GDT: Caps vs Flyers (Round Robin #2) - 4pm

[txpd]

I want to live in TXPD's universe so I can stop doing half of my job.

Where did i say anything like that?

 

[txpd]

I thought Eller was supposed to be our shutdown checking center, not Backstrom.

The Caps dont use Eller that way. Never really have. The Caps have like to use Backstrom and Oshie. Its just a guess but having Backstrom on the opposing first line puts Eller against the opposing 3rd pair which is where a lot of Connolly's scoring came from.

BTW...Backstrom was filling in for Eller on the pk. My expectation is that when Eller returns that carrying that weight wont be on Backstrom and will allow for more 5 on 5

 

[txpd]

If you think the Washington Capitals are shelling out $11 million to Nick Backstrom to be nothing more than a shutdown center

I am sorry. Where did I say "nothing more than"??

Let me try this again because I have apparantly f***ed up getting my point across.

Backstrom wasnt awful
He was matched up against the Flyer #1 line and shut them down.
He carried the most pk mins in a 6 pk game and the pk was 6-6.
Because there was so much pk he played very limited even strenth time. See Vrana's TOI.
The power play without Carlson changes what Backstrom can do and limits him significantly.

There. I hope that is better.
'

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

Well, except that he is paid for that. The Caps have not for some time used a checking center as a shutdown match up. Trotz used Backstrom for that almost exclusively in the playoffs. Trotz with regularity pumped Backstrom for the Selke. This is why he plays with Oshie who is also a primary defensive forward. Its why they prefer Kuznetsov with Ovechkin. This is nothing new.

Now if you want to complain, you could consider the power play set up that gives him no impactful options to speak of. Of course that is because Carlson is down and that's no one's fault

Correct me if I'm wrong but you're not arguing that Backstrom is paid just to shut down other lines, right? Selke winners / candidates are allowed to (and do) contribute offensively... that's why they're Selke candidates and not 4th liners. O'Reilly won the Selke last year, was/is St. Louis' top line center and won the Conn Smythe last year after leading his team in points in the playoffs. Bergeron and Kopitar were also top point earners as top line centers on their teams. If anything, Backstrom should have an easier time finding success offensively because he doesn't have to play against the other team's top defensemen who will match up against the Ovi-Kuzy-Wilson line.

The argument that Backstrom is being effective at his job because Giroux didn't score and because he was on the PK is not a good one, I don't think.

 

[txpd]

Correct me if I'm wrong but you're not arguing that Backstrom is paid just to shut down other lines, right?.

Correct. I am not saying that at all.

Because of all the special teams time his line skated little and rarely enough to get any rhythm at all.
I am commenting on the one game

 

[hb12xchamps]

I am sorry. Where did I say "nothing more than"??

Let me try this again because I have apparantly f***ed up getting my point across.

Backstrom wasnt awful
He was matched up against the Flyer #1 line and shut them down.
He carried the most pk mins in a 6 pk game and the pk was 6-6.
Because there was so much pk he played very limited even strenth time. See Vrana's TOI.
The power play without Carlson changes what Backstrom can do and limits him significantly.

There. I hope that is better.
'

He's not paid to just shut down the other line. They could shell out a lot less than $11 million to a player to do that full time.

Well, except that he is paid for that. The Caps have not for some time used a checking center as a shutdown match up.

To me, you pretty clearly say he's getting paid to be a shutdown center. If I misunderstood that, my apologies.

Regardless, IMO, Backstrom needs to be providing offense for this team to be anything close to a contender with Kuznetsov a wildcard and Eller being out until his child is born. He didn't do a very good job of that against the Flyers

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

There has been quite a lot of Backstrom bashing. I dont get it.

wait until that $9 mil per kicks in.....

 

[Ovechkins Wodka]

wait until that $9 mil per kicks in.....

That’s a lot of meatballs

 

[txpd]

wait until that $9 mil per kicks in.....

Oh...I know. It wont be long before Ovechkin is being yelled at and people suggesting he should be traded as a cap dump after his next deal kicks in.

It just jerks my chain in a game where Kuznetsov mailed it in to watch one post after another slam a guy that was playing as hard as he possibly could and put up some elite level play(so what that it was defensive). He didnt put up any points. Ok. But geez. Had he put up 2 points it would have been a top 10 game of the year....edit...I checked the video and Backstrom stole the puck at the Caps d blue line and created Vrana's breakaway. Had Vrana scored that, Backstrom would have been 1 point way from that top 10 game

 

[AtNightWeFly]

If Todd wants to send a message to the team in a form of a benching...he needs to bench someone other than 92 one of these days. They've seen him benched too many times so the effect wore off a long time ago. Its like a whole class acting wild but only the so called "baddest kid in class" gets sent to the principal's office.

 

[txpd]

If Todd wants to send a message to the team in a form of a benching...he needs to bench someone other than 92 one of these days. They've seen him benched too many times so the effect wore off a long time ago. Its like a whole class acting wild but only the so called "baddest kid in class" gets sent to the principal's office.

I am pretty sure that benching Kuzy was to get him off the ice. There was no message for the other players. Just help for those that were trying.

Meanwhile Backstrom didnt practice today. Maybe he is hurt. Or maybe he is just a lazy slag

 

[hb12xchamps]

Acting like no one was slamming Kuz in this thread. Give me a break

There absolutely is a case for calling out the play of Backstrom offensively. He hasn’t had a good year for his standards