GDT#32 Sabres @ Capitals 7:00p.m. Sat Dec 15, 2018 NBCSWA, MSG-B

[DC_1908]

If it's happening throughout the league, it isn't Reirdon's system, it's the league's doing.  The league wanted a more wide-open game, and they've got it.  It's difficult to execute the "good old fashioned" type of game when the league has legislated out many of its tactics.

So Reirdon just takes the NHL template and passes it out to the players?  That must be why Trotz got "fired" because he ran a "good old fashioned system" through much of the playoffs last year instead of the "template" and won with it.


And your "logic" of if is "happening throughout the league, it isnt Reidons system", isnt just bad, it's lazy.

 Or you're just trying justify the 7 times we allowed 5 goals, scoring 5 goals 11 times, Ovie on pace for 70 goals, with the system and scenarios you're seeing on the ice each game with the other teams that won a Cup last yeat, have (had) a top 3 Goalie, and the forward approaching 700 career goals?

[PUCKNRUSH]

Puck, since turning 50, my motto has been "don't sweat the small stuff".. And anything having to do with sports is "the small stuff"..  The NFL will probably be flag football in our lifetime (at least at the skills positions) but what are ya gonna do? Stop watching? I've rooted for the sorry ass Redskins since birth.. If I can stomach through the Dan Snyder era, I can stomach some sissy ass rules.. Is what it is my brotha! 

A lot of wisdom in that, Mick, Lotta wisdom!!👍
Like you, it was around age 50, for me, that I realized I was allowing too much of the “small stuff”, to continue to affect my overall daily mental state.
My thing, nowadays, thank God, is to mostly CONDUCT my life in a way to continually maintain the “peace of mind”, (You could say, my motto)!
This REQUIRES “not sweating the the small stuff”, as a major part, so we are, most def, on the same page there!!
Additionally I’m blessed with a wonderful wife, who came to USA, from China, at age 13. She has fully acclamated to the American lifestyle, but retains the part of her culture that keeps “the home”, as a peaceful sanctuary! Prior to meeting her, I had never considered that you have to “create”, a peaceful environment in the home, it doesn’t just fall together out of nowhere! LOL


Sports really is in “the small stuff” category, when viewed from that angle!!
Good words, Mick!


Rush

[4 Caps]

The object of a hockey game is to score more goals than your opponent.  So if you score 6 goals and your opponent scores 5 you win and if you score 1 goal and your opponent scores 0 goals you win.  There is no difference.  You have two wins,  one is no better than the other.  Personally I like watching high scoring games, other people may like watching low scoring games.  I want the Caps to win and I really don’t care how they win.  The Caps are good at adapting to the way the other team plays, if their opponent wants to play a wide open game the Caps can play that game and succeed.  If the opponent wants to play a tight checking game the Caps can play that style and win as they showed in the playoffs last season.  DC I don’t know why you doubt that the Caps can’t play like they did in the playoffs when they have basically the same players.  Despite what you may think the system Rierden is using is not much different if any than the system Trotz used. 

[richkrt99]

Geez Louise Cap Fans.  I'm with you 4-caps.  I like when the Capitals WIN.


Are other teams' message boards this "downer debby" and "the sky is falling" and "our team is just lucky to win" when there teams win 12 out of 14 games?


I thought this was supposed to be a place for Cap fans.  (and no, i'm not blindly following the Monumental mantra and drinking the Kool Aid)


Who is the best team in hockey as of the LAST winning playoff race?  The Mother Fucking STANLEY CUP CHAMPION Washington Capitals BABY!!!!


Go Caps.

[Mickstix]

Are other teams' message boards this "downer debby" and "the sky is falling" and "our team is just lucky to win" when there teams win 12 out of 14 games?

If the Redwings win 12 of 14, something tells me their board will mirror ours? 

[Surreylily]

Does nobody else think that we're compensating for our lak of wxperience on the back end?  Is it just me then?

Am I the only one that thinks that we're playing to our strenghts and "Capitalixing" on our forwards and their skill to overcome our current lack of experience on D?
Sorry, that's the way I see it. 
Our guys are incredibly skilled and experienced up front, so the more goals they score, more relief for the whole team.  Holtby hasn't been at his best  yet and stupid, dumb, unneccesary penalties (Yes Bowey - lookind at you) don't help.

I think we're compensating quite well.   ....   Imho.

[alta]

......

I think we're compensating quite well.   ....   Imho.

some of us are


some of us aren’t 

[Maacoshark]

If it's happening throughout the league, it isn't Reirdon's system, it's the league's doing.  The league wanted a more wide-open game, and they've got it.  It's difficult to execute the "good old fashioned" type of game when the league has legislated out many of its tactics.

     It is getting difficult to play good physical defensive hockey because of rule changes but there still is some teams that are doing it. The Preds are pretty good in their own end. Look at what the Isles are doing with that pathetic roster. They dont have anything close to a number one dman and their goaltending is below average but their defensive numbers aren't bad.

[Maacoshark]

Does nobody else think that we're compensating for our lak of wxperience on the back end?  Is it just me then?

Am I the only one that thinks that we're playing to our strenghts and "Capitalixing" on our forwards and their skill to overcome our current lack of experience on D?
Sorry, that's the way I see it. 
Our guys are incredibly skilled and experienced up front, so the more goals they score, more relief for the whole team.  Holtby hasn't been at his best  yet and stupid, dumb, unneccesary penalties (Yes Bowey - lookind at you) don't help.

I think we're compensating quite well.   ....   Imho.

    Well if are dcore is weak its more reason for our forwards to help by backcheckng. Our forwards have been just as responsible for our defensive play as our defense. Defense is more about the system than individual play.

[Surreylily]

All ltrue.  And our more experienced players are doing so.  Including Ovi.
At the same time, our rookies and young-uns are helping out too.  Otherwise we wouldn't have been so winning - ey....
Doesn't detract from our backend.

[Surreylily]

some of us are


some of us aren’t 

[Surreylily]

    Well if are dcore is weak its more reason for our forwards to help by backcheckng. Our forwards have been just as responsible for our defensive play as our defense. Defense is more about the system than individual play.

I actually like the way Reirdon  teaching  our young Dcorps.  They become responsible for their stupid plays. 

[Maacoshark]

I actually like the way Reirdon  teaching  our young Dcorps.  They become responsible for their stupid plays.

    The funny thing is that the young guys are playing well. Its Orlov and Niskanen that are struggling. Its been disaster for that pair this year.

[DC_1908]

The object of a hockey game is to score more goals than your opponent.  So if you score 6 goals and your opponent scores 5 you win and if you score 1 goal and your opponent scores 0 goals you win.  There is no difference.  You have two wins,  one is no better than the other.  Personally I like watching high scoring games, other people may like watching low scoring games.  I want the Caps to win and I really don’t care how they win.  The Caps are good at adapting to the way the other team plays, if their opponent wants to play a wide open game the Caps can play that game and succeed.  If the opponent wants to play a tight checking game the Caps can play that style and win as they showed in the playoffs last season.  DC I don’t know why you doubt that the Caps can’t play like they did in the playoffs when they have basically the same players.  Despite what you may think the system Rierden is using is not much different if any than the system Trotz used.

Just score more than your opponent works fine for pick-up games on the pond or rec league but thats about it. If thats the case why not just trade/cut Holtby and get web-developer to suit-up and play goalie and get another 40 goal scorer with the cap space so than we win 12-11?

Hell when only one kid/person has goalie equipment, he plays goal doesn't he?

Why doubt them?  What trust them?  What solid data and analysis supports having blind faith and conifidence in them? 

[DC_1908]

    Well if are dcore is weak its more reason for our forwards to help by backcheckng. Our forwards have been just as responsible for our defensive play as our defense. Defense is more about the system than individual play.

Exactly why we call it a pond hockey system


But hey they're scoring so who cares right? 

[Maacoshark]

Just score more than your opponent works fine for pick-up games on the pond or rec league but thats about it. If thats the case why not just trade/cut Holtby and get web-developer to suit-up and play goalie and get another 40 goal scorer with the cap space so than we win 12-11?

Hell when the only  kid/person has goalie equipment, he plays goal doesn't he?

Why doubt them?  What trust them?  What solid data and analysis supports having blind faith and conifidence in them?

    I agree about the Holtby comment. I feel bad for him. I have read his comments about how he is not happy with the way game is changing. Some teams are still focused on defence but we aren't one of those teams. We are pretty much throwing Holtby under a bus and asking him to bail us out. People think Holtby is playing like crap because his numbers aren't great but that isn't the case. He has had  some games. He has also won a few games for us.

[DC_1908]

    I agree about the Holtby comment. I feel bad for him. I have read his comments about how he is not happy with the way game is changing. Some teams are still focused on defence but we aren't one of those teams. We are pretty much throwing Holtby under a bus and asking him to bail us out. People think Holtby is playing like crap because his numbers aren't great but that isn't the case. He has had  some games. He has also won a few games for us.

You're damn right!


Without Holtby, we probably wouldn't be a .500 team this year, and sure we sure as hell wouldn't have a Cup.

The minimal, if any, support from or forwards he gets is "just the new NHL" and none of the Caps players or coaches are accountable for that right?

[alta]

You're damn right!


Without Holtby, we probably wouldn't be a .500 team this year, and sure we sure as hell wouldn't have a Cup.

The minimal, if any, support from or forwards he gets is "just the new NHL" and none of the Caps players or coaches are accountable for that right?

hence my questioning the "classic Holtby" comment

[BlackIce]

    I agree about the Holtby comment. I feel bad for him. I have read his comments about how he is not happy with the way game is changing. Some teams are still focused on defence but we aren't one of those teams. We are pretty much throwing Holtby under a bus and asking him to bail us out. People think Holtby is playing like crap because his numbers aren't great but that isn't the case. He has had  some games. He has also won a few games for us.

If Holtby is unhappy with the way that the game is changing, he should bring it up to the league office (which, for all I know, he may already have.)  It isn't the organization's fault that they are trying to adapt to the way that the league as a whole has changed.  And in fact, looking at the GFA and GAA, it appears that the Caps, relatively speaking, may be doing a better job of adapting to the changes than many other teams in the league.  I know Holtby would like to return to the days when he was near or at the top in GAA and a Vezina candidate, but if it doesn't happen, it doesn't happen.  You don't see Ovechkin whining about how he could have more goals if he hadn't played most of his career thus far in a relatively low-scoring era in the NHL.


Holtby is a good goalie.  He's recognized as such, including financially.  His job is to do the best that he can given the game environment in which he is placed, and it may well be that that is exactly what he is doing.  If he is unhappy he is a free agent in a couple of years and can seek out an organization that he thinks will protect him better, if that is what he wants to do.  If he is worried that his stats are going to hurt his next contract, he can point to his W/L record, his Stanley Cup, his exemplary performance in the playoffs over his career, and he will still be paid handsomely.

[DC_1908]

If Holtby is unhappy with the way that the game is changing, he should bring it up to the league office (which, for all I know, he may already have.)  It isn't the organization's fault that they are trying to adapt to the way that the league as a whole has changed.  And in fact, looking at the GFA and GAA, it appears that the Caps, relatively speaking, may be doing a better job of adapting to the changes than many other teams in the league.  I know Holtby would like to return to the days when he was near or at the top in GAA and a Vezina candidate, but if it doesn't happen, it doesn't happen.  You don't see Ovechkin whining about how he could have more goals if he hadn't played most of his career thus far in a relatively low-scoring era in the NHL.


Holtby is a good goalie.  He's recognized as such, including financially.  His job is to do the best that he can given the game environment in which he is placed, and it may well be that that is exactly what he is doing.  If he is unhappy he is a free agent in a couple of years and can seek out an organization that he thinks will protect him better, if that is what he wants to do.  If he is worried that his stats are going to hurt his next contract, he can point to his W/L record, his Stanley Cup, his exemplary performance in the playoffs over his career, and he will still be paid handsomely.

By recognized you mean having the team play a stat-padding system that puts him in a front of firing squad of quality scoring chances, and a roster with no regard to the PK, shot blocking, or crease clearing right?

If you insist that that is "just the NHL nowadays", and this is beyond the coaches and players control,   you have bought yourself a nice bridge.