Series Discussion: Round 2 (Caps vs Rangers) 2015 Playoffs

[strungout]

Seeing how Johansson is actually throwing frequent hits in the playoffs so far, I would be very interested to see how Semin would've done under Trotz in the playoffs.

Oh please.

Let it the **** go.

 

[BrooklynCapsFan]

It feels good to be the bad guys for once.
This Caps team was so soft in the past. Semin is the prime example of that. He was softer than a mother's kiss.

 

[NobodyBeatsTheWiz]

Razor Ramon

 

[Stewie G]

Maybe it's just me, but I never considered Semin soft. He wasn't "heavy", but not soft either.

 

[KevinM]

I bet Marc Staal acknowledges Semin as the imposing physical presence he really is

 

[BrooklynCapsFan]

Hahaha, let's talk about Semin!

 

[ChibiPooky]

I don't like the matchup stylistically. So much of the Caps cycle game depends on holding the blue line, and the Rangers focus on exploiting pinching defensemen. IMO either the Rangers will break out quite easily or Holtby will be facing quite a few odd-man rushes - or maybe both.

 

[BrooklynCapsFan]

I don't like the matchup stylistically. So much of the Caps cycle game depends on holding the blue line, and the Rangers focus on exploiting pinching defensemen. IMO either the Rangers will break out quite easily or Holtby will be facing quite a few odd-man rushes - or maybe both.

Holtby is going to have to be big this series. With their speed, the Rags generate odd man rushes regularly in transition. Picking off breaking forwards off a pinch will be easy for the likes of McDonagh, Yandle and Girardi. And with Hagelin/Kreider/Stepan/Hayes/Brassard on the other end it's off to the races.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

Maybe it's just me, but I never considered Semin soft. He wasn't "heavy", but not soft either.

The only time you see him hit someone, it's a huge collision. I remember him boarding a team Canada player in Vancouver out of frustration. He boarded a Hurricanes player and had his golden necklace ripped off in the ensuing scrum. He laid a textbook hip check on Burmistrov.



Sasha is a big guy (6'2 210 lbs), he just never uses his size advantage over the smaller players.

 

[strungout]

Pretty sure that hit you just posted was accidental.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

Pretty sure that hit you just posted was accidental.

Impressive nonetheless, he nearly flipped Burmistrov head over heels. Physicality is a dimension of the game Semin never really exploited. Maybe it's because they are not taught to play like that in Russia, but his buddy Ovi is a hitting machine.

It's good to see Mojo is willing to try to play the physical game Trotz wants him to play. Even Burakovsky had a Forsberg-esque counter hit in Game 7.

 

[NobodyBeatsTheWiz]

Impressive nonetheless, he nearly flipped Burmistrov head over heels. Physicality is a dimension of the game Semin never really exploited. Maybe it's because they are not taught to play like that in Russia, but his buddy Ovi is a hitting machine.

It's good to see Mojo is willing to try to play the physical game Trotz wants him to play. Even Burakovsky had a Forsberg-esque counter hit in Game 7.

That was a 20 year old Burmistrov that I doubt was 170 soaking wet.

 

[BrooklynCapsFan]

That was a 20 year old Burmistrov that I doubt was 170 soaking wet.

Here's a more current highlight reel from Semin's 2014-2015 season:

 

[EclecticDarkness]

You know, I've got a feeling this series is going to surprise a lot of people.

Caps in 5.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

That was a 20 year old Burmistrov that I doubt was 170 soaking wet.

Eh, whatever. Sasha was soft and would not be a good fit on the current Caps team, except for the scoring ability he had.

I just hope that Kuznetsov and Burakovsky won't make the same mistakes in the future.

 

[The Deadly Pook Gas]

So who's faster isles or rags?

 

[IafrateOvie34]

The Isles series should elevate the Caps and I hope they build on that series. Play each game like it is the last. We thought the NBCS media was pro Isles, just wait until this series starts. I'm sticking to the radio coverage even with the delay. Lol, the luck seemed to work for Game 7. Caps need to continue the physical play even when bogus penalties are given. The last few NYR series they pounded Green. This year I hope they dish it out to their skilled guys. After watching some of the Pens/Rangers series, I believe the Caps can beat this team. I hope they keep GlenX in the lineup and curious to see how Green plays.

Go Caps!

 

[BrooklynCapsFan]

So who's faster isles or rags?

The Rangers are faster. But no Zucarello hurts.

 

[g00n]

Seeing how Johansson is actually throwing frequent hits in the playoffs so far, I would be very interested to see how Semin would've done under Trotz in the playoffs.

Upgrade from bongos to timpani?

 

[BobRouse]

I don't like the matchup stylistically. So much of the Caps cycle game depends on holding the blue line, and the Rangers focus on exploiting pinching defensemen. IMO either the Rangers will break out quite easily or Holtby will be facing quite a few odd-man rushes - or maybe both.

I'll be curious to see how the Rangers quick break offense fares against us. In the playoffs, in my experience, time and space gets taken away and those teams lose some of their regular season advantage. There are just not that many odd man breaks in the playoffs.

RE: Girardi quote - Dan...face it...YOU can play "that way" but the majority of the rest of the guys on your team can't.

 

[strungout]

I like this bad guy underdog role going up again the Presidents Trophy team.

 

[BrooklynCapsFan]

I like this bad guy underdog role going up again the Presidents Trophy team.

We've gotten our revenge on Halak
Next comes our revenge on a Presidents Trophy Team.
Next, I want our revenge on the Canadiens and their hotshot goalie.
After that, it's time to get revenge on Boudreau (even though I had them losing in the first round to Winnipeg and we don't really need revenge on the best coach in Caps history).

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

Cautiously optimistic. I feel winning that game 7, on home ice, against Halak, was a big mental breakthrough for the guys (it was for me, at least). The guys should be playing loose and with confidence. We shall see.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

We've gotten our revenge on Halak
Next comes our revenge on a Presidents Trophy Team.
Next, I want our revenge on the Canadiens and their hotshot goalie.
After that, it's time to get revenge on Boudreau (even though I had them losing in the first round to Winnipeg and we don't really need revenge on the best coach in Caps history).

I was literally going to post this exact same thing.

 

[Calicaps]

We've gotten our revenge on Halak
Next comes our revenge on a Presidents Trophy Team.
Next, I want our revenge on the Canadiens and their hotshot goalie.
After that, it's time to get revenge on Boudreau (even though I had them losing in the first round to Winnipeg and we don't really need revenge on the best coach in Caps history).

If the Caps get past NYR, this is no longer true.