Post-Game Talk: Capitals win game 1, lead series 1-0

[Kennerback]

All the players on the 3 other lines get puck touches. But Laine does not have the acceleration to get to loose pucks fast enough. If the puck goes around the boards on his side, it goes to the other team. Demidov is not even close to get puck touches. This won’t get better.

 

[HabsForHire]

Demidov should not have talked.

Woke the beast in Ovie.

You think his tongue is out like Jordan’s is a coincidence? Same mentality there, don’t give him fire

didn't wake up anyone

 

[ahmedou]

Washington Capitals: 0 shots on goal since 11:31 in the 3rd period

 

[Marioesque]

That play happens 300 times every game in the regular season and it has never been called, the habs do it too. The whole point is Laine has played almost a decade in the NHL, he played hard this game but his play there was baby soft.

It has no bearing to the outcome of the play whether you view it in terms of soft or hard.

Guhle was just penalized for hitting a player before he touched the puck.

This was an either/or from ref and he chose neither one and pretended he didn't see the cross check.

You're just arguing about "how you felt he looked", that's got nothing to do with how the ref messed up call.

If he would have stood or gotten up faster wouldn't have made any difference, the missed call had already happened. Maybe Laine tried to sell it by staying down that long.

Weird reasons people have for losing a hard fought game.

 

[McGees]

Our 2nd line needs a revamp so bad but we just don't have the players yet.
Laine needs to take a hike. Reminds me of MAB, a pp specialist who is horrendous at any other point in the game.
Newhook is where offence goes to die, a bottom 6 winger not a top 6 C.
Demidov, while a future superstar, was thrown into the lions den and is showing his inexperience at the moment and needs better teammates.

 

[calder candidate]

I really think a OT win would have swing the momentum, but we are still in it… that OT goal was a mess but I everyone had some miscues… still we got a shot to win the game I think the ref were horrible they missed some on both side but seem pretty blatant that most of the call ended up screwing us.

 

[OneSharpMarble]

I think what bothers me the most is the complete non factor Slaf tends to be. He has no identity, terrified to carry the puck more than 5 ft and not physical at all. I hate his instant throwaway passes when someone looks his way.

 

[VT]

Demidov should not have talked.

Woke the beast in Ovie.

You think his tongue is out like Jordan’s is a coincidence? Same mentality there, don’t give him fire

Ovechkin didn't react to Demidov, the PO is important to him, he loves important games. And this season I perfect self-confidence, he is ideally physically prepared. And against him 2x stood the youngsters Demidov and Hutson who had zero experience in the NHL PO.

Besides, every player understands that journalists are often annoying, and players are not Cicero's followers. Journalists, on the other hand, will turn a normal response into a nuclear explosion.

 

[RandR]

When I saw the icing call I thought “oh crap a defensive zone face-off without Evans or Dvorak to take it.” Caps D Roy was trash for a lot of that game, but he made the right play there by not letting Laine get to the centre line.

The 2nd line is obviously the weakest link on this team, but it wasn’t for a lack of effort tonight and I don’t see any alternatives until the off-season. The other lines are all doing an A job and you don’t want to mess with the chemistry each of them has. We need the 2nd line to contribute, and Newhook and Laine did get some chances.

I give this team credit for not giving up, once again coming from behind in the 3rd. Compare that first playoff game for all the Habs young players to how poorly many of the Senators young players reacted in their first playoff game the night before.

Washington were really physical, but I don’t know if they can keep that up for an entire game. The Habs hung in there, stuck to their game, and got better and better as it went on.

Disappointing end, but it’s part of the learning process and they won’t be too discouraged.

 

[HabsMD97]

It has no bearing to the outcome of the play whether you view it in terms of soft or hard.

Guhle was just penalized for hitting a player before he touched the puck.

This was an either/or from ref and he chose neither one and pretended he didn't see the cross check.

You're just arguing about "how you felt he looked", that's got nothing to do with how the ref messed up call.

If he would have stood or gotten up faster wouldn't have made any difference, the missed call had already happened. Maybe Laine tried to sell it by staying down that long.

Weird reasons people have for losing a hard fought game.

The refs didn't mess up that call, the call you want has literally never been made in NHL history, you're just being emotional after an emotional loss in the playoffs, i get it but the blame is on both Laine and Guhle for making a bad breakout pass

 

[holy]

Washington Capitals: 0 shots on goal since 11:31 in the 3rd period

Feels like we definitely would've scored again if the 3rd went on for a few more mins.

 

[Gravity]

Still disappointed we didn't come out with the W after the resilience they showed. Hopefully we take G2.

 

[LesCactus]

Wish Habs got the W the day before my birthday, but I know they’ll win the series. Not the best way to start off 23.

 

[Marioesque]

The refs didn't mess up that call, the call you want has literally never been made in NHL history, you're just being emotional after an emotional loss in the playoffs, i get it but the blame is on both Laine and Guhle for making a bad breakout pass

Just the other day against Guhle. You can't impede a player who doesn't have the puck. Laine never had the puck.

It's a very common penalty

At least if they weren't going to give the penalty, then it shouldn't have been an icing. There was clear interference

If you're arguing it's an icing then I guess that's on the player who touched the puck last, no?

 

[The Great Weal]

Demidov should not have talked.

Woke the beast in Ovie.

You think his tongue is out like Jordan’s is a coincidence? Same mentality there, don’t give him fire

Holy shit this Malkin/Ovi thing is getting blown so out of context it's crazy. Let's ignore the language barrier for a second, how does saying you like Malkin more mean you hate Ovi? It's the classic "oh you like pancakes, so you hate waffles". Posters are rushing to Ovi's rescue like this comment made him cry as if they want to sleep with him. Get real and go blow off your cannons in your empty building.

 

[HabsMD97]

Just the other day against Guhle. You can't impede a player who doesn't have the puck. Laine never had the puck.

It's a very common penalty

At least if they weren't going to give the penalty, then it shouldn't have been an icing.

If you're arguing it's an icing then I guess that's on the player who touched the puck last, no?

Hitting a guy stationed on the red line on a breakout pass happens literally every f***ing shift man and Laine was barely even touched, idk what else to tell you here

 

[Whitesnake]

Laine's fault. I can't wait until these two are off the top 6. One moves like he's got 2 broken legs who shat his pants while the other has the hockey IQ of a Neanderthal skating a million miles an hour. These two have such bad chemistry that they shouldn't even be next to each other on the team plane or dinners.

Laine seems to me like quite a few players who are just playing 'cause they have the talent to. Not because they love it. Not going to kill themselves if they can avoid it. For Newhook, it's a question of hockey IQ. Just like I fear Slaf is. To Slaf defense, you have to hope that experience could overcome his deficiencies. Newhook is what he is right now. But it's obviously a bad matchup for the playoffs.

 

[Captain97]

Honestly if I'm benching anyone on forwards it's Newhook. I feel like I noticed him least.

And I'd put Xhekaj in, his biggest problem is taking bad penalties. Looks like the Refs are letting the boys play, so let's let the boy play.

 

[Spearmint Rhino]

Win-Win, we showed we can compete with the Caps in the 3rd, just need to do that for 60 minutes

Also showed the blackhole that is our so called 2nd line and Hughes will be forced to address it with proven assets

 

[Marioesque]

Hitting a guy stationed on the red line on a breakout pass happens literally every f***ing shift man, idk what else to tell you here

No it doesn't, that's insane

That's an interference, learn the rules.

they got away with it twice today (once in Demidov, vonce on Laine), but that doesn't mean we should just accept it when it happens as "oh well "

I understood why Guhle got the early hit penalty the other day, because those are the rules. Accepting the rules gives me the opportunity to point out when they fail to follow them

 

[Kobe Armstrong]

2nd line got caved in so bad all game, it was sad to see

 

[The Great Weal]

Honestly if I'm benching anyone on forwards it's Newhook. I feel like I noticed him least.

And I'd put Xhekaj in, his biggest problem is taking bad penalties. Looks like the Refs are letting the boys play, so let's let the boy play.

He had no room to do his figure skating. People thinking he's good enough 5v5 are out to lunch. Marty will have to break them up and put the lines in a blender while triple shifting Suzuki starting 3rd periods at this point.

 

[Miller Time]

When I saw the icing call I thought “oh crap a defensive zone face-off without Evans or Dvorak to take it.” Caps D Roy was trash for a lot of that game, but he made the right play there by not letting Laine get to the centre line.

The 2nd line is obviously the weakest link on this team, but it wasn’t for a lack of effort tonight and I don’t see any alternatives until the off-season. The other lines are all doing an A job and you don’t want to mess with the chemistry each of them has. We need the 2nd line to contribute, and Newhook and Laine did get some chances.

I give this team credit for not giving up, once again coming from behind in the 3rd. Compare that first playoff game for all the Habs young players to how poorly many of the Senators young players reacted in their first playoff game the night before.

Washington were really physical, but I don’t know if they can keep that up for an entire game. The Habs hung in there, stuck to their game, and got better and better as it went on.

Disappointing end, but it’s part of the learning process and they won’t be too discouraged.

Bang on.

And reality is that our "2nd" line is deployed more as a 4th line with Newhook getting extra shifts to support the other two lines.

We effectively don't have a 2nd line. 1st line, 2* 3rd lines and a non traditional 4th line.

 

[Captain97]

No one on the team can win a faceoff. Whatewver coach is responsible for faceoffs should be fired.

Um the Habs won 52.6% of the faceoffs. Given Newhook was sub 40% that means everyone else was dominant

 

[Atrusai]

Win-Win, we showed we can compete with the Caps in the 3rd, just need to do that for 60 minutes

Also showed the blackhole that is our so called 2nd line and Hughes will be forced to address it with proven assets

That's the message I'm sure the coach is going to be preaching next practice. Came back from down 2 goals in the third, just need to keep up the attack and get the winner.

Current Habs remind me a bit of the Leafs when they took the Caps to 6 with our young core. Going to be a really important summer for Habs management to add some pieces and keep it going