GDT: CA @ US @ 4pm PST

[Firsov99]

Only gets addressed if we promote the Finnish goalie coach in Hershey. I have had enough of Scott Murray!

Do you think that it's just a coaching issue?

 

[Kalopsia]

I’m not going to check the stats but desperately want someone else to do it:

They’ve got so many 5-6 goal games already I wonder where they compare against the entirety of last season.

They scored 5+ 10 times last year (12% of games), and this year they've done it 3 times (33% of games). So almost 3 times as often.

On another note, the Ranger's game had been their 3rd highest ES xGF% over the last three seasons... now it's been pushed down to 4th, cause the Caps put up an xGF% of 80.32% tonight. That's their 2nd best over the last three seasons.

 

[Ovechkins Wodka]

We get what you pay for. 2 league min contracts on goalie.

 

[SherVaughn30]

Do you think that it's just a coaching issue?

Only time will tell. Both goalies have given up top corner short-side goals, which I don't like. 1 of the 3 tonight should not have counted. Protas was tripped, but they didn't call it, allowing Caufield's goal to count.

 

[SherVaughn30]

We get what you pay for. 2 league min contracts on goalie.

Don't agree with that correlation. Caps paid Kuemper $5 million per year, yet he didn't meet expectations as a #1 goalie for us. Lindgren makes $1.1 million, yet he was tied for 1st with 6 shutouts last season! Caps are playing a more offensive type game this season, than last season. So this season the goalies might have to do a little more.

 

[kicksavedave]

I like our team.

 

[ChaosLord]

This is one of the fastest starts since...I think 2019? Didn't the Caps go on an absolute tear at the beginning of the 2019 season?

 

[Kalopsia]

This is one of the fastest starts since...I think 2019? Didn't the Caps go on an absolute tear at the beginning of the 2019 season?

At this point in 2019 they were 5-2-2, but that was two wins into a stretch where they went 10-0-1. Through 18 games they were 13-2-3 for a 132 point pace, and so far this year they're on a 128 point pace.

 

[twabby]

I'm going to need the manufacturer to make me a whole lot more game pucks since more than one person deserves it on almost a nightly basis, but for tonight:

My game puck goes to Aliaksei "The Belarusian Bull" Protas for a goal, an assist, and a colossal 97% xG share on the night.

Honorable mentions to the entire team.

 

[DWGie26]

Caps are now 4-0 with me in the house. We once again look so dominate all over the ice. That offsides was on McMichael but such a beautiful short handed goal. I still think McMicahel has a lot of headroom. He needs to clean things up and finish, but damn he is everywhere.

4th line looked strong as well. And Alexyev played great. I really like the way he plays and I’d love to see him get a top 6 slot but only two ways that happens. When injury or when Sandin gets traded.

 

[stephenball]

Yeah, I thought Alexyev looked fine out there, at least didn’t look rusty. I feel like he’s one of those guys who isn’t going to blow your socks off, but I think he can get better and be a solid 3rd pairing defenseman in this league.

The fourth line is so good.

 

[DWGie26]

Yeah, I thought Alexyev looked fine out there, at least didn’t look rusty. I feel like he’s one of those guys who isn’t going to blow your socks off, but I think he can get better and be a solid 3rd pairing defenseman in this league.

The fourth line is so good.

Alexyev probably isn’t more than a 3LD in NHL. But he is big, cost controlled, and pretty disciplined now. He is a good luxury at 7/8D. But I think he can play in a top 6 role. Will be interesting if we can sign him as Group6 FA. I hope so.

 

[RedRocking]

Mikey doing zone entires on the PP was a beautiful sight to behold. It hasn’t been that seamless since prime Kuzy.

There were some different looks on the PP tonight. I liked Mikey going in Gretzky’s office too - can keep the goalie off balance and provides another outlet to Ovi.

If PLD stays on the half wall (mostly), I really would like to see him shoot it. He can definitely wire it, and they badly need a threat on the right side to open things up. Especially with no TJ in the bumper to draw defenders away from Ovi.

 

[DWGie26]

Mikey doing zone entires on the PP was a beautiful sight to behold. It hasn’t been that seamless since prime Kuzy.

There were some different looks on the PP tonight. I liked Mikey going in Gretzky’s office too - can keep the goalie off balance and provides another outlet to Ovi. I’ve seen other teams utilize that successfully on their PP.

If PLD stays on the half wall (mostly), I really would like to see him shoot it. He can definitely wire it, and they badly need a threat on the right side to open things up. Especially with no TJ in the bumper to draw defenders away from Ovi.

there are a lot of guys that can carry it. And Lapierre will make it 3 lines (4th will still dump and chase which is fine). I love the way we carry into the zone collectively.

 

[Nogatco Rd]

Think our goalies have been pretty week all season.

I’m hoping they’re just having trouble adjusting to the drastic reduction in shot volume.

Might be a grain of truth to that because the 1st period is typically solid, but as the game wears on they don’t look nearly as sharp.

 

[zappa4ever]

What a game it eventually became

1st was a pretty boring low event slog, tho Caps did look better
4 penalties before halfway thru and down 2-1 had things looking like familiar 'trap game L' territory...
for about a minute and 14 seconds

from there it was Washington Globetrotters vs the Generals it seemed

Duhaime mic'd up gave me a greater appreciation fo sho'

wtf was the pumpkin in post-game? 700 Sixth?

 

[RedRocking]

It is definitely Carbery, but it's not just him. Gotta give management their due here. They got the right pieces for the roles that needed filling and they had patience with young guys. I am so enjoying watching the Caps thrive, and it's so clear what a great job BMac and GMCP did, when you contrast it with how badly Nashville sucks. All the pundits were kissing Trotz's ass after free agency talking about how he did so great to get all those big-name players, and all the talk about the Caps, when there was any at all, was about how sure, they added a bunch of guys, but they're not game breakers. But no one looked at the whole picture.

Anyone with any serious understanding of hockey could have predicted that the Preds' all-star lineup had a high probability of failure and that the Caps had made strategic moves to build an actual team. And here we are.


Love it. Also seems impossible.

The org’s pro scouting really has been amazing in the BMac era. If they have the resources (picks, cap room) they’re so good at filling in the missing pieces.

Like, I know Dowd has been great with almost anyone. But, this rebuilt line with Duhaime and Raddysh might be the best version yet.

Still a long ways to go on guys like PLD, Chychrun and Roy. But they make sense. Same with Mangiapane, who is like a better version of Sheary, that can play up and down the lineup.

I have faith in our goalies, especially once the D is fully intact. Chuck was this team’s MVP last season (we don’t sniff the playoffs without him). And he was also solid the year prior. The Vegas guys are angry about losing LT - I think he’ll prove effective.