GDT: Game 3: Islanders VS Team needing to flip the switch

[DanTHEMan71]

Reirden couldn't utilize Bura, Stephenson, now Vrana and a bunch of other players. So somehow you think the problem is "vrana?" Every player we traded that played under Reirden has been flourishing for their new team... now why is that? (hint: it's not a problem with any of the aforementioned players).

Connolly and Niskanen have had better years too. Also Kovalchuk was better under Julien. Reirden just sucks at building a gameplan to suit his team.

 

[mad4comp]

Duh the Caps had problems with Vrana and Bura when Trotz was coaching both were benched several times for their lack of details.
I suggest you quit because it is quite obviously you don't understand the details of the game.
Maybe you understand what a goal is but nothing more.

You mean like the big goals they scored during the SC run for us? Trotz benched them.. they came back and played well. Reirden can't coach. He's not an NHL coach.. heck I'd go as far as to say he couldn't even coach an AHL team. It's not a problem with any of the aforementioned players like I said.. it's the coaching staff (or lack of one I should say). Stop picking on Vrana.. sure he hasn't scored.. but neither have a bunch of other players. Hagelin looks confused.. as does Kovy, Panik and a bunch of others. It's quite scary how you lecture others on coaching and players.. but I guess it's like that old saying "when you think everyone else is crazy.. it's probably you..."

 

[Skrudland2Lomakin]

All our moves seemed right at the time they happened, but looking at it retrorespective it sure doesnt sound that cool..

- letting Trotz go, replace with Reirden
- trading Grubauer instead of Holtby
- not keeping Brett Connolly, replacing him with Panik
- trading Niskanen to Gudas
- finally moving on from Burakovsky

:/

- letting Trotz go, replace with Reirden

I mean you can debate this until the cows come home. I think, as you said, in retrospect this looks bad, but at the time it wasn't a poor choice. I still am not ready to anoint Trotz "the one that got away". I really haven't seen anything from him that lets me know he's going to be able to get to the Cup again. At this point it just seems like being better than Todd is the bar people want to operate from, but I sort of think there might better options than both available.

- trading Grubauer instead of Holtby
Impossible to ask the team to make a different move here. Holtby won a Cup, Grubuaer was pulled in the first series. Holtby isn't a bad goalie, and with a competent team in front of him he's proven he can take a team far. We knew Grubs was a great goalie, we also knew we couldn't keep him. Losing Korn is probably the biggest detriment in this department.

- not keeping Brett Connolly, replacing him with Panik
This was not a one-to-one move. Connolly makes close to 800k more than Panik, at the time that 800k meant a lot. I don't think anyone didn't think Connolly was a good bottom 6 player.

- trading Niskanen to Gudas
This also is not a one-to-one move. If Niskanen made the same amount as Gudas he'd probably still be here. We were tight against the cap and that move freed up much needed space.

- finally moving on from Burakovsky

I still think this was good move. Burakovsky probably still would be trash if he was here. It clearly wasn't just Todd that made him trash, he struggled since day one with consistency. I don't know if it was the roster around him or the environment, but that still was a good choice.

 

[maacoshark]

You mean like the big goals they scored during the SC run for us? Trotz benched them.. they came back and played well. Reirden can't coach. He's not an NHL coach.. heck I'd go as far as to say he couldn't even coach an AHL team. It's not a problem with any of the aforementioned players like I said.. it's the coaching staff (or lack of one I should say). Stop picking on Vrana.. sure he hasn't scored.. but neither have a bunch of other players. Hagelin looks confused.. as does Kovy, Panik and a bunch of others. It's quite scary how you lecture others on coaching and players.. but I guess it's like that old saying "when you think everyone else is crazy.. it's probably you..."

Like I said you understand what a goal is but you have no clue about the details of the game and it is apparent you have no interesting in learning.
Why not pick on Vrana? He is a Fricken joke. Maybe the softest player in the league. Might also be the biggest floater too. Sorry but the kid has no hockey IQ

 

[mad4comp]

Like I said you understand what a goal is but you have no clue about the details of the game and it is apparent you have no interesting in learning.
Why not pick on Vrana? He is a Fricken joke. Maybe the softest player in the league. Might also be the biggest floater too. Sorry but the kid has no hockey IQ

And Coach Maacoshark makes an appearance. Sorry coach Maacoshark.. I didn't realize you were a former NHL coach with years of experience in the NHL. my bad.

 

[DanTHEMan71]

You mean like the big goals they scored during the SC run for us? Trotz benched them.. they came back and played well. Reirden can't coach. He's not an NHL coach.. heck I'd go as far as to say he couldn't even coach an AHL team. It's not a problem with any of the aforementioned players like I said.. it's the coaching staff (or lack of one I should say). Stop picking on Vrana.. sure he hasn't scored.. but neither have a bunch of other players. Hagelin looks confused.. as does Kovy, Panik and a bunch of others. It's quite scary how you lecture others on coaching and players.. but I guess it's like that old saying "when you think everyone else is crazy.. it's probably you..."

How can the players respect him and his inexperience if he can't even respect himself. The man should've shaved his head a decade ago.

I'll preface all of this by asking people to put tactics aside for a moment.

Todd doesn't have the personality to motivate and bring energy to this team. He's always been soft-spoken. His body language behind the bench sucks and he doesn't show enough passion.

People may say that stuff is really subjective but I think it really matters when it comes to being a head coach.

Compare Todd to a fiery Trotz or any of the other great coaches in the NHL. They have a kind of ego/brashness about them and I think it's a factor in those coaches being successful. Trotz, Q, Babs, Lavi, Bouch, Gabby, Hitch, McLellan, Yeo, Sully, Peters, Blashill, Gallant, Berube, Maurice, Julien, Torts, Cassidy, DeBoer, Desy, Housley, Vigneault, etc. They're all better than Todd. Yes they can be stubborn and may intimidate certain players, but I think in the end, players will play harder for a fiery coach that will constantly have their attention rather than a quiet man, in his first HC role.

I feel like the locker room really respected Trotz and he got the best out of them physically and emotionally. It wasn't always successful but it was consistent and a hell of a lot better than what we have now. It feels like Reirden is just there and the team is just going through the motions because it's so easy for them to tune him out.

This is a team that has always needed a coach that could kick them in the ass to get going and Reirden isn't that coach.

 

[Artie Fufkin]

“trading Grubauer instead of Holtby
Impossible to ask the team to make a different move here. Holtby won a Cup, Grubuaer was pulled in the first series. Holtby isn't a bad goalie, and with a competent team in front of him he's proven he can take a team far. We knew Grubs was a great goalie, we also knew we couldn't keep him. Losing Korn is probably the biggest detriment in this department.”

To me, this was management’s biggest mistake. You had a goalie who had just won a Stanley Cup, after being benched towards the end of the season. His value was probably never higher. When they knew Mitch Korn, the only goalie guru that he can work with, was not coming back, they should have shipped him somewhere, and signed Grubi to the same deal the Avs signed him to.

I don’t know if Grubi would be better , but I can imagine it being worse.

 

[RandyHolt]

What the f*** was the Norris Winner doing on the GWG?

He should have played the body hell even stick out his leg you cannot just let anyone walk out in front like that.

 

[Ovie's Neighbor]

Connolly and Niskanen have had better years too. Also Kovalchuk was better under Julien. Reirden just sucks at building a gameplan to suit his team.

Bowey also had a better year (he wasn’t great but he was better) and Jensen looked much worse since coming here.

 

[Brian23]

GMBM should be on thin ice for allowing the culture to change in the building.

This seems ridiculous. GMBM, arguably, didn't pick Reirden. But even if he did, you can't hold it against him if a Coach is given to long a leash. That's Ted's MO as apparent by everything he's done with the Caps and the Wizards.

But Reirden really isn't it.

 

[Brian23]

If I'm GMBM, I probably try to get Lavi. He's normally really good for 3 or 4 years, and then he fades off. That's about the time our core will be finished so it'd be good timing to do a full reboot.

But let's be honest, just like Brooks good ole Todd'll be here next year. He's got at least 2 more years in him.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Bowey also had a better year (he wasn’t great but he was better) and Jensen looked much worse since coming here.

sounds inaccurate....

 

[maacoshark]

And Coach Maacoshark makes an appearance. Sorry coach Maacoshark.. I didn't realize you were a former NHL coach with years of experience in the NHL. my bad.

That's right. And don't forget it.
Wow. Unfrickenbelievable

 

[marcel snapshot]

When a player doesn't want to play within the system. He has to be riding the pines. This isn't the 80s when players freelanced alot. The league is very systematic now.

This is a clarifying observation. I would say that, as successful as the Caps have been over the last decade, they are relatively system-averse. Put another way, their commitment to a system has been, at best, episodic. It did get them a Cup (and yay for that), but that was a function of a level of cohesion and commitment that’s looking more and more like an aberration. But if your team isn’t playing as a fast, crisp, cohesive 5-minute unit that is executing a well-designed plan that the players have bought into (and we don’t look like we’re doing that) - well, you’re f***ed.

 

[g00n]

Today I learned that even the worst player in the NHL can just float around and pot 25 goals with 27 assists in 69 games. Who knew?

 

[Blitzkrieg365]

Today I learned that even the worst player in the NHL can just float around and pot 25 goals with 27 assists in 69 games. Who knew?

Yeah, don't get me wrong Vrana has not been good this postseason but people who're acting like the kid is completely untalented and not suited for NHL ice are crazy. The team is full of passengers this year, the blame can be spread wide.

 

[IafrateOvie34]

I have to believe the clock is ticking for Reirden. So not all will be negative if the Caps get eliminated.

 

[IafrateOvie34]

I liked it better when there was no sports

There is still time for them to cancel the playoffs.

 

[AussieCapsFan]

Carlson is hurt. Kempny was bad with him, Dillon is bad with him. Dillon and Kempny are good players. A healthy Carlson make AHL Djoos or ECHL Siegenthaler look good. He is too hurt. He should sit.

Go with this D pairs:

Dillon - Orlov
Fehervary - Gudas
Kempny - Jensen

I've had enough of your verbal diarrhea - thankfully we have an ignore button.

 

[SherVaughn30]

“trading Grubauer instead of Holtby
Impossible to ask the team to make a different move here. Holtby won a Cup, Grubuaer was pulled in the first series. Holtby isn't a bad goalie, and with a competent team in front of him he's proven he can take a team far. We knew Grubs was a great goalie, we also knew we couldn't keep him. Losing Korn is probably the biggest detriment in this department.”

To me, this was management’s biggest mistake. You had a goalie who had just won a Stanley Cup, after being benched towards the end of the season. His value was probably never higher. When they knew Mitch Korn, the only goalie guru that he can work with, was not coming back, they should have shipped him somewhere, and signed Grubi to the same deal the Avs signed him to.

I don’t know if Grubi would be better , but I can imagine it being worse.

I have to agree with this. After winning the Cup with Holtby, Caps held onto him too long. He hasn't even been close to consistent since Korn left with Trotz. In these 3 games so far, we have seen 3 different Holtby's. Bad, Meh and Good. Just no consistency from a goalie as experienced as he is.

 

[SherVaughn30]

Watched Coach Kevin in the post game interview. His explanation seemed to be an indication that he's clueless to what's wrong with the team and how to try to fix this. He basically just said some blah, blah, blah and generalizing they need to win the next game.

A smart coach would say something along the lines of we need to win a period, win battles on the boards and go hard towards the net and get some ugly goals. With only 23 shots on goal, we need to be more relentless, less selective on taking shots and shoot the puck from everywhere.

When Tom Wilson was interviewed he sounded a lot more sure of what to do then what Coach Kevin said! Kevin is clueless and way over his head coaching this team.

 

[Ovechkins Wodka]

People blaming Vrana know nothing about hockey. He had the puck on his stick to end the game. Bad players don’t do that... it takes a lot of skill to get breakaways like him.

 

[SherVaughn30]

People blaming Vrana know nothing about hockey. He had the puck on his stick to end the game. Bad players don’t do that... it takes a lot of skill to get breakaways like him.

Someone needs to teach Vrana that if you gonna go five-hole, then try to open the goalie up. He just straight on shot five-hole and Varly never gave anything there. Vrana use to be so good going top corner glove-side and then all of sudden he stopped trying it.

 

[Ovechkins Wodka]

Someone needs to teach Vrana that if you gonna go five-hole, then try to open the goalie up. He just straight on shot five-hole and Varly never gave anything there. Vrana use to be so good going top corner glove-side and then all of sudden he stopped trying it.

He’s has moves. His shootout move was the best move this season. We just need that at game speed

 

[Roshi]

- letting Trotz go, replace with Reirden

I mean you can debate this until the cows come home. I think, as you said, in retrospect this looks bad, but at the time it wasn't a poor choice. I still am not ready to anoint Trotz "the one that got away". I really haven't seen anything from him that lets me know he's going to be able to get to the Cup again. At this point it just seems like being better than Todd is the bar people want to operate from, but I sort of think there might better options than both available.

- trading Grubauer instead of Holtby
Impossible to ask the team to make a different move here. Holtby won a Cup, Grubuaer was pulled in the first series. Holtby isn't a bad goalie, and with a competent team in front of him he's proven he can take a team far. We knew Grubs was a great goalie, we also knew we couldn't keep him. Losing Korn is probably the biggest detriment in this department.

- not keeping Brett Connolly, replacing him with Panik
This was not a one-to-one move. Connolly makes close to 800k more than Panik, at the time that 800k meant a lot. I don't think anyone didn't think Connolly was a good bottom 6 player.

- trading Niskanen to Gudas
This also is not a one-to-one move. If Niskanen made the same amount as Gudas he'd probably still be here. We were tight against the cap and that move freed up much needed space.

- finally moving on from Burakovsky

I still think this was good move. Burakovsky probably still would be trash if he was here. It clearly wasn't just Todd that made him trash, he struggled since day one with consistency. I don't know if it was the roster around him or the environment, but that still was a good choice.

Yeah, like i said it all made perfect sense when it happened. Its too much of a coinsidence that everybody trends up outside DC and everybody coming/staying are trending down. So its not that all those moves were mistakes or anything, but more propably because the first one was. Reirden isnt exactly getting the best out of his players.