Post-Game Talk: Caps vs Tank commanders

[Demandedace]

Good toss by Eller there, good stuff. Hold tight for another 80 seconds and escape with the win

 

[Coldplay619]

The great dane

 

[SpinningEdge]

Did they just say "Lars Eller gets his first point this month"????

 

[twabby]

Glad Eller shot for the net even though he was behind the red line. Almost always the best play even if you risk an icing.

 

[AtNightWeFly]

Super long stare.

 

[Calicaps]

Did they just say "Lars Eller gets his first point this month"????

First goal I think.

 

[Dr John Carlson]

A predictably low-effort game. If they played like that against a top team, there would be reason to be concerned. But against Colorado? Meh.

 

[ALLCAPSALLTHETIME]

*Whew* Glad they got out of there with the two points. Hope they take it to Arizona on Friday.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

Not the prettiest win but it gives us a significant lead in the race for the PT. 6th straight win, 7 game point streak.

I'll take it.

 

[Ovie's Neighbor]

First goal I think.

Actually it really was his first point

 

[twabby]

I'll be a little more concerned if they put up a similar effort in Arizona. At least Kuzy and Mojo had it going tonight, they needed it.

 

[Ovie's Neighbor]

I think someone said they were concerned about the depth players last game. Well they showed up this game. First line was trash but that's OK. That will happen sometimes.

 

[Calicaps]

Actually it really was his first point

Oof.

 

[ovikovy817]

Caps need to take 5 points, to have a home ice in the first round.

 

[txpd]

Not the prettiest win but it gives us a significant lead in the race for the PT. 6th straight win, 7 game point streak.

I'll take it.

actually. the point streak is 8 games. 7-0-1.

Johansson: 9pts in his last 10 games.

 

[Chukcha]

i like the scoring depth heating up. Hope for Bura and Connolly goals next game.

 

[marcel snapshot]

Sure there's stuff to quibble with about their game - but picture they got 4 points from back-to-back roadies, re-established some space between the Pens and BJs, got Ovie and Kuzy untracked, got 1st line and PP to carry them when others were sputtering, and then got 3rd and 4th line to carry them the next night.

Games were too loose for a coach to like, but it's the Western Conference and it made them more entertaining for us. Whatever one might dislike about the 2 games, they didn't evidence the late-season doldrums that set in last year.

 

[Chukcha]

the concerning thing is that our PP being red-hot last several games is going to force the officials to call less penalties against opposing teams. Just because the officials don't want to affect the game radically, especially in PO. Perhaps horrible non-calls coming up.

 

[RandyHolt]

Yeah we will get screwed on calls sooner than later. The race for first needs to be exciting . But teams have been aggressive vs our PP, when in the past, only in the loffs would we see that aggressiveness. Seeing aggressiveness in the RS was good for us.

KS on the PP seems to have an uncanny ability to pass the puck with pin point precision, yet it looks just like a run of the mill shot. Goalies are perplexed.

I don't think his first intention is to score goals. He is putting guys in front into easy position to get their stick on his "shots". If they miss, its still going to be a shot on goal though.

The opposite of him is Alzner who makes the safe play to the corner. #drink

 

[marcel snapshot]

Shatty's ability to put passes right on guys sticks, hit the net, or hit the guy in front of the net is pretty impressive. No chronic missing the target disease with that guy.

Speaking of chronic net-missers, give Carlson some credit for that shot last night - that was a beauty.

 

[twabby]

I'm not sure if it's just the opposing PKs playing softer in the neutral zone and on the blueline (they have played a lot of Western Conference foes recently who may be unfamiliar with the Caps PP somehow), but the zone entries seem vastly improved on the PP. They don't really seem to have much trouble getting set up in the offensive zone anymore whereas earlier in the season that was the PP's main downfall.

 

[txpd]

I guess we see different things. What I see is that western conference teams are less interested in aggressively taking Ov's shooting lines and even touches away from him. The Caps run a basic 1-3-1 pp that many teams use. I also think that because they are less familiar with Backstrom that they don't press him and try to overload on him the way players that have been playing against him for years are more comfortable doing.

I think the zone entries with pp1 at least have been good all season. Again western conference teams rely on a more basic plan where as eastern teams with more hands on experience no better where the Caps are going to go with the puck because they have that experience.

Its that experience thing.

 

[Ovie's Neighbor]

I'm not sure if it's just the opposing PKs playing softer in the neutral zone and on the blueline (they have played a lot of Western Conference foes recently who may be unfamiliar with the Caps PP somehow), but the zone entries seem vastly improved on the PP. They don't really seem to have much trouble getting set up in the offensive zone anymore whereas earlier in the season that was the PP's main downfall.

I have noticed that the last 5 teams or so we have played have been very passive on the PK. In the past that has worked because Carlson/Niskanen were hesitant to shoot the puck from the point and our puck movement was stagnant. But Shattenkirk has shown that he can shoot it on net or pass it to OV and that has made is easier for us to play against passive PKs. I would expect teams to be more aggressive in the playoffs.

 

[RandyHolt]

Unless the Flyers make it in somehow, I expect all PKers to be ultra aggressive with their forwards pressuring the puck.

If I was trying to PK vs us, you need to cheat Ovi as priority 1. You also have to collapse/cover Oshie, which also prevents Nick to Ovi. Backdoor MJ to Ovi is covered by the backside D. I would try to make shots from Nick or Shatty beat you. Have one uber mobile forward work back and forth between those 2.

 

[sycamore]

Like to see that our defence is scoring as well (Carlson). With consistently scoring defencemen like Carlson, Orlov, Nisky and Shatty, we have an angle that no other team in the NHL can boast.