Talk about Capitals hockey & more! > Washington Capitals & Other Hockey Discussion
If the Caps ultimately lose this series
BlackIce:
--- Quote from: DC_1908 on Tuesday April 17, 2018, 10:25:46 AM Eastern ---Exactly! . . . The MAJORITY of the skaters on this team are one-way offensive players with little if any regards to defense, training or concern about the defense, their opponent, or situations.
So as we know: defense wins games/offense sells tickets . . . . we've scored seven goals in two games enough, yet we lost both. . .We allowed 9, to which the layman agitator can say "but we only lost by one goal in OT and this series is close!", which is bullshit. . . . 3.5 GPG per 4.5 GPG, while down 2-0 in a playoff series, just says you team defense, from INCLUDING your forwards is not only pathetic and inexcusable, but flat out sucks.
--- End quote ---
Yep, the defense -- both blue liners and team defense more generally -- took steps back this year. When we lost Alzner and Schmidt and filled in with rookies, that figured to happen. (Shattenkirk was here such a short time he doesn't count). And in addition, younger players with less defensive pedigree took roles/greater roles up front. Vrana -- Connolly -- Stephenson (though he's seemed not to hurt us defensively) -- Burakovsky, if he could stay on the ice.
But you know what? With all that, we still won the Division when no one really expected it, and many thought the playoffs might be a stretch.
And then come the playoffs, and the Caps can't get over the hump. Now why is that? Well, the naysayers will say "It's a different game in the playoffs. The team doesn't step up. Other teams do." But why IS it a different game in the playoffs? If teams can play playoff hockey in the playoffs, why can't they play it, and beat the Caps more consistently, in the regular season? After all, it isn't as if they'd have to play playoff hockey in every game -- just the few games they play the Caps, in order to try to knock off the top [regular season] dog.
During the regular season, in the game threads I see people complaining all the time about the Caps playing limited amounts of time, taking periods off, not putting forth much effort, making stupid mistakes. I'm a STH, and when I attend the games I see these lulls from the Caps as well. But you know what? I see the other teams have the same, or more, lulls. Making just as stupid, or more stupid, mistakes.
In the past 4 regular seasons the Caps have amassed 444 standings points. No other team is close to them. That is a record that starts to get pretty large sample size at this point. I am beginning to believe that, contrary to the complaining of the fans about inconsistent effort and lack of sensible play from the Caps, what is REALLY happening is that the Caps actually give more, not less, consistent effort and game discipline during the regular season, relative to their capabilities, than their opponents do. That they are actually playing in a higher gear than their opponents, by and large, during the regular season. Then come the playoffs and the other teams, who have been cheating the fans relatively more than the Caps have during the regular season effort- and discipline-wise, find a higher playoff gear -- and the Caps don't have a matching gear, because we've seen a greater percentage of what our team has to give the previous 6 months.
I've said all season that the Caps not only have defensive problems, but that they've masked them partially by overworking, especially, Carlson and Orpik to protect the young defensemen. The same can be said of Ovie and Backstrom on the offensive side. And I was furious in the last regular season game when the team beat Ovie to death at the end of the game to try to get him goal #50. That just didn't make any sense in the greater scheme of things. These are greater and lesser indicators of the team's commitment to provide a good-faith effort during the regular season. Fans need to realize that, far from being the sluggards described on boards like these, the Caps give good overall value, maybe better than any other team, during the regular season. Maybe they need to take a page from the LA Kings/Penguins playbook and slack off part of the regular season to save more powder for April - June. It might not have worked this season because, with the lesser and less experienced talent they might not have made the playoffs at all. But generally speaking, I think this team gets an undeserved bum rap from October - March. And maybe the problem isn't that they choke during the playoffs, but that the playoffs are a true measure of the outcome of their maximum effort and discipline relative to another team's maximum. This team gets no further than it deserves in the playoffs because that is how they truly compare to their competition.
Maacoshark:
--- Quote from: alta on Tuesday April 17, 2018, 11:48:09 AM Eastern ---yeabut, we've got a Norris candidate :wackysmile:
:clown: :poop:
:O=
--- End quote ---
Bad thing is that he is our best dman in our end in this series.
ArJunaZ:
I've not paid much attention to this thread due to the title. I don't get the negativity on this years team. They have played very well, especially considering the number of rookies we have. I like this team far better than the teams of the past 3-4 years. Those teams were lacking the heart to play in the regular season, much less the post season.
This team has dominated the majority of the games that we lost. We've played some really great teams and thus far came out on top. We're tied 2-2 in the conference championship and I see not cause to be down on them. The last two games a little puck luck would have given us this series in 4. Game 3 was a little weak. We should have played harder IMO, but we still had a chance in that game.
I get it, we've been bitten too many times in the past. It's made us very gun shy. I think too many are letting that dominate our current view of this team.
Game 5 Tonight is a huge game, but unless we lay a huge egg tonight this team deserves respect for what they've accomplished.
That we can even consider this team could go all the way this year is a massive bonus when you consider where we were in October.
This is coming from a guy that hammered the team for the last few years for not playing to their potential. I just don't see that this year.
DC_1908:
--- Quote from: BlackIce on Tuesday April 17, 2018, 03:34:34 PM Eastern ---
Yep, the defense -- both blue liners and team defense more generally -- took steps back this year. When we lost Alzner and Schmidt and filled in with rookies, that figured to happen. (Shattenkirk was here such a short time he doesn't count). And in addition, younger players with less defensive pedigree took roles/greater roles up front. Vrana -- Connolly -- Stephenson (though he's seemed not to hurt us defensively) -- Burakovsky, if he could stay on the ice.
But you know what? With all that, we still won the Division when no one really expected it, and many thought the playoffs might be a stretch.
And then come the playoffs, and the Caps can't get over the hump. Now why is that? Well, the naysayers will say "It's a different game in the playoffs. The team doesn't step up. Other teams do." But why IS it a different game in the playoffs? If teams can play playoff hockey in the playoffs, why can't they play it, and beat the Caps more consistently, in the regular season? After all, it isn't as if they'd have to play playoff hockey in every game -- just the few games they play the Caps, in order to try to knock off the top [regular season] dog.
During the regular season, in the game threads I see people complaining all the time about the Caps playing limited amounts of time, taking periods off, not putting forth much effort, making stupid mistakes. I'm a STH, and when I attend the games I see these lulls from the Caps as well. But you know what? I see the other teams have the same, or more, lulls. Making just as stupid, or more stupid, mistakes.
In the past 4 regular seasons the Caps have amassed 444 standings points. No other team is close to them. That is a record that starts to get pretty large sample size at this point. I am beginning to believe that, contrary to the complaining of the fans about inconsistent effort and lack of sensible play from the Caps, what is REALLY happening is that the Caps actually give more, not less, consistent effort and game discipline during the regular season, relative to their capabilities, than their opponents do. That they are actually playing in a higher gear than their opponents, by and large, during the regular season. Then come the playoffs and the other teams, who have been cheating the fans relatively more than the Caps have during the regular season effort- and discipline-wise, find a higher playoff gear -- and the Caps don't have a matching gear, because we've seen a greater percentage of what our team has to give the previous 6 months.
I've said all season that the Caps not only have defensive problems, but that they've masked them partially by overworking, especially, Carlson and Orpik to protect the young defensemen. The same can be said of Ovie and Backstrom on the offensive side. And I was furious in the last regular season game when the team beat Ovie to death at the end of the game to try to get him goal #50. That just didn't make any sense in the greater scheme of things. These are greater and lesser indicators of the team's commitment to provide a good-faith effort during the regular season. Fans need to realize that, far from being the sluggards described on boards like these, the Caps give good overall value, maybe better than any other team, during the regular season. Maybe they need to take a page from the LA Kings/Penguins playbook and slack off part of the regular season to save more powder for April - June. It might not have worked this season because, with the lesser and less experienced talent they might not have made the playoffs at all. But generally speaking, I think this team gets an undeserved bum rap from October - March. And maybe the problem isn't that they choke during the playoffs, but that the playoffs are a true measure of the outcome of their maximum effort and discipline relative to another team's maximum. This team gets no further than it deserves in the playoffs because that is how they truly compare to their competition.
--- End quote ---
So what?
Anyday, a team that’s designed to and knows, that the goal is to win 4 best of 7 series after an 82 game qualifying round will have every advantage over the “just glad to be there”, “hopes and prayers”, “we did good in the regular season”, “ the soccer moms love us”,”EA says we’re the best”, “at least there’s the IIFC (or whatever that Eurotrash tournament is called)”, team.
The Kings never slacked off, they just scouted and where/are physically superior to ware everyone in their division down while they where just getting warmed up.
That’s one reason why I don’t, and more and more are agreeing with: DONT GIVE A FLYING HILLBILLY OR WALLSTREET FUCK ABOUT THE REGULAR SEASON/82 GAME QUALIFYING ROUND.
Who cares if they compare to their competition? The goal is to manipulate, defeat, destroy, and eliminate while not letting the enemy compete or know how we’re doing it until it’s far to late.
DC_1908:
--- Quote from: ArJunaZ on Saturday May 19, 2018, 06:41:48 PM Eastern ---I've not paid much attention to this thread due to the title. I don't get the negativity on this years team. They have played very well, especially considering the number of rookies we have. I like this team far better than the teams of the past 3-4 years. Those teams were lacking the heart to play in the regular season, much less the post season.
This team has dominated the majority of the games that we lost. We've played some really great teams and thus far came out on top. We're tied 2-2 in the conference championship and I see not cause to be down on them. The last two games a little puck luck would have given us this series in 4. Game 3 was a little weak. We should have played harder IMO, but we still had a chance in that game.
I get it, we've been bitten too many times in the past. It's made us very gun shy. I think too many are letting that dominate our current view of this team.
Game 5 Tonight is a huge game, but unless we lay a huge egg tonight this team deserves respect for what they've accomplished.
That we can even consider this team could go all the way this year is a massive bonus when you consider where we were in October.
This is coming from a guy that hammered the team for the last few years for not playing to their potential. I just don't see that this year.
--- End quote ---
I’ll go out on a limb and say we’re better off with Boyd, Gretcsh, and/or Walker then with some combination of Bura, Connolly, or Varana. Sure they’ve scored big goals, but how many of the other teams did they cause directly or indirectly?
Players that are fighting for a spot are much more willing to, and probably study the system more, than those who are just waiting to score or highlight reels.
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