GDT#35 Capitals @ Senators 7:00p.m. Sat Dec 22, 2018 NBCSWA, SN360, CITY, TVAS

[Maacoshark]

Im still lost on the pond hockey stuff? I'll readily admit my memory is shot, but did we ever lose playoff series' because we were playing some lose defense, all offense, slop game? Our GA one playoffs was like < 2 wasn't it?  I was sad when they let Alzner walk too.. And Beagle..  But I can't be bothered to be worrying about what "might" happen.. We won a fucking cup! We're leading the fucking division! We've won 14 of the last 17 fucking games! Cheer the fuck up already!!        Merry Christmas bitches!!!  Hey, it could be worse!! You could be fucking Redskins fans too.. Now that's some depressing shit.. 

    We were a pond hockey team when Boudreau was here and we are going in that direction again. It was beginning last season already. Thank god we changed our system in the playoffs.

[PUCKNRUSH]

    We were a pond hockey team when Boudreau was here and we are going in that direction again. It was beginning last season already. Thank god we changed our system in the playoffs.

I definitely agree with you, Maaco, about the Boudreau style is like pond hockey! I see him as one of the coaches that was thought to be “cutting edge”, as far as the new direction that NHL hockey started taking, and becoming what it is today!  I actually consider that as a negative on Boudreau, and believe his softer, speedy, offense oriented teams, will never win a cup! (Although haven’t followed Minnesota)


Despite all the times we have disagreement, Maaco, it’s kinda funny to realize, sometimes, just how much I have in common with your basic hockey philosophy, or at least what I gather from your posts and our private conversations we’ve had.  I’ll include DC also, in the same way!


I do, however, differ with you and DC on the current pond hockey direction of the Caps! Or at least in one aspect of it! I’ll try to explain.


I’m more with Mick on this, in that, I’m not really seeing any obvious pond hockey either! I see a high scoring game sometimes, with some seat-of-the-pants type playing, going on, but this is prevalent in ALL of NHL hockey! Not Capitals specific.


I also see nights where we hustle, show more defensive responsibility, and win dominantly with a 2 or 3 goal game.


What I’ve MAINLY seen though, from the Caps team, over the last 5 or 6 weeks, is a quality that ALL coaches revere highly, and that is, an ability to “find a way to win”, while facing all kinds of different situations, week to week.
I’m talking about finding a way, whilst playing through injuries, suspensions, PK and PP issues, defensive issues, road stretches, home stretches, goalies thrown under the bus, goalies not having a good game, resets and line rotations, etc. You get my drift!
In short they are absolutely finding a way to “get ‘er done”!!👍


So I’m a happy Caps fan, presently! I’ve always been a FAN, just not always the happiest! But especially happy ever since we won the cup!


Oddly, I do “get” a lot of what DC says about the Monumental marketing stuff. I’m not at the same level of disgust that he is with it, but as a season ticket holder, I feel, FOR SURE, the pinch of the way they bastardize the crap out of it!  I just try to separate out that part of the business, away from what happens on the ice!


Softer, pussified, less physical, wimpier, lower grit, less fundamental, more randomness, hockey, is what I see, like a plague, across the ENTIRE NHL, bar none!! THIS is where WE are totally aligned with each other!!
Pond hockey, to describe the direction that our Caps team is heading toward?? Not really there with it, fellas.


Merry Christmas folks!


Rush

[Maacoshark]

I definitely agree with you, Maaco, about the Boudreau style is like pond hockey! I see him as one of the coaches that was thought to be “cutting edge”, as far as the new direction that NHL hockey started taking, and becoming what it is today!  I actually consider that as a negative on Boudreau, and believe his softer, speedy, offense oriented teams, will never win a cup! (Although haven’t followed Minnesota)


Despite all the times we have disagreement, Maaco, it’s kinda funny to realize, sometimes, just how much I have in common with your basic hockey philosophy, or at least what I gather from your posts and our private conversations we’ve had.  I’ll include DC also, in the same way!


I do, however, differ with you and DC on the current pond hockey direction of the Caps! Or at least in one aspect of it! I’ll try to explain.


I’m more with Mick on this, in that, I’m not really seeing any obvious pond hockey either! I see a high scoring game sometimes, with some seat-of-the-pants type playing, going on, but this is prevalent in ALL of NHL hockey! Not Capitals specific.


I also see nights where we hustle, show more defensive responsibility, and win dominantly with a 2 or 3 goal game.


What I’ve MAINLY seen though, from the Caps team, over the last 5 or 6 weeks, is a quality that ALL coaches revere highly, and that is, an ability to “find a way to win”, while facing all kinds of different situations, week to week.
I’m talking about finding a way, whilst playing through injuries, suspensions, PK and PP issues, defensive issues, road stretches, home stretches, goalies thrown under the bus, goalies not having a good game, resets and line rotations, etc. You get my drift!
In short they are absolutely finding a way to “get ‘er done”!!👍


So I’m a happy Caps fan, presently! I’ve always been a FAN, just not always the happiest! But especially happy ever since we won the cup!


Oddly, I do “get” a lot of what DC says about the Monumental marketing stuff. I’m not at the same level of disgust that he is with it, but as a season ticket holder, I feel, FOR SURE, the pinch of the way they bastardize the crap out of it!  I just try to separate out that part of the business, away from what happens on the ice!


Softer, pussified, less physical, wimpier, lower grit, less fundamental, more randomness, hockey, is what I see, like a plague, across the ENTIRE NHL, bar none!! THIS is where WE are totally aligned with each other!!
Pond hockey, to describe the direction that our Caps team is heading toward?? Not really there with it, fellas.


Merry Christmas folks!


Rush

     The team is playing better recently. We still give up too many high scoring chances because we aren't playing with structure. And is pretty much what pond hockey is.
      Did you forget some of the games that we gave up 5 or 6 goals. What about the game against the Ducks when we blew a 5-1 lead. And we have had several games that looked good on paper because we only gave up a goal or 2. But it was our goaltending that was good. Not our defense. We are not a good defensive team, we suck on the pk. Its because we aren't playing with structure. Too many times I see guys wandering around the dzone watching the play.
       We have been very hard on our dcore this year. They havent played well but they aren't getting the support from the forwards that they did in the past. Quite often forwardscare leaving the zone early to try to create offense and in doing so they are ignoring their defensive responsibility. We are winning with skill more than structure. That's pond hockey to me.

[PUCKNRUSH]

I’m cool, Maaco, with how you define “pond hockey”.
I was actually surprised that there is an actual definition at Wikipedia, but it’s more technical, because there are actually pond hockey leagues, all around North America!  I never knew that!
The definition they use isn’t even close to how we’ve been using it recently on the board. So I’m good with using it the way it’s been used here, for the sake of discussion.


I think of “pond hockey”, as a reference, in the same way we say “street ball”, for basketball!
Meaning both hockey and B-ball, being played without a lot of structure, as you mention, but also marked with lots of scoring, low emphasis on executing pre-planned, play set-ups, etc.  In short, less skilled, disorganized, amateurish, type play.


I’m an old-schooler about sports, appreciating and respecting, good work ethics, sportsmanship, physicality, hustle, professionalism, and practicing good FUNDAMENTALS!! You know this about me, as I believe we have similar sports philosophies. OK, so if you’re with me so far, then read on!


I submit to you the idea that, BY COMPARISON,  to the older style hockey, that we BOTH say we respect and admire,  that the newer age hockey style, could be viewed as “pond hockey like”.  Again, by comparison to the older stuff!  By ALL nhl teams today! Some a bit more, than others, but nonetheless, seen throughout the entire NHL.


I mean, where is all this consistent, organized, structure, on ANY team, that is apparently, reliably executed, day in, and day out, that you seem to be inferring, EXISTS, on some other team, somewhere?, that enables you to compare the Caps, to them, as something WE should strive for???
WHERE THE HELL IS IT?       IT DOESNT EXIST, nowadays!!


Do teams practice good fundamental play and structure, on both sides of the ice?  Yes, the successful ones do it more often, than NOT!  The unsuccessful ones, LESS often than NOT!  None of these teams “have it all down”.  It’s basically that simple, IMO.


Since the “newer hockey” style is here, and prevalent throughout the league, (unfortunately, for the sport, LOL), that means today’s style does NOT have to be called “pond hockey”, AT ALL,  because this style is the NEW STANDARD, which makes it be able to be referred to as RELATIVE to itself.  That is, if everybody’s DOING IT, then it essentially defines NHL hockey, as it is TODAY!


NO, I don’t frickin like it, but I’ve chose to accept it on ITS OWN TERMS.


So the BIG point I’m trying to make is that if we use TODAYS hockey standards, relative to ALL the NHL teams,  the frickin CAPS are kickin ass!!  And they are in good company with teams like, Tampa, Toronto, and Winnipeg, to name a few!


Rush

[alta]

Pond hockey, to describe the direction that our Caps team is heading toward?? Not really there with it, fellas.

Merry Christmas folks!

Rush

You ever watch the mights on ice during the first intermission where there are only really two position players(the goalies) and it's just a big herd following the puck around the ice? That's pond hockey

[Mickstix]

         Did you forget some of the games that we gave up 5 or 6 goals. What about the game against the Ducks when we blew a 5-1 lead. And we have had several games that looked good on paper because we only gave up a goal or 2. But it was our goaltending that was good. Not our defense.

Those games we gave up a bunch and blew the lead, were also partly because the goaltending was poor and the PK gave up multiple goals.. I can't really argue that we've given up high scoring chances, but I don't see it as a product of pond hockey.. In todays game you have to score, which other teams are gambling to do as well. We give as good as we get, imo, on the scoring chances.  Hopefully it calms down and gets more structured as the season goes, but with the way their calling games and goalie equipment getting smaller, more skilled players, etc. it's a product of "is what it is" imo.. Im just hoping we can cure the special teams issues. I see that as more an issue than the style of game we're playing. 

[Maacoshark]

Those games we gave up a bunch and blew the lead, were also partly because the goaltending was poor and the PK gave up multiple goals.. I can't really argue that we've given up high scoring chances, but I don't see it as a product of pond hockey.. In todays game you have to score, which other teams are gambling to do as well. We give as good as we get, imo, on the scoring chances.  Hopefully it calms down and gets more structured as the season goes, but with the way their calling games and goalie equipment getting smaller, more skilled players, etc. it's a product of "is what it is" imo.. Im just hoping we can cure the special teams issues. I see that as more an issue than the style of game we're playing.

       Sounds like you are buying into the offense first system.

[Mickstix]

Not what I'd prefer, but not gonna fret about it.. We da Champs! 

[4 Caps]

Not what I'd prefer, but not gonna fret about it.. We da Champs! 

Yes we are and I am damn proud of it.   I have followed this team from its beginning and winning the Stanley Cup last season was beyond anthing I could imagine.  Even if we win another in my lifetime it will never top last season.  All the frustation from years past just evaporated. 

[DC_1908]

Not what I'd prefer, but not gonna fret about it.. We da Champs! 

And the chances of us staying champs are vanishing if we continue to sacrifice the goalies for stats and marketing.


Last year is done, right now we’re just an offensive only team that relies on the goalies for all the defense, ya know the kind rarely gets outta thd first round of the playoffs.

[Mickstix]

And the chances of us staying champs are vanishing if we continue to sacrifice the goalies for stats and marketing.

And wins! Don't forget the wins!    Savor the moment, young buck..   

[alta]

Yes we are and I am damn proud of it.   I have followed this team from its beginning and winning the Stanley Cup last season was beyond anthing I could imagine.  Even if we win another in my lifetime it will never top last season.  All the frustation from years past just evaporated.

I don't know, I'm still pretty damn frustrated with the officiating

[DC_1908]

I don't know, I'm still pretty damn frustrated with the officiating

which would explain our strellar PK and roster moves to support it 😡