GDT#46 Capitals @ Devils 2018-01-18 7:00pm EST NBCSPW

[4 Caps]

  A lot of guys didnt have good games. So the question is who gets benched for tomorrows game.i

If I had to guess I would say Vrana. 

[Maacoshark]

If I had to guess I would say Vrana.

  I agree

[Beaglefan2]

I really, REALLY hate the drop pass on the PP. Everyone is doing it and it is not effective and just slows down the PP. And then, we have to watch 74 casually drop it back with a no-look drop and hope that there is someone remotely close to beat the other team to the puck.

[Maacoshark]

I really, REALLY hate the drop pass on the PP. Everyone is doing it and it is not effective and just slows down the PP. And then, we have to watch 74 casually drop it back with a no-look drop and hope that there is someone remotely close to beat the other team to the puck.

   For some reason that seems to be the play teams use to gain the zone. We drop it to Kuzy and he carries the puck in the zone. The 2nd pp unit uses Eller in that spot. I dont really care for it.

[4 Caps]

  A lot of guys didnt have good games. So the question is who gets benched for tomorrows game.i

It appears that Smith-Pelly and Chorney will be the healthy scratches tonight.  What will be interesting is where Burakovsky plays.  Does he just take Smith-Pelly’s place on the first line or does Trotz juggle the lines.  Today’s morning skate was optional so there was no indication of what the lines were going to be. 

[DC_1908]

   For some reason that seems to be the play teams use to gain the zone. We drop it to Kuzy and he carries the puck in the zone. The 2nd pp unit uses Eller in that spot. I dont really care for it.

It looks like a hockey equivalent to a flee-flicker/ half back pass play in foot ball, particularly off a faceoff.  Get the opponent coming in, sneak a fast player behind them and have an unexpected player make a long pass to him catching the other team of guard and not in a position to stop it.

If executed, it gives you a break away, and if the skater is caught up with, can lead to a penatly shot or just a penalty.  And if all those fail, the other four can quickly get into position during the play.

So to some extent, it exploits the 4th forward and/ or aka the defenseman pinching. If you know that the other teams D is not as concerned with coverage, if at all, its gonna leave that wide open until teams adjust to it, take it away and/or exploit it.