Series Discussion: Round 1 (Caps vs Isles) 2015 Playoffs

[Capathetic]

Not worried about hitting for this team. As others said even the smaller younger players are finishing guys off. RH is right in a sense that only Wilson and Ovie hit to hurt. Alzner and Ward are the only two guys I routinely see that are vets who don't finish checks.

 

[Blades of Steel]

Not worried about hitting for this team. As others said even the smaller younger players are finishing guys off. RH is right in a sense that only Wilson and Ovie hit to hurt. Alzner and Ward are the only two guys I routinely see that are vets who don't finish checks.

pretty sure the hits I've seen niskanen and orpik (even green) land are to hurt someone. Prepare for more open ice hits coming this post season from these guys. Stand em up at the blue line.

 

[BobRouse]

Piercing Armor?

I mostly see the others "taking the body". We do play heavy, but none heavier than those 2.

I am talking proper highlight tube worthy hits. Like the one hit a year from Green we get type.

Speaking of which, I would like to see Carlson and Alzner live a little bit more outside of their comfort zones, and follow the leads of the vet mentors in Orpy Nisky and GleeGlee bringing a little thunder. I don't expect anything physical from Green and that is fine. I want him off the radar trying to survive physically, and sneaking in and racking up points.

OK in that sense I'd agree. Brouwer had laid out a couple people too. Latta as well among the forward ranks. But those aren't the only types of hits that wear people down. They get oohs and ahhhs from the crowd but every single hit is important.

I've seen Alzner be a bit more physical this year. Carlson and Green have the puck so much when they are out there it seems.

I am liking the physical makeup of the team overall.

 

[txpd]

A part of their regular season game? Easy.

Fehr Kuz MJ Nick Ward Beagle Alzner Carlson and Green. The ice cheetah with his size and speed could be crushing guys. He largely does not, of course.

Will they hit the switch? Sure many will, but they need to for more than that first game. Most from that list will fizzle out after game 1.

Only recently has Laich resorted to hitting. It used to be, a guy in a scoring slump wouldn't wait a few years to start contributing in other ways, but he finally got on board.

Fehr is interesting one. He is big and scrappy but dare I think the shoulder is out of whack again.

might be he hurt the shoulder and I am sure he doesn't pound people with the shoulders for that reason.

green hits when he is pissed and does so with gusto. hits to hurt and you know that. its just not a primary part of his game. he has another job. you didn't seem 90 destroy McQuad v Boston to create a goal? He totally blew him up. Same with Backstrom.

These are players that have other primary duties other than cruising for bruising opps. Backstrom hits when its called for and hurts guys. Anisimov in the playoffs in the past. If you are asking for the whole team to hit like Willy or Ov, then I think you are asking too much.

 

[Capathetic]

pretty sure the hits I've seen niskanen and orpik (even green) land are to hurt someone. Prepare for more open ice hits coming this post season from these guys. Stand em up at the blue line.

Add Gleason too. I was really only speaking in terms of forechecking as it's the Isles defense that was mentioned in being targeted.

 

[g00n]

I am not worried about the physicality of this team, I'm worried about their ability/willingness to sustain it when they're up in a series. We've seen they can hold a lead in a game. As a franchise it's finishing a series that's the problem, and that will require total buy-in.

 

[BobRouse]

I am not worried about the physicality of this team, I'm worried about their ability/willingness to sustain it when they're up in a series. We've seen they can hold a lead in a game. As a franchise it's finishing a series that's the problem, and that will require total buy-in.

Well thats the understatement of the decade.

 

[Blades of Steel]

I am not worried about the physicality of this team, I'm worried about their ability/willingness to sustain it when they're up in a series. We've seen they can hold a lead in a game. As a franchise it's finishing a series that's the problem, and that will require total buy-in.

agreed, that's the biggest fear I have.. just close it out. I'm hoping what we've seen this year is a total turn around in the mental fragileness department. Closing out games has been better, let's see if Trotz and the Vets can now carry this into the post season.

 

[Bure]

@washcaps: #Caps forward lines today at practice: Ovechkin-Kuznetsov-Ward, Johansson-Backstrom-Brouwer, Laich-Fehr-Beagle, Glencross-Latta-Chimera.

Who sits if Wilson is good to go?

 

[Stewie G]

I see plenty of guys running into opposition players, but rarely are they the kind that separate the man from the puck. It's rare that anyone other that Ovie or Wilson make the kind of hit that will make the opposition or its fans cringe, the way just about every hit Green takes makes me feel. Granted, the cumulative effect may take its toll, but the majority of the damage is going to come from 8 and 43 and I question whether that will be enough of a factor to alter the outcome of a series.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

@washcaps: #Caps forward lines today at practice: Ovechkin-Kuznetsov-Ward, Johansson-Backstrom-Brouwer, Laich-Fehr-Beagle, Glencross-Latta-Chimera.

Who sits if Wilson is good to go?

I'd say Chimera.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

Target acquired. Load the Wilson. Batteries release.

Target neutralized.

 

[um]

@washcaps: #Caps forward lines today at practice: Ovechkin-Kuznetsov-Ward, Johansson-Backstrom-Brouwer, Laich-Fehr-Beagle, Glencross-Latta-Chimera.

Who sits if Wilson is good to go?

Looks like, or I hope Trotz is going to be using Laich-Fehr-Beagle as a shutdown line, 3 of our 4 best defensive forwards on that line. So either Chimera or Glencross, Trotz hasn't really favored Glencross much unfortunately.

 

[BobRouse]

I see plenty of guys running into opposition players, but rarely are they the kind that separate the man from the puck. It's rare that anyone other that Ovie or Wilson make the kind of hit that will make the opposition or its fans cringe, the way just about every hit Green takes makes me feel. Granted, the cumulative effect may take its toll, but the majority of the damage is going to come from 8 and 43 and I question whether that will be enough of a factor to alter the outcome of a series.

The cumulative effect WILL take its toll.

Separating the man from the puck is just one beneficial outcome of hitting.

Finishing your checks doesn't mean that will always happen. What you do is even if the guy releases the puck you hit him. You keep doing that and it wears that player down especially over the course of a series.

There is also the mental aspect. Finishing your checks will make opponents jittery with the puck and will lead to turnovers as they will be worried about bracing themselves for the incoming hit. This only happens if they know they are going to get hit. When you consistently finish your checks the other teams knows they are going to get hit.

Also another aspect...it takes one of their guys out of the play. Especially if its a pancake hit. Johansson did that to McQuaid just the other day. Orpik, Wilson and Ovie do this alot but other guys deliver now and then too. Still even if not a pancake hit it still takes a guy out of the play for a second or two. That can be big.

 

[Ajax1995]

@washcaps: #Caps forward lines today at practice: Ovechkin-Kuznetsov-Ward, Johansson-Backstrom-Brouwer, Laich-Fehr-Beagle, Glencross-Latta-Chimera.

Who sits if Wilson is good to go?

I'd say Latta with Beagle sliding in the 4C role and Chimera moving up to line 3.

 

[Stewie G]

The cumulative effect WILL take its toll.

Separating the man from the puck is just one beneficial outcome of hitting.

Finishing your checks doesn't mean that will always happen. What you do is even if the guy releases the puck you hit him. You keep doing that and it wears that player down especially over the course of a series.

There is also the mental aspect. Finishing your checks will make opponents jittery with the puck and will lead to turnovers as they will be worried about bracing themselves for the incoming hit. This only happens if they know they are going to get hit. When you consistently finish your checks the other teams knows they are going to get hit.

Also another aspect...it takes one of their guys out of the play. Especially if its a pancake hit. Johansson did that to McQuaid just the other day. Orpik, Wilson and Ovie do this alot but other guys deliver now and then too. Still even if not a pancake hit it still takes a guy out of the play for a second or two. That can be big.

The Islanders ARE a much faster team than the Caps. You can't hit what you can't catch. If you think Brouwer, Laich, and Mojo bumping into someone a couple times a game is going to get teams off their game, you are sorely mistaken. Opponents hear footsteps when they know Ovie or Wilson is on the ice. Everyone else, not so much.

My two cents is that the cumulative effect will not be widespread or nearly as impactful as some here proclaim it will be.

 

[txpd]

So we need high speed players that can hit instead?

 

[Blades of Steel]

So we need high speed players that can hit instead?

yep, blow the team up

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

The Islanders ARE a much faster team than the Caps. You can't hit what you can't catch. If you think Brouwer, Laich, and Mojo bumping into someone a couple times a game is going to get teams off their game, you are sorely mistaken. Opponents hear footsteps when they know Ovie or Wilson is on the ice. Everyone else, not so much.

My two cents is that the cumulative effect will not be widespread or nearly as impactful as some here proclaim it will be.

So you're saying the Caps physicality won't matter in the series.....


Bold prediction in a time where physicality means a lot typically.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

The Islanders ARE a much faster team than the Caps. You can't hit what you can't catch. If you think Brouwer, Laich, and Mojo bumping into someone a couple times a game is going to get teams off their game, you are sorely mistaken. Opponents hear footsteps when they know Ovie or Wilson is on the ice. Everyone else, not so much.

My two cents is that the cumulative effect will not be widespread or nearly as impactful as some here proclaim it will be.

Kings won 2 Cup with physicality, not speed.

The Bruins are slow as molasses, yet they do damage in the playoffs.

We have a few fast guys (Ovi,Mojo,Chimera). Ovechkin has the most acceleration of all the NHL players per a study, and he is ****ing big too.

I trust Trotz to come up with a plan in the playoffs for the Isles. It's not Oates, or Gabby or Hunter at the helm. He has 16 years of experience as an NHL coach.

 

[Blades of Steel]

clogging up the neutral zone and the blue line is all it will take to remove the isles from their comfort zone. Get ready for it, cause that's what it's going to be.

 

[SpinningEdge]

@washcaps: #Caps forward lines today at practice: Ovechkin-Kuznetsov-Ward, Johansson-Backstrom-Brouwer, Laich-Fehr-Beagle, Glencross-Latta-Chimera.

Who sits if Wilson is good to go?

Considering Latta is the guy getting 5 minutes/night or less lately - I'd say he's the odd man out.

Wilson up to third line... Beagle down to 4th to center that line.

 

[ChibiPooky]

It's not like the Islanders don't have Clutterbuck and Martin leading their charge. There will be plenty of hitting both ways.

 

[txpd]

yep, blow the team up

I was looking forward to the series thinking they had a chance to win.
now I know betterm

 

[RandyHolt]

It will interesting to see if the stixs are clearly and deliberately targeting Green for their big hits