Washington Capitals Fan Forum
Talk about Capitals hockey & more! => Washington Capitals & Other Hockey Discussion => Topic started by: ArJunaZ on Sunday January 21, 2018, 01:18:37 AM Eastern
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Sun. Jan. 21 Philadelphia Flyers @ Washington Capitals
Place: Capital One Arena
Time: 12:30 p.m.
TV: NBC, TVAS
Radio: 106.7 The Fan, Capitals Radio 24/7
Philadelphia Flyers 52-22-16-8 Last Game: Jan 20, Won 3-1 against Devils
Washington Capitals 60-28-15-4 Last Game: Jan 19, Loss 3-2 against Canadiens
8-Ovechkin 92-Kuznetsov 43-Wilson
65-Burakovsky 19-Bäckström 77-Oshie
18-Stephenson 20-Eller 10-Connolly
13-Vrana 83-Beagle 25-Smith-Pelly
29-Djoos 74-Carlson
9-Orlov 2-Niskanen
44-Orpik 22-Bowey
70-Holtby (starter)
31-Grubauer
-- SCRATCH --
39-Chiasson
4-Chorney
-- INJURED --
-- 1st Powerplay Unit --
77-Oshie 19-Bäckström 92-Kuznetsov
8-Ovechkin 74-Carlson
-- 2nd Powerplay Unit --
39-Chiasson 20-Eller 65-Burakovsky
2-Niskanen 9-Orlov
Referees: Eric Furlatt (#27) Jean Hebert (#15)
Linesmen: Devin Berg (#87), Brian Mach (#78)
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By Jesse Dougherty January 20 at 2:40 PM
Capitals shuffle lines, splitting up Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom, before Flyers game
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If Saturday’s practice lines translate to Sunday’s game against the Flyers, Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom will be split up for the first time in 25 games. (Elsa/Getty Images)
After a plodding loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Friday night (https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/capitals/capitals-make-some-changes-but-canadiens-leave-them-at-a-loss/2018/01/19/19b4478e-fd48-11e7-a46b-a3614530bd87_story.html?utm_term=.8ff5c6999df9), Capitals Coach Barry Trotz made some big line changes at Saturday’s practice. Here is how the Capitals looked while skating at Kettler Iceplex, which was brimming with fans as the team took the ice before a bit before 11:30 a.m.:
Alex Ovechkin-Evgeny Kuznetsov-Tom Wilson
Andre Burakovsky-Nicklas Backstrom-T.J. Oshie
Chandler Stephenson-Lars Eller-Brett Connolly
Devante Smith-Pelly-Jay Beagle-Alex Chiasson
That left 21-year-old Jakub Vrana cycling in and out, and it looks like he will be a healthy scratch when the Capitals face the Philadelphia Flyers at 12:30 p.m. Sunday at Capital One Arena. Saturday’s practice was the last time the team skated before that game, which will be a chance for the Capitals to bounce back after back-to-back losses Thursday (4-3 at the New Jersey Devils (https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/capitals/capitals-make-their-point-but-fall-to-devils-in-overtime/2018/01/18/e729140e-fc87-11e7-a46b-a3614530bd87_story.html) in overtime) and Friday (3-2 to the Canadiens (https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/capitals/capitals-make-some-changes-but-canadiens-leave-them-at-a-loss/2018/01/19/19b4478e-fd48-11e7-a46b-a3614530bd87_story.html)). The biggest change is Trotz splitting up Ovechkin and Backstrom, something he did to start the season before reuniting them against Ottawa on Nov. 22.
The Capitals beat the Senators, 5-2, that day and then won 10 of their subsequent 12 games. In the 25 games Ovechkin and Backstrom have skated together since, the team is 17-5-3, and Ovechkin is tied for the league lead with 28 goals this season. But Trotz felt the need to shake things up after two straight lethargic outings, and that could mean spreading out his two best offensive players.
“Just like anything, if you’ve watched us play lately, we’ve gone a little bit stale. I don’t know if it’s the break, but I go right before the break,” Trotz said, nodding to the Capitals’ five-day bye week that ended Thursday. “I’ve been contemplating, maybe it’s time for a little switch. It might be a game. It might be the next 20 — I don’t know. Eighty-two games, teams have lulls in the way they play and how they play and how they execute and, production-wise, we got guys that are really, last 10, 12 games, we’ve gotten zero. Fundamentally have gotten nothing.”
[Jay Beagle wants to win every faceoff. The goal is simple but the nuances aren’t. (https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capitals-insider/wp/2018/01/20/jay-beagle-wants-to-win-every-faceoff-the-goal-is-simple-but-the-nuances-arent/)]
In last spring’s second-round playoff series against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Trotz shifted Ovechkin away from Backstrom and united Burakovsky, Backstrom and Oshie. That line was also together for a bit at the start of this season, but Oshie acknowledged Saturday that none of the three players was playing well at that time. Backstrom, one of the NHL’s most skilled passers, has a chance to elevate Oshie and Burakovsky out of offensive slumps.
Oshie has scored just once in his past 20 games and has only four even-strength goals all season. Last year, he finished with a career-high 25 even-strength goals. Burakovsky, who was the team’s best skater in Friday’s loss after sitting for the previous three games due to illness and a healthy scratch, has not tallied a point in his past seven appearances.
“I think just Oshie’s skill and work ethic, and Nick’s skill and feel for the game, it’s just a perfect combination,” Burakovsky said Saturday. “I think when you get with Nick and Oshie, they can create something from nothing every time, and they are such smart players. The only thing I have to do is skate and be open.”
They aren’t the only players who could use a lift. Kuznetsov has scored once in his past 11 games and can only benefit from the attention Ovechkin draws from the opposition. The third line of Connolly, Eller and Oshie was playing well together the past few weeks, but Trotz opted to stack the first and second lines with players who have typically been the Capitals’ “top-six forwards” across this season and last.
“As a coach, as I have in the last couple games, I move lines around,” Trotz said. “Sometimes it works. It worked for us in Carolina. I think it worked for us a bit in New Jersey in the third. [Against the Canadiens,] it didn’t have much of an effect.”
Now it seems that Trotz will try something else against the Flyers, his most drastic changes of this recent stretch.
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Caps better come out with some energy today or it will be another long day. On my way to the game.
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I hate, hate, dingleburry and penishead. I can just barely understand how dingleburry still has a job, but I fail to understand how penishead still has a job.
well this is a pleasant surprise. No dingleburry and penishead!!!
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Lady and I are in Miami Beach lookin for a bar to watch it in. . . be on soon
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It seems one of our announcers is confused about which team is which. :lol:
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I hate, hate, dingleburry and penishead. I can just barely understand how dingleburry still has a job, but I fail to understand how penishead still has a job.
well this is a pleasant surprise. No dingleburry and penishead!!!
Indeed! I feel like I'm watching CBC.
Flyers/Caps. Doesn't get any better than this.
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Lady and I are in Miami Beach lookin for a bar to watch it in. . . be on soon
Good luck!
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Kuzy misses an empty net... Fucking marvelous.. Esa Tikkannen??
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Kuzy misses an empty net... Fucking marvelous.. Esa Tikkannen??
yea, 'twas a great pick by OV though
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What am I missing.. Madison Bowey is awful. Why is he still in the NHL?
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What am I missing.. Madison Bowey is awful. Why is he still in the NHL?
the only thing I can finger out is its because of the salary cap issue
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What am I missing.. Madison Bowey is awful. Why is he still in the NHL?
Is Bowey your whipping boy? He has been alright so far today. Didnt you crap on him the last couple games too. My question is why are Niskanen and Orlov getting a free pass for there play. They have been on the ice for all of the 5 on 5 goals against the last 2 games
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the only thing I can finger out is its because of the salary cap issue
Gross
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Kuzy and Ovie should score one each.
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OK boys and girls. Today's whipping boys have been announced. #2 and #9. And if you don't throw in an occasional #714 bash you will leave Maaco slightly disappointed after the game.
;)
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The last couple games I have more concerned with Djoos than Bowey. Djoos has been getting out muscled in the defensive zone.
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yea, 'twas a great pick by OV though
yes, one of the best his defensive plays
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Kuzy misses an empty net... Fucking marvelous.. Esa Tikkannen??
Except this isn't the SCF...
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Ooops! Nearly missed the game. Lucky I checked.
Well I'm here now, so we can start to score. ;D
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For fuck sakes
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Caps with no heart again.. Looks like these guys are trying to get Trotz fired.
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Well . . . found a bar with a hell i’ve beer selection, so i got a Deadguy while perusing what Miami area to try next, . . . and they finally got the game!!
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Ovie surprised me again!
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Tortz f%ck up with lines, not much synergy.
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Oh look. Bowey with another turnover. Bowey can't keep the puck in the zone.. Piece of loser shit
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Ever since Carolina beat us by dogging our guys it seems that every team we've played has adopted the same strategy of making our guys panick. This has been a Caps trait for years. We need to be more physical to scare the opponents off and we also need to practice how to pass the damn puck without constantly giving it away.
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Well . . . found a bar with a hell i’ve beer selection, so i got a Deadguy while perusing what Miami area to try next, . . . and they finally got the game!!
I'm happy for you guys. I hope they don't change to the NFL game before this one's over. They might overlap a bit.
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Ever since Carolina beat us by dogging our guys it seems that every team we've played has adopted the same strategy of making our guys panick. This has been a Caps trait for years. We need to be more physical to scare the opponents off and we also need to practice how to pass the damn puck without constantly giving it away.
Ya Junta.... CAPS don't have enough balls...
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Oh look. Bowey with another turnover. Bowey can't keep the puck in the zone.. Piece of loser shit
:thumbsup:
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I'm happy for you guys. I hope they don't change to the NFL game before this one's over. They might overlap a bit.
Probably not, there most be 30 TVs in here and about 20 people
But, never let anyone say they don’t make good beer in FLA!!!
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Need a big PP here to be put in.
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Tortz f%ck up with lines, not much synergy.
I wouldn't complain about the line changes. Its the best we played played since returning from the bye.
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Ya Junta.... CAPS don't have enough balls...
IMHO, this team hasn't had any balls ever since OV got suspended the second time for being too physical,
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Need a big PP here to be put in.
:-X
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when stupid people try to sound smart....
"where you doing video work on vcr or vhs"
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IMHO, this team hasn't had any balls ever since OV got suspended the second time for being too physical,
YOU’RE DAMN RIGHT!!!!
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Nice power play. Nicky looks like he's still in bed.
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Every time we have a few days off we come back and play like dogshit. That's a total lack of character.
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https://youtu.be/54OYS_mZlBE
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sweet passing!!!!!
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:8z:
:pp:
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OVI!!!!
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Boom
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Sweet!!
The sooner 600 comes the better
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Boom
there's your big pp penetration
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:whatahunk:
There's my boy!
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Ovi is having a strong game. He has been our best defensive forward today and is rewarded with a goal.
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Ovi is having a strong game. He has been our best defensive forward today and is rewarded with a goal.
yes
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there's your big pp penetration
Oh yeah!!!
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I hate to say this because I really like him, but TJ Oshie is a shell of himself. Dare I say -- right now he sucks.
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Caps should sign Jagr for the league minimum and then ban him from the facilities.
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I hate to say this because I really like him, but TJ Oshie is a shell of himself. Dare I say -- right now he sucks.
I think everyone feels that way
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Caps should sign Jagr for the league minimum and then ban him from the facilities.
If the Caps had the cap space to mess around with, sure
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what were the offsetting penaltys??
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I think everyone feels that way
Makes you wonder what his injury was. I mean this kind of drop off?
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what were the offsetting penaltys??
Voracek got unsportsmanlike. Not sure about Kuzy unless they called him brushing Voracheck on the shoulder with his elbow. Is so that is a very weak call
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If the Caps had the cap space to mess around with, sure
Please don't interrupt my stupid fantasies with your facts...
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Oshie needs to learn the one-timer. He always seems to give the goalies enough time to set back up before he shoots. Pretty much EVERY time. :-(
He's not played well since his injury.
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Makes you wonder what his injury was. I mean this kind of drop off?
Could still be suffering affects from the last concussion
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And another shitty penalty on Oshie. He needs to watch from the press box.
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Went to a different bar/brewery with a KILLER Marzen . . but no TV >:(
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Voracek got unsportsmanlike. Not sure about Kuzy unless they called him brushing Voracheck on the shoulder with his elbow. Is so that is a very weak call
That's what it looked like.
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And another shitty penalty on Oshie. He needs to watch from the press box.
Please review Junta's announcemrnt. 77 is not an approved whipping boy for this game.
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And another shitty penalty on Oshie. He needs to watch from the press box.
Yup very stupid penalty
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Djoos was spilled along the boards...
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Idiots are afraid to crash the net. Ovie standing there with the puck looking for someone to get in position for some kind of pass.
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hey, this could be another big pp
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Please review Junta's announcemrnt. 77 is not an approved whipping boy for this game.
Mea culpa. So I can't mention that when you are going bad the puck ALWAYS seems to jump over your stick?
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Between 77 and 65 we are playing shorthanded on the power play. God that's awful.
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Orlov and Ovi by FAR our two best players today.
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WTF was that from Connolly? Headman pass for Giroux?
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VERY DISAPPOINTING with Philthy coming off a game last night.
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Mea culpa. So I can't mention that when you are going bad the puck ALWAYS seems to jump over your stick?
I don't make the rules...
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WTF was that from Connolly? Headman pass for Giroux?
Yup terrible play by Connolly. Pretty much the same play Kuzy made on the Flyers goal
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Pretty sure next goal wins it.
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well, overall this is an improvement over the last two games
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I fukin hate 3v3
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Oshie is really shadow of himself
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Oshie definitely needed to be on the list today. He does seem mentally out of it.
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Put Kuzy, Oshie and Carlson out there to start OT and that's what you get. Why not pay Ovi, Orlov and Backstrom. Those guys played well today. 3 straight dogshit games. This team is no different. Not going anywhere.
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Well that was a shame. I hate losing to Filthy! >:( Ridiculous amount of times we've gone into OT this year.
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Well that was a shame. I hate losing to Filthy! >:( Ridiculous amount of times we've gone into OT this year.
Lil, when you coming back for another visit?
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Lil, when you coming back for another visit?
When you invite me. :P
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Lil, when you coming back for another visit?
That shut you up, huh?
I would love to.
Sometimes I watch a game from all the way over here and can still smell the ice.....
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When you invite me. :P
Consider yourself invited ;)
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that's 3 loses in a row, now we gotta wait 3 days to see if they are willing to dig deeper
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Consider yourself invited ;)
You'd put me up?
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This was a game we probably should have won. Thought we were the better team but not by a wide margin. An OT loss to the Flyers isn't a complete disaster. We get a point and the Flyers pass the Pens
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You'd put me up?
Put up with you?
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. . . heh. oh yeah we’re in South Beach . . . it’s 4pm? and I’ve only had 7 beers. , . ,
It’s catch up time!!!
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Put up with you?
Yup. 8) [size=78%] [/size]
Maybe only for 10 days, rather than a whole 2 weeks next time tho.
Last time was way more of a cultural shock than I expected.
My passport is up for renewal and I'd have to get one of those other technical thingammy's to go over there again, so I'm not sure it would happen this year anyway, but hey-ho!
Do you think I should try?
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This was a game we probably should have won. Thought we were the better team but not by a wide margin. An OT loss to the Flyers isn't a complete disaster. We get a point and the Flyers pass the Pens
I agree, I thought we had the better of the play but we just can’t convert on our chances. Maybe our timing is still a little off. Ovie seems to be a little out of sync and Oshie seems to have lost a step or something. He just seems off, fumbling the puck etc.
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I agree, I thought we had the better of the play but we just can’t convert on our chances. Maybe our timing is still a little off. Ovie seems to be a little out of sync and Oshie seems to have lost a step or something. He just seems off, fumbling the puck etc.
Ithought Ovi was one of our better players tonight.
I agree about Oshie.
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Lady and my definition of what some call “sobriety” tends to differ . . .
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I agree, I thought we had the better of the play but we just can’t convert on our chances. Maybe our timing is still a little off. Ovie seems to be a little out of sync and Oshie seems to have lost a step or something. He just seems off, fumbling the puck etc.
Have you officially moved over?
I think it would be a mistake to abandon the official Caps discussion boards. Newbies need to know that we are still active and they would go to that site first.
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So nobody calls out Dylan for his typical soft play that led to the goal in OT? He lets an undersized forward squeeze by him on the boards and game over. I’m so tired of it.
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Ithought Ovi was one of our better players tonight.
I agree about Oshie.
Ovi was our best player. He played well at both ends of the ice
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So nobody calls out Dylan for his typical soft play that led to the goal in OT? He lets an undersized forward squeeze by him on the boards and game over. I’m so tired of it.
Ya he missed the guy along the boards. Kuzy picked him up but didnt do much to stop him. Funny you rip Carlson. He didnt make a poor decision. He didnt execute the play well.
The OT goal against the Devils had poor decisions by Orlov and Kuzy. Those are the plays you should be ripping.
Carlson had a decent game other than that play. Kuzy, Oshie and Backstrom are the guys playing terrible right now.
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Have you officially moved over?
I think it would be a mistake to abandon the official Caps discussion boards. Newbies need to know that we are still active and they would go to that site first.
I don’t know if I officially moved over but I am here and it is good to participate again in good hockey discussions. I am not going to abandon the official board but there is no one there and I was just talking to myself.
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Ovi was our best player. He played well at both ends of the ice
I agree Ovie played hard in both ends of the ice and even though he scored a goal I still think he is mishandling the puck a lot which I did not see him do so much before the break. That is why I said he seems out of sync.
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I admit I am biased against Carlson. I used to like him but his lackadaisical style and poor decision-making just wore me down. We've all played sports with, or known guys that get by with natural ability and could be so much better with more effort. Those guys are so frustrating. Carlson is one of those guys. In this case, all he had to do was step into the guy and take the body.
Regarding Kuzy and Orlov, I do tend to give them a pass when they do something stupid. Most of the time though, they are giving the effort, but just made a bad play. I will say Kuzy has some times that he has made some bad decisions.
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I don’t know if I officially moved over but I am here and it is good to participate again in good hockey discussions. I am not going to abandon the official board but there is no one there and I was just talking to myself.
4Caps, i'm very glad to see you here! I really like to read all your posts.
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I admit I am biased against Carlson. I used to like him but his lackadaisical style and poor decision-making just wore me down. We've all played sports with, or known guys that get by with natural ability and could be so much better with more effort. Those guys are so frustrating. Carlson is one of those guys. In this case, all he had to do was step into the guy and take the body.
Regarding Kuzy and Orlov, I do tend to give them a pass when they do something stupid. Most of the time though, they are giving the effort, but just made a bad play. I will say Kuzy has some times that he has made some bad decisions.
If Carlson improved as Orlov, he could be in top 10 D in the league. Like a few years back I just thought Caps have no adequate coaches for D. Now I think we are not bad, even unexperienced D, demonstrate their improvements. I don't want to bash Carlson, he is not bad, just...
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4Caps, i'm very glad to see you here! I really like to read all your posts.
Thanks RavenCp for the kind words.
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If Carlson improved as Orlov, he could be in top 10 D in the league. Like a few years back I just thought Caps have no adequate coaches for D. Now I think we are not bad, even unexperienced D, demonstrate their improvements. I don't want to bash Carlson, he is not bad, just...
Carlson might be a top 10 dman now. I would rank him somewhere around that spot.
As for Orlov he has improves his game immensely but he still makes poor decisions. The pairing if Orlov and Niskanen has been our worst pairing recently. I do like Orlov and I thinknhe is the future of the dcore.