Post-Game Talk: Champs vs Ex Champs 7pm (Caps v Penguins)

[Ridley Simon]

And yet Pens have beaten us 3 out of 4 times this year. Which blows. But hopefully tables turn in playoffs

Not my point. I am speaking specifically to this game. Caps played better this game than one of the other losses. And better than the win as well. I’d say it was their best overall game vs Pitts this year.

They missed so many chances to be way up early. Could’ve been 4 or 5 to zero after Vrana’s 2nd goal. Chances that guys like Ovechkin and Carlson bury w regularity.

But it wasn’t, so the door was open for those Kuz and then Crosby shenanigans. Once that happened, they were in a dog fight. Which they lost.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

Had my own game last night so couldn't watch after the first. Judging from a quick peak into this thread and texts from my dad and brother the Caps looked very strong and outplayed the Pens for the majority of the game but Kuznetsov was very bad. Accurate?

 

[Ogrezilla]

• It was a funky night in Pittsburgh for sure. I mean, Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin shared a hug after the game. (NBC Sports Washington)

great moment. Congrats to Ovi, dude's a beast. I love the rivalry between those two because it has always been competitive, but it seems like there's real respect there too. I know plenty of people talking about not wanting Pens vs Caps again these playoffs, but I think that's crazy. We're lucky to get to see two teams with such great players battle like this for so long, and I hope we get every last bit of it that we can.

 

[Melkor]

Had my own game last night so couldn't watch after the first. Judging from a quick peak into this thread and texts from my dad and brother the Caps looked very strong and outplayed the Pens for the majority of the game but Kuznetsov was very bad. Accurate?

Not quite. He was f***in awful and lost the game for the team. Otherwise, yep, the guys looked strong. I'm triggered about this game and how it ended which has not happened to me in while.

 

[tycoonheart]

I wouldn't mind seeing Eller center top line until Kuz gets his head out of his ass. Eller has been playing really well lately.

 

[maacoshark]

You just can't stop yourself, even when you (probably) know you're coming in half cocked. Starting to see why stats elude you... well, "starting to", but I still have some patience left. If the Capitals play that game 100% of the time, they should win 75% of the time. There's probably some catchy older truism for that kind of thing, if need be.

and to think if I ignored you I would be able to watch you come in hot and trip on your own shoelaces all the time. What a boring world that'd be.

I didnt realize you guys were talking about one specific game out of 70.

 

[Empty Goal Net]

If it hasn't happened already, it's about time for Batya and other responsible parties (Ovie? Nicky? ??) to have a come-to-Jeebus moment with Kuzy. It's one thing to fail to have a positive impact on the game, it's quite another for a guy with his talent to have a recurring negative impact on his team's games. We know what he's said about the RS, but he owes his mates and employers a bit more.

 

[Roshi]

Healthy loss between unhealthy wins?

Kuzy will just have to solve himself out or we are in touble anyways. Id swap Backy/kuzy again for a short while, and go back few games before poffs start.

Pens Still have that ability to score in bunches when you give them slight momemtum to grab on. Gotta be ready for that when/(if) we meet in best out of 7. Outside of that we had them in this one.

Tough end Schedule, but ill take it to prepare for the one part that matters.

 

[Melkor]

If it hasn't happened already, it's about time for Batya and other responsible parties (Ovie? Nicky? ??) to have a come-to-Jeebus moment with Kuzy. It's one thing to fail to have a positive impact on the game, it's quite another for a guy with his talent to have a recurring negative impact on his team's games. We know what he's said about the RS, but he owes his mates and employers a bit more.

Only Ovechkin can put 92 in his place and force him to give f***s about the game. As long as 8 is on the team nobody is going to pressure Kuzy in that locker room. He's still under Ovi's wing.

 

[marcel snapshot]

Kuzy actually played well in the first period. Top line had a couple of shifts where they absolutely dominated possession and had Pens on their heels.
For many years the Caps were a team that wanted to relax when they got a lead in a big game or in a series. I won't torture us with the numerous examples, but it was in part a function of the core guys just not being mature enough to realize that at that moment when you're up in a big game or in a series, you have to bear down harder. It feels like as a group they finally got past that last year - with the help and leadership of guys like Orpik and Oshie. But all year long, Kuzy has been saying stuff that indicates that his motivation and mental intensity is pretty . . . uneven. And I think what he did last night in period 2 when we're up 2-0 is a product of that. And maybe it will be a wake-up call to him that he needs to mature a bit more as a professional, and put aside the notion that these mental check-outs he seems to take for stretches within games or stretches of multiple games is a healthy and effective way to manage the drudgery of the season. Because it's really not. Of course, there will be times when your sharpness and mental focus will flag. But that's something to work on - not something to accept

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

I didnt realize you guys were talking about one specific game out of 70.

Less “know it all”....

more reading comprehension.

 

[kicksavedave]

Only Ovechkin can put 92 in his place and force him to give ****s about the game. As long as 8 is on the team nobody is going to pressure Kuzy in that locker room. He's still under Ovi's wing.

This may be true, but right after Kuzy's first lazy breakout lead to the Pens first goal, Jensen turned and gave Kuz one hell of a dirty stare like "WTF was that bro".

I have a feeling Kuzy knows exactly what happened and feels bad about it, and will have apologized in the room or the plane ride home already, and will start to bring his game now. Its just a hope really, no evidence for this, but all those players know full well much more so than we all do, how every little thing they do effects each other. They are a tight team, generally all responsible to each other. Kuzy knows what he did. He owes them, and he knows it.

 

[Melkor]

This may be true, but right after Kuzy's first lazy breakout lead to the Pens first goal, Jensen turned and gave Kuz one hell of a dirty stare like "WTF was that bro".

I have a feeling Kuzy knows exactly what happened and feels bad about it, and will have apologized in the room or the plane ride home already, and will start to bring his game now. Its just a hope really, no evidence for this, but all those players know full well much more so than we all do, how every little thing they do effects each other. They are a tight team, generally all responsible to each other. Kuzy knows what he did. He owes them, and he knows it.

I noticed that Kuzy made a hand gesture to someone after the goal and didn't get what did that mean. I guess that was Jensen.

 

[kicksavedave]

I noticed that Kuzy made a hand gesture to someone after the goal and didn't get what did that mean. I guess that was Jensen.

If the hand gesture was anything other than "Sorry, my bad" then it was the wrong one

 

[SrGreen92]

Hello I registered to ask this question. You think washington can transfer to Kuznetzov? With the high salary that you have until 2024-2025 I do not see that it is a good option to have it so long. My dream traded by Elias Pettersson or Panarin
What do you think?

 

[smd333]

I have a hard time being upset with the loss. They played a very good road game imo except for several lapses. Perfect loss for early March against a quality opponent. Coaches dream

 

[IafrateOvie34]

I'll take the blame for the loss. I started watching the game on Roots or ATT&T and then realized NBCS was special broadcasting the game. In order not to not hear Errey's voice I switched over. Pens scored three goals after that and good grief I hate the Pens home cast. Overall, I thought it was a good hockey game. I was hoping Wilson would destroy someone, but the game showed you can't underestimate the Pens no matter how hideous their defensive core is. All they have to do is chip the puck up the middle like Bonino, Cullen, and Crosby have done so many times. I can't fault Hotlby for some of those goals either. Kuzy ruined our chance of tying the game.

Go Caps!

 

[Calicaps]

Hello I registered to ask this question. You think washington can transfer to Kuznetzov? With the high salary that you have until 2024-2025 I do not see that it is a good option to have it so long. My dream traded by Elias Pettersson or Panarin
What do you think?

I think if our GM ever made such a trade he should be fired on the spot. For all of Kuzy's warts this year, he is an elite, still-young centerman who has already helped lead his team to a championship. Trading that for either of those players would be criminally bad.

 

[Hivemind]

I think if our GM ever made such a trade he should be fired on the spot. For all of Kuzy's warts this year, he is an elite, still-young centerman who has already helped lead his team to a championship. Trading that for either of those players would be criminally bad.

I don’t think trading Kuznetsov for a 20 year old center on a point/game pace with only a $925K cap hit for the next two seasons would be criminally bad. It’s not as if Kuznetsov excels in the areas of Petterrssons game that he’s lacking (Faceoffs, defensive coverage). The real kicker is that they’d gain another $6.9M in free cap space on top of it.

That being said, there’s a zero percent chance that Vancouver entertains trading Petterrsson for anyone not named McDavid.

 

[Calicaps]

I don’t think trading Kuznetsov for a 20 year old center on a point/game pace with only a $925K cap hit for the next two seasons would be criminally bad. It’s not as if Kuznetsov excels in the areas of Petterrssons game that he’s lacking (Faceoffs, defensive coverage). The real kicker is that they’d gain another $6.9M in free cap space on top of it.

That being said, there’s a zero percent chance that Vancouver entertains trading Petterrsson for anyone not named McDavid.

Pettersson might become I guy I'd trade Kuzy for, but as of now he's got a whopping 5 1/2 months of NHL experience. He's been terrific, but durability and sustainability are factors that cannot yet be evaluated with the kid. There's probably folks who would've suggested trading an aging Ovie for Laine a couple of years ago...

 

[TRASHCAT]

Eller has been looking good of late. Our best player does have to be our best player though.

 

[artilector]

I didn't think Kuz was "awful" in this game overall, he was skating pretty well and it felt like the first line probably generated more quality chances for than against. I thought they showed some definite glimpses of putting it all together. Probably nobody knows if they can fully flip the switch like last year, but they're quite capable, I think.

I do agree that Kuz has put a target on his back by slacking in the regular season. If he bombs in the playoffs, it would make questions about his future a lot more relevant, and might put him on the hot seat as early as next season.

However, I'm very skeptical about the Caps' ability to benefit from trading Kuznetsov. Firstly, there would be no real point to trade Kuz for anything other than C. But then any C you're likely get back is gonna be either a lot less talented or will have as many or more question marks attached -- otherwise why the hell would another team do that?

Going for a serious talent downgrade to get a more consistent player would be a mistake, IMO. Most great winning teams have capital T talent at center.

The only real course of action, IMO, is to try to get another C with top-6 potential by trading other assets -- and then, IF that player develops into an elite C, and IF Kuz continues to underperform, then you can consider trading him.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

By the playing standard he’s set himself, aweful isn’t that far off from last night.

I hope Ovy and other team leaders pull him aside if they haven’t already.

I also don’t buy that they could only trade him for a massive downgrade. If that’s true, something is seriously wrong with the player and the other GM’s know it. The arguable Conn Smythe player we saw last Spring is certainly going to return a bounty. The guy we saw last night....not so much.

I’d just prefer he act like a pro and work his shit out so this talk can stop.

 

[BallardEra]

A win last night would have pretty much wrapped up the division. Now it'll be a coin flip especially if the Caps lose to Philly tomorrow night with Tampa next.

Thanks Kuzy!

 

[Hivemind]

Pettersson might become I guy I'd trade Kuzy for, but as of now he's got a whopping 5 1/2 months of NHL experience. He's been terrific, but durability and sustainability are factors that cannot yet be evaluated with the kid. There's probably folks who would've suggested trading an aging Ovie for Laine a couple of years ago...

To be clear, I'm not advocating for trading anyone. Just saying that a GM would be crazy to not at least consider an offer of a 20 year old, $925K cap hit point/game offensive center for their 26 year old, $7.8M cap hit point/game offensive center.