90 replies to this topic

[You Play to Win the Game]

Can’t believe that’s all they got for Orlov and Hathaway while retaining 50% of Orlov’s salary and helping a conference rival. I understand the need to make a deal. This was not good value for the Caps. The only useful piece is what, the 28th or lower pick in the next draft? That’s terrible honestly. Bad job by Mac.

[ivanbalt]

Safe to say the playoff streak will be ending.  Playing .500 or below hockey when you're out of the wildcard doesn't cut it.

[DuffMan]

This team has been mediocre for a while now.  Ovi picked up 2 goals last night, he needs 75 more.  If he can stay healthy he should be able go get the record about 2 years from now (maybe a little sooner).

[ivanbalt]

Hopefully the next coach puts more emphasis on defense.

[JeremyStrain]

Hopefully the next coach puts more emphasis on defense.

Was thinking while watching that debacle last night, it's a lot like my daughter's soccer team. They try to generate more offense by pushing 3/4 defensemen up over midfield to try to keep the ball pinned in their end, leaving one defender at the edge of offense, and one a little further back defensively (sometimes also over midfield). Then as soon as the ball starts going the other way, the one defender is already turned and running with them trying to play defense on the fly, and the other defender is desperately backpedaling trying to stay ahead of them. You're already beat at that point because they've got numbers, and you are playing on your back foot and reacting.

 

Same thing with the caps, the defender they have running the offense is even with the other team pushing out when they start the rush, and then there's one defender back to handle 2-3 forwards, on his back foot while the other is desperately trying to claw or break stuff up while skating with them. Let defenders play defense, and let the forwards play offense. Sure the point guys can chip in a bit, but the whole idea of them being on the point is because they are one step from being out of the zone and headed back on defense. Little things like this in a scheme can completely waste a season, and make goalies look terrible when it's not even them.

 

Now think about where we are if we got rid of the source of the problem instead of the collateral damage (look up Samsanov and Vitek's numbers). You could still have gotten rid of one, and then signed Lindberg, but that's like $6m you'd have to add a top 6 forward now that you don't cause you are spending $10m of the cap on goalies.

[You Play to Win the Game]

Most people knew from jump street Lavs was a bad fit. Since Mac didn’t, I’m ready to move on from him too. Clean house. This isn't good enough.

[JeremyStrain]

Most people knew from jump street Lavs was a bad fit. Since Mac didn’t, I’m ready to move on from him too. Clean house. This isn't good enough.

To be fair, he checked the boxes that everyone wanted at the time. Experienced coach. Recent SC Victory. Experience in our division. Veteran friendly guy.

 

The difference is during his tenure things have shifted, we needed someone that could integrate youth, and he has ZERO interest in that, and he lives and dies by his stupid system, and other people know and can expose it.

 

I won't argue with you that BM SHOULD have seen and made a move LONG before now, you know how I have felt about him from the first season. But I also think BM is a good GM. Look at some of the shrewd moves he's made juggling this salary cap debacle without having to rebuild, finding guys like Strome, Gustafsson, Sheary, Milano, TvR etc. and then getting them to agree to team friendly contracts to get them in, with under the table deals to extend them later when the SC is workable is pretty genius.

 

Even his fails, like Mantha really aren't his fault, Mantha is a good player but Lavi hates him, and he's a terrible fit for this system. Lavi wants him to be a power forward screening and tipping shots (ironically Strome has been doing a great job of that) but that's never been his game, he's huge but plays like a small euro guy. And the kid that he STOLE from TOR looks like an absolute stud. Just saying we shouldn't throw the baby out with the bathwater out of spite.

[DuffMan]

Lavs is doneso!

[Dupin]

https://www.espn.com...head-next-coach

 

Spencer Carbery is the new coach.

[JeremyStrain]

https://www.espn.com...head-next-coach

 

Spencer Carbery is the new coach.

Yep. Unsure how I feel about it still. I've learned at this point there are a lot of things off the ice that are in the right direction, but until you see their scheme ON the ice it doesn't matter at all.

 

He was the coach of McMichael and some of the younger guys in Hershey for 3 years, so he will integrate youth finally.

 

Ran the 2nd best PP in the league last year, but that had Auston Matthews on it.

 

Players love him. The league loves him. Was one of the hottest assistants on the market and a couple teams were lined up to talk to him.

 

But until we see how he plays things on the ice we just don't know. Can't be any worse than Lavi. I don't know if this will make Kuzy want to play or stay here. I don't know if the offense will run through the offense and not the D like it has. I don't know if they will hang the GK out to dry like it does with some offensive coaches. Time will tell, but moves are coming to fit whatever it is he wants to do.

[Dupin]

Thankful they kept Tom Wilson cause I don't want to hate him.  Which would be inevitable if he was on another team based on the type of player he is.