Post-Game Talk: Wed., Mar. 5, 2014| Capitals 4 at Flyers 6 |8:00 p.m. ET

[Protest]

Downie criticism is justified, but the guy is a better player than this. He just seems to really be in a rut or just lost his game in the midst of these injuries.

He was fantastic for the first handful of games he was here. I hope he can get back on track

I don't know what his deal is, but I'm guessing it was the facial injury. He might need an offseason, or some time away from the game to get mentally recharged or something. He's a much better player than this. I mean he's basically a glorified Rinaldo at this point, and he's shown he can be a 50ish point player in this league. He was exactly what Couturier and Read needed in his first several games.

 

[Alchemy]

Downie criticism is justified, but the guy is a better player than this. He just seems to really be in a rut or just lost his game in the midst of these injuries.

He was fantastic for the first handful of games he was here. I hope he can get back on track

He's just trying to do too much. He's over aggressive.

 

[Gert B Frobe]

I thought he looked great, very good at getting the puck out of dangerous situations.

But wow Downie only has 4 goals on the season? I really don't see why he's in the lineup, Raffl should have his spot on the 3rd line.

Raffl continues to prove game in and game out that he deserves more minutes. Whenever there's a misconduct or an injury- he gets more minutes and the team plays better. Seems like Berube is letting Downie play his way through this - but holy crap has he been bad. No speed, small, undisciplined, positionally meh, and he isn't scoring at all. He can still win a loose puck in the corner but not like he used to.

Raffl more than deserves his minutes

 

[bennysflyers16]

I'm gonna save it for a rainy day.

Saving it for morning coffee at office tomm am. Lol

 

[healthyscratch]

Just got home from the game. Just what in the hell is Downie doing on the ice in that situation???? Come on Chief.

 

[blinds]

Raffl continues to prove game in and game out that he deserves more minutes. Whenever there's a misconduct or an injury- he gets more minutes and the team plays better. Seems like Berube is letting Downie play his way through this - but holy crap has he been bad. No speed, small, undisciplined, positionally meh, and he isn't scoring at all. He can still win a loose puck in the corner but not like he used to.

Raffl more than deserves his minutes

Raffl so easily outclasses Rinaldo and Hall, it sucks seeing him try to do everything on his own out there. He's like Read with his all around game and versatility and it seems like he's got a bit of a scoring touch.

On another note, sucks Vinny got kicked out cause he was having one of his rare games where he looked like he was all over the ice. Surprised that wasn't a penalty shot when he got hauled down from behind.

 

[Qyburn]

Giroux's final faceoff stats were 19-6

The caps had 6 players who took 6 draws or more. Wonder if they were trying different players at faceoffs the way coaches shuffle lines to try to get some offense.

 

[LegionOfDoom91]

Loved the first 40 minutes, hated the last 20 minutes.

Giroux & Voracek are at the top of their games right now.

MacDonald can skate which is a plus.

 

[Garbage Goal]

Very happy we gained two on the Caps and one on the Rags.

If Raffl got Downie's spot and ice-time and Gustafsson got Grossmann's spot this team would look a lot better I think so it pisses me off to no end that neither, let alone both, of those things will happen.

 

[Garbage Goal]

Loved the first 40 minutes, hated the last 20 minutes.

Giroux & Voracek are at the top of their games right now.

MacDonald can skate which is a plus.

MacDonald seems like what we expect Grossmann to be when he's playing his best but with better skating and no big hitting game. So I'm a big fan right now for this season at least.

 

[healthyscratch]

Very happy we gained two on the Caps and one on the Rags.

If Raffl got Downie's spot and ice-time and Gustafsson got Grossmann's spot this team would look a lot better I think so it pisses me off to no end that neither, let alone both, of those things will happen.

That is all so very confusing to me. Not sure how Raffl, who looked pretty good with Giroux, is now locked onto the 4th line while Downie is out continuously doing dumb stuff and getting the ice time.

 

[LegionOfDoom91]

Downie criticism is justified, but the guy is a better player than this. He just seems to really be in a rut or just lost his game in the midst of these injuries.

He was fantastic for the first handful of games he was here. I hope he can get back on track

Agreed, I would even add the other whipping boy Grossmann as the same. Despite his disadvantages the guy was still pretty solid last year & even to start the year out but lately he's just been brutal.

 

[Stizzle]

Mark Streit wins the Corsi award tonight...

5 on 5:
24 Corsis for
11 Corsis against

 

[mantis toboggan]

Anyone else catch the nbc guys saying giroux has never had a hattrick? I guess they forgot he had one in the playoffs against the pens

 

[Qyburn]

hated the last 20 minutes.

17-6 3p shots. Awful.

Still, that's got to be that much more crushing to those chumps that they still couldn't salvage a point.

That is all so very confusing to me. Not sure how Raffl, who looked pretty good with Giroux, is now locked onto the 4th line while Downie is out continuously doing dumb stuff and getting the ice time.

My guess is it's Raffl's lack of physicality and complete absence of an edge. While Coots can bang once in a while, he has more important responsibilities. And Reader's not much more hardnosed than Raffl.

It definitely is a shame though since it's nice to have a good fit on the 1st and spread the talent. But I guess once Vinny came back someone had to be moved out of the top 6.

 

[MadFerIt95*]

Mark Streit wins the Corsi award tonight...

5 on 5:
24 Corsis for
11 Corsis against

What was MacDonald's corsi?

 

[Garbage Goal]

There's no team I can think of in the NHL that has ever relied on one player and PP production as much as the Capitals. What a crap team they are. It's basically Ovechkin, Backstrom, Green for offensive production then just nada throughout the rest of the lineup. Really makes me wonder where they would be if Ovechkin stopped producing offensively over the course of a full season.

I mean they have the best goal scorer in the league by far and a great PP yet they still very well might miss the playoffs.

 

[Curufinwe]

Caps fans are so salty over the so called line brawl. Serves them right for Wilson picking a fight after a totally clean hit.

 

[MadFerIt95*]

There's no team I can think of in the NHL that has ever relied on one player and PP production as much as the Capitals. What a crap team they are. It's basically Ovechkin, Backstrom, Green for offensive production then just nada throughout the rest of the lineup. Really makes me wonder where they would be if Ovechkin stopped producing offensively over the course of a full season.

Ovechkin is exciting to watch, but I am fully confident they will never win with him. Not all his fault, they havent had a good goalie in forever and their defense sucks.

 

[Stizzle]

What was MacDonald's corsi?

5 on 5 it was...

15 for
14 against

 

[Roo Mad Bro]

5 on 5 it was...

15 for
14 against

I'll take it. Really hope he can improve on his advanced stats here in Philly.

Hopefully less minutes, easier competition = better MacDonald.

 

[Prongo]

Had a discussion with a fan tonight who said "he loves this hockey ****, I have been playing and following all my life"

He then says Drew Doughty played for us......... and when I said you might be confused because he wasn't ever here, he said that was debatable.......... As you can tell I am still very confused.

Now I am mad because I wish Doughty was here.

 

[Swic21]

Caps fans are so salty over the so called line brawl. Serves them right for Wilson picking a fight after a totally clean hit.

Erskine, their toughest guy fought Vinny... They have literally nothing to complain about at all.

 

[MadFerIt95*]

5 on 5 it was...

15 for
14 against

Not bad, I'll take it. He looked OK just watching him play tonight too

 

[Garbage Goal]

Caps fans are so salty over the so called line brawl. Serves them right for Wilson picking a fight after a totally clean hit.

Don't know how they can be pissed over that. Penalty calls were correct, they got a PP, and between Wilson/Orlov their team has been more dirty then ours has been really. Emery fought Holtby and a third man jumped into the Lecavalier fight, but dangerous and irresponsible boarding hits that result in five minute PP's (Wilson) and suspensions (Orlov) may be a tad but worse then a couple of line brawl fights. Then again that would be me expecting people to be reasonable.