Post-Game Talk: Caps Preds 8:00 the return of the nisky

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maacoshark

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I thought the problem last night was blocked shots, not an unwillingness to shoot. If anything they looked like they needed to be more selective with their shot attempts.
That wasn't the problem. We gave up 6 goals. If we want to fix this we have to start with the defensive zone and time of possession. If we can fix that stuff the offense will take care of itself
 

maacoshark

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I think BB gave Ovechkin too much freedom and he never held Semin and Green accountable but how do you explain the fact that Backstrom evolved into a strong two-way player and a disciplined player?
Backstrom was already a responsible player before he got to the NHL
 
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AtNightWeFly

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Jun 1, 2014
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I still don't think this is a bad team. They just need a new system, something fresh that doesn't snuff them. Last night the only time they played well was when they went crazy! It was chaotic like they didn't give a damn about structure at all and suddenly this burst of energy and creativity came about. Like a caged animal finally released back into the wild! They just need to get rid of the cage, its hard to breathe in it.
 

Alexander the Gr8

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Backstrom was already a responsible player before he got to the NHL

So was Ovechkin. The scouts projected him as one of the future best two-way wingers in the league. Then, he became a one-way winger early on, because he wasn't asked to do things a certain way. The fact that Trotz had to teach him how to be responsible defensively at the age of 28-29 is an embarrassment. It shouldn't have taken 10 years for someone to force him to defend.
 

CapitalsCupReality

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So was Ovechkin. The scouts projected him as one of the future best two-way wingers in the league. Then, he became a one-way winger early on, because he wasn't asked to do things a certain way. The fact that Trotz had to teach him how to be responsible defensively at the age of 28-29 is an embarrassment. It shouldn't have taken 10 years for someone to force him to defend.

The player has to want to play D. Pretty sure Ovy knew how to backcheck before Trotz...whether he wanted to is another question.
 

maacoshark

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So was Ovechkin. The scouts projected him as one of the future best two-way wingers in the league. Then, he became a one-way winger early on, because he wasn't asked to do things a certain way. The fact that Trotz had to teach him how to be responsible defensively at the age of 28-29 is an embarrassment. It shouldn't have taken 10 years for someone to force him to defend.
I never thought he was ever responsible defensively. He has improved in recent years but is still nothing special.
 

Alexander the Gr8

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I never thought he was ever responsible defensively. He has improved in recent years but is still nothing special.

I never implied he was anything special defensively. I just said that Trotz got him in the habit of coming back to help on defense.

The player has to want to play D. Pretty sure Ovy knew how to backcheck before Trotz...whether he wanted to is another question.

He is better defensively than he was pre-Trotz, he used to do fly-bys on the backcheck. Now he actually stops to help.
 

maacoshark

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I never implied he was anything special defensively. I just said that Trotz got him in the habit of coming back to help on defense.



He is better defensively than he was pre-Trotz, he used to do fly-bys on the backcheck. Now he actually stops to help.
I gotta be honest. I wasn't an Ovechkin fan. He grew on me over the years. I didnt like his game. Very lazy in the defensive zone and when he had the puck he would sometimes forget he had teammates on the ice with him. The truth is when we had that first overall pick I wanted the Caps to select Malkin. I thought he was a better all round player and thought a center was more valuable than a winger.
 

Alexander the Gr8

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I gotta be honest. I wasn't an Ovechkin fan. He grew on me over the years. I didnt like his game. Very lazy in the defensive zone and when he had the puck he would sometimes forget he had teammates on the ice with him. The truth is when we had that first overall pick I wanted the Caps to select Malkin. I thought he was a better all round player and thought a center was more valuable than a winger.

Well, it's difficult to imagine what would've happened if we picked Malkin instead, we can't write history backwards. I don't regret picking Ovechkin over Malkin. It was the logical choice at the time, Ovechkin at his peak reached heights that Malkin never reached. Despite the injuries, Malkin evolved into a more effective player than Ovechkin from 2015-2016 onwards.

In the objective of winning the Stanley Cup, I'm not sure we would've had more success with Malkin instead. Pittsburgh would've had Crosby and Ovechkin, and they would've won a few Stanley Cups for sure. Maybe they would even beat Chicago during their runs to the SCF.
 
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