Talk about Capitals hockey & more! > Washington Capitals & Other Hockey Discussion
G28 Capitals @ Red Wings 7:00pm Sat Nov 30, 2019 NBCSWA, NHLN, FS-D
Beaglefan2:
--- Quote from: PUCKNRUSH on Monday December 02, 2019, 12:33:36 AM Eastern ---
Good post, Beags.
At the start of the season, I was really pulling for Ziggy to do well. Through the first 15 to 20 games, I started to sour on the guy a bit.
No complaints with attitude or his effort level at all, just seeing a few too many mental errors, passing and zone clearing mistakes, etc. that didn’t lend itself to helping his cause!
But I tell you, for about the last 3 to 4 weeks, I’ve really noticed a incrementally increasing, and more COMPREHENSIVE improvement, in Siegenthaler’s defensive skills across-the-board! Playing generally more responsible, clearing better, and even doing a little better along the boards!
As far as Gudas goes, I had high hopes heading into the season for him already! He has definitely exceeded expectations, and adds a very mature, decision-making, AND physical presence to his line! Very happy with Radko Gudas all around!!
Last year we often saw an experimental merry go round, shuffling 4th line forwards in and out of various games.
Boyd, Dowd, Smith-Pelly and Stephenson, (mainly), went through their fair share of “scratch-n-play”, throughout the season, obviously depending on what situation the coaches were dealing with. In the first half of the season, you could almost see any combination of those fellas on the fourth line.
I just checked last years stats. Dowd and Stephenson each had 64 games. DSP and Boyd in the mid 50’s.
Dowd had the most points, and best plus/minus of the four. Both Stevenson and DSP were negative in plus/minus.
Stephenson has dropped a notch in my book, starting with the last half of last season. He’s got a lot of speed, but he gets caught puck watching a lot, and is one of those guys, when skating on the ice, who chooses, TOO often, to cruise and glide, rather than keep his legs moving.
This affects mainly his defensive abilities, As it causes him to lose those precious few milliseconds of reaction time, to start his legs going again!
In Stephensons defense, once he does churn his legs, he has great acceleration, almost Hagelin-like, and sometimes it makes up for it. Sometimes it doesn’t, and can cost us a simple puck possession, or worse, A high chance SOG!
With Dowd and Boyd, You get the same great effort level and hustling attitude from both guys! I would say just the very slightest shooting accuracy would go to Boyd!
But Dowd has become an OUTSTANDING PK guy, and has scrappiness galore, both along the boards, AND, on his defensive side, is a good, play disrupter, against the opponent,
This is why I think Dowd will mostly stay at 4th line center/forward, over Boyd. They are very close, mind you, but when Backy, and Hagelin return, you’ll have two guys to sort out of the picture between, Panik, Stephenson, Boyd, Leipsic, Dowd, and Hathaway!
That Dowd, Leipsic, Hathaway, 4th line combo has shown to cause some real havoc on opponents when they’ve been together!!
They’ve mostly been an energized, gritty, hustling, thorn in the opponents side, especially when opponents start entry into our zone! They get way more than their fair share of puck steals/possession changes!! The only knock on those three guys, would be a little more shot accuracy for production! (Hence, their 4th line placement)! But for my money, I like ‘EM!!👍
It’s going to get interesting here, when Backy and Hags return!
It’s one of those GOOD problems for Rierden to have to deal with!
Rush
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4 Caps:
Reports are that Stevenson has been traded to Las Vegas. No reports what Caps are getting in return. Probably a draft choice.
alta:
--- Quote from: 4 Caps on Monday December 02, 2019, 10:10:23 PM Eastern ---Reports are that Stevenson has been traded to Las Vegas. No reports what Caps are getting in return. Probably a draft choice.
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that's all they can fit under the cap right now
PUCKNRUSH:
--- Quote from: 4 Caps on Monday December 02, 2019, 02:52:52 PM Eastern ---It appears that Stevenson is going to be placed on waivers as he was not on the ice this morning and with Hagelin returning from LTIR the Caps need to make a move. Boyd was centering the 3rd line with Hagelin and Leipsic on the wings. Backstrom apparently is still out although he no longer was wearing a non-contact jersey.
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Always appreciative of your “inside scoops”, from practice, 4Caps!
From what you’ve reported, it looks like they’re also keeping Eller at 2nd line center. I’m guessing until Backstrom returns.
At whatever point Nicky returns, I assume he’ll go back up the first line, and Kuzy will drop to second line with Vrana.
I like Eller and Hagelin together on 3rd line! Paired with Leipsic or Hathaway, as either of those combinations, although not the heaviest production guys, ALL of them possess never-quit quickness, and can frustrate opponents in good measure, ESPECIALLY during those fragile few seconds when, just prior to blue line entrance, into our zone, and our opponent is just beginning to try and set something up!! That’s one of the big strenghts for our healthy third line!!
Thanks for the update!
Rush
PUCKNRUSH:
--- Quote from: richkrt99 on Monday December 02, 2019, 07:11:04 PM Eastern ---Stepho also has the problem of being the most expensive guy in that mix of Boyd/Dowd/Stepho at $800k/750k/1.05m respectively.
we are talking relative pennies in pro contracts with these figures, but with the Caps cap problem, relative pennies matter.
I've never been a big fan of Djoos, but I think his cap hit of 1.25m versus Ziggy's 710k is another nail in his NHL playing coffin.
I'd take Ziggy over Djoos at even money and think Ziggy really has improved this year and it's no contest for me. Plus Ziggs has got some real size to him.
Go Caps
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Good point on the salary stuff, Rich!
If Boyd and Dowd’s octane, both burn in the 89-92 range, all nite long, then Stephenson is just 87 regular!!😁
I’ve been slightly higher on Djoos, from my past posts, than most here. Mainly, due to his hockey smarts and fairly good reliability in bringing up the puck!
Basically, I think Djoos, plays like, and totally understands factually, his size deficit, AND, that being blessed with good, athletic, size, is virtually a mandatory requirement for an NHL defenseman!
The fact is, even when he wants to lay a good hit on someone,(and he does try), pure physics dictate that his hits will be overwhelmingly less effective! It’s just the nature of things!
Djoos uses a lot of his hockey energy, and intelligence, on overcoming, and making up for his career-long size problem. And honestly, he does a pretty damn good job at it!! But it’s always ever present and not something you can practice harder, and it will go away!
For these reasons, I fully believe Djoos to be a fully qualified NHL defenseman! But one that is sentenced to having to work harder, and be at his maximum, JUST to be minimally acceptable, and do a decent job!
Ziggy, has much improved in the last few weeks, and it seems like he will continue to do so!! That means for Ziggy’s career future, The sky is the limit for him.
He has obviously stepped up. Some youngsters do that, but many do not! And HE IS!!
Whereas, with Djoos, although smarter and more experienced, we are probably witnessing his max abilities, day in and day out, and will probably never get to a stellar level! No problem!!
Ziggys play is heading north, has a higher degree of potential ahead of him, and has earned a chance to demonstrate what he can do!
Therefore I think, at this point, Ziggy should be favored!! With Djoos dipping in, from time to time, or as the situation dictates!
Albeit, on a smaller level, another good decision making place for Reirden to be in!
Thanks Rich
[/size][size=78%]Rush [/size]
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