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Playoff post mortem
Beaglefan2:
What really nags at me is the general lack of effort in Game 7 after the first 10 minutes. We have had that issue for years, but overcame it last year as we got all the bounces, breaks and no hot goalies. One or two guys might have showed some fire, but this team has never had enough guys that will do anything to win - all the time.
You can forget about Rierden getting fired - just not the Caps style. Never any big trades, never any benchings of key guys to send a message, and never a short term change at coach - especially when they would have to eat some dollars.
What we really needed this year and next year:
1) somebody to sit down with Kuzy and explain that he needs to shoot first and score goals - and bench him every time he passed when he should have shot.
2) a power play coach that could change and adapt and not trot out the same old scheme - and that would abandon the stupid slingshot.
3) a faceoff coach!
Beaglefan2:
And another thing. Just think if we had lost last year to Columbus in the first round- which we came extremely close to doing - one overtime goal away. Then we lose this year in the first round. People would be talking about the biggest choking team over a 10 year + period of all time.
Oh, and I don't buy the excuse that "we have played a lot of hockey" and were burnt out. There are plenty of teams that have had good runs after they won the Cup. Maybe they didn't party as hard as we did. Maybe they had deep enough leadership. Maybe they had management and coaches that made necessary changes and kept the team on track.
Mickstix:
Yea, I didn't get how they seem to run out of gas in just about every playoff game, after the first 30 minutes.. But the 3rd and OT's in game 7 were pathetic.. It was visible they were spent. Just didn't make much sense..
--- Quote from: Beaglefan2 on Sunday April 28, 2019, 09:18:12 PM Eastern ---Oh, and I don't buy the excuse that "we have played a lot of hockey" and were burnt out.
--- End quote ---
DC_1908:
It would appear to be, a complete 180 change in the culture. From fans, analysts, all the way down to the locker room janitors the culture changed from “can’t win” to “can’t loose, and if we do, we can die happy with (one lousy) Cup”.
The writing was on the wall during the train wreck of the off-season (what did we get for Kuzy, Carlson, and Buras 18mil?), and in the games where we frequently allowed 4 or more goals: “Just wait, they’ll turn it up in the playoffs like they did last year, the 10 previous years just don’t count anymore”
The team hasn’t changed that much from two years ago when we lost in the second round, or even three years ago . . . so is it really that much of a surprise for this group to not make to third round just because they did it once with generally the same group?
The same group that in the past four years, won 6 playoff series, which pretty much equates to winning about one per year, and a .5% “chance” at wining a second series.
(Sorry it’s late )
PUCKNRUSH:
Beags!
All the exit interviews are out now.
If you can stomach it, watch Kuzy’s exit interview!
He DEFINITELY uses, and quickly jumps to, the longer season, shorter summer excuse!
He also says, (with no visible shame, I might add), that the biggest issue for him this year was STAYING MOTIVATED to play! At least he was honest, but he says it, like it’s the end of the discussion! Nothing to get worked up about!....No mention that he wants to WORK, on it, or anything, next season! It was more like just a statement, made from a detached, outside, observer!
Another was Vrana! (Sorry Mick).
I like me some Jake, but his playoff effort level was low.
He was bright eyed and ready to ROLL! He couldn’t have looked more happy that the season was over, if he’d had his golf bag strapped to his shoulders during the interview!
It was quite insightful for me! It explains a lot!
Rush
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