Post-Game Talk: Sens @ Caps, 7PM

[maacoshark]

Everyone goes on a witch hunt as soon as the team struggles.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

I need a link to the full interview, but he said playing with Ovy is hard, he didn’t say “Ovy is difficult (as a person)”.

Look, Ovy has been largely with Backstrom his entire career....why is that? The only capable and successful switch in 10 years has been bringing in a countryman who is proving to be a pass first, second, and third....kind of player.

I look at it this way....Backstrom is struggling....he looks like he’s lost a step to me. Trotz CAN’T put 8-19 together because seriously who generates ANY amount of speed to make that line competitive? Trotz is stuck with two badly aging stars right now IMO.

 

[g00n]

Everyone goes on a witch hunt as soon as the team struggles.

That sounds like witch talk to me.

 

[twabby]

Where are those comments? I've seen ones where he talks about postseason hangovers...which would lead me to believe he DOES believe that players take the losses to heart. Seems like a direct conflict.

MacLellan, Trotz take different view on the team's history of postseason struggles

The relevant quote is this one:

“I think it's so overworked by [the media] and everybody else that it's actually becoming a joke to the guys,” Trotz said at breakdown day, “Which is probably good because playoffs haven't been fun here and maybe having some fun and laughing at the past a little bit and looking in the face is probably something that might ease us in the future. But it's become more of a bad question by media now because guys are sort of chuckling about it all the time now.”

I highly doubt Ovechkin, Backstrom, Holtby, Carlson, etc. think the questions about past failures impacting their playoff play is a “joke”.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

IMO responding to questions about a struggling team by calling players difficult, discussing their playing history including international tournaments, and saying they're hard to find chemistry with is a pretty negative thing to say. IMO that's throwing a guy under the bus. Even if he deserves the criticism, as a coach you're offering up your player instead of taking responsibility as the leader. And given that the player in question is the Captain, it's almost like leader-on-leader violence lol.

Great leaders take ownership even when someone under them screws up. They don't undermine the trust and confidence of their charges by publicly criticizing them ...unless that leader is SO respected as a warrior in the trenches that he can do so and still retain that respect, AND he's almost 100% certain that's the only way to get the job done.

Trotz is practically begging to be fired with a quote like that. The team is struggling enough right now, digging up Ovechkin's play with Team Russia from years ago is uncalled for. Not saying that Ovechkin doesn't deserve the criticism, but Trotz is pouring oil into the fire right now.

I'm betting that he doesn't last until February.

What I mean is that I don't really care that much about knowing why they suck right now, since it's not that hard to see why: a lot of their best players are past their prime and they don't have any depth to make up for that fact.

I want to know why they suck when it matters most.

I'm not sure Williams knows either. If he knew, he would've told the coaching staff and the management. Williams isn't the answer to everything. He hasn't been all that great in the playoffs for us.

 

[ovikovy817]

Already at page 3 and the game hasn't started yet.
but for winning, we need to have a very little amount of pages.

Stop posting,
Don't screw my GDT record (I'm 3-1 this season)

 

[g00n]

Trotz is practically begging to be fired with a quote like that. The team is struggling enough right now, digging up Ovechkin's play with Team Russia from years ago is uncalled for. Not saying that Ovechkin doesn't deserve the criticism, but Trotz is pouring oil into the fire right now.

I'm betting that he doesn't last until February.

Hell, I'm wondering if he's feeling the pressure NOW, hence the comments. He's never been the kind of guy to get desperate until late in the process...usually almost too late. If he's going nuclear on Ovie now then maybe he senses the axe above his head more than we know.

 

[hockeykicker]

Are we really starting this put backstrom back with ovie nonsense after nearly all of you were calling for trotz head cause he didn't put kuzy with ovie last year?

Can't have it both ways

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

Are we really starting this put backstrom back with ovie nonsense after nearly all of you were calling for trotz head cause he didn't put kuzy with ovie last year?

Can't have it both ways

It's not the actual line combinations that bother me, Ovechkin can play with Eller or anyone else for all I care. It's how nonchalantly he justifies his line combinations. His attitude is that of a man who ran out of patience.

FWIW I was among those who defended Trotz last year after we lost.

 

[g00n]

My gloom/doom lineup for DK tonight features Duchene, Stone, Anderson, Mike Green and Nate Schmidt. lol

 

[g00n]

It's not the actual line combinations that bother me, Ovechkin can play with Eller or anyone else for all I care. It's how nonchalantly he justifies his line combinations. His attitude is that of a man who ran out of patience.

FWIW I was among those who defended Trotz last year after we lost.

Right. But hey, maybe he was just having a bad day? Maybe he had a flat tire on the way in and Brooks Laich was nowhere to be found. Who knows? But it does seem odd that he's projecting a "who gives a shit" attitude regarding any sense of tact in dealing with the reporters or his players. Again, we've seen this before and it's usually when a coach is feeling the heat.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

Right. But hey, maybe he was just having a bad day? Maybe he had a flat tire on the way in and Brooks Laich was nowhere to be found. Who knows? But it does seem odd that he's projecting a "who gives a ****" attitude regarding any sense of tact in dealing with the reporters or his players. Again, we've seen this before and it's usually when a coach is feeling the heat.

Those two quotes were on two different days. What are the odds that he had a flat on both days and Brooks Laich couldn't change either tire?

 

[BossmanTom]

What I find odd is that people that have been working directly with Ovechkin over the years have never said a bad word about him. Both BB and GMGM only have good things to say about #8. They could easily Ovi for their shortcomings in Washington but they haven't.

Is their an agreement between the Caps and everyone that worked for the team in the past to avoid criticizing Ovechkin publicly?

IIRC when the caps got eliminated last a spring a Russian beat reporter Slava Malamund?? was on the radio up here (Toronto) and he was going off on Ovi and the caps and Ted and how he controls what mostly comes out to the press and doesn't take to negative press and stuff it was pretty interesting but I'm not sure I buy too deep into it lol if you can find the radio clips take a listen it was interesting

 

[hockeykicker]

It's not the actual line combinations that bother me, Ovechkin can play with Eller or anyone else for all I care. It's how nonchalantly he justifies his line combinations. His attitude is that of a man who ran out of patience.

FWIW I was among those who defended Trotz last year after we lost.

But the point is, he did an amazing job as coach and won us 50 games in multiple seasons. You all are reading too much into quotes. You've never said one thing and done the other?

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

MacLellan, Trotz take different view on the team's history of postseason struggles

The relevant quote is this one:

I highly doubt Ovechkin, Backstrom, Holtby, Carlson, etc. think the questions about past failures impacting their playoff play is a “joke”.

It’s probably going to hurt a lot of fans when they realize to this core, they probably didn’t care as much and losing in the playoffs didn’t hurt as much as it did to fans of the team.

Would it piss you off as a fan to know that the players at times prior to that game 7 and this interview, let’s say over the course of that last season, leading up to the playoffs, did indeed chuckle sometimes when the press repeatedly asked them about ghosts of playoff failures? Seems like that’s exactly what he’s saying. GMBM rightly acknowledges the organizational need to accept they’re all part of past failure and work to overcome those ghosts.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Are we really starting this put backstrom back with ovie nonsense after nearly all of you were calling for trotz head cause he didn't put kuzy with ovie last year?

Can't have it both ways

Well there was only one guy crying for 8-92 all last year, and it wasn’t me. I’m suggesting 8-19 is a desperation move that might need to be tried, but the more I thought about it, with Backstrom struggling badly and looking slower than ever, might be a waste.

 

[Langway]

Trotz comes across as flippant, frustrated and disconnected from the team...much like he did at the end of last season. Why that in itself doesn't call for a new approach I'll never know. He's not taking ownership of their top six struggles. They all come across as frustrated that a poor imitation of last season's effort level and mentality with lesser players isn't yielding results. Now that they all need to be more resourceful and focused they just can't be bothered. Trotz is stubborn. Many of the players are stubborn. Everyone retreats into their stubborn tendencies, doing the same things with weakened results. Without a fresh approach it's likely be another four and a half months of lethargy. I don't think Trotz is throwing Ovechkin under the bus so much as just basically frustrated at where they are, isolated organizationally and probably on the verge of being tuned out. I don't know how else to explain whatever it is they do on most nights. If there's a process they're adhering it's hardly evident and whatever progress is being made doesn't just boil down to standings points.

 

[AtNightWeFly]

But the point is, he did an amazing job as coach and won us 50 games in multiple seasons. You all are reading too much into quotes. You've never said one thing and done the other?

I gotta give B-Mac more props for that team's success than Trotz. He couldn't work the same magic this season and all of a sudden Trotz is running around like a headless( and neck-less) chicken.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

My gloom/doom lineup for DK tonight features Duchene, Stone, Anderson, Mike Green and Nate Schmidt. lol

I’m pulling for you, but pics or it never happened.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Trotz comes across as flippant, frustrated

and disconnected from the team...much like he did at the end of last season. Why that in itself doesn't call for a new approach I'll never know. He's not taking ownership of their top six struggles. They all come across as frustrated that a poor imitation of last season's effort level and mentality with lesser players isn't yielding results. Now that they all need to be more resourceful and focused they just can't be bothered. Trotz is stubborn. Many of the players are stubborn. Everyone retreats into their stubborn tendencies, doing the same things with weakened results. Without a fresh approach it's likely be another four and a half months of lethargy. I don't think Trotz is throwing Ovechkin under the bus so much as just basically frustrated at where they are, isolated organizationally and probably on the verge of being tuned out. I don't know how else to explain whatever it is they do on most nights. If there's a process they're adhering it's hardly evident and whatever progress is being made doesn't just boil down to standings points.

Lol...so true.....wouldn’t surprise me if he’s done with this team as much as they might be done with him.

What would be a new approach? Trotz feels very much like an old dog unlikely to learn a new trick at this point. He’s had a long moderately successful career doing what he knows. I’d love to know why GMBM didn’t make a change in the offseason.

 

[g00n]

Those two quotes were on two different days. What are the odds that he had a flat on both days and Brooks Laich couldn't change either tire?

Not very good. Brooks is on that shit

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

IIRC when the caps got eliminated last a spring a Russian beat reporter Slava Malamund?? was on the radio up here (Toronto) and he was going off on Ovi and the caps and Ted and how he controls what mostly comes out to the press and doesn't take to negative press and stuff it was pretty interesting but I'm not sure I buy too deep into it lol if you can find the radio clips take a listen it was interesting

1. Malamud isn't Russian, he's from Moldova.
2. He is an attention seeker, he will say anything to stir the pot and create controversy. Just like when he said that few KHL teams were interested in signing Shipachyov after he left Vegas.
3. Malamud has a political agenda, his view is tainted for sure.

 

[hockeykicker]

I gotta give B-Mac more props for that team's success than Trotz. He couldn't work the same magic this season and all of a sudden Trotz is running around like a headless( and neck-less) chicken.

But he has to coach the team? Unless your gonna say that quenville did nothing for the Hawks and it was all the gm

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

But the point is, he did an amazing job as coach and won us 50 games in multiple seasons. You all are reading too much into quotes. You've never said one thing and done the other?

This is all cancelled by his inability to adjust his strategy in a playoff series. He's a good, not great coach.

 

[g00n]

I’m pulling for you, but pics or it never happened.

It's only a $.25 play. Not high rollin or anything lol

edit: oh, and Kadri too