56 replies to this topic

[Pedro Cerrano]

No juice for this years team? I read they’re the second oldest team in the league.

Pretty much waiting for 8 to break Gretzky and then blow it up properly?

https://russianmachi...after-14-years/

[Pedro Cerrano]

Pens walloped them game 1. Game 2 tonight against Calgary downtown

[ivanbalt]

Didn't get to see the first game (F ESPN+), but last night was a good bounceback after down 2-0.

 

At this point I'm hoping for a wildcard spot.

[Mike in STL]

No juice for this years team? I read they’re the second oldest team in the league.

Pretty much waiting for 8 to break Gretzky and then blow it up properly?

https://russianmachi...after-14-years/

Should have never let Trotz go. 

 

Hockey is the ultimate, "just get to the playoffs" sport. Everyone has a chance. Plus the playoffs are like 6 weeks long.

 

New coaching staff could make things interesting. They basically hired the equivalent of a sexy offensive coordinator in the NFL to be their head coach.

[JeremyStrain]

No juice for this years team? I read they’re the second oldest team in the league.

Pretty much waiting for 8 to break Gretzky and then blow it up properly?

https://russianmachi...after-14-years/

You kinda hit it on the head. 2nd oldest team in the league, and were the oldest before they added McMichael.

 

They have a little bit of talent in the minors. Missed their window to trade off some older-underperforming players and mix in some youth when Lavi was being a moron. Nick had years shaved off his career with that hip injury.

 

Defense is a problem. Carlson is getting old, and they are very offense heavy. Need a balance of DEFENSE first players and offense, can't go with 5 offensive guys and then are shocked when we give up a ton of shots and goals. GK are both solid players, but begs the question of if you need BOTH of them. This is a thing across the NHL though, is it better to have a 1A and 1B where it's hard for them to get in a groove and get going cause they are kinda constantly battling for playing time, OR is it better to have a workhorse and a backup for a change of pace/15g per year kinda guy? I'm not even sure how I feel about it. For years the latter worked everywhere. But injuries suck, and your GK getting hurt can tank your season fast.

 

They still have a good shot at the playoffs, and like you said, it's anyone's game there...especially a veteran team with a good GK. BUT that's a long grind to get there, and can these older guys get there healthy?

[ivanbalt]

Last night showed they have a long way to go on defense.

[You Play to Win the Game]

We’re really bad.

[You Play to Win the Game]

Ovi failed to record a SOG in back to back games for the first time in his career.

[JeremyStrain]

We’re really bad.

Yeah. It's not good. I've been following but haven't been watching, kids sports and all, so I don't know if it's a system thing like with Lavi, or just not good defensive player thing.

 

We talked about it some last year, it doesn't help that our offense isn't helping the D, they are not good defensive players, and he's using his 3rd line, or what most teams put together as a checking line, the one that plays defense and shuts down the other team's top lines, as a 3rd offensive line instead.

 

Add that to poor defensive players and you've got a problem. They should find a team looking for some offense on D, and trade them for a solid defensive guy. I'd be looking for a top flight defensive guy too. These guys are the top in the league, but probably not going anywhere. The 5th spot tends to change year to year, but the other 4 have been top 5 for at least 3 years running.

 

1) Patrice Bergeron 2) Elias Pettersson 3) Nico Hischier 4) Mitch Marner 5) Anže Kopitar

[Mike in STL]

Yeah. It's not good. I've been following but haven't been watching, kids sports and all, so I don't know if it's a system thing like with Lavi, or just not good defensive player thing.

 

We talked about it some last year, it doesn't help that our offense isn't helping the D, they are not good defensive players, and he's using his 3rd line, or what most teams put together as a checking line, the one that plays defense and shuts down the other team's top lines, as a 3rd offensive line instead.

 

Add that to poor defensive players and you've got a problem. They should find a team looking for some offense on D, and trade them for a solid defensive guy. I'd be looking for a top flight defensive guy too. These guys are the top in the league, but probably not going anywhere. The 5th spot tends to change year to year, but the other 4 have been top 5 for at least 3 years running.

 

1) Patrice Bergeron 2) Elias Pettersson 3) Nico Hischier 4) Mitch Marner 5) Anže Kopitar

Should Wilson be on the first line? He seems like the kind of guy you're talking about that should be on the checking line. 

 

Is Wilson on the first line as an enforcer to protect Ovi. Or he stays out of trouble on the scoring line whereas on the checking line he's got enough strikes that's he'll be suspended for a week if another player falls down in his vicinity. 

[JeremyStrain]

Should Wilson be on the first line? He seems like the kind of guy you're talking about that should be on the checking line. 

 

Is Wilson on the first line as an enforcer to protect Ovi. Or he stays out of trouble on the scoring line whereas on the checking line he's got enough strikes that's he'll be suspended for a week if another player falls down in his vicinity. 

That's an interesting debate right there. For me and the NHL I grew up watching, he would be a 3rd liner, but one of the most offensive 3rd liners in the NHL. Growing up he's like...Rick Tocchet? Travis Green? Cam Neely? Bill Guerin? That one is probably the winner. Bill Guerin, super strong power forward, 20-30 goal scorer, not afraid to mix it up. OH, Keith Tkachuck...there's another good one...and he should sound familiar for a lot of you cause his kids are currently tearing up the NHL. Generally your top ice time forwards would be your top line, because they play PP as well, and then your checking line, cause you are trying to shut down the other team's top line who are out a lot. Then your 2nd line actually gets the 3rd most ice time, and then the 4th line gets like 5-10 min.

 

Another approach would be put one good defensive player on each line, and sacrifice a little offense overall. But teams are trying to use their 4th lines like checking lines these days, but those are supposed to be your special lines like face offs PK guys etc. They only play like 7 min a game. If that's all your defense...the other 53 min is ugly.

[JeremyStrain]

All that mentioned and they immediately called up a D from Hershey. Although I thought he was more of an offensive defenseman, so I guess we will see.

[Mike in STL]

You out shoot a team 37-17 and lose 4-1. SMH.

[You Play to Win the Game]

Caps beat a very good NJ team on the road 6-4. Ovi notched an empty netter and has scored in B2B games now. Defense remains dreadful. But nice win. Good to see Ovi get going a bit. Doing a lot of the little things right too.

[You Play to Win the Game]

Rookie Keeper Hunter Shepard (27) notched his first career win tonight as well. Lindgren was placed on IR yesterday.

[ivanbalt]

Caps beat a very good NJ team on the road 6-4. Ovi notched an empty netter and has scored in B2B games now. Defense remains dreadful. But nice win. Good to see Ovi get going a bit. Doing a lot of the little things right too.

Certainly a tale of three periods.  Fortunately the Caps were good in 2 of the 3.

[JeremyStrain]

Caps beat a very good NJ team on the road 6-4. Ovi notched an empty netter and has scored in B2B games now. Defense remains dreadful. But nice win. Good to see Ovi get going a bit. Doing a lot of the little things right too.

Yeah he had 14 shots on goal in one of those games too, that's a plus after not getting any in 2.

 

Rasmus hurt last night too.

 

I sent Duffman an interesting article the other day, it was talking about the skating speed of all the Caps and where they are to league average, it is really telling. Our best skater is Fehver, and he's at like 80th percentile. Ovi was dead last on offense. But overall the whole team is slow which is why they get beat so badly on D. I mean besides some of the forwards having zero interest in playing D to begin with (Kuzy) and being too slow to be effective now (Nick). I think that's why you've seen him move Strome up top so he can help defensively with Ovi losing a step and Nick to the 3rd with other good defensive players.

 

I really think they should punt some offense and go target some top flight defensive players, O and D. If not you're just going to keep running out the clock until Ovis done and you go full rebuild.

[Mike in STL]

Ovi looks tired out there. After the empty netter he was on the bench sucking wind. Noticed in another game he’s on the bench huffing and puffing after not even that long a shift.

I don’t know about recently but I know he’s been kind of a party animal in the offseason. Maybe his conditioning isn’t the best in this early going. You have to work harder the older you get. Remember Ray Lewis talking about his offseason regiment was harder in his final years than it was in his prime because it had to be to keep up with the young guys, or he’d get swallowed up out there.

I wonder if Ovi walks away at the end of the season he breaks the record. 70 to go!

[DuffMan]

O man, is this it for #19?! 

[JeremyStrain]

O man, is this it for #19?! 

Yeah I think it really is. But that $$$ may be what turns things around...gotta see what they do with it.