cherry picking and wrestling the D. Same rant for 4 years now, sorry.

BTW Nate may have scored on that same shot as Djoos, but he would definitely have fallen over trying. And that nifty pass to Ovi? That ain't Nate.
 
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Alexander the Gr8

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Nate Schmidt is 26. Not saying I didn't like NS but he played 60 games last season.

Anyway I think they exposed him because they have Bowey, Djoos, Hobbs, Johansen, etc. coming and Schmidt fit the expansion player requirements. AND, Schmidt got $2.15 in arbitration, and will look to get his big payday, his last contract so to speak, after that, it's why he asked for a one year deal.

Caps just don't have the cap room.

GMBM practically begged GMGM not to draft Schmidt. They left him exposed because they assumed GMGM would draft Grubi instead.
 

twabby

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GMBM practically begged GMGM not to draft Schmidt. They left him exposed because they assumed GMGM would draft Grubi instead.

They didn’t leave him exposed because they thought Grubauer was getting selected. Grubauer was going to be exposed either way. They left Schmidt exposed because they made the decision to protect Johansson, Eller, and Wilson over Schmidt.

I really wonder if they wouldn’t have protected Schmidt if knew they were going to have to unload Johansson’s salary.
 

Hivemind

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Djoos..... dominated. Wow. Now we have 2 skilled LH shot D. When is the last time that happened... never?

Depends on your definition skilled. I'd definitely say that Orlov and Schmidt fit the billing last year. Schmidt's shot leaves a lot to be desired, but he's an exceptional transition passer from the blue line and terrific at both leading the breakout and gaining the offensive zone.

In a somewhat similar vein, I'd consider Gonchar and CalleJo to be a pair of skilled left shooting D.
 

Alexander the Gr8

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They didn’t leave him exposed because they thought Grubauer was getting selected. Grubauer was going to be exposed either way. They left Schmidt exposed because they made the decision to protect Johansson, Eller, and Wilson over Schmidt.

I really wonder if they wouldn’t have protected Schmidt if knew they were going to have to unload Johansson’s salary.

What I'm saying is that they probably didn't think GMGM would pick Schmidt over Grubauer.

Also, they should've known that they would have to unload Johansson's salary, unless they made the decision to sign Oshie after the expansion draft. Sure, Kuznetsov took a bit more money than expected but we're talking about $4.5M of cap space unloaded with Johansson. They should've left Johansson exposed, and today we would still have Schmidt.
 

Sam Spade

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GMBM practically begged GMGM not to draft Schmidt. They left him exposed because they assumed GMGM would draft Grubi instead.

And if Holtby gets hurt I will be glad they took Schmidt, because Grubs is a very good goalie.

Loved Schmidt will miss him but he is 4/5 dman, I don't get all the hand wringing about losing him.

How do you think the Ducks feel losing 22 year old Shea Theodore, a true potential number two or 1A? Expansion draft, stuff happens.
 
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Hivemind

We're Touched
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Shea Theodore wasn't in the Ducks line-up. He was purely a prospect. While losing his future potential hurts, they lost it in order to protect their current assets that are contributing to their NHL present and future (Vatanen and Manson).

Schmidt was already in the Caps line-up, while simultaneously being an important cog in the future of the Caps. He's much more equivalent to the guys that Anaheim managed to shield from Vegas by offering up Theodore than he is to Theodore.
 
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twabby

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What I'm saying is that they probably didn't think GMGM would pick Schmidt over Grubauer.

Also, they should've known that they would have to unload Johansson's salary, unless they made the decision to sign Oshie after the expansion draft. Sure, Kuznetsov took a bit more money than expected but we're talking about $4.5M of cap space unloaded with Johansson. They should've left Johansson exposed, and today we would still have Schmidt.

Yeah I agree that they probably thought that Grubauer would be selected, but that’s no excuse for not covering all of your bases. If GMBM begged GMGM not to take Schmidt, why not protect Schmidt in the first place?

It reeked of poor planning and vision. Especially now that the Carlson UFA situation is looming large.
 
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