GDT: Devils at Capitals 7:00 PM Verizon Center

um

Registered User
Sep 4, 2008
15,699
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toronto
No one is trying to derail anything. We are just pointing out what we think 30 out of 30 coaches, and 30 out of 30 GMs, in the league would tell you. Which is that your team needs a healthy dose of grit.

We still have that grit though. O'brien and co. don't disappear out of thin air, you can still dress them. not to mention you can acquire a fighter for cheap.

I do believe this team is missing a 3C like Eakin rather than trying Kuz and Burakovsky in a position they are brand new to, all summer people said we needed a center, eakin is perfect. And we could use one more scoring winger like forsberg to be used in laich's position since he's clearly not the same player he once was, not to mention brouwer and ward probably wont keep it up forever (hell theres a good chance nobody but OV gets 20+ this year). just because we are not in the elite in grit or toughness doesn't mean we're a great team down the center (which were not) or that we have great goal scoring depth (which we don't). there are other factors in hockey other than grit. i am not disputing the importance of grit i am just acknowledging our problems down the middle and our average/weak offensive depth.
 

um

Registered User
Sep 4, 2008
15,699
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toronto
ok...so....McPhee didn't trade Eakin for Ribeiro. He kept Eakin and missed the playoffs. The Caps fire McPhee then. They don't draft Burakovsky.

the scouts run the draft, McPhee let them do there thing.

edit: unless your saying out higher position makes us not take burakovsky, but that's going too deep. to many unknowns.
 

txpd

Registered User
Jan 25, 2003
69,649
14,131
New Bern, NC
Eakin might be a solid 3c on this team if the Caps could trade for him and get him back. But not trading him in the first place would have altered that season and changed where they finished and changed who they drafted. Very likely they don't have Bura or Trotz if they keep Eakin.

you are saying they draft Bura at 12? I doubt it.
 

Halpysback*

Guest
Every decision the caps have ever made was the correct one because it led to them drafting Burakovsky in 2013

Can you imagine Getzlaf over Fehr? NO BURAKOVSKY!
 

Burakovsky95*

Guest
Every decision the caps have ever made was the correct one because it led to them drafting Burakovsky in 2013

Can you imagine Getzlaf over Fehr? NO BURAKOVSKY!

No that would just mean no Backstrom :sarcasm:
 

vippe

Registered User
Mar 18, 2008
14,234
1,184
Sweden
I like the fact that Caps have 2 dangerous PP units now, no need to stack one when you can field 2 great ones.

Extremely impressed, this year wont be as depressing
 

Bananas

****
Mar 26, 2007
3,760
1,817
and Cody Eakin.

Ovechkin-Backstrom-Brouwer
Johansson-Burakovsky-Forsberg
Chimera-Eakin-Ward
Laich-Kuznetsov-Wilson

Damn you McPhee!!! Damn youuuu!!!

Isn't it crazy that McPhee drafted, traded for or signed each and every one of those players?

Man if he could have just hired better coaches...

What an *******.
 

IafrateOvie34

Registered User
May 14, 2009
11,552
8,148
Adding eakin and forsberg to kuzya, bura, backstrom, MoJo, would lead to a SERIOUSLY soft lineup. And i dont think chimmer, ward, brouwer would be suited, age or energy-wise, for fourth line duty. A team needs to be a blend of players, not an accumulation of blue-chip talent, to wit, the Oilers. Just my opinion.

Yes and this team has the right mix now. Latta and Brown look like gamers and helps alleviate the sting of that trade a few years ago.
 

IafrateOvie34

Registered User
May 14, 2009
11,552
8,148
And we still don't have Wilson and Orlov back. Kuzya and Wilson could do some damage on a line together

Once Wilson is fully healthy and ready, I would like to see Wilson with Bura and Johansson on the second line for a few games.
 

Blades of Steel

log off.
Dec 10, 2009
6,148
1,536
Virginia
All I can say is, long live the .gif

XqoGalx.gif
 

Raikkonen

Dumb guy
Aug 19, 2009
10,716
3,166
Russia
Fielding many young dmen got Caps nowhere. I doubt fielding 5-6 young F would, as someone already mentioned. Trade value lost is another question but McPhee is already fired (for that too).

Seeing Bura and Kuz got me thinking Bura has had a major step forward with a season in OHL. Roughly a year ago he didn't want to go overseas... Now he played with McD and probably seen how much better and more matured a young player can be, seen that you can work more and with more aspects of the game. I'm sure McD's influence was a driver for Bura. Now he looks adapted.

Kuz getting here 2 years earlier had a chance for an easier transition, now he has to lose some time to get out his habits and get in many new habits (especially with C position). Also his injuries. He will need time and Trotz is using him adequately for now I think.

Getting Wilson on a 4th will help Kuz immediately I guess. LOB doesn't have a chemistry with Kuz at all IMHO. So we need to wait I think.

Anyway getting 2 miniSemins for half the price and without much stick penalties yet... And both as C for now. That's gross. Still I'm all for getting Vermette :) to stabilize that all in playoffs. No way we are getting far in post-season with such weak (physically) young inexperienced centers.

And Vermette is good in the dot, nice PKer and to be UFA this summer. After 4 games Arizona projected to be out of playoffs in April (who needs s.s.). That's a match! :) Laich for Vermette! Make it happen :)))

About the first line: they were less visible tonight but kinda more effective :) Would be good if Brouwer seized this opportunity, just for Barry to have stability in some line. This will allow to work just on 2nd line further, not with all lines altogether.

Also Brouwer is a main brick for this team, he has bigger contract than Fehr, young enough to play a couple of years in that position, so it could become long-term line. You can depend on that after all and it's important.

Fehr should be used as util then, that will limit his contract btw = useful cheap loyal player. I like.
 

BobRouse

Registered User
Mar 18, 2009
10,144
373
We've outshot 3 out of 4 opponents so far. We have not allowed 30 shots on goal just yet.

We look infinitely more dangerous 5 on 5.

The force is strong with this Caps team.
 

Raikkonen

Dumb guy
Aug 19, 2009
10,716
3,166
Russia
More thoughts.

Kuz mentioned as 6'0''. LOL! Listed at nhl.com as 6'0'' and 172. Actually someone said he is 204 lbs already, and he is a bit taller than Ovechkin, like 190 cm, so 6'2''..6'3''.

Eakin for 3C... Well, he was undersized 3th round hardworking kid. Good kid but didn't show any super things here. Was traded for the much needed 2C. I'm fully OK with that.

Laich's contract ends the same day Dre's ELC. That's a bonus for Brooks.

EDIT: Ward is on pace for 40 goals. Hahaha.

Johansson could play himself into the next contract by being the player capable of chemistry with Backstrom, OV, Bura and others, so you could play him at top-6 somehow and send less speedy and finesse players to bottom-6. Also he got PP/PK going for him too. I doubt they will trade him. Maybe Barry better try him between Chimera and Ward.

Ovechkin-Backstrom-Brouwer (faceoff backup: Brouwer)
Burakovski-Kuznetsov-Fehr (faceoff backup: Fehr)
Chimera-Johansson-Ward (faceoff backup: Ward)
Laich-Latta-Wilson (faceoff backup: Laich)
Brown, Beagle, LOB

Alzner-Niskanen
Orlov-Green
Orpik-Carlson


EDIT: As artilector said, it's watchable again!
 

txpd

Registered User
Jan 25, 2003
69,649
14,131
New Bern, NC
I like the fact that Caps have 2 dangerous PP units now, no need to stack one when you can field 2 great ones.

Extremely impressed, this year wont be as depressing

if this is about Mike Green, as long as Green is playing in the Ovechkin hole, he is not going to get much PP time.
 

trick9

Registered User
Jun 2, 2013
12,076
4,949
Why is Carlson in over Green for the 1PP?

Green got injured last season so they had to put Carlson there. The PP was still top-2 the whole season and they just stuck with that concept.

This season the PP2 unit is getting lots of more ice-time so it's not really that big of a problem. PP2 unit looks deadlier with Green instead of Carlson and the PP1 unit is still elite in this league.
 

Sam Spade

Registered User
May 4, 2009
27,484
16,207
Maryland
I was as pissed as anyone about losing FF, mostly because he was such a gift at #11, but honestly the lose of Eakins makes me much more angry. I knew what he would be and how important people like him are in the playoffs.
 

Capsman

Registered User
Nov 21, 2008
10,266
3,118
Which coaches are the issue?

Working backward Oates, Hunter, and Boudreau. While Boudreau may have been the best of the bunch, at least in terms of the Caps heyday occurring during his tenure, I do not believe he was capable of bringing this team the postseason success it deserved.
 

g00n

Retired Global Mod
Nov 22, 2007
30,433
14,292
Um.. Uh... Brooks Laich - terrible or the worst of all time? :dunno:

The stats for Pointless Argument After Win (PAAW) are shaping up despite a small sample size:

Locker Room Award (LRA) - 4
Better with Other Players (BOP) - 24
My Favorite Player On Wrong Line (WAHWAH)- 7
My Favorite Player Bio Errors (NTPK) - 2
Coaching History (CH) - 3
Laich Sucks (LS) - 1

BOP is leading all categories with a healthy 58.53% PAAW For%, but we're drawing from only about 12 hours worth of data and Overnight Sleep Factor (OSF) is polluting the results.

We'll see what happens later when the Cranky Hungover Work-Post (BLEH) wave kicks in.

edit: stat range is limited to within this thread. Broader stats not yet available.
 
Last edited:

Midnight Judges

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Feb 10, 2010
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Ovechkin-Backstrom-Brouwer (faceoff backup: Brouwer)
Burakovski-Kuznetsov-Fehr (faceoff backup: Fehr)
Chimera-Johansson-Ward (faceoff backup: Ward)
Laich-Latta-Wilson (faceoff backup: Laich)
Brown, Beagle, LOB

Alzner-Niskanen
Orlov-Green
Orpik-Carlson

Switch Brouwer and Fehr and I like it. IMO Fehr made the top line click better than Brouwer did.
 

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