Series Discussion: ECSF: Capitals vs Penguins (Pens up 3-1) (Pens Fans Read Post #1)

[Blades of Steel]

A GREAT breakdown of the series - watch for the strongside overload by both teams on D, with the pens packed in tighter.

3 on 5 - no offense is happening. We may need to score on the PP and on the rush.

Great article

 

[Ridley Simon]

Yep.

But right now, each choice seems somewhat problematic:

If Wilson stays on the 4th line, Trotz tends to overuse that line, while the 3rd line can't (so far) dial it in.

If Wilson stays on the 3rd line, the 4th line seems to become completely ineffective, and an afterthought even for Trotz.

In the end, I think I'd send Wilson back to the 4th line at least to start the series against the Pens. I think he deserves getting moved up, and the 3rd line has looked a bit more effective with him up there -- but not enough to compensate for the 4th line becoming useless.

Would've been nice to have a strong alternative from Hershey..

yes. We could have used an extra vet depth F at the deadline. Versteeg or someone. Ah well. Instead we got D depth in spades.

Vrana is still the guy I'd like to see them bring up. instead of Connolly for 7-8min, plug in Vrana. Speed and skill. Or sit Winnik

 

[traparatus]

yes. We could have used an extra vet depth F at the deadline. Versteeg or someone. Ah well. Instead we got D depth in spades.

Vrana is still the guy I'd like to see them bring up. instead of Connolly for 7-8min, plug in Vrana. Speed and skill. Or sit Winnik

They could sit Winnik for Vrana.

I always think of Winnik as an effective 4th line forechecker with good speed who can make an occasional important offensive play, maybe pop in a crucial goal. However, when you look at the stat line, Winnik has 3 assists and 0 goals in 51 playoff games. It's not like he gets matched up against opposition's best either. He is usually out against opposing 4th line.

Is his value on the PK high enough to justify giving him a spot in the playoffs?

 

[ALLCAPSALLTHETIME]

Just saw the weather forecast for DC and it's going to be hot and humid.
Combine that with the Wizards game on Wednesday and there is going to be some terrible ice on Thursday.

 

[txpd]

They could sit Winnik for Vrana.

I always think of Winnik as an effective 4th line forechecker with good speed who can make an occasional important offensive play, maybe pop in a crucial goal. However, when you look at the stat line, Winnik has 3 assists and 0 goals in 51 playoff games. It's not like he gets matched up against opposition's best either. He is usually out against opposing 4th line.

Is his value on the PK high enough to justify giving him a spot in the playoffs?

Yes. Its enough to justify it. Connolly plays less. He doesn't play on either special team. Winnik plays a primary role on a valuable penalty kill. No chance Winnik is scratched to get Vrana in. Connolly makes perfect sense. They are looking for offense for that line. If Vrana is getting overwhelmed they will keep his ice load small.

Wilson was moved up to boost Eller and Burt. Even with his goal scoring its not clear that Wilson has changed their fortunes while at the same time taking the identity of the 4th line.

 

[FloridaCap]

Connolly was a great player for us for the vast majority of the year. You can't bench him for a rookie with like 15 games of NHL experience just because he had a poor 6 game series. And you sure as hell can't bench Winnik for him.

 

[um]

Connolly was a great player for us for the vast majority of the year. You can't bench him for a rookie with like 15 games of NHL experience just because he had a poor 6 game series. And you sure as hell can't bench Winnik for him.

Connolly was great in February, the rest of the year he was not. Agreed he should be given another chance but Winnik is the better player, and if the 4th line needs a change up it should Connolly who gets to sit.

 

[txpd]

Connolly was a great player for us for the vast majority of the year. You can't bench him for a rookie with like 15 games of NHL experience just because he had a poor 6 game series. And you sure as hell can't bench Winnik for him.

Connolly has 0 goals in his last 16 games. 1 goal in the last 20. At this point while dressed, he barely plays. Very likely he has played his way off the team. Vrana will be on the team next season.

Winnik plays a primary role on the penalty kill. He is 2nd in sh/toi among forwards.

 

[EroCaps]

Connolly was a great player for us for the vast majority of the year. You can't bench him for a rookie with like 15 games of NHL experience just because he had a poor 6 game series. And you sure as hell can't bench Winnik for him.

Your definition of "great" renders the word meaningless.

If he doesn't have the time and space to use his shot,(and there's much less down the stretch and into the playoffs) he's useless.

The Caps would be better off putting a rookie in who can win face-offs, play some PK, provide an energy bump, anything. Or a 7 D.

 

[artilector]

A GREAT breakdown of the series - watch for the strongside overload by both teams on D, with the pens packed in tighter.

3 on 5 - no offense is happening. We may need to score on the PP and on the rush.

Nice article, thanks.

 

[traparatus]

Connolly was a great player for us for the vast majority of the year. You can't bench him for a rookie with like 15 games of NHL experience just because he had a poor 6 game series. And you sure as hell can't bench Winnik for him.

I want to see the Caps win the Cup. I really don't care about what is fair and just or Connolly's/Winnik's feelings. This is the Stanley Cup playoffs and it's an era of highest parity the league has ever seen. You are either contributing to a win or you are contributing to a loss. Rookies with 15 games of NHL experience are key contributors to every single Stanley Cup winner.

I'm sure every one watched at least some of Pens 1st round series. Which 4th line do you want on your team, Connolly/Beagle/Winnik or Rowney/Cullen/Kuhnhackl? After Round 1 it's an easy answer for me. You can't have a whole line of players whose contribution the game is 2 minutes a night on the penalty kill or, in Connolly's case, absolutely nothing.

 

[Bananas]

I want to see the Caps win the Cup. I really don't care about what is fair and just or Connolly's/Winnik's feelings. This is the Stanley Cup playoffs and it's an era of highest parity the league has ever seen. You are either contributing to a win or you are contributing to a loss. Rookies with 15 games of NHL experience are key contributors to every single Stanley Cup winner.

I'm sure every one watched at least some of Pens 1st round series. Which 4th line do you want on your team, Connolly/Beagle/Winnik or Rowney/Cullen/Kuhnhackl? After Round 1 it's an easy answer for me. You can't have a whole line of players whose contribution the game is 2 minutes a night on the penalty kill or, in Connolly's case, absolutely nothing.

Preach.

Throw feelings and what people were doing in February right out the ****ing window.

Dress the best possible team every night. The passengers on this roster should be on notice...

 

[ALLCAPSALLTHETIME]

So this is the first time in franchise history that they've won the first round in the playoffs in three consecutive years, apparently.

 

[Carlzner]

So this is the first time in franchise history that they've won the first round in the playoffs in three consecutive years, apparently.

Hang the banner.

 

[txpd]

You can't have a whole line of players whose contribution the game is 2 minutes a night on the penalty kill or, in Connolly's case, absolutely nothing.

Lets not forget that the Beagle line did score an OT winner in first round. It was Wilson but that was a forecheck shift that produced that goal. If Wilson remains on the 3rd line, the 4th line wont be playing much.

 

[ALLCAPSALLTHETIME]

Hang the banner.

Indeed. Hat trick!

 

[Ovechkins Wodka]

If we go 7D Beagle can still be a faceoff specialist like he has been in overtime. 2 of Williams goals Beagle won the faceoff and got off fast for JW. Winnik and Beagle would still PK.

 

[EroCaps]

Holtby and the D are key to this series, imo. They need to clearly outclass the competition. Braden needs to steal a couple of games---like he's capable of.

 

[Brian23]

I feel like dressing Vrana for Connolly is a two-fold problem. One, in future thoughts, you'd probably rather Vrana keep getting big time minutes down in the AHL playoffs. I'm not so sure it does a whole lot to bring him up for the sake of it. Secondly, and more important in my eyes, is I don't think he really fits either the 3rd or 4th lines. He's not shown a good cycle game, which is what the 3rd line has been killing people with, and he's not a defensive stalwart which is what the 4th lines supposed to be. If Williams hadn't been so clutch I'd love to try him with Eller and Burakovsky, see if he can get them going, let Wilson run the 4th line, and then try Vrana out on the wing of the 2nd. The speed and skill of that 2nd line would be nuts but they'd certainly be a defensive black hole.

 

[hockeykicker]

The last 2 games that the caps have faced fluery, they scored 12 goals on him

 

[Sam Spade]

Why do I think that once again Kuznetsov will be the key?

If he can get points and make things happen I will be optimistic, if not it will be tough sledding. I am so glad he showed up against the Leafs.

I also can't wait to see what happens when Alzner is ready to go.

 

[Jags]

I feel like dressing Vrana for Connolly is a two-fold problem. One, in future thoughts, you'd probably rather Vrana keep getting big time minutes down in the AHL playoffs. I'm not so sure it does a whole lot to bring him up for the sake of it. Secondly, and more important in my eyes, is I don't think he really fits either the 3rd or 4th lines. He's not shown a good cycle game, which is what the 3rd line has been killing people with, and he's not a defensive stalwart which is what the 4th lines supposed to be. If Williams hadn't been so clutch I'd love to try him with Eller and Burakovsky, see if he can get them going, let Wilson run the 4th line, and then try Vrana out on the wing of the 2nd. The speed and skill of that 2nd line would be nuts but they'd certainly be a defensive black hole.

The issue with your take on Vrana is that Connolly hasn't been any of those things either. I like what Connolly did this year, but looking back, the plays that jumped out most were individual plays. He didn't really gel all that well with his linemates. He wasn't a detriment to what they were doing and added a dimension, but there wasn't a real synergy there, especially as the season wore on. His D and cycle play were unremarkable.

Vrana never played with Burakovsky, so we don't know what the chemistry would be there. They can both move and shoot, and that could work. Eller/Connolly might not have been the right fit for him. His limited opportunites on the PP with our elite talent produced all 3 of his goals, all from him going to the net.

It's not much to go on, but given Connolly's play lately, if Vrana can help us roll 4 lines more effectively without going 7D, I'm all for it. Carey and Stephenson have little chance of competing for minutes.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

Let's give Connolly his chance in game 1 and see if he fares better against the Pens. Let's return to the regular lines, with Wilson on the 4th and Connolly back on the 3rd. If it doesn't work, then cut Connolly's ice time again and go back to playing 11F.

Why do I think that once again Kuznetsov will be the key?

If he can get points and make things happen I will be optimistic, if not it will be tough sledding. I am so glad he showed up against the Leafs.

I also can't wait to see what happens when Alzner is ready to go.

Kuzy owes us one for his disappearing act against the Pens last year. I'm expecting #92 to step up his game.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

So much for the idea Alzner was benched for Schmidt.

 

[txpd]

Why do I think that once again Kuznetsov will be the key?

If he can get points and make things happen I will be optimistic, if not it will be tough sledding. I am so glad he showed up against the Leafs.

I also can't wait to see what happens when Alzner is ready to go.

They were talking about key players in different series and the key player for the Caps they chose was Kuzy. Its true. He is what makes the Caps special. When he is on a point per game or better run, the Caps are the next thing to unbeatable.

Kuzy did just enough in round 1 to get the Caps over that hurdle. They have a full team, but unless Holtby goes into beast mode, the Caps will probably go as far as Kuznetsov can carry them. My view is that the Caps win the cup if Kuzy can win the Conn Smythe. I think he can. Shoot the puck.