Post-Game Talk: House cafeteria Freedom Fries vs La Banquise Poutine: 7:37pm

[TRASHCAT]

But can't we talk about how happy we are to have such a well built team?

Wow this team is good, i am so happy this team is good

Yes I am also happy this team is good

Lets agree that we are both happy and this team is good

 

[Langway]

So the Caps have won 18 of their first 24 games. How is there still a narrative that they somehow struggle with good teams?

Vs. current non-playoff teams: 14-0-1
Vs. current playoff teams: 4-5-0

Relatively speaking? Of course they do. Not that it matters a ton either way. The schedule beefs up from February on and that's how it should be. Bank points while they're fairly easily to come by and hopefully that confidence carries over into the tougher, more meaningful portion.

 

[Bladerunner]

What about the game they played well vs Dallas on a back to back? They stuck with them when they were tired

Maybe their best loss of the season.

A b2b vs a hot, strong team, best in the WC. And they hit 2-3 posts. Like most fans I'll find something to gripe about in any loss, but was rather pleased, proud of their play vs Dallas.

A win like this one balances a loss like the one vs Stars

 

[hockeykicker]

Vs. current non-playoff teams: 14-0-1
Vs. current playoff teams: 4-5-0

Relatively speaking? Of course they do. Not that it matters a ton either way. The schedule beefs up from February on and that's how it should be. Bank points while they're fairly easily to come by and hopefully that confidence carries over into the tougher portion.

whats interesting is that at this time last year, caps were 10-10-4. now the reason i bring it up is because they couldnt get the job done vs the lesser teams. this year so far they have. that to me and like you said as well, shows that they are building confidence and thats what the win was tonight, they were confident unlike last year

 

[Hivemind]

So the Caps have won 18 of their first 24 games. How is there still a narrative that they somehow struggle with good teams?

Because it's true? They've beat up on teams in the bottom of the standings so far. They've only played a handful of quality teams, and they've lost most of those games (a couple in brutal fashion).

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

Did we just see 19Backstrom?

I think that was 19Backstrom they showed cheering after Oshie's 2nd goal

Haha where did you see me? I had a Semin jersey and I was next to a guy with a retro Habs jersey.
EDIT: That guy wasn't me, he had a Backstrom jersey. I gave that same guy a fist bump when I came across him in the corridor, that's funny

 

[SpinningEdge]

You really feel Boston belongs in the same category as the rest of those teams? I know they're in playoff position, but they don't strike me as anything resembling a contender.

Already laid out my thoughts on Chicago.

So who are the top teams we played against that we got dominated against??? You tell us...

 

[Acallabeth]

Trotz said he was "grasping at straws" for who played well tonight other than Holtby, Wilson and Schmidt. Called performance below average.

At least Barry understands that the team's lucked out against the team missing its best player.

Wooooh, 18-5-1, all is great, plan the parade!

A question for most of the thread: who do you believe, your eyes or that dumbass scoreboard?

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

At least Barry understands that the team's lucked out against the team missing its best player.

Wooooh, 18-5-1, all is great, plan the parade!

A question for most of the thread: who do you believe, your eyes or that dumbass scoreboard?

I was at the game and I'll admit it was an undeserved win. However, other teams have had underserved wins against us as well *cough* Stars and Red Wings *cough*.

 

[hockeykicker]

next game with Canadiens we play again after a long lay off...

you mean the day after christmas when everyone has the long break

 

[Carlzner]

3 games in hand over MTL/NYR and 2 over DAL.

When I say consistency, it is not so much as a group but individually. You don't want to have your top Dman dropping the ball like this every now and then.

Do you think that other top D-men around the league never have a bad game?

 

[Carlzner]

So who are the top teams we played against that we got dominated against??? You tell us...

The same team that got dominated by the team we beat tonight.

It's almost like every team wins and loses games.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

Do you think that other top D-men around the league never have a bad game?

They do, but tonight was the worst game I've ever seen #74 play. Every time he touched the puck in the defensive zone it was an automatic turnover.

 

[TRASHCAT]

Well its Dec 3 so I am going to care about that game about as much as the caps did.

 

[NobodyBeatsTheWiz]

Vs. current non-playoff teams: 14-0-1
Vs. current playoff teams: 4-5-0

Relatively speaking? Of course they do. Not that it matters a ton either way. The schedule beefs up from February on and that's how it should be. Bank points while they're fairly easily to come by and hopefully that confidence carries over into the tougher, more meaningful portion.

Because it's true? They've beat up on teams in the bottom of the standings so far. They've only played a handful of quality teams, and they've lost most of those games (a couple in brutal fashion).

Throw out the San Jose game for obvious reasons.

In those other 4 losses to current playoff teams, the Caps' ES CF%/FF% has been:

52/52 (Dallas)
44/50 (Detroit)
65/66 (NYR)
56/56 (Pitt)

So, that's three of those losses where they've won the possession battle, and in two of those, they dominated.

I ask again, why is this narrative still around?

 

[Raikkonen]

Holtbeast.

Wilsonbeast.

And Orlov's playing better lately. Glad to see.

Oshie is already above his last year goals pace. Low on assists front though.

 

[Corby78]

The truth is we have a good enough team to win when we don't play at our best. Not many years have we been able to say that.

It's also a truth that every NHL team will lose a number of games through the season, both to bad and good teams. Right now we are limiting that to a great extent.

I like what I'm seeing and I'm not going to ***** about losing 5 games to quality teams as if that proves we still suck. Were one of, if not THE, best team in the NHL right now, and I'm going to enjoy that.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

I'd be more inclined to agree if they hadn't been manhandled in every one of those reps against top teams.

They dominated Dallas.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

Third period, final 15 minutes, was pretty damn good. Other than that, meh. This team blows after long layoffs.

If I'm not mistaken they were awful during day games last year. 3:00 pm start on Saturday vs Winnipeg. Just win.

 

[895]

You know how the Edmonton Oilers are the kings of the moral victories? They'll lose on the scoreboard but point out how they played well, how well their young players are playing, how they did all small things right etc. etc.

This year we are the kings of moral losses. We win games but sometimes they feel like losses.

 

[Lshap]

As a Habs fan, I wanted to pay respect to Holtby. Amazing game last night! He's firmly in the top-5, IMO, and my favourite goalie outside of my own. I've been a fan of him since his first playoffs against the Bruins.

 

[ChibiPooky]

As a Habs fan, I wanted to pay respect to Holtby. Amazing game last night! He's firmly in the top-5, IMO, and my favourite goalie outside of my own. I've been a fan of him since his first playoffs against the Bruins.

Now I get it

 

[g00n]

Because it's true? They've beat up on teams in the bottom of the standings so far. They've only played a handful of quality teams, and they've lost most of those games (a couple in brutal fashion).

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showpost.php?p=110100121&postcount=64

They're no worse than the teams that beat them in that regard, and in fact may even be better. The quality of competition conversation is going to need the use the Caps as a measuring stick soon instead of the other way around.

Now, I'm not totally drinking the Kool Aid just yet. Decades of disaster have not been forgotten. But the reality is this team is beating who they should while holding their own against better teams-- at least as much as those teams do in slogging through their own schedules. And, they're doing it with their B game quite a bit. The ceiling for this team is close to 2010 levels, maybe higher due to goaltending and defensive talent/depth.

Another overlooked item is they seem to be dominating in back to back game situations, which is unheard of for this franchise recently. When was the last time they were nearly undefeated in b2b games with this many played?

 

[Lshap]

Now I get it

Are you kidding? In 2012 I was probably cheering for the Caps harder than half you guys!

 

[Sam Spade]

Chicago had played the night before and had Darling in net.

Again, no Price tonight. Huge difference. No Gallagher. Tonight still might be their biggest win of the season given MTL's EC record to date. Not a really impressive win altogether but that probably shouldn't be expected against contenders. They don't have that sort of mentality. It's finding a way to win.

Darling is exactly the same as Crawford. And the only other "faster" team the Caps have lost to was the Star (3-2) in a game they thoroughly outplayed the Stars, with Grubauer in net by the way. Oh and the Caps had played an OT game the night before in Detroit.

We didn't really have our legs till about the 3rd.

Read the first two or so pages of this thread, pretty much everyone was saying how terribly we play after long breaks. Lo and behold.

I don't like that trend, needs fixing. But we expected this.

Good to come out with 2 points.

Serious question, why?

In the playoffs it is game, off day, game, until you win a series and then there CAN be a break of a few days.

Regular season is about getting points, points were gotten last night.