GDT #7 Caps at Lightning @ 7pm

[waynerivers]

It’s over. The sky is now falling. Caps suck. They will never score again…
Okay it’s not that bad. Result sucks but statistically the Caps outplayed Tampa in nearly every area except scoring/goaltending
Caps had more legit scoring chances, more shots on goal, more hits, etc etc
It looked a bit more then just getting out-goalied, but we did have our chances
PP definitely is on the suck right now.
Actually I thought Debois had his best game. We just didn’t score.
I expect Tuesday will be more of the same.

The sad truth is that Ovie is almost completely useless now.  He's slow and mostly a non-factor.  Having him and Protas with Strome is just making Strome less effective than he might be with better linemates.  Overall, this team still doesn't have the firepower to compete over the long term.  They're better than last year for sure but last year isn't a very high bar.

[Mickstix]

Definitely time to shuffle that top line. Love Protas hustle, just wish he had a touch more, touch. He'd be a superstar! But, him with old Ovi is not producing any fruit.

[alta]

Caps had some decent scoring chances, but Vasilevskiy was on top of his game. I don’t see a need to shake things up over one game. That power play though, is shit on ice.

[richkrt99]

Id move Ovie to L3 and move Mangiapane up to L1.  Protus to me is not a top line wing...yet, but his skating and wall boards work are both improved over last year.  Maybe move both him and Ovie to L3 and move up Vranna and Mangi to L1....NOT that Vrana has done anything to deserve L1 time - he's just not a 3rd line type of guy.  The 3rd line now is just a liability and moving Ovi to it would do nothing but give you one disastrous L3.  Adding Protus just seems like punishing a guy for working hard and improving his game, but yet you get to babysit the 3rd line so its not a sucking black hole.
Of course no matter what you do, you need someone to cover for Ovie.  He still hits people and tries to hustle back now and then, but he's lost a step for sure. I think maybe they would have already moved him off the PP except they are desperately trying for him to break the goals record.
I don't think Carbs has the stones to move Ovi to a 3rd or 4th Line though.  Well maybe the stones, but IF he did, it would have to yield absolute perfect results for both L3 and L1 otherwise he'd be forever blamed for Ovi not breaking the record. It appears the Caps are all in committed to Ovi breaking the goals record, despite whether or not it provides wins for the team.
It would be a tough call to break up L2, which really seems to be clicking - they have looked good every single game I think.

Tuesday will certainly best a test vs the Rags.  Would love to see Ovi net a hattie vs Lavi, and maybe Willy could make some Flatbread out of Panarin, but not holding my breath.

[waynerivers]

Id move Ovie to L3 and move Mangiapane up to L1.  Protus to me is not a top line wing...yet, but his skating and wall boards work are both improved over last year.  Maybe move both him and Ovie to L3 and move up Vranna and Mangi to L1....NOT that Vrana has done anything to deserve L1 time - he's just not a 3rd line type of guy.  The 3rd line now is just a liability and moving Ovi to it would do nothing but give you one disastrous L3.  Adding Protus just seems like punishing a guy for working hard and improving his game, but yet you get to babysit the 3rd line so its not a sucking black hole.
Of course no matter what you do, you need someone to cover for Ovie.  He still hits people and tries to hustle back now and then, but he's lost a step for sure. I think maybe they would have already moved him off the PP except they are desperately trying for him to break the goals record.
I don't think Carbs has the stones to move Ovi to a 3rd or 4th Line though.  Well maybe the stones, but IF he did, it would have to yield absolute perfect results for both L3 and L1 otherwise he'd be forever blamed for Ovi not breaking the record. It appears the Caps are all in committed to Ovi breaking the goals record, despite whether or not it provides wins for the team.
It would be a tough call to break up L2, which really seems to be clicking - they have looked good every single game I think.

Tuesday will certainly best a test vs the Rags.  Would love to see Ovi net a hattie vs Lavi, and maybe Willy could make some Flatbread out of Panarin, but not holding my breath.

You read my mind because I was going to suggest the same thing; move Ovi and Protas to the third line.  It really isn't going to affect how many goals he scores because he simply isn't scoring anyway.  Unless he can start scoring on the PP, he isn't going to break the record this year and it's doubtful he will anyway.  He's on pace for 20 goals and really hasn't even scored yet.  He has an empty netter and the other one simply caromed around and bounced off him and went in.  He picked it up in the second half last year but can he do that again?  I could really see him getting like 15-18 goals for the season.  At that rate, he won't break the record until the 2026-27 season when he'd be 41.


Tonight will tell us a lot about where this team really stands and how much work is still to be done.

[Beaglefan2]

Wayne and Rich - you guys are right on. Ovi will stay on PP unless he insists that they take him off.  Even if Carbs was brave enough to do it for one game, management/ownership would require he be put back on. I have said for the last two years that I did not think Ovi would break the record and I hate to see him hang on in an embarrassing way - he is close to that now.  Yes, he got more goals in the second half last year, but there were a lot of empty netters and not that many that were skilled goals.  I think they do have to give him another 10 or so games to see if he can step it back up, but after that I just don't want it to be a pitiful and desperate hang on for a record.

[richkrt99]

I'd like to see Ovi break the record.  I think he would have already if not for several shortened seasons.  I don't mind that the franchise is committed to him breaking the record - its a good story.  Ovi is not the only reason for the success of this franchise, but I do think he is the biggest reason.  He MADE hockey what it is in Washington, so there's that.
But yeah, i don't want it to be an embarrassing venture every night for the next 2 seasons for them to wheel Ovi out there on the PP and and park him in the circle and hope he finds the net 42 times
Id rather they put the best team on the ice to win games and Ovi contributes where he can.  I don't think they are knowingly and intentionally sacrificing wins just to get him goals, but lets not get to that point either.
The other thing is....the PP just sucks ass all around right now, so its easier for teams to focus on Ovi and take that away.  When the PP unit actually is a threat from all areas, then goals will come for Ovi on the PP too.

Go Ovi.  Go Caps

[richkrt99]

Haha. Just like I said. Move Ovi and Protus to L3…they can’t produce 
Protus looked especially good tonight. His hustle and his skating have come a long way since last year
Ovi still has the desire to score.