Post-Game Talk: Caps @ Fishsticks, 7pm
- Thread starter twabby
- Start date
- Status
twabby
Registered User
- Mar 9, 2010
- 13,752
- 14,690
Not saying 27-74 has been playing well (in fact they have been terrible together), but what other combination would you try? Carlson has been brutal with both Orlov and Alzner. Meanwhile Niskanen has in general looked better away from Alzner. I guess you could flip Orpik and Alzner but aside from that what is left to try?
hb12xchamps
Registered User
Hivemind
We're Touched
They could always try Niskanen or Carlson on the left side for a few games to see what happens.
2 - 74
27 - 9
44- 88
But what I've come to begrudgingly accept is that this team is more or less doomed to have a underwater top/shutdown pairing. The other two pairing will thrive, but whichever pairing is getting the toughest assignments is going to struggle to produce quality results. It certainly seems that this team is lacking that true #1 that can tilt the ice in their favor while handling the opponent's top lines. The question may be how to get the best value from the lower two pairings while accepting the top pairing is going to be mediocre at best. That may involve promoting one of the current 3rd pairing defenders to the top pairing.
2 - 74
27 - 9
44- 88
But what I've come to begrudgingly accept is that this team is more or less doomed to have a underwater top/shutdown pairing. The other two pairing will thrive, but whichever pairing is getting the toughest assignments is going to struggle to produce quality results. It certainly seems that this team is lacking that true #1 that can tilt the ice in their favor while handling the opponent's top lines. The question may be how to get the best value from the lower two pairings while accepting the top pairing is going to be mediocre at best. That may involve promoting one of the current 3rd pairing defenders to the top pairing.
Bladerunner
Registered User
So was I.
Caps have 4 GIH on NYR, 3 on Pitt & Philly. Cbus is unreal on a W13 run. Only in Metro is a team 7-2-1 L10 and fans feel gloomy
CapitalsCupReality
It’s Go Time!!
- Feb 27, 2002
- 64,720
- 19,583
artilector
Registered User
- Jan 11, 2006
- 8,351
- 1,187
I got you.
Caps certainly have a chance to win the Cup.
Defense is pretty good overall, special teams are good or better.
Mojo is having a good season, Orlov is starting to realize some potential, Vrana has looked promising at the start.
Feel free to add!
twabby
Registered User
- Mar 9, 2010
- 13,752
- 14,690
Alzner-Niskanen kind of works in a second pairing shutdown role but Orpik-Carlson is likely to suffer the same problems as Alzner-Carlson. Meanwhile, if you're relying only on your third pairing to generate offense and possession from the backend things will probably get even worse.
I don't really see an easy solution. Making a trade could help but I obviously don't know who would be involved. They need a dynamic #1 more than anything but those are not likely available.
ovikovy817
Registered User
How the ref can see a penalty on the other side of the rink, while the ref who's watching the action nearby don't see anything?
3rd isles goal should never be allowed.
No PS for O'shie in the 3rd?
The Caps last five games
@ Carolina (very bad refereeing)
vs Montreal
@ Philadelphia (very bad refereeing)
vs Tampa Bay
@ Islanders (very bad refereeing)
So, it seems like caps fans will get a "great" gift on the new year's eve @ Devils.
3rd isles goal should never be allowed.
No PS for O'shie in the 3rd?
The Caps last five games
@ Carolina (very bad refereeing)
vs Montreal
@ Philadelphia (very bad refereeing)
vs Tampa Bay
@ Islanders (very bad refereeing)
So, it seems like caps fans will get a "great" gift on the new year's eve @ Devils.
txpd
Registered User
how does a guy going to a knee to block a shot then get crosschecked in the head and left to lay on the ice?
RandyHolt
Keep truckin'
- Nov 3, 2006
- 34,812
- 7,145
Good post. If its all true, Barry needs to think about becoming more strategic when rolling lines. Bruce and now Barry seem to blindly roll power vs power for the duration, no matter the results. In light of the fact our "top" pair is best for defense only, and our playoff scoring has been lethargic at best, maybe Barry needs to try a new approach against teams top lines. Looking at Kuz on 2, maybe its best to go old fashioned and use the checking line vs a teams 1.
Barry is old fashioned... the shoe should fit. It's what Bryan Murray used to do. The plumbers taking down Bossy and Trottier, heck while even outscoring them. Let the checkers do the dirty work, and then have Ovi and Orlov swoop in for glorious goals.
I understand he may be sheltering his bottom pairings, but he also can shelter them by trying a new approach... via a massive offensive assault.
The head scratchier about his D first approach, is all the odd mans we give up, and the lack of odd mans we get. Normally when a team gives them up, it's because they are getting them. Not us. I officially and continue to question "the system".
g00n
Retired Global Mod
- Nov 22, 2007
- 30,671
- 14,835
It's called being blacklisted. Wilson's facepuncher, troublemaker reputation from 2-3 years ago still follows him around. He's the first guy the refs go looking for when the whistle blows and sticks come up.
It's a crime that Trotz hasn't done more to develop him offensively. If he starts scoring goals then this stigma goes away. As it is he's looking like a good PKer and forechecker, and possibly trade bait.
ReggietheSavage15
Registered User
- Feb 27, 2008
- 322
- 110
Where exactly is the physicality with this team? They seemed like a neutered version of last year's squad. Barely any hitting, 3 fights (I think) on the year, not too aggressive on the forecheck, etc. What's the message that Trotz is sending or teaching? Why the sudden change? This style of play has me VERY worried going forward. I'm usually not a pessimistic person, but I can't see this current version of the Caps team making it out of round 1. Something is off.
txpd
Registered User
I think a standard critique of the Caps playoffs last season was that they took themselves out of the play by finishing their checks. That their focus on being physical had them chasing the game.
Its pretty clear that the Caps don't hit as a team to grind the opponent down. I doubt Wilson has suddenly decided he doesn't need to hit. I think his coaching now is to play the puck. He blew up Seidenberg last night be he had the puck.
twabby
Registered User
- Mar 9, 2010
- 13,752
- 14,690
It's not the easiest chart to read but it provides info on the individual matchups throughout the course of that game. Once again shows the Alzner-Carlson pairing struggling and the Orlov-Niskanen pairing more than holding their own, even against the Tavares line.
Thinking about it I'd move Schmidt or Orpik up to the second pairing to replace Alzner. Putting Alzner on the ice at 5v5 is like slowly bleeding to death. Carlson is like slowly bleeding to death, but at least he sometimes fires a bazooka and takes the enemy with him.
ovikovy817
Registered User
I don't know about advanced stats (I'm not a fan of this thing) but on the eye test, Alzner was good.
Orlov was guilty on the 1st goal against, Niskanen on the 4th, Carlson on the 2nd but Alzner had a great recovery in the middle of the first period to prevent Clutterbuck score his second goal of the period.
Orlov was guilty on the 1st goal against, Niskanen on the 4th, Carlson on the 2nd but Alzner had a great recovery in the middle of the first period to prevent Clutterbuck score his second goal of the period.
AtNightWeFly
You better run.
Exactly! This **** is driving me nuts! Why change what was working so well? Barry is scrambling right now because he doesn't have a clue anymore. He simply doesn't know how to elevate this drowning team. It can't be that the ENTIRE team suddenly forgot how to play hockey.
Langway
In den Wolken
- Jul 7, 2006
- 32,431
- 9,150
And yet they've fared no better against fast teams by and large and managed to give up a bunch of odd mans in this game. It always come back to hockey sense. Their focus on avoiding The Big Mistake just leads to making lots of little ones rather than great ones because it's not their approach. They don't even want to be great...they just want to be consistently good at a rudimentary level.
They're not building toward anything but getting the regular season over with, by which point they'll be ill-prepared to do any real damage if that's the sole purpose of the regular season to them. They'll arrive with more in the tank in theory but their work rate is likely to be lowered, ill-applied and difficult to progressively raise. Being results-oriented helps them keep games close but it won't help gain the separation they've long lacked. Thankfully the division is no cakewalk and they'll be forced into playing better to at least get results or else.
Last year's snowstorm got them out of a groove they never got back to and it's no surprise a short holiday break maybe takes time for them to recover from. When they're out of their groove there aren't enough high performing individuals or deadly attacking habits to compensate for not systeming (not even when handed PPs).
42
Registered User
Vrana was on the ice in the final moments of the game when the Caps needed to tie it. That's a lot of confidence from Trotz. I don't see why they'd demote him now. It's not like there are better players waiting to take his spot.
txpd
Registered User
artilector
Registered User
- Jan 11, 2006
- 8,351
- 1,187
twabby
Registered User
- Mar 9, 2010
- 13,752
- 14,690
Scoring goals is just as important as preventing them. If Alzner had even a slightly below average ability to help his team score goals, he'd be a net positive while on the ice. As it is, he is in general a liability.
Instead of focusing on the mistakes he doesn't make it's probably more important to see all of the plays he leaves on the table (in transition and on offense) that most NHL defensemen can make. Seeing things that don't happen is often hard to detect, which is why a statistical analysis can be instructive.
Are people still hoping he gets that big long term contract after seeing Niskanen thrive away from Alzner and Carlson continue to struggle with Alzner?
- Status
