My concern is the Jackets have exposed an old weakness of the Caps, which is losing control when they get pressed hard with in-your-face play. This was a severely injured midlands team that we beat because we have so much firepower, but a better team can learn from the Jackets and give us a real problem in the playoffs. The only fix I see for this is playing a super physical game and forcing guys to steer clear. I was really hoping we would do that today from the start, but I'm glad they started playing hard in the last couple minutes of the 2nd. That's the reason we won.
I see much the same flaws as you do, AJ!
I will add something to consider as to the WHY, it may be occurring.
I hope I’m wrong here, but ever since about mid-December, I’ve noticed a slight, but ever so slowly, gradual increase in sloppier, overall, play at the TEAM level!
Splotchy patches of intermittent carelessness, are seeming to weave their way, in and out, of the more consistent, and vigorous play, that the Caps had so earnestly established, from the start of the season!
We’ve just recently seen an overall decline, although slight in degree! The problem is, even though it’s just small, it’s in almost every aspect of our game!!
Passing has been off, (remember the passing crispness, all through Nov. and the West Coast trips?), the PP is looking rougher, we seem to have started wasting more time, trying to get the puck out of our own zone, we’re not hitting as hard, we are skating a bit slower, we are allowing more time for the opponent to be in our zone, and lastly, whatever penalty problem we had before mid December, which was already bad, has gotten even worse!! And oh yeah, it seems our shooting has been less accurate!
WHY?
I think it can be summed up in saying that a “lighter form”, of that infamous, low energy, “not quite fully engaged”, bullshit, is trying to creep in from some of the players!
The reason I say “lighter form“, is that it’s difficult for it to fully bloom, because of this years changes with some of the “hungrier”, younger hustling personnel, that may be helping to keep it at bay!
Of course, it’s great that we beat the blue jackets tonight, but this game, the other Columbus game prior, and some of the Boston game, showed signs of this slower, less energy play, only to be followed by that all too familiar, Hail Mary type, burst of energy, when the caps realize they start getting outplayed!
I wish it wasn’t so easy to recognize, but the overall play level I’ve seen, since about mid December, appears to have this exact, and unfortunate, signature, all over it!
Of course the good news is, that the caps always seem to shake it, year in and year out!
Certainly doesn’t excuse the fact that it’s quite frustrating to watch sometimes!
I’ve always said that the caps have basically been able to “dial it in“ whenever they want. The majority of the first half of this season, they really have been dialing it in!
Like I said at the front of my post, I hope I’m wrong, and it is very early in this little dip in performance, so we’ll be able to tell, much better as we go into the new year!
Samsonov played awesome, and I’m glad Hagelin got that monkey off his back with his first goal!!
Rush
