Series Discussion: ECSF: Capitals vs Penguins (Pens win) (mod warning post 806)

[Maruk moustache]

Sorry but I have to disagree. They did not play well, and they certainly did not play up to their potential.

The Caps should not have taken 6 games to beat Toronto, and in the Pens series they could not finish and made an inordinate amount of costly mistakes (I'd be very interested to see a stat on the number of odd-man breaks the Caps gave up compared to the Pens). It doesn't matter if you outshoot the opponent by 50% and dominate stretches of the game; playoff games are always close and you will throw them away by giving up scoring opportunities on a golden platter.

It's especially frustrating because we saw flashes of how good they could play in game 5 and especially game 6. Whether it was attitude, effort, coaching, curses, hockey gods, whatever – at the end of the day, this was an incredibly talented team that did not play to its potential.

Yup.

I agree it's time to cash in on Ovechkin. I feel like it won't happen but I do think it's time.

Disappointed, again. Good thing they managed to get my hopes up again by winning 5 and 6--man, my expectations were on the floor for those two games. So, crushed, all over again. 40 years of this, for me. All I can think is that I have to consider not watching anymore. Or at least not watching every single game like a mental patient, which is my current MO. Insert expletive here.

It's just really frustrating. The three most frustrating things are (1) the losing percentage in series vs. the Penguins over our history, (2) the not even getting to Round 3 after winning the Presidents' Trophy for the third straight time, and (3) just the fact that, y'know, the team's at least a little different every year, and over the 40 or so years I've been watching, the whole team's turned completely over many times over, and the only things all these teams have in common are the name, and the fact that none of them ever have even done so much as win a single game in the finals, and only one of them ever won a game in Round 3.

For all three of these things, you'd think that just by dumb luck, each of them wouldn't be this bad. It seems like you pretty much have to actually be trying to do these three things to get any of them done, given the overall regular season quality we've seen in many of those years. It's absolutely maddening. Insert a gigantic chain of expletives here.

Bye for now.

 

[Lindemann]

Nothing major is going to happen sadly as long as the seats keep getting blindly filled at Verizon and that will happen until Ovi is gone

 

[chilimac]

The thing is.... pro sports is just a form of entertainment. You can watch movies... tv.. go play video games... travel... amusement parks... all kinds of stuff you PAY MONEY to do for entertainment.

Caps are not very entertaining anymore. Regular season means nothing - and playoffs is just not fun. Constant disappointments

exactly. the capitals are like the stand-up comic who tells joke after
joke, but the punchlines always suck. in other words, a comedian who just doesn't 'finish' whats he starts. how the hell is that entertaining?
its not. at some point its healthier just to get up from the table and walk away, but thats a personal decision.

i promised myself this would be my last season of waiting for the punchline from the Caps. it is... after 37 seasons. i can still remember the look on my (first)wife's face when i gave her a bobby carpenter jersey his rookie year...we'd only been dating a couple of months... ha!
...sigh....

and in the interest of full disclosure(or maybe it more like an exorcisim! ha!) i've weaned my self off the Skins after 50 seasons as well...but Snyder made that easier than i thought it would be, and frankly, easier than it should have been.

there are other things i want and need to do with my time, and watching professional athletes fail time and time again is no longer one of them. my time just seems too precious to me these days, but again, thats a personal decision.

so, take care folks. its been fun, but truth be told, it hasnt been satisfying, or at least, not satisfying enough anymore for this guy.

peace.

-chilimac

 

[Pi]

I don't think there's any choice but to clean it up now g00n I agree. What else can we try with this core? Any ideas? Nothing works. We've changed coaches multiple times, added D, added bottom 6, added scoring depth. Ovechkin isn't getting any better or more valuable at this stage of his career, we need to cash in. Like I said earlier, the list of those I would keep in this team is pretty small. When I've more time I'll list who I would put out to grass, and those I would keep. But honestly, I think it needs to happen. Nows the time and I don't see what else there is to do

I think there is no chance you can blow it up right now. The Capitals have endured some very painful losses the past decade but there is no denying the talent on the team, now isn't the time to blow it up, do that when Ovechkin is 35, not now.

I keep going back to SJ example because it fits so nicely. No one expected them to make the SCF the year they made it because everyone was expecting them to lose like all the other years so the lowere expectations probably helped the team play loose and not worry about what would happen if they lost because no one was counting on them to deliver. I think the Capitals have that run in them in the next 3-5 years where fans and media don't expect anything from the Caps despite being an elite team and they make the SCF.

If Game 7 was played 100 times, Caps probably win 60 of them. It's tough to lose a winner take all game but you have to realize that even maintaining the level of play the Cpas have played at is tough and they manage to be one of the best teams every year.

I really don't know what they could have done differently over the 7 games to win, last period was disappointing. It looked like they gave up after being down 2-0 and didn't believe in themselves to pull it off but outside of that, the entire series was tight but Fleury was better than Holtby.

 

[strungout]

Worst night of sleep I've had in some time.

I turned it off after the second goal and never checked my email phone until 11ish.

I just can't anymore.

I'm going to pay attention to the Golden Knights and how their team comes together.

I hope Alex wins a cup someday...it's just not going to be in DC. The hope is gone.

 

[Acallabeth]

Nothing major is going to happen sadly as long as the seats keep getting blindly filled at Verizon and that will happen until Ovi is gone

I mean, can a coupla fans organize to bring a small soccer-style banner to the stands? A one that says something along the lines of "You gave up, we will too".

 

[go comets]

Ovechkin needs to elevate his play in big games, he disappears...

Why on earth did Trotz wait till 30 seconds left in the game to call a timeout?? The team was a complete mess after the 2nd goal.
A timeout with 10 minutes left to calm things down was in order....

 

[Caps8112]

went to the game against better judgement on the "its going to be different train" haha. After their beginning of the game surge (4 mins?) I knew they werent going to win. Immediately went back to the way they normally play when it matters.

Its still less then 12 hours old but something is fundamentally wrong with this team. They weren't hurt, fatigued or anything. They simply cannot get up for a big game. Love ovi and how he probably saved this team from being moved years ago but it has to be him. They were inspired for 4 ****ing minutes.

Think its time for this core to be broken up. When they are playing well it looks like anyone can score but when things arent going their way I dont see a player on the roster I can comfortably look at and think he will bring them back from this.

 

[Randy Butternubs]

My sister-in-law is a lifelong Caps fan. She deserves better.

 

[Caps8112]

Worst night of sleep I've had in some time.

I turned it off after the second goal and never checked my email phone until 11ish.

I just can't anymore.

I'm going to pay attention to the Golden Knights and how their team comes together.

I hope Alex wins a cup someday...it's just not going to be in DC. The hope is gone.

haha while theres no ill will toward vegas fans I hope the franchise never wins a game with that fraud of a gm out there. Wasted the best years of a top 20 all time winger with guys likes Jurcina and schultz.

 

[hb12xchamps]

Just genuinely sad this morning. I haven't felt this way about a hockey game in a long time.

 

[Capsman]

haha while theres no ill will toward vegas fans I hope the franchise never wins a game with that fraud of a gm out there. Wasted the best years of a top 20 all time winger with guys likes Jurcina and schultz.

The Forsberg trade...I will forever hate that idiot.

 

[Capsman]

Worst night of sleep I've had in some time.

I turned it off after the second goal and never checked my email phone until 11ish.

I just can't anymore.

I'm going to pay attention to the Golden Knights and how their team comes together.

I hope Alex wins a cup someday...it's just not going to be in DC. The hope is gone.

I don't think he really gives a hoot. What I saw last night told me all I need to know about his priorities.

 

[Portable Mink]

I can't quit you babe. But I can go no contact and see what happens.

 

[Portable Mink]

This hurts more than anything else in sport by a factor of 1000. Just brutal. Ovi is cooked too. He needs coaching something shocking at the very least. Maybe he can't learn new things.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

Welp, that's that. Pens buried their chances and the Caps didn't. Another year of shoulda, woulda, coulda. Congrats to the Pens who did what championship teams do and that's execute at a higher level when it matters most. Not much more to say than that.

 

[Caps8112]

I can't quit you babe. But I can go no contact and see what happens.

this loss might actually lose some fans. Been watching for 30 years (since little kid) and I agree with above. When its not fun anymore why keep watching it. Try to tell myself to enjoy the regular season but honestly who cares about that. The only thing that keeps the fans coming back every October is the fact that all the DC teams are a sad joke. Everyone will move over to the Wiz for now who are about to get curb stomped by the cavs. Then it will switch to the nats who IMO have even less of a chance to win because of baseball playoffs. and then back to the redskins hahahahhahahahhaha and the caps.

 

[Caps8112]

This hurts more than anything else in sport by a factor of 1000. Just brutal. Ovi is cooked too. He needs coaching something shocking at the very least. Maybe he can't learn new things.

Ovi is headed toward his later years in his career. Theres no more coaching. At this point he is a 2nd line player, pp specialist. Problem is the caps dont have a 1st line player. Really liked what I saw out of Bura last couple games but realistically he will never be a #1 winger.

 

[strungout]

I can't quit you babe. But I can go no contact and see what happens.

LOL.

Ive been no contact for the last 3 or 4 years now....cant recall the last game I went to. Been to a few training camps and practices...you know...foreplay...but never back to where it was.

Im done.

 

[Tweedsuitcase]

Ovi is headed toward his later years in his career. Theres no more coaching. At this point he is a 2nd line player, pp specialist. Problem is the caps dont have a 1st line player. Really liked what I saw out of Bura last couple games but realistically he will never be a #1 winger.

While there's nothing "wrong" in this and other analysis I've seen, I just can't buy it as a fix. If this team, as constructed, had shown up last night they'd be moving on. How do you fix that?
JW didn't help. We have players that seem to be able they handle their role. Just never when it counts.
To have never even made it to the third round in the ovechkin era stings. Even philly went to the finals during this span. Idk if it would feel any different being the canucks or another team who at least got close or what?

 

[IafrateOvie34]

haha while theres no ill will toward vegas fans I hope the franchise never wins a game with that fraud of a gm out there. Wasted the best years of a top 20 all time winger with guys likes Jurcina and schultz.

Yep. I normally don't make sports personal, but it's hard not to when I see the name McPhee. Calling him a fraud is being nice.

 

[philip]

Ovi is headed toward his later years in his career. Theres no more coaching. At this point he is a 2nd line player, pp specialist.

In which case we're hugely overpaying. I'm not sure you can make a huge case for keeping hold of him at this stage. I love the guy and respect everything he's achieved, but if there's a time to move him on and try and get a good replacement, it's now. Noone will want his or his contract in a couple years time

 

[txpd]

Worst night of sleep I've had in some time.

I turned it off after the second goal and never checked my email phone until 11ish.

I just can't anymore.

I'm going to pay attention to the Golden Knights and how their team comes together.

I hope Alex wins a cup someday...it's just not going to be in DC. The hope is gone.

I feel you. I watched the Nats / O's game. I think the string has run out for many of us. Certainly has for me. I did pay attention on game days and I did check the score but it was far easier to just watch something else and with this failure, I am going to try my best to find something better to do with my time.

 

[Caps8112]

While there's nothing "wrong" in this and other analysis I've seen, I just can't buy it as a fix. If this team, as constructed, had shown up last night they'd be moving on. How do you fix that?
JW didn't help. We have players that seem to be able they handle their role. Just never when it counts.
To have never even made it to the third round in the ovechkin era stings. Even philly went to the finals during this span. Idk if it would feel any different being the canucks or another team who at least got close or what?

since we love the team we refuse to see that Ovi has to be part of the problem. Weve changed the coaches, gms, goalies and players. One constant in this era where the team can not rise to the occasion in big games. I was there last night and it was night and day the differences between game 6 and 7. leadership is vacant on this team. Holtby **** the bed for most of the playoffs but last night the team didnt even show up.

 

[NobodyBeatsTheWiz]

Bye Caps. I'm out.

Too much time, money, and emotion has been invested with so little return. Thanks Ted, et al., for killing my passion for hockey. The one good thing that came out of last night was a reassurance that cancelling my season tickets was the right thing to do.

Godspeed to those of you that are masochistic enough to stick with them, and a genuine thanks to many of you for what was, for many years, the best place to talk hockey.