The ‘25-‘26 boredom thread..

[alta]

Today coach said Frank is ready but will sit one more game, Kampf in instead.

[richkrt99]

Every team ahead of Caps in the race for last in Metro or WC spot lost yesterday...or their last game, except Boston 94 has won 4 in a row
Isles 89, Columbus 88, Ottawa 86, Detroit 86, Flyers 86 all lost, Caps 85 still behind them all.
Caps best shot might be 3rd in metro - have to jump Flyers, Columbus, Isles

77 points earns you WC spot in the west right now.  88 pts needed in the east.
88 points would put you in 1st place in the Pacific

[alta]

Caps at Devils Thursday night, 7:30. The team is already there, Protas stayed in D.C.

[BlackIce]

Every team ahead of Caps in the race for last in Metro or WC spot lost yesterday...or their last game, except Boston 94 has won 4 in a row
Isles 89, Columbus 88, Ottawa 86, Detroit 86, Flyers 86 all lost, Caps 85 still behind them all.
Caps best shot might be 3rd in metro - have to jump Flyers, Columbus, Isles

77 points earns you WC spot in the west right now.  88 pts needed in the east.
88 points would put you in 1st place in the Pacific

At the very least, we need Ottawa/Detroit/Philly to all continue losing.  It wouldn't take much for the Caps to suddenly jump 3 teams in the standings.  Then only the playoff teams would be ahead of them.  It makes the task look suddenly less daunting.  There is a HUGE difference between being one point behind that logjam, and being one point clear of it.


I'm afraid, though, that losing Protas is a real disaster at this point.  Five of the last 7 games are on the road, you need defensive discipline in road games, and Protas is very defensively disciplined.  That is why he and Wilson are almost invariably on the ice in the last minute of close games.  We have GOT to get Protas back on the ice, and back out there for the 18-20 minutes he has been playing. 


As for Hutson, he has certainly injected some offensive excitement in the back end, but he has and will make mistakes - he already is a -3 at 5 on 5.  It's a balancing act whether they need his offensive game more than his defense is going to cost us right now.  But the team certainly seems to be committed to riding out the rest of the regular season with him.  Keep in mind, his older brother was a minus player until this, his second full season in the league.  It's likely, even if Cole eventually flourishes, that we will have to go through the same growing pains with him.

[Rey Capalpatine]

https://youtube.com/watch?v=mU4vMrk-oSQ&pp=iggCQAE%3D


Video comparing Cole to his brother Lane Hutson.

[BlackIce]

A week ago I said the Caps were dead for the playoffs.


In that time, the Caps have won 3 straight, and the 5 teams directly ahead of them (who the Caps are competing with for the last two playoff spots) have collectively lost their latest 12 games.  Those 6 teams now have between 85 and 89 standings points.  The Caps' playoff chances have gone from nonexistent to conceivable - it's highly unlikely, but there is a path.


The immediate problems for the Caps are 4:  (1) The loss of Protas, which is crushing right now; (2) The Caps have only one game left against the 5 teams ahead of them, a game against Columbus which it behooves them to win, in regulation if possible; (3) The 5 teams ahead of them 5 games left with each other, which one team has to win and the other can collect a point.  It's likely that those 5 games will produce 12 or 13 points for those 5 teams; and (4) the Caps have the worst home/road split, with 5 on the road and 2 at home -- and they haven't done as well on the road as at home this season (often they DO do as well on the road as at home).   


It's conceivable, but all things considered, it's still an enormous longshot.  The thing is, if the Caps don't make the playoffs they are almost locked into a draft position between 13 and 16 going into the lottery.  All 8 non-playoff teams in the West, and the bottom 4 in the East, are further behind the Caps than they are behind the 5 teams in front of them.

[richkrt99]

Caps will shit the bed tonight vs NJ and end the playoff hopes for good.
Caps have won 3 in a row.  They likely need to win 6 of remaining 7 games, plus get some help....which would be winning 9 out of 10.  I don't see that happening, but we are Cap fans so we can always dream.
Problem is, some teams ahead of them are playing each other so someone is always getting points.

Beating the Hens twice at the end to get in would be a nice story book ending.  I figure it will be over before we get there, but let's see.

Go Caps

[Mickstix]

Gluttons for punishment, the lot of ya.. 

[alta]

It is a sin to have no hope.


 

[Mickstix]

Hope? Too old for that shit. 

[richkrt99]

We have 7 games to figure out if who we want to invite back next year

Kampf and Duhaime are UFAs.
Dewey you know what you have in him - bargain 4th line guy...who has been utilized more lately on PK.  I am fine with having him back.
Kampf - FFS let the guy play and lets see what we've got.  I've seen he does have pretty good wheels, that's always a good thing.  Currently making 1.1m is pretty bargain cost

Lappy and McMike are RFAs.  I expect caps will come to terms with both, assuming they can work maybe short term bridge deals.  McMike could spark interest elsewhere, not too sure about Lappy tho.

TVR and Liljegren are UFAs.
I absolutely say let TVR walk.  I'd rather see Hutson on the ice making mistakes every game, than see TVR getting beat every game.  TVR is in decline
Liljegren - WTF knows?  FFS play the guy and see what he can do with real game time.

Everyone else is under contract, so these guys above are the only ones to make decisions on (other than the hope we bring in some outside talent in offseason)

I'd really like to see them bring up Lil Pro and see if he can have an impact in the NHL.  Forget his age (19) and learning in the AHL, let's see what he can do.  He has 27g and 29A in 64 games.
Bring up Cristall and give him a shot too.  He would have made the team beginning of season if it weren't for his age and size.

[Mickstix]

https://twitter.com/SaintNick2018/status/2040588919478120702

[alta]

Caps at Rangers at 7pm. Rangers are eliminated, not sure how much enthusiasm they have.

[richkrt99]

Wow Islanders fire Patrick Roy, hire Pete Deboer as new head coach.  4 games left in the season
That's a bit unorthodox and this point in season, but Deboer is a primo coach.  Sure hope it does not spark them.
I think 3rd place in metro might be Caps best hope.
We desperately need Boston to beat Philthy today, and a we win tonight and we are 3rd in Metro with same 4 games remaining as the Isles.  (Philthy will still have a game in hand on us)

Philthy with a loss and Caps win we, leap frog all three Columbus, Philthy and the Isles

[alta]

Detroit scores three in the 3rd to tie up Minnesota. Detroit loses in regulation.

[richkrt99]

halfway thru 2nd, philthy is not cooperating

[alta]

Boston sucks

[Beaglefan2]

Somehow, I think we win tonight and end up getting in.


A few player comments:


Lappy - showing real nice improvement lately, maybe he is a keeper after all.


Beauvy - I think he has played really, really well over the last month - both on offense and the PK. Especially since Dowd left, he has really worked hard. Doesn't get enough credit.


TVR - I think there is no chance they resign him, but I have to say he has played pretty well and has been much more aggressive - probably because he knows he is auditioning for a new contract.


Leno - getting more and more confident and seems to be protecting himself a bit more - just wish he had more size.


Hutson - has now shown plenty of rookie mistakes which is to be expected.  He likes to roam around a lot which is great if that is the role they are creating for him, but not great if they are expecting him to play more near our own net - still excited about him.

[alta]

Ottawa up 5-2 in the third, so no help there either.

[richkrt99]

about the worst possibility...Flyers and Boston tie...both get a point then Filthy wins in OT (on a 5 on 3)