GDT: Caps v Rangers

[txpd]

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.

Actually, the first goal was a wrist shot and not the one timer. The second goal was an example that he is not stationary. That he does move. But I see your point. The Caps could survive fine without him.

 

[Langway]

There's a reason there is only one example of this

Just as there's a reason why there are so few firings period of teams in their current standings placement. The other example is one you've sort of alluded to in the Devils a few years later canning Julien late in the season with Lou taking over behind the bench. But that was more of an emergency, last resort type of thing and, again, it's hard to see that happening unless Reirden goes Cassidy and starts burning bridges and becoming toxic. Very doubtful.

It certainly helps to know the various personalities and systems to hit the ground running but a fresh approach is not exactly without merit either. I don't think Arniel having a front row seat to their issues would make him any more insightful or credible than someone that simply carries more experience and credibility. A lot of their problems essentially boil down to laziness, cheating positionally/defensively, lack of support and focus. It's the fundamentals. They have their way of doing things which would greatly complicate any sort of tactical changes at this point but on this sort of course it seems like just a matter of time until a new approach is called for. Maybe they could try to revamp the blueline and trade Kuznetsov in the off-season or something but they're far from their only problems at this stage.

 

[StrikingDistance]

Don't get the Dillon hate so far. New to a struggling team, paired with a struggling Dman....he's the least of our worries right now.

Top:

PP - Fire Forsythe and hire someone from HF
Disjointed Defensive 'system'
Personnel use
Penalties...think the Caps have a rep now
Kareless Kuzy
Slacky Backy
Carlson gone Snorris
Ovi's Oops
Vrana snake bitten?
Gudas vs Kempny....the Battle for Suckville

 

[francaisvolantsparis]

5v5, no empty net, last 20 games

Player	GP	Points
Evgeny Kuznetsov	17	7
Nicklas Backstrom	20	3

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

 

[twabby]

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

Vrana is still leading the team in 5v5 point scoring. He has some consistency issues and I think he’s a bad fit on PP1 but he’s certainly not the problem.

Backstrom has 20 5v5 points, the other 14 ES points include 3v3, 4v4, and 6v5/5v6 (for some reason) situations. He’s been a black hole offensively at 5v5 and a key reason why the PP has struggled this season. You’re not going to get me to say Kuznetsov has been better because he hasn’t been better overall. But as other posters mentioned Kuznetsov’s faults are easily visible while Backstrom’s faults have been a death by a thousand cuts.

I’m sympathetic to the argument that Backstrom is more likely to turn it on in the playoffs compared to others but when assessing the current state of the team Backstrom is a key reason why they stink right now, along with Kuznetsov and Carlson and the coaching staff.

 

[um]

5v5, no empty net, last 20 games

Player	GP	Points
Evgeny Kuznetsov	17	7
Nicklas Backstrom	20	3

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

that Backstrom contract scares me. I'm more impressed with Eller most nights.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

So many blame game players.....

 

[Corby78]

Remember when Backstrom used to flirt with a point/g average?

 

[francaisvolantsparis]

Remember when Backstrom used to flirt with a point/g average?

Yeah, Nylander did it too

 

[kicksavedave]

Remember when Backstrom used to flirt with a point/g average?

Yep, like this year when he has 52 pts in 59 games. And last year when he had 74/80. Or the year before when he had 71/81.

For those who like percentages, that's .88, .92, and .87 ppg.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

that Backstrom contract scares me. I'm more impressed with Eller most nights.

It shouldn’t scare anyone. It is what it is....it’s signed and done.

Anyone expecting him to earn that yearly wage by pure production from here on out will likely be sorely disappointed.

 

[txpd]

Vrana is still leading the team in 5v5 point scoring. He has some consistency issues and I think he’s a bad fit on PP1 but he’s certainly not the problem..

Twabs. Come on, Buddy. Vrana is a PRIMARY source of goal scoring. He has 2 goals in the last 17. That's a problem. The Caps have lost 11 of those games. Its a big problem. The only goal scoring the Caps are getting in the top 6 over that period is Ov, Wilson and Oshie.

Lets try this a different way. If Vrana scores zero goals in a 7 game playoff series, they lose.

 

[Raikkonen]

Lets try this a different way. If Vrana scores zero goals in a 7 game playoff series, they lose.

Last year that happened. IIRC he had only 1 goal.

 

[caps4cup]

that Backstrom contract scares me. I'm more impressed with Eller most nights.

I think Eller has been their best forward this year. He hounds pucks, protects it extremely well, and has brought that work ethic pretty much every night. He’s been awesome.

 

[txpd]

I think Eller has been their best forward this year. He hounds pucks, protects it extremely well, and has brought that work ethic pretty much every night. He’s been awesome.

Just recognizing that Eller is limited. Backstrom is still about a point per game player.

 

[AussieCapsFan]

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.

I'm not talking about that far back. I'm talking about the loss to the Devils on February 23rd. I have said several times that should have been the time to fire him. They went on to beat the Pens the next day and are "50/50" since then but that's not because they've played well or improved, it's just they've got enough talent and have scrambled enough to get those wins. Nobody can tell me the team has looked good in any of those games. Yes we beat our arch nemesis the Pens 5-3 but they were in the middle of their own 6 game slump at the time, so it's not like it was particularly impressive.

Now here we are two weeks later and two weeks closer to the playoffs, with no improvement and no sign of the players responding to anything the coaches are doing.

 

[AussieCapsFan]

that Backstrom contract scares me. I'm more impressed with Eller most nights.

Wouldn't we expect Connor McMichael to be ready next season or is that too soon? If he becomes our 2nd line center then Backstrom drops to 3rd. But then I don't know what happens to Eller. Maybe Backstrom drops to 4th line
and becomes the most expensive 4th line center in the league

 

[kicksavedave]

Wouldn't we expect Connor McMichael to be ready next season or is that too soon? If he becomes our 2nd line center then Backstrom drops to 3rd. But then I don't know what happens to Eller. Maybe Backstrom drops to 4th line
and becomes the most expensive 4th line center in the league

I think if Kuzy doesn't figure something out, they have to contemplate moving him this summer. Sure I KNOW he has all world talent but his Give-A-Shit factor lately has been near zero. Backie to 1C, Eller 2C, CMM 3C. What it may lose in talent vs with Kuzy in there is should overcome with consistent compete level.


Just not sure how long we can hope Kuzy starts to care regularly. One CS playoff run buys a lot of benefit of the doubt. But he's used up a lot of benefit of the doubt since then. These playoffs should decide his fate in DC.

 

[SpinningEdge]

Shit has hit the fan

 

[um]

Wouldn't we expect Connor McMichael to be ready next season or is that too soon? If he becomes our 2nd line center then Backstrom drops to 3rd. But then I don't know what happens to Eller. Maybe Backstrom drops to 4th line
and becomes the most expensive 4th line center in the league

I would assume McMichael starts at Wing.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

Alright, we're done here. On to Pittsburgh.