League News: NHL Talk - (News n' Scores n' Stuff) - COVID Season Edition - Vol. 1

[AussieCapsFan]

Leafs lose to Vancouver again, this time 3-6 with Rittich getting his first start in Leafs goal.

Holtby sure has been good in these last two games.

 

[shtorm2005]

rather play the islanders than the rangers anyday

Rangers are faster, but weaker. With Caps level up physicality, they might fall. Isles can play tough.

 

[Calicaps]

Leafs lose to Vancouver again, this time 3-6 with Rittich getting his first start in Leafs goal.

Holtby sure has been good in these last two games.

All he needed was... COVID??

 

[AussieCapsFan]

All he needed was... COVID??

Maybe he was asymptomatic or didn't get very sick - and the time away was a good reset for him.

Demko is not in great shape, post covid, I think. So Holtby is getting the starts.

 

[BiPolar Caps]

True fact. The top goal scorer on the Red Wings, is Jakub Vrana, with 12 on the year (11 here, 1 there).

Vrana with an assist last night, 19 + minutes to include 1 + minute on the PP, generated no shots and led all players on both teams with 3 give aways.

 

[marcel snapshot]

This endless perseveration over who our best 1st round opponent would be:

 

[kicksavedave]

Vrana with an assist last night, 19 + minutes to include 1 + minute on the PP, generated no shots and led all players on both teams with 3 give aways.

Over under on when Wings fans turn on him? I give it 10 games, the rest of the season.

 

[crazy8888]

This endless perseveration over who our best 1st round opponent would be:
View attachment 424861

Yea i think it really doesn't matter. If the stars line up then they will go through any opponent. If not then any team will beat them even the Rangers if they sneak in. Just have to make the playoffs. Once the real season starts all bets are off the table

 

[Corby78]

It comes down to how the D handle pressure under the goal line IMO. We make more mistakes below the goal line than I can remember, and most of our errors start there. When we handle that, our breakout improves and our offensive pressure is better. When we get bogged down, we turn it over in our own zone. When we get bogged down, our breakouts aren't clean and we turn it over in the neutral zone. When we get bogged down, our offense gets stagnant.

I know this is very simplistic, but when I watch the caps this year, it always seems to stem from how well our D can handle work below the redline.

 

[BiPolar Caps]

Over under on when Wings fans turn on him? I give it 10 games, the rest of the season.

Siegenthaler is already in that territory with Devils fans.

 

[crab]

Siegenthaler is already in that territory with Devils fans.

I think it’s a bit unfair to Siegenthaler as he basically didn’t play all year. Hard to jump in with no playing time.

 

[HecticGlow]

The way the Pens collapsed in that Jersey game is telling. You could see at the end the players just wanted off the ice.

I think there’s a decent chance that any Pens v Caps series would just become ‘who scores the most goals in 60 minutes’, because both teams’ goaltenders and D seem prone to leakiness.

 

[Calicaps]

The way the Pens collapsed in that Jersey game is telling. You could see at the end the players just wanted off the ice.

I think there’s a decent chance that any Pens v Caps series would just become ‘who scores the most goals in 60 minutes’, because both teams’ goaltenders and D seem prone to leakiness.

This. But I also think these older, more veteran teams are probably sick to death of this repetitive and intensive regular season.

 

[max21]

Even though we beat the Penguins and won the cup, it would feel pretty great to beat them again f*** that team

 

[kicksavedave]

Even though we beat the Penguins and won the cup, it would feel pretty great to beat them again f*** that team

I browsed the Pens board a few days ago. Seems their concern with playing us, is they expect 2 to 3 of their players will be injured by our physical style, but they expect they can skate around us a lot and win that way.

We're going to go through 2 out of 3 of the Pens, Isles or Bruins. Might as well embrace it.

 

[g00n]

In a situation like this having a preferred opponent is just coming from a place of fear. In 2018 they didn't care who they faced. You have to beat the best to be the best.

Lavi has it right. They have 10 games and determine their own fate wrt seeding. That's all they should be concerned with. And one game at a time after that.

 

[shtorm2005]

Passing 1st round would be a huge improvement from the last 2 seasons.

 

[ALLCAPSALLTHETIME]

sorry to chime in as a Bruins fan: was just quick lurk to see what you guys were thinking of the playoff race.
but that is my list as well, except I also have Kent Nilsson in there.
When he felt like showing up he was better than anyone - including Wayne and company. He never showed up enough but when he did - Wow. He was the 1980s version of McDavid - but he (admitted) rarely ever tried so he's kinda forgotten.
next group has guys like Bure and Perrault.

I still remember when Mark Messier got mad at Nilsson for dogging it and Nilsson had a third period hat trick. Lol.

 

[txpd]

Rangers are faster, but weaker. With Caps level up physicality, they might fall. Isles can play tough.

The Rangers are young and inexperienced. Ov and Wilson dumping the puck in Fox's corner and smoking him repeatedly will slow him and them down by the 3rd or 4th game. That said, NYI without Lee is wounded.

 

[txpd]

In a situation like this having a preferred opponent is just coming from a place of fear. In 2018 they didn't care who they faced. You have to beat the best to be the best.

Lavi has it right. They have 10 games and determine their own fate wrt seeding. That's all they should be concerned with. And one game at a time after that.

The Caps should beat anyone in the division. Whether they have reverted fully to chokers is up in the air. To avoid that they need to win some rounds this season. No fewer than 2. Which is why I have thought going with baby goalies was a terrible idea

 

[Langway]

The Caps should beat anyone in the division. Whether they have reverted fully to chokers is up in the air. To avoid that they need to win some rounds this season. No fewer than 2. Which is why I have thought going with baby goalies was a terrible idea

I don't really get the choking angle at this stage. While they may or may not win the division they're not going to be deemed a total powerhouse or Cup favorites. There's too much parity to have that amount of pressure placed upon them. Whoever they face in the first round will be an admirable opponent.

The mental angle is a lot less relevant post-Cup. I'd go as far to say that choking is off the table barring blowing 3-0, 3-1 type series leads. Even then it may be less be the pressure of the moment than just being a team on the downswing. They're vulnerable in some senses just like every other team. Inexperienced goaltenders is probably less relevant in itself than that neither are altogether total packages just yet. That IMO has less to do with experience than development/technique. I think they should just PIT if that's who they get in the first round. Beyond that NYI/BOS are legit tough opponents. BOS may be a bit light on the back-end but both of those teams play strong fundamental hockey. The Caps have had a good regular season. It's important that Lavi guides them to at least one series win to get the taste of one-and-dones gone and gain some confidence again but I'm not sure confidence or pressure or anything like that will be the issue. Fundamentally they mainly need to prove they're more routinely capable of playing closer to the vest type playoff hockey.

tldr: I think the narrative these days is more likely to revolve around age and perhaps being over the hill than psychology.

 

[txpd]

Its not going to be possible to keep 3 straight early outs as a higher seed away from the long reputation built up by the team and accented by the first 3 years of Trotz. The Caps have either gotten past flame out status with playoff series wins or they havent. If they crash and burn again this season the Cup run looks like a flash in the pan

 

[Calicaps]

I don't really get the choking angle at this stage. While they may or may not win the division they're not going to be deemed a total powerhouse or Cup favorites. There's too much parity to have that amount of pressure placed upon them. Whoever they face in the first round will be an admirable opponent.

The mental angle is a lot less relevant post-Cup. I'd go as far to say that choking is off the table barring blowing 3-0, 3-1 type series leads. Even then it may be less be the pressure of the moment than just being a team on the downswing. They're vulnerable in some senses just like every other team. Inexperienced goaltenders is probably less relevant in itself than that neither are altogether total packages just yet. That IMO has less to do with experience than development/technique. I think they should just PIT if that's who they get in the first round. Beyond that NYI/BOS are legit tough opponents. BOS may be a bit light on the back-end but both of those teams play strong fundamental hockey. The Caps have had a good regular season. It's important that Lavi guides them to at least one series win to get the taste of one-and-dones gone and gain some confidence again but I'm not sure confidence or pressure or anything like that will be the issue. Fundamentally they mainly need to prove they're more routinely capable of playing closer to the vest type playoff hockey.

tldr: I think the narrative these days is more likely to revolve around age and perhaps being over the hill than psychology.

Agree 100%.

 

[twabby]

I didn't get the choking angle before they won the Cup.

 

[Calicaps]

I didn't get the choking angle before they won the Cup.

It was fair. They blew BIG series leads. They lost to far lesser teams. That has not been the case the past couple of years. They were irreparably injured in 2019 and were outcoached in the bubble.