GDT: Caps vs Bruins 7pm ET Jan 20

[DWGie26]

Just so much inconsistency in the lines… it’s hard. And dare I say we miss Sheary! Probably put Oshie on the top line if he can ever get healthy. 4th line will find its groove when back together. We can fill 1 missing dee. But gets thin if we have to replace 2 or 3 despite the number of options.

 

[Baszie]

Pens just won so Caps fall into WC1 spot. Boston also has 4 games in hand on the Caps.

If the Islanders find there form, I could see us miss the Playoffs. They have a lot of extra games left to.

 

[caps4cup]

Agree. The hate is ridiculous and most of it isn't backed up with accurate information. An example is the rebound comments. He's actually among the top 10 goalies in fewest rebounds per save. He played a good game tonight.

He gave up 4 goals on 2.7 expected goals. He in no way, shape, or form played a good game. Ullmark was just even worse than him, and they still lost.

 

[Capsman]

I know this is a Captain Obvious statement, but I have really had enough of Haglin. Our PK is awful with him. If he was even a remotely competent passer, or consistently made the right plays, or was a good puck possession guy in a cycle I could live with the lousy finishing. With the PK as it is I really don’t see any role for him in a playoff contending team. None.

 

[DWGie26]

April 29th = last regular season game

plenty of time

26th now for the caps. Columbus moved from 28th.

 

[Skrudland2Lomakin]

Deserved to win O’ meter 16.4%. This is Habs level bad.

Almost like playing a playoff team without half your starting defense, and half your top 6, is kind of an uphill battle... weird.


Did y'all expect to win this? I'm pretty impressed it was this close

 

[BallardEra]

If the Islanders find there form, I could see us miss the Playoffs. They have a lot of extra games left to.

Wow, just checked and they have 9 games in hand.

 

[DWGie26]

If we took 10 game stretch from earlier in the year we would win the Presidents trophy. If we take the last 10 we don’t make the playoffs. Doesn’t work like that. Caps will be fine, but saying they won’t make the playoffs is laughable. Won’t even be close. They will end in top 3.

 

[tycoonheart]

We can’t keep blaming the coach. At some point the players and GM have to take ownership too. Lavi is a little bit of a dinosaur to me and there are thing he does that drives me crazy but he is not the main problem. I have had concerns for a while with the roster construction but there is also a lack of effort right now that this team has often displayed with almost all coaches.

Their compete level isn't there right now, that is absolutely true. It isn't where it was a few months ago. But I also think that falls on the coach. He has got to figure out the right buttons to push to get these guys going.

I also think teams have adjusted to what we try to do on offense. You pressure the puck carrier and we can't do jack. We don't have a quick passing game to counter it. We also don't think quick in the offensive zone. Everything seems slow developing.

Whatever it is things don't look good right now.

 

[bur and 666 others]

Almost like playing a playoff team without half your starting defense, and half your top 6, is kind of an uphill battle... weird.


Did y'all expect to win this? I'm pretty impressed it was this close

They also missed significant players and managed to win.

 

[Carlzner]

The compete level isn't there because they're old and Lavi has refused to play someone in their 20's more than 6 minutes a night all season.

 

[Skrudland2Lomakin]

If the Islanders find there form, I could see us miss the Playoffs. They have a lot of extra games left to.

LMAO


Okay, we are not missing the playoffs the Islander are 21 points behind us and only have a 9 game difference, a difference mind you that means they will need to play a marathon of games to make up at the end of the season.


LITERALLY every team has a stretch like this at some point in the season.


Toronto, Pitt, and Colorado started the year off like this.


We are missing way more of our team than most clubs. Everyone calm down.


Damn I was sitting here tonight trying to remember why I don't post here anymore and some of these doom and gloom posts really reminding me

 

[troyerlaw]

Almost like playing a playoff team without half your starting defense, and half your top 6, is kind of an uphill battle... weird.


Did y'all expect to win this? I'm pretty impressed it was this close

I mean Bruins were playing with 10 forwards and their goalie was awful. So it’s not like it was an unwinnable game. Our PP ineptitude is killing us. In four PPs we recorded a total of TWO shots. That’s spectacularly horrible

 

[txpd]

I know it doesn't fit the narrative around here but that penalty on Dowd was a fantasy and the NHL office should be embarrassed that they gave that game away like that on national tv. Pathetic.

 

[caps4cup]

If the Islanders find there form, I could see us miss the Playoffs. They have a lot of extra games left to.

Even if the Islanders go 34-16 in their last 50 games, which would give them a 41-18-1 finish to the season, the Caps would have to finish just 24-17 (a 26-21-2 finish to the season) to beat them out.

Both scenarios are extremely unlikely when taking into consideration their xG and other underlying stats. I don’t even think the Caps finished that poorly under TR in 19/20 when they looked like they had the structure of a beer league team. They need to get healthy and figure out their special teams.

 

[Ovie's Neighbor]

The compete level isn't there because they're old and Lavi has refused to play someone in their 20's more than 6 minutes a night all season.

Completely agree. OV looked so fast the start of the season and now he is back to his old stumbling self.

 

[Skrudland2Lomakin]

They also missed significant players and managed to win.

Barely win, and they were missing players who started the game. What injuries did they have to their existing roster that is comparable to missing Oshie, Mantha, Sheary, Carlson, Orlov?


I can't believe anyone is looking at these rosters and going "both teams had some rough rosters"

 

[txpd]

I mean Bruins were playing with 10 forwards and their goalie was awful. So it’s not like it was an unwinnable game. Our PP ineptitude is killing us

Some power play players would help. Carlson and Oshie are good and Backstrom is still in training camp mode. Backstrom was their leading scorer last season. Carlson is the top scoring defenseman in the league. Oshie led the team in power play goals last season. Its a pretty big dent

 

[tycoonheart]

I know it doesn't fit the narrative around here but that penalty on Dowd was a fantasy and the NHL office should be embarrassed that they gave that game away like that on national tv. Pathetic.

We had 4 PP opportunities and did nothing with it. That's the bigger issue.

 

[Skrudland2Lomakin]

Honest question for the "Lavi won't play the kids" crowd. McMichael aside... who do you think has shown they're worthy of more ice time and thusly would actually be useful?


Just giving ice time to young guys and letting them gets absolutely shellacked is detrimental to development, it's why coaches protect young players with ice time and carefully select line mates.


I agree McMichael has proven he should be getting more minutes... I'm kind of at a loss for who else has demonstrated they should be in the top 9 regularly.

 

[Carlzner]

Some power play players would help. Carlson and Oshie are good and Backstrom is still in training camp mode. Backstrom was their leading scorer last season. Carlson is the top scoring defenseman in the league. Oshie led the team in power play goals last season. Its a pretty big dent

Give it a rest.

You do realize they're like last in the league? A league filled with teams that have also had their fair share of injuries and covid protocols? A league filled with teams that don't have the best power play scorer of all time in their lineup?

 

[Skrudland2Lomakin]

Some power play players would help. Carlson and Oshie are good and Backstrom is still in training camp mode. Backstrom was their leading scorer last season. Carlson is the top scoring defenseman in the league. Oshie led the team in power play goals last season. Its a pretty big dent

Yeah those guys are pretty good I guess, but the Bruins had to play part of the game tonight without a guy who has 11 career points so all things considered it's pretty equal....

 

[DWGie26]

Give it a rest.

You do realize they're like last in the league? A league filled with teams that have also had their fare share of injuries and covid protocols? A league filled with teams that don't have the best power play scorer of all time in their lineup?

I might look to AJF. And go deeper to Snively, Beck (out with COVID), or even Gersich. But if you are not going to play CMM then send him to Hersey.

 

[DWGie26]

Whoops… quoted the wrong post. Mean to quote @Skrudland2Lomakin .

 

[max21]

LMAO


Okay, we are not missing the playoffs the Islander are 21 points behind us and only have a 9 game difference, a difference mind you that means they will need to play a marathon of games to make up at the end of the season.


LITERALLY every team has a stretch like this at some point in the season.


Toronto, Pitt, and Colorado started the year off like this.


We are missing way more of our team than most clubs. Everyone calm down.


Damn I was sitting here tonight trying to remember why I don't post here anymore and some of these doom and gloom posts really reminding me

I like to read your posts, don’t go