GDT R3G5 Capitals @ Lightning 2018-05-19 7:15pm EST NBC, CBC, TVAS

[apace41]

Why the fuck I allow myself to believe things are different is beyond me.  Perhaps the issue is 19 because 8 has been great and has been in the whole time.  Everyone jumps on Ovi as the "core" and the "reason."  Maybe Backstrom has no fucking balls and doesn't show up in the big games?

[Maacoshark]

FUCK YOU Niskanen

[Devise]

Where was this Ovie the last 8 years?

Man before he scored, there was a shift of pure passion in the zone where he out hustled several players in the offensive end and just out manned them on the puck. He went from board, to getting a few rebound attempts and pushing the net to rushing after the players who had the puck. I was taken aback for a second because I had to make sure that was Ovechkin I was seeing. Agreed here, you can totally tell he wants it, or that he senses with how deep we've gone this run and how much success we've had this is likely his shot at a Cup. He has to seal the deal now.


I hope he takes that type of effort into the LR and lets the boys see it. If anything the momentum should be on our side after that third period. But we are down in the series, and that is all that really matters at this point.

[richkrt99]

The problem with this series is that the Lightning are just better.
Total crap start for the Caps this game but even with 120% effort the Caps are just not good enough to beeat them. Tampa didn't show up the first two games and Vasi was shit. Now we are seeing the real Lighting and we are just not quite good enough to compete without the bounces going our way


And how can you not give the caps one lousy power play after Giving Tampa a goal by not calling a trip that lead directly to a goal?


Tampa is better on D and better on O. We tie in goal.
That adds up to Tsmoa winning.


I'm not giving up but it will take a miracle for the Caps to win.

[Maacoshark]

Why the fuck I allow myself to believe things are different is beyond me.  Perhaps the issue is 19 because 8 has been great and has been in the whole time.  Everyone jumps on Ovi as the "core" and the "reason."  Maybe Backstrom has no fucking balls and doesn't show up in the big games?

   Why care you even discussing Ovi or Backstrom? Neither of them cost us this game. Niskanen single handedly lost this game for us. With a bit if help from Orlov. And Arm says Carlson makes bonehead plays. Carlson has cost us less in these playoffs than Niskanen did in this game alone. Fuck

[DC_1908]

Callahan, Paquette, and Knuitz. . .


The Captain sure knew who to get to shut us down.


Wish to hell we’d use Beagles group like they do Paquettes

[Surreylily]

Too little, too late.  We lost it in the 1st.  What a shame.

[alta]

ok, so technically the fat lady is now getting warmed up


just to remind people, the Caps aren't eliminated until they lose 4

[Mickstix]

And here we thought it was the Pens holding us back..  Unfortunately we need Holtby to not let in every mistake we make and lately he's not been doing that much... Can't/won't win a playoff series if the other teams goalie is better than yours..   

[waynerivers]

No way in hell they win two games now.  I'd be shocked if they can win on Monday.  Home ice is like a haunted house for them.  This series was basically over after Game 3 because, for some reason, the psyche of this franchise is one geared toward losing.  Just as many fans, or at least those who have been around, started to doubt seriously after Game3, I have no doubt that the team was doing the same.  They know the history here.  Many have participated in it.  Like I posted before, in the whole history of the NHL, teams with 2 game leads win 87% of the time.  Washington is 2-7 with 2 game leads and about to be 2-8.  How is that explained?

[waynerivers]

And here we thought it was the Pens holding us back..  Unfortunately we need Holtby to not let in every mistake we make and lately he's not been doing that much... Can't/won't win a playoff series if the other teams goalie is better than yours..   

Holtby seems to always come up small at the worst times.  Tampa's game winning goal last game was a good example.  No way that should have gotten in.

[Maacoshark]

Holtby seems to always come up small at the worst times.  Tampa's game winning goal last game was a good example.  No way that should have gotten in.

  I wouldn't blame Holtby for losing these games. But as I've said before for us to advance Holtby needs to win it for us.

[apace41]

   Why care you even discussing Ovi or Backstrom? Neither of them cost us this game. Niskanen single handedly lost this game for us. With a bit if help from Orlov. And Arm says Carlson makes bonehead plays. Carlson has cost us less in these playoffs than Niskanen did in this game alone. Fuck

I said Niskanen and Orlov sucked this game, but Backstrom is not 100% and he's hurting the team.

[DC_1908]

No way in hell they win two games now.  I'd be shocked if they can win on Monday.  Home ice is like a haunted house for them.  This series was basically over after Game 3 because, for some reason, the psyche of this franchise is one geared toward losing.  Just as many fans, or at least those who have been around, started to doubt seriously after Game3, I have no doubt that the team was doing the same.  They know the history here.  Many have participated in it.  Like I posted before, in the whole history of the NHL, teams with 2 game leads win 87% of the time.  Washington is 2-7 with 2 game leads and about to be 2-8.  How is that explained?

The psyche/mentality of the franchise is entertainment for 82 games and market “have a chance” to the tune of $300 tickets in the 400 section.


Until Ted cleans out the front office, namely Dickless Patrick and GMBetaMale, the “we have a chance” and “participantion trophy’s mean we won something so that’s good”, ain’t gonna change


“But we made it past two whole rounds!”
 

[hickster9]

Gang, if they could somehow play a full 60 minutes (for two full games), they would be in the Cup Finals.  Long stretches of controlling the play, but unfortunately long stretches of not showing up, taking shifts off, etc.  I do think this squad is different...they can dig something out.  I know the feeling of the fanbase is to be negative but I still believe they've got what it takes this time! 

[waynerivers]

  I wouldn't blame Holtby for losing these games. But as I've said before for us to advance Holtby needs to win it for us.

Holtby is one of these guys who compile great overall stats but when you really need him to come up with a big save at a critical moment he doesn't do it.  Fleury, OTOH, is a guy who does.  That's the difference between guys who win in the playoffs and those who don't.

[apace41]

And here we thought it was the Pens holding us back..  Unfortunately we need Holtby to not let in every mistake we make and lately he's not been doing that much... Can't/won't win a playoff series if the other teams goalie is better than yours..   

Gotta call bullshit on that.  We made a ton of mistakes in the first and Holtby saved a bunch of them.  Vasi has been very good in the last 3 games but if you look at the goals scored -- very few Holts had a real shot at.  The first one he didn't even get in the net before they were free in the slot.  The second Niskanen went down to block and he couldn't possibly see and the third was the "punch-in" from McDonough after Strahlman undressed Niskanen.  Hard to fault him for any of those.  He saved a lot of other crappy plays.  Our D sucked in the first and at other times.

[waynerivers]

The psyche/mentality of the franchise is entertainment for 82 games and market “have a chance” to the tune of $300 tickets in the 400 section.


Until Ted cleans out the front office, namely Dickless Patrick and GMBetaMale, the “we have a chance” and “participantion trophy’s mean we won something so that’s good”, ain’t gonna change


“But we made it past two whole rounds!”





 

It's up to the fans to show they've had it.  If they lose on Monday, boo their asses off the ice.  No stinking stick salute to polite applause.

[apace41]

You guys blaming Holtby are fucked in the brain.  Really.  Without him we don't get out of the Columbus series and no way we beat Pittsburgh.  To say he doesn't come up big is fucking ridiculous. 

[Maacoshark]

I said Niskanen and Orlov sucked this game, but Backstrom is not 100% and he's hurting the team.

   Backstrom isn't really hurting the team because isn't an offense only player. Sure he would be better offensively is he was healthy but he isn't a liability.