GDT: Caps @ Ducks, 10 pm

[Bure]

Great road game. You can tell they really wanted this one.

 

[Devil Dancer]

Queue late-season miracle playoff run to save GMGM's job!

Good win though. They looked like a real team out there.

 

[usiel]

not sarcastic at all. I really like his game.

Don't want to assume on the internets/googles.

 

[um]

missed the game, what were the positives and the negatives of the game? how did kuz look and why did penner and OV get so little ice time?

 

[strungout]

Don't want to assume on the internets/googles.

Roger that.

I'm trying to think of a comparable for him.

Ken Klee keeps popping in my head. And I'm really good with that.

 

[Liberati0n*]

Time is a flat circle.

Hahaha. Excellent.

 

[troyerlaw]

Boudreau looked stressed out.

I wish we'd had Halak in net all season long.

I didn't mind Wellman. I kinda like his game. Beagle speed and hustle, but with actual hands.

Great hit by Wilson on Robidas, and totally unexpected, totally awesome hit by Green on Winnick. I still need to go back and review that to make sure it really happened.

I like Purutu. I don't mind him scoring.

PP was lethal tonite.

Too bad Habs, Wings, Rangers and Flyers all won tonight. I thought habs and Flyers would be overmatched against Avs and Hawks, respectively. Oh well.

I love it when AO scores game winners.

My kids and i will be at Kings game thurs. We gotta come up with good CSN poster to get some airtime. Maybe something using first letters of Cheetah, Sasha & nicky. I'll think more upon it tomorrow.

Great win. Loved watching the other side get Halaked.

 

[troyerlaw]

I wish they'd go back to kuzya-beags-wilson.

I also i wish i knew why latta doesn't get a chance now, with laich done for year.

 

[troyerlaw]

Purutu got several good looks at the very end.

Getzlaf was dangerous all night.

I thought Hillen had a good game for us.

Halak was the ultimate difference. What a great job.

 

[FloridaCap]

Halak'd

The second goal against was ********. Since when are you allowed to stand with both of your skates FULLY inside the blue paint? Ridiculous how often that isn't called.

 

[troyerlaw]

We allow too many pokes, jabs, and slashes after Halak makes the save. I was really wishing someone would put Perry on his butt for all the digging he was doing between halak's pads.

 

[usiel]

Roger that.

I'm trying to think of a comparable for him.

Ken Klee keeps popping in my head. And I'm really good with that.

My Ken Klee recollection..was that he did, in his early years, break in as a forward at times.

Wey has some size. IMHO, he just needs to learn to impose his will on the boards to progress as a defensive dman.

 

[SDBondra]

That was a fun game. The Ducks fans were decently loud and not obnoxious even though there were quite a few Caps fans who were drunk and being stupid. I got a ton of texts from people back home because my wife, son and I were the Sport Fans of the Night or something. Things I noticed: Getzlaf was hands down the best player on the ice; Ovie looks like he's working hard defensively; Ward and Chimera just give more effort than everyone else; Kuzya looks confident - once he figures out the speed he'll be great; Carlson is so smooth and solid; Halak is great - he's the reason we won; Ducks ice girls are bubbly. My son fell asleep halfway through the first but then woke up in the second and really enjoyed himself out there.

Whichever ref is #21 - he called the game badly both ways. Let so many players interfere away from the puck.

 

[troyerlaw]

Part of why there was so much net for Ovi to shoot at, on the GWG, was that 74 really sold the shot fake nicely. Hiller bit on the fake. AO had big chunk of twine to aim at.

I was surprised to see top line maintain possession in O-zone on a couple shifts. Don't get me wrong. I still want the line broken up, but it was refreshing and unexpected to see them hold and cycle puck.

With laich and grabo down, we are looking awfully suspect at C.

I wish we had held on to Perreaultchocinco. Brings a lot more to the party than Pancakes anyway.

Green played well. Handled the puck confidently. Made a good stretch pass in the third. Laid a hit on Winnick. Seemed responsible and efficient getting puck out of our end.

I still don't think MJ90 touched that puck on Brouwer goal. Just looked like he did, but the best angle replay appeared to show him whiffing on it. I'm hoping the secondary gets switched to #8. He certainly deserved it, with that nifty dish to 19 on the opposite side.

 

[FloridaCap]

Part of why there was so much net for Ovi to shoot at, on the GWG, was that 74 really sold the shot fake nicely. Hiller bit on the fake. AO had big chunk of twine to aim at.

I was surprised to see top line maintain possession in O-zone on a couple shifts. Don't get me wrong. I still want the line broken up, but it was refreshing and unexpected to see them hold and cycle puck.

With laich and grabo down, we are looking awfully suspect at C.

I wish we had held on to Perreaultchocinco. Brings a lot more to the party than Pancakes anyway.

Green played well. Handled the puck confidently. Made a good stretch pass in the third. Laid a hit on Winnick. Seemed responsible and efficient getting puck out of our end.

I still don't think MJ90 touched that puck on Brouwer goal. Just looked like he did, but the best angle replay appeared to show him whiffing on it. I'm hoping the secondary gets switched to #8. He certainly deserved it, with that nifty dish to 19 on the opposite side.

Amazing (not really, most people could see it) how Green plays better when the defenseman next to him doesn't push up in plays all the time. Hillen is no Norris winner, but he plays responsible defense positionally. He's allowing Green to play his game.

I like Orlov, but Orlov-Green will never work.

 

[SDBondra]

Hillen deserves a lot of credit jumping in right off the injury and playing as well as he has. He skates like the wind and usually makes great decisions.

 

[artilector]

missed the game, what were the positives and the negatives of the game? how did kuz look and why did penner and OV get so little ice time?

I was unimpressed. Bailed out by Halak, PP, and 3rd line play. Outshot 45 to 30, which pretty much reflects what went on.

Kuz & Backstrom were pretty invisible, sadly nothing to report FWIR. Beagle & Mojo tried to establish something on the boards, but were never able to get the puck to Ovi, who was doing his thing floating up high. 3rd line was excellent. I didn't pay much attention to 4th line.

Kuz does not look like a high output player and for now is pretty reluctant to dig for the puck hard on the boards. It's early, but something to watch for -- I think in "today's NHL" (and/or in conservative systems) it's much harder to find effective combinations for players who don't buzz around, hence our problems with Backstrom and Ovi at even strength. We desperately need one tandem out of Backstrom/Ovi/Kuz to find good chemistry in order to make it worthwhile to play (some of) them on the same line. Just thinking out loud... And I'm not down on Kuz, by any means -- just really want to finally have at least two quality players finally click together (is it too much to ask for, hockey gods?).

 

[FloridaCap]

I was unimpressed. Bailed out by Halak, PP, and 3rd line play. Outshot 45 to 30, which pretty much reflects what went on.

Kuz & Backstrom were pretty invisible, sadly nothing to report FWIR. Beagle & Mojo tried to establish something on the boards, but were never able to get the puck to Ovi, who was doing his thing floating up high. 3rd line was excellent. I didn't pay much attention to 4th line.

Kuz does not look like a high output player and for now is pretty reluctant to dig for the puck hard on the boards. It's early, but something to watch for -- I think in "today's NHL" (and/or in conservative systems) it's much harder to find effective combinations for players who don't buzz around, hence our problems with Backstrom and Ovi at even strength. We desperately need one tandem out of Backstrom/Ovi/Kuz to find good chemistry in order to make it worthwhile to play (some of) them on the same line. Just thinking out loud... And I'm not down on Kuz, by any means -- just really want to finally have at least two quality players finally click together (is it too much to ask for, hockey gods?).

I don't think the problem is Kuznetsov or Backstrom on that line. Brouwer's been picking it up as of late on the PP, but has he been part of a good line all year at even strength?

He's an even strength black hole, and was last year as well.

 

[artilector]

I don't think the problem is Kuznetsov or Backstrom on that line. Brouwer's been picking it up as of late on the PP, but has he been part of a good line all year at even strength?

He's an even strength black hole, and was last year as well.

It's possible, but at the same time, if two (highly) skilled players click, I'd want to see them generate SOMETHING regardless of the third.. um.. wheel.

 

[Brian23]

It's possible, but at the same time, if two (highly) skilled players click, I'd want to see them generate SOMETHING regardless of the third.. um.. wheel.

I don't think their game really meshes. To me, Backstrom is a guy who loves to slow it down and pick his shots. I think he'd be great with someone who posts up with a wickid shot (you'd think that'd be Ovi but I don't think that's what Ovi's game really is, even if it appears that way in Oates' system). Kuznetsov is a younger guy who likes to run and gun and go balls to the wall.

I think Kuznetsov and Backstrom will have a kind of issue that Ovi and Backy have. They may be great players but that doesn't mean they're ever gonna have insane chemistry.

 

[terranraida]

I'm not sure how to feel. I'm happy the Caps won...but I'm real bummed the ducks lost... Such is the fate of when two teams you love meet...

But god damn Halak was a monster...

 

[RandyHolt]

@SDBondra - were you sitting on the aisle seat, wife holding a baby to your left? They showed a few fans of the game so we most all saw you. You are now a superstar.

@Brian23 - agreed - clearly Nick likes to slow play down and may not be a great fit for either russian wing. I want to see Kuz get another crack with Wilson. Our top 2 lines still suck.

Our odds of making the loffs were at 6%, but think suspect I can't find a single caps fan willing to lay 100 to win 6.

 

[BobRouse]

Watched the 1st period and remember a hazy few mins of the 2nd before falling asleep.

A win is a win. Still the harder parts of the brutal road trip are ahead as I can't remember the last time we beat LA or SJ on the road. We have always struggled in LA no matter how atrocious or great a team the Kings field. SJ no different.

We'll need Halak to steal a bunch of games to keep us in it. Maybe get lucky with some other teams falling off. Perhaps get Grabovski back.

I'm just glad they competed.

 

[Marshall]

Pleasantly surprised at the result. To those who watched: did Halak have to stand on his head, or were most of the chances outside?

 

[marcel snapshot]

Actually thought our zone exits and zone entries were better than they'd been all year. We didn't get hemmed in nearly as much as we typically do - and we did a better job of maintaining possession through neutral.

We can rag on Beagle, but the guy's legs are motoring the whole time he's out there -it's a bit startling (and not in a good way) to realize how unique that makes him on this team. But giving him more ice time not only made us more stable defensively, it might just be motivating other guys to move their legs a bit more.

Halak . . . fug yeah. He made several stops last night that the other guys who played net for us most of the year just don't make.