Post-Game Talk: Capitals vs. Coyotes 11/2/14 7:00 PM Caps Lose 6-5

[MrGone]

Alex Prewitt ‏@alex_prewitt
Trotz: "Some of the behavior has to change."

Trotz outlining very nicely what this team doesn't do right.

I'll say this - if this team goes no where under Trotz, its time to rebuild. To me that would clearly show that the roster makeup is not right.

You are just now getting to this point? I thought it's been clear for years now. GMGM was a great collector of talent but knew nothing about putting together a winner.

 

[Coldplay619]

Why is Trotz going full doom and gloom you guys?

He's not.

People are only going to ride that quote but he wasn't all negative during his presser.

Also:

Adam Vingan @AdamVingan
Brooks Orpik: "Guys are going to make mistakes. Right now, one guy makes a mistake and everybody else kind of watches it happen."

 

[msrulo]

Niskanen and Green third line D please

 

[Devil Dancer]

 

[g00n]

I've seen this gif before and I still can't figure it out. WTF are these idiots doing? Is this a parking garage overseas or something? A security device to keep people from pulling in and using it and leaving without paying? It looks like she's driving at first and then she gets out...why? Or is that her on the left beforehand and there's an edit to her by the car? Why is she waiting for him to show up with this car? Does he drive in accidentally and then he's trapped? Why is she so close to the fence when he's ramming into it? Why does he climb out the window when we see the door opening earlier?

The hell????

 

[EroCaps]

Good that Trotz is threatening jobs less than 10 games in rather than the McPhee approach of waiting 6 years and then letting the guy walk.

 

[troyerlaw]

Maybe you should realize you're the only one reacting like this and then maybe question yourself?

Based on the 150 posts in between your message and now, I am thinking that, um, no, I am not the only one reacting that way.

The third period was a continuation of the second. We simply gave a game away. At a moment when we badly, badly needed a Win.

txpd is right on the money. This was the type of game where you fire the coach afterward. Trotz obviously will not be fired because he is brand new. But the game was enough of a dumpster fire that another coach would lose his job.

I was upset about Ovie laughing at the ref's call at the end of the 2nd because it didn't seem he understood the gravity of the situation. Another PK was upcoming in a 1-goal game, and sure enough, it took the Yotes all of about 10 seconds to tie it.

The seeds of our destruction were sown in the 2nd period. You didn't have to be Scotty Bowman to see that. As I said before, whatever is the opposite of stepping on a team's neck, that's what we did.

Burakovsky65, i don't know how long you have been following the Capitals. But let me tell you a bit about me. I have followed them closely, enthusiastically since 1974 when I was six years old. If you will go back through even the last two weeks of my messages, let alone the last four years, you will see that my posts are NOT overwhelmingly negative, that i am frequently an optimist and that I am always ready to change my opinion of a player and happily eat crow if proven wrong, to wit, MoJo this year generally, or more recently, Kuznetsov.

I do not have a single favorite player nor a favorite coach. I have no allegiance to anything at all except this team playing well and winning.

I am here to tell you that tonight was a bad loss. I would bet you a large sum of money that Trotz, even between the 2nd and 3rd periods, when you thought I was overreacting, was NOT in the dressing room whining about the refs, which you and several others seemed to think was the main problem. I bet you he was very, very upset at his own team and how they were playing and how they were responding to the refs' calls, whether the calls were warranted or not. I am guessing he wasn't overly worried about the refs at all.

Whoever said that at least Trotz will be the final test for whether this core should be kept together is absolutely right. If he can't restore us to contention, then I think the ownership and/or the front office will be forced to conclude that the so-called Young Guns Era didn't work, and that the team must start over with a true rebuild. Which will be a real shame, especially for those of us who watched the so-called Young Guns arrive and prosper and push the Pens to Game 7 in the second round of the Pen' Cup-winning run. We know how close to greatness that Caps team was, when the stars were still just kids and had much less doubt and fear in their game.

Maybe Trotz will turn the ship around. Either way, tonight will be remembered as an important game. That's all.

 

[g00n]

Following one of these other meltdowns I think I said I'm glad Trotz is facing this now rather than, say, in a playoff race or series. It will be interesting to see how he handles this ongoing culture of epidemic slack. Since he's not going anywhere, it's the players who are lacking leverage and who are going to change or suffer.

My guess is a team that's tired and makes stupid mistakes late in periods or games is going to get a healthy dose of conditioning and repetition of fundamentals with very little slack or country club privileges until things are safely back on track. I'm thinking weeks and months, not a few days or wins...

 

[NobodyBeatsTheWiz]

It was never going to be an immediate turnaround.

We haven't even reached the quarter mark of the season yet.

It might just take time or it might take a trade or two to get it to work.

 

[g00n]

It was never going to be an immediate turnaround.

We haven't even reached the quarter mark of the season yet.

It might just take time or it might take a trade or two to get it to work.

I think Trotz goes Full Herb (Brooks) on them first. If that doesn't work some guys are getting shipped out.

 

[Devil Dancer]

The hell????

I wish I could tell you. It's fascinating because it's so bafflingly stupid, kind of like the Caps recently.

Speaking of which, I missed most of the game but I see a few anti-Green comments. What did he do? From the highlights, which I watched on a tiny phone, he didn't look to be the culprit for most of the goals against.

 

[NobodyBeatsTheWiz]

I wish I could tell you. It's fascinating because it's so bafflingly stupid, kind of like the Caps recently.

Speaking of which, I missed most of the game but I see a few anti-Green comments. What did he do? From the highlights, which I watched on a tiny phone, he didn't look to be the culprit for most of the goals against.

He and the 4-point night captain are easy targets, because they're generally hated by the hockey media.

 

[Calicaps]

This is all good for the long term. The team has shown some really exciting potential and whole lot of old awful habits. Trotz has seen 11 games and clearly knows what's wrong as well as what's possible. Now the real work begins.

Turning this great ship of fail around was bound to take a good third or more of the season. But I believe he can do it, especially if GMBM is for real and will make the moves that need making.

 

[NobodyBeatsTheWiz]

I think Trotz goes Full Herb (Brooks) on them first. If that doesn't work some guys are getting shipped out.

Could definitely see it.

For all the doom and gloom, the Caps still have the second best goal differential in the division, which I take as a good sign of future success.

Decent goaltending and they win tonight. I think Peters gave up 4 goals on 6 shots at one point.

 

[troyerlaw]

Loved the Trotz post-game presser. I believe he is light years ahead of Oates (or any other Caps coach in recent memory) in his understanding of team dynamics, the ebb-and-flow of a season, the potential value of adversity, etc.

I really do feel that if he can't do it, then it can't be done with this current group.

Also, he basically put his finger right on the problem when he said, 'It's almost as if these guys want to do just enough to win,' and as if they don't understand that it's an all-out, 60-minute battle, and you need to keep fighting all the way through.

Just enough to win is a good way of looking at the Young Guns, even at their peak. Indeed, you could argue their signature was the miracle comeback in a 6-5 or 5-4 game. Just enough to win.

I really want to see what Trotz can do here, whether he can keep the group together and spur them to be better, or whether this season is going to devolve into punitive TOI distribution, demotions, rumors of locker room problems, and rampant speculation about sending off our best pieces before TDL.

 

[Mickstix]

Could definitely see it.

Decent goaltending and they win tonight. I think Peters gave up 4 goals on 6 shots at one point.

And Holtby gave up 3 on 4 shots last night.. Goaltending has worked against us the last 2 games, no doubt..

It's too bad that every chance the other team gets seems to find the back of the net.. But we're doing some things right, but still too much fancy and not enough grit, dirty in front of the net..

For all the no hands- grinders this team has, you'd think it'd take a bulldozer to get them out from in front of the net, but I don't see anyone willing to go hard and stay there for a screen/deflection..

Wilson did good! Other then that most of our grinders still think they're skills guys and want to skate by the net, circle around and watch a shot from the point get easily snared by an un-screened goalie.. Team needs work, for sure!

 

[g00n]

For all the no hands- grinders this team has, you'd think it'd take a bulldozer to get them out from in front of the net, but I don't see anyone willing to go hard and stay there for a screen/deflection..

Wilson did good! Other then that most of our grinders still think they're skills guys and want to skate by the net, circle around and watch a shot from the point get easily snared by an un-screened goalie.. Team needs work, for sure!

This is an important point, and it's why I say Ward, Brouwer and Laich are all redundant especially for the money.

 

[troyerlaw]

Wilson did good!

He was awesome. I hope we get to see more of him on top-line Knuble duty. That could be a real pleasure to watch.

 

[thelebaron]

Loved the Trotz post-game presser. I believe he is light years ahead of Oates (or any other Caps coach in recent memory) in his understanding of team dynamics, the ebb-and-flow of a season, the potential value of adversity, etc.

I really do feel that if he can't do it, then it can't be done with this current group.

Also, he basically put his finger right on the problem when he said, 'It's almost as if these guys want to do just enough to win,' and as if they don't understand that it's an all-out, 60-minute battle, and you need to keep fighting all the way through.

Just enough to win is a good way of looking at the Young Guns, even at their peak. Indeed, you could argue their signature was the miracle comeback in a 6-5 or 5-4 game. Just enough to win.

I really want to see what Trotz can do here, whether he can keep the group together and spur them to be better, or whether this season is going to devolve into punitive TOI distribution, demotions, rumors of locker room problems, and rampant speculation about sending off our best pieces before TDL.

man that really does sum it up, havent been following the caps(or hockey) nearly as long as any of you but i never understood why the caps played good teams well and then played really poor teams terribly, but just enough kinda sums it up.

 

[artilector]

This is an important point, and it's why I say Ward, Brouwer and Laich are all redundant especially for the money.

Yeah.. it's a problem. Caps need grinders that can cycle and/or dog the puck and/or crash the crease. Ward can at least cycle, the other two don't actually do the grindy things all that well, they're more "secondary scorers", in theory at least.

The other side of it is -- take the Caps' skill players right now.. Ovi, Backstrom, Kuz, Bura, let's put MJ there (cause he certainly aint a grinder). Which of these guys are hard to play against -- I mean in the Datsyukian or Sedin sense of somebody talented who is always putting pressure on you one way or another? None of the Caps' skilled guys really measure up, IMO, at least not yet (let's at least be optimistic in case of Bura and Kuz). Backstrom makes good decisions, sure, but he's more stealthy than someone who really imposes his will on the opposition.

So... the Caps have a team of forwards who are probably average or below-average (in their paygrades and roles) in terms of being 60 minutes hard to play against. They are capable of stretches of dominance when they all get pumped up, but not enough of that core grind factor that can sustain execution over 60 mins, game in and game out. Ovi has games when he works pretty hard in the corners, but just as many games where he tends to float. Laich/Brouwer may occasionally crash the net, but they don't/can't do it consistently.

Not that I have a great insight here. Either Trotz can get everybody to raise their core dog level, or eventually BM has to alter makeup. Not an easy task, that. Ovi and Backstrom -- scary thought. Kuz and Bura -- young and promising. Chimmer/Fehr/Ward -- usually least of Caps' problems. Laich -- untradeable? Most of the rest -- too insignificant. Who's left? Brouwer and MJ?

 

[EroCaps]

Loved the Trotz post-game presser. I believe he is light years ahead of Oates (or any other Caps coach in recent memory) in his understanding of team dynamics, the ebb-and-flow of a season, the potential value of adversity, etc.

I really do feel that if he can't do it, then it can't be done with this current group.

Also, he basically put his finger right on the problem when he said, 'It's almost as if these guys want to do just enough to win,' and as if they don't understand that it's an all-out, 60-minute battle, and you need to keep fighting all the way through.

Just enough to win is a good way of looking at the Young Guns, even at their peak. Indeed, you could argue their signature was the miracle comeback in a 6-5 or 5-4 game. Just enough to win.

I really want to see what Trotz can do here, whether he can keep the group together and spur them to be better, or whether this season is going to devolve into punitive TOI distribution, demotions, rumors of locker room problems, and rampant speculation about sending off our best pieces before TDL.

They've always lacked professionalism. I rarely hear them talk about long-term goals or practicing good habits.

Management doesn't understanding winning. Glad Trotz does. So ****ing sick of this "squeak into the playoffs and get lucky mentality"...McPhee's way of dodging accountability on playoff failures. Winning franchises build great cores and talk Cup every year.

It may take getting rid of some of the veterans if they've gotten used to mediocrity.

 

[BTCG]

Wow, that's pretty much the worst example of fandom I've ever seen.

You've achieved the terrible fan trifecta of terrible knowledge, disloyalty, and knee-jerk reacting.

Do everyone a favor and go follow some other team. Maybe one whose captain is more captainy (or Canadian).

Says the guy with the bag over his avatar's head.

 

[BTCG]

Mike Green to the Red Wings Please

Wouldn't fit on DRW.

 

[Carlzner]

Wouldn't fit on DRW.

Uh what?

 

[NeilYoung]

I know with the previous 3 games and all, everyones going to be all doom and **** around here as usual but I see plenty of good things happening. I'll remain optimistic which I never do.

I know most of you are still a couple of years away from understanding the importance of advanced stats but just even with a quick look it's not hard to see this team is doing a lot of good things