GDT: Washington @ Florida | 11/15/22 | 7:00 ET

[ClevelandCapsfan]

Other than, you know, being in the lineup…

For all that’s worth.

 

[ClevelandCapsfan]

This is a good thing. If you’re going to suck you better suck. Nothing worse than finishing a few points out of the playoffs in no man’s land.

The Underachivers Bowl is Thursday — St Louis vs Washington. Get hyped!

Blues have won three straight.

 

[YippieKaey]

MFers have a worse points percentage than Chicago who are trying to suck. Welcome to Suckville.

Ovi-Bedard-Miro?

 

[ClevelandCapsfan]

Ovi-Bedard-Miro?

Brains, brawn, and beauty. But who is which?

 

[Hivemind]

I haven't posted a Simpsons gif in their last few losses. I can no longer be blamed.

 

[Rayquaza64]

0-21 on the PP over the last 4 games. Not good jim

 

[Langway]

This is a good thing. If you’re going to suck you better suck. Nothing worse than finishing a few points out of the playoffs in no man’s land.

But history suggests they'll exhaust their options in the coming months in a desperate attempt to remain in the mix. Ownership certainly is far more inclined to do that and I think the front office is right there as well. They're not just going to be zen about this and sit back for the next three months until the deadline spurs them into action. At some point, perhaps pretty soon, they'll have no other choice but to act and make some significant changes. Maybe it's YOLO Boudreau SZN or some swaps to at least increase scoring. But it'll be something. We can be pretty sure of it if they continue to be an under .500 team.

They're so used to being excessively zoomed-in toward competing at the expense of the future/development that it's a very real question whether they're capable of shifting gears as needed. It seems far more likely they'll just continue to seek to remain in that competitive bunker and make moves that fortify it further rather than more soberly assess the viability of the position. That's when organizations lose their way and if they're not careful they could find themselves in that boat.

 

[SecretaryofDefense5]

But history suggests they'll exhaust their options in the coming months in a desperate attempt to remain in the mix. Ownership certainly is far more inclined to do that and I think the front office is right there as well. They're not just going to be zen about this and sit back for the next three months until the deadline spurs them into action. At some point, perhaps pretty soon, they'll have no other choice but to act and make some significant changes. Maybe it's YOLO Boudreau SZN or some swaps to at least increase scoring. But it'll be something. We can be pretty sure of it if they continue to be an under .500 team.

They're so used to being excessively zoomed-in toward competing at the expense of the future/development that it's a very real question whether they're capable of shifting gears as needed. It seems far more likely they'll just continue to seek to remain in that competitive bunker and make moves that fortify it further rather than more soberly assess the viability of the position. That's when organizations lose their way and if they're not careful they could find themselves in that boat.

I happen to think they will sit back. They have the injuries as a rationale.

 

[Rayquaza64]

Jesus Christ himself could come off the injured list and I don't think that would teach John Carlson or Evgeny Kuznetsov how to play defense

 

[YippieKaey]

Brains, brawn, and beauty. But who is which?

Ovi is all of them

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

So the coaches benched one and not the other. Curious. Almost like you can question their decision making.

Bench Mantha for what? Some AHLEr who isn’t ready?

 

[Empty Goal Net]

Bench Mantha for what? Some AHLEr who isn’t ready?

The questions assume that Mantha is ready to compete in the NHL. Evidence of that is spotty at best.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

The questions assume that Mantha is ready to compete in the NHL. Evidence of that is spotty at best.

Again, a win on our side of the trade. At least we have a body!

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

Blues have won three straight.

They’re still third to last in the NHL.

 

[Langway]

I happen to think they will sit back. They have the injuries as a rationale.

It will be exceedingly difficult for them to resist temptation IMO. The temptation and promise of a jolt in the arm that could get things back on track again. Whether it's a coaching change, a trade or both I doubt they'll just treat the season as a write-off this early on. Not without more actively pursuing solutions first. Ultimately it may end up the same but I think they believe themselves to be obligated to exhaust all options as long as they've got a fighting chance. They believe they owe it to Ovechkin. But they're also probably past the point of convenient incrementalism being enough. They very likely need to take a much more critical assessment of the core group first and restructure. Perhaps that may need to involve a significant departure from the status quo of valuing vet grit and flimsy skill over much of anything more subtly effective.

But I'd wager there will be a lot of resistance toward rethinking things on a deeper level. More likely are continued face value moves that line up more conveniently to further help out their typical tack. The question is more whether their usual tack remains viable. I think it's likely to be an uphill battle 5v5 no matter what more convenient roster moves they may be able to make. So then a coaching change seems like the most convenient card to play, particularly given Lavi's contract status. They'll give him at least another month or so. Once they have Wilson back he may be on borrowed time if he can't manage substantially better 5v5 process.

 

[hb12xchamps]

Todd Nelson has Hershey off to their best start since the 06-07 season. You’d think he’d be elevated to interim HC if they do fire Lavi and his staff.

 

[IafrateOvie34]

Ovi-Bedard-Miro?

Sign me up for that. By the time Ovy catches up Miro either scores or Bedard is dancing circles to feed Ovy.

Today's hopium is most or half of the NHL is mediocre right now with only two to four teams looking good. Parity at it's best. Pretty much throw darts at the wall and see who makes the final playoff spots.

 

[trick9]

Pretty decent effort against a good team (although slightly flawed as Panthers let us back into the game). Early on looked like we are going to get smoked but Bob actually had to break a sweat. Not surprised that the lack of goalscoring and the PP is an issue. Still missing so many players and replacements aren't good enough to score more. PP is easy to defend because well... easy to shadow Ovechkin when the other shooting options include Johansson, Carlson, Kuznetsov and Strome.

Bedard here we come.

 

[kicksavedave]

kind of wish the thread had just been locked after this, like a big performance art piece

In hindsight this was the right call.

 

[Jags]

So long as Forsythe is unbending on our power play approach our struggles will continue. He's essentially got us playing 4-on-4 with Ovi standing around with his stick cocked, ready to fire. And with Kuzy back on the halfwall taking all of those ridiculous zero-chance shots, we're not moving the puck at all anymore.

We need to reinvent the wheel on this one; make Ovi participate more. Swapping spots to change the looks is something, but amounts to nothing because we can't possess and cycle worth a shit.

 

[Capsman]

But history suggests they'll exhaust their options in the coming months in a desperate attempt to remain in the mix. Ownership certainly is far more inclined to do that and I think the front office is right there as well. They're not just going to be zen about this and sit back for the next three months until the deadline spurs them into action. At some point, perhaps pretty soon, they'll have no other choice but to act and make some significant changes. Maybe it's YOLO Boudreau SZN or some swaps to at least increase scoring. But it'll be something. We can be pretty sure of it if they continue to be an under .500 team.

They're so used to being excessively zoomed-in toward competing at the expense of the future/development that it's a very real question whether they're capable of shifting gears as needed. It seems far more likely they'll just continue to seek to remain in that competitive bunker and make moves that fortify it further rather than more soberly assess the viability of the position. That's when organizations lose their way and if they're not careful they could find themselves in that boat.

I don’t trust BM and this scouting dept to do a rebuild. BM was the right guy to put the finishing touches on a team but boy has he failed in the draft and the Caps on a whole have failed in player development. McPhee et al were far superior talent evaluators and developers. He just sucked at building a complete team.