Speculation: Caps General Discussion (Coaching/FAs/Cap/Lines etc) - 2019-20 Season Pt. 1: Drop. The. Puck.

[Hinterland]

Cool opinions. I will also take the time to share your opinion of Alexander Ovechkin with the group.


And your comparison between him and that punk Foegele



Just because nobody liked you in the Canes forum while you actively rooted for them against the Capitals last year doesn't mean you get to hop the fence and annoy us here. Go away. Or as the Canes fans said:

Who says I rooted for the Canes against the Caps? You? It's funny because I didn't know that until now...

I also still don't like what Ovechkin did to Svechnikov. From a neutral standpoint you cannot like this.

I expressed my opinion on the Foegele hit here already. A foul of course but Oshie was very unfortunate to suffer an injury there. If anyone on the Canes is a punk and deserves to be suspended then it's McGinn.

I'm not gonna follow the Canes this season so it would be kinda pointless to continue posting there. Can't watch all games of all teams.

 

[Sam Spade]

It’s while I’ll never be satisfied with the top pp Til they show post season winning commitment to effort and puck control to match their skill. I just expect so much out of them.

Like 29.3% in 2018? Or even 25% in 2019? They can't score on every PP.

 

[searle]

Who says I rooted for the Canes against the Caps? You? It's funny because I didn't know that until now...

I also still don't like what Ovechkin did to Svechnikov. From a neutral standpoint you cannot like this.

I expressed my opinion on the Foegele hit here already. A foul of course but Oshie was very unfortunate to suffer an injury there. If anyone on the Canes is a punk and deserves to be suspended then it's McGinn.

I'm not gonna follow the Canes this season so it would be kinda pointless to continue posting there. Can't watch all games of all teams.

He got challenged, he beat his willing combatant handily. What part of it is his fault?

 

[Hinterland]

He got challenged, he beat his willing combatant handily. What part of it is his fault?

I like fighting and I think there has to be a place for it in today's NHL. However, players should get punished for both sucker punches (eg Lucic) and throwing punches at already knocked out and defenseless players like Ovechkin did. Those kind of actions against unconscious or unsuspecting players are causing lots of concussions or other head injuries. They're stupid and not necessary.
Ovechkin had Svechnikov going down, yet still he keeps on punching him, basically ramming his head into the ice. This is dangerous and almost guaranteed to cause an injury. Ovechkin knew that Svechnikov would most likely suffer a head injury before throwing that punch. He still did it and that's the part I didn't like. I get that some of it happened in the heat of the moment and that Ovi probably wouldn't do anything like it during the regular season. Still, I didn't like it and I don't think you can from a neutral standpoint.

 

[Lindemann]

Only early in the season but we have looked the most consistent I can remember

every period we have played very well (or at least decent) even in the 3rds where we had derp moments and lost the lead

it’s not like In the past, including last year where we would only play 20 minutes for half the year, which was completely frustrating

 

[Corby78]

I like fighting and I think there has to be a place for it in today's NHL. However, players should get punished for both sucker punches (eg Lucic) and throwing punches at already knocked out and defenseless players like Ovechkin did. Those kind of actions against unconscious or unsuspecting players are causing lots of concussions or other head injuries. They're stupid and not necessary.
Ovechkin had Svechnikov going down, yet still he keeps on punching him, basically ramming his head into the ice. This is dangerous and almost guaranteed to cause an injury. Ovechkin knew that Svechnikov would most likely suffer a head injury before throwing that punch. He still did it and that's the part I didn't like. I get that some of it happened in the heat of the moment and that Ovi probably wouldn't do anything like it during the regular season. Still, I didn't like it and I don't think you can from a neutral standpoint.

Something tells me you haven’t ever been in a fight, much less a fight in a hockey game

 

[Bieronymus Trotz]

I like fighting and I think there has to be a place for it in today's NHL. However, players should get punished for both sucker punches (eg Lucic) and throwing punches at already knocked out and defenseless players like Ovechkin did. Those kind of actions against unconscious or unsuspecting players are causing lots of concussions or other head injuries. They're stupid and not necessary.
Ovechkin had Svechnikov going down, yet still he keeps on punching him, basically ramming his head into the ice. This is dangerous and almost guaranteed to cause an injury. Ovechkin knew that Svechnikov would most likely suffer a head injury before throwing that punch. He still did it and that's the part I didn't like. I get that some of it happened in the heat of the moment and that Ovi probably wouldn't do anything like it during the regular season. Still, I didn't like it and I don't think you can from a neutral standpoint.

I get that you were probably busy watching Calgary and three different NLA playoff games at the time, but you should probably watch a video of the actual fight before making up an opinion about it.

 

[HSHS]

Like 29.3% in 2018? Or even 25% in 2019? They can't score on every PP.

I don’t care about regular season stats against half of teams that are garbage. I care about how they achieve those stats and how those successes are reinforced in their minds for when they’re needed come spring. They’re too talented not to be dominant even vs the best.

Scoring on a coast to coast run by kuzy isn’t a reliable strategy. It’s great to have in back pocket if your doing everything else right.

Scoring 2x on a Nashville team who’s team pk strategy was to collapse from diamond to a stacked line when the puck was on the half boards was good fine. We had good movement and quickly got the puck to ovi. But we know better teams aren’t that stupid. And come playoffs when coaches gameplan, that’s gone. As a fan of ovi, I’m happy two goals to add to his stats. As a fan of ovi who wants his name on the cup again, it doesn’t move me.

Since kuzy is back that unit’s zone entrances have been better. But they’re still one dimensional, haven’t shown commitment to puck retrieval and management.

edit: also the post clearly said championship effort and puck management and nothing to do with basic stats. Basic stats show the past two games to be great. I obviously think they’re not.

 

[searle]

I like fighting and I think there has to be a place for it in today's NHL. However, players should get punished for both sucker punches (eg Lucic) and throwing punches at already knocked out and defenseless players like Ovechkin did. Those kind of actions against unconscious or unsuspecting players are causing lots of concussions or other head injuries. They're stupid and not necessary.
Ovechkin had Svechnikov going down, yet still he keeps on punching him, basically ramming his head into the ice. This is dangerous and almost guaranteed to cause an injury. Ovechkin knew that Svechnikov would most likely suffer a head injury before throwing that punch. He still did it and that's the part I didn't like. I get that some of it happened in the heat of the moment and that Ovi probably wouldn't do anything like it during the regular season. Still, I didn't like it and I don't think you can from a neutral standpoint.

I don't agree with what you say happened in the fight. Yes, if you watch the slow motion replay Ovechkin perhaps should have let up, what, 0.5 seconds earlier? He doesn't connect on the punch that he admitidly continues to let fly as the other guy goes down, but they're both off balance and it's just bad luck that he lands so heavily.

If you've ever played any high level sport or been in a fight/done martial arts then you know that things often move faster than you can process.

An experienced fighter would probably handle it better, but Ovi fought, won fairly and ended up falling awkwardly on top of the dude because he was off balance.

Do you dispute that's what went down, or are you suggesting there was some extra intent in how he came down on him as they both landed?

 

[traparatus]

Caps have 2 defensemen — TWO — in the entire system that make more than 2.5m a year. TWO.

Caps have 9 forwards — NINE — in the system that make more than 2.5m a season. NINE

And of course the 6m dollar man G.

So we have a bunch of geniuses in here commenting on how they are worried about the defense and how it’s not where they want it. Well No **** Sherlock. WTF did anyone expect? We ALL knew the defense would be a work in progress. Mainly because the team has all its best prospects — wait for it — ON DEFENSE.

GASP!!!!!

The franchise is banking on youth to MATURE over the course of the season and get better. Crazy concept. I know.

Or — just send in the clowns.

I agree completely. It's a defense by committee, it's not going to be perfect.

Orlov, Kempny, Jensen, Gudas, etc. All these guys have some warts to their game BUT they are getting paid like it. It would be incredible if Jensen was a flawless 1st pairing D who would never-ever get overwhelmed but he wouldn't be getting $2.5m a season and we wouldn't be able to afford him.

Our top-6 forwards are expensive. Right now not all of them are at the top of their game. Backstrom is fighting the puck. Wilson and Oshie are not the relentless force that they can be. Kuznetsov is mostly invisible. Even with all of that, we are still winning games and piling up points at a good rate. It's October, these guys will come around.

I remember saying this last winter and nothing has really changed since then. The only guy who truly concerns me on this team is Holtby. He is not stopping entirely stoppable shots and hasn't been for a long time.

 

[francaisvolantsparis]

Ovechkin KOs Svechnikov

I'll go talk about Caps roster on this thread. Will be back soon.

 

[francaisvolantsparis]

Some stats on our G:

Player	GP	Shots Against/60	SV%	GAA	HD Shots Against/60	HD Saves/60	HDSV%	MD Shots Against/60	MD Saves/60	MDSV%	LD Shots Against/60	LD Saves/60	LDSV%	Rush Attempts Against/60	Rebound Attempts Against/60	Avg. Shot Distance	Avg. Goal Distance
Braden Holtby	4	27.92	0.868	3.67	8.33	5.88	0.706	5.88	5.14	0.875	11.02	10.53	0.956	1.71	2.69	38.63	19.27
Ilya Samsonov	2	25.59	0.961	1	4.52	4.52	1.000	11.04	10.54	0.955	7.53	7.03	0.933	0	1.00	35.96	24.5

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

 

[Futures Passed]

I really don't think Pens are getting in without Malkin but it's the Pens, anything can happen. I don't know about the Sabres, more sticking to what I said in the summer - Flyers will be in the playoffs barring any injury bug. Rangers and Panthers have the advantage in speed and looking at Caps goaltending performance last season and this season, I think any speedy team that the Caps don't have an advantage over at goaltending is not a good looking match up because goaltending is key in making up for defensive disasters and losing races for the pucks in your own zone.

I can’t get any read on the length of Malkin’s injury recover at all. Has anyone seen any hard info. on this? I read something about a soft tissue injury and maybe a month plus recovery, but mostly all I can find is just that they describe it as long term. Apparently, the Pit’s coach reveals as little as possible about injuries, so this is status quo. They are pretty much ravaged by injuries at present though, so it will certainly be a challenge to handle, though they’ve won the last two now. Naturally, I wish them the worst.

 

[HSHS]

Holtby kept us in the Carolina game enough to get a point and to where enough effort would have resulted in a reg win. He was good vs StL. He was below avg vs Preds. I missed the Dallas game.

I don't know and really don't care what the advance stats would say. But I would expect they would show that same amount of high danger shots in the last two games by the defense and holtby making zero saves and Sami making like 6.

On trading Holts.... has there been a goalie traded in the deadline that got anything worthwhile lately? Not sure trading him for a 2nd to a team we may face is worth it on itself alone. However, I would be open to trading him in order to upgrade the defense around the deadline. Long way away. But say trade him to Avs for a 2nd (poor Grube) and then swap that second for a 2nd pair dman on a selling team. To me, that's the only way to potentially make the team better overall if trading Holts is on your mind.

 

[Sam Spade]

I don’t care about regular season stats against half of teams that are garbage.

Those are the last two seasons playoff power play stats not regular season.

 

[HSHS]

Those are the last two seasons playoff power play stats not regular season.

touche'

Not sure how in the hell they were 25% vs Carolina. All I remember is wanting to throw my remote at the tv every time they got on the PP. I'd have to care enough to rewatch those opportunities to actually respond.

WRT 2018 playoffs... really has no bearing on what I've been saying. I was obviously talking about last season and this one so far.

 

[Sam Spade]

touche'

Eh, it's my bad, I should have been more clear on what those numbers were.

 

[LesDiablesRouges]

People are really shitting on Reirden already? I haven’t seen the Caps look this dominant and consistent this early in the season in a while. Last year, it took him a while to find his groove as a rookie HC, but, I’ve seen great signs that his stamp is on this team already, as we are playing with a clear structure, system, and identity. He has all my support.

 

[txpd]

Lets talk about Orlov.

 

[Raikkonen]

Lets talk about Orlov.

Come on. You said we should have traded him before Niskanen. /Thread

 

[francaisvolantsparis]

Lets talk about Orlov.

~ best value/price player in the League

 

[Raikkonen]

Also, ppl still not knowing where the I button is. Its 2019 guys!

 

[Corby78]

He took that puck deep in the zone. He and AJF made that a 2 on 1 with their skates.

 

[maacoshark]

Some stats on our G:

Player	GP	Shots Against/60	SV%	GAA	HD Shots Against/60	HD Saves/60	HDSV%	MD Shots Against/60	MD Saves/60	MDSV%	LD Shots Against/60	LD Saves/60	LDSV%	Rush Attempts Against/60	Rebound Attempts Against/60	Avg. Shot Distance	Avg. Goal Distance
Braden Holtby	4	27.92	0.868	3.67	8.33	5.88	0.706	5.88	5.14	0.875	11.02	10.53	0.956	1.71	2.69	38.63	19.27
Ilya Samsonov	2	25.59	0.961	1	4.52	4.52	1.000	11.04	10.54	0.955	7.53	7.03	0.933	0	1.00	35.96	24.5

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Stats don't tell the entire story. It doesn't tell what the competition was. It also doesn't tell you that the Caps have played a more defensive style when Samsonov has played. There is no doubt that the Caps are trying to shelter Samsonov by playing a tighter defensive game.Reirden pretty much confirmed that.

 

[maacoshark]

~ best value/price player in the League

Orlov still has issues in the defensive zone. I suspect he always will. He has improved a lot over the years but I think this is his peak. I thought his ceiling was going to be higher.