G46 Devils @ Capitals 7:00pm Sat Jan 11, 2020 NBCSWA, MSG+ 2

[Mickstix]

Well that was fun.  Hope they shake the shit off here soon. Gettin old watching the 75' Caps every fucking night. 


See ya'll Monday..

[ArJunaZ]

There!  I fixed that scoring summary!  Much better!


Good night all

[PUCKNRUSH]

 I will say this till I’m blue in the face!!


 Generally speaking, the Washington Capitals, probably the team with the most elite, overall, talent in the league, on paper, DO NOT play at their superior level, when they DON’T FEEL LIKE IT, and DON’T HAVE TO!!  PERIOD!!!


If you simply insert this theory, at the proper time, every season, from the time that Trotz arrived, and turned this team into an unbeatable machine, when the players CHOOSE to all buy in, up to the present team under Rierden, (same great overall team talent),  then things COMPLETELY make sense,
and you can practically PREDICT what’s going to happen, IF, a few certain CONDITIONS are met!
You can almost LIST THEM, and then know the general expectations!


Here are a few conditions, first, that preclude, when we then witness intermittent, low energy games, that frustrate us and appear to defy all logic:


1) We have passed at least the first 1/3 of the season, where the first signs of boredom, and complacency, are potentially possible!
2) We’ve worked hard, early on, to be in 1st place in our division!
3) When we are FAR ahead in points, to the 2nd place teams points, either by Metro div.,Eastern conf.,or maybe even the ENTIRE league!
4) Thus, the atmosphere exists, and that beast WILL SHOW its ugly, prideful, head!!


 This has been the fucking same repeated pattern, every season since Trotz arrived,  and although I thought we may have started to begin shedding this damn pervasive SPELL, that comes upon us every year… WE HAVEN’T!! 


Oh, don’t worry fans!
The boys WILL remain atop the division!  (They’ll monitor it carefully!)
The boys WILL make the playoffs, no problem!


For the 1000th time, they will DIAL IT IN, WHEN THEY FEEL LIKE IT!


Rierden is IMPOTENT, to stop it!!
Hell...TROTZ, himself, could only barely manage it, most of the time, and TROTZ, represents THE PINNACLE of coaches, who have an uncanny ability to get the MAXIMUM effort, from even lesser talented players!  Look what he did with the Islanders! THIS IS HIS FORTE, and even HE couldn’t crack this phenomenon!


Let’s not forget that this issue, on the one hand, is actually a LUXURY, to have for ANY cities’ hockey team!  It’s been a rare occurrence throughout NHL history, for a city to have a team that is SO GOOD, that they can actually afford to let off the gas, when they get complacent,  and still dominate their division, and make the playoffs… GUARANTEED!!


On the other hand, it REAKS of the attitude of SPOILED, SISSY, CHILDREN,  Who actually have it ALL, and instead of being appreciative, take advantage of the loyalty and unique admiration, heaped upon them by millions of their fans, WHO, by the way,  are the entire reason they’ve been blessed with a one-in-a-million, opportunity of a lifetime!!


For you fans that can “roll with that”, and be accepting of it, without complaint, Well then,... I sincerely applaud, your ability to “grow with the times”,  and actually respect your ability to be at peace with it!


My old ass CAN’T, and probably never will!!  But I’ll still be a fan, because I’m smart enough to know that I can’t do a damn thing about it!!


You may notice, that when I gripe about our Caps, especially when they start having a bad spell,  you will see me get quite vocal about my frustration, in a stomp my feet kind of way!
 However MY complaints, are about individuals, and coaches, and team attitude, but all the while, I never, have thoughts that the sky is falling for the season on the CAPS!
[size=78%]I know they’re fucking complacent asses all too well!! And I get damn resentful at them!![/size]


 All the while knowing they will most likely again, finish first in the Metro, and make the playoffs! (OH, they’ll make DAMN sure of that!)
 I will also be there FERVENTLY rooting them on!
 But boy, I hate paying the price of being a fan of these guys, during this part of the season!!


Rush 

[zerofox]

I'll say it again. WE NEED TO GET HOLTBY THE FUCK OUT OF THE STARTING POSITION.

Holtby: 32 GP, 18-9-4, .899 SV%, 3.02 GAA

Samsonov: 16 GP, 12-2-1, .921 SV%, 2.24 GAA

Now I understand that Samsonov hasn't played enough games for it to be a significant enough sample size. I also understand that Samsonov, in his limited time in the NHL, hasn't done much to prove he is better or can be better than Holtby in his prime (i.e. Vezina caliber Holtby). There's nothing that tells us Samsonov will be the next Vezina and Cup winning goalie. But Holtby has done JACK SHIT to prove that he deserves to keep his starting spot. He's riding on the coattails of his Vezina/Cup wins. That's it. He's the employee who rolls into work 4 hours late and just sits there doing nothing. And when his co-workers ask why he's being a lard ass, he just pulls out his resume and says "that's why."

DC - You say there's no planet where Samsonov in his limited time in the NHL has proven to be better than an established veteran like Holtby? Okay I'll give you that. Samsonov COULD be better one day but we're going to need to see a lot more games out of him to begin to judge. But there's also no fucking universe where less than .900 SV% and more than 3.00 GAA is considered good for an NHL goalie, much less a goalie making $6-7 million this year, and on track to make $10 million.

Several days ago when we were playing the Sharks, everyone was talking about how much of a shit goalie Martin Jones was. Well Jones has an .890 SV% and 3.19 GAA. That's not far off from where Holtby is. But we are also SUBSTANTIALLY better than the Sharks as a team. And that's the thing...Holtby is in the bottom 20% (roughly) of the league in terms of SV% and GAA, but he's on a team that's best in the league. We're winning despite Holtby, not because of Holtby.

Now I also understand that SV% and GAA aren't everything. Maybe they're almost as useless as +/-, I don't know. But let's not pretend they don't mean anything at all here. Samsonov has been solid. He hasn't been lights out stand on his head brilliant. He hasn't stolen the starting job from Holtby, as much as Holtby has lost it with his poor play. But Samsonov has earned a chance, much like Grubauer earned his chance a few years ago. Worse case scenario, Samsonov also goes through some rough patches and we cycle Holtby in to see if he's gotten his shit together. Best case scenario, Samsonov plays well for us and/or Holtby finds his game again come playoff time.

[DC_1908]

I'll say it again. WE NEED TO GET HOLTBY THE FUCK OUT OF THE STARTING POSITION.

Holtby: 32 GP, 18-9-4, .899 SV%, 3.02 GAA

Samsonov: 16 GP, 12-2-1, .921 SV%, 2.24 GAA

Now I understand that Samsonov hasn't played enough games for it to be a significant enough sample size. I also understand that Samsonov, in his limited time in the NHL, hasn't done much to prove he is better or can be better than Holtby in his prime (i.e. Vezina caliber Holtby). There's nothing that tells us Samsonov will be the next Vezina and Cup winning goalie. But Holtby has done JACK SHIT to prove that he deserves to keep his starting spot. He's riding on the coattails of his Vezina/Cup wins. That's it. He's the employee who rolls into work 4 hours late and just sits there doing nothing. And when his co-workers ask why he's being a lard ass, he just pulls out his resume and says "that's why."

DC - You say there's no planet where Samsonov in his limited time in the NHL has proven to be better than an established veteran like Holtby? Okay I'll give you that. Samsonov COULD be better one day but we're going to need to see a lot more games out of him to begin to judge. But there's also no fucking universe where less than .900 SV% and more than 3.00 GAA is considered good for an NHL goalie, much less a goalie making $6-7 million this year, and on track to make $10 million.

Several days ago when we were playing the Sharks, everyone was talking about how much of a shit goalie Martin Jones was. Well Jones has an .890 SV% and 3.19 GAA. That's not far off from where Holtby is. But we are also SUBSTANTIALLY better than the Sharks as a team. And that's the thing...Holtby is in the bottom 20% (roughly) of the league in terms of SV% and GAA, but he's on a team that's best in the league. We're winning despite Holtby, not because of Holtby.

Now I also understand that SV% and GAA aren't everything. Maybe they're almost as useless as +/-, I don't know. But let's not pretend they don't mean anything at all here. Samsonov has been solid. He hasn't been lights out stand on his head brilliant. He hasn't stolen the starting job from Holtby, as much as Holtby has lost it with his poor play. But Samsonov has earned a chance, much like Grubauer earned his chance a few years ago. Worse case scenario, Samsonov also goes through some rough patches and we cycle Holtby in to see if he's gotten his shit together. Best case scenario, Samsonov plays well for us and/or Holtby finds his game again come playoff time.

Again, it’s not that Holtby is washed up worthless and never was to begin with, with or without his coach.  It’s assuredly that he doesn’t want to be here anymore, and who can blame him?


This leaves us in a shit situation.  Him being a UFA will hurt his trade value this year.  If we if we did move him, we risk having to face him in the playoffs/final, which he will be a on a mission and know everything we do.  That also would leave us in a situation with a hot rookie, who could fall of the cliff, or get hurt, and leave us Copley and Viviwhatever in net.


On the other hand trying what The Hens did with giving up and benching a Cup winner for a hot rookie, (the young one who was out in second round and the other took an expansion team to the finals)  has worked about once.  Oh if Holtby was pissed now, heh what til that happens.


The thing to note is how the team plays and what changes they make based on who is in net.   If they played the same style and protected Holts like they do Sammy, it may get his head back in the game, and keep the 4+ GAA to almost nonexistent

[Mickstix]

Again, it’s not that Holtby is washed up worthless and never was to begin with, with or without his coach.  It’s assuredly that he doesn’t want to be here anymore, and who can blame him?

Honestly, why wouldn't Holtby want to be here anymore? You saying they shouldn't of signed Kuzy and Oshie in 2017, because Holtby's contract was gonna be up in 2020??  Makes no sense. He's just a product of the salary cap. Im sure he understands the situation. I guess we could go the route the Kings did and sign him to a 10 year deal, then hold our breath we don't end up last in the east..

[waynerivers]

As bad as the guys have looked, the biggest problem this team has is standing behind the bench.  It's clear that Rierden just writes out the lineup, tinkers with the lines a bit and that's it.  He has no clue how to discipline a lazy and careless team.  A good coach would only need to see about two of those 80' stretch passes in one game to read the riot act to them.  Yet, they've been doing that for weeks 5-6 times a game.  That's a sign of laziness, of guys not skating and of guys not backchecking.  Trotz would have fixed that instantly.  Same with the confused, panicky play in our own zone.  Rierden simply doesn't have what it takes, regardless of the current record.  This team will be one and done again as things now stand.

I tell you what I'd do, even with the team in first place.  I'd send a message by unloading Rierden and hiring a guy like Alan May.  He always makes insightful comments on the team and quickly diagnoses what they are doing wrong.  He's an old school guy who would command a lot more respect than Mr. Magoo back there.  Of course, that would be bold and boldness is frowned on in most professional sports organizations.

[zerofox]

DC - Even if Holtby doesn't want to be here anymore, shouldn't he be playing his best? After all, he's in a contract year. He may have "earned" a big contract with his prior achievements but his performance this year is only going to hurt his value going forward.

[alta]

I will say this till I’m blue in the face!!


 Generally speaking, the Washington Capitals, probably the team with the most elite, overall, talent in the league, on paper, DO NOT play at their superior level, when they DON’T FEEL LIKE IT, and DON’T HAVE TO!!  PERIOD!!!


If you simply insert this theory, at the proper time, every season, from the time that Trotz arrived, and turned this team into an unbeatable machine, when the players CHOOSE to all buy in, up to the present team under Rierden, (same great overall team talent),  then things COMPLETELY make sense,
and you can practically PREDICT what’s going to happen, IF, a few certain CONDITIONS are met!
You can almost LIST THEM, and then know the general expectations!


Here are a few conditions, first, that preclude, when we then witness intermittent, low energy games, that frustrate us and appear to defy all logic:


1) We have passed at least the first 1/3 of the season, where the first signs of boredom, and complacency, are potentially possible!
2) We’ve worked hard, early on, to be in 1st place in our division!
3) When we are FAR ahead in points, to the 2nd place teams points, either by Metro div.,Eastern conf.,or maybe even the ENTIRE league!
4) Thus, the atmosphere exists, and that beast WILL SHOW its ugly, prideful, head!!


 This has been the fucking same repeated pattern, every season since Trotz arrived,  and although I thought we may have started to begin shedding this damn pervasive SPELL, that comes upon us every year… WE HAVEN’T!! 


Oh, don’t worry fans!
The boys WILL remain atop the division!  (They’ll monitor it carefully!)
The boys WILL make the playoffs, no problem!


For the 1000th time, they will DIAL IT IN, WHEN THEY FEEL LIKE IT!


Rierden is IMPOTENT, to stop it!!
Hell...TROTZ, himself, could only barely manage it, most of the time, and TROTZ, represents THE PINNACLE of coaches, who have an uncanny ability to get the MAXIMUM effort, from even lesser talented players!  Look what he did with the Islanders! THIS IS HIS FORTE, and even HE couldn’t crack this phenomenon!


Let’s not forget that this issue, on the one hand, is actually a LUXURY, to have for ANY cities’ hockey team!  It’s been a rare occurrence throughout NHL history, for a city to have a team that is SO GOOD, that they can actually afford to let off the gas, when they get complacent,  and still dominate their division, and make the playoffs… GUARANTEED!!


On the other hand, it REAKS of the attitude of SPOILED, SISSY, CHILDREN,  Who actually have it ALL, and instead of being appreciative, take advantage of the loyalty and unique admiration, heaped upon them by millions of their fans, WHO, by the way,  are the entire reason they’ve been blessed with a one-in-a-million, opportunity of a lifetime!!


For you fans that can “roll with that”, and be accepting of it, without complaint, Well then,... I sincerely applaud, your ability to “grow with the times”,  and actually respect your ability to be at peace with it!


My old ass CAN’T, and probably never will!!  But I’ll still be a fan, because I’m smart enough to know that I can’t do a damn thing about it!!


You may notice, that when I gripe about our Caps, especially when they start having a bad spell,  you will see me get quite vocal about my frustration, in a stomp my feet kind of way!
 However MY complaints, are about individuals, and coaches, and team attitude, but all the while, I never, have thoughts that the sky is falling for the season on the CAPS!
[size=78%]I know they’re fucking complacent asses all too well!! And I get damn resentful at them!![/size]


 All the while knowing they will most likely again, finish first in the Metro, and make the playoffs! (OH, they’ll make DAMN sure of that!)
 I will also be there FERVENTLY rooting them on!
 But boy, I hate paying the price of being a fan of these guys, during this part of the season!!


Rush

I disagree with your timing, Club Kettler started long before Trotz was here

[PUCKNRUSH]

As bad as the guys have looked, the biggest problem this team has is standing behind the bench.  It's clear that Rierden just writes out the lineup, tinkers with the lines a bit and that's it.  He has no clue how to discipline a lazy and careless team.  A good coach would only need to see about two of those 80' stretch passes in one game to read the riot act to them.  Yet, they've been doing that for weeks 5-6 times a game.  That's a sign of laziness, of guys not skating and of guys not backchecking.  Trotz would have fixed that instantly.  Same with the confused, panicky play in our own zone.  Rierden simply doesn't have what it takes, regardless of the current record.  This team will be one and done again as things now stand.

I tell you what I'd do, even with the team in first place.  I'd send a message by unloading Rierden and hiring a guy like Alan May.  He always makes insightful comments on the team and quickly diagnoses what they are doing wrong.  He's an old school guy who would command a lot more respect than Mr. Magoo back there.  Of course, that would be bold and boldness is frowned on in most professional sports organizations.

Of course, I agree with you, Wayne!
Theoretically, YOU absolutely offer a great alternative!


Given the overwhelming evidence that you point out, “a lazy and careless team”, AND more good observations of when it’s happening, (the 80’ stretch passes, etc.), which I’ll have to add to my aforementioned LIST, (above)👍, we must recall that this occurred ALSO, in the Trotz era, although he could get on top of it, somewhat, whereas Rierden, IMO, doesn’t have a clue, and POSSIBLY just writes it off as simply “ one of those things that happens, occasionally”, which can be interpreted as basically throwing in the towel and admitting that The TEAM dictates how things are basically going to go.


By its very nature, this problem would never happen on any losing team in the NHL! In my opinion, it is born from a combination of extremely talented players, with less mental character, in combination with a passive coach, when it comes to these issues!


I, for one, intentionally refuse to cut them the same slack, that I would for any other average person in society!
They are blessed with an extremely rare opportunity in life, and should, I repeat, SHOULD, be held to a higher standard of conduct. I understand this is a fundamental philosophical belief, that folks in society are are either on one side, OR the other.
Good post, Wayne!


Rush

[PUCKNRUSH]

I disagree with your timing, Club Kettler started long before Trotz was here

Good point, Alta. You’re probably right!
We could all probably go back to 2010, with Montreal in the first round of the playoffs, or even before.
Yes, the same phenomena, can be observed, even prior to Barry Trotz.


I chose him as a starting point, simply because the argument could be made that if anybody could’ve ended this teams culture issues, it would have been HIM!


And even HE had minimal success with it, that’s how deep and pathetic it is!


Rush

[alta]

Good point, Alta. You’re probably right!
We could all probably go back to 2010, with Montreal in the first round of the playoffs, or even before.
Yes, the same phenomena, can be observed, even prior to Barry Trotz.


I chose him as a starting point, simply because the argument could be made that if anybody could’ve ended this teams culture issues, it would have been HIM!


And even HE had minimal success with it, that’s how deep and pathetic it is!


Rush

it goes back to when Semin was here, IMO

[alta]

and the comeback wins they've had this year don't help to fix that coast mentality, now they think they just need to keep it close until the last 5:00 and they can pull a win out of the nether regions

[Surreylily]

I disagree with your timing, Club Kettler started long before Trotz was here

There have been two coaches who have challenged the "Kllub Kettler" mentality. 

The first was the interim coach, Dale Hunter, who was brought in as a temp.  He was asked to stay, but declined.
The second was Trotz.

Klub Kettler has been around for a while.  I almost commented on exctly that last night.  The "Klub Kettler" attitude.  There were difinite shades of Bruce B, last night.   

[Surreylily]

I'll say it again. WE NEED TO GET HOLTBY THE FUCK OUT OF THE STARTING POSITION.

Holtby: 32 GP, 18-9-4, .899 SV%, 3.02 GAA

Samsonov: 16 GP, 12-2-1, .921 SV%, 2.24 GAA

Now I understand that Samsonov hasn't played enough games for it to be a significant enough sample size. I also understand that Samsonov, in his limited time in the NHL, hasn't done much to prove he is better or can be better than Holtby in his prime (i.e. Vezina caliber Holtby). There's nothing that tells us Samsonov will be the next Vezina and Cup winning goalie. But Holtby has done JACK SHIT to prove that he deserves to keep his starting spot. He's riding on the coattails of his Vezina/Cup wins. That's it. He's the employee who rolls into work 4 hours late and just sits there doing nothing. And when his co-workers ask why he's being a lard ass, he just pulls out his resume and says "that's why."

DC - You say there's no planet where Samsonov in his limited time in the NHL has proven to be better than an established veteran like Holtby? Okay I'll give you that. Samsonov COULD be better one day but we're going to need to see a lot more games out of him to begin to judge. But there's also no fucking universe where less than .900 SV% and more than 3.00 GAA is considered good for an NHL goalie, much less a goalie making $6-7 million this year, and on track to make $10 million.

Several days ago when we were playing the Sharks, everyone was talking about how much of a shit goalie Martin Jones was. Well Jones has an .890 SV% and 3.19 GAA. That's not far off from where Holtby is. But we are also SUBSTANTIALLY better than the Sharks as a team. And that's the thing...Holtby is in the bottom 20% (roughly) of the league in terms of SV% and GAA, but he's on a team that's best in the league. We're winning despite Holtby, not because of Holtby.

Now I also understand that SV% and GAA aren't everything. Maybe they're almost as useless as +/-, I don't know. But let's not pretend they don't mean anything at all here. Samsonov has been solid. He hasn't been lights out stand on his head brilliant. He hasn't stolen the starting job from Holtby, as much as Holtby has lost it with his poor play. But Samsonov has earned a chance, much like Grubauer earned his chance a few years ago. Worse case scenario, Samsonov also goes through some rough patches and we cycle Holtby in to see if he's gotten his shit together. Best case scenario, Samsonov plays well for us and/or Holtby finds his game again come playoff time.

i don't hate Holtby, but ever since Mitch Korn left, it seems to have been one step forward and three steps back for Holts.  Does he just not remember the lessons, the drills?
Holtby has not been playing well lately and I'm very surprised that he's in the All Star game tbh.

[alta]

There have been two coaches who have challenged the "Kllub Kettler" mentality. 

The first was the interim coach, Dale Hunter, who was brought in as a temp.  He was asked to stay, but declined.
The second was Trotz.

Klub Kettler has been around for a while.  I almost commented on exctly that last night.  The "Klub Kettler" attitude.  There were difinite shades of Bruce B, last night.

Bruce2 tried to break up club kettler, that’s when he lost OV, which cost him the locker room

[Surreylily]

Bruce2 tried to break up club kettler, that’s when he lost OV, which cost him the locker room

Yep.

[Surreylily]

and the comeback wins they've had this year don't help to fix that coast mentality, now they think they just need to keep it close until the last 5:00 and they can pull a win out of the nether regions

This is turning out to be a slightly worrying trend.  Not least from that recent ridiculous comeback in the last minute. 

Over confidence?  Arrogance?  Ignorance, more like!   

[Surreylily]

it goes back to when Semin was here, IMO

 
When I think of Semin, The first thoughts aren't of how amazing a player he was, or how fast, or how skilled.  I always think of that rabbit punching he did.......  Handbags at dawn Sir? 

[Surreylily]

Good point, Alta. You’re probably right!
We could all probably go back to 2010, with Montreal in the first round of the playoffs, or even before.
Yes, the same phenomena, can be observed, even prior to Barry Trotz.


I chose him as a starting point, simply because the argument could be made that if anybody could’ve ended this teams culture issues, it would have been HIM!


And even HE had minimal success with it, that’s how deep and pathetic it is!


Rush

Disagree with this luv.Trotz was a fantastic coach and has always come across as a decent person.  he got Mitch Korn here to school Holtby.  I'm npt xure many other coaches could have done that.

Trotz was the one to eliminate Klub Kettler.

THAT is how and why we won the CUP.
HE was the one that got us to play as a TEAM.
HE was the one who taught our boys what TEAM meant.