GDT: Washington vs Ottawa 700pm

[Corby78]

PK is not good, and 5v5 is bad.

 

[Fred22406Capsfan]

you really, really dont

DO. NOT. WATCH. THIS. Now if you're looking to upgrade your tv, go for it. A beer through the tv is a legitimate excuse for a 75"-90" tv replacement

 

[SherVaughn30]

Just got done watching after work...what the f*** happened after the first period??? The team literally quit. Poor Kuemper, he's probably regretting coming here behind this wet paper bag defense.

$5.25 million per year and a Cup win can make that less painful. Experts were saying that Kuemper's number would dip a bit because of the Caps D and being one of oldest teams. He's still played a lot more consistently than Vitek/Sammy did in their time here. Now it's up to the coaching staff to get the players we have to play a lot better and more consistently in front of Kuemper.

 

[Peeri]

Oh wow, I went to bed after dominant first period where everything was looking great. How did this happen?

 

[4thTierSport]

It is wild how this coaching staff is incapable of making in or out of game changes.

 

[Langway]

This looks to be a bottom ten or bottom half xG% type roster and one that doesn't have the special teams advantage to withstand it. How to turn that around will be tough to tackle in-season. It will be tough in the off-season if for sentimental reasons they continue to resist the idea of moving anyone further from the core of the Cup team (and even if they're prepared to do so they probably won't get what they'd deem full value). Even if the cap were to rise significantly there are additional identity/vision questions along with whether Lavi is the right fit for something more progressive in scope.

Some shake-up deals seem inevitable if this funk persists but I'm not sure the solution is just moving on from Eller or adding a more two-way vet LD to the mix. They've got some pretty fundamental issues that may need to run their course in full rather than aggressively seeking to compensate for what's at best a pretty mediocre group. It didn't get that way over night and for that MacLellan has really painted himself in a corner here, albeit with full ownership approval for it getting that way. Nonetheless there probably aren't the sort of convenient answers out there that they'll want to keep chugging along with the status quo.

 

[Evgeny Oliker]

Can someone explain to me why CMM is never tried with Ovy?

I mean Backstrom is out. Kuznetsov was on his 1 game suspension. So your top 2 centers are out. Isn’t that the ideal time to try CMM, not Eller?

Eller is a 3rd line center at best.

I’m confused!

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

Can someone explain to me why CMM is never tried with Ovy?

I mean Backstrom is out. Kuznetsov was on his 1 game suspension. So your top 2 centers are out. Isn’t that the ideal time to try CMM, not Eller?

Eller is a 3rd line center at best.

I’m confused!

Because Lavi loves him some veterans and has an infatuation with Eller. Ovi with Eller isn’t quite as bad as Ovi with Beagle (shout-out to Dale Hunter for that one) but it’s close. Ovi didn’t even have a shot on goal at evens with Lars last night… do you know how hard that is to do??

 

[StrikingDistance]

Based on the posts in the first period, I thought we won the superbowl. Unfortunately, there were 2 more periods to suck.

ps...I had no idea there were Blaine supporters here. 2 PP goals in one period negates 3 years of average-below average overall PP performance? Hopefully, they learned something and will keep Mantha shooting.

 

[Evgeny Oliker]

Because Lavi loves him some veterans and has an infatuation with Eller. Ovi with Eller isn’t quite as bad as Ovi with Beagle (shout-out to Dale Hunter for that one) but it’s close. Ovi didn’t even have a shot on goal at evens with Lars last night… do you know how hard that is to do??

That kind of bs should get him fired. I get liking veterans but if your best player is struggling because of it, then you are failing as a coach.

 

[Langway]

I know it's just five games but Strome is not it 5v5. He struggles with clean zone entries and on this team it's problematic in a top six C whose defensive game isn't a strength nor forechecking for a D&C approach. He can help the PP but 5v5 he doesn't seem to add much.

Altogether I'd say it's probably time to think about alternatives to Lavi since it's the most convenient change to make but off-hand I don't know who would unquestionably be an upgrade (aside from Trotz, which you'd think ownership wouldn't do). Even beyond that I think Lavi has been supplied a lot of mush to work with so I'm not sure what we should expect really. What's their strength on paper? Up front it's hard to imagine a way for them to play with such a convenient collection of disjointed talent. And the back-end is not much better.

Maybe wait a bit and a Boudreau reunion could happen. That would be fun, right? If Cup wins are secondary at least give us some sizzle rather than a bunch of slop.

 

[SecretaryofDefense5]

I know it's just five games but Strome is not it 5v5. He struggles with clean zone entries and on this team it's problematic in a top six C whose defensive game isn't a strength nor forechecking for a D&C approach. He can help the PP but 5v5 he doesn't seem to add much.

Altogether I'd say it's probably time to think about alternatives to Lavi since it's the most convenient change to make but off-hand I don't know who would unquestionably be an upgrade (aside from Trotz, which you'd think ownership wouldn't do). Even beyond that I think Lavi has been supplied a lot of mush to work with so I'm not sure what we should expect really. What's their strength on paper? Up front it's hard to imagine a way for them to play with such a convenient collection of disjointed talent. And the back-end is not much better.

Maybe wait a bit and a Boudreau reunion could happen. That would be fun, right? If Cup wins are secondary at least give us some sizzle rather than a bunch of slop.

This. I’m not a Lavi fan for his ire towards younger players but realistically Mac didn’t give him a ton to work with here. On paper this isn’t a very good team,

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

That kind of bs should get him fired. I get liking veterans but if your best player is struggling because of it, then you are failing as a coach.

You’ll fit in well here

 

[Langway]

With a veteran group lacking the peak energy and pure dominance of younger teams they've got to be about executing with a high floor: efficiency, discipline and managing the game. They've got to pick their spots, hang around and pick up loser points at least. They've got to be able to make it boring but even boring requires a high degree of attention to detail squashing chances before they start. Smothering is only as viable as how athletic and structured your group is off the puck. This team doesn't possess that degree of raw athleticism nor the anticipation to thrive within that game. They're momentum-driven in a way increasingly unsustainable given some of their limitations. Their feel for the game seems to be slipping. Their substance organizationally perhaps growing thinner and thinner as core players increasingly can't drive the bus while not much happens on a secondary level to realistically adapt to that reality.

I don't doubt at least one of BUF/OTT/NJD/NYI push and make it a far more competitive race for a playoff spot than last season. Wilson will add some swagger in another five weeks or so but the overall leadership of this group...I don't know if they still have the fortitude for it. Mainly I look at Carlson & Oshie all-around and see pretty troubling signs of a crumbling foundation. The team on whole doesn't seem to possess enough strengths to overcome glaring limitations from those two key players. Secondarily, again, it would be helpful if there were at least some developing secondary key pieces where with some patience there could be an effective restructuring. But their holding pattern of short-sightedness seems only more likely that they'll continue to lack solutions and for any future adjustment period to be far more harsh than it needs to be.

 

[SecretaryofDefense5]

With a veteran group lacking the peak energy and pure dominance of younger teams they've got to be about executing with a high floor: efficiency, discipline and managing the game. They've got to pick their spots, hang around and pick up loser points at least. They've got to be able to make it boring but even boring requires a high degree of attention to detail squashing chances before they start. Smothering is only as viable as how athletic and structured your group is off the puck. This team doesn't possess that degree of raw athleticism nor the anticipation to thrive within that game. They're momentum-driven in a way increasingly unsustainable given some of their limitations. Their feel for the game seems to be slipping. Their substance organizationally perhaps growing thinner and thinner as core players increasingly can't drive the bus while not much happens on a secondary level to realistically adapt to that reality.

I don't doubt at least one of BUF/OTT/NJD/NYI push and make it a far more competitive race for a playoff spot than last season. Wilson will add some swagger in another five weeks or so but the overall leadership of this group...I don't know if they still have the fortitude for it. Mainly I look at Carlson & Oshie all-around and see pretty troubling signs of a crumbling foundation. The team on whole doesn't seem to possess enough strengths to overcome glaring limitations from those two key players. Secondarily, again, it would be helpful if there were at least some developing secondary key pieces where with some patience there could be an effective restructuring. But their holding pattern of short-sightedness seems only more likely that they'll continue to lack solutions and for any future adjustment period to be far more harsh than it needs to be.

I’ll beat the dead horse, if they can’t win anything in the spring…what are we doing here? Let’s give younger players more playing time if that is where this is headed. Why do we continue to stick with the retirement home, err, I mean core?

 

[tycoonheart]

I'm starting a new hashtag: #BringBackBarry

 

[Ovechkins Wodka]

When Lavi gets his extension heads will roll here

 

[Brian23]

This. I’m not a Lavi fan for his ire towards younger players but realistically Mac didn’t give him a ton to work with here. On paper this isn’t a very good team,

He couldn't give them much to work with when 2 of your top 6 players are out for most of the year with injuries, now 3 with Connor Brown.

Realistically, Lavi just ain't it. His whole career has been to show up and bleed a rock for just a bit more then he falls off. He wasn't able to bleed the rock of the Capitals well enough and now we're on the down swing. His usage of guys like Eller as a top C, when he hasn't been a guy who could do that in almost 2 years, should be enough.

I can't wait till Lavi has GMBM trade McMichael plus a first for some mid tier veteran to get/keep them in contention.

 

[pman25]

Yes the way i see it is this ends with a McMichael trade and a 7 year extension for Fehervary, similar to what Samuelsson just got in Buffalo. Yikes!

 

[g00n]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2022/10/20/capitals-senators-tj-oshie-penalties/

Better figure out what it was, eh?

Everything that happened in Connor McMichael’s season debut

With Backstrom, Wilson, Kuznetsov, Hagelin and Brown all unavailable on Thursday night, 21-year-old Caps forward Connor McMichael played his first game of…

russianmachineneverbreaks.com

 

[pman25]

pretty much everyone was bad and/or out attempted last night.

 

[Brian23]

Also can't imagine you get into any rhytm or flow if you've not played any games, then have to go for 20 second shifts with 5 minutes in-between.

 

[usiel]

Watched the first period in real time but got pulled away after the first ottawa goal then accidentally saw the final score later so just deleted the game on the dvr instead of watching the rest. Seen plenty of hockey games over my lifetime where there is a dominant first period and then that team falls apart.

 

[Langway]

Better figure out what it was, eh?

Elsewhere he acknowledged his two penalties and that was more or less it. Three penalties in a four minute span in the second jammed up their 5v5 flow and they couldn't regain it or their control on the game. Their control on games is fragile. Often it's only as good as how well they're able to get away with trading chances. Generally speaking their 5v5 play probably isn't going to cut it but they do themselves no favors being sloppy and undisciplined on top of it.

 

[zappa4ever]

1st pd: wow! after the 1st few min.s they hit the switch and had the best pd of the year, should've been 3 or 4-0 (tragically this would come back and bite them)
2nd pd: Sens made a good push first several shifts, started throwing the body, Caps were (barely) weathering the storm where normally things start to balance after an early pd push... except the PK Parade began instead (incl 2 NZ penalties), 1st goal hurt some, 2nd one hurt a ton, ugly rest of pd
3rd pd:
continued ugliness and barely treading water
capped off by Dowd (of all people) allowing 3rd goal to happen

had some hope they could put together at least a cpl shifts and tie, but they could barely enter the zone, woof

Kuemper saved our bacon several times

The boys took their foot off the gas after 20, thought their poop didn't stink, and let OTT get the mo and they never looked back