Speculation: Caps General Discussion (Coaching/FAs/Cap/Lines etc) -- 2018-19 We Are The Champions Edition - Pt. 7

[traparatus]

So who do you sit, Batya? I think the evidence shows, thats not gonna happen this year.

Can't argue with that.

The problem is what the problem is. I have no say in how or if the team goes about fixing it.

 

[traparatus]

Honestly, it's amazing to me how much this season mirrors last year. Trotz/Reirden should be fired. Orpik is done. Team sucks and needs a shake-up trade. Meanwhile they're at/near the top of the division the whole time playing an inconsistent frustrating brand of hockey.

I feel like you are insinuating that we are on the path to success.

While I think there is plenty the team should try to replicate from the Cup winning season, 76% penalty kill is not one of those things. Sure, a team can overcome a sucky PK on route to the Cup but I wouldn't call it an integral part of the winning formula.

 

[Melkor]

PP is all about zone entry, zone entry is all about Kuznetsov. If someone knows how to fix Kuznetsov, I'm all ears.

Nobody on this roster will be bumped out of PP1 and so there is nothing to fix. All improvements have to come from players already on the roster doing their job better.

Interesting. The question is : what if players already on the roster are not going to do their job better?

 

[Calicaps]

I feel like you are insinuating that we are on the path to success.

While I think there is plenty the team should try to replicate from the Cup winning season, 76% penalty kill is not one of those things. Sure, a team can overcome a sucky PK on route to the Cup but I wouldn't call it an integral part of the winning formula.

LOL. I'm not insinuating anything. I'm making an observation. The team and the fans' reactions to them are virtually identical to last year. That's all.

 

[twabby]

I don't actually think Orpik is the problem with the PK, nor do I really think the PK is a problem. They're about middle of the pack if you actually care for the raw data and don't worry as much about their ordinal ranking and besides, a strong PK in the playoffs is IMO much more about gameplanning against one particular opponent than it is about having a strong regular season PK.

Also for those who care, their underlyings on the PK are decent.

Their defensive woes are much more pronounced at ES where they continue to bleed quality chances against and continue to play loose an undisciplined in the neutral zone. That should be the main focus of the team and the coaching staff, not the PK.

 

[traparatus]

Interesting. The question is : what if players already on the roster are not going to do their job better?

Then we are f*******d.

Kuznetsov is not coming off PP1. While he is on the ice, nobody else is going to carry the puck into the offensive zone, so that's that.

Your stars have to play like stars. No amount of deadline tinkering will help us get around this fact.

 

[Barry Amsterdam]

Getting duchene would be sick

Ovi kuz Wilson
Duchene Backstrom Oshie
Vrana Eller Connolly

 

[traparatus]

I don't actually think Orpik is the problem with the PK, nor do I really think the PK is a problem. They're about middle of the pack if you actually care for the raw data and don't worry as much about their ordinal ranking and besides, a strong PK in the playoffs is IMO much more about gameplanning against one particular opponent than it is about having a strong regular season PK.

Also for those who care, their underlyings on the PK are decent.

Their defensive woes are much more pronounced at ES where they continue to bleed quality chances against and continue to play loose an undisciplined in the neutral zone. That should be the main focus of the team and the coaching staff, not the PK.

Whatever. I guess they are bad at gameplanning their PK for one particular opponent.

Or maybe Caps had a poor PK last regular season, followed by poor PK in the playoffs, followed by poor PK this regular season because our penalty killers are bad at killing penalties.

 

[twabby]

Whatever. I guess they are bad at gameplanning their PK for one particular opponent.

Or maybe Caps had a poor PK last regular season, followed by poor PK in the playoffs, followed by poor PK this regular season because our penalty killers are bad at killing penalties.

It's possible, but there is actually a noticeable change in terms of what is happening on the PK this season:

It sucks that the results aren't there and these pictures of course don't tell the whole story, but they are doing a much better job this season denying chances from in front and are doing a better job in general denying all chances. Pucks are still going in the net, but until there's a solid theory as to why they are still in the bottom third in PK rankings I'm willing to consider they are just having poor luck/goaltending this season on the PK.

 

[Silky mitts]

Can't argue with that.

The problem is what the problem is. I have no say in how or if the team goes about fixing it.

Last year Caps were 7th in PP 15th in PK, this year they’re 15th in PP an 23rd in PK, with PK trending up and PP trending down. I’d be surprised if internally their deadline priority is to fix the PK.

 

[traparatus]

Last year Caps were 7th in PP 15th in PK, this year they’re 15th in PP an 23rd in PK, with PK trending up and PP trending down. I’d be surprised if internally their deadline priority is to fix the PK.

 

[Melkor]

Then we are f*******d.

Kuznetsov is not coming off PP1. While he is on the ice, nobody else is going to carry the puck into the offensive zone, so that's that.

Your stars have to play like stars. No amount of deadline tinkering will help us get around this fact.

I'm not about just the deadline. I think they legit need one more really skilled forward now and going forward. How will they make it work is a whole different question. I'm not saying they should just put Kuzy out of the PP1 but the thing is he's failing at zone entrys more often than not this season and thats one of the main reasons that PP often looks like a joke. He also is a liability in the dot and if he doesnt play on the line with Wilson, his line spends too much time on the back end. He's a elite offensive player but has obvious holes in his game and when you take into account how often his game depends solely on his mood, you get a very inconsistent #1C. I'm for the offensive depth, not the depth in a sense of having 8-9 okay nhlers for a bottom-6 position but for the depth to have a real choice of who you can use in the top-6, can you replace from time to time an underperforming guy on a PP1 while not losing in quality of personnel, in a sense of just overpowering the opposition with skill in case the chemistry fails to work. They grinded out last year's win based of off clutch plays of guys who were borderline NHLers just a couple years ago. You can't expect it to work that way every year.

 

[traparatus]

It's possible, but there is actually a noticeable change in terms of what is happening on the PK this season:

It sucks that the results aren't there and these pictures of course don't tell the whole story, but they are doing a much better job this season denying chances from in front and are doing a better job in general denying all chances. Pucks are still going in the net, but until there's a solid theory as to why they are still in the bottom third in PK rankings I'm willing to consider they are just having poor luck/goaltending this season on the PK.

They are getting scored on because they are allowing free passes right across the slot. As illustrated by yesterday's game against Anaheim.

This PK issue is not just a problem in and of itself. It's combined with the fact that we have a number of players whose default defending position is with their stick parallel to the ice, right into opponents mid-section so we take just an absolute ****ton of penalties. This is unlikely to change.

 

[twabby]

They are getting scored on because they are allowing free passes right across the slot. As illustrated by yesterday's game against Anaheim.

This PK issue is not just a problem in and of itself. It's combined with the fact that we have a number of players whose default defending position is with their stick parallel to the ice, right into opponents mid-section so we take just an absolute ****ton of penalties. This is unlikely to change.

Is the first statement true, or is it just recency bias talking? I seem to remember a lot more bullshit bounces resulting in goals against than undefended cross-ice seem passes.

I agree they take way too many penalties, but it comes down to skating hard and playing defense properly which Kuznetsov certainly needs to improve on. I don't think any deadline acquisition solves this problem, it has to come from within the locker room and ideally from player leadership telling Kuznetsov and Kempny to cut out with the dumb penalties.

I think one move that should be explored to bumping Djoos up into the top 4. What he lacks in size and board-play he makes up in for everything else, including not taking penalties.

 

[Portable Mink]

Stone is the one who helps all situational. And that’s kinda what we need, just a bit of improvement across the board.

Now he’s a huge target and be we wouldn’t be able to re-sign most likely unless we moved Bura and one of the struggling D. But then you also have to re-sign Vrana.

Tough job GMBM

 

[Silky mitts]

Can't argue with that.

The problem is what the problem is. I have no say in how or if the team goes about fixing it.

Caps are last among likely Eastern playoff teams in both PK% and PP allowed. You say the problem is they need better penalty killers I say the problem is consistent discipline, same as last year. Against Anaheim they left between the hash marks more on the PK than the previous 8 games combined.

 

[LesDiablesRouges]

I still see BMac grabbing a top-six FWD that can play anywhere in the top-nine and then a speedy/FO-type PK specialist.

 

[Calicaps]

I still see BMac grabbing a top-six FWD that can play anywhere in the top-nine and then a speedy/FO-type PK specialist.

I don't. The second guy, yeah, but a high-cost guy, nah.

 

[trick9]

Did the ''Patrick Kane loophole'' ever get solved by the league after Stan Bowman took full advantage of it and won the Cup for the Blackhawks in 2015? TJ Oshie being made of glass and obviously not even close to being fully fit could open the door for that.

 

[SherVaughn30]

Duchene makes little sense to me.

He's almost 55% on face-offs. That would be a huge plus for the Caps. I would say it will take something like Eller+1st+more to land him if he were to sign an extension. Highly unlikely the Caps would get him.

 

[Ridley Simon]

I don't even know if I like Duchene as a player, period. Everywhere he goes some BS drama seems to follow. I didn't like that uber thing either. Players ragging on a coach, I understand but this is a vet and one of your supposed leaders bad mouthing a coach while in the company of rockies and youngerlings. That's no good.

Also, he is having a nice season this year when Ottawa has abandoned all defensive structure and is playing pond hockey but last year, while his team was trying to grind out games and make the playoffs, he was not exactly all world. Don't want to pay the price for Duchene, don't want to see Vrana bumped down to make room for him, don't want this guy around the locker room.

Perhaps. Perhaps he’s never been in a place that helped him grow into the type of leader he should be. It’s not like those Avalanche teams (lead by me first guys like ROR) has leadership in spades.

The Caps have a pretty cohesive, strong, spirited group of professionals. They are like almost 10 deep in that regard (seriously, at least 8....Orpik, Niskanen, Carlson, Holtby, Ovechkin, Backstrom, Wilson, Oshie, etc etc), so I cant imagine a guy like Duchene — who I see more as a passenger than a driver — making the room a negative “thing”. That diminishes the strengths aforementioned leaders. I don’t think the BS issues are worth ignoring this player. At all.

But like I said, I don’t know that I want that team to pony up for his services. I also don’t disagree that his stats are pretty inflated. They are. BUT, he’s a far better player than Burakovsky...of that’s who’s spot he takes in the lineup (proverbially speaking).

I go back to this: I trust GMBM. If he’s wants Duchene, then go and get him. But I’m not so sure that the case ..... Toffoli or Nyquist seem more his speed right now.

We will see

 

[Ridley Simon]

Honestly, it's amazing to me how much this season mirrors last year. Trotz/Reirden should be fired. Orpik is done. Team sucks and needs a shake-up trade. Meanwhile they're at/near the top of the division the whole time playing an inconsistent frustrating brand of hockey.

Ding ding ding. We have a winner!!!

 

[Ridley Simon]

I feel like you are insinuating that we are on the path to success.

While I think there is plenty the team should try to replicate from the Cup winning season, 76% penalty kill is not one of those things. Sure, a team can overcome a sucky PK on route to the Cup but I wouldn't call it an integral part of the winning formula.

She is simply saying that many posters (obv less than last year, but still a lot) are ready to make massive changes. And yet we have a Stanley Cup winning group (proven), that can thump good teams and lose to bad ones.

Sounds like a group that is waiting for the challenge. Maybe they can’t ratchet it up. Or maybe they do again. I’d imagine management will err on the side of caution....for good reason, IMO.

 

[Ridley Simon]

Interesting. The question is : what if players already on the roster are not going to do their job better?

Then they won’t repeat as Stanley Cup Champions.

 

[Portable Mink]

It’s clear that this teams issue is motivation. I think 2 of our goals against SJ were the result of strong physical play. That’s our best game. We aren’t doing it unless we are down and half the time that’s too late.

If the coaches can’t get them up and about, someone has to.

You’re either good, bad, average or inconsistent. If you’re inconsistent it’s between the ears.