Post-Game Talk: Montreal @ Washington | 2/20/20 | 7p ET | NBCSN/NBCW

[EroCaps]

Jesus the Barry Trotz apologists out in full force. Guess they completely forgot how Barry was almost fired twice in the season the Caps won the cup.

That only makes me question the competence of upper management. Trotz and his ball-busting is the core reason this team figured out how to win the Cup.

 

[Capsman]

I get what you mean. There is definitely revisionist history when it comes to Trotz. However to me it always felt like we would lose playing the right way with Trotz. Whereas with Reirden I feel like we win playing the wrong way.

The Caps had clunkers with Trotz for sure. But I don’t recall specific facets of play being so consistently bad for so long.

 

[kicksavedave]

Backstrom: we are just giving up the puck all the time (wording could be not exact)

Yeah Backie didn't have any answers there... just mumbling crap. He failed to say "our effort isn't there" so he was not telling the whole story.

 

[AtNightWeFly]

Eller on 1 and Kuzy on 4?

I'll take it.

Or 8-92-19 for the giggles.

 

[EroCaps]

If Backstrom isn't playing hurt, they're in deep shit.

 

[max21]

The Caps had clunkers with Trotz for sure. But I don’t recall specific facets of play being so consistently bad for so long.

Last year we lost 7 in a row. But this slump feels worse

 

[Ridley Simon]

What about Laviolette? I feel like he would resonate better than Gallant with a veteran team (it was pointed out that Gallant gets better results with a younger roster).
We won a Cup bringing in a Preds coach, might be worth trying it again. Just, um, don't want it to take as long

Yep. I wanted him before Trotz. Both are great coaches. He’d be a good fit for the next 2-3 years if need be

 

[Raikkonen]

I did a mid term planning for my blog yesterday. The obvious thing from salary chart: Caps have very old offense signed forever.

Also very little forward prospects.

If they fail this and next year... I mean, signing 19 and 8 will damage their play. Retool would be preferable but its not possible so the only thing they can do - to change coaches. Not much they can do in terms of impact players.

 

[Capsman]

Yeah Backie didn't have any answers there... just mumbling crap. He failed to say "our effort isn't there" so he was not telling the whole story.

I was livid watching that because the way he played the OT goal was egregiously bad. He literally made a half hearted effort to poke the puck away from Tatar and then turned his back and skated away. I have no idea what he was doing.

 

[Capsman]

I did a mid term planning for my blog yesterday. The obvious thing from salary chart: Caps have very old offense signed forever.

Also very little forward prospects.

If they fail this and next year... I mean, signing 19 and 8 will damage their play. Retool would be preferable but its not possible so the only thing they can do - to change coaches. Not much they can do in terms of impact players.

McMichael and Protus say “hi”.

 

[Firsov99]

Annnnd what happened to the profanity filter? I am assuming we're not all getting banned for saying shit today?

Obviously the "profanity filter" is a Caps fan. It knows how we feel now.

 

[illpucks]

It's not just Burakovsky, it's Smith-Pelly also. Like there use to be players that have good nights when the team is not playing good.

The biggest problem with this team in the past in the playoffs is when Ovi was sluggish, no one would step up. Everyone would be sluggish. If they are going to do a trade, at least pickup a player that can inject life into the team when they are in this sluggish mode.

 

[Langway]

If they fail this and next year... I mean, signing 19 and 8 will damage their play. Retool would be preferable but its not possible so the only thing they can do - to change coaches. Not much they can do in terms of impact players.

The temptation will be making examples of Vrana & Kuznetsov and restructuring toward more two-way middle-sixers if I had to guess. Easier to just shitcan the coaching staff, though, for sure. Although they'll actually need to spend on a quality staff. If they can afford to throw Panik the contract he got then they can afford an actual experienced quality coaching staff.

If the staff had a clue they'd reward Eller, Hagelin & Oshie for their more consistent 5-on-5 play but it's like they're out to lunch in that regard. Paralyzed.

 

[txpd]

It's not just Burakovsky, it's Smith-Pelly also. Like there use to be players that have good nights when the team is not playing good.

I saw an awesome game by one of those kind of players tonight. He wears 20

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

Annnnd what happened to the profanity filter? I am assuming we're not all getting banned for saying shit today?

Perma-banned! Just kidding. The filter is being reviewed by the powers that be. Site rules still apply, so no name calling or using swear words in a derogatory or non-inclusive tense, but using them in a sentence like, "I would appreciate if the Caps stopped playing like complete shit sooner rather than later," is appropriate.

 

[tenken00]

f***

Damn so I'm the only one who gets censored lol

 

[txpd]

It's not just Burakovsky, it's Smith-Pelly also. Like there use to be players that have good nights when the team is not playing good.

I saw an awesome game by one of those kind of players tonight. He wears 20

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

There's kind of this weird half-filter for f***, we'll see if that lasts.

 

[AtNightWeFly]

f*ck

Damn so I'm the only one who gets censored lol

I tried that too and nope.

 

[caps4cup]

Effort has been an issue with this team since the Red era began. Alzner famously proclaimed that the locker room had a hard time getting up for bad teams. They’ve had long stretches of malaise and shitty play dating back to Bruce. Some of those stretches are worse than others and this is a tough one right now.

The big issue is that the top guys are all playing like dogshit. Backstrom’s game has been flat out embarrassing. Kuznetsov is warm butter soft and a total liability most of the time. Carlson is lost in front of his own net. Ovechkin has been a total non factor. The only forwards pulling their weight are Oshie, the third line, and Hathaway and it’s killing the defense. When your top six can’t break the puck out or sustain a forecheck you’re gonna have a bad time.

Again, not absolving Rierden. I’m just pointing out that these stretches are not unique to him nor do I think all, or even most, of their struggles are systematic. If you put this all on Rierden, who gets the credit for how they played the first half of the season?

I completely agree with the points you made on those guys not pulling their weight. That’s a big issue but what about the defensive zone lapses, turnovers and odd man rushes against that have plagued the team the whole season? I think Ovie’s Neighbor hit the nail on the head when he said even when they were winning early in the year they often weren’t playing the right way. Now it’s just way more apparent that they aren’t winning. Whether that’s on Reirden, the players, or both is up for debate and that’s GMBM’s decision. I would say it’s likely both. Either way, hopefully it gets fixed soon.

 

[RandyHolt]

I saw big #4 plant someone on their ass in our free punch and cookies crease. Tonight was thus a victory. Ovi scoring was gravy.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

I completely agree with the points you made on those guys not pulling their weight. That’s a big issue but what about the defensive zone lapses, turnovers and odd man rushes against that have plagued the team the whole season? I think Ovie’s Neighbor hit the nail on the head when he said even when they were winning early in the year they often weren’t playing the right way. Now it’s just way more apparent that they aren’t winning. Whether that’s on Reirden, the players, or both is up for debate and that’s GMBM’s decision. I would say it’s likely both. Either way, hopefully it gets fixed soon.

All valid points. I think effort masks talent deficiencies and talent masks effort and system deficiencies, and right now they have no effort and the talent is dormant, so the systems look particularly bad.

Honestly I have no idea what will happen. Mac doesn't f*** around and he knows Ovi time is coming to an end.

 

[Firsov99]

I saw big #4 plant someone on their ass in our free punch and cookies crease. Tonight was thus a victory. Ovi scoring was gravy.

Glass half-full

 

[DanTHEMan71]

I'll pile on to the "coaching is a big problem" take.

Defense aside, we don't seem to have any sense of a plan or cohesion in the offensive zone. No sustained cycles and countless passes to nobody easily giving up possession. They look predictable and don't shoot enough too.

Our talent alone carried us to the top in the first half of the season when most teams were still settling in and finding their games. It was looser hockey. But now that teams have buttoned down their play, are in their grooves, and have a lot of tape on us, we're just getting shut down.

Coaching is the issue because it doesn't look like they've made any adjustments to counter how teams have learned to counter us.

Reirden isn't a complete idiot, but I'm not so sure about that regarding the rest of the coaching staff.

 

[hb12xchamps]

I might be wrong, but he's got almost 18,000 posts, and I've seen him post on main boards quite a few times. Anyway, people might express their displeasure with a team's play differently.

Yes that’s where they post. They rarely frequent these parts. It’s not showing displeasure it’s trolling as others have noted in this thread