Speculation: Caps General Discussion (Coaching/FAs/Cap/Lines etc) - 2021-22 Regular Season Part 4

[txpd]

Brilliant. Carry on

 

[Baszie]

I just think you want Oshie playing more than that and playing with a better provider. Lets not forget this is the best scoring right wing on the team. Oshie is a "go to guy". As much as you may like Sprong is he really a "go to guy"??

We are talking about 5v5 lines. Over this and last season 5v5;

Sprong: 20 goals in 877 TOI
Oshie: 12 goals in 947 TOI

 

[txpd]

We are talking about 5v5 lines. Over this and last season 5v5;

Sprong: 20 goals in 877 TOI
Oshie: 12 goals in 947 TOI

Thats fair. Where was Oshie playing much of last season? 3RW and fill in center. He only played 2RW the last quarter of the season. Laviolette said he was trying to spread the minutes for the veteran players. Oshie also had 26 evp last season to Sprong's 20.

So, I ask you again. Is Sprong the go to guy that you want next to Backstrom?

 

[Peeri]

Thats fair. Where was Oshie playing much of last season? 3RW and fill in center. He only played 2RW the last quarter of the season. Laviolette said he was trying to spread the minutes for the veteran players. Oshie also had 26 evp last season to Sprong's 20.

So, I ask you again. Is Sprong the go to guy that you want next to Backstrom?

Absolutely. Let's be honest Oshie is much more responsible defensively and fits 3rd line a lot better than Sprong who is weak on the defensive side of the game. And offensively it's a wash. Oshie will still get his PP time and points. Even on paper Sheary - Eller - Oshie sounds okay in both ends of the ice.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

I just think you want Oshie playing more than that and playing with a better provider. Lets not forget this is the best scoring right wing on the team. Oshie is a "go to guy". As much as you may like Sprong is he really a "go to guy"??

I think it’s about maximizing depth and matching styles of play. Sprong has the best snap shot on the team except for maybe Ovi so pairing him with a distributor like Nick makes sense. Nick can also mask some of his defensive deficiencies while Sprong’s speed and pace will compliment Nicky who is… not fast. Sprong was terrific last night but he’s not without his warts in the defensive zone. Oshie is great but he’s slow and I worry about 19 and 77 being able to keep up in the playoffs if they’re a line. Mantha is also a monster along the boards and has a tremendous release so you have Nick in between two guys who can flat out shoot.

I see the Sheary-Eller-Oshie line as a line that would excel at puck retrieval and cycling. They’re also all responsible defensively and would be able to match up well in a shutdown role.

 

[Ridley Simon]

74 - 59 = 15

ah —- and

74 - 19 = 55

 

[RedRocking]

Absolutely. Let's be honest Oshie is much more responsible defensively and fits 3rd line a lot better than Sprong who is weak on the defensive side of the game. And offensively it's a wash. Oshie will still get his PP time and points. Even on paper Sheary - Eller - Oshie sounds okay in both ends of the ice.

I’m not sure I’d say offensively it’s a wash between Sprong and Oshie. Oshie is our second best scorer. And we all complain that we don’t have guys that “drive play” - but Oshie definitely does that well, probably second to Kuzy (apologies to Nick of course).

Recall his spinning backhand feed to LaPierre on opening night. Oshie makes those around him better. He’s great at deflections, battles in front of the net, and grabs rebounds. Sprong is great in space and can wire it, but doesn’t have a complete set of skills like Oshie.

 

[txpd]

I think it’s about maximizing depth and matching styles of play. Sprong has the best snap shot on the team except for maybe Ovi so pairing him with a distributor like Nick makes sense. Nick can also mask some of his defensive deficiencies while Sprong’s speed and pace will compliment Nicky who is… not fast. Sprong was terrific last night but he’s not without his warts in the defensive zone. Oshie is great but he’s slow and I worry about 19 and 77 being able to keep up in the playoffs if they’re a line. Mantha is also a monster along the boards and has a tremendous release so you have Nick in between two guys who can flat out shoot.

I see the Sheary-Eller-Oshie line as a line that would excel at puck retrieval and cycling. They’re also all responsible defensively and would be able to match up well in a shutdown role.

You would put your #2 goal scorer ont the 3rd line. Yes, he is slow. He has always been slow. He has largely played with Backstrom in recent seasons and Backstrom has been slow. I dont see the reason to change that. One last. Backstrom is one of the better defensive forwards on the team as is Oshie, even while slow. Sprong is hideous defensively. You completely change the capabilities of that line with that change.

We will see. Laviolette has proven to be a dinosaur with no ability to comprehend the modern game. He may see it my way. If Mantha is back, I am not convinced that Sprong gets a jersey

 

[txpd]

Absolutely. Let's be honest Oshie is much more responsible defensively and fits 3rd line a lot better than Sprong who is weak on the defensive side of the game. And offensively it's a wash. Oshie will still get his PP time and points. Even on paper Sheary - Eller - Oshie sounds okay in both ends of the ice.

Are we forgetting about HDH? They will still have their job. That effectively makes Oshie 4. I dont think so

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Tough call but I don’t see where Sprong fits well anywhere else…

Definitely burying one of your better guys in Oshie a little though….I’d do it with the idea that Oshie gets moved up a few shifts a period.

Sprong with Backstrom could reap some nice returns.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

You would put your #2 goal scorer ont the 3rd line. Yes, he is slow. He has always been slow. He has largely played with Backstrom in recent seasons and Backstrom has been slow. I dont see the reason to change that. One last. Backstrom is one of the better defensive forwards on the team as is Oshie, even while slow. Sprong is hideous defensively. You completely change the capabilities of that line with that change.

We will see. Laviolette has proven to be a dinosaur with no ability to comprehend the modern game. He may see it my way. If Mantha is back, I am not convinced that Sprong gets a jersey

very possible….but Sprong has some time to cement his place before Mantha returns.

will he? Not holding my breath….

 

[txpd]

Tough call but I don’t see where Sprong fits well anywhere else…

Definitely burying one of your better guys in Oshie a little though….I’d do it with the idea that Oshie gets moved up a few shifts a period.

Sprong with Backstrom could reap some nice returns.

Could. I am just inclined to see Sheary Eller Sprong like earlier this season with Sheary and Sprong getting the minutes that Sheary and Sprong got back then. McMichael time. Call me crazy. Laviolette has a track record. Just yesterday he said he needed to see a 200ft game from Sprong. I dont think anything has changed

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

You would put your #2 goal scorer ont the 3rd line. Yes, he is slow. He has always been slow. He has largely played with Backstrom in recent seasons and Backstrom has been slow. I dont see the reason to change that. One last. Backstrom is one of the better defensive forwards on the team as is Oshie, even while slow. Sprong is hideous defensively. You completely change the capabilities of that line with that change.

We will see. Laviolette has proven to be a dinosaur with no ability to comprehend the modern game. He may see it my way. If Mantha is back, I am not convinced that Sprong gets a jersey

From the start of the 2020-21 season through yesterday Sprong is tied for second with Sheary in terms of 5-on-5 goals and he’s done it playing 250+ minutes less than anyone else in the top five. Oshie is tied for 7th despite playing almost 100 more minutes at 5-on-5. Your #2 goal scorer narrative is kind of misleading — Osh is decent at even strength but a beast on the PP; to me that does not scream #2 goal scorer.

Sprong is a goal scorer. He is among the best on the team at scoring goals. The coaching staff should figure out how to maximize that skill and to me that strategy for Sprong is to put him with the best defensive center (who also happens to be their best passer and is used to playing with a dominant goal scorer).

Oshie on the third line gives them three legitimate scoring lines and he can still eat PP1 minutes (and PK if need be). Also, he hasn’t been able to stay healthy this year. Can he be relied on to play top six minutes along with his other responsibilities?

They can always swap Sprong and Oshie if an in-game situation calls for it and Lavi wants to put some of his best defensive forwards together but I think Sprong riding shotgun with Nick and Oshie dropping to the third line gives them some pretty solid depth.

 

[txpd]

From the start of the 2020-21 season through yesterday Sprong is tied for second with Sheary in terms of 5-on-5 goals and he’s done it playing 250+ minutes less than anyone else in the top five. Oshie is tied for 7th despite playing almost 100 more minutes at 5-on-5. Your #2 goal scorer narrative is kind of misleading — Osh is decent at even strength but a beast on the PP; to me that does not scream #2 goal scorer.

Sprong is a goal scorer. He is among the best on the team at scoring goals. The coaching staff should figure out how to maximize that skill and to me that strategy for Sprong is to put him with the best defensive center (who also happens to be their best passer and is used to playing with a dominant goal scorer).

Oshie on the third line gives them three legitimate scoring lines and he can still eat PP1 minutes (and PK if need be). Also, he hasn’t been able to stay healthy this year. Can he be relied on to play top six minutes along with his other responsibilities?

They can always swap Sprong and Oshie if an in-game situation calls for it and Lavi wants to put some of his best defensive forwards together but I think Sprong riding shotgun with Nick and Oshie dropping to the third line gives them some pretty solid depth.

Lets return to Oshie's time playing center last season which was considerable.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

Lets return to Oshie's time playing center last season which was considerable.

True he did play a decent amount of center but do you think that materially impacted his goal scoring rates? He scored 13 ES goals in 913 minutes in 2019-20 and has 12 in 947 since the start of last season. Not materially different output I don’t think and he didn’t play center that year, and he’s older now.

 

[txpd]

True he did play a decent amount of center but do you think that materially impacted his goal scoring rates? He scored 13 ES goals in 913 minutes in 2019-20 and has 12 in 947 since the start of last season. Not materially different output I don’t think and he didn’t play center that year, and he’s older now.

Sure it effected his production in every way. Its totally up to you if you think Sprong is a more effective offensive player/more effective player than Oshie. Like I said, I wouldn't be surprised come playoffs that Sprong is scratched. Oshie is the #2 goal scorer on the team and yuo seem to be telling me, no. Its Sprong. Ov and then Sprong.

 

[TheLegendOfPatPeake]

Given that Lavi seems to dislike Sprong to some degree, I’d like to see them acquire another RW at the deadline.

 

[Langway]

Lets return to Oshie's time playing center last season which was considerable.

Was it, though? It seems to have been somewhere in the area of about 15% of his ESTOI.

 

[HTFN]

Sure it effected his production in every way. Its totally up to you if you think Sprong is a more effective offensive player/more effective player than Oshie. Like I said, I wouldn't be surprised come playoffs that Sprong is scratched. Oshie is the #2 goal scorer on the team and yuo seem to be telling me, no. Its Sprong. Ov and then Sprong.

It’s okay, breathe and then try to say the words.

“shoot, I guess I didn’t realize that, interesting”.

you’re just dragging the goalposts around with you

 

[Hivemind]

So, I ask you again. Is Sprong the go to guy that you want next to Backstrom?

I wouldn't have a problem with it. Did you watch last night's game? He was terrific, leading the game with four individual high danger scoring chances. The Sheary-Backstrom-Sprong line was consistently dangerous.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

Sure it effected his production in every way. Its totally up to you if you think Sprong is a more effective offensive player/more effective player than Oshie. Like I said, I wouldn't be surprised come playoffs that Sprong is scratched. Oshie is the #2 goal scorer on the team and yuo seem to be telling me, no. Its Sprong. Ov and then Sprong.

I wouldn’t be surprised if Sprong is scratched either but I wouldn’t agree with the decision. And I didn’t say Sprong was the #2 goal scorer — I just highlighted a few stats that showed some context behind Oshie and Sprong’s production.

My viewpoint is that there are a few things that have killed this team in recent playoff runs: lack of depth scoring, lack of team speed, and inconsistent goaltending. My lineup choices are an attempt to mitigate the first two issues.

 

[Roshi]

Oshie is a warrior and hustler who brings the mood up every night, even when not on his ”a-game”. Sprong is nieche finisher as was Connolly, if he can get hot he can be very helpful for a playoff series but if he is not hot theres not much there that earns him a spot over a guy like CMM or Protas.

 

[YippieKaey]

Dream lines would be:

Ovi-Kuzy-Wilson
Sheary-Backy-Oshie
McMichael-Eller-Sprong
Protas-Dowd-Hathaway

 

[TheLegendOfPatPeake]

Dream lines would be:

Ovi-Kuzy-Wilson
Sheary-Backy-Oshie
McMichael-Eller-Sprong
Protas-Dowd-Hathaway

Those still don’t scream playoff success to me.

 

[crab]

If I remember correctly last season Sprong was playing really well at the end of the regular season and once the playoffs started he was a healthy scratch. Im not a huge Sprong fan but he definitely deserved a jersey over some other players. With that said, I would expect the same this playoffs.