PP, Ference, and Purcell get the win for the caps.

[Spawn]

What was wrong with it? You're reading way too much into it.

Lol its sort of insane isn't it?

 

[SPIRIT]

Nillson looked like a limp flopping mackerel on the ice. Comparison to hasek notwithstanding..

Really watch the first goal a few times. This is his position on nearly every goal in the game. Down early, down often, and down long.

What a surprise that a talented Caps club quickly realized to work the puck side to side and shoot high all night.

nillson was telegraphing from the start and playing the same hand on every play.

Not hard to solve a goalie doing that.

If you pick "paper" every single time you're probably going to get cut up in pieces before the nights over..

I get your logic, but reducing a teams "book" on a goalie to "move the puck side to side and shoot high" is obtuse.

Every team on any night would love to dominate offensively, make lateral cross-crease plays and go shelf... The reason we got crushed is because we, defensively, failed to prevent that.

 

[BoldNewLettuce]

What was wrong with it? You're reading way too much into it.

Lol its sort of insane isn't it?

HAHAHA.

Well I just rewatched it. Yes its insane.

Genuine happiness and congratulations from Hall to Klinkhammer on the goal. Not sure if I saw a different closeup of the scrum on the broadcast that just happened to zoom in on Halls angry stare for a brief second.

In any case, McLellan himself had remarked about Hall being a very emotional player but yeah....I should probably stop using "facial expressions" as points in an argument.

 

[Hopelesslucicfan]

Games like this are to be expected... It's just hard watching it come from our supposed "veterans" and watching our putrid PP.

Our team is the youngest in the league, and learning a new system. For once, it looks like they are on the upswing.. but I think the caps just attack too fast and too well for us to be able to put into place what we've been learning.

They got pressured hard early, and reverted back to old habbits because it's still what's most comfortable for them, hence why we saw old schultz and old hall.

I think if we were to play these guys near the end of the year, it would be a totally different, very structured game.

I hate to say it because I'm so sick and ****ing tired of "developmental" years... but this is going to be one, the only difference being, there is a noticeable difference this year, and we're definitely on the way up.

 

[DreamTheatre]

Nillson looked like a limp flopping mackerel on the ice. Comparison to hasek notwithstanding..

Really watch the first goal a few times. This is his position on nearly every goal in the game. Down early, down often, and down long.

What a surprise that a talented Caps club quickly realized to work the puck side to side and shoot high all night.

nillson was telegraphing from the start and playing the same hand on every play.

Not hard to solve a goalie doing that.

If you pick "paper" every single time you're probably going to get cut up in pieces before the nights over..

I totally agree. I know that no one is wanting to “blame†Nillson, which I’m not going to do, but he didn’t make any saves to keep us in the game, which is what the team needed to build a bit of confidence. The whole team was making mistakes, but its hard to feel like you can win if you don’t get any saves.

I feel like that was a very winnable game for the Oilers, with their backup goalie in and the caps playing a back to back. All we needed to do was shut them down a little bit better and that starts with some confidence in net.

 

[NewBoysClub97*]

Games like this are to be expected... It's just hard watching it come from our supposed "veterans" and watching our putrid PP.

Our team is the youngest in the league, and learning a new system. For once, it looks like they are on the upswing.. but I think the caps just attack too fast and too well for us to be able to put into place what we've been learning.

They got pressured hard early, and reverted back to old habbits because it's still what's most comfortable for them, hence why we saw old schultz and old hall.

I think if we were to play these guys near the end of the year, it would be a totally different, very structured game.

I hate to say it because I'm so sick and ****ing tired of "developmental" years... but this is going to be one, the only difference being, there is a noticeable difference this year, and we're definitely on the way up.

I agree about this year being developmental. I trust our Gm and coach to weed out the dead weight and slowly incorporate or try to attain NHL ready consistent players onto this roster by next year. Huge boost if Drai improves and makes the team. I'm not worried about Nurse. For him it's "how high can he go". He skates like the wind and needs to smarten up a little.

 

[Hugo McStiglitz]

I agree about this year being developmental. I trust our Gm and coach to weed out the dead weight and slowly incorporate or try to attain NHL ready consistent players onto this roster by next year. Huge boost if Drai improves and makes the team. I'm not worried about Nurse. For him it's "how high can he go". He skates like the wind and needs to smarten up a little.

I agree. This year will be a developmental year, but not in the sense of a MacT "developmental" year. There will actually be progress, and competent players brought in, and deadweight tossed out.

 

[StevieBlunder]

Shouldn't be a surprise that the Oil play a game like that once in awhile. They aren't fixed people, they're still the Oilers. They've made modest improvement, but it's not a cakewalk. They've been stirring in their own filth for ages, can we really expect a complete turn around?
Unless McDavid is also a generational d-man then this team, as it is, is not a championship team.

Time to swallow our pride, face the mistakes that have been made, and ditch some of this core for more essential pieces.

 

[Beerfish]

Glad to see a few rational people taking one of the untouchables to task for having a horrible game, that being Klefbom.

Special teams killed us.

I will say one thing, I'd much rather lose 7-4 than 2-0 or 3-1. Coaches hate games like that but I'd rather we score than get totally shut down.

MacT's big moves almost with out exception were/are 100% terrible. Glad he is still advising Chia.

 

[Arctic Fox]

Shouldn't be a surprise that the Oil play a game like that once in awhile. They aren't fixed people, they're still the Oilers. They've made modest improvement, but it's not a cakewalk. They've been stirring in their own filth for ages, can we really expect a complete turn around?
Unless McDavid is also a generational d-man then this team, as it is, is not a championship team.

Time to swallow our pride, face the mistakes that have been made, and ditch some of this core for more essential pieces.

The thing is who is capable of learning from their mistakes or is not. I single out Ference specifically for this reason:

1. Coach warns them to watch out for penalties because there will be consequences due to Caps' great PP.
2. Ference ignores this advice and takes a dumb penalty in the 1st. Washington scored on that PP. You think he learned anything?
3. In the 3rd Ference takes another penalty and it ends up in our net. Again!

What makes you think he can learn anything? He is either very, very dumb or he knows that he doesn't cut it and purposefully leeches off of the team.

I am not upset with the mistakes or young guys now knowing how to handle certain situations. But this trash of a player was directly responsible for half of our PK time, refuses to take any responsibility, and keeps making the same mistakes over and over again.

 

[EliteOilers]

Nillson was garbage tonight. 6GA in 17 shots and now with a GA average ballooning to 4 and a.900 save %.

Worse it looks as if he's already been totally scouted. He was exposed, stuffed in a garbage bin and lit on fire tonight.

You're gonna go down swimming on the ice on every in tight play against the Capitals, on every pass across. Are you freaking kidding me?

This guy tonight wasn't even crossing over. He's so big he figures he can get away with a crouch and just butterfly pads stretching across the goal. Caps were putting it up high all night noticing he's down. Its all they had to do to score on any chance. Take a look at the GA he's down swimming on everything tonight.

This is the problem with going with a guy that is an NHL unknown. He's big and covers most of the net but just isn't any good. Fundamentally he was awful tonight.

Nillsons technique tonight was absolutely schooled. he would've given up double digits tonight without the mercy pull half way through the game.

I don't think for a moment this is an NHL goalie.

You must be a goalie coach. He played the same way his other games and no one complained. He had an off night, but so did the rest of the team.

 

[BoldNewLettuce]

The thing is who is capable of learning from their mistakes or is not. I single out Ference specifically for this reason:

1. Coach warns them to watch out for penalties because there will be consequences due to Caps' great PP.
2. Ference ignores this advice and takes a dumb penalty in the 1st. Washington scored on that PP. You think he learned anything?
3. In the 3rd Ference takes another penalty and it ends up in our net. Again!

What makes you think he can learn anything? He is either very, very dumb or he knows that he doesn't cut it and purposefully leeches off of the team.

I am not upset with the mistakes or young guys now knowing how to handle certain situations. But this trash of a player was directly responsible for half of our PK time, refuses to take any responsibility, and keeps making the same mistakes over and over again.

Yeah, I remember when he made the failed bank off the boards that led directly to that goal a few games ago.

After the game he starts talking about how Gryba told him it took a bad bounce.....
YOU DID THAT!!! You! Why are you talking about Gryba? How about "I ****ed up a play and I need to get better"

And last season he actually calls out the team for playing poorly meanwhile he was easily the worst player on the team at the time and coming off bad game after bad game.

 

[Hugo McStiglitz]

Yeah, I remember when he made the failed bank off the boards that led directly to that goal a few games ago.

After the game he starts talking about how Gryba told him it took a bad bounce.....
YOU DID THAT!!! You! Why are you talking about Gryba? How about "I ****ed up a play and I need to get better"

And last season he actually calls out the team for playing poorly meanwhile he was easily the worst player on the team at the time and coming off bad game after bad game.

Yep, he's done. Plays awful but doesn't own up to it. Yet he's willing to call out everyone but himself. Here's hoping he gets bought out in the off-season.

 

[BoldNewLettuce]

Yep, he's done. Plays awful but doesn't own up to it. Yet he's willing to call out everyone but himself. Here's hoping he gets bought out in the off-season.

I thought MCLellan said something to the effect of "I think we're basically at 7 now" not sure if he meant how many d to carry on the roster or not....

fingers crossed that he was referring to never playing ference again.

 

[Arctic Fox]

I thought MCLellan said something to the effect of "I think we're basically at 7 now" not sure if he meant how many d to carry on the roster or not....

fingers crossed that he was referring to never playing ference again.

This is another test for TM and Chia to show they really mean accountability. The big part of the losing culture was adherence to that MacT's distorted double-faced "accountability" that meant different things for different players and management. The longer this crap stays in the system, the bigger the ultimate cost is going to be.

 

[McOvechking]

If we're going to demand accountability for Ference, we must demand accountability for Sekera and Klefbom - both of which are currently playing well below their capabilities.

 

[BoldNewLettuce]

If we're going to demand accountability for Ference, we must demand accountability for Sekera and Klefbom - both of which are currently playing well below their capabilities.

agreed.

I just wonder if you don't have anyone to play against ovechkin, kuznetsov, and backstrom then those guys are probably ****ed even when they're on top of their game....

the difference is probably a few less chances against but still getting slaughtered.

but then my other idea would be we weren't really that far out for carrying so many passengers.

could we get by just adding a few role players who can run a powerplay/get in a lane? anyways.

if we had any powerplay we'd have been in that game. as awful as it was at times they looked pretty good coming into the 2nd period. I do remember when they tied it at 3 I think they did a really good job just breaking the capitals entry for a couple shifts.....and then it fell apart.

 

[McFlyingV]

Glad to see a few rational people taking one of the untouchables to task for having a horrible game, that being Klefbom.

Special teams killed us.

I will say one thing, I'd much rather lose 7-4 than 2-0 or 3-1. Coaches hate games like that but I'd rather we score than get totally shut down.

MacT's big moves almost with out exception were/are 100% terrible. Glad he is still advising Chia.

Well the good thing about losing 7-4 is that it was pretty much entirely on our D, and we as fans already know that our D sucks. Its much more important that our forwards are producing and working hard on both sides of the puck as I'm sure most of us don't expect this to be our D for years to come. We've seen a much better system defensively this year, but last night was just entirely on poor performances from our D, and that'll happen when you have some young inexperienced D and some over the hill vets, without having a true top pairing.

I expect improvements to be made on the back end by Chiarelli at some point, whether its during the season or in the summer. In the meantime we just have to enjoy the ride, and if by some chance we make playoffs or are at least in the hunt in the last month of the season I think we should be happy with that and realize that we can't afford to sell the future to improve our D while all these dead weight contracts are still kicking around.

 

[Haken]

Also the decision of Nilsson over Talbot against probably the best offence in the league is a bit perplexing.

My view point is that Caps were on a back-to-back and three in four situation while playing their back up. More importantly I think TMac is saving Talbot for LAK, who is a division opponent, and MIN, who is a conference opponent. Winning those two games means more in the standings than losing to the Caps.

 

[Philly85*]

If we're going to demand accountability for Ference, we must demand accountability for Sekera and Klefbom - both of which are currently playing well below their capabilities.

Klefbom has never shown any capacity to play at a much better level. He's been mediocre his entire NHL career with a small number of games played as well. I really wonder how people can be so high on this guy.

 

[Faelko]

Nilsson wasn't very good but he had zero help too. 2 breakaways, an own goal and wide open back door passes.

 

[Replacement*]

I get your logic, but reducing a teams "book" on a goalie to "move the puck side to side and shoot high" is obtuse.

Every team on any night would love to dominate offensively, make lateral cross-crease plays and go shelf... The reason we got crushed is because we, defensively, failed to prevent that.

I'm not sure if you got my point. When a goalie is going down every time prematurely this means he CAN'T move across on any play. Meaning Caps were looking at that and looking for across seams all night.

Conversely if a goalie is moving across well and being square to the puck most of the time it takes a lot away on its own.

nobody shuts down the Caps and the Oilers didn't have a hope in hell of doing so. You limit the damage at best. But Nillson didn't do anything to do that.

 

[Replacement*]

You must be a goalie coach. He played the same way his other games and no one complained. He had an off night, but so did the rest of the team.

Exhibiting amateur fundamentals is having an "Off night"

I'm not aware pro goalies completely forget fundamentals in one game. As you stated he's played the same way other nights. Which doesn't fill me with confidence.

This guy is big, and nothing else.

 

[Klimando Kostani]

HAHAHA.

Well I just rewatched it. Yes its insane.

Genuine happiness and congratulations from Hall to Klinkhammer on the goal. Not sure if I saw a different closeup of the scrum on the broadcast that just happened to zoom in on Halls angry stare for a brief second.

In any case, McLellan himself had remarked about Hall being a very emotional player but yeah....I should probably stop using "facial expressions" as points in an argument.

I won't leave you hanging.

On the broadcast I saw a look of anger on halls face.... I don't know... I like the guy

 

[Forgot About Drai]

If we're going to demand accountability for Ference, we must demand accountability for Sekera and Klefbom - both of which are currently playing well below their capabilities.

I see a lot of people ragging on Klefbom and Sekera too, but there is a HUGE difference between the hate on these guys and Ference.

First is the obvious one, Klefbom is in his second year. Of course there is going to be growing pains, and I have seen tons of posters call him on it.

Second, Sekera has been here for under 10 games. I agree he should and has to better but he has done some good things as well. If hes still playing like this a quarter into the season then ill be worried.

The fact is Ference looks physically incomptent out there. And some of the mistakes he makes are blow mind considering how long hes been in the league for. A "leader" and/or a "savvy veteran" should not be making these plays.

You are right, Klefa and Sekera should be held to some accountability just like Ference nut there are hundred percent in different categories.