GDT R3G5 Capitals @ Lightning 2018-05-19 7:15pm EST NBC, CBC, TVAS

[waynerivers]

You guys blaming Holtby are fucked in the brain.  Really.  Without him we don't get out of the Columbus series and no way we beat Pittsburgh.  To say he doesn't come up big is fucking ridiculous.

Nobody is saying he isn't good or doesn't have good games but he gets brain farts at the worst moments.  He was shaky as hell in Games 3 and 4.  Last year he wasn't good for a lot of the Pitt series.

[Maacoshark]

You guys blaming Holtby are fucked in the brain.  Really.  Without him we don't get out of the Columbus series and no way we beat Pittsburgh.  To say he doesn't come up big is fucking ridiculous.

   I agree with you. Without Holtby we don't get past Columbus or Pittsburgh. And for us to get by Tampa I think we will need Holtby to win it for us. He might have to steal 2 games for us.

[DC_1908]

You guys blaming Holtby are fucked in the brain.  Really.  Without him we don't get out of the Columbus series and no way we beat Pittsburgh.  To say he doesn't come up big is fucking ridiculous.

There are 6 - 14 other guys that don’t come up big in playoff series that Holts bails out each game

[Maacoshark]

Nobody is saying he isn't good or doesn't have good games but he gets brain farts at the worst moments.  He was shaky as hell in Games 3 and 4.

   I didn't think Holtby was shaky. He wasnt lights out like he was in other games but I wouldn't call him shaky. Even tonight he was solid. Could have been 5-0 in the first period.

[waynerivers]

If we're relying on Holtby to win it for us then we're going to lose.  We have to play relentlessly in the other team's end for 60 minutes.  That's something we hardly ever do but that's the only hope for pulling this out.

[ArJunaZ]

I still believe we have a real shot at winning this series. We just have to play the way we CAN play a full 60 minutes and stop being lazy pansy asses.  It would help if we the refs would call a fair game, which they absolutely did not this game. We got robbed on one goal without a doubt. Orlov got tripped and that goal should never have counted because the goal was a direct result of taking him out.

I know in my heart that if we can make it to game 8 that we got this. 

[waynerivers]

   I didn't think Holtby was shaky. He wasnt lights out like he was in other games but I wouldn't call him shaky. Even tonight he was solid. Could have been 5-0 in the first period.

He was shaky.  Game 3 especially.  The reasons for them losing are many and Holtby plays a part as well.  That doesn't mean it's all him or primarily him but he is part of it.

[RavenCp]

And lose game 7 ?


 ; )

That's I don't know, yet!

[Mickstix]

Gotta call bullshit on that.  We made a ton of mistakes in the first and Holtby saved a bunch of them.  Vasi has been very good in the last 3 games but if you look at the goals scored -- very few Holts had a real shot at. 

You came up with some good "excuses" there.. And that's all they are, excuses.. So he made some saves that kept it from being what 4, 5, 6-2?? Does that make it better? I love Holtby, but fact is 3GA's every game is too many.. He either figures out how to stop a couple that normally get through, or we're done, period.. And good night!  lol

[alta]

The team came out flat in the 1st of the last two games, you can't do that in the playoffs and expect to win

[ArJunaZ]

1st Period
00:19  Bolts GOAL Paquette, assist Cakkahan   1-0 TBL
09:04  Bolts GOAL Palat, assist Kucherov   2-0 TBL

2nd Period
00:33  Bolts GOAL Callahan, assists Stralman & Kunitz  3-0 TBL
04:21  GOAL 92-Kuznetsov, assists 2-Niskanen & 77-Oshie   3-1 TBL

3rd Period
18:24  GOAL 8-Ovechkin, assists 74-Carlson & 20-Eller   3-2 TBL

FINAL:   3-2 TBL

[Maacoshark]

There are 6 - 14 other guys that don’t come up big in playoff series that Holts bails out each game

   Agreed. There is too much emphasis on goaltenders letting in a goal. No one says what lead up to the goal.
  The first goal Orlov makes a weak pass in the neutral zone which shouldn't have been an issue since Kuzy and Niskanen were in position to make a play. Niskanen played it poorly and Tampa gets a mini breakaway 19 secs into the game.
   The second goal Orlov falls or was possibly tripped causing a turn over. Niskanen had as chance to make a play but backs in too deep then tries to go down and block the shot. He may have blocked Holtbys view of the puck in doing so.
    The 3rd goal Niskanen just got flat out beat around the edge by Stralman. Holtby did make the initial save but Tampa got a flukey bounce. I think it went off Callahan's hand. This was not a goaltending issue.
    Niskanen was at least partially responsible for all 3 goals. He was by far the worst player on the ice for either team. Wtf. He is a veteran and supposed to be our shutdown guy. I don't see it.

[Maacoshark]

He was shaky.  Game 3 especially.  The reasons for them losing are many and Holtby plays a part as well.  That doesn't mean it's all him or primarily him but he is part of it.

   I'm not excluding Holtby but he is the last guy I would fault. He has possibly been our best player in these playoffs. Kuzy, Ovi band Carlson have played well too. But for consistency its Holtby and Carlson that have been our best.

[Maacoshark]

You came up with some good "excuses" there.. And that's all they are, excuses.. So he made some saves that kept it from being what 4, 5, 6-2?? Does that make it better? I love Holtby, but fact is 3GA's every game is too many.. He either figures out how to stop a couple that normally get through, or we're done, period.. And good night!  lol

   I think your expectations of Holtby are very unrealistic. I predicted when Grubauer started that he would fail and we would put Holtby in and put all the pressure on him to win this for us. And that is exactly what is happening. Without Holtby we don't get by Columbus or Pittsburgh but if we lose to Tampa its Holtbys fault. Nothing like throwing a guy under the bus.

[apace41]

You came up with some good "excuses" there.. And that's all they are, excuses.. So he made some saves that kept it from being what 4, 5, 6-2?? Does that make it better? I love Holtby, but fact is 3GA's every game is too many.. He either figures out how to stop a couple that normally get through, or we're done, period.. And good night!  lol

Expecting your goalie to bail out porous D and a team that fails to show up for the first period is not reasonable.  But you can put it on him if you want.

[zerofox]

ok, so technically the fat lady is now getting warmed up


just to remind people, the Caps aren't eliminated until they lose 4

They lost the series today to be honest. The guys are ready for golf. Trotz is looking forward to getting canned. That's about it. Only thing worth cheering for when it comes to this team is seeing Ovechkin continue to score goals and break records, and seeing some of our other young guys move forward in their careers. There's no team accomplishments that will ever come to this shit team. Just individual records, so might as well cheer for those individual players.

[Maacoshark]

They lost the series today to be honest. The guys are ready for golf. Trotz is looking forward to getting canned. That's about it. Only thing worth cheering for when it comes to this team is seeing Ovechkin continue to score goals and break records, and seeing some of our other young guys move forward in their careers. There's no team accomplishments that will ever come to this shit team. Just individual records, so might as well cheer for those individual players.

   Trotz won't be getting canned unless they resign him then can him.

[Beaglefan2]

   
    Niskanen was at least partially responsible for all 3 goals. He was by far the worst player on the ice for either team. Wtf. He is a veteran and supposed to be our shutdown guy. I don't see it.

Agreed. Niskanen has had plenty of games this year when he made one stupid hockey play after another. Tonight was a bad time for another one.


 For the first goal he half-heartedly stands up at the line and doesn’t bother to take either guy - bad decision.


For the third goal he was in good position but I guess decides the guy is going to drop pass so he doesn’t protect the edge like he should - bad decision.

[Mickstix]

Expecting your goalie to bail out porous D and a team that fails to show up for the first period is not reasonable.  But you can put it on him if you want.

That's the thing, I'm not expecting it, or putting it all on Holtby.. I'm just stating fact. Vasi is "bailing out" his team better then Holtby is and the better goalie wins the series, period.. Certainly isn't all his fault, but if we are to advance, needing to score 4-5 goals isn't gonna end well.. 

[Maacoshark]

That's the thing, I'm not expecting it, or putting it all on Holtby.. I'm just stating fact. Vasi is "bailing out" his team better then Holtby is and the better goalie wins the series, period.. Certainly isn't all his fault, but if we are to advance, needing to score 4-5 goals isn't gonna end well.. 

  Vasi isn't really bailing out his team. Remember Vasi single handedly lost the first 2 games if the series. Vasi has made a handful of good saves the past couple games. No different than Holtby. Vasi has also let in more soft goals than Holtby has in this series.
  Vasi has definitely picked up his play from the beginning of the series.