Post-Game Talk: Really good team vs. Really bad team, 7:08 PM

[twabby]

It worked for us last time probably due to the power of stats and objective analysis, or maybe because Ottawa is a really bad team. Either way it's time for the second TWABBY GDT.

Talk about the Capitals in general, the game tonight, how you're coping with the grueling wait between now and ~April 13th when the playoffs start.

I'll start. The Capitals are good. Not the best possession team in the league, but apparently they are pretty good at suppressing high quality chances against and generating chances for. They have a great chance to do some damage in the playoffs. Here's some good pregame reading on the subject:

http://www.japersrink.com/2016/3/28...mprehensive-view-of-the-teams-playoff-chances

The Blue Jackets are a really annoying team, but not in the good pesky way. Rather in the bad "fight and injure players" type of way. They are a bad team and the Capitals should hopefully get back on track against them because they are way better in every major regard, and unlike the Blues the Blue Jackets have nothing to play for and may even benefit more from losing than winning.

As for how I'm dealing with the wait for the playoffs: I'm arguing on the internet with people here.

Click to read more...

 

[hockeykicker]

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

That's something to take into account. We have yet to see what the team can do once all the pieces are put together.

Let's win this Presidents Trophy and make it 46 for Holtby.

 

[notDkristich]

Goal 1: No injuries
Goal 2: Stop over-passing the puck...shoot the darn thing
Goal 3: The PP needs better entries and faster puck movement in the O-zone
Goal 4: 2 Points Lloyd

 

[Turd Ferguson]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omZPhiT2PeQ
You're the number one cop on the force BOBROVSKY

Win.

 

[hockeykicker]

 

[twabby]

Normally I'm against dump and chase as a general strategy but I feel like it could be an effective strategy for PP zone entries. Have Niskanen/Carlson or Ovechkin either ring it around the boards or dump cross corner and have Oshie/Williams and Johansson/Chimera retrieve it. Should be able to have more Caps retrieving than the opponents.

At the very least it couldn't be worse than the current zone-entry strategy which teams seem to have figured out.

 

[Midnight Judges]

With respect to Backstrom, that's just dumb. Being the best regular season team is a good thing. Home ice is a good thing.

 

[Blades of Steel]

Goal 1: No injuries
Goal 2: Stop over-passing the puck...shoot the darn thing

especially these

 

[Blades of Steel]

With respect to Backstrom, that's just dumb. Being the best regular season team is a good thing. Home ice is a good thing.

cmon.. you know he's expected to say that.. the real prize is Lord Stanley's cup, not the participation trophy.

we only want the grand prize hardware here.

 

[hockeykicker]

Vogel concerning ovechkin

 

[Fallschirmyager]

cmon.. you know he's expected to say that.. the real prize is Lord Stanley's cup, not the participation trophy.

we only want the grand prize hardware here.

Forget that noise. I want it all. I want to set the record for winning all the trophies won in a single year by the team both team and individual.

 

[strungout]

Vogel concerning ovechkin

All due respect to Vogel....but that's ********.

 

[marcel snapshot]

That Vogel tweet is messed up. Better to say nothing than to offer a tweet that says nothing but implies something. But maybe that's the essence of Twitter

 

[Turd Ferguson]

All due respect to Vogel....but that's ********.

He is kind of right. People can be cleared for activity while still experiencing pain, because the area aggravated will not get worse with activity and pain is a part psychological as well as a part of the natural physiological process of healing. Maybe a mild strain, who knows. But whatever it is if he is allowed to play when the last 8 games essentially don't matter, it shouldn't be much of a concern.

 

[strungout]

Well...I'm no doctor...but I know if I sprain something....and I rest....it ****ing gets better.

 

[bur and 666 others]

Hope to see tightening defense. Last few games (or months?), our D has been sieve. Also will be nice to see less perimeter play in O-zone, more traffic in front of their goalie. Don't care about the result since i think we lose. The curse of a jinxing title

 

[Ovechkins Wodka]

We could lose the rest of our games And it really doesn't matter

 

[Ridley Simon]

Honestly?

Just get the point and the overall #1, and then start to systematically rest people for games 76-79 of the season. Heck, even for all 4 games (Ovechkin, Backstrom, etc).

Bring everyone back for game 80 and 81, then rest again for the add on game (82).

That should prime them for the playoffs.

None of the rest of it matters.

 

[Dr John Carlson]

An Ovechkin goal or two would be much appreciated.

 

[Turd Ferguson]

An Ovechkin goal or two would be much appreciated.

I wouldn't mind this either. I really want Burakovsky to have a solid finish to the season, his scoring touch in the playoffs would be greatly appreciated. Burakovsky is probably my favourite caps player now.

 

[Hivemind]

Normally I'm against dump and chase as a general strategy but I feel like it could be an effective strategy for PP zone entries. Have Niskanen/Carlson or Ovechkin either ring it around the boards or dump cross corner and have Oshie/Williams and Johansson/Chimera retrieve it. Should be able to have more Caps retrieving than the opponents.

At the very least it couldn't be worse than the current zone-entry strategy which teams seem to have figured out.

Dump and chase leads to much longer times before the formation is set up. The ability of the Capitals to quickly establish their formation upon zone entry is one of the biggest strengths of the Caps PP. While tweaks to zone entry are necessary, they shouldn't abandon one of the aspects that has helped their PP be so successful.

 

[twabby]

Dump and chase leads to much longer times before the formation is set up. The ability of the Capitals to quickly establish their formation upon zone entry is one of the biggest strengths of the Caps PP. While tweaks to zone entry are necessary, they shouldn't abandon one of the aspects that has helped their PP be so successful.

I agree in general and I don't think they should abandon controlled zone entries if they are available. And I'm right with you in terms of adopting new controlled entry strategies being the preference over dump and chase. Maybe try entering on the left wing side of the ice instead of the right side a little more often.

But I think having a very well-thought out dump and chase strategy as a plan B is useful because while it takes more time to get the formation set up, it seems like it may be more reliable than controlled entries which seem to be failing a lot recently. No stats to back up this claim, just thought I'd throw it out there as another option especially since come playoff time teams are certainly going to gameplan around the Caps PP.

 

[artilector]

With respect to Backstrom, that's just dumb. Being the best regular season team is a good thing. Home ice is a good thing.

(mod)
He was asked if it was something to be "proud of", and in that context his answer is perfectly appropriate even if you really want to nitpick.

 

[Ovechkins Wodka]

Our top 6 should not be doing Dump and Chase, they have way to much skill to play that way.