Salary Cap: Salary Cap & Roster Building - Locked in until July

[Turin]

I only deal with facts. Letang handed them a game that gave them confidence in beating us and going on to win it all. I've been saying it all along but this time it came straight from a player in the Capitals locker room.

Murray should have made the save on the GWG.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

You don't think it's telling he said Game 5 against the Pens is what gave the team confidence they could win the Cup. That just so happens to be the game Letang blew. Letangs hands all over Capitals first Stanley Cup.

No, Niskanen is just a pos. He was taking a jab at the Pens because he has nothing better to do than throw shade. People don't forget that sort of thing, hockey players are very vengeful players that hold grudges unless they become team mates, but that sort of thing, I guarantee you it'll be locker room board material to stay motivated next season.

 

[SouthGeorge]

Murray should have made the save on the GWG.

The goal where Letang lost his man and did a horrible job clearing out the front of the net? Was on his knees just reaching in desperation? You see that recurring theme when you look at a big goal and Letang is somewhere on the ice making mistakes. Yeah, me too.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Why should I give a **** about what Matt Niskanen thinks? He's the guy that bailed on the Penguins after having 1 good season to sign with a rival, and then he **** talked the team after he left (it was more so Orpik, but I do remember he also took some shots at the Penguins). The Penguins also smacked him and the Capitals around in 2016 and 2017. He's a nobody.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Murray should have made the save on the GWG.

Murray needs to get stronger and refocused, the kid had a lot to deal with so it's a little unfair to really go hard on the guy. There was another player that lost his father suddenly during the season too, his season was also very up and down because of it. That's just one of those things you do not recover from in the course of a season no matter how hard you try. He's getting time to deal with all of it right now, he's a strong kid.

 

[SouthGeorge]

No, Niskanen is just a pos. He was taking a jab at the Pens because he has nothing better to do than throw shade. People don't forget that sort of thing, hockey players are very vengeful players that hold grudges unless they become team mates, but that sort of thing, I guarantee you it'll be locker room board material to stay motivated next season.

Why would he specifically name Game 5 and not just beating the Pens? Because everybody on the Caps and Pens knew Game 5 was the series like I've been saying the whole time. Which happens to be the game Letang blew.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Why would he specifically name Game 5 and not just beating the Pens? Because everybody on the Caps and Pens knew Game 5 was the series like I've been saying the whole time. Which happens to be the game Letang blew.

Why the f*** do you care? the playoffs are over, the discussion is about next season and what to do.

Letang was a problem, but not THE problem. If you don't get that, then you're about as bad as Niskanen.

 

[SouthGeorge]

Why the **** do you care? the playoffs are over, the discussion is about next season and what to do.

Letang was a problem, but not THE problem. If you don't get that, then you're about as bad as Niskanen.

But he was THE problem. What was the problem then?

 

[Honour Over Glory]

But he was THE problem. What was the problem then?

The fact that you even ask shows me that you were not really paying attention to the entire series or the team in general.

1. Only some of the stars showed up in the playoffs outside of Guentzel, Crosby, and Hornqvist.
2. Murray was very unreliable in comparison to his past 2 seasons in the playoffs and season, he just didn't exude the confidence and sully quote word alert "swagger"...
3. Letang's minutes were never managed, which the coach said he would do, when you have a problematic player that needs to be reigned in and you say you will but don't, is it the players fault then? Or is it 50/50 blame share? Hint: The latter.
4. Coaching staff just didn't seem up to the task with motivating the team and finding the right pairings all throughout the line-up. Again, the whack jobs that like to think I am pushing a fire Sully narrative, COACHING STAFF - it implies a collective, a collective of failure this past season.
5. Letang was a problem, yes, but as you see, not the only one.

 

[Turin]

The goal where Letang lost his man and did a horrible job clearing out the front of the net? Was on his knees just reaching in desperation? You see that recurring theme when you look at a big goal and Letang is somewhere on the ice making mistakes. Yeah, me too.

Yea the goal where Murray is fishing like 2012 Fleury. Glad you remember.

 

[Riptide]

Why the **** do you care? the playoffs are over, the discussion is about next season and what to do.

Letang was a problem, but not THE problem. If you don't get that, then you're about as bad as Niskanen.

He cares simply because it suites his anti Letang agenda. If Niskanen had said something about how great Letang is as an individual player, SG wouldn't be bringing it up and would be using whatever other desperate straw he could grasp.

 

[Peat]

Murray needs to get stronger and refocused, the kid had a lot to deal with so it's a little unfair to really go hard on the guy. There was another player that lost his father suddenly during the season too, his season was also very up and down because of it. That's just one of those things you do not recover from in the course of a season no matter how hard you try. He's getting time to deal with all of it right now, he's a strong kid.

Being so stop-start with injuries can't have helped either. Hope the kid can enjoy his summer and some well deserved down time.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Being so stop-start with injuries can't have helped either. Hope the kid can enjoy his summer and some well deserved down time.

Yeah...

The part that really ticked me off was the usage of the goalies in the first 3 months of the season, it was just ridiculous with how it was all handled and then the tragedy the poor kid went through. But the usage...

That's on Sully and JR.

One did not handle his goalies well and the other didn't find a veteran back-up after moving the one that failed. You can't throw a kid like that to the wolves with so many back to backs, have a failed back-up and then think the rookies will suffice. The season was doomed the moment the Niemi experiment failed miserably.

 

[PensandCaps]

I only deal with facts. Letang handed them a game that gave them confidence in beating us and going on to win it all. I've been saying it all along but this time it came straight from a player in the Capitals locker room.

Dang, you spelled the refs and Maatta wrong.

 

[PensandCaps]

Why should I give a **** about what Matt Niskanen thinks? He's the guy that bailed on the Penguins after having 1 good season to sign with a rival, and then he **** talked the team after he left (it was more so Orpik, but I do remember he also took some shots at the Penguins). The Penguins also smacked him and the Capitals around in 2016 and 2017. He's a nobody.

Far from a nobody. Imo the Caps best all around Dman. I'd love him here in Pittsburgh. He can play tough minutes and succeed. Always making the smart play and consistently a solid player.

 

[Riptide]

Dang, you spelled the refs and Maatta wrong.

And a severe lack of depth scoring. Only Crosby, Hornqvist and Guentzel (of our Fs) scored an ES goal. When Connolly and Varana outscore most of our team, you're f***ed from the get go.

 

[PensandCaps]

And a severe lack of depth scoring. Only Crosby, Hornqvist and Guentzel (of our Fs) scored an ES goal. When Connolly and Varana outscore most of our team, you're ****ed from the get go.

I mean we almost beat them with two guys lol. If the Refs in game 2 keep that clear goal...maybe we win or if they call that clear Wilson trip in game 3 on the GWG...we probably win on the PP. Could've easily been up 3-0 or atleast 2-1 but because of Reffing incompetence...we were down 2-1. But still could've won those games despite the refs. Each game was a toss up and the Pens could've won that series easily..so I don't get why people want to make such knee jerk moves and trade and blame Letang..

 

[SouthGeorge]

The fact that you even ask shows me that you were not really paying attention to the entire series or the team in general.

1. Only some of the stars showed up in the playoffs outside of Guentzel, Crosby, and Hornqvist.
2. Murray was very unreliable in comparison to his past 2 seasons in the playoffs and season, he just didn't exude the confidence and sully quote word alert "swagger"...
3. Letang's minutes were never managed, which the coach said he would do, when you have a problematic player that needs to be reigned in and you say you will but don't, is it the players fault then? Or is it 50/50 blame share? Hint: The latter.
4. Coaching staff just didn't seem up to the task with motivating the team and finding the right pairings all throughout the line-up. Again, the whack jobs that like to think I am pushing a fire Sully narrative, COACHING STAFF - it implies a collective, a collective of failure this past season.
5. Letang was a problem, yes, but as you see, not the only one.

So technically only 4 problems and 2 have to do with Letang. 1) Secondary scoring - Yes, I agree but with proper defense more scoring wasn't even needed. Crosby/Guentz had 42 points in 12 games. Ovi and Kuzy had 59 in 24 games. 2) Murray - This was his worst playoff performance but I was taught you can't really fault a goalie on breakaways and odd man rushes. That falls on the defense. Don't believe me? Go suit up and try to play goalie. 3) Coaching - I agree on both fronts. I also believe they should have split up the Dumo/Letang parring. 4) Letang - no words needed.

All of those issues have something to do with Letang besides #1 but you could argue he was taking so many risk and giving up odd man rushes. He should have been producing more offensively. Murray's worst performance can obviously be tied to Letangs horrible effort in front of him. Coach managing his minutes. You ever think he's a hard head who won't listen to the coach? I get that vibe from him and the horrible decisions he was making out on the ice. You know the coaches are hammering into his head in meetings he can't do that but yet, he did.

 

[Riptide]

I mean we almost beat them with two guys lol. If the Refs in game 2 keep that clear goal...maybe we win or if they call that clear Wilson trip in game 3 on the GWG...we probably win on the PP. Could've easily been up 3-0 or atleast 2-1 but because of Reffing incompetence...we were down 2-1. But still could've won those games despite the refs. Each game was a toss up and the Pens could've won that series easily..so I don't get why people want to make such knee jerk moves and trade and blame Letang..

Sure we could have inked out a win... but we never deserved to. Which is why I find it so amusing about all the blame and moaning and bitching that's been going on. For whatever reason we just didn't have "it" this year. There's lots of individuals who had a poor playoffs - Letang, Murray, Maatta and others. But as a collective it wasn't there. Our great depth (on paper) couldn't score, and we had other issues that exacerbated that. It happens - this year it happened to us. It's not that big of a deal - make the needed changes and try again.

 

[Star67]

Any interest in Mike Hoffman ? Seems like his value has taken a real hit with the recent drama with his Fiance and Karlsson's wife.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

Can Letang fan club explain?

Anyone with eyes and a brain can understand that Game 5 was what tilted the series in the Caps favour. And the Game 5 loss was entirely on Letang, as he himself acknowledged.

With as many key pieces banged up as we had, the margin for error was razor-thin. You can't make colossal unforced blunders like he made and hope to come out on top under those circumstances.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

The fact that you can’t ignore the fact Letang set us a minute of possession in the Caps zone and then got beat on a two on one because of Maatta’s absolutely terrible and careless turnover is telling.

I can admit Letang had a bad game, you can barely say Maatta didn’t lose the game on that play.

The evidence is right there on the tape - a routine turnover 150 feet from the net that wouldn't have amounted to anything had the refs simply done their job and called a blatant slewfoot on Wilson. You can deny it until your fingers fall off but it won't alter history, and it won't make Maatta and Letang's mistakes anywhere near equivalent.

 

[Gurglesons]

The evidence is right there on the tape - a routine turnover 150 feet from the net that wouldn't have amounted to anything had the refs simply done their job and called a blatant slewfoot on Wilson. You can deny it until your fingers fall off, but it won't alter history.

Man, in what world can you blame Letang for some of his gaffes that you do and call what Maatta did on that play “routine”.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

Man, in what world can you blame Letang for some of his gaffes that you do and call what Maatta did on that play “routine”.

It's not rocket science. You just have to understand how plays develop and who's responsible for what.

A defenseman who makes an errant pass 150 feet from his net and then can't skate to head off the rush because he's tripped is not the same as a player not understanding what side of the ice he needs to be on or that when defending the rush he shouldn't focus on the guy his partner already clearly has covered and leave another wide open. Letang was f***ing up elementary shit.

 

[Turin]

Any interest in Mike Hoffman ? Seems like his value has taken a real hit with the recent drama with his Fiance and Karlsson's wife.

So James Neal with an insane broad? I’ll pass hard on that one.