Series Discussion: (M1) Washington Capitals vs (WC1) Carolina Hurricanes, Category 1

[RandyHolt]

On the Vegas note. Caps were the league favorite to win the cup like 3 days ago. I know it means nothing but we are a good team.

Vegas is guessing like we do ha. But game to game, the vegas odds change of course. If we are the heavy favorite, Carolina should be a huge dog in every single game vs us. The are not, of course. Most games have been close to even odds.

 

[g00n]

Ah, the opinion cops are on patrol again. We're all safer for it.

Regarding the series to date, it seems like the Caps initially weren't sure what to do about Carolina's speed and intensity. The Caps hit a decent amount and seemed to want to impose their will at first, but the Canes stuck to their gameplan to swarm and shoot. Our play lacked structure, and pressure from the Canes created turnovers. We made it worse by relying on dumping and flipping along the boards, just like when the Pens beat us a few years ago and Trotz never adjusted. It also seemed like we toned down the physical aggression to stay out of the box and avoid odd-man rushes, which exacerbated the problem because instead of being in good position we're simply constantly on our heels.

We were lucky to win the first 2 games based on mediocre or bad play by Mrazek.

Now that Mrazek has stabilized that deciding advantage is gone, and TR needs to adjust further. If the Canes continue a fast, pressure-based system then the only way to counter it with THIS roster is to make sure guys are disciplined in their lane-filling and support, and MAKE BETTER PASSES. Get to the net and create havoc. Then hustle on the backcheck. Don't float and cheat with staying ready to get back as an excuse.

If you're not going to play heavy don't dump. If you're not going to play a fast game don't stretch pass. Stick with the possession game and the structured breakout and do it well.

Edit: we also need Holtby to steal a game, at least, among the next 3. The defensemen this year are not as good as last year imo and Holtby has yet to reach his playoff form.

 

[Lindemann]

I say screw it and go with the 1-3-1 or the 1-1-3 and see what happens

Maybe it will piss off and throw off the Canes enough where we can get them off their game

 

[BrooklynCapsFan]

Carolina is somehow swarming 4 men on the puck carrier as we enter the offensive zone -every time. It’s not sustainable but these jerks are young and hungry.

They need to dump and chase and pound. 4 games in now it might be too late to inflict the physical toll that would have that work.

Yes, Holtby needs to steal a game. In Carolina would be especially nice.

 

[EroCaps]

The Caps won a Cup playing their game.

The last thing they should do is knee jerk adopt a new system and allow Carolina to dictate the series.

Guys just need to step up and sacrifice. I see less of that...

 

[Lindemann]

The Caps won a Cup playing their game.

The last thing they should do is knee jerk adopt a new system and allow Carolina to dictate the series.

Guys just need to step up and sacrifice. I see less of that...

Wait what? Changing your forecheck and breakout is not knee jerking, it’s adapting.

Otherwise you end up like the Caps in 2016-2017 against the Pens

 

[Chokingdogs]

It seems as if Carolina has an extra skater, all the time.

I hear joe/Craig/alan spouting off about the Caps “speed”. I see them as slow, compared to other teams.

Watching some of the other games I’m shaking my head at how fast they are. Speed can be beaten by a “slower” team, but that needs structure. As it’s been discussed here that structure appears to be missing.

Watching the junkies this morning they’re talking about panic factor and such, citing last year as reason for not pressing the button. Ditto for some of the callers....other callers are citing this isn’t last year, and the team is playing different. The eye test tells one that.

 

[Linnie The Pooh]

Yesterdays game was just downright sloppy on the D and the passing was horrendous. The offense could not keep anything in the zone for what seemed to be more than 10 seconds to put any sort of pressure on Mrazek and the Canes. Holtby was not the problem in last evenings game.

 

[twabby]

She's usually right about these sorts of things.

 

[RandyHolt]

We dominate at looking sloppy and eeking out random goals.

I suspect hive or others will disagree but I actually thought Siggy provided the best breakouts. Sure he only had 5, but he had 5 more than anyone else I can recall.

It is really painful to watch every errant pass, going right to a cane. Painful for it to appear like they have 6 skaters to our 5, and its a real kick in the coconuts to have the extra man, but look shorthanded. There are just some games where that shit happens the whole damn game, and it was yesterday.

Carolina is a hungry team. We need to pound their lead punk Foegelle as a priority, and see if we can get him to panic overreact and give us a PP. He knows we will be coming after him. Use it to our advantage.

 

[Lindemann]

It seems as if Carolina has an extra skater, all the time.

This right here is what I always notice

It’s like they have 4 in their d zone but when they breakout they have 3 on the offense?

Also, Carolina is literally trapping their entire team against whoever has the puck

I saw it multiple times last night where they stand in the middle of their d zone and collapse all 4-5 guys onto our 1

We literally don’t have an answer but we need to find one fast

 

[WcRoenick97]

DSP will be the shot in the arm this team so desperately needs. The past two games have been like watching the Caps play in quicksand. It’s almost a helpless feeling and I can’t remember the last time I’ve felt that watching a Caps team. It just makes no sense to me. Wilson and Hags have been fairly silent. No one has really made much of an impact the past two games. Just very odd. Look slow as molasses and the passing is piss poor. Hopefully they get it together for Game 5 or I think this one is done in 6 for the good guys.

 

[Ovechkins Wodka]

If we drop Saturday’s game I still won’t worry. We went up 2-0 on Tampa then loss 3 in a row.

 

[RandyHolt]

Just don't wait until game 7 for DSP.... at that point you are asking for a miracle

 

[txpd]

The Caps won a Cup playing their game.

The last thing they should do is knee jerk adopt a new system and allow Carolina to dictate the series.

Guys just need to step up and sacrifice. I see less of that...

The Caps straight up trapped some games/some teams last playoffs. They turned up and turned down the hitting. They went for more or fewer stretch passes. They turned up and turned down the dump and chase. Playing their game doesn't mean they cant trap.

 

[txpd]

Just don't wait until game 7 for DSP.... at that point you are asking for a miracle

So, the difference between winning and losing is a 4th line winger. Ok

 

[crazy8888]

A interesting quote from Ovechkin

It has to be,” Ovechkin said. “It’s a wake-up call for all of us. We can’t hope one guy going to make a save or score a goal. You have to go out there and play your game. If you don’t want to do it, don’t play.

Anyone else get the feeling he is calling out certain teammates? Like Kuzy for example

 

[Lindemann]

I’m confused on how DSP is what we need right now

Wasn’t he ridiculed and sent down for being very out of shape and slow this year?

I think the last thing we need is less speed

He does bring some nice potential scoring but we do not need to get slower then we already are at the moment

 

[RandyHolt]

So, the difference between winning and losing is a 4th line winger. Ok

Just like winning and losing can be determined by a fluke bounce.

Or, do those never decide games?

 

[txpd]

DSP will be the shot in the arm this team so desperately needs. The past two games have been like watching the Caps play in quicksand. It’s almost a helpless feeling and I can’t remember the last time I’ve felt that watching a Caps team. It just makes no sense to me. Wilson and Hags have been fairly silent. No one has really made much of an impact the past two games. Just very odd. Look slow as molasses and the passing is piss poor. Hopefully they get it together for Game 5 or I think this one is done in 6 for the good guys.

DSP doesn't make the team faster nor create space for Wilson. Lets not take his potential contribution too far.

 

[txpd]

Just like winning and losing can be determined by a fluke bounce.

Or, do those never decide games?

All kinds of arbitrary things can tilt a game. Maybe I wrote that wrong. What is wrong with the Capitals isn't DSP or no DSP. What is keeping Kuzy quiet is DSP in Hershey? What is keeping Eller and Connolly quiet is DSP in Hershey?

 

[Empty Goal Net]

Hoping that having last change will allow HCTR to take advantage of positive match-ups and establish whatever strategies they decide to go with for the individual lines - speed, heavy, possession, whatever. G3 was the only game that wasn't close, but Caps are due for some scoring ... Devo as a hitter/screener/mucker and general net-front presence sounds promising.

And Kuzy reverting to 2018 playoff form wouldn't hurt.

 

[RandyHolt]

I’m confused on how DSP is what we need right now

Wasn’t he ridiculed and sent down for being very out of shape and slow this year?

I think the last thing we need is less speed

He does bring some nice potential scoring but we do not need to get slower then we already are at the moment

Good post, but I think Todd has to figure out his plan to get past Carolina. If he thinks the key to victory is more speed, that's correct, DSP is not the guy. But, is speed what won us a cup?

Brian went out of his way to keep the same lineup as last year. DSP out of shape likely last year too, was a part of that.

Our bottom 6 has been so irrelevant that it may not matter. It comes back to the bigger picture, what is Todd planning to do, and which players best fit that approach. My peasant eyes saw the heavy game led us to victory in the G1&2. I haven't seen anything else, to say, "yeah - lets do more of that"

Carolina had our number for a decade when we were presidential kings. Some things in hockey are simply not easily explained... just like DSP being an out of shape big body RW... proven playoff scorer. I see little downside risk to try him, as 4 has been nothing.

 

[NoVaCapsFan]

Caps beat Pens last year with Wilson and Backstrom on the shelf for multiple games. Other guys need to step up. Canes are good, but Caps are still better man-for-man.

 

[Skrudland2Lomakin]

I was really hoping to squeak out with at least one W in CAR so we didn't have to come back to that trash pit they call ice.

The ice has been their MVP of the series, it completely neuters our PP. It chews up any fast breaks. We need to adjust our play style when we go back because we will not be able to win if we continue to try and cycle the puck. What we need to do is crash the net and get some grimy goals. That ice is not conducive to pretty hockey.

Here is where DSP pays off. I don't think our answer on how to win in CAR is out gunning them with speed. I think we need to play grimes hockey, forecheck our asses off, and crash nets, all of which falls into the DSP wagon.

 

[RandyHolt]

All kinds of arbitrary things can tilt a game. Maybe I wrote that wrong. What is wrong with the Capitals isn't DSP or no DSP. What is keeping Kuzy quiet is DSP in Hershey? What is keeping Eller and Connolly quiet is DSP in Hershey?

Healthy hungry bodies can provide a nice boost