Post-Game Talk: Nordiques @ Caps

[Devil Dancer]

Pretty sure Varly is on IR.

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[Melkor]

Stan is in, Andre is out. So, that's all we gotta know before this game.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

Not a fan of scratching Burt tonight. He was starting to play much better. Chimera should take a seat for a game.

 

[Acallabeth]

So our genius coach rewards Burakovsky for the best game in months with a press box seat, while Johansson and Laich (who are both trash) and Chimera (who cost us a game) get to play. Oookay. I hope the team looks at least a bit better against such a crappy opponent.

 

[g00n]

If we give up the first goal again I have a feeling those lines will get blown up quickly

 

[Melkor]

So our genius coach rewards Burakovsky for the best game in months with a press box seat, while Johansson and Laich (who are both trash) and Chimera (who cost us a game) get to play. Oookay. I hope the team looks at least a bit better against such a crappy opponent.

Not sure what special in Burakovsky's game you found out against Dallas. He's been pretty mediocre at best since the season's start. Always losing pucks on boards and still cant sustain NHL physical level. Didnt find his shot so far as well.Although, I agree that MoJo or Chimmer's scratch would've been no less deserved after such a disaster 2 days ago.

 

[tycoonheart]

Bura has added nothing of worth to this team this year. He is weak with the puck, a turnover machine and his shots always miss the net. Guy needs to get his head straight.

 

[hockeykicker]

 

[Fallschirmyager]

Not a fan of scratching Burt tonight. He was starting to play much better. Chimera should take a seat for a game.

I'd prefer Mojo had a seat.

 

[Melkor]

Kind of off-topic but gotta say: reading some really funny dispute on Friedman's report on Wilson b/w Frankovic and Katie Brown on Twitter right now.

 

[Raikkonen]

Scratch Marcus 19:40 Johansson? No way.

Trotz did what he had to. I bet '4th line' will get more TOI than Chimmer and Galiev tonight.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

If there is one forward that deserves to be scratched, it's by far Marcus Johansson.
I don't understand Trotz's obsession with this guy, he flat out sucks.

 

[Calicaps]

don't love the scratch for Bura but I get it; would rather it were Mojo, but maybe it's better for market value to not do that. glad to see Williams back in the top 6 where he belongs. Galiev deserves a chance based on his play in Hershey. so I'm fine with lineup.

 

[HockeyTS32]

Bura has added nothing of worth to this team this year. He is weak with the puck, a turnover machine and his shots always miss the net. Guy needs to get his head straight.

Finally someone else sees it. Been saying it all season. I think the kid will be good, but he needs to develop and gain more confidence with the puck. Also needs to bulk up a lot. He's not ready for top 6 min yet.

If there is one forward that deserves to be scratched, it's by far Marcus Johansson.
I don't understand Trotz's obsession with this guy, he flat out sucks.

Not sure how you can say he sucks. Sure he hasn't played well the past few games (specifically Thurs where he was awful), but he has had a good season. He's got 8 points in 18 games, which isn't too bad. Points aren't everything though. He's been playing good hockey for most of the season and doing a lot of things that go unnoticed and doesn't get your name on the score sheet. For one he's hasn't been terrible in the D zone and hasn't been having any difficulty getting the puck out of the zone unlike Bura and some other forwards. Two, he uses his speed to gain the opposing blue line under control (spefically one of the only players on the top PP unit who gains the zone under control, instead of dumping it in and the opposing PK unit "Icing" the puck). Three, for most of the season, he hasn't made dumb passes or decisions right inside the opposing blue line unlike Bura, who has done it consistently. Although, I do wish he shoots the puck more like he did in the beginning half of the season last year instead of trying to make the extra pass. Fourth, he has actually been hitting more than he has in past seasons. Finally, he has actually been going to the front of the net and screening the tenders a lot more than I have seen him for most of his career.

So again, I do agree that he maybe hasn't played that good as of late, but he has been more consistent than Bura and has been doing a lot of things that you don't see on the score sheet, so not sure how you can say he sucks.

 

[Melkor]

Not sure how you can say he sucks. Sure he hasn't played well the past few games (specifically Thurs where he was awful), but he has had a good season. He's got 8 points in 18 games, which isn't too bad. Points aren't everything though. He's been playing good hockey for most of the season and doing a lot of things that go unnoticed and doesn't get your name on the score sheet. For one he's hasn't been terrible in the D zone and hasn't been having any difficulty getting the puck out of the zone unlike Bura and some other forwards. Two, he uses his speed to gain the opposing blue line under control (spefically one of the only players on the top PP unit who gains the zone under control, instead of dumping it in and the opposing PK unit "Icing" the puck). Three, for most of the season, he hasn't made dumb passes or decisions right inside the opposing blue line unlike Bura, who has done it consistently. Although, I do wish he shoots the puck more like he did in the beginning half of the season last year instead of trying to make the extra pass. Fourth, he has actually been hitting more than he has in past seasons. Finally, he has actually been going to the front of the net and screening the tenders a lot more than I have seen him for most of his career.

So again, I do agree that he maybe hasn't played that good as of late, but he has been more consistent than Bura and has been doing a lot of things that you don't see on the score sheet, so not sure how you can say he sucks.

This. MoJo's been terrible last game but overall he's definitely not the worst player on the team.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

Not sure how you can say he sucks. Sure he hasn't played well the past few games (specifically Thurs where he was awful), but he has had a good season. He's got 8 points in 18 games, which isn't too bad. Points aren't everything though. He's been playing good hockey for most of the season and doing a lot of things that go unnoticed and doesn't get your name on the score sheet. For one he's hasn't been terrible in the D zone and hasn't been having any difficulty getting the puck out of the zone unlike Bura and some other forwards. Two, he uses his speed to gain the opposing blue line under control (spefically one of the only players on the top PP unit who gains the zone under control, instead of dumping it in and the opposing PK unit "Icing" the puck). Three, for most of the season, he hasn't made dumb passes or decisions right inside the opposing blue line unlike Bura, who has done it consistently. Although, I do wish he shoots the puck more like he did in the beginning half of the season last year instead of trying to make the extra pass. Fourth, he has actually been hitting more than he has in past seasons. Finally, he has actually been going to the front of the net and screening the tenders a lot more than I have seen him for most of his career.

So again, I do agree that he maybe hasn't played that good as of late, but he has been more consistent than Bura and has been doing a lot of things that you don't see on the score sheet, so not sure how you can say he sucks.

Burakovsky hasn't been much better but the kid is busting his ass ever since Trotz demoted him to the 4th line. I thought he was great in the game against Philly.

The other night against Detroit, Johansson had the puck along the boards and turned it over just so that he wouldn't be hit by the Wings Dman bearing down on him. He's had so many scoring opportunities but he can't hit the net to save his life. He missed 4 or 5 empty nets so far this season. Also, unlike Burakovsky, he gets prime PP minutes and aside from gaining the zone, he's pretty much a non-factor out there.

Two days ago against Dallas, we pull Grubauer to have 6 attackers. Trotz sends in Johansson. Every player on the ice during that play managed to keep possession of the puck, except him.
The underlying stats indicate that he's not doing so bad possession wise but his teammates boost his stats. The guy gets to play with Ovechkin, Backstrom, Kuznetsov, Williams, Oshie, Carlson and he still won't score. We don't pay $3.75M for a guy who only skates in straight lines and screens the goalie. MJ just won't pay the price to make a play, he doesn't compete out there.

I was very optimistic about MJ last year in the playoffs but so far this season we've been getting the same old MJ. A 40 pt soft winger whose play fluctuates wildly and I'm tired of that. How the hell did he get 2 or more minutes of ice time over every other forward??

 

[lakai17]

Galiev finally in? Nice.

 

[Midnight Judges]

If there is one forward that deserves to be scratched, it's by far Marcus Johansson.
I don't understand Trotz's obsession with this guy, he flat out sucks.

Seems like whichever line Johansson is on gets hemmed in more often than otherwise.

 

[Jacoby4HOF66]

Love the OV/Varley Russian Spy commercial. Classic.

On Bura taking a seat, not surprised. He has skill, but right now that skill can't compensate for his obvious lack of physical strength.

 

[foundhockey]

Ha, I love that commercial!

Let's go Caps!

 

[SpinningEdge]

Makes ZERO sense to scratch MoJo at all.

He's our top trade piece for something at the deadline. Have to play him and hope he continues to get points. Cannot ever scratch him and give other teams the impression that he's a guy the Caps scratch. Need to keep that top 6 look for other teams.

It's like putting a pound of makeup on a 5... Have to make it look a little better.

 

[SpinningEdge]

guys....... did we really just score first?!!!?!?

 

[foundhockey]

Sweet Williams!

 

[Blitzkrieg365]

I forgot what it feels like to have the first lead of the game

 

[troyerlaw]

Okay, now that JDub scored, i dont feel so bad about the yawning empty net galiev missed