Post-Game Talk: Caps vs Hawks 7pm Dec 2

[ToddBrew]

'Tis better to have led and lost, than to have never led at all.

I.........................disagree.

 

[pman25]

At least other metro teams are losing. Pens lose last night, canes lose again tonight. NYR is rolling however

 

[Calicaps]

A slight regression? In December?

Oh wait no... The opposite of that. Nothing to see here... Yet.

 

[Langway]

Lavi really needs to find an effective second scoring line. Two months into the season it's sort of amazing they've fared so well without one. Team defense and sporadic production can work but particularly as the top line wanes this will become an issue. Two goals from the fourth line tonight is great but really not much happening from the Eller or CMM lines. Again, CMM at LW and Sgarbossa back on that more of a grinding line seems like the play.

 

[Pigskin]

I don't think there is any doubt we have exceeded expectations so far this year all things considered.
Can't be up for every game. We just played 3 games in a row vs high quality opponents.
December has very few quality opponents. Hopefully will feast.

We dropped a point. Lets move on.

 

[maacoshark]

Jesus. Ive been trying to disengage from this all day. This is my last on the subject. I say that he get scratched or waived tomorrow that I didn't care. I then said that Laviolette spent half of his pre game presser talking about defense and its importance and that Sprong needed to bring some defense. Hagelin leads the line. He leads the pk. He is playing 16-18 mins per game recently. If you think he is gonna take a scratch while playing that much, I dont understand.

4 forwards played more than he did tonight. Thats it. I am done.

Yes we all know that Hagelin is here because he is a defensively responsible and a pk specialist. He is a better than average defensive player but he isn't close to being a Selke candidate. The problem is that he brings almost nothing offensively.
We could have and probably should have kept a player like Stephenson who has turned into a very good 2 way player.
Unfortunately Reirden didn't know how to use him. Stephenson was solid when Trotz was here but took a huge step back when Reirden took over. Reirden almost killed his career.

 

[TheLegendOfPatPeake]

Lavi really needs to find an effective second scoring line. Two months into the season it's sort of amazing they've fared so well without one. Team defense and sporadic production can work but particularly as the top line wanes this will become an issue. Two goals from the fourth line tonight is great but really not much happening from the Eller or CMM lines. Again, CMM at LW and Sgarbossa back on that more of a grinding line seems like the play.

Shut down Backstrom and Mantha until the playoffs. Use their cap space to acquire support. Voila. Problem solved.

 

[IafrateOvie34]

Not much improvement from last game. Remember this is one of the weakest teams in the league.

I know, but remember last game's third period was pretty tragic.

 

[Baszie]

Shut down Backstrom and Mantha until the playoffs. Use their cap space to acquire support. Voila. Problem solved.

They actually need to be injured until the playoffs. Doesn’t seem the case for Backstrom. Besides that there is also cap compliance next season.

 

[SpinningEdge]

They actually need to be injured until the playoffs. Doesn’t seem the case for Backstrom. Besides that there is also cap compliance next season.

... and good luck telling a guy who is healthy to stay seated & not play a ton of games when he’s trying to be in the mother f***ing hall of fame!

 

[Corby78]

Three posts in OT/SO, whelp is all I can say

 

[usiel]

Can't remember a caps team losing this much in OT. Maybe things will even out but still jumps out to my old ass eyes.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

It's better to have a cold streak in December than January, with half the top 6 still out of commission. I try to look at it on the bright side, but this can't go on too long. Metro division is the most competitive, we have to pick it right back up soon.

 

[ClevelandCapsfan]

Definitely feeling a caps losing streak coming up

It’s already arrived.

 

[txpd]

I should but I dont understand. I was watching the Hawks cast to start the 2nd and just watched the replay on the Caps. Neither crew seemed to recognize that on the Ov hit, Murphy hit his face on the glass and then his head on the shelf of the dasher. Thats where the concussion came from.

 

[DWGie26]

I was in CapOne tonight. Hags not the problem. I thought he played well tonight.

Sprong was awful.

that I said we play our “fourth line” way too much.

 

[SherVaughn30]

I was in CapOne tonight. Hags not the problem. I thought he played well tonight.

Sprong was awful.

that I said we play our “fourth line” way too much.

I'll add using the vets too much is starting to backfire. The vets are getting fatigued too much. Also, the backup goalie goaltending has to be better. Vitek has slipped a lot. I would feel more comfortable with Fucale or a vet goalie backing up Sammy.

 

[TJHKY]

 

[filinski77]

Only positive thing out of this is that the Caps are playing with the houses money at this point. A lot of people expected them to either not make the playoffs or barely squeak in. We’re in a comfortable position, and some bad games are expected.

 

[Corby78]

I was in CapOne tonight. Hags not the problem. I thought he played well tonight.

Sprong was awful.

that I said we play our “fourth line” way too much.

Yeah the Eller line looked a mess, never on the same page. Wilson looked lost, and sprong never really engaged. The McM line didn’t produce but they were forechecking and engaged.

 

[Corby78]

Also I know I hate 3v3 and it goes away when the games matter the most, but can one of our coaches please explain to the guys what other teams have figured out? Hold the puck until you get an isolated 2v1 situation. Carlson, Ovie, Wilson all took contested shots and Carlson tried some sort of dump pass that didn’t work. That was four possessions where we didn’t get a real high quality scoring chance because we refuse to pull it back out and reset.

Also: I know he hit a post, but if sprong isn’t even going to score on a SO, what is he bringing?

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Also I know I hate 3v3 and it goes away when the games matter the most, but can one of our coaches please explain to the guys what other teams have figured out? Hold the puck until you get an isolated 2v1 situation. Carlson, Ovie, Wilson all took contested shots and Carlson tried some sort of dump pass that didn’t work. That was four possessions where we didn’t get a real high quality scoring chance because we refuse to pull it back out and reset.

Also: I know he hit a post, but if sprong isn’t even going to score on a SO, what is he bringing?

totally agree…it’s like everyone understands it’s a game of keep-away but us…..

we just make dumb passes and shots and immediately give it back…

That’s coaching IMO.

 

[tenken00]

Oh no... we suck again lol

 

[Peeri]

Also I know I hate 3v3 and it goes away when the games matter the most, but can one of our coaches please explain to the guys what other teams have figured out? Hold the puck until you get an isolated 2v1 situation. Carlson, Ovie, Wilson all took contested shots and Carlson tried some sort of dump pass that didn’t work. That was four possessions where we didn’t get a real high quality scoring chance because we refuse to pull it back out and reset.

Also: I know he hit a post, but if sprong isn’t even going to score on a SO, what is he bringing?

None of the guys you mentioned are good at cycling the puck anyway. Ovechkin today is type of guy that either shoots or looks for pass pretty much instant. He needs to play with the Russian trio during overtime, both Orlov and Kuznetsov are great with the puck and OV is still lethal shooter. Second line could be something like Mcmichael, Willy, Jensen/Fehervary, but bottom line is that as u said 3v3 is all about holding the puck and looking for that one shot. There is a reason Capitals are 0-6 in OT when they keep shooting from low scoring chances and giving up the puck pretty much for free. Carlson was abysmal last night in OT, I don't know what he was thinking, I know he is the 1st D on the capitals, but I would not play him in OT ahead of the guys I mentioned above.

 

[Devil Dancer]

Ovie in particular played the OT last night like 5v5. He shouldn't be handling the puck if he's going to take low percentage shots or force passes. They might be good plays in the second period when he has two defensemen and a center backing him up, but turnovers kill in OT.