GDT: G15 | Columbus @ Washington | 11/18/23 | 7:30p ET | MSN

[Ridley Simon]

We've gotten .960 from Lindgren and Shepard in their last 5 starts (4 Lindgren and 1 Shep) and we keep "finding a way to win" despite being outplayed.

funny how that works

Love your takes here. They are such an overblown bunch of gas bags!

20pts in 15 games. Shit team on pace for 109 pt season.

Bunch of flukey shit here man. They will suck ass soon enough!

 

[bacchist]

No, you're right we're really good

 

[HTFN]

Referee by name should be changed to Game Managers, because that is what they exactly are these days. They manage to keep Bettman's narrative for a parity league.

"Your Dungeon Masters for tonight are Tim Peel..."

Breakout games for Lappy and Protas…love it.

You see what happens when guys that aren't eye-poppingly "ready" are given the opportunity to learn from their reps without being buried and grow before your eyes?

 

[HTFN]

We just played one of the worst teams in the league and got badly out shot, barely hanging on to win by one goal.

lol what the f*** is wrong with you and why are you literally incapable of joy?

No, you're right we're really good

They kind of are. Again, new coach, new system, took a minute to figure out. Now every player on the roster is moving the puck faster than before. Call me crazy but it already feels like they've had more odd man rushes than they did for like all of last year (hyperbole a little, but not a lot)

Goalies are playing great but they're usually enabled by systems that make sense and don't suck dogshit (if they're not world class), they're getting depth scoring, they've been shooting at a pretty unsustainably low percentage as a whole as well which is now equalizing (Ovechkin alone getting back to career averages would be ridiculous right now since they're winning anyway)...

What is the problem again, exactly?

 

[bacchist]

lol what the f*** is wrong with you and why are you literally incapable of joy?


They kind of are. Again, new coach, new system, took a minute to figure out. Now every player on the roster is moving the puck faster than before. Call me crazy but it already feels like they've had more odd man rushes than they did for like all of last year (hyperbole a little, but not a lot)

Goalies are playing great but they're usually enabled by systems that make sense and don't suck dogshit (if they're not world class), they're getting depth scoring, they've been shooting at a pretty unsustainably low percentage as a whole as well which is now equalizing (Ovechkin alone getting back to career averages would be ridiculous right now since they're winning anyway)...

What is the problem again, exactly?

I mean the dude clearly makes contact with Lindgren, spins him around, and then holds him down.

CBJ@WSH: Provorov scores goal against Capitals | Columbus Blue Jackets

CBJ@WSH: Provorov scores goal against Capitals

www.nhl.com

 

[HTFN]

I mean the dude clearly makes contact with Lindgren, spins him around, and then holds him down.

CBJ@WSH: Provorov scores goal against Capitals | Columbus Blue Jackets

CBJ@WSH: Provorov scores goal against Capitals

www.nhl.com

I mean... okay?

So are you really saying that they won by two goals and had to spot one because of bad refs? Isn't that better?

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

"Your Dungeon Masters for tonight are Tim Peel..."


You see what happens when guys that aren't eye-poppingly "ready" are given the opportunity to learn from their reps without being buried and grow before your eyes?

Yes I absolutely see the difference when some guys are ready vs not….throwing ice time at guys clearly not ready isn’t the answer just because you get rewarded with one nice game…occasionally.

 

[YippieKaey]

Good game by the boys, especially happy for Lapierre who tripled his amount of career NHL points in this game. Im expecting nothing less from Ovi in the next game!

It's also nice seeing this team win despite bad puck luck and some pretty shitty refereeing, that "hold" on TvR should have been called on Jiricek but whatever. Loved TvRs timing on the "wake up" shout, happy we got to hear it.

Also, im getting rather infatuated with Protas, he's finally coming to life with his size and strength and now when some of his skill is being actualized he might become a very hard to handle power forward.

And, obviously, an Ovi goal is always the highlight of the game. Also happy to see him shoot 96 mph zingers from his office, that bodes well for at least 30+ goals this year.

Im impressed by this team, it's like a bumblebee, we shouldn't be able to fly but somehow it's happening. Kind of in the same vein as old, drunk Ovi scoring so many goals, it's unclear how it's happening but i like it!

 

[YippieKaey]

Btw, i know in most european football/soccer leagues there is a function where you can file an official complaint about the refs after the game. I guess there is no such function in the NHL? That could be a good idea, since that would go into the evaluation of refs and they would then be more motivated to get calls right etc. Because this game could have been gifted to CBJ by refs and that just shouldn't happen. One bad call every now and then happens but this game had like 4-5 plus a bad goalie interference call that straight up gave CBJ a goal and some life.

 

[HTFN]

Yes I absolutely see the difference when some guys are ready vs not….throwing ice time at guys clearly not ready isn’t the answer just because you get rewarded with one nice game…occasionally.

lol so I want to say you called Lapierre not ready a handful of days/weeks ago, not doing any deep dives right now

you've probably been one of the more conservative prospect development people here, but what we're seeing more and more is that the kids with coaches who want to work with them are making progress almost entirely across the board.

of course, usually when you're confronted with that you decide that the players also decided to become "ready" like it's some super saiyan power level they achieve and then becomes the baseline, but it isn't, and while this doesn't automatically make a superstar it's a building block to real progress that wasn't happening before.

 

[Calicaps]

lol so I want to say you called Lapierre not ready a handful of days/weeks ago, not doing any deep dives right now

you've probably been one of the more conservative prospect development people here, but what we're seeing more and more is that the kids with coaches who want to work with them are making progress almost entirely across the board.

of course, usually when you're confronted with that you decide that the players also decided to become "ready" like it's some super saiyan power level they achieve and then becomes the baseline, but it isn't, and while this doesn't automatically make a superstar it's a building block to real progress that wasn't happening before.

I've been high on Jimi since his draft day. But seriously, he was a healthy scratch for like 4 straight and only drew in because Kuzy was sick. He had a great night for sure, and I'm stoked for his future.

But he'd been a ghost in all his prior NHL appearances this year. I totally hope this is legitimately his breakout, but let's not get carried away here or pretend he's been an unjustly scratched difference-maker before now.

Consistency at the top level is hard. Let's see if he's got more than one strong performance in him first.

 

[HTFN]

I've been high on Jimi since his draft day. But seriously, he was a healthy scratch for like 4 straight and only drew in because Kuzy was sick. He had a great night for sure, and I'm stoked for his future.

But he'd been a ghost in all his prior NHL appearances this year. I totally hope this is legitimately his breakout, but let's not get carried away here or pretend he's been an unjustly scratched difference-maker before now.

Consistency at the top level is hard. Let's see if he's got more than one strong performance in him first.

I think I already covered that it doesn't mean he hits some level and just stays there. The point is that when he started succeeding and making plays in the game, they kept drawing him in.

The Caps just spent a few years kind of intentionally, for whatever reason, not doing that. I'm too tired to look but, like... did the Caps have a rookie with a 3 point performance during the entirety of the Laviolette tenure? Yeah, some of that's timing, but we saw a lot of games with a McMichael that started hot and confident only to be benched by the 3rd.

Today we saw a guy moving and getting shifts in a game with like 6-7 minutes left that just became 3-2, and he potted one to seal it. I feel like we can count on one hand the number of times that happened last year, and I just mean the deployment and not the goal....

The point is that he was given the opportunity to unlock something, to build on successive shifts instead of persistently playing it safe, and whether it works right away or not it's something he can take with him to develop his game based on knowing something worked and had positive reinforcement. It's not a Lapierre told-ya-so victory lap, it's more about how refreshing it is to see Carbery manage to coach a winning team and still give players opportunities instead of being scared to lose all the damn time and shortening a bench full of old players.

 

[Roshi]

lol so I want to say you called Lapierre not ready a handful of days/weeks ago, not doing any deep dives right now

you've probably been one of the more conservative prospect development people here, but what we're seeing more and more is that the kids with coaches who want to work with them are making progress almost entirely across the board.

of course, usually when you're confronted with that you decide that the players also decided to become "ready" like it's some super saiyan power level they achieve and then becomes the baseline, but it isn't, and while this doesn't automatically make a superstar it's a building block to real progress that wasn't happening before.

While im very happy to see our ”kids” playing great when given opportunity, i also think it has done them good and is big part of their current progress to be cooking in Hershey.

We can have it both ways

Its just one game though, and from what ive seen i have no problem cooking Lappy a bit more in the great developemental environment in Hershey. They are currently cooking winners there! No need to rush the kids when they are making so good progress in Hershey.

 

[HTFN]

While im very happy to see our ”kids” playing great when given opportunity, i also think it has done them good and is big part of their current progress to be cooking in Hershey.

We can have it both ways

Its just one game though, and from what ive seen i have no problem cooking Lappy a bit more in the great developemental environment in Hershey. They are currently cooking winners there! No need to rush the kids when they are making so good progress in Hershey.

I don't disagree with that either. Lapierre was not ready last year, almost categorically. He still has plenty to work on even if it's just taking an extra step physically with his adult strength, he's still young and moreover he's one of the Covid Classes with a lapse on development time on top of his injury time missed. But for guys like with some upside and pedigree like that, I'm a pretty firm believer that some consistent NHL reps do better to mentally frame themselves for the offseasons they need to get better. It's cartoon quality inspiration but to go up against a top class opponent and be able to try everything you've got and exhaust your repertoire so that you can realize it's not enough is valuable for development.

McMichael however, seemed to need to find himself in Hershey again. Sgarbossa talked about it, somebody else I can't remember talked about it, a lot of guys saw him come in kind of broken and regain what he was over time and then take development strides. That's obviously a plus for the Hershey staff but it arguably shouldn't have needed to happen. Being left on the side and sort of constantly not knowing how to play "better" when even your good games see mixed results is tough.

Nobody's ever going to be able to say definitively what helped and what didn't until somebody writes a book, but I think it's a compelling difference in philosophy even if it's not a full departure from AHL cooking. I even believe that sending Lapierre back will eventually be the right move, personnel permitting, but on a note that lets him take what he's learned in the NHL and bring it proactively to the AHL instead of regaining his game and rhythm.

 

[tycoonheart]

The way they are playing right now, it reminds me of the cup team. Not saying they will win the cup! But the 2018 team had a lot of gritty team wins on their way to the cup. I don't think the "underlying numbers" were great for that team either.

They deserved to win every one of the games they have won. Not a single "stole one" game. Underlying numbers be damned. They play a fantastic team game.

 

[Roshi]

The way they are playing right now, it reminds me of the cup team. Not saying they will win the cup! But the 2018 team had a lot of gritty team wins on their way to the cup. I don't think the "underlying numbers" were great for that team either.

They deserved to win every one of the games they have won. Not a single "stole one" game. Underlying numbers be damned. They play a fantastic team game.

Sure in some way, they are digging up wins that they propably shouldnt little same ways as some periods of 2018, but id say the difference is that in -18 they were sort of underperforming as a team and grabbing wins for individual success at times while this year they are maybe overperforming a bit as a team while the individual success is lacking, apart of goalies.

In 18 when they clicked as a team they became unstoppable. This time we need on them clicking on individual side of the game, a lot of guys need to collectively play closer to their ”level” for this dream to continue.

 

[Ovie's Neighbor]

Second season in a row when the team starts playing their best hockey once some vets are hurt and the youth get more ice time.

 

[trick9]

Second season in a row when the team starts playing their best hockey once some vets are hurt and the youth get more ice time.

Capitals record with and without Nicklas Backstrom:

Last 82 games:
With: 35-39-8 = 78 points (.476 pts%)
Without: 44-24-14 = 102 points (.622 pts%)

Last 100 games:
With: 44-47-9 = 97 points (.485 pts%)
Without: 55-29-16 = 126 points (.630 pts%)

Either way, that subject i've discussed enough already. Good win again. 3rd line was brilliant. Carlson with a terrible giveaway to keep the game close but they hold on to the lead well. Lindgren looks like he's on a mission to take over as a starter.

 

[Ovechkins Wodka]

I will read most of your post, but oh shit did we win again? High 5

 

[tycoonheart]

Capitals record with and without Nicklas Backstrom:

Last 82 games:
With: 35-39-8 = 78 points (.476 pts%)
Without: 44-24-14 = 102 points (.622 pts%)

Last 100 games:
With: 44-47-9 = 97 points (.485 pts%)
Without: 55-29-16 = 126 points (.630 pts%)

Either way, that subject i've discussed enough already. Good win again. 3rd line was brilliant. Carlson with a terrible giveaway to keep the game close but they hold on to the lead well. Lindgren looks like he's on a mission to take over as a starter.

Thats pretty damning.

 

[Ovechkins Wodka]

young centers are playing well and we are winning hockey games. Props to coach so far everything we would hope for.

 

[bacchist]

Capitals record with and without Nicklas Backstrom:

Last 82 games:
With: 35-39-8 = 78 points (.476 pts%)
Without: 44-24-14 = 102 points (.622 pts%)

Last 100 games:
With: 44-47-9 = 97 points (.485 pts%)
Without: 55-29-16 = 126 points (.630 pts%)

Either way, that subject i've discussed enough already. Good win again. 3rd line was brilliant. Carlson with a terrible giveaway to keep the game close but they hold on to the lead well. Lindgren looks like he's on a mission to take over as a starter.

It's Lindgren's to lose at this point, I'd imagine. He's been stealing game after game.

 

[msrulo]

We did well without Kuzy. Keep on winning games.

 

[Misery74]

The way they are playing right now, it reminds me of the cup team. Not saying they will win the cup! But the 2018 team had a lot of gritty team wins on their way to the cup. I don't think the "underlying numbers" were great for that team either.

They deserved to win every one of the games they have won. Not a single "stole one" game. Underlying numbers be damned. They play a fantastic team game.

I agree. We are not being propped up by a good PP, would much rather win games this way.

Our vets need these kids, period.

Let’s see Jimi on PP1. He has the best hands of all of our current centers.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

I've been high on Jimi since his draft day. But seriously, he was a healthy scratch for like 4 straight and only drew in because Kuzy was sick. He had a great night for sure, and I'm stoked for his future.

But he'd been a ghost in all his prior NHL appearances this year. I totally hope this is legitimately his breakout, but let's not get carried away here or pretend he's been an unjustly scratched difference-maker before now.

Consistency at the top level is hard. Let's see if he's got more than one strong performance in him first.

Don’t go talking common sense now….