GDT R1G4 Capitals at Canadiens W 5-2

[richkrt99]

One good thing from last night, Thommy looked fine.   Unlike Dylan.  He's getting worse and worse.
I'm glad we didn't get sucked in to their shenanigans this time.   They tried very hard to get Willy and Dowd off the ice, but they didn't bite.   
Also I think I need to apologise to the refs.....   

I watched Carbs - game day press conf (i assume after morning skate), He talked to the team (and specifically Wilson) about NOT falling into the shenanigans.  It only pumps up what is already an insane crowd, and it is usually the retaliation that gets called (especially in Montreal)
No apology needed to the refs - they have been bad, and unfair.  They totally lost control of one game, and had way too much impact on this game.
5 interference calls in one game is ridiculous.  Every time a Canadien had incidental contact and went down, its interference.  THe slashing call when the guy just drops is stick needs to be fixed by the NHL - should be unsportsmanlike, just like diving.  It detracts from the game. Don't let it become soccer, where the biggest drama queens get the calls.

[alta]

Yes, the refs might have actually given us a couple calls last night.  I think the Habs fans will be whining quite a bit and I am sure they will be calling for Willy to get suspended for a great hit.

That hit reminded me of the Aston-Reese hit. It looked clean, the shoulder was the primary point of impact, but the guys head came down and also made contact. Carrier did not return to the game after that hit.

[richkrt99]

So I've been watching some of the other playoff games as well.  Kings and Oilers is very exciting to watch, but its completely different brand of hockey.  It is like full throttle most of the game.  Neither team is playing defense...especially Oilers.  The Oilers D look slow, and give up TONS of odd-man rushes.  But they do help drive the scoring and they live and die on their style of play.  They were down the entire game last night and come back from 3-1 to tie, then owned the overtime and eventually score to win it.
I was thinking the Caps could never compete with one of these other teams because of the speed of play, but I'm not sure that is true.  The Caps just play a different style.  They are kind of slow, plodding and methodical, but the Caps do win this way.  They aren't flashy like Edmonton.  We don't have their top tier talent (and Carbs knows has said this).  Also why the Caps are rarely ever out of the game...like last night.  They just keep doing there thing, eventually, sometimes, it works.  They haven't been overwhelming Montreal as we would like, but they are beating them.  I would like to see more aggressive play and some more hitting by the Caps, but I will take the methodical wins as well as the exciting ones.  The Caps can't run and gun with Montreal - we aren't fast enough, and that's not our game.  Also, all the penalties makes this a special teams match up which is bad for the Caps, plus it takes them out of their slow plodding game style, where our slightly better than average 4 lines eventually overcome the opposition.  Caps outscored Montreal 3-0 at 5v5 last night.  Take away the special teams play and its not even close.  I think Carbs knows this so he's trying to keep the team on even keel to play their style.  Hard to do in Montreal with the refs giving in to the crowd and calling every tick-tack thing to make this all special teams.  It's hard to find your rhythm with that (especially when your PP isn't working).
Caps have outscored Kings at 10-7 at even strength (13-7 if you count the empty netters)  Montreal has 5 PPGs to Caps 1.  Looks like we need to stay out of the box.
Oh, and thank God for Thompson.  He has saved our bacon so many times this series.
Oh, and John Carlson sucks....just in case yuns didn't pick that up from nearly every one of my posts....or by watching the games

[Beaglefan2]

Good analysis and I was thinking the same thing - that we would get smoked by most of the top teams that play faster and have a more offensive game.  Hopefully you are right and we can hang with them. And yes, it would help if Carlson had a clue. It just blows my mind that they keep giving him the PP and PK and all those minutes. He has just been beyond awful and Carbs has to see that - I just don't get it.

[waynerivers]

It's amazing what happens when you start hitting.  Willy's hit led directly to the Duhaime goal.  As good as that was, we need to be hitting even more.  Anytime Caufield and Suzuki touch the puck they need to be hit.  You see these guys next to ours and they look like midgets.  Nice pop by Ovie, too.

[waynerivers]

Good analysis and I was thinking the same thing - that we would get smoked by most of the top teams that play faster and have a more offensive game.  Hopefully you are right and we can hang with them. And yes, it would help if Carlson had a clue. It just blows my mind that they keep giving him the PP and PK and all those minutes. He has just been beyond awful and Carbs has to see that - I just don't get it.

Carlson has sucked for years.  That was somewhat mitigated by his offense in the past but that has slackened while his defense is even worse if that's possible.  Yet, he's out there for PP, PK and OT like clockwork.  Maybe he'll retire when Ovie does.  We can hope.

[richkrt99]

I believe we will overcome Montreal, but I don't see us getting through the next round.  We could beat Carolina, but they have beaten us up pretty badly earlier this year, and they have turned it up into playoff gear (which we have not).  We have glaring weaknesses on D, and Carolina is so tough to score on.  I did see Anderson went down for them last night, which is big considering how well he has played, but who knows if it's serious.


No...I'm not counting any chickens, just my observation.
(besides, we are gonna absolutely stomp Montreal on Wednesday)

[richkrt99]

Anyone watching the "condensed game" or Recap of the game will be disappointed that they don't include this hit by Tom Wilson.  (which is dumb since it leads DIRECTLY to a score.)
but here it is...


Watch this with the sound on and tell me...the scream just before Tom destroys the guy...was that the other Dman warning of the impending doom?
FFS Tom...hit him hard next time. OUCH.
I am a little surprised we didn't here any BS or whining about a hit to the head or some other nonsense about this perfectly timed and legal hit.

[Mickstix]

I am a little surprised we didn't here any BS or whining about a hit to the head or some other nonsense about this perfectly timed and legal hit.

Tell us you don't do social media, w/o telling us. 

[alta]

Tell us you don't do social media, w/o telling us. 

Habs fans have been complaining the entire series about how one sided the officiating has been. Bad calls have gone both ways, but the majority have gone against the Caps.

[BlackIce]

What I don't understand is where all this bad blood comes from between the Caps and Montreal.  They aren't in the same Division.  They play each other 3 times a season.  There's no reason that I know of why they should hate each other so much.  I mean, the playoffs ARE intense and teams go after each other, but this seems out of the ordinary.   


At some point I want to discuss the "Carlson controversy," which has been going on for years.  It's time we hashed this out once and for all.  But not here and now.   

[Surreylily]

What I don't understand is where all this bad blood comes from between the Caps and Montreal.  They aren't in the same Division.  They play each other 3 times a season.  There's no reason that I know of why they should hate each other so much.  I mean, the playoffs ARE intense and teams go after each other, but this seems out of the ordinary.   


At some point I want to discuss the "Carlson controversy," which has been going on for years.  It's time we hashed this out once and for all.  But not here and now.

I don't think there's any real hate there.

I could imagine that the Habs coach might say to his team that the only way they had a chance of winning against us would be to disrupt our game and our team, which they did successfully in game 3.  That's why they brought in their "enforcer" and kept going after Willy, to keep him off the ice.
When we refused to be goaded in game 4, they lost.

Thats my take on it anyway.

[richkrt99]

At some point I want to discuss the "Carlson controversy," which has been going on for years.  It's time we hashed this out once and for all.  But not here and now.

Carlson controversy 
No controversy.  He sucks.  Period.

[alta]

The only real hate is that contract. Too much money, and too long.

[richkrt99]

Agreed.  No hate.  Did not like Carlsons style of play for first several year...he made leaps and bounds of improvement but has always been too mild mannered for me as a big dman.  He has been very good for the Caps over the last 4-5 years.
This year...he's been bad, and he's been terrible in the playoffs thus far.  He has to be nursing something because he's just slow, and out of position.

[richkrt99]

Some good games last night.  Oilers jumped on the Kings...outshot them badly at home in LA.  Odd too I noticed the stands are like 20% empty.  I mean tons of seats everywhere unused.  Seems crazy for a close playoff series Game 5 at home.
Also....Darcy Kuemper is one of three Vezina Trophy finalists this year (Hellabuck, Vaselevskiy).  He's been the goalie for the Kings this year we needed him to be the last two years for us.  He's looked pretty good in the playoffs.  (Maybe he's a better goalie when he has some D in front of him.)

Ottowa skunked the Leafs 4-0 in Toronto.  Was 1-0 halfway thru 3rd period, then Sens scored short handed.  Added two empty netters at the end.  It was much much closer than the score.
Vegas won in OT.
Canes won in OT to be 1st team to move on.
Rick Tochet decided to leave Vancouver...not to extend his contract.  He cited personal reasons, and wanting to be closer to family on the east coast. (I'd guess he'd be a good candidate for Philly or Pittsburgh or even NYR head coach)

Yes, I'm bored  (whoops, posted this in the wrong thread)