We have to be watching two very different series.
Holtby is barely tested in game 2. The score may show that the game was close, but the actual game showed me other wise.
The Rangers have been barely able to generate anything consistent in the form of offensive pressure while the Caps keep us pinned for minutes at a time.
Had the Rangers had Holtby instead of Lundqvist, the Caps with both games by blow-outs.
The Rangers have not played well defensively. Lundqvist has been, aside form ONE bad goal, the only reason the Rangers weren't blown out of either game.
It's nice being a fan. I get it.
At some point you have to be realistic about what is actually happening on the ice. Something I think you are refusing to do right now.
Can you have a discussion without being condescending? I'm not here to stroke my e-peen, if that's your prerogative so be it.
We disagree, I'm ok with that, when someone's rebuttal is "what games have you been watching", or "we must not be watching the same games" as if they are trying to show their superiority I quickly stop reading.
You like to focus on the negative. I get it.
I think our defense has been very overrated, and has been less than stellar up to this point. Guys lose their man when the Caps are transitioning up the ice far too often. We allow the Caps to make cross-crease passes way too easily and Hank has to go post to post 10X per game.
Next, I can't stand the collapsing defensive system. No pressure, not at ES or PK. We let the Caps do whatever they want up high and tee up perfect shots to each other. Remember that PK in game 2 where Backstrom and Green were passing the puck nonchalantly back and forth to each other in the high slot because they knew that the Rangers were sitting back and not pressuring them? If that continues again, be prepared for another shooting gallery by the Capitals today while the Rangers spend 45 second shifts in their end zone.
Those are some decent examples but they've been the exception not the norm, we have been pretty damn effective keeping Backstrom and Ribiero from making cross ice passes in our zone, they tried it over and over in game one to no avail.
For every bad play I can name a couple solid plays defensively. You're going to see what you want to see, which around here lately, actually all season has been nothing but how bad we are for the most part.
There are things we can build off, positives we can build off that give me a sliver of hope. Will we? Who knows but thats what makes this gut check time for this team. We'll find out if this team has been underachieving if they're really this bad. My gut says they're better than we've seen, my eyes tell me otherwise.