GDT #71 Caps at Wild @ 2pm

[Surreylily]

Some proper Keystone Cops going on.       Talk about playing to lose.

[alta]

PP GOOOAAALLLL

OVECHKIN

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it kinda looks like this game could get very ugly and I blame the shit show that has been officiating today

[alta]

 

 

[Surreylily]

YEAH BABY!
 
 

[Surreylily]

Ho hum.
Don't care.  Ovi scored twice, so I'm good.   

[alta]

GOOOAAALLLL

STROME

[Surreylily]

     I can't believe they actually gave that!       Bollocks must have been over ruled.

 

[alta]

a misconduct on Willy 

[Surreylily]

Don't suppose we could afford that Reaves fella, huh?

[Surreylily]

a misconduct on Willy 

Course there is.
Nothing for the cheap shot artist who targetted Kuzys head.  Course not.   

[Mickstix]

Ovi scored twice, win win!! And another lopsided drubbing.. Probably not a coincidence that we only start looking decent once the other team has multi goal leads. During the competitive portions of the game we get outmatched every time. Maybe they can get up for the big home game vs the Jackets! 

[BlackIce]

Caps just ahead of the Sabres/Sens/Wings, all of them with games in hand.  But they are all playing as bad or worse than we are, so it is really a tossup whether we pick 10th, 11th, 12th, or 13th.  Everyone else is either far enough ahead or far enough behind us that we can't pass or sink below them.

[Mickstix]

Caps just ahead of the Sabres/Sens/Wings, all of them with games in hand.  But they are all playing as bad or worse than we are, so it is really a tossup whether we pick 10th, 11th, 12th, or 13th.  Everyone else is either far enough ahead or far enough behind us that we can't pass or sink below them.

How many teams get in on the "lottery"?

[richkrt99]

Oof...didn't watch till late and already knew the outcome so I spent about 30 minutes FFWD through this one.

Hit on Irwin should have been a boarding call - 2 minutes.

Hit on Kuzy....is tough.  He was definitely in a vulnerable position, but the MAIN point of contact was not the head.  A split second earlier and it's interference.    He head definitely whiplashed.  Not sure how Kuzy hurt his wrist on this hit.  I expect this hit will get at least looked at.  It did start with at least the shoulder, but it do come through and make some head contact.  The shitty part is, this is nearly identical to the preseason hit that landed Willy a 20-25 game suspension, and there is no consistency with the calls.  The refs did nearly let this game get out of control.  I expect that's why they hit Oshie with a misconduct and instigating...trying to calm the seas.


Not surprised the Caps lost this one.  The Wild have been on a tear the last 10 games or so....ramping up for the playoffs, like you need to....not limping along hoping everyone else helps you get in so you can get destroyed in the first round.


I hate the concept of playing to lose, but it would be better for the draft/future.  I don't think the Caps will actually make the playoffs, but I can fathom them beating Boston in the first round if they did.  I don't have any fantasies the Caps can make a deep run this year so what's the advantage of them making it this year? Other than a couple extra games of entertainment, ending in failure and frustration.


Lavi...I am curious as to what the ownership/management plans are regarding coaching.  I don't dislike Lavi, but I think this team needs to fire everyone on the bench and start fresh.  This team NEEDS to go in a new direction, but is Lavi the guy to take it there?

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I look at Dumba’s hit on Kuzy like this.. if Wilson made that exact same hit and the rest of the league lost their shit over it, it was a bad hit. And we all know damn well what would’ve happened if Wilson made that exact hit.

[BlackIce]

Rich, I don't believe that this franchise has anything resembling "a concept of playing to lose."  I think they are doing what they can, and given their age, injury situation, and the players they are asking more of right now, "what they can" is not good enough to win on a lot of nights.  But they are still winning about half the time, and it may be good - or bad - enough to keep them ahead of the teams close behind them, who are playing crappy at this point.


My understanding of the draft lottery is that all non-playoff teams are in the lottery, and every team in the lottery has a chance to move up in the draft order (except for the worst team, who cannot improve their "natural" draft standing, but can only move down).  However, I think there is a constraint built into the lottery now that a team cannot move up more than 10 places in the order -- so the team with the 14th worst record, for example, cannot move up higher than the 4th pick.  IF I am right, that is why finishing with the 10th or 11th worst record is at least moderately important.  Beyond the natural benefit of having earlier draft choices whatever the results of the lottery, finishing no worse than 11 means there is a chance - very small for sure, but it IS there - of winning the lottery AND moving up to the number one slot.  Because the consensus #1 pick this summer, Bedard, is supposed to be the most dynamic forward since McDavid. 

[richkrt99]

Yeah, I didn't mean "playing to lose" as an organizational concept or as what our team mentality currently is, but more as a personal-player mentality.  Even with no hope of playoffs, as a player, I would have a hard time going out and not competing at my best - so that we can get better next year...even though in reality it would be better for the team in the long run.  As a player, I'm just not sure you can make that happen - especially with professional athletes who have strived their entire lives for success and to reach this level have the most competitive nature as it was the only way they could get to this level, even with some God-given talent.  Some of these guys (including coaches) are fighting for jobs or better contracts (or new teams) next year, so I'm not sure how you make losses happen.


I would like to see more young guys get a shot as the season winds down so you can evaluate them for next year, and to just get them some real NHL playing time. I am sure the NHL frowns upon putting a sub-par team on the ice - even for evaluating talent.


I'm not arguing the concept and the NEED for better draft pics, but how do you intentionally lose games to make it happen?