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Kuzy Hit
waynerivers:
Nothing wrong with the Kuz hit, just an unfortunate injury. I'd be surprised if he comes back the way things looked last night. However, this is the type of thing teams can rally around to boost their game to another level.
apace41:
Agreed that it was a clean hit and an unfortunate situation. I would have preferred if Trotz didn't raise questions about that hit and, instead, sought to make his hay with Reaves' blatant multiple cheap shot cross-checks to the head. The guy is really a loose cannon and will hurt someone given his approach. It's one thing to be tough but to take a stick and cross-check the face like he did to Willy is total bullshit.
I think that even without Kuzy we can beat this team. When you move Nick up with Ovi and Willy there is plenty of familiarity. Eller has shown stepping in on the second line works well. I like Stephenson as a 3C when he steps into that spot and putting Chiasson back on the 4th line creates a little more grit and toughness on that line. Yes, we lose one of the best creative forces we have and an important cog on the power play (although Eller's pass cross crease last night to Ovi was pretty sweet) and we lose perhaps our best outright skater, but I don't think that is insurmountable. We also pick up additional toughness which might be an even more important commodity against a team like Vegas, especially if it goes 7.
BlackIce:
--- Quote from: apace41 on Thursday May 31, 2018, 04:26:56 PM Eastern ---Agreed that it was a clean hit and an unfortunate situation. I would have preferred if Trotz didn't raise questions about that hit and, instead, sought to make his hay with Reaves' blatant multiple cheap shot cross-checks to the head. The guy is really a loose cannon and will hurt someone given his approach. It's one thing to be tough but to take a stick and cross-check the face like he did to Willy is total bullshit.
I think that even without Kuzy we can beat this team. When you move Nick up with Ovi and Willy there is plenty of familiarity. Eller has shown stepping in on the second line works well. I like Stephenson as a 3C when he steps into that spot and putting Chiasson back on the 4th line creates a little more grit and toughness on that line. Yes, we lose one of the best creative forces we have and an important cog on the power play (although Eller's pass cross crease last night to Ovi was pretty sweet) and we lose perhaps our best outright skater, but I don't think that is insurmountable. We also pick up additional toughness which might be an even more important commodity against a team like Vegas, especially if it goes 7.
--- End quote ---
I am very doubtful about the capability to beat Vegas without Kuzy. First, you lose the capability for about a goal per game, minus whatever Eller gives you when he upgrades and gets extra minutes -- and then you have to consider what happens on the 3rd line when Eller isn't there to stabilize it. But even more important is Kuzy's speed. It is all the Caps can do to keep Vegas' speed-based attack under control, and if the eventual replacement for Kuzy is Chaisson, that's taking a thoroughbred out of the lineup and replacing it with a plow horse. If Chaisson does get the call, my betting is that he doesn't play more than 5-7 minutes at most, and his TOI will have to be meted out very carefully.
There have been hints that the Caps "will play somewhat differently" if Kuzy is out longer term. My bet is that means that the team pulls in its horns, concentrates on defense, and hopes for the breaks to score goals. In other words, they play a road game regardless of venue.
Beaglefan2:
I haven’t heard the final prognosis on Kuzy but assuming he is out, we will still win this series for three reasons.
Ovi has got it back in gear and will be huge.
Holtby will springboard from one of the best clutch saves in NHL history and just be phenomenal the rest of the series.
This team believes they can win.
RavenCp:
--- Quote from: Beaglefan2 on Thursday May 31, 2018, 10:52:49 PM Eastern ---I haven’t heard the final prognosis on Kuzy but assuming he is out, we will still win this series for three reasons.
Ovi has got it back in gear and will be huge.
Holtby will springboard from one of the best clutch saves in NHL history and just be phenomenal the rest of the series.
This team believes they can win.
--- End quote ---
We can get by a game and may be win, but we need him. Same was with Backstrom.
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