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

[StCaufield]

Why is that ? He's essentially Anderson but good.

For some reason I can see him declining. Just a feeling and he’s never really impressed me. We have his brother at least lol

 

[Andy]

I hope one of the people learning is Kent. He should see who doesn’t contribute and who sticks out like a sore thumb.

No, he sits there with his thumb in his ass and thinks this is the best roster of all time with zero flaws.

 

[Saundies]

I bet the players, coaching staff, all feel much better about their games than most fans in here do.

They should. If every period was like the first, I would understand doom and gloom but the second and thirds were much better. They should come out feeling good they weathered the first period, first game storm and almost won the game.

The entire game.........how bout the cross check to the face of Gally..............ref standing right there......right there.

Gally gets crosschecked in the face, no call.

Hutson gets slugged in the head behind the net, they take Mangiapane but still give us the extra penalty because Guhle came slightly late into a scrum (in the playoffs, where it's scrum central ALL the time).

Leonard hits Demidov's leg area a full 4 seconds after the puck is gone and flips him essentially. Nothing.

The fact that the play was called icing at the end is SO egregious. Even some of the Sportsnet homers were like "uh, yeah, that's not icing." That leaves us with our worst defensive line out there for a D zone draw. Literally cost us the game.

They missed two obvious calls on Anderson too I will say (one on Carlson, one on Wilson), so it wasn't just us getting screwed.

Poorly officiated game all around. Terrible reffing shouldn't influence a game.

 

[Mats NAslund]

Armia Evans and Heineman do a lot of heavy lefting defensively. Breaking them up in the playoffs to add a rookie with 3 nhl games is just silly.

You basically go from one line that can't play heavy match ups to two lines that can't play heavy matchups.

So what do suggest then continue trying to win games solely on one line and hope we get PP's?

Something has to give, Montreal had a fine 2nd half of the game but that doesn't address the issue that is Laine and getting him going.

I'd rather have 1 big line and 3 balanced lines over what Montreal is icing right now which is 2 grunt lines and one legit offensive line and one line in limbo with zero identity.

Being able to ice and roll 4 lines is huge in the playoffs, right now you can only ice the Newhook line in the offensive end for faceoff because Newhook isn't the best faceoff guy and hope they keep some ozone time!

 

[HabsTTR]

I feel a little dispirited after losing in OT but the boys were dynamite in that third period and gave the Caps fits. Officiating was awful (mostly in their favour) and we still could have won. Playoff hockey is the best - and I think it's here to stay.

 

[417]

This place is going to be absolute bedlam when we actually have a roster built and designed to compete for a chip’

Sheesh

 

[The Great Weal]

2nd line in an absolute killer. I’m not sure why Marty doesn’t make a change.

Roy can't even be bothered to come to every optional skate, Kapanen is the softest player in the organization, and Pezz is the worst forward in the NHL.

1st line obviously won't get broken up, 3rd line lacked finishing but played well, and 4th line is the defensive line which means you take their identity away by putting any one Newhook/Laine/Demidov there.

Marty will just have to roll this second line (except for defensive zones where Suzuki/Dvorak/Evans get double shifted) until the start of the 3rd period. Afterwards, other players get double shifted to avoid putting that entire line back out there.

 

[LaP]

Switching Slaf and Demidov won't work Ivan isn't ready for top line responsibilities.

It will also not magically make Newhook a 2nd line center. It's really like people do not watch games. Newhook has not progressed since he was traded by the Avs and he was traded because the Avs neeeded offensive help. If he was not good enough for the Avs he wont be good enough here either. He's a honest player but he's a bottom 6 player and i'm not even sure it would work if he played with prime Kucherov.

The problem is not the 1st line. People need to start watching games and wake the f*** up. That line has been one of the best in hockey for a couple of months now and the players complement themselves very well. The problem is we don't have a 2nd line and it's not a 19 years old Demidov or a just turned 21 years old Slaf who will change that without having a proper vet 2nd line center playing with them.

It's not something MSL can solve from within. Will have to wait next summer. KH decided to bet on Dach and Newhook and i respect that. I also respect the fact that he did not want to gamble on Monahan's health for 5 years (he was injured again this year and that's one of the reason Colombus missed the playoffs imo). But next summer will be time to move on imo and do something cause it's not the PS5 .

 

[red devil]

 

[morhilane]

No, he sits there with his thumb in his ass and thinks this is the best roster of all time with zero flaws.

Bergevin would have believed that since they made the playoffs.

 

[Kobe Armstrong]

SOLID defensive work right @Andy ?

Glad they passed your eye test

 

[larek]

Its soft and small enuff
Theres no one in That crew that opp like caps are
Leary of in the physical play
Suzuki being totally assaulted by ovechnkin
No one does anything
Hutson being punched in face no o e does anything - on and on and on

Not impressed by the officiating.

Was terrible

 

[Andy]

So what do suggest then continue trying to win games solely on one line and hope we get PP's?

They played well and could have easily won. I don't see a need to make changes in light of that fact.

The habs scored 1ES and 1PP goal.

There are no greater combination of that will suddenly make the second line explode. And again, they didnt even play badly yesterday so I don't understand the urgency to blow up other lines.

Are the caps freaking out that they only scored when Ovi was on the ice? Are they gonna blow up the lines because they had one player leading the offense?

 

[Deebs]

True and we will have all summer to discuss it.......... but in the mean time we have a playoffs serie to win....... now let's discuss what kind of adjustment should be done for the next game.

I would insert X , switch Slaf and Demidov, switch Evans and Newhook and give Caufield his office back on PP1 with Demidov on the board, Laine on PP2

Would love to ear your opinion. Mr Deebs.

I'd keep the Suzy and Dvo lines the same. I could switch Laine for Heineman, but that's it up front. I'm ok keeping the D the same but I also wouldn't have a problem if they put in Arber for Struble.

 

[Andy]

SOLID defensive work right @Andy ?

Glad they passed your eye test

You are again shifting the goal posts.

You didnt ask about defensive work.

You said that Hutson and Guhle had to chase pucks for them. Which they didn't. Then you said they faked their effort, which is just dumb. And now you are talking about defensive play.

You keep talking about different things because your first point was just dumb. Me saying that they chased their own pucks and won battles is not saying they played well defensively.

Just take the L and move on.

 

[le_sean]

Roy can't even be bothered to come to every optional skate, Kapanen is the softest player in the organization, and Pezz is the worst forward in the NHL.

1st line obviously won't get broken up, 3rd line lacked finishing but played well, and 4th line is the defensive line which means you take their identity away by putting any one Newhook/Laine/Demidov there.

Marty will just have to roll this second line (except for defensive zones where Suzuki/Dvorak/Evans get double shifted) until the start of the 3rd period. Afterwards, other players get double shifted to avoid putting that entire line back out there.

Switch Heineman and Laine and I think they can work with that.

 

[Tyson]

Switch Heineman and Laine and I think they can work with that.

Agreed.

 

[Dagistitsyn]

It gives me hope for next year, once we have a #2C and we fix the LD/RD playing their side

Hutson was obviously scared early game, he settled in after the first 10. After 40, he came back to his normal self, he absorbed hits to make plays and didn’t try to roll every hits. He’s adjusting so fast this kid will be incredible for 15years.

Suzuki / Cole, slow start like everyone, but they took over in the 2nd and never looked back. They are playoffs performers. Slaf 3rd was great.

Evans line played well and the control freak Armia has logged on.

Dvorak’s line was the only one skating with the Caps early, as expected. Anderson did a nice job of hitting back and Gally did get a 4minutes uncalled against him that could have change the game earlier if the Refs weren’t so ass. So he was doing a fine job of getting PPs. Dvorak was good on the dot.

Guhle overall was good. Carrier was shaky early but then settled in the 3rd. Don’t get me started with Matheson. Savard can be nasty in front so I don’t mind him. Struble had no impact whatsoever, hard to see Xhakej doing worse with 10min TOI and lots of nastiness uncalled.

And then the real problem, the « 2nd line ». It sucks that we can’t even call them a 2nd 3rd line. Laine showed some willingness in this game at least, but he still takes shift off here and there. My real problem is Newhook. He was maybe the worst player yesterday and no one is talking about it. 25% FACEOFF!! 25! He had 0 good impact offensively and he kept losing his man in the defensive zone.

next year this team will be dangerous with a real 2nd C. Bring me Crosby. At least Horvat.

Monty was good.

It’s a very winnable series.

Perfectly sums up my thoughts on the game as well, and this team in general. This team right now + a second line C and a decent top 4 RD (which would keep Hutson from playing his off side, and Newhook on the 4th line wing where he belongs) and we’re already a contender. Look at how this team played against some of the top teams this season despite being essentially a one line team and with inconsistent goaltending..

Sucks we couldn’t make the moves for those things this year, as Gally is getting older and it would have been nice to give him an actual shot this year too even if it was a long shot. Banking on Dach / Newhook was a costly, idiotic mistake. Dach I guess deserved the chance given how he looked prior to missing a full season, but Newhook never had any business in the top six or at C.
This team is going nowhere with him. Even if they do pull off an incredible upset against the Capitals, they’re getting smoked by Carolina in round 2. You simply can’t get far in the playoffs with a useless plug like him centering your second line.

I understand this was just the opening of our window this year and isn’t the final product of the rebuild.. but it’s so close now that we can see it. They NEED to make a move for a second line center no matter what this off season.

 

[Andy]

Switch Heineman and Laine and I think they can work with that.

And then the Evans and Armia line will be ineffective to make the second line marginally better.

Folks, there is no combination of lines that will make Laine and Newhook more productive barring the breaking up the first line which is not going to happen.

 

[417]

The Habs have to shelter the Newhook line, we all knew this and it played out in the game and on the road.

Kudos to the Caps for exploiting a weakness…

But the Caps do not have an answer for our top line.

 

[Soaker]

Was terrible

It's almost like the officials weren't watching the game! The crosscheck unpunished to Gallagher's face was shameful and then they have to review a follow through,aren't they suppose to be following the play?

 

[dinodebino]

One-line team, just like regular season. Be happy about this result, because this team is still a work in progress.

 

[le_sean]

And then the Evans and Armia line will be effective to make the second line marginally better.

Folks, there is no combination of lines that will make Laine and Newhook more productive barring the breaking up the first line which is not going to happen.

I think it would vastly improve the 2nd line. They cannot be trusted in any scenario. Even offensively, where they should contribute, is awful because you have two guys who can play fast with the slowest player in the league. Not only is he the slowest player in the league, he’s also the worst passer on the team.

Evans and Armia play slow. They cycle the puck down low and keep plays alive. I feel that fits more with Laine. It’s not a line that gets offence through transition.

What’s the current solution? To keep things the same and cross our fingers?

 

[teamfirst]

I'd keep the Suzy and Dvo lines the same. I could switch Laine for Heineman, but that's it up front. I'm ok keeping the D the same but I also wouldn't have a problem if they put in Arber for Struble.

To me Newhook is more a problem than Laine on the second line, the guy has no vision

 

[Hostile Offer]

We need a one timer threat on the other side. Goaltender is already set these days. Laine has to fake & pass it. Change it up.

That I can agree on, we don't have anyone on the other side, and Laine could diversify his game (because he's actually not a poor passer at all). Laine's presence alone opens up some space to the other side though which leads to more opportunities for Suzuki and Caufield who can also shoot the puck, just not one time it. I don't see how switching Laine in favour of someone else solves the PP issues.