Post-Game Talk: Washington Capitals @ Buffalo Sabres

[Corby78]

I just have a feeling it clicks in the playoffs.

i really hope your right, because right now they are not a good team. People keep getting on the anti TR crowd with sunshine and roses about two years ago and the start of this season. But the truth is that you want your team playing well now through May.

 

[trick9]

Back to the same old.

Atleast the luck was on their side and got a point with that lucky bounce and a break from the refs but that was painful to watch.

 

[Raikkonen]

Ive only seen some shifts from the game.. but I can say that #19 guy is looking more like a player again. Was he playing injured or just mailed it in that much?

If Nicky can play on a level of last year it will be another team instantly.

Kovalchuk doesnt look that bad too. I mean, I didnt expect much from him and this is more than I expected. At least he isnt being scored against constantly and is trying to play.

The worst guy on the ice comparing to his potential is Carlson right now IMO. He looks off completely most of the time (I watch).

 

[AussieCapsFan]

Ive only seen some shifts from the game.. but I can say that #19 guy is looking more like a player again. Was he playing injured or just mailed it in that much?

If Nicky can play on a level of last year it will be another team instantly.

Kovalchuk doesnt look that bad too. I mean, I didnt expect much from him and this is more than I expected. At least he isnt being scored against constantly and is trying to play.

The worst guy on the ice comparing to his potential is Carlson right now IMO. He looks off completely most of the time (I watch).

Yeah Carlson looks really bad. I am a bit worried that he's played too much and is burned out. I guess if that was the case the coaches / trainers would rest him, right?

 

[EYEuhFRAYtee]

It was a nice streak while it lasted. Oh well, on to the next episode.

 

[max21]

Sometimes you wonder if the game plan is to actually play just 20 minutes. Oh well got the point, they better beat up on Detroit at home or that will be pretty embarrassing. I know they just beat Tampa

 

[ovikovy817]

Sometimes you wonder if the game plan is to actually play just 20 minutes. Oh well got the point, they better beat up on Detroit at home or that will be pretty embarrassing. I know they just beat Tampa

It's a marathon not a sprint.

They can't play 4920 minutes full gas.

I'm pretty sure this team saves some energy for a long playoff run.

 

[tenken00]

Shootouts are crap shoots. There is nothing hockey about it, just a roll of the dice. And last night's horrible shootout performance by both teams set shootouts back 10 years.

 

[marcel snapshot]

He didn't sell anything. He tried to move out of his crease to play the angle better and Skinner nudged Holtby's goalie stick before the shot went by and in. It was 100% the correct call. By the way, as a goalie myself I had this happen to me. It doesn't take much to nudge a goalies stick and they lose their balance or get twisted up.

Agree with this. Holtby got that call because he didn’t try to sell it, and because he doesn’t do that stuff. He seems to have a great rapport with refs, always chatting with them - which also helps

 

[txpd]

It's a marathon not a sprint.

They can't play 4920 minutes full gas.

I'm pretty sure this team saves some energy for a long playoff run.

Trap game. The game after beating the Pens is often junk

 

[Midnight Judges]

Kovalchuk doesnt look that bad too. I mean, I didnt expect much from him and this is more than I expected. At least he isnt being scored against constantly and is trying to play.

That's an understatement dude. Kovalchuk looks good. He even showed some quickness.

 

[StephenPeat]

That's an understatement dude. Kovalchuk looks good. He even showed some quickness.

Agree, to an extent, Kovalchuk has looked FINE. Not as good as he was touted from Mtl AND not as bad as he was made to be from LA, so somewhere in the middle is the truth. He’s definitely not a liability and can add some creativity down the lineup, definitely full-value if you’re not counting on him to carry a significant load. His defense has surprised me, he’s definitely not a loafer and isn’t bleeding chances against.

 

[StephenPeat]

I still think we’re seeing an evolving team that just hasn’t put it all together yet AND also plays down to their opponent AND has quite a bit of Coast to their game right now. The D doesn’t look great but looks serviceable. Surprisingly it’s the vets that look like they’re not giving full buy-in or are simply making egregious small errors in critical moments that get amplified (Carlson and Orlov).

Jensen has actually started to turn a page somewhat, he looks a little like Nate Schmidt Very-Lite on occasion and the Caps can definitely benefit from another DMan that can carry the puck in the neutral zone 5-on-5, something Orlov and Carlson are only Good at (not Great). Jensen has actually been managing a few zone entries lately and relieving pressure by getting in ahead of the forecheck which is something the Caps have been missing for a while. If only he was 50LBs heavier he might actually be good. Dillon has looked like a Big New Guy with some questionable IQ but physicality that can erase SOME of his mistakes. Like a more-skilled, lower situational IQ Orpik. Overall the D is Okay.

The Fs have been and continue to be a Going Concern. Every one of them looks from game-to-game like “Oh shit, I had a terrible game last night I better show I’ve still got it today.” The past two games it’s been Kuzy and Backy, before that its been different guys on All Lines at times. OV8, Oshie, and Wilson are the only ones that have pretty consistently given a F all season.

 

[txpd]

Maybe I am expecting too much but I consider 1 goal in 7 games to be light.

 

[artilector]

Yeah Carlson looks really bad. I am a bit worried that he's played too much and is burned out. I guess if that was the case the coaches / trainers would rest him, right?

It's nothing new. Carlson has been iffy in the regular season for a long time. Caps can live with it as long as he continues to put up points and step it up in playoffs.

 

[Bananas]

Take the point and keep building...

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Maybe I am expecting too much but I consider 1 goal in 7 games to be light.

I’m not so enamored either, but I’m giving it time. Doesn’t look out of place, just not as good finishing anymore I’m afraid. Lots of hockey left though....we’ll see. The best part by far the 4th line upgrade.

 

[txpd]

I’m not so enamored either, but I’m giving it time. Doesn’t look out of place, just not as good finishing anymore I’m afraid. Lots of hockey left though....we’ll see. The best part by far the 4th line upgrade.

If the value of Kovalchuk is the ignition of Panek, its worth it. Kovy is gone after this season while they have a contract with Panek. New players to a team often struggle to find their place. Hagelin, Panek and Jensen all seem to have had that problem and maybe that is all it was. Eller's first season was pretty disappointing and IIRC there were many that wanted to cut bait there.

 

[zappa4ever]

Maybe I am expecting too much but I consider 1 goal in 7 games to be light.

And if he managed to get a 2nd goal out of the 7 he'd be on a 23G pace w/Caps

He looks OK, only a few flashes so far, nothing egregiously bad; hope he gets more acclimated the next few games

 

[txpd]

And if he managed to get a 2nd goal out of the 7 he'd be on a 23G pace w/Caps

He looks OK, only a few flashes so far, nothing egregiously bad; hope he gets more acclimated the next few games

Note that I said "light". Not bad. We have 3 goals to 10 games. He needs at least 1 more in those 3 games

 

[Raikkonen]

Connolly was a better player than Kovalchuk now. I feel in playoffs Kovalchuk could be a double edged sword.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Connolly was a better player than Kovalchuk now. I feel in playoffs Kovalchuk could be a double edged sword.

ohhhh.....that’s going to piss some people off lol.....

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

Connolly was a better player than Kovalchuk now. I feel in playoffs Kovalchuk could be a double edged sword.

Can we give the guy more than 7 games before declaring that? Conno wasn't great most of his first season here. It takes time for guys to gel with new teams, new routines, new personalities, etc which is why I think big deadline acquisitions of expiring UFAs is mostly a fool's errand.

 

[txpd]

Can we give the guy more than 7 games before declaring that? Conno wasn't great most of his first season here. It takes time for guys to gel with new teams, new routines, new personalities, etc which is why I think big deadline acquisitions of expiring UFAs is mostly a fool's errand.

This is why trade deadline acquisitions are so risky. We have 2 guys that the Caps got at the last deadline that they kept. One too all of last season and playoffs and 40 games this season to get going. The other guy has found his game in the last 15 games. Panik struggled for more than teh first half of the season.

Kovy has 20 games to get it right. He is approaching the halfway mark. I am not ready to declare him a failure but he needs something more in the next 3 games or the pressure will start to build.

 

[twabby]

This is why trade deadline acquisitions are so risky. We have 2 guys that the Caps got at the last deadline that they kept. One too all of last season and playoffs and 40 games this season to get going. The other guy has found his game in the last 15 games. Panik struggled for more than teh first half of the season.

Kovy has 20 games to get it right. He is approaching the halfway mark. I am not ready to declare him a failure but he needs something more in the next 3 games or the pressure will start to build.

He has 4 points in 7 games playing mainly on the 3rd line, or around a 47 point pace. He's shooting 5.6% and is a career 13.7% shooter.

What exactly does he need to do in the next 3 games to please you? He's been rather good IMO.