Playoff post mortem

[zerofox]

I have to say, this year's playoff outcome doesn't sting that much. I think part of it is that I was fully expecting to lose given what I had seen throughout the year, and part of it is...we won a Cup last year. Not that a single Cup is sufficient, I'd like at the very least another to show to the world the first wasn't a fluke. But it does help that we won. That's a Cup we'll never forget and it can't be taken away from us. Years from now you can rewatch all the Caps Cup documentaries and look back at whatever memorabilia you have and say "yep, we won the Cup that year."


And I'm not actually that mad at the team. Sure some players looked like they could have put in a lot more effort, especially given their price tags. Some players, like Kuzy, could have done well not playing like an idiot the entire season. But I'm not mad at the team, I'm more mad at management for putting Reirden in charge. The guy has zero clue what he's doing. When you mention Xs and Os he says "ooooh tic tac toe I love that game!" He's just a clown. I hope we cut bait and get a real coach while our core is still intact. And soon. Let's definitely not wait until the headlines read "Washington Capitals select Sergei Ovechkin as 1st overall pick in 2036 NHL Draft"

[alta]

The team had serious motivation issues this year. I can't put that all on Reirden.

[Pavel095]

I would say 60% of poor performance this year and in series against Canes  were on  Rierden, other 40% were because of Oshie,Kempny injuries. Moreover, the decision letting  Beagle and other folks leave  a team was crucial too. Finally, some players were underperforming  comparing to last year, such as Kuzy,DSP and others, but I think it’s could be correlated somehow with Rierden.
And for sure, without a Trotz this team could not find a right motivation to repeat same success as last year..

[zerofox]

I would say 60% of poor performance this year and in series against Canes  were on  Rierden, other 40% were because of Oshie,Kempny injuries. Moreover, the decision letting  Beagle and other folks leave  a team was crucial too. Finally, some players were underperforming  comparing to last year, such as Kuzy,DSP and others, but I think it’s could be correlated somehow with Rierden.
And for sure, without a Trotz this team could not find a right motivation to repeat same success as last year..

I know injuries sucked, but I'm not willing to pin that much blame on injuries, considering the Canes also had some injuries, plus our roster is better on paper in every area.

[Mickstix]

Up 2-0 in the series.. Lose
Get embarrassed in game 3.. Lose
Up 1 goal, twice in game 6.. Lose
Up 2 goals, twice in game 7, at home.. Lose


^^^ That's what Im pissed about.. Had no illusions on winning a 2nd cup this year, but that shit up there? Weak..   

[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..

Oh, and I don't buy the excuse that "we have played a lot of hockey" and were burnt out.

[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

[PUCKNRUSH]

Up 2-0 in the series.. Lose
Get embarrassed in game 3.. Lose
Up 1 goal, twice in game 6.. Lose
Up 2 goals, twice in game 7, at home.. Lose


^^^ That's what Im pissed about.. Had no illusions on winning a 2nd cup this year, but that shit up there? Weak.. 

Tell it like it is, Mick!
You ain’t SKEEEERED!!👍


Have a good summer! Catch up with ya next season, if not B4!


Rush

[Mickstix]

Thanks Rush! You too buddy!! I've not seen any exit interviews.. They always seem too "chipper" for me. Like the time we lost to (iirc) the Lightning and the post series/game pix showed them all out partying in Tampa?? That shit burns my ass. lol Since they finally won a Cup, I'd not be against a total retool of the team, but they'll never do it. They could lose Kuzy, Holtby, Niskanen and I'd not really blink an eye.. Could save a lot of money and restock, but again, they'll never do it.. DC isn't a town for rebuilding.

[DC_1908]

Thanks Rush! You too buddy!! I've not seen any exit interviews.. They always seem too "chipper" for me. Like the time we lost to (iirc) the Lightning and the post series/game pix showed them all out partying in Tampa?? That shit burns my ass. lol Since they finally won a Cup, I'd not be against a total retool of the team, but they'll never do it. They could lose Kuzy, Holtby, Niskanen and I'd not really blink an eye.. Could save a lot of money and restock, but again, they'll never do it.. DC isn't a town for rebuilding.

GMBetaMales exit interview made me throw my phone across the room.   Regardless, the press’ questions and answers are just the same script as every early playoff loss.
 
The window for a rebuild is all but closed.  To do that, you’d need to move Kuzy and Carlson to start with.  Neither of those players or contracts  would bring much more other than cap space and a few late rounders at most. 
 
Moreover, trading these two “stars” and “headline contracts” would be an embarrassment for Monumental.


It is highly unlikely for a rebuild to occur without GMBetaMale being fired, and it will probably take missing the playoffs twice for that to happen.

[alta]

.......

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.

I don't buy that they were tired either. I hate to point to shitsburgh, but they didn't look tired when they went back to back and the 3rd round, though they do now

[Mickstix]

Im really not all that "down" on Carlson or his contract.. He plays a ton of minutes. Sets up Ovie on the PP.. He "can" be physical when tested, though he didn't seem like being bothered this year. As longa s he has a solid wing man, he wasn't too bad on D.. But Kuznetsov has me scratching my head. He's like a more successful Semin. Just acts like he's content with the one Cup. He can be electric, but also look like a power outage, all in the same game. lol


I agree though, it'll take multi playoff misses or a loooooong losing streak that leads to a playoff miss, to get the coach fired.. Not sure what it'll take to remove GMBM, not that I'm for removing him at the moment, but just look at GMGM and Grunfeld.. Yikees..

[PUCKNRUSH]

Im really not all that "down" on Carlson or his contract.. He plays a ton of minutes. Sets up Ovie on the PP.. He "can" be physical when tested, though he didn't seem like being bothered this year. As longa s he has a solid wing man, he wasn't too bad on D.. But Kuznetsov has me scratching my head. He's like a more successful Semin. Just acts like he's content with the one Cup. He can be electric, but also look like a power outage, all in the same game. lol


I agree though, it'll take multi playoff misses or a loooooong losing streak that leads to a playoff miss, to get the coach fired.. Not sure what it'll take to remove GMBM, not that I'm for removing him at the moment, but just look at GMGM and Grunfeld.. Yikees..

Hey Mick!
It was a 3 to 4 season process for me, but finally, in the last half of the 2017-2018 regular season, just prior to our Stanley Cup playoff run, I evolved into sincerely ACCEPTING John Carlson, after years of mentally torturing myself, trying to understand the WHY, as to what the Carlson fans saw in him, that was so spectacular, The WHY, as to what interest the media had, in propping him up SO undeservedly often!


I think it was a combo of his career high, contract year, and that amazingly, he was extremely well liked in the locker room. Seeing his surprisingly good slap shot, sometimes rewarding us with a goal, and that TROTZ spoke well of the guy, also contributed to me making the effort to reconsider my thoughts concerning him!  And, oh yeah, The Stanley Cup, and him being a part of that, also helped!


It is the whole package, on balance, that Carlson brings to the team, that deserved my honest consideration. For some not really understood reason, I sort of GOT IT, and it moved the needle for me into a place of cautious acceptance.


The HUGE long term contract he signed, cemented my reluctant resignation to the fact that, he’s not going anywhere, for a REALLY long time, so I yielded, for the peace of mind, and lined myself up in the “Carly Corner”!LOL   At least the acceptance of the guy! I support him as a member of the Capitals.


It’s the singular focus on his defensive abilities, that I have a big problem with! And when his physical size is considered with it, his Defensive skills, generally, are very WEAK!  His large, overall, offensive contributions, however, offset things, and help to reconcile those “whys”, that I used to ask myself, for years, concerning John Carlson!


On a quick, brighter note, he’s not our WORST starting Dman either. Just, not the best!


I liked the interesting choice of names you dropped, Mick, concerning who you could easily do without next year! Kuzy, Holtz, and Nisky. I’d fully agree with that. Nisky, hasn’t been brought up negatively, here on the boards, half as much as some other D guys, but MAN, has he gone SOUTH!  That discussion is for another day, maybe during the summer board doldrums! LOL!
See ya!


Rush

[DC_1908]

I don't buy that they were tired either. I hate to point to shitsburgh, but they didn't look tired when they went back to back and the 3rd round, though they do now

Normally I’d agree,. . . But the Caps had 10 players average over 17 minutes a game, and 4 over 20min a game. 


While normally, I’d say “tough shit, you and you’re trainers should have a better worth out plan”, that amount of ice time for the same players after Cup is pretty ridiculous.


Any “fatigue” has to be heavily attributed to Reidons bench management, and/or GMBetaMales/Monumentals utter disregard for roster and organizational depth.

[Surreylily]

We all know what was wrong with this team.  Same shit different day.
End of.

[blee088]

You guys are way too negative about this team. Like others have said they could have lost in the first round last year. and nobody would have seen what they were capable of that year. There's obviously some flaws in the team but to be so negative and already talk about a rebuild after they just won the cup last year is crazytalk. The thing is, if you look at any team there are players who have years where they don't perform as well. I mean look at crosby in this year's playoffs. It's too early to judge kuznetsov who did just Okay this playoffs instead of being incredible. The only guy who has those inhuman standards is ovechkin. But not everyone is a hockey god like him.


regarding rierden. I may be way off base, but my instinct says that he is the greatest assistant coach in the league. But he's not a head coach. And the reason why is because his personality is geared towards one-on-one management, being compassionate and player-driven and intellectual. A head coach isn't that. And I think the problem comes from seeing head coach as an extension or a promoted asst coach which i don't think is the case. I think they both serve their function. And this team would be better off with the greatest asst coach in the league todd rierden, with a different head coach. And that isn't an insult to rierden.

[richkrt99]

You guys are way too negative about this team. Like others have said they could have lost in the first round last year. and nobody would have seen what they were capable of that year. There's obviously some flaws in the team but to be so negative and already talk about a rebuild after they just won the cup last year is crazytalk. The thing is, if you look at any team there are players who have years where they don't perform as well. I mean look at crosby in this year's playoffs. It's too early to judge kuznetsov who did just Okay this playoffs instead of being incredible. The only guy who has those inhuman standards is ovechkin. But not everyone is a hockey god like him.


regarding rierden. I may be way off base, but my instinct says that he is the greatest assistant coach in the league. But he's not a head coach. And the reason why is because his personality is geared towards one-on-one management, being compassionate and player-driven and intellectual. A head coach isn't that. And I think the problem comes from seeing head coach as an extension or a promoted asst coach which i don't think is the case. I think they both serve their function. And this team would be better off with the greatest asst coach in the league todd rierden, with a different head coach. And that isn't an insult to rierden.

Welcome Blee...unless someone already did, but welcome anyway.


I don't think anyone said blow it up an rebuild....just mostly talking about the parts that are leaving or possibly leaving.
We all butt hurt about the playoffs this year and yes, these folks/boards tend toward the negative, but the Caps blew a great opportunity this year.  Look at who is left.  The east was an easy ride.  Boston is tough, but I think the Caps can handle them.  We SHOULD have handled everyone else.


I'm not bitter, just disappointed at what ended up missing out on what was probably the easiest path in years to the final.


I'd agree on your assessment of TR.  Better assistant than head coach, but then...why do it...from the Caps perspective?  I mean loyal sure, and earned a chance sure, but ultimately it is total success we're striving for, not rewarding everybody who played along


Go Caps