GDT: Caps at Rangers Game 4 7:30 at MSG

[RandyHolt]

There is only one move I'm tempted to make. Swap Fehr with Brouwer.

You know I would be on board.

I know some posters will suggest that Brouwer has a fragile psyche and its too dangerous to risk, but I still call bunk.

Brouwer has been somewhat invisible on 2 (hits aside) but that is mostly a credit to Erat and Ribs hording the puck.

I still think the bigger problem is that Erat and Ribs are too much alike. Not that MJ would spring 2 to actually pot some goals, but it may get Troy into the offense more.

Its not always about promotions and demotions and clouding young childs fragile eggshell minds, its about constructing 2 lines that are both producing quality scoring chances. If not both, 1 has to be working for us to expect to win.

 

[ChibiPooky]

There is only one move I'm tempted to make. Swap Fehr with Brouwer.

I'd be tempted to swap Fehr with Erat. They'd both be moving to their off wing, but Fehr has shown he can play well at LW and Erat spent his whole career at RW outside of this season. Let Fehr and Brouwer pull the trigger for Ribeiro. MP is happy to shoot and Chimera could use some playmaking on his opposite wing.

 

[brs03]

The biggest problem with swapping Brouwer and Fehr is that you're cannibalizing a very good 3rd line. I know, I know, given the talent on the respective lines having the 2nd line going is more important than having the 3rd line going (well, depending on the matchups) but that 3rd line has just been so good... Brouwer for Fehr could backfire in a big way, I think.

 

[RandyHolt]

I know the team has been burned in the past by stubborn coaches, but you are Chicken Little'ing the crap out of this.

When should chicken little sing, after 2 straight losses?

We can only lose 4 times.

Many coaches shuffle their lines early and often. Bruce would usually shake up lines by the end of the first period, game after game.

Is he King Chicken Little?

He sure did lots of damage changing his lines and rolling the way he did. No one cried.

 

[BobRouse]

I too think switching Brouwer and Fehr could backfire. Both those lines have been cycling well and Brouwer has had some good looks and chances that Lundqvuist stoned him on. Same with Fehr.

RH

I agree you maybe overreactive..sorta like Marc Andre Fleury's goaltending of late. Over reacting can cause even more problems so don't think that there is nothing but good that can come out of it.

When should chicken little sing, after 2 straight losses?

We can only lose 4 times.

Many coaches shuffle their lines early and often. Bruce would usually shake up lines by the end of the first period, game after game.

Is he King Chicken Little?

He sure did lots of damage changing his lines and rolling the way he did. No one cried.

OH I remember quite a bit of frustration at BB for constantly shuffling his lines. Not sure what it achieved in the end.

Oates did do that in the beginning moving Ovechkin around etc...we only started playing well after he settled things down with 90/19/8 and Ribs/Brouwer (and either Laich or Erat)

So since we adopted these lines we've been playing damn well. We lost 1 game in which we played damn well.

Not sure now is the time to change. If you want to be proactive then you wouldn't mind changing lines after a 9 game winning streak right?

 

[Stewie G]

The biggest problem with swapping Brouwer and Fehr is that you're cannibalizing a very good 3rd line. I know, I know, given the talent on the respective lines having the 2nd line going is more important than having the 3rd line going (well, depending on the matchups) but that 3rd line has just been so good... Brouwer for Fehr could backfire in a big way, I think.

The bolded is the biggest issue for me. I'm not worried about anyone's psyche, I'm worried about disrupting two fairly effective lines.

 

[Stewie G]

When should chicken little sing, after 2 straight losses?

We can only lose 4 times.

Many coaches shuffle their lines early and often. Bruce would usually shake up lines by the end of the first period, game after game.

Is he King Chicken Little?

He sure did lots of damage changing his lines and rolling the way he did. No one cried.

When what you're doing is clearly not working. That's when I'd make changes.

I wouldn't confuse Bruce's haphazard line switching with any kind of reactive maneuvering. He completely lacked patience in that regard, but on a macro level, refused to make important changes. PP not working? Try harder. Flash invisible? Keep sending him out. Green broken? 25 minutes+ against Crosby. Wideman/Schultz completely destructive? No worries.

I haven't seen anything close to that level of trouble on this team.

 

[BobRouse]

When what you're doing is clearly not working. That's when I'd make changes.

I wouldn't confuse Bruce's haphazard line switching with any kind of reactive maneuvering. He completely lacked patience in that regard, but on a macro level, refused to make important changes. PP not working? Try harder. Flash invisible? Keep sending him out. Green broken? 25 minutes+ against Crosby. Wideman/Schultz completely destructive? No worries.

I haven't seen anything close to that level of trouble on this team.

Well that last one is on Hunter but you are right. Oates seems to have a better pulse on the team than either of his predecessors. He doesn't appear to play favorites and puts the best guys out there. I pretty much agree with all his lineup decisions and I think most here do too.

You are right..there is no Flash situation or the Hunter lovefest with Wideman/Schultz or Aucoin on the PP.

I will defend Bruce on the Green issue since we really had no alternative with the D lineup we had. Green and Schultz were pretty much the best we had to match up against Croz.

 

[BobRouse]

On a side note:

I drank far too much Coors light pregame last time. An embarrassing amount actually so I have to watch it for tonight. I think I got some Costco Chardonnay chilling at home.

I'm going to put on some of my favorite Simply Red or Thompson Twins tunes to get all fired up for the game.

 

[capsfan528]

fkn rangers get a new player back every game, what is this ****! Go Caps!

 

[tycoonheart]

On a side note:

I drank far too much Coors light pregame last time. An embarrassing amount actually so I have to watch it for tonight. I think I got some Costco Chardonnay chilling at home.

I'm going to put on some of my favorite Simply Red or Thompson Twins tunes to get all fired up for the game.

Yep, same here. Actually stopped by a bar before last game. Bad idea. Gonna take it slow tonight.

 

[BiPolar Caps]

fkn rangers get a new player back every game, what is this ****! Go Caps!

Messier in game 5 bank on it

Rod Gilbert if there's a game 6

Bun Cook if it goes to 7

 

[BobRouse]

Yep, same here. Actually stopped by a bar before last game. Bad idea. Gonna take it slow tonight.

My hangover the next day at work mixed with a Caps loss was the perfect storm of suck.

I will only start my boozing once Koken and May kick off the Caps pregame show.

 

[RandyHolt]

In the grand scheme of hockey (or not), aren't Brouwer and Fehr very very similar players?

If we lose tonight, is it still too soon to try small tweaks, or, will we need players to flat out fall on their faces before trying something that is best for the team.

If you want Oates to make changes only after 2 straight losses say for a potential game 5 but none for game 4, doesn't that seem somewhat.... petty?

Fire Chicken Little!

 

[BobRouse]

In the grand scheme of hockey (or not), aren't Brouwer and Fehr very very similar players?

If we lose tonight, is it still too soon to try small tweaks, or, will we need players to flat out fall on their faces before trying something that is best for the team.

If you want Oates to make changes only after 2 straight losses say for a potential game 5 but none for game 4, doesn't that seem somewhat.... petty?

Fire Chicken Little!

Depends on the fashion in which we lose should that be the case. If we outshoot them 55-9 and outchance them 30:1 and lose 1-0 would you suggest changes?

But it matters not...we won't lose and will have no need to change lines

 

[BiPolar Caps]

Katie Carrera @kcarrera 1h
Alex Ovechkin responds to McDonagh’s comment that he looked “tired†in Gm3. “I feel normal…I don’t care what he say.â€


Here's hoping McDonagh's has done his best Milbury impression for Ovie.

 

[Vladiator16*]

On a side note:

I drank far too much Coors light pregame last time. An embarrassing amount actually so I have to watch it for tonight. I think I got some Costco Chardonnay chilling at home.

I'm going to put on some of my favorite Simply Red or Thompson Twins tunes to get all fired up for the game.

No worries... had to promise my wife to be "decent" at her moms B-day party at their country club myself after last game... God forbid things go the same way they did on Monday.... Damn... on my 5th shot of Stoli allready... if my posts do not make much sense from now on, sorry, but its not like they usualy do anyway

Get it done boys!!!!

 

[Vladiator16*]

Katie Carrera @kcarrera 1h
Alex Ovechkin responds to McDonagh’s comment that he looked “tired†in Gm3. “I feel normal…I don’t care what he say.â€


Here's hoping McDonagh's has done his best Milbury impression for Ovie.

This mother****er is gonna get it, I have a feeling.

 

[RandyHolt]

Depends on the fashion in which we lose should that be the case. If we outshoot them 55-9 and outchance them 30:1 and lose 1-0 would you suggest changes?

But it matters not...we won't lose and will have no need to change lines

Maybe someone would suggest we try our highest paid goalie! I assume he wasn't inked to that fine contract to watch games.

A team with good depth or system, should have interchangeable parts. Otherwise they could never overcome injuries, major penalties, suspensions, lineup changes, etc.

Truth be told our depth looks really really thin. Like, Volpatti and... crickets.

So in the end, anything that happens will just be shuffling of the deck chairs.

A guy like Brouwer, George became enamored with after playing on all 4 lines in Chitown. If he didnt have the ability to move among lines, or if it really was that devastating to lines chemistry league wide to move guys up and down, coaches would not do it! Knuble would never have been a 1RW here. Ward would never be a 4RW. Chimera 2LW, Hendricks 1LW. Ribs a 1C. Beagle 1C, MP all over, and Laich last year... ∞

Players move up and down the lineup all the time. I consider it a very minor tweak.

 

[Vladiator16*]

Am i the only one who wants Volpatti in the line up?

 

[tycoonheart]

Am i the only one who wants Volpatti in the line up?

Me too.

I've been saying 4th line doesn't look as good with Ward in it. They were great when it was Patti-Beags-Hendy.

 

[BiPolar Caps]

Am i the only one who wants Volpatti in the line up?

No I mentioned it after game two that the only dickering that I would consider to the line up might be Volpatti in for Ward.

 

[BrooklynCapsFan]

Katie Carrera @kcarrera 1h
Alex Ovechkin responds to McDonagh’s comment that he looked “tired†in Gm3. “I feel normal…I don’t care what he say.â€


Here's hoping McDonagh's has done his best Milbury impression for Ovie.

Decent retort. He should've gone Ali and said Mcdonagh looks ugly.

 

[PuckBuddy]

Yeah, I'd also like to see some production out of the second line. I think they're playing basically alright, they're just a little too peripheral and a little too fancy. Someone needs to step up ...and pass that puck back to the D for a shot, since that's what this series is apparently all about.

 

[BiPolar Caps]

Memo to Caps, especially MAJO, Chimera, Backstrom, when in close lift the pucks, Lundquist's pads have been a magnet for some of these guy's shots.