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

[Raikkonen]

8-92-77

 

[Capsman]

Seems that double shifting OV is our sole in-game adjustment strategy...ever.

 

[Langway]

Backstrom/Carlson are also baby soft in front of their net. That's the big issue. If you're slumping offensively you've got to at least have defensive urgency. It's just dumb, soft hockey. Eller, Hagelin, Oshie, Hathaway and Dowd are the only forwards leading the way. Hard to win or have any sort of coherent identity when you're a top-heavy forward team whose forwards aren't really fundamentally sound. It's really 19/74 that stand out as shockingly bad lately. They're not alone...they're just too important to play like they have been.

 

[SherVaughn30]

The coaches don't have a solution when the stretch pass doesn't work! BMac please FIRE Reirden!

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

I actually think the forward core is a bigger problem right now. They can’t sustain pressure in the O zone, continually turnover the puck, are late to back check. Its no wonder our defenseman struggle to get the puck out.

Two of the early breakaways were because of bad plays by the forwards that led to turnovers but most here will blame the coaches or defensemen. On one hand I think they should put the lines in a blender but the third line is the only line that can produce even strength offense so I’m not sure they should be broken up.

 

[Fallschirmyager]

Stop blaming the coaches here. They’re not perfect but most of this is due to execution, or lack thereof. They’re losing most board battles, they can’t connect a pass, they’re out of position constantly, the forechecking level has been subpar... coaching and systems only do so much, the players have to do their jobs too and they’re failing.

Yes it's the players who are not executing but that's the coaches job to achieve. This lackadaisical play has been going on far too long and that points to a coaching problem not holding the team accountable.

 

[Ovie's Neighbor]

If they lose this game and the game against the Devils I genuinely think Reirdens job will be in danger.

 

[AtNightWeFly]

8-92-77

That wasn't a line change. Ovie just stayed out too long.

 

[Devil Dancer]

Stop blaming the coaches here. They’re not perfect but most of this is due to execution, or lack thereof. They’re losing most board battles, they can’t connect a pass, they’re out of position constantly, the forechecking level has been subpar... coaching and systems only do so much, the players have to do their jobs too and they’re failing.

Execution is bad right now, but the coaches aren't helping. The breakout and transition strategies are stagnant, and it's up to the coaches to make changes to fix it, which they haven't done.

Throw in the awful PP and Rierden and co deserve some blame. Not all, but some.

 

[caps4cup]

Stop blaming the coaches here. They’re not perfect but most of this is due to execution, or lack thereof. They’re losing most board battles, they can’t connect a pass, they’re out of position constantly, the forechecking level has been subpar... coaching and systems only do so much, the players have to do their jobs too and they’re failing.

I think it is a bit of both. They don’t seem to have much of a system and have played so wide open like this for much of the year even when they were getting good results. Guys like Kuznetsov and Vrana are playing so soft right now. Carlson is a mess in his own zone and Wilson looks like himself from 5 years ago. So players are clearly to blame. But, if the coach can’t motivate them to battle harder, play tighter defense or forecheck hard, that is also on him, as unfair as that may be.

 

[WcRoenick97]

Haven’t been this bored watching the Caps since the Oates days. Good lord, this is BOREyphl.

 

[Capsman]

Stop blaming the coaches here. They’re not perfect but most of this is due to execution, or lack thereof. They’re losing most board battles, they can’t connect a pass, they’re out of position constantly, the forechecking level has been subpar... coaching and systems only do so much, the players have to do their jobs too and they’re failing.

So the players just decided to not care? It has all the hallmarks of a team that is rapidly losing confidence and getting none from the coaching. A team that is not regaining any sharpness in practice. A team that hasn’t been redirected well enough to do the small things and let the fancy stuff build. A team that doesn’t know what to do with the puck in their own end About the only thing that has REMOTELY improved in the past several weeks is a few less penalties.

 

[RandyHolt]

I had #4, Randy Holt.

Naturally.

 

[SpinningEdge]

Let’s be honest with ourselves tho - we cant fire Reirdon (although I think he stinks) during his first major slump.

Front office has to give him 15-20 games to see if he can turn a team around, right before? During his first real bad drought on his first head coaching gig - you can’t just fire him, can you?

Even tho I think he stinks - If you’re a coach and get your first chance as a head coach and have a bad month and get canned bc of it without trying to turn it around - that looks bad, right?

 

[Langway]

Stop blaming the coaches here. They’re not perfect but most of this is due to execution, or lack thereof. They’re losing most board battles, they can’t connect a pass, they’re out of position constantly, the forechecking level has been subpar... coaching and systems only do so much, the players have to do their jobs too and they’re failing.

It's very much invited, though, when the GM also calls out their play, suggesting they cheat offensively and that he doesn't like how they're playing. It's on the staff to reign that in. It's on the core, of course, but there are also decisions the staff could make to hold players accountable that they're seemingly avoiding. The oldest team in the league shouldn't need it but it would be beneficial to at least play the players that are going more rather than just act like this is all rather normal and acceptable.

 

[tenken00]

Finally home! Commence 700 and 701!

 

[AussieCapsFan]

Dillon thought bubble: "Wow HF Boards was right. These guys really DO suck"

 

[Firsov99]

Let’s be honest with ourselves tho - we cant fire Reirdon (although I think he stinks) during his first major slump.

Front office has to give him 15-20 games to see if he can turn a team around, right before? During his first real bad drought on his first head coaching gig - you can’t just fire him, can you?

Even tho I think he stinks - If you’re a coach and get your first chance as a head coach and have a bad month and get canned bc of it without trying to turn it around - that looks bad, right?

But imagine if we don’t make the playoffs. It would be a disaster. And there are only 22 games left.

 

[SherVaughn30]

When a coach doesn't implement some kind of team discipline, then players develop bad habits in practice If you have bad habits in practice, then the bad execution in games will be normal. I don't think the players trust the system and try to do too much individual play.

 

[RandyHolt]

Nice Dillion forced that F to pull up and then dump

 

[caps4cup]

Let’s be honest with ourselves tho - we cant fire Reirdon (although I think he stinks) during his first major slump.

Front office has to give him 15-20 games to see if he can turn a team around, right before? During his first real bad drought on his first head coaching gig - you can’t just fire him, can you?

Even tho I think he stinks - If you’re a coach and get your first chance as a head coach and have a bad month and get canned bc of it without trying to turn it around - that looks bad, right?

They were poor around this time of year last season too. Blew a 2-0 series lead in the playoffs last year and a 2-0 lead in game 7. I don’t think the results bother Bmac as much as the way the team is playing. Under Reirden, they have been noticeably easier to play against the past 2 years and that’s probably the biggest thing bothering BMac. Results aside, they aren’t playing the right way and they haven’t been most of the year.

 

[tenken00]

Tommuyuuuu

 

[AtNightWeFly]

 

[kicksavedave]

LOL, so predictable, so undeserved.

But I'll take it.

 

[Fallschirmyager]

If they lose this game and the game against the Devils I genuinely think Reirdens job will be in danger.

After this game he needs to have a 5 second phone call. Fix this or you're gone. If he can't light a fire under the team it's time for him to go.