G42 Capitals @ Hurricanes 7:30pm Fri Jan 3, 2020 NBCSWA+, NHLN, SN, TVAS, FS-CR

[4 Caps]

A few more observations on the game besides Caps have to cut down on the penalties.
1.  Samsonov was outstanding, he looked so calm and collected.  His rebound control was outstanding.  The goals he allowed he had no chance on.  He really kept us in the game in the 1st period.  It could easily have been two or three to nothing if he hadn’t been flawless. 
2.  It was really nice to see Vrana score, he has been awfully quiet lately but tonight he was flying.  Had 4 quality scoring chances.  We need him to keep that up. 
3.  The third line had its best game of the season and was maybe our best line tonight, although the second line had a good night too.  The first line, however, struggled.  Ovie has not looked like himself lately, I hope he is all right.  Rierden should consider switching Kuzy and Backstrom. 
4.  Orlov had an outstanding game and was our best defenseman. 
Hopefully this win will jump start the Caps and they can put together a win streak. 

[alta]

I'm surprised at the lack of comments on Dowds 10:00 misconduct at the end of the 1st that was served in the 2nd

[ArJunaZ]

I'm surprised at the lack of comments on Dowds 10:00 misconduct at the end of the 1st that was served in the 2nd

I did not like the Dowd misconduct penalty, but it was Svechnikov’s stick.     He caught it mid-air after Svechnikov falls to the ice during that fracas at the end of the period.  The rules state you cannot throw equipment over the glass. Rules are the rules!  He should have known them.

I read that they got the stick back from the fan, who was wearing a Svechnikov shirt.  I'll bet that fan was not happy.

https://russianmachineneverbreaks.com/2020/01/03/nic-dowd-gets-misconduct-for-throwing-andrei-svechnikovs-stick-into-the-stands/

[zerofox]

A few more observations on the game besides Caps have to cut down on the penalties.
1.  Samsonov was outstanding, he looked so calm and collected.  His rebound control was outstanding.  The goals he allowed he had no chance on.  He really kept us in the game in the 1st period.  It could easily have been two or three to nothing if he hadn’t been flawless. 
2.  It was really nice to see Vrana score, he has been awfully quiet lately but tonight he was flying.  Had 4 quality scoring chances.  We need him to keep that up. 
3.  The third line had its best game of the season and was maybe our best line tonight, although the second line had a good night too.  The first line, however, struggled.  Ovie has not looked like himself lately, I hope he is all right.  Rierden should consider switching Kuzy and Backstrom. 
4.  Orlov had an outstanding game and was our best defenseman. 
Hopefully this win will jump start the Caps and they can put together a win streak.

I agree with this.


I hope games like these are enough to convince TR to use Sammy a bit more. He already has been using him more than I would have expected. I feel like with a rookie newbie goalie you're usually putting him on back to back duty, but Sammy's had a few more starts outside of those games. But I'd probably like to see a good 30-40 starts this season for Sammy.

[BlackIce]

Zero, 40 starts for Samsonov would essentially be a 50/50 workload split.  That isn't going to happen, especially since the split of starts through 42 games is something like 29/13.  Even getting Samsonov to 30 starts this season would mean that the remaining 40 would be split 23/17 -- fairly close to a rotation from here on out.  Now if Holtby continues his uneven performance AND the team starts to slump and is in danger of being caught/passed by multiple Metro teams, then maybe the organization turns to Samsonov to a greater degree.  But until the organization's hand is forced by circumstances, what you get the rest of the season is probably pretty close to what you've seen thus far.


And while I'm at it, I've noticed something very interesting about Hagelin and Panik.  Everyone generally seems to consider them pretty much of a bust, at least offensively, and are wondering how the 3rd line can be counted on to pull its weight.  But to this point in the season, with both of them now having played in the low 30's in games out of the 42 the Caps have played, their +/- numbers are +7 and +8.  Now I realize that there are real issues with equating +/- to quality of play, but it seems to be that the Caps are not being hurt at all competitively when these guys are on the ice at 5 on 5.  And Eller is at +3, though he is used in more situations at 5 on 5 than they are (largely as a 2nd center on the ice when the Caps are trying to protect a lead in a close game coming down the stretch.)  This must mean that, if the 3rd line is scoring only intermittently, then their opponents are scoring even more sporadically.

[DC_1908]

Zero, 40 starts for Samsonov would essentially be a 50/50 workload split.  That isn't going to happen, especially since the split of starts through 42 games is something like 29/13.  Even getting Samsonov to 30 starts this season would mean that the remaining 40 would be split 23/17 -- fairly close to a rotation from here on out.  Now if Holtby continues his uneven performance AND the team starts to slump and is in danger of being caught/passed by multiple Metro teams, then maybe the organization turns to Samsonov to a greater degree.  But until the organization's hand is forced by circumstances, what you get the rest of the season is probably pretty close to what you've seen thus far.


And while I'm at it, I've noticed something very interesting about Hagelin and Panik.  Everyone generally seems to consider them pretty much of a bust, at least offensively, and are wondering how the 3rd line can be counted on to pull its weight.  But to this point in the season, with both of them now having played in the low 30's in games out of the 42 the Caps have played, their +/- numbers are +7 and +8.  Now I realize that there are real issues with equating +/- to quality of play, but it seems to be that the Caps are not being hurt at all competitively when these guys are on the ice at 5 on 5.  And Eller is at +3, though he is used in more situations at 5 on 5 than they are (largely as a 2nd center on the ice when the Caps are trying to protect a lead in a close game coming down the stretch.)  This must mean that, if the 3rd line is scoring only intermittently, then their opponents are scoring even more sporadically.

Yes, we FINALLY have a real “third line”, that is a two-way line that shut-down opponents top lines and require the enemy to also respect them offensively.


In the past many have expected the EA/rec league mentality of “3rd line means the 3rd ‘best’ at all three positions”.   This leads to the outstanding defense of Bura & Connolly (😡), and think that because the “stats aren’t higher” than they aren’t as “good”, but this “3rd group” is 10times better than the last few years

[PUCKNRUSH]

Zero, 40 starts for Samsonov would essentially be a 50/50 workload split.  That isn't going to happen, especially since the split of starts through 42 games is something like 29/13.  Even getting Samsonov to 30 starts this season would mean that the remaining 40 would be split 23/17 -- fairly close to a rotation from here on out.  Now if Holtby continues his uneven performance AND the team starts to slump and is in danger of being caught/passed by multiple Metro teams, then maybe the organization turns to Samsonov to a greater degree.  But until the organization's hand is forced by circumstances, what you get the rest of the season is probably pretty close to what you've seen thus far.


And while I'm at it, I've noticed something very interesting about Hagelin and Panik.  Everyone generally seems to consider them pretty much of a bust, at least offensively, and are wondering how the 3rd line can be counted on to pull its weight.  But to this point in the season, with both of them now having played in the low 30's in games out of the 42 the Caps have played, their +/- numbers are +7 and +8.  Now I realize that there are real issues with equating +/- to quality of play, but it seems to be that the Caps are not being hurt at all competitively when these guys are on the ice at 5 on 5.  And Eller is at +3, though he is used in more situations at 5 on 5 than they are (largely as a 2nd center on the ice when the Caps are trying to protect a lead in a close game coming down the stretch.)  This must mean that, if the 3rd line is scoring only intermittently, then their opponents are scoring even more sporadically.

I’m with you on the 3rd line stuff, Black, but I’d still take Boyd in place of Panik, although Panik seems to be at the right place at the right time, recently! Boyd has a little grittier edge, which could only ENHANCE that line, IMO!


Hagelin and Eller are very energized, and their PK expertise allows TR to cut them a little slack, even when production is slumping a bit. Their contributions are very good!


Holtby can make a lot of decisions easier on the coaches if he steps his game up a little. But if he continues on as he has most recently, at a below average level, for all of January, he may end up forcing the coaches hand, and we might see Sammy get 50-50 for the rest of the season. The ball really is in Holtby’s court, no matter how good Samsonov does!


At a minimum however, we’ve got a positive outlook on our rookie goalie, which, no matter how you slice it, that’s good In all directions for the team!


Rush