GDT: Caps v Rangers

[twabby]

For as bad as Kuznetsov played, and he has been bad, Backstrom has been just as bad. Maybe not in terms of lazy defensive play but every ounce of offensive flair seems to have been sapped from his game. Vrana is going through a bit of a slump but it’s hard not to think that Backstrom lacking the speed to keep up with the pace of the game has hurt Vrana.

For what it’s worth: Backstrom’s 5v5 point total is the same as Richard Panik’s and one more than Carl Hagelin.

 

[traparatus]

I am surprised and disappointed that Kuznetsov-Ovechkin-Wilson line did not get to take the 3rd period off. I understand that it's important to try and pick up points but there comes a time when players must be held accountable.

On a different note, at this time I do not understand what people see in Dillon. He is slow, gets waked every game, takes dumb penalties and leaves the vast majority of puck moving responsibilities to his partner.

 

[Ovie's Neighbor]

The problem with this team isn’t one player...it is everyone. Which is why I feel this is a coaching issue at heart. The bottom two lines had been terrible but are now playing well. But now our top two lines are doing worse. Jensen has improved but Carlson has regressed. Holtby looks somewhat better but Samsonov looks worse. We can’t put together a full 60 because we do not know who will show up and when.

 

[Sam Spade]

All I know is this team would be screwed without Ovechkin and to a lesser extent Eller. I would add Carlson but I have no idea where his head is at the last couple months.

 

[traparatus]

For as bad as Kuznetsov played, and he has been bad, Backstrom has been just as bad. Maybe not in terms of lazy defensive play but every ounce of offensive flair seems to have been sapped from his game. Vrana is going through a bit of a slump but it’s hard not to think that Backstrom lacking the speed to keep up with the pace of the game has hurt Vrana.

For what it’s worth: Backstrom’s 5v5 point total is the same as Richard Panik’s and one more than Carl Hagelin.

Vrana was slumping hard WELL before they switched Backstrom an Kuznetsov around.

I put significant value in Bakstrom's performance in last years playoffs. At this point in his career, I'm willing to accept that there will be rough patches during the regular season. When push came to shove, he stepped up and was our best forward against Carolina, IMO. I'm willing to bet that he will do it again.

Kuznetsov... I don't even know what to say. I've mostly made peace with what he is. Still, every once in while he leaves me in a state of disbelief. Worst defensive top-6 center in the NHL? I can't think of a better alternative.

 

[trick9]

Dillon is Orpik without leadership. Both make mistakes and have their issues. But leadership is what we paid Orpik for. Dillon next contract is going to be a brutal one and i want no part of it.

 

[Corby78]

It’s time TR was canned. This is beyond slump and into suck. We have way too much talent and he seems clueless on what to do. The drop passes the leaving the zone early to try a stretch pass while our d gets crushed by a forecheck, the d spacing, it sucks. This is on the players too (looks at #1 and #2 centers) but unless they are being told to coast and save it for April, this looks unorganized.

since January we have been one of the worst teams in hockey going 6-9-1 with a 3.94 GAA. That makes me vomit just typing it. I can coach them to that, shoot a bag of pucks can do that. I know this is late In the year, but unless your already accepting this is a lost year, I don’t see another way.

 

[ovikovy817]

Gmbm won't fire Todd, one month before the playoffs.

I don't remember a coached fired one month before the playoffs while his team was leading in the division and was 5th overall in the NHL.

I hate zkbanejad since his goal in the WJC in OT against Russia.

At least Kovy scored, and will feel more comfortable.

And Ovi back at the top of the league too.

 

[EYEuhFRAYtee]

Dire straits, the team doesn't want to play D and Sammy has fallen back to Earth and is now as bad as Holtby.

 

[chilimac]

He got a lot of points here for punching Malkin and deservedly so, but

yeah.. i'm still waiting for him to show me something since he said hello to Malkin.

 

[brachyrynchos]

Gmbm won't fire Todd, one month before the playoffs.

I don't remember a coached fired one month before the playoffs while his team was leading in the division and was 5th overall in the NHL.

I hate zkbanejad since his goal in the WJC in OT against Russia.

At least Kovy scored, and will feel more comfortable.

And Ovi back at the top of the league too.

The only coaching change that I can remember was the Devils in 1999-00 when Lamoriello fired Robbie Ftorek (41-20-8-5) with 8 games left in the season and replaced him with assistant coach Larry Robinson (4-4-0-0). The Devils finished 2nd in the Atlantic, 2nd/28 GF, and 7th best GA, I remember it being a pretty shocking move at the time but it ended up working out well for New Jersey as they went on to win the Cup that year.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

Considering is why we are now in this situation. Because Bmac and the owner couldn't make the hard f***ing decision when they needed to.

Firing Rierden when they were slumping in January and February when they were still a top 2-3 team in the league would have been a rash decision. They did the right thing and let the team see if they could play through it. This team has seemingly always been in the doldrums during the February portion of their schedule, especially when the playoffs were all but a statistical certainty, and they come through it with a vengeance in March. Even during Oates' first year they finished the season something like 15-2-1 after looking like they'd miss the playoffs in Jan/Feb. Trotz was almost fired in February in 2018.

Them struggling through this period is their norm and not the exception, but not being able to play through it and somehow getting worse is not. What's more worrisome is that there are no indications that the team is close to finding their way out of it with 15 games remaining and they're panicking, which is why pulling the trigger on Rierden at this point wouldn't be surprising.

 

[SpinningEdge]

I think we are still two more losses in a row from any real chance of a change. If caps come back home after losing vs Pitt and buffalo - we could see a change

 

[max21]

These boards are literally unreadable.

Posters are actively cheering for the team to lose so that the coach can be fired.

Hockey fandom is a luxury. There are much, much, much more important things in life.

Worrying about things that you can’t control is a recipe for misery.

Lol yeah bro, just say f*** really loud then move on. After frustrating losses I try to get a good workout in the next morning and I’m always good after.

 

[Ovie's Neighbor]

These boards are literally unreadable.

Posters are actively cheering for the team to lose so that the coach can be fired.

Hockey fandom is a luxury. There are much, much, much more important things in life.

Worrying about things that you can’t control is a recipe for misery.

I dunno man. I don't think anybody would be happy if TR were fired. More upset that it didn't work out, especially how the Trotz situation was handled. I just don't see how the team improves under TR so I figure why wait longer for something that does not seem like it will work. This team is in the worse slump it has been since Boudreau and he was fired after that slump too. Obviously I would LOVE to be wrong and have them make a deep run with TR.

 

[SpinningEdge]

We are 3-7-3 in last 13. That’s so bad.

 

[max21]

We are 3-7-3 in last 13. That’s so bad.

Holy f***amoly

 

[sycamore]

For as bad as Kuznetsov played, and he has been bad, Backstrom has been just as bad. Maybe not in terms of lazy defensive play but every ounce of offensive flair seems to have been sapped from his game. Vrana is going through a bit of a slump but it’s hard not to think that Backstrom lacking the speed to keep up with the pace of the game has hurt Vrana.

For what it’s worth: Backstrom’s 5v5 point total is the same as Richard Panik’s and one more than Carl Hagelin.

Caps fans have turned a blind eye towards Backstrom all season long.

 

[txpd]

The only coaching change that I can remember was the Devils in 1999-00 when Lamoriello fired Robbie Ftorek (41-20-8-5) with 8 games left in the season and replaced him with assistant coach Larry Robinson (4-4-0-0). The Devils finished 2nd in the Atlantic, 2nd/28 GF, and 7th best GA, I remember it being a pretty shocking move at the time but it ended up working out well for New Jersey as they went on to win the Cup that year.

Yes. Larry Robinson turned out to be among the best coaches of his generation. He was already involved. He had an office and a parking space and a relationship with all the players. He knew where the coffee filters were kept and where the problems that needed to be fixed were.

Somebody from outside doesn't know that stuff.

 

[trick9]

Caps fans have turned a blind eye towards Backstrom all season long.

That's because Kuznetsov lacks effort and that's visible. Backstrom is just slow and seems to be out of position a lot (to his standards). Either way both have been bleeding goals against all season.

 

[txpd]

For as bad as Kuznetsov played, and he has been bad, Backstrom has been just as bad. Maybe not in terms of lazy defensive play but every ounce of offensive flair seems to have been sapped from his game. Vrana is going through a bit of a slump but it’s hard not to think that Backstrom lacking the speed to keep up with the pace of the game has hurt Vrana.

For what it’s worth: Backstrom’s 5v5 point total is the same as Richard Panik’s and one more than Carl Hagelin.

Vrana...are you going to defend his 20 game disappearing act like you did every one of Burakovsky's?

I am looking at even strenth point totals here. Backstrom has 34. Hagelin 22. Panik 20. I see a difference.

Kuzy. 10pts in his last 20. Backstrom. 17pts in his last 20. I see a difference

 

[Langway]

Somebody from outside doesn't know that stuff.

It's not like they can't watch video and be filled in by MacLellan . The day-to-day stuff and relationship building will be harder in a compressed time frame but an experienced option wouldn't find it all that difficult. It's a unique group but a fresh start alone could be helpful for everyone. I doubt it happens in-season mostly because not only does Reirden realistically need to go but the entire assistant staff as well and you very rarely see in-season wholesale changes for a playoff team. They're going to make the playoffs but the possibility of just a few playoff gates is very real once again. Beyond the whole wasting a year of the core group that wouldn't be great for the bottom line either.

Backstrom is certainly part of the problem lately. The math is off but he's been a neutral and defensive zone liability. 19/74 are way too valuable to play anywhere close to how they've been playing. They've sort of gotten used to 92 and some cold streaks from 13 but those first two are insurmountable problems when not consistently on.

 

[Devil Dancer]

I'd run 8 - 92 - 17 for a few games to see how it goes. They've played well together in very limited time. It may be that playing between the Russian snipers motivates 92.

And before you say "but what about defense?!?" the team D is awful now with the current ineffective lines.

Of course, TR could try to make actual changes, like line matching, but that seems to be beyond his will or ability.

 

[Capsman]

All I know is this team would be screwed without Ovechkin and to a lesser extent Eller. I would add Carlson but I have no idea where his head is at the last couple months.

I'm not 100% convinced of this. I'm not convinced whatever other top line forward they have doesn't get 25 points and the other guys they do have don't stop looking for him all the time increase their production a bit. Last night OV had 2 goals; one was on his patented office slap shot, the other was a wide open rebound to him 6x5 that most top 6 players would have put away. Does that balance his poor defense, fumbling pucks/turnovers all over the place to end possessions, losing 90% of puck battles, and numerous 1 on 3 forays that amount to nothing? I really don't know. Maybe playoff OV is different, but I'm not convinced the Caps are significantly worse off without regular season OV.

 

[txpd]

It's not like they can't watch video and be filled in by MacLellan.

Being told what a problem is and seeing it in action in person are completely different. Robinson had all the advantages. You know there is a difference. It doesn't mean that
the difference cant be overcome but this one example is the only example of what we are talking about. It came with all those advantages. Lets start that Larry Robinson turned out to be an elite coach.
There's a reason there is only one example of this