Post-Game Talk: Caps vs the weird P logo team

[sycamore]

Tactics aside, I could tell from the moment I heard Reirden speak as a head coach, that he wouldn't be as good of a motivator as Trotz or any of the other good coaches around the league. That was even more apparent when you see his body language behind the bench.

Here's a little trip down memory lane:



That wasn't even a great example of Trotz making an emotional speech. But I'd bet you a lot of money Reirden isn't as passionate and engaged as Trotz was in the locker room, at practice, or behind the bench. Even watching the bench's reaction to the two goals in the clip, everyone is celebrating except Todd. And he hasn't changed, just stands on bench with his arms crossed like he does after that Ovi goal.

Good coaches have strong and assertive traits/personalities that enable them to fire up the locker room when needed. Reirden is just way too passive a person to be a head coach because it's not just about Xs and Os, you need to be able to motivate your team with your own passion and emotion. That's not even mentioning the fact that Korn and our assistants then were multitudes more competent than the ones we have now. Somehow Forsythe is still here though.

Call it sport psychology BS or whatever, but that's just what I believe. I've been down on Reirden since October/November of 2018.

While he was an assistant coach, I don't really remember seeing any interviews or pressers of him. Also, I never really payed attention to him speak during those brief in-game, on the bench interviews. But like I said, from the moment I saw him speak in an official capacity as head coach, I could just tell he wouldn't be able to motivate this team through adversity.

This is such BS. I can think of plenty of ra-ra coaches in various sports (particularly in the NHL and the NFL) who were complete failures and didn't get their teams anywhere (eg. Jerry Glanville, Jim Mora, tons of others). These players are professionals they don't need pep talks -- if they got them they'd probably ignore them anyway.

 

[DanTHEMan71]

This is such BS. I can think of plenty of ra-ra coaches in various sports (particularly in the NHL and the NFL) who were complete failures and didn't get their teams anywhere (eg. Jerry Glanville, Jim Mora, tons of others). These players are professionals they don't need pep talks -- if they got them they'd probably ignore them anyway.

That doesn't mean coaches don't need to be good motivators.

 

[McVechkin]

14-14-1 in last 21 games. I’m not looking at the stats in 2018, but no way that team struggled this bad. How can anyone look at this team and not be doom and gloom

 

[StrikingDistance]

Another thing. The caps team discipline continues to kill them. Caps has a awesome first period. Led after one with good momentum - and they took three penalties in the first 5 mins of second. Which just changed everything

Being guilty of a penalty and being 'given' a penalty are two different things. It did disrupt the flow of the game, and the lines and the Caps never recovered. Being 0/5 on the PP was most the glaring stat for me.

Can we vote Forsythe off Caps Island?

 

[tenken00]

...and if no one is? Er, uh, well...

This is all well and good and all...

But why wasn't this done sooner? Why not hold them accountable earlier?

 

[Langway]

Reirden doesn't necessarily need to be a strong rah-rah type on an emotional level but he does at least need to grasp and be able to manipulate the psyche of the group intellectually if nothing else. I don't see much evidence of that. I increasingly sense a disconnected coach frustrated by a lack of results and fewer and fewer answers. Reirden's strength on paper is his developmental mindset so where's the progression? What's going on an individual or team level? There seems to be a lot of harrumphing and smoke blowing than results. They had a hot start and as games tightened up they've just bumbled along. They show up and play, rinse and repeat. Some nights it's good enough and about half the time it isn't. The leaders have to step up but there seems to be a growing disconnect. Threatening to change up PP personnel rings pretty hollow and it's not like they haven't already done a fair share of that between moving Kuznetsov, Vrana & Wilson around the two units. They've also changed up some minor in-zone set-ups at times to little success.

Even when they're mostly in rhythm I can't trust this group of blueliners and it kind of seems like they're dumbfounded as to how to either compensate or find some way to improve. Jensen has been better lately but the 4-7D could routinely take turns sitting and it wouldn't much matter. None of them puts together strong all-around stretches of games. None of them does much offensively beyond Kempny at times and none are nails defensively. Couple that with a very inconsistent forecheck and the playoffs are likely to resemble last year against Carolina no matter who they play. Gamers like Oshie will eventually come around when it matters and they'll respond some but they've wasted so much time throughout the regular season that it's hard to imagine them executing and playing confidently absent a fair bit of luck going their way. That 2018 run also featured a share of that but it's going to take a lot more fortitude, esp. defensively, than they've shown recently.

They've long had a Flip The Switch mentality over the years only they also had much better balance and baseline level of play than they have now thanks to what's an increasingly exposed blueline. That would nonetheless be bearable if they adjusted in some meaningful fashion and, say, improved their attacking play as a resolute answer to roster shortcomings. That hasn't happened and not challenging 19/92 in particular to help carry them shows there's probably no real solution brewing. It's not doom but it's hard to have much faith that they're really working on some sort of strategy to put their best foot forward. This certainly appears as though all they've got and spectacular individual performances are about all they can hope to hang their hat on.

 

[tenken00]

It also drives me bonkers how it seems like our night-in night-out strategy of clearing the defensive zone is slapping a 100 foot pass in the general direction of a floating forward as hard as you can. Or a forward slapping a 20 foot pass in the neutral zone in the general direction of another covered forward as hard as he can. As I think @hb11xchamps pointed out, we ice the puck a lot. A lot. And we turn the puck over a lot. A lot.

We never hold onto possession very long.

 

[hb12xchamps]

It also drives me bonkers how it seems like our night-in night-out strategy of clearing the defensive zone is slapshotting a 100 foot pass in the general direction of a floating forward as hard as you can. Or a forward slapshotting a 20 foot pass in the neutral zone in the general direction of another covered forward as hard as he can. As I think @hb11xchamps pointed out, we ice the puck a lot. A lot. And we turn the puck over a lot. A lot.

Exactly. They had about 5 icings called in the last 5 minutes of the game last night by trying to force that huge stretch pass. I don't know if any site tracks icing calls but the Caps had to be in the double digits last night in that regard. Add in the fact that their faceoff percentage isn't the greatest and you're shooting yourself in the foot with the defensive zone starts.

This team has plenty of skilled players that can skate the puck into the zone if needed, yet they force a long pass from the defensive zone to the opposing blue line.

 

[Raikkonen]

I can suggest going with 13-20-77 once again. 13-19 and 13-92 combos arent looking like "high motor" defensively. They are lazy and old man Oshie cant help them because he isnt that fast.

Kovalchuk wont help this team either methinks. I wanted Namestnikov all along. Kovy isnt effective defensively (looks backchecking but skates past the opponent all the time, not hitting or stripping the the puck from the player). Kovy isnt effective offensively. He doesnt make the full play, either disengages or just misses/mishandles the puck.

Although Panik to 4LW is a good move. Maybe it will work in the long run (surely 2,5M player has to be an overkill as 4th liner).

 

[hb12xchamps]

Go with:
8-92-43
13-20-77
14-19-17
62-26-21

4-74
9-3
6-33

Shuffle the deck. 3/4 lines are defensively responsible and the 8-92-43 line is given the opportunity to be as effective as they have been in the past.

They have to get Carlson going again. This team has struggled since his play fell off a cliff from his Norris level to what we are seeing now.

 

[itsjustsurvival]

I get the general idea of the drop pass on the power play breakout, but watching Carlson repeatedly force that play over and over while being covered was beyond frustrating.

 

[Langway]

Hagelin-Backstrom-Kovalchuk probably needs to happen against softer competition. But that requires decisiveness and adherence to something beyond the mush status quo.

 

[Melkor]

I get the general idea of the drop pass on the power play breakout, but watching Carlson repeatedly force that play over and over while being covered was beyond frustrating.

Carlson does it because someone drew that BS on the board. He has no idea what he's doing when he does that. Most of the time the puck goes 10 feet away from receiver and it takes additional 20 seconds to leave their own zone. I think Carlson understands that it's not working even better than anyone here but you gotta stick to what coach says. Doesn't matter if the coach is Pejorative Slured, it's too late for coaching change. They will have to perform with all these struggles on the fly.

 

[sycamore]

That doesn't mean coaches don't need to be good motivators.

They have the best motivator in the league, and he wears number 8. You ever seen OV give a pep talk? He could give Anthony Robbins a lesson or two.

 

[txpd]

They win this game if the PP doesn’t waste so many golden chances. Blaine is god awful

I am open minded. Can you think of a way to improve it? Just spitballing

 

[txpd]

Go with:
8-92-43
13-20-77
14-19-17
62-26-21

4-74
9-3
6-33
.

Why are we always putting Hagelin on the 4th line? He had an assist last night and was a plus player. 4 points in his last 5. 6pts in his last 10. 14 pts in his last 20 games. Maybe Hagelin needs to go up in the lineup? I wouldn't because he and Eller are strong together, but 4th line? Come on

 

[Raikkonen]

Why are we always putting Hagelin on the 4th line? He had an assist last night and was a plus player. 4 points in his last 5. 6pts in his last 10. 14 pts in his last 20 games. Maybe Hagelin needs to go up in the lineup? I wouldn't because he and Eller are strong together, but 4th line? Come on

Youre always against.

But 9,2M third line center is soon to be reality.

Hagelin is his buddy, so 62-19-17 is the answer!

Granted, 62 will be still a 3rd liner, as you wish.

 

[max21]

Do you think the Caps were physically dominated last night? I’m not seeing that. Flyers fans are really instigating it.

 

[peterthegreat12]

Todd was fantastic at coaching the defensemen under Trotz so at times I have to say I’m confused why our defensive game is where it is at.

 

[txpd]

Youre always against.

But 9,2M third line center is soon to be reality.

Hagelin is his buddy, so 62-19-17 is the answer!

Granted, 62 will be still a 3rd liner, as you wish.

I am against moving Hagelin to the 4th line and I think the results back that up. I am against breaking up Hagelin and Eller but Hagelin kept producing when Eller was filling in for Kuzy. So I am less against that.

Let me just say something that I will get flamed for. Tonight is Kovalchuk's 5th game. Time for him to do something. Another 5 games like this would be a full on bust. If he doesn't produce tonight, the pressure will begin to grow

 

[Langway]

Let me just say something that I will get flamed for. Tonight is Kovalchuk's 5th game. Time for him to do something. Another 5 games like this would be a full on bust. If he doesn't produce tonight, the pressure will begin to grow

Meh. They have much bigger fish to fry. I'd like to see him handling the puck better at times but the way they're playing as a team makes it hard for anyone to jump right in and intelligently read off of them. They're way too inconsistent and often unable to create much of any space for one another. I did think he started fairly well earlier on when on the third line. I don't really like throwing him on a few different lines or being impatient. It's better to stick him on the third line and let him find his rhythm. Again, not overly easy given the way they, and the top six in particular, tend to play.

No one should have expected the initial Montreal Kovalchuk here, esp. when they're not collectively playing anywhere close to what they're capable of. He's not that dominant impact player and the price to get him shows it. He's a potentially helpful Connolly replacement but, as with many things, not without their game being much more in order.

 

[hb12xchamps]

Why are we always putting Hagelin on the 4th line? He had an assist last night and was a plus player. 4 points in his last 5. 6pts in his last 10. 14 pts in his last 20 games. Maybe Hagelin needs to go up in the lineup? I wouldn't because he and Eller are strong together, but 4th line? Come on

One line has to be the defensive shutdown line right? That’s what you always preach around these parts that the Hagelin-Eller line is the shutdown line. The 4th line then becomes the shutdown line.

The other three lines all have multiple guys that are better at scoring goals than Hagelin.

 

[Beef Invictus]

It also drives me bonkers how it seems like our night-in night-out strategy of clearing the defensive zone is slapping a 100 foot pass in the general direction of a floating forward as hard as you can. Or a forward slapping a 20 foot pass in the neutral zone in the general direction of another covered forward as hard as he can. As I think @hb11xchamps pointed out, we ice the puck a lot. A lot. And we turn the puck over a lot. A lot.

We never hold onto possession very long.

This is the Scott Gordon Method. We had the "delight" of watching it for the second half of the season last year, and because we've kept the guy in the AHL we have the "delight" of watching callups try and break the habit.

You guys have the players to run controlled transition and entry (as the last decade + shows) so if that's a regular thing I'm uncertain of what your staff is doing.

 

[txpd]

One line has to be the defensive shutdown line right? That’s what you always preach around these parts that the Hagelin-Eller line is the shutdown line. The 4th line then becomes the shutdown line.

The other three lines all have multiple guys that are better at scoring goals than Hagelin.

The 3rd line is still the shutdown line. You cant use a 4th line as your match up line. You don't want Dowd and Hathaway playing as much as the opp1 line. Remember back in the days of Beagle. Beagle often played 3rd line mins and the 3rd line played 4th line mins.

 

[max21]

I’m pretty sure I heard EAGLES chants last night also. I just don’t even understand why