GDT#79 Capitals @ Lightning 7:00pm Sat Mar 30, 2019 NBCSWA, NHLN, SUN

[BlackIce]

None of what happened yesterday was something I ever thought was going to happen. I thoroughly expected the Caps to shit the bed and Ovi to get shut down. I'm also pretty surprised that the Caps are somehow 4th in the standings. Well, more specifically, I expected the Caps to be a top 5 team going into the season, but when the season was halfway through and I saw how stupid Reirden was and how stupid some players were, I didn't think we'd end up anywhere near top 5.


I'm still hesitant to call us a good team though. I know we have an elite team on paper, but I still don't have faith in our coach, and I've seen too many of our supposed "good" players (like Kuzy, Carlson, Orlov, etc.) make too many stupid mistakes. Plus our PK and our PP with the dumbass drop pass suck.

Thing is, Zero, lots of teams use the slingshot/dropback pass.  Ar they all stupid?  There is a point to it - try to back off the defense and come through the neutral zone to enter the o-zone with speed.  Lots of times it doesn't work, but it is what it is.


I think you'd find that, if you looked at other teams as closely as you look at ours, a lot of their players, including some of their best ones, make stupid mistakes as well.  Watch other teams.  Lots of them sling the puck "mindlessly" around the boards in the defensive zone, just as we do.  It's SOP in the league, if you don't have a clear exit from the d-zone, when in doubt keep the puck along the boards, where there is less immediate threat.  We steal pucks in those circumstances just as often as other teams steal it from us.  Other teams also cough up the puck in more dangerous areas in the d-zone, just as we do.  I don't deny that we make mistakes, sometimes egregious ones.  I just think you remember ours more than you remember those of other teams, specifically our opponents.  Hockey is very much a game of forced and unforced errors - it's the nature of the game.

[zerofox]

Thing is, Zero, lots of teams use the slingshot/dropback pass.  Ar they all stupid?  There is a point to it - try to back off the defense and come through the neutral zone to enter the o-zone with speed.  Lots of times it doesn't work, but it is what it is.


I think you'd find that, if you looked at other teams as closely as you look at ours, a lot of their players, including some of their best ones, make stupid mistakes as well.  Watch other teams.  Lots of them sling the puck "mindlessly" around the boards in the defensive zone, just as we do.  It's SOP in the league, if you don't have a clear exit from the d-zone, when in doubt keep the puck along the boards, where there is less immediate threat.  We steal pucks in those circumstances just as often as other teams steal it from us.  Other teams also cough up the puck in more dangerous areas in the d-zone, just as we do.  I don't deny that we make mistakes, sometimes egregious ones.  I just think you remember ours more than you remember those of other teams, specifically our opponents.  Hockey is very much a game of forced and unforced errors - it's the nature of the game.

You're right that I'll remember our errors way more than I'd remember opponent errors. I'm more critical of our team, and don't give two craps about how another team performs. Of course I'm going to watch our guys under a microscope. But yeah, part of me is well aware that if I were a fan of any other team, I'd be yelling at their players for making dumb plays and their coach for being incompetent just as much, if not more. After all, we're 4th in the NHL so there's plenty of teams who are making mistakes more than we are...


With regards to the PP drop pass, I've seen data that actually supports that the drop pass is actually beneficial and leads to more zone time in general. However, one interesting note was that the data for the Caps specifically indicated that a normal swing entry was better for them, even though other teams seemed to fare better with a drop pass. I think my main dislike for the drop pass stems from how it seemingly burns seconds off the clock, and that it just seems so predictable, and that our PP was struggling and I kept seeing the drop pass. Had to blame something for our PP woes right? Obvious scapegoat was the drop pass, and of course Carlson's shit passes that kept jamming Ovi.

[DC_1908]

None of what happened yesterday was something I ever thought was going to happen. I thoroughly expected the Caps to shit the bed and Ovi to get shut down. I'm also pretty surprised that the Caps are somehow 4th in the standings. Well, more specifically, I expected the Caps to be a top 5 team going into the season, but when the season was halfway through and I saw how stupid Reirden was and how stupid some players were, I didn't think we'd end up anywhere near top 5.


I'm still hesitant to call us a good team though. I know we have an elite team on paper, but I still don't have faith in our coach, and I've seen too many of our supposed "good" players (like Kuzy, Carlson, Orlov, etc.) make too many stupid mistakes. Plus our PK and our PP with the dumbass drop pass suck.

Agree completely.

We can scrape wins together,go on streaks, be entertaining, and get stats but the stupid mistakes, one dimensional  and inexcusable special teams performance make us far from a “good” team.

For the drop passes, meh, at least they can chase em down and look at it this way, it’s far better than than them trying to toe-drag and no-look pass through a team clogging the Neutral Zone.

Also, if done correctly, and you’re leading, drop-passes dumping does kill the clock a bit.  Which is good because with only about 4, 5 at best skaters that can actually play man or quality zone D, we need all the help holding a lead we can get.

As for Reidon, I agree as well.  He’s gonna be at a major disadvantage in the “chess game” against every coach in the division this year.

[zerofox]

As for Reidon, I agree as well.  He’s gonna be at a major disadvantage in the “chess game” against every coach in the division this year.

Yeah exactly. In my opinion Reirden is the number 1 reason why I don't think we've really got much of a chance in the playoffs. It really is a chess match and I think TR is still playing checkers.


There are definitely reasons why we could repeat, such as:

1) Similar roster as the Cup winning team last year. Yeah we lost Beags which was huge in terms of faceoffs, PK, and general hard hat work ethic. We lost Gruby, which quite frankly hopefully won't be relevant in the playoffs. But Hagelin and Jensen were pretty solid additions.

2) Sometimes we have these statement games and play well against good teams.

3) We are still studs offensively. We're the 5th highest scoring team in the league, and we have pretty solid scoring depth with our entire top 6 scoring 20+ and also Conno.

4) The team seemed to have "figured it out" last year. They know the secret formula (the trap), they know the mindset and the work ethic you have to have to win the Cup. They were mentally resilient enough to come back from 2-0 and 3-2 series deficits and come back from losing key players at different times. I think that's pretty huge.


But there are plenty of reasons why I don't think we will repeat:

1) TR is a checkers player in a chess player's world.

2) PP is too easily stymied. Teams can clog and too easily force someone like Kuzy to stupidly try to dance through 4 defenders. We're too predictable and Ovi is the only real weapon anyone respects.

3) PK is garbage

4) Last year we just straight up had a perfect storm in our favor. Ovechkin continued his brilliance. Kuzy really turned it on. Guys like Backy and Oshie were no slouches either. Holtby got his shit together after struggling all season. Guys like DSP, Conno, Wilson, Eller gave us additional depth and even scored huge goals / really stepped it up in the playoffs (DSP scored 7 in playoffs after scoring 7 all season). To have this perfect storm again would be asking a lot from the hockey gods.

[PUCKNRUSH]

Thing is, Zero, lots of teams use the slingshot/dropback pass.  Ar they all stupid?  There is a point to it - try to back off the defense and come through the neutral zone to enter the o-zone with speed.  Lots of times it doesn't work, but it is what it is.


I think you'd find that, if you looked at other teams as closely as you look at ours, a lot of their players, including some of their best ones, make stupid mistakes as well.  Watch other teams.  Lots of them sling the puck "mindlessly" around the boards in the defensive zone, just as we do.  It's SOP in the league, if you don't have a clear exit from the d-zone, when in doubt keep the puck along the boards, where there is less immediate threat.  We steal pucks in those circumstances just as often as other teams steal it from us.  Other teams also cough up the puck in more dangerous areas in the d-zone, just as we do.  I don't deny that we make mistakes, sometimes egregious ones.  I just think you remember ours more than you remember those of other teams, specifically our opponents.  Hockey is very much a game of forced and unforced errors - it's the nature of the game.

Good subject and good post Black!
I do like Zeros heart felt passion for the Caps! Reading some of Zeros more heated posts, helps to calm down some of my urges to “post when pissed”! LOL!


There is a lot of frustration with the Caps, expressed by many here on the board, in a myriad of ways, and differing degrees, as you already know!


For me personally, I think I have essentially TWO different modes, when I process all things Caps!


One view is comparative, in nature, contrasting the Caps performance against the backdrop of all other NHL teams, as you have pointed out in your post.
This view helps me to place, and generally rank their performance, as a TEAM! It contains more universality, with a wider general view. All good!!


The other perspective is a more personal one. Derived from many years of watching and studying the team, and their INDVIDUAL players. It’s a closer, more emotionally involved, perspective. It’s a relationship, where you want to know the players names, and gather more specifics on the team. One the team promotes, and wants the fans to have, obviously.


I post from both perspectives, as do many here. We witness posts that are mostly analysis, and other posts that are mostly emotional venting, high and low, and everything in between. (Again, I’m sure you know this already. Not trying to insult your intelligence, at all).


In fact, it’s because you strike me as a quite intelligent person, with your posts, and seem less emotional, and more level headed, than average, that I wanted to respond.


To say that the Caps PP slingshot, is also practiced by many other teams, league wide, with varying degrees of success or failure, is absolutely CORRECT. I totally agree with you! The same goes with the comments about slinging pucks mindlessly, and all teams making mistakes! ALL TRUE!!


What I wanted to ask was about the INTENT of your comparisons. What are you attempting to address?
I wasn’t quite sure, but it sounded like trying to justify bad play, mistakes, errors, etc, in order to allow oneself to feel better about it, or end with a “see, it’s not so bad, it’s everywhere”, type of retort.


If so, then I would disagree with the intention, but not the facts of the points!


I’ll use a parents children as an example, for my point!


A parents child has failing grades, in 4th grade elementary school. So do 15 other kids in the same classroom, which contains 35 children total!


Hard to believe that the intent of your point would be for the parents to accept their child’s failing grades, because “lots of other”,  kids in the class have failing grades!
It’s like “lots of other teams do it”, so just accept it and try not to be so frustrated about it.


Yes, the Slingshot can be an effective entrance tactic on the PP, no doubt. And ALL teams make
plenty of mistakes. Just because it’s commonplace to commit errors, doesn’t mean that you excuse them, because it’s done everywhere else. Especially when it’s YOUR personal team! Of course, there would be a different emotion level!!  If Backstrom gets hurt, its more significant to a Caps fan, than if finding out that Stamkos was injured!


Your thought track may help to put things RELATIVE, factually, but also risks flirting with the ever-growing acceptance of sub par performance, which is all too prevalent in both sports and life in general, IMHO! (That’s a whole different philosophical debate)! LOL


If I’ve misinterpreted your thoughts, then please forgive me, Black.  Absolutely NOT my intent to challenge you negatively, as you seem to be a good man!  Mainly, I was a bit confused by your point, but also thought it an excellent subject for the board, AND also your good-natured intent with Zero.👍


Respect, and God Bless,


Rush

[DC_1908]

Yeah exactly. In my opinion Reirden is the number 1 reason why I don't think we've really got much of a chance in the playoffs. It really is a chess match and I think TR is still playing checkers.


There are definitely reasons why we could repeat, such as:

1) Similar roster as the Cup winning team last year. Yeah we lost Beags which was huge in terms of faceoffs, PK, and general hard hat work ethic. We lost Gruby, which quite frankly hopefully won't be relevant in the playoffs. But Hagelin and Jensen were pretty solid additions.

2) Sometimes we have these statement games and play well against good teams.

3) We are still studs offensively. We're the 5th highest scoring team in the league, and we have pretty solid scoring depth with our entire top 6 scoring 20+ and also Conno.

4) The team seemed to have "figured it out" last year. They know the secret formula (the trap), they know the mindset and the work ethic you have to have to win the Cup. They were mentally resilient enough to come back from 2-0 and 3-2 series deficits and come back from losing key players at different times. I think that's pretty huge.


But there are plenty of reasons why I don't think we will repeat:

1) TR is a checkers player in a chess player's world.

2) PP is too easily stymied. Teams can clog and too easily force someone like Kuzy to stupidly try to dance through 4 defenders. We're too predictable and Ovi is the only real weapon anyone respects.

3) PK is garbage

4) Last year we just straight up had a perfect storm in our favor. Ovechkin continued his brilliance. Kuzy really turned it on. Guys like Backy and Oshie were no slouches either. Holtby got his shit together after struggling all season. Guys like DSP, Conno, Wilson, Eller gave us additional depth and even scored huge goals / really stepped it up in the playoffs (DSP scored 7 in playoffs after scoring 7 all season). To have this perfect
 storm again would be asking a lot from the hockey gods.

The biggest reason this year will be difficult is our Comference has gotten a LOT better.  Despite not playing well the past two games against, TBL has improved, Boston has improved, Toronto has improved, and NYI. . . Oh nelly!


Add to that, we’ve only beaten the. Hens one series in recent history.  They and anc CBJ (Torts mainly), will be gunnin for us.  Then there’s The Habs, who ain’t out of it yet and the other best goalie and a solid D.


Also, keep in mind that The Caps are not a team with multiple Cups in recent in history, and/or have consistent strong playoff runs.  They are a team that despite a high amount have gotten out of the second round twice in 20yrs, and have routinely failed badly in the playoffs. This also is mostly the same team that got booted two years ago. 


Add to that, we didn’t just waltz to a Cup last year.  There where games last playoffs where we looked god-awful.  Trotz was able to adjust, correct, come up new schemes, get the players to buy in, and motivate them. But, he coaches NYI now and we have a rookie coach who as you accurately put it, is playing checkers while the other coaches are playin chess.


This is gonna be a very tough playoffs.  This team will need correct several things pretty damn quick, hope to all hell the refs will call evenly, and play better than they did last year.

[BlackIce]

Rush,


The reason that I make some posts comparing the Caps and other teams is that I sense that some posters, in describing the Caps' shortcomings, seem to describe them in personal terms sometimes, and also, in isolation, as if there wasn't another team on the ice trying to create and take advantage of those shortcomings.  It isn't that I'm trying to excuse mistakes; but simply point out that they are an inevitable outcome of a competitive game played by humans, not automatons.


Regarding your school analogy, I first presume you are talking about failure in an educational setting where the material and the teacher are such that passing is an expected outcome (I say that because I have encountered classes where that is NOT the case).  Assuming that one's child should reasonably be expected to pass or better, I think your analogy breaks down because unless the teacher grades on a curve, one child's performance is on their own merit, independent of what any other child does.  In that case, if you have reason to believe that your child has the capabilities to pass, then no, other children's performance is no explanation/excuse for your child's struggle.


In hockey (and other competitive sports, for that matter), one has to take account of the interdependence between what your team is trying to do and what the opponents are trying to do.  Hockey happens to be a "mistake-filled" game because of its speed and the in-your-face play that is allowed.  In that environment mistakes WILL happen, on everyone's part.  The idealistic vision is to make no mistakes; the real-world goal is to make fewer of them than your opponent.


One comment about Coach Reirdon.  Sure, he's made mistakes.  He's a first-year coach.  If he turns out to be a top-notch coach, which can only be judged years down the road, it will be because he learns and grows into the job.  Think Bruce Cassidy.  We ran him out of town; now he seems to be a competent and respected head coach.  He apparently learned something in the interim.  I know it's frustrating sometimes that a team that still seems to be in a possible Stanley-Cup-winning window has to put up with a rookie coach.  But the organization clearly wanted to have this guy as their next head coach (you don't just refuse other teams the right to interview one of your staff for a promotion out of spite.)  And it just so happened that the expiration of the previous coach's contract coincided with a Stanley Cup, making the transition awkward.  If the Caps had figured it out the PREVIOUS year (when they seemed to have their best team on paper) rather than in 2018, and then had done worse last year (which wouldn't have been a surprise given the turnover necessitated by salary cap issues), the transition to Reirden would have been much less awkward.

[DC_1908]

Rush,


The reason that I make some posts comparing the Caps and other teams is that I sense that some posters, in describing the Caps' shortcomings, seem to describe them in personal terms sometimes, and also, in isolation, as if there wasn't another team on the ice trying to create and take advantage of those shortcomings.  It isn't that I'm trying to excuse mistakes; but simply point out that they are an inevitable outcome of a competitive game played by humans, not automatons.


Regarding your school analogy, I first presume you are talking about failure in an educational setting where the material and the teacher are such that passing is an expected outcome (I say that because I have encountered classes where that is NOT the case).  Assuming that one's child should reasonably be expected to pass or better, I think your analogy breaks down because unless the teacher grades on a curve, one child's performance is on their own merit, independent of what any other child does.  In that case, if you have reason to believe that your child has the capabilities to pass, then no, other children's performance is no explanation/excuse for your child's struggle.


In hockey (and other competitive sports, for that matter), one has to take account of the interdependence between what your team is trying to do and what the opponents are trying to do.  Hockey happens to be a "mistake-filled" game because of its speed and the in-your-face play that is allowed.  In that environment mistakes WILL happen, on everyone's part.  The idealistic vision is to make no mistakes; the real-world goal is to make fewer of them than your opponent.


One comment about Coach Reirdon.  Sure, he's made mistakes.  He's a first-year coach.  If he turns out to be a top-notch coach, which can only be judged years down the road, it will be because he learns and grows into the job.  Think Bruce Cassidy.  We ran him out of town; now he seems to be a competent and respected head coach.  He apparently learned something in the interim.  I know it's frustrating sometimes that a team that still seems to be in a possible Stanley-Cup-winning window has to put up with a rookie coach.  But the organization clearly wanted to have this guy as their next head coach (you don't just refuse other teams the right to interview one of your staff for a promotion out of spite.)  And it just so happened that the expiration of the previous coach's contract coincided with a Stanley Cup, making the transition awkward.  If the Caps had figured it out the PREVIOUS year (when they seemed to have their best team on paper) rather than in 2018, and then had done worse last year (which wouldn't have been a surprise given the turnover necessitated by salary cap issues), the transition to Reirden would have been much less awkward.

The decision to hire Reidon and let Trotz go was moronic to the point of incompetence.  There is absolutely NO other way to justify, excise, or support it.  Trotz was PRIMARY reason this team finally won a Cup,


However, my guess that Trotz wanted out of from under Monumental and knew he was gonna leave, particularly with the changes in the front offices of NYI, (there was probably with a few phone calls from them too).  This certainly explains  why Trotz went to a real system and the fuckin circus shit and won the Cup. 


We know Ted and GMBetaMale have had raging hardons for a new coach that they can market and do what they what they say.  Think about it, why the fuck wasn’t he in Hershey last year or this year?  Why? We couldn’t find another Defensive Coach?  Or we couldn’t find a head coach, or, god forbid pay Trotz for a couple years, (should he have agreed), while Reidon cut his teeth in Hershey?

How many coaches with little to no head coaching experience made the jump from Assistant to Head Coach?   Remember the last time we tried that?
Do you really think, REALLY,, that Reirdon has a chance in HELL of our coaching, our stratigiziing, our manipulating, and out adjustming any coach he’ll play in this playoffs?  Particularly Trotz? 

I’ll tell ya right now, with a sub-80% PK, where gonna see more dives than EVER this playoffs.  That’s pretty damn simple, particularly when we all now how little embellishment is actually called.  The time has long since passed for Reirdon to adjust for, correct that.

[Mickstix]

Is it too late to get on the "dooms day" bus??    Ya'll are gonna worry yourselves to death.. It's gonna be tough, but it's gonna be fun!!! We're cup champs, remember!! They can't take it back.. 


Look what's up in Detroit: Madbow lights up Marchand in open ice.
https://russianmachineneverbreaks.com/2019/04/01/madison-bowey-nails-brad-marchand-with-a-big-hit/

[DC_1908]

Is it too late to get on the "dooms day" bus??    Ya'll are gonna worry yourselves to death.. It's gonna be tough, but it's gonna be fun!!! We're cup champs, remember!! They can't take it back.. 


Look what's up in Detroit: Madbow lights up Marchand in open ice.
https://russianmachineneverbreaks.com/2019/04/01/madison-bowey-nails-brad-marchand-with-a-big-hit/

Yep!  Don’t recall him hittin like that here, BTW I put up a hell of a fight from that game.


But. I don’t mean to sound “dooms day”, I’m just being pragmatic.  This playoff will be the toughest ever for this organization.  Expectations are higher than ever, everyone’s gunning for us. and the division is tougher.  Meanwhile, we’re a 100ft team with an elite goalie, pathetic PP, pathetic face off %, and slumping PP.


Bottom line is this team will assuredly place as far harder, better, and smarter than last year, and Reudon is gonna need to step way the hell up

[Beaglefan2]

Is it too late to get on the "dooms day" bus??    Ya'll are gonna worry yourselves to death.. It's gonna be tough, but it's gonna be fun!!! We're cup champs, remember!! They can't take it back.. 


Look what's up in Detroit: Madbow lights up Marchand in open ice.
https://russianmachineneverbreaks.com/2019/04/01/madison-bowey-nails-brad-marchand-with-a-big-hit/

Wow!  I really liked Bowey and thought he was developing nicely.  I'm glad we got Jensen, but I think Bowey could emerge as a nice top four guy for years to come. Glad he nailed the Rat.

[Mickstix]

Yep!  Don’t recall him hittin like that here, BTW I put up a hell of a fight from that game.

And getting 20+ minutes of ice.. They didn't list if he's been on for many GA's but I'd figure probably not if they're giving him that much playing time.. As Beaglefan said, Im glad we got Jensen, but it "appears" Bowey has some chops..

[DC_1908]

And getting 20+ minutes of ice.. They didn't list if he's been on for many GA's but I'd figure probably not if they're giving him that much playing time.. As Beaglefan said, Im glad we got Jensen, but it "appears" Bowey has some chops..

Yep, even with Green out, the Wings D is pretty tight, and there’s a lot of good young players coming up.  Bowey certainly isn’t guaranteed a starting spot, maybe not even an NHL spot.  He’s gonna need to work his ass off for a while

[PUCKNRUSH]

Rush,


The reason that I make some posts comparing the Caps and other teams is that I sense that some posters, in describing the Caps' shortcomings, seem to describe them in personal terms sometimes, and also, in isolation, as if there wasn't another team on the ice trying to create and take advantage of those shortcomings.  It isn't that I'm trying to excuse mistakes; but simply point out that they are an inevitable outcome of a competitive game played by humans, not automatons.


Regarding your school analogy, I first presume you are talking about failure in an educational setting where the material and the teacher are such that passing is an expected outcome (I say that because I have encountered classes where that is NOT the case).  Assuming that one's child should reasonably be expected to pass or better, I think your analogy breaks down because unless the teacher grades on a curve, one child's performance is on their own merit, independent of what any other child does.  In that case, if you have reason to believe that your child has the capabilities to pass, then no, other children's performance is no explanation/excuse for your child's struggle.


In hockey (and other competitive sports, for that matter), one has to take account of the interdependence between what your team is trying to do and what the opponents are trying to do.  Hockey happens to be a "mistake-filled" game because of its speed and the in-your-face play that is allowed.  In that environment mistakes WILL happen, on everyone's part.  The idealistic vision is to make no mistakes; the real-world goal is to make fewer of them than your opponent.


One comment about Coach Reirdon.  Sure, he's made mistakes.  He's a first-year coach.  If he turns out to be a top-notch coach, which can only be judged years down the road, it will be because he learns and grows into the job.  Think Bruce Cassidy.  We ran him out of town; now he seems to be a competent and respected head coach.  He apparently learned something in the interim.  I know it's frustrating sometimes that a team that still seems to be in a possible Stanley-Cup-winning window has to put up with a rookie coach.  But the organization clearly wanted to have this guy as their next head coach (you don't just refuse other teams the right to interview one of your staff for a promotion out of spite.)  And it just so happened that the expiration of the previous coach's contract coincided with a Stanley Cup, making the transition awkward.  If the Caps had figured it out the PREVIOUS year (when they seemed to have their best team on paper) rather than in 2018, and then had done worse last year (which wouldn't have been a surprise given the turnover necessitated by salary cap issues), the transition to Reirden would have been much less awkward.

Hey Black.
Always appreciate the clarity in your posts. I believe I do get where you’re coming from on this.


I think what you sense, is actually spot on correct, about various posters showing a more personal perspective, when commenting on the Caps issues. And yes, even viewing the Caps in a more isolated fashion, where the considerations of other teams performance, and how it affects our play, is not given much weight. The phrase “tunnel vision”, comes to mind, if I’m understanding your point.


I do agree that we see it here, on the board, all the time. I myself, am not immune to this type of posting, where I’ll spout off some personal feelings of disappointment with some of the Caps shortcomings.


This was why I mentioned my posting having two modes. One more personal, and micro, in viewpoint. The other using more comparison, with the Caps, relative to other NHL teams. More statistical, less personal, and a more macro viewpoint.


One thing to consider Black, (if you haven’t already), is that these two modes of thought are NOT mutually exclusive, and can coexist, and be tapped from the brain at relative times, OR as
my thoughts and emotions sense the need to call on them, for posting or other conversational purposes.


I’m not unique in this either, IMHO, as I have posted with others here, who can share a deep emotional response in one post, and then share later with a lesser feeling post with stats, playoff standing outcomes, injuries around the league, and the like.


In shorter terms, one view comes from “the fan”, in me, and the other more like a detached overview of the Caps vs other teams, objectively.


It is my belief that neither viewpoint is INHERENTLY right OR wrong to possess! One view may provide a more accurate picture of how the Caps stand, generally, against the rest of the NHL, while the other allows, and addresses, the RELATIONSHIP, built over time, that a fan has formed, and their ability to vent both frustration and elation, as it relates to the fans experience.


As far as the school analogy, it comes from a more simple place. I’m guessing you have experience in the education field, from your comments, but the focus of my analogy wasn’t within the more technical aspects of some of today’s differing educational methods, (although, I applaud you’re knowledge of such things)!


Rather, it had a more basic tone to it. That of the child’s failures in school, being quite a “personal issue”, for that individual child’s parents. Whereas those same parents won’t take “personally”, so much, the failures of the other kids in the class!
In the same way, obviously to a much lighter degree, a Caps fan may take more “personal”, the Caps shortcomings, and not care so much about “other” teams.


I feel that the individual child’s parents, aren’t made to feel any better either, just because some of the “other” kids are failing too!!
And to further my point, if it actually DOES make that child’s parents feel better about their child’s poor performance, simply because, well....some others have failed too, then I think they are in error!


Thanks Black! Hope that helps, and I welcome another reply, if you like!


Rush

[zerofox]

 

I usually just post when I'm mad. And out comes the sailor's dictionary of profanity and hatred towards players and coaches alike. But I do it because I give a shit. If I were a garbage fan I probably wouldn't watch any games, wouldn't really care how the team performed game in and game out, probably would only come out of the woodwork during the playoffs.


Interestingly enough I think the time when I can offer the closest thing to a reasonably intelligent analysis of the team is during the offseason (when they're not even playing!) and discussing the roster and moves, etc. At least at that point in time I'm not blinded by frustration or preoccupied by trying to figure out where on the autism spectrum our coach is.

[PUCKNRUSH]

I usually just post when I'm mad. And out comes the sailor's dictionary of profanity and hatred towards players and coaches alike. But I do it because I give a shit. If I were a garbage fan I probably wouldn't watch any games, wouldn't really care how the team performed game in and game out, probably would only come out of the woodwork during the playoffs.


Interestingly enough I think the time when I can offer the closest thing to a reasonably intelligent analysis of the team is during the offseason (when they're not even playing!) and discussing the roster and moves, etc. At least at that point in time I'm not blinded by frustration or preoccupied by trying to figure out where on the autism spectrum our coach is.

Hey Zero! Totally get where you’re coming from!
Great post, but don’t sell yourself short!


You were exactly one of the posters I had in mind, and many others here also, where you can vent, very passionately from the heart, yet can also post about the more technical aspects of the game, as well!
Hell, you’ve heard me here with everything from, rant, cuss, get pissed, and depressed, also overjoyed, and elated!! Then talk stats and stuff like that. We’re most def similar in that way!


I actually like the building of the experience, on a personal level, as a fan of the Caps. It’s something that takes some time to really grow, over the many seasons, inside a person!


Damn right I get emotional! It’s sometimes not rational, and usually filled with A LOT of exaggeration and tongue in cheek stuff! Other folks, sometimes, might even have to already know you a little bit, otherwise it might seem a little too crazy for a stranger.


My season ticket partner LOVES the Caps, BUT he’s almost NEVER emotional. He’s just not wired that way, I guess. It’s all good, as he tends to calm me down, and actually, I, can sometimes help him with “ramping it up a notch”, on the passion scale!


Best way I can describe being a Caps fan is....Its awesome and BAFFLING, all in one big ball!!👍
ALL GOOD,


Rush