GDT: Les C4pit0lz @ Mango. 10.30pm EST. 3.22.1014

[ryan519*]

isles up 2-0 on columbus. come on you got this

 

[g00n]

You do realize the bottom 2 lines don't get the same coverage?

Every successful team needs their bottom lines to contribute since the top lines get most of the attention.

Just see who our best defenders get sent out against.

You realize that your theory would mean our 3rd and 4th line are 1st or 2nd line quality if they're consistently beating lower pair d-men on every team, and that our top 2 lines are worse than most every other top 6 because they can't score against top pairs while other teams can, right?

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Wey in place of Carrick is a huge improvement.

I have to agree....nothing fancy, but no glaring bad plays either. Wey's been solid.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

I really like Carrick and think he's got a future here for sure but there's no question the team is better with Wey in the line up right now.

Absolutely. Carrick is simply physically outmatched at the NHL level right now. The skills and the hockey IQ is there from what I've seen, but he's not ready here yet. I'd like to see him add some weight and strength and see how he looks next year. I'm still not convinced they weren't trying him out to see if he's a keeper or worth more as future tradable assets.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

BTW Wilson with 10:30 of ice time last night against one of the top teams in the NHL. Exactly what I was hoping would happen towards the end of the season...he's getting north of 8 or 9 mins most nights over the past 3 weeks.

Look at the play to start the 2nd Caps goal. Wilson starts in his own end and stickhandles nicely and gets the puck into the SJ zone deep where the defender seemingly nullifies him, but Wilson sticks with it and lays a hit on the guy behind the net, coughs it up to Penner who feeds Brown for the shot. Game tied.

 

[Langway]

Hard to believe the Ward line played so little. They were making every shift count.

You realize that your theory would mean our 3rd and 4th line are 1st or 2nd line quality if they're consistently beating lower pair d-men on every team, and that our top 2 lines are worse than most every other top 6 because they can't score against top pairs while other teams can, right?

It's not even not scoring as they hardly even generate chances, create momentum or play with any consistency on the attack. It would be tolerable if they at least did the little things well and just weren't getting rewarded.

A decent part of it's that the bottom six is way better suited to play dump and chase so fundamentally this system/approach is plain better for those players in particular. The work rate in the offensive zone just isn't there for the top six, starting with 8 & 19. Oates needs to adjust his tactics to put a greater emphasis on speed through the neutral zone and clean zone entries for the top six. As-is it looks broken. A healthy Grabovski would do wonders but tactically there's not a great deal of evident buy-in from the top six leaders.

Chicago is the only other team to gain five points in their CA swing this season so pretty impressive nonetheless. Who knows whether they can be successful slowing teams down but it seems like a key to their success. It's choppy hockey not all that far removed from HunterHockey. Sound as far as road games go against powerhouses but you'd hope with the talent they have there would be another layer of firepower in the arsenal.

 

[artilector]

You do realize the bottom 2 lines don't get the same coverage?

Every successful team needs their bottom lines to contribute since the top lines get most of the attention.

Just see who our best defenders get sent out against.

Sorry, but it's a ridiculous argument. On most good teams, the top lines lead the way at ES scoring, regardless of coverage. That's why they are "top lines". Our top 6 has been doing jack at ES, the lone bright spot probably being Grabo.. and this -- with a "generational" player and "top 5 center".

 

[Midnight Judges]

What's Grabovski's time frame for return anyway?

edit: Looks like April 4-6 at the earliest.

 

[Calicaps]

I have to agree....nothing fancy, but no glaring bad plays either. Wey's been solid.

I thought crap was crap? Now there's huge improvement? C'mon.

 

[kmdoom]

A decent part of it's that the bottom six is way better suited to play dump and chase so fundamentally this system/approach is plain better for those players in particular. The work rate in the offensive zone just isn't there for the top six, starting with 8 & 19. Oates needs to adjust his tactics to put a greater emphasis on speed through the neutral zone and clean zone entries for the top six. As-is it looks broken. A healthy Grabovski would do wonders but tactically there's not a great deal of evident buy-in from the top six leaders.

Well said.

 

[RandyHolt]

Wilson is slowing catching up to Ovi in ES assists

 

[ryan519*]

come on devils.

 

[usiel]

Wilson is slowing catching up to Ovi in ES assists

I must admit this made me chuckle.

 

[RandyHolt]

You think Ovi has bad luck with Nick and MJ shooting blanks, what about Willy playing with Patti and Beagle

 

[Fallschirmyager]

For a change we got some help. Columbus and Toronto lost in regulation but Detroit lost in OT.

 

[ryan519*]

who plays who with the wild card spots? if the first wild card spot plays boston in the first rounds i'd much rather get the second wild card spot and face pitt. much more favorable matchup

 

[mad4comp]

who plays who with the wild card spots? if the first wild card spot plays boston in the first rounds i'd much rather get the second wild card spot and face pitt. much more favorable matchup

As it stands (and will most likely be the case).

Boston will play #8 (last wild-card spot)
Pittsburgh will play #7 (first wild-card spot)

Give me #7 please. Hope Detroit loses a couple more games.

 

[Brian23]

As it stands (and will most likely be the case).

Boston will play #8 (last wild-card spot)
Pittsburgh will play #7 (first wild-card spot)

Give me #7 please. Hope Detroit loses a couple more games.

I'm really torn. I think as our team is built now we've got the horses to eek out a series against the B's again but Pitt's a harder matchup. They've got so much firepower and I think our weakness is our defense. I would just think Crosby and Malkin would have a field day with our D and G's.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

I thought crap was crap? Now there's huge improvement? C'mon.

I thought we were discussion Hillen and "new pairings", not every individual defenseman that suits up for the Caps between now and eternity. Is he my ideal 3rd pair guy on a contender....hell no, but for a few games he's been marginally better than the others currently riding the pine.

 

[FloridaCap]

I'm really torn. I think as our team is built now we've got the horses to eek out a series against the B's again but Pitt's a harder matchup. They've got so much firepower and I think our weakness is our defense. I would just think Crosby and Malkin would have a field day with our D and G's.

I'd put our chances vs Boston at like 30% and our chances vs Pitt at about 5%.

We match up far better with a defensive team. Our defense can't stop an offensive team like Pitt. We'd be ****ed.

 

[ryan519*]

I'd put our chances vs Boston at like 30% and our chances vs Pitt at about 5%.

We match up far better with a defensive team. Our defense can't stop an offensive team like Pitt. We'd be ****ed.

yea but we rely so much on our offense and if that gets shutdown by the stifling boston defense with a goalie like rask backing them up, what then? at least vs. pitt it could be somewhat of a shootout back and forth, i mean their defense is nothing to write home about and we all know what happens to fleury in the playoffs.

halak would have to steal games, no doubt

 

[um]

I'd put our chances vs Boston at like 30% and our chances vs Pitt at about 5%.

We match up far better with a defensive team. Our defense can't stop an offensive team like Pitt. We'd be ****ed.

hasnt boston won like 12 in a row? not to mention they have offense, defense, and goaltending. at least with pittsburgh they have some weaknesses and who knows with flower in net.

 

[terranraida]

I was so happy that they beat the sharks. Backstrom's shootout goal was crazy, and the fact that Kuznetsov is 2 for 2 is awesome.

 

[mad4comp]

hasnt boston won like 12 in a row? not to mention they have offense, defense, and goaltending. at least with pittsburgh they have some weaknesses and who knows with flower in net.

Take a gander as to who the last team to beat them was. The only way we don't match up with Boston is if by some miracle there are no penalties called in a game (I have no clue how the referees still have jobs after that shafting).

But like I said earlier, I think we match up better with the ****sburgh. I have a feeling if we draw them, Ovechkin will go ape-**** and score like never before.

 

[BobRouse]

Lets not get ahead of ourselves here. The Caps are still a longshot and have 2 very tough opponents coming in and hold no tiebreakers etc

That said if they make the playoffs then the Caps historically seem to always play better as the underdog. I imagine its because the lack of pressure which the Caps have long been overly sensitive to.

In our 90 run we beat heavily favored NJ and favored NY.

In 94 we beat an absurdly stacked Pens team that was insanely favored.

In 98 I remember us being picked to lose by virtually everyone in each series.

No one thought we'd beat Boston 2 years ago.

Caps suprise when no one expects them to.