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Post by alienrace on Apr 11, 2022 7:24:14 GMT -5
It's been a weird year. For the first time in what seems a while, they've had to fight and scratch their way into the playoffs with a very, very banged up team. Early in the year they overachieved with half of the team on IR and some kids from Hershey playing really well. Then the dam broke, they slumped, and fell out of first place all the way down to 8th. Making the cut seemed tenuous at points, but they started getting guys back (Mantha, Oshie, Backstrom were key) and things have been coming together the past month. This weekend they whipped two teams ahead of them in the standings (Pens, Bruins) and they have a pretty decent shot at moving past the Pens into the 7th seed (would face the Rangers instead of the Panthers). (probably just jinxed them since every time I ever post about the Caps they go into a slump!).
It'll be interesting to see how them having to fight to the end contrasts to most years when they just coast into the playoffs. The main issue is, and has been, all year - goaltending. Neither goalie has stepped up and been consistent enough to claim the starting role.
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Post by ivanbalt on Apr 13, 2022 5:33:59 GMT -5
Serious beatdown on a bad Philly team last night.
Caps seem to have some good momentum as the playoffs approach. Hopefully the post-Trotz curse of first round exits comes to an end.
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Post by alienrace on Apr 13, 2022 10:19:29 GMT -5
Serious beatdown on a bad Philly team last night. Caps seem to have some good momentum as the playoffs approach. Hopefully the post-Trotz curse of first round exits comes to an end. Well if they face the Panthers, that's a team that while it looks like they are going to grab the Presidents Trophy, they are ripe for an early exit as they've been kinda living on the edge all season long with come from behind wins. But, they have an explosive offense, and the Caps shaky goaltending and inconsistent defense could be a recipe for a four game sweep. If the Caps had better goaltending, I'd be of the mindset that they could pull it off. Now if they get the Rangers, that's a better matchup I think, as they are more offensively challenged and rely on defense, and I think the Caps now healthy have enough offensive firepower to eek out that one. Not sure about the Leafs, if they get them. Good offense, not so good defense, but a little worse than the Panthers on both counts.
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Post by ivanbalt on Apr 15, 2022 7:02:36 GMT -5
So that was the exact opposite of Tuesday night.
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Post by alienrace on Apr 15, 2022 7:12:28 GMT -5
So that was the exact opposite of Tuesday night. They used up all their mojo on Philly, lol. This game is pretty exemplary of why you can't trust this team. Samsonov was horrendous. Defense was lacksadaisical at best.
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Post by ivanbalt on Apr 15, 2022 9:34:19 GMT -5
So that was the exact opposite of Tuesday night. They used up all their mojo on Philly, lol. This game is pretty exemplary of why you can't trust this team. Samsonov was horrendous. Defense was lacksadaisical at best. Note for the playoffs: avoid 4 on 4
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Post by alienrace on May 4, 2022 6:55:11 GMT -5
Well, what a game by the Caps last night! I was not feeling good about them coming into this series. 4 straight losses (minus Ovi though). All they needed was one win to vault over the Penguins and they couldn't do it.
They outplayed the Panthers from the start, then the Panthers got some momentum in period 2. Third was all-Caps, completely dominant.
Keep it up!
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Post by ivanbalt on May 4, 2022 7:27:10 GMT -5
Florida goalie was serious but they finally broke through. Hopefully Wilson is ok for game 2.
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Post by alienrace on May 4, 2022 7:54:55 GMT -5
lorida goalie was serious but they finally broke through. Yeah, he was standing on his head through the first 2. Game could have easily been 5-2 Caps at the end of two. Vanacek allowed a soft goal at the end of the first that gave the Panthers momentum, but overall he played very well.
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Post by ivanbalt on May 6, 2022 5:38:16 GMT -5
There goes the sweep. Hopefully Wilson is back Saturday because they could use him.
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Post by alienrace on May 9, 2022 7:44:39 GMT -5
There goes the sweep. Hopefully Wilson is back Saturday because they could use him. That was a weird game. The Caps were in total control much of the 1st period, and a bad bounce caused them to unravel, particularly Vanicek. They responded with a dominating performance in Game 3 though, probably their best hockey of the year. The defense was suffocating the Panthers, and the Caps made them pay for being overly aggressive on their PK's. I've notice the past couple of seasons that teams have played the Caps power play extremely aggressively, and it's paid off with the Caps seemingly having major difficulties getting into the zone and giving up a number of shorties. I wondered if they'd ever start making teams regret doing that, and they sure did in this one. Big Game 4 tonight. Win this, and I think it's all but over. Lose, and well, it's back to a dogfight.
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Post by alienrace on May 10, 2022 7:19:52 GMT -5
Brutal, heartbreaking loss Inches away from victory, only to let it slip away. Major pivotal moment - and not good for the Caps.
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Post by ivanbalt on May 10, 2022 7:52:31 GMT -5
Brutal, heartbreaking loss Inches away from victory, only to let it slip away. Major pivotal moment - and not good for the Caps. I was definitely more confident with the series 2-1 instead of 2-2. Hopefully they can steal the next one on the road.
If things don't work out, Trotz is available again.
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Post by ivanbalt on May 12, 2022 6:07:29 GMT -5
Ugly 2nd and 3rd period. Better get their act together Friday.
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Post by alienrace on May 12, 2022 7:00:46 GMT -5
Goaltending has to be addressed.
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Post by ivanbalt on May 12, 2022 8:23:25 GMT -5
Goaltending has to be addressed. Both can be shaky, but the defense isn't doing them any favors and I think is the bigger problem. When the defense falls apart it usually leads to a continued onslaught.
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Post by alienrace on May 12, 2022 9:07:06 GMT -5
When the defense falls apart it usually leads to a continued onslaught. You are not wrong.
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Post by alienrace on May 16, 2022 8:52:50 GMT -5
Well, that sucked. 3 blown leads in the last 3 games. Samsonov letting in some leaky goals. Poor defense, just not winning enough puck battles. Sadly they largely outplayed the Panthers in this series, but came out on the wrong end due to unlucky bounces and breakdowns. All in all though, given the year and the amount of injuries, I'm not hugely disappointed. I knew the team was flawed, and with Wilson out, that was a huge loss.
That being said, this offseason they really need to find a top rate goaltender. I know they have that guy at Hershey, but he's probably not going to be ready. Samsonov and Vanecek are backups at best. In fact, I think they need to jettison Sammy - he lets in some very soft goals at times - which I think is mental, because he's certainly shown flashes of brilliance. There's already been some discussion of his character being less than optimal.
They've got 2, maybe 3 years left with this core. They need to find more speed. While I absolutely love Mantha, losing Vrana really hurt in that area. I guess having Hagelin out didn't help there. Actually when you think of it that way, with Wilson and Hagelin missing, you gotta feel like this team was a more solid goaltender away from being a strong contender if they could have stayed reasonably healthy this year.
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Post by ivanbalt on May 17, 2022 5:24:38 GMT -5
Well, that sucked. 3 blown leads in the last 3 games. Samsonov letting in some leaky goals. Poor defense, just not winning enough puck battles. Sadly they largely outplayed the Panthers in this series, but came out on the wrong end due to unlucky bounces and breakdowns. All in all though, given the year and the amount of injuries, I'm not hugely disappointed. I knew the team was flawed, and with Wilson out, that was a huge loss. That being said, this offseason they really need to find a top rate goaltender. I know they have that guy at Hershey, but he's probably not going to be ready. Samsonov and Vanecek are backups at best. In fact, I think they need to jettison Sammy - he lets in some very soft goals at times - which I think is mental, because he's certainly shown flashes of brilliance. There's already been some discussion of his character being less than optimal. They've got 2, maybe 3 years left with this core. They need to find more speed. While I absolutely love Mantha, losing Vrana really hurt in that area. I guess having Hagelin out didn't help there. Actually when you think of it that way, with Wilson and Hagelin missing, you gotta feel like this team was a more solid goaltender away from being a strong contender if they could have stayed reasonably healthy this year. 4 straight first round exits. Could be worse I guess. Toronto seems like a stronger team and they continue to exit in the first round too.
Pittsburgh lost, small victories.
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Post by alienrace on Nov 4, 2022 7:34:39 GMT -5
This is going to be a long season. Core is old, and beat up. Tons of injuries. Playoffs not even looking very likely for the first time in a very, very long time. I think both the Caps and Pens are in similar situations, probably time for rebuilds.
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Post by ivanbalt on Nov 4, 2022 8:02:42 GMT -5
This is going to be a long season. Core is old, and beat up. Tons of injuries. Playoffs not even looking very likely for the first time in a very, very long time. I think both the Caps and Pens are in similar situations, probably time for rebuilds. Yeah they don't have the offensive firepower to make up for the continued defensive deficiencies.
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Post by ivanbalt on Dec 14, 2022 6:12:56 GMT -5
Caps improving lately with the return of Oshie and Ovi with the hat trick last night for #800.
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Post by alienrace on Dec 14, 2022 13:14:05 GMT -5
Caps improving lately with the return of Oshie and Ovi with the hat trick last night for #800. Yup, what a great moment! The team is definitely getting better with players returning, so maybe it's not as bleak as thought before. (I'm sure this 100% guarantees they start losing!). Hopefully Wilson and Backstrom return soon and they can keep improving. Lindren has been a pleasant surprise.
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Post by ivanbalt on Dec 24, 2022 10:13:49 GMT -5
801 and 802 along with the win last night. Things are looking up.
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Post by alienrace on Dec 25, 2022 12:06:15 GMT -5
801 and 802 along with the win last night. Things are looking up. If they could only get and stay healthy. Carlson now out indefinitely. No Wilson, Backstrom, Ossie, Carlson. If they can get back for the stretch, Caps might be a sleeper in the playoffs.
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Post by alienrace on Jan 6, 2023 13:14:45 GMT -5
Caps have been on fire for over a month and find themselves now being talked of as a contender with Wilson, Backstrom, Hagelin, and Carlson still out. Getting these guys back should make a surging team that much better. Laviolette faces a major challenge integrating these guys back in without disrupting the current chemistry.
Meanwhile Ovi is on pace for 60 goals!
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Post by alienrace on Mar 1, 2023 15:21:03 GMT -5
Team seems to have been in a total freefall since Backstrom and Wilson returned. Backstrom is not what he was. I think they had some chemistry with the younger, faster guys and ruined it by bringing back the old slow guys. Now the team is in a fire sale mode. Lot of guys gone, Eller, Johansen, Orlov, Hathaway for draft picks and some younger, faster guys (mostly, Craig Smith was kinda thrown in along with a bunch of draft picks in the Boston trade). I don't think they are blowing the core up yet, but certainly recognize that with a bunch of UFA's they needed to get something for them while they could.
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Post by ivanbalt on Mar 2, 2023 7:15:28 GMT -5
Team seems to have been in a total freefall since Backstrom and Wilson returned. Backstrom is not what he was. I think they had some chemistry with the younger, faster guys and ruined it by bringing back the old slow guys. Now the team is in a fire sale mode. Lot of guys gone, Eller, Johansen, Orlov, Hathaway for draft picks and some younger, faster guys (mostly, Craig Smith was kinda thrown in along with a bunch of draft picks in the Boston trade). I don't think they are blowing the core up yet, but certainly recognize that with a bunch of UFA's they needed to get something for them while they could. I think Backstrom is at the end, but Wilson is racking up goals since he returned. Sucks to see Eller go, always liked him.
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Post by alienrace on Mar 2, 2023 11:20:17 GMT -5
Team seems to have been in a total freefall since Backstrom and Wilson returned. Backstrom is not what he was. I think they had some chemistry with the younger, faster guys and ruined it by bringing back the old slow guys. Now the team is in a fire sale mode. Lot of guys gone, Eller, Johansen, Orlov, Hathaway for draft picks and some younger, faster guys (mostly, Craig Smith was kinda thrown in along with a bunch of draft picks in the Boston trade). I don't think they are blowing the core up yet, but certainly recognize that with a bunch of UFA's they needed to get something for them while they could. I think Backstrom is at the end, but Wilson is racking up goals since he returned. Sucks to see Eller go, always liked him. Yeah, I liked Eller too. Forever a Cap. Backstrom really does look like he's at the end. Few people return from the injury he had. Wilson is still strong, and I would expect that they will not move him under any scenario. Some feel that the Caps might be stockpiling picks to get Bedard in the draft as the heir apparent to Ovi. Either that, or they'll deal them to pick up some ready-to-play now younger, faster talent to give Ovi a stronger team around him over his last few years. Either way, it's the frugal thing to do with these FA's and a team that is just too beat up, too slow, too old to make any noise in the playoffs, if they even managed to get there.
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Post by ivanbalt on Apr 5, 2023 8:42:52 GMT -5
Now that they are officially out of the playoffs, will Laviolette be shown the door? Two first round exits and now missing the playoffs isn't too good. Lack of defense has been a problem.
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