Talk about Capitals hockey & more! > Washington Capitals & Other Hockey Discussion
GDT R4G4 Knights @ Capitals 2018-06-04 8:00pm EST NBC, CBC, SN, TVAS
DC_1908:
--- Quote from: KitFisto on Tuesday June 05, 2018, 12:49:07 AM Eastern ---1 win away huh? Toughest game is still to go. Time to show some sack and killer instinct. Screw the "weather the storm" mentality in game 5 because Vegas is desperate. Make your own storm and bury them early!
--- End quote ---
I fear confidence can easily turn into over-cofidence and could become our undoing.
SCF history or not, The Caps still have blown 3-1 series leads before. We have also seen this same team play sloppier and dumber than 12yo-coed rec-league teams this season (and before), so going back to that possible even if unlikely.
Play safe, play smart, and nothing show off and/or stupid. It really could take just one failed toe drag, missed assignment, bad pass, etc. to loose all the momentum/mojo we have going, and give it off to a pissed off team.
RavenCp:
--- Quote from: Chris19 on Tuesday June 05, 2018, 10:18:29 AM Eastern ---The best thing they can do right now is NOT retaliate. Instead stay the course and smile as big as they can as they shake their hand on Thursday night.
--- End quote ---
That's one thing.
LV were kicking great, but were out of luck in the first, then got deflated, but still pushing hard in second. How they didn't score in first 10 min, it's jaw dropping. If they scored, it could be a different outcome.
The Caps have to be better to win, luck is a bitch.
Devise:
--- Quote from: DC_1908 on Tuesday June 05, 2018, 10:16:44 AM Eastern ---Fair enough but you may be in the minority on that one. . .
--- End quote ---
Yeah I'm with you. Carlson has been "fine" in these playoffs, and these finals, but mostly offensively he's been better than anything. He hasn't been awful defensively by any means, but I think Nate Schmidt is a better defensive player than Carlson. Than Niskanen? No. Than Kempny the way Kempn has been playing? Debatable, but probably no.
Honestly guys if you've been watching the series it's offensively where Schmidt hasn't looked great 5 on 5, and part of that is because our team defense is such a priority most of Vegas defenders can't help the forecheck. They try to, and get caught because we have back checkers and men at the line clogging. It's a big reason Maaco Carlson actually looks "better" defensively. It's easy to look better when two passes are deflected in neutral by Backy then Oshie then Vegas barely dumps it in with no bodies because their entire break out is messed and John Carlson only has to beat one man in and get it to his D partner to get it out. If Carlson had to handle the puck under pressure as much as Schmidt we'd be seeing the same type of stuff that their Shea Theodore has been giving to us for glorious scoring chances imo.
That said I think there is a realm here that isn't just homerism. We've been the better 5v5 hockey team most of this series imo. But it's really down to depth/support more than anything else, not one individual player trumping their one individual player in a lot of cases. I think there has been some zeroes on Vegas side for sure, Eakin especially to me still stands out. When I see Orlov, Carlson, hell even Burt and Connolly out forechecking Eakin on the boards and watching how he easily falls. That is kind of the problem right now for Vegas. They were a structured team game that stunned people because they weren't willing to bend the system. We play just as structured as they do, and as we are a better team to boot. And better team to do it as well. Vegas has a lot of guys playing a system that while it isn't necessarilly against their playstyle isn't exactly the best fit as we are to it. We have bigger bodies, better for forechecking and doing dirty work on the boards than they do. It's why Gallant plays nothing but the fourth line half the game, because the rest of his line up is having trouble being counted on 5v5 making us work. Which is a huge problem for them imo.
Vegas has had streaks and stretches as a team, but they remind me of the old us in that way. They go for it can't get the puck luck and bury it and hang their heads. We used to do that in the old playoff rounds tons. Now instead if we miss a shot on 4 5 rebound attempts, guess what? We score on the 6th. It almost feels like the growing pains of the playoffs have done more to the experience and pysche of our boys and I think it has put us in a better position than Vegas thus far this series. At least from what I've been seeing.
RavenCp:
--- Quote from: DC_1908 on Tuesday June 05, 2018, 10:29:24 AM Eastern ---Play safe, play smart, and nothing show off and/or stupid. It really could take just one failed toe drag, missed assignment, bad pass, etc. to loose all the momentum/mojo we have going, and give it off to a pissed off team.
--- End quote ---
Exactly, if Caps hold them in first, they'll get really nervous and start make mistakes.
DC_1908:
--- Quote from: Chris19 on Tuesday June 05, 2018, 10:18:29 AM Eastern ---The best thing they can do right now is NOT retaliate. Instead stay the course and smile as big as they can as they shake their hand on Thursday night.
--- End quote ---
We aren't able to retaliate. Reaves gave Willie probably his worst loss ever, and outside of Willie no one could take England, Smith, Sbisa, McNabb etc. Hell Im surprised Gallant didnt take this route earlier.
Its pretty god damn embarrassing.
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