Post-Game Talk: Caps vs Tampa Bay Bucs News at 7

[tenken00]

To be the Champs you have to beat the Champs

Click to read more...

 

[tenken00]

 

[895]

I hope CMM and Samsonov are motivated by seeing guys they should be playing over not only playing, but playing extremely well.

 

[cbtitan]

I hope CMM and Samsonov are motivated by seeing guys they should be playing over not only playing, but playing extremely well.

My feeling is that Lapierre is already ahead of McMichael on the depth chart.
Why on earth would he play 3rd line at center instead of CMM if it was not the case?

 

[kicksavedave]

Who was the first one?

 

[kicksavedave]

I hope CMM and Samsonov are motivated by seeing guys they should be playing over not only playing, but playing extremely well.

Sure seems like VV has the lead on the #1 job, but the sample is too small to make definitive conclusions. Still, a few months ago the Caps protected IS and let VV go, now the tables appear to be turning. Did something change over camp, or did the Caps make a mistake on who to protect, costing them a 2nd? Or is this just a reward for playing one good game? They generally alternated almost every game last year unless one of them had a shutout.

 

[Dr John Carlson]

Who was the first one?

Frans Nielsen

 

[Calicaps]

I hope CMM and Samsonov are motivated by seeing guys they should be playing over not only playing, but playing extremely well.

I got lightly flamed a while back for suggesting that Lapierre was the better of the 2 center prospects and should be kept over CMM in the event of some kind of trade. I disagree that CMM "should be playing over" Jimi. Have long thought that Hendrix had the higher upside and that his skill set was a better fit for a top 6 NHL center.

 

[HTFN]

I got lightly flamed a while back for suggesting that Lapierre was the better of the 2 center prospects and should be kept over CMM in the event of some kind of trade. I disagree that CMM "should be playing over" Jimi.

Which is weird, because Lapierre was an arguable top-10 player who fell due to injuries and it doesn't seem wildly controversial to say he's got a higher ceiling. CMM is a guy who was picked roughly where he "should have" been and then had a really good developmental year but Hendrix should realistically start being considered "ahead" unless injuries throw him off course again.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Caps + over!

 

[Calicaps]

Which is weird, because Lapierre was an arguable top-10 player who fell due to injuries and it doesn't seem wildly controversial to say he's got a higher ceiling. CMM is a guy who was picked roughly where he "should have" been and then had a really good developmental year but Hendrix should realistically start being considered "ahead" unless injuries throw him off course again.

I think the skepticism, if you can even call it that, was mainly about the development trajectory since their respective drafts. Lapierre barely played between Covid and not making the world junior team (which, wut?) so he hadn't really "done" anything, while McMichael had, to his credit, made the most of an unplanned promotion to the A.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

I’ll be there tonight; can’t wait… it’s been too long.

 

[Calicaps]

I’ll be there tonight; can’t wait… it’s been too long.

very jealous.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

very jealous.

Well you get to moderate the GDT and I’ll be there drinking so who should actually be jealous? Ah, yeah, never mind

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Frans Nielsen

Leader @925 games…..Lars has a great shot to be the all time NHL games played leader among Danes when it’s all said and done….

 

[Calicaps]

Well you get to moderate the GDT and I’ll be there drinking so who should actually be jealous? Ah, yeah, never mind

 

[tenken00]

 

[HecticGlow]

Crazy to think this is only the 8th team the Caps have faced under Laviolette - and only the 8th NHL team Vanecek has played against.

I’ve been rather unimpressed by Tampa’s defense and goaltending the last couple of games - but both are areas I fully expect them to rebound in, given they remain largely unchanged from the last two seasons. Caps need to play a near-perfect game tonight, though, if they don’t wanna throw Vitek under the bus. Regardless of how Vitek plays, it wouldn’t surprise me if we end up seeing some Sammy by the end (and it would very likely have been the other way around if Sammy was starting). Their offense remains scarily potent.

 

[Langway]

Which is weird, because Lapierre was an arguable top-10 player who fell due to injuries and it doesn't seem wildly controversial to say he's got a higher ceiling. CMM is a guy who was picked roughly where he "should have" been and then had a really good developmental year but Hendrix should realistically start being considered "ahead" unless injuries throw him off course again.

I think the question with Lapierre was more finishing, durability but also whether he played a pro style game or not. The skill and sense weren't in question so much as whether he'd manage to translate it against men. So far so very good.

You also have to love his enthusiasm and sponge-like desire to learn. This may be the first time in quite a while that a forward prospect of theirs had that sort of energy and attitude, which is weird when you really think about it. It says a lot about the intelligence of some of their recent skilled forward prospects that have moved on and couldn't entirely fill their niche here. It's great for Hendrix and assuming he sticks it's great for his older teammates also. It shows some leadership capacity to approach the game and his game that way. That more than anything suggests this is probably not a flash in the pan.

 

[traparatus]

Crazy to think this is only the 8th team the Caps have faced under Laviolette - and only the 8th NHL team Vanecek has played against.

I’ve been rather unimpressed by Tampa’s defense and goaltending the last couple of games - but both are areas I fully expect them to rebound in, given they remain largely unchanged from the last two seasons. Caps need to play a near-perfect game tonight, though, if they don’t wanna throw Vitek under the bus. Regardless of how Vitek plays, it wouldn’t surprise me if we end up seeing some Sammy by the end (and it would very likely have been the other way around if Sammy was starting). Their offense remains scarily potent.

Tampa must be going through a bit of a lull because prior to the last couple of games their defense and goaltending was extremely good.

 

[BallardEra]

Stay out of the box against these and you should be OK.

 

[zappa4ever]

Having watched TB's gm.1 vs PIT, lull doesn't begin to describe it

Fully appeared that the team showed up just for the Cup ceremonies and didn't care 1 iota about playing a game afterwards, beyond pathetic... gm.2 they at least made 2 comebacks to show signs of life

I'm expecting them to wake up and have a 'normal' game finally (which doesn't exactly bode as well for us as their previous 2 opponents); hope we throw in a good 'Kuzy Cares' type of effort

Tampa must be going through a bit of a lull because prior to the last couple of games their defense and goaltending was extremely good.

 

[Melkor]

Missed th entire preseason...so why Mcmichael hasn't been sent down to the A but still isn't getting a lineup spot?

 

[HecticGlow]

Tampa must be going through a bit of a lull because prior to the last couple of games their defense and goaltending was extremely good.

They (and Vasilevsky) have conceded 6 goals in each of their first two games. Not like them at all.

Losing the entire Gourde line won’t have helped with matchups, but their coaching, D-Corps and starting goaltender haven’t changed at all.

 

[txpd]

Sure seems like VV has the lead on the #1 job, but the sample is too small to make definitive conclusions. Still, a few months ago the Caps protected IS and let VV go, now the tables appear to be turning. Did something change over camp, or did the Caps make a mistake on who to protect, costing them a 2nd? Or is this just a reward for playing one good game? They generally alternated almost every game last year unless one of them had a shutout.

What changed was Samsonov got hurt and again was unavailable. Meanwhile Vanecek is available and consistent.