Post-Game Talk: Washington Capitals vs Le Club de hockey Canadien de Montréal @7PM

[Capathetic]

I really wish this team would just fire a hard shot on net rather than just passing it to the other team for an easy breakout. Carlson is the main culprit but it's the whole team really. Opposing teams are just funneling into the box and waiting for the Caps to hand them the puck. At least by shooting hard shots you're potentially making the other team feel it if they do block them.

 

[Holtbyisms]

I really wish this team would just fire a hard shot on net rather than just passing it to the other team for an easy breakout. Carlson is the main culprit but it's the whole team really. Opposing teams are just funneling into the box and waiting for the Caps to hand them the puck. At least by shooting hard shots you're potentially making the other team feel it if they do block them.

New PP strategy. Have Ovi target any top 4 defender with slap shots until there's no one left to block them!

 

[Bladerunner]

I really wish this team would just fire a hard shot on net rather than just passing it to the other team for an easy breakout. Carlson is the main culprit but it's the whole team really. Opposing teams are just funneling into the box and waiting for the Caps to hand them the puck. At least by shooting hard shots you're potentially making the other team feel it if they do block them.

Was at the game and at one point yelled, stop the fancy passing and shoot the PUCK ! Late in the 2nd they came so close to tying it, cross crease pass had Price beat, a Cap was there for the tap in but it bounced over his stick. By that time Habs were in a semi turtle trying to protect their 1G lead... and they did.

Like others have noted:
I was having flashbacks to 2010 series
and Carlson is starting to worry me too.

 

[Capathetic]

New PP strategy. Have Ovi target any top 4 defender with slap shots until there's no one left to block them!

When teams shoot the chance to retrieve the puck increases as well provided they don't clear the zone themselves but even then they still might have possession. Right now the give always are brutal and it's not just the PP.

 

[Devil Dancer]

That didn't remind me of 2010 at all, they peppered Halak with shots late in that series.

 

[Revelation]

you need actual NHL-ready prospects for that logic to work, and even then are rookies regularly the answer to put a Cup winner over the top?

Pens last year for instance?

Except for the really crappy prospects we have no idea if most of our guys are NHL ready or not until we play them. Vrana looked a year away after training camp then boom he's one of our best players. Absolutely no one thought DeAngelo was NHL ready this year and boom he looks like the next coming of Yandle in Phoenix. We stand to lose absolutely nothing from waiving Chorney and replacing Bowey with Schmidt for 5 games or so. I'd bet money he'd be one of our top 2 defensemen for a stretch simply because he'd be playing an offensive game on adrenaline. And even if the prospects aren't the answer them just being competent in the NHL at their age could make them much more attractive trading chips. Like when Conacher looked amazing with the Lightning and was traded for Ben Bishop that year. Imagine if we call up Stephenson, he shows himself competent enough at his age that Coyotes would be willing to trade Hanzal for him at the deadline. Vs him just being in the AHL all year contributing nothing to the club

 

[Revelation]

I'll take a hungry rookie over a complacent veteran any day of the week, experience be damned. I'd really like to see Walker tried out for 4LW at some point.

Not sure I'd swap Schmidt for Bowey. The problem with the defensive core isn't in their bottom-pairing, it starts at the top with Carlson.

If Bowey is top 4 caliber you give Carlson easier minutes until he finds his game/scratch him if he's playing injured.

There's absolutely nothing to lose from giving Bowey a fair look at the NHL level and A LOT to gain

 

[txpd]

Pens last year for instance?

Yes, it worked last season. Does that mean that scenario will work for anyone else or for them again for that matter?

 

[txpd]

If Bowey is top 4 caliber you give Carlson easier minutes until he finds his game/scratch him if he's playing injured.

There's absolutely nothing to lose from giving Bowey a fair look at the NHL level and A LOT to gain

Nothing? Home ice advantage in the playoffs is something. Not being a wild card team is something. Playing a wild card team is something. That standings are tight.

Its beyond risky to suddenly throw a bone rookie into your top 4, drop your top defenseman to the 3rd pair and scratch one of Orlov and Schmidt every night that Bowey plays. My view is right now that Orlov and Schmidt need those minutes more than Bowey.

 

[Revelation]

Nothing? Home ice advantage in the playoffs is something. Not being a wild card team is something. Playing a wild card team is something. That standings are tight.

Its beyond risky to suddenly throw a bone rookie into your top 4, drop your top defenseman to the 3rd pair and scratch one of Orlov and Schmidt every night that Bowey plays. My view is right now that Orlov and Schmidt need those minutes more than Bowey.

Yah lets ignore the solid chance that we have a diamond in the rough because maybe giving Bowey 5-10 games will maybe lose ice home ice advantage that has been so crucial to us advancing past the 2nd round all these years. In fact lets fire Trotz because he called up Vrana, that might have cost us some games over playing a veteran in his place! It's beyond risky to let a rookie play games on a playoff bound team that never goes anywhere in the postseason!

Gotta play it as safe as possible, only way to get a cup amirite.

FYI, standings are tight because we have 1 1/2 defensemen that can generate any offense.

 

[Revelation]

Yes, it worked last season. Does that mean that scenario will work for anyone else or for them again for that matter?

Everyone knows the only real path to success is to never try something that worked ever again because it might not work this time around, and to double down on things that don't work because hey they might work this time.

 

[RandyHolt]

We like our team. Stay the course.

 

[txpd]

Yah lets ignore the solid chance that we have a diamond in the rough because maybe giving Bowey 5-10 games will maybe lose ice home ice advantage that has been so crucial to us advancing past the 2nd round all these years. In fact lets fire Trotz because he called up Vrana, that might have cost us some games over playing a veteran in his place! It's beyond risky to let a rookie play games on a playoff bound team that never goes anywhere in the postseason!

Gotta play it as safe as possible, only way to get a cup amirite.

FYI, standings are tight because we have 1 1/2 defensemen that can generate any offense.

If you think its worth the risk, that's fine. But recognizing it as a risk is different than they have nothing to lose. Which was my point. You can make a case that a certain scenario would be the key to winning the cup but the risk would be missing the playoffs entirely. Its not a nothing to lose proposition.

You can reset your nose back in joint now

 

[Ovechkins Wodka]

Not to mention Bowey is prolly a regular on the caps next season after the roster overhaul

I have a hard time seeing him up here without an injury or 2

 

[txpd]

Everyone knows the only real path to success is to never try something that worked ever again because it might not work this time around, and to double down on things that don't work because hey they might work this time.

The way things work is that you get one shot with a certain group. Last year MacLellan judged that they had a better chance Orlov and Schmidt and Richard and keeping the rest of their roster than trading someone like Vrana for a more impact player.

Don't overreact or anything. I am interested to see what Bowey has. At the same time I thinking putting him with Alzner to shut down Crosby and on PP1 might be throwing him in the deep end and mess him up. More so than giving him 3rd pair minutes and get used to it.

Vrana is shooting the puck really well. We could put him in Ov's shooting hole on the pp for a dozen games. What do we have to lose?

 

[txpd]

We like our team. Stay the course.

Well...except Titanic hit that iceberg because she was going too fast and ignoring the warnings of icebergs. In other words they were being foolish. Not sticking their heads in the sand and being too conservative.

 

[twabby]

I'm not counting on Bowey amounting to much this season just as I wasn't counting on Vrana to make an impact, but you probably have to at least give him a shot especially with the way Carlson is playing. Maybe he is an immediate impact player, similar to Carlson himself in 2010 and not finding this out would be a huge mistake IMO. Trotz has to demand more from his defensemen offensively and in transition. Forwards can't get away with not playing defense, why shouldn't defensemen be expected to contribute on the other end of the rink too? At points it seems like the forwards and D play as separate entities rather than one cohesive unit.

 

[Revelation]

If you think its worth the risk, that's fine. But recognizing it as a risk is different than they have nothing to lose. Which was my point. You can make a case that a certain scenario would be the key to winning the cup but the risk would be missing the playoffs entirely. Its not a nothing to lose proposition.

You can reset your nose back in joint now

But at the same time we can ignore the risk of the defense as constructed being abysmal offensively this year because hey muh vets.

 

[txpd]

But at the same time we can ignore the risk of the defense as constructed being abysmal offensively this year because hey muh vets.

who is saying that?

 

[Revelation]

The way things work is that you get one shot with a certain group. Last year MacLellan judged that they had a better chance Orlov and Schmidt and Richard and keeping the rest of their roster than trading someone like Vrana for a more impact player.

Don't overreact or anything. I am interested to see what Bowey has. At the same time I thinking putting him with Alzner to shut down Crosby and on PP1 might be throwing him in the deep end and mess him up. More so than giving him 3rd pair minutes and get used to it.

Vrana is shooting the puck really well. We could put him in Ov's shooting hole on the pp for a dozen games. What do we have to lose?

Putting Bowey at 3RD over Schmidt = putting a left shot in Ovechkin's spot on the PP.

They could put Vrana at the other half wall for a few games and it wouldn't be the end of the world.

 

[Revelation]

who is saying that?

You are clearly implying that playing Bowey is much riskier than playing the current top 6 as constructed even though it's been abysmal offensively.

 

[txpd]

You are clearly implying that playing Bowey is much riskier than playing the current top 6 as constructed even though it's been abysmal offensively.

no....actually, what I am saying is that sticking Bowey in the top 4 is unnecessary and that losing several games as a result of that could damage the team's playoff standing and destroy the confidence of an important young player.

Again, using him on the 3rd pair with Orpik makes perfect sense.

Meanwhile is Bowey tearing up the AHL offensively? Last time I looked he had 3 goals.

 

[Revelation]

no....actually, what I am saying is that sticking Bowey in the top 4 is unnecessary and that losing several games as a result of that could damage the team's playoff standing and destroy the confidence of an important young player.

Again, using him on the 3rd pair with Orpik makes perfect sense.

Meanwhile is Bowey tearing up the AHL offensively? Last time I looked he had 3 goals.

Ok, then we are in agreement and arguing over nothing as people tend to on this board.

Orlov-Niskanen
Carlzner
Bowpik

Rotate Schmidt in and out depending on how everyone plays. I'd give Ness a chance too if Bowey is a dud, dude skates like the wind and hasn't been bad defensively when he played.

 

[Ovechkins Wodka]

Ok, then we are in agreement and arguing over nothing as people tend to on this board.

Orlov-Niskanen
Carlzner
Bowpik

Rotate Schmidt in and out depending on how everyone plays. I'd give Ness a chance too if Bowey is a dud, dude skates like the wind and hasn't been bad defensively when he played.

Could end up with 3 very good pairing if bowpik works

 

[hb12xchamps]

I haven't fully read through all the Bowey comments, but at this point he is no where near ready. He has taken a step or two back since he came back from injury IMO. It also looks like he has lost most of his PP ice time in Hershey as Djoos is on the first unit and Ness the second.