GDT: Caps @ Canes - NYE Celebration

[HisIceness]

At least the team ends the calendar year on a good note.

Lets hope for something good, time to make all those years of missing out on top 3 picks because of random wins through Jan-April mean something.

 

[Stickpucker]

Our goalies actually stopped the puck. Woo!

 

[AD Skinner]

Lack hasn't lost in regulation in five straight. Don't see why he sits again until he really lays an egg.

 

[Wolfpuck]

Lack hasn't lost in regulation in five straight. Don't see why he sits again until he really lays an egg.

His last 120 minutes have undoubtedly been Taco Time

 

[Novacane]

Good game from Lack

 

[Novacane]

Their GDT is a treat

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

As was his hair. (That ones for BBA)

Bless you Joe. Always love the Zevon references.

 

[Stickpucker]

Their GDT is a treat

What tasty tidbits are you finding there?

 

[HisIceness]

I'm guessing they are probably upset about Washngton not getting any PP time, saw it in the 'Capitals are the team to beat' thread on the main board.

 

[Wolfpuck]

I'm guessing they are probably upset about Washngton not getting any PP time, saw it in the 'Capitals are the team to beat' thread on the main board.

There's also a couple of trolls talking about the refs on the Canes FB page

 

[Navin R Slavin]

This team has the talent to make the playoffs this year. Still a long shot, but they're good enough.

 

[Joe McGrath]

Yeah just pages and pages of *****ing about the refs. They were really salty about the Wilson interference which I thought was borderline. Called out Lack for obviously flopping, because I'm sure they've had a lot of Tom Wilson sized guys hit them in the head before.

 

[Wolfpuck]

This team has the talent to make the playoffs this year. Still a long shot, but they're good enough.

More importantly, they have the right style of play and discipline to stick with it. If shooting percentage and save percentage can stabilize, this team will be more successful.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

This team has the talent to make the playoffs this year. Still a long shot, but they're good enough.

You know, I'm still not convinced they have the "talent", in the general sense (on paper), but I think the coach has them playing as a team and making the most out of the talent they have, so I agree with you at the macro level. It's a long shot, but not out of the question.

At the start of the season, I predicted they'd be picking in the 5-8 range, and they still might, but they are playing a lot better than I thought they would, particularly with 3 rookie defensemen playing key minutes.

 

[Blueline Bomber]

I mean, I know it's been a while since the Canes have been in relevant enough to worry about officiating in our games, but in those cases, I felt we never went full "blame the refs!" mode.

 

[Joe McGrath]

I mean, I know it's been a while since the Canes have been in relevant enough to worry about officiating in our games, but in those cases, I felt we never went full "blame the refs!" mode.

I begotten pretty salty about a couple of OT penalties but in my defense I come from the era of guys needing to be murdered for there to be a call in OT and by the time OT rolls around my mouth is getting dry. And when your mouth is getting dry, you know youre plenty high.

 

[Blueline Bomber]

The last time I really got salty about a call was the OT game against the Ducks a couple years ago. Where Perry blatantly tripped Jokinen to turn the puck over, then scored seconds later. Then the ref gives some ******** explanation about how Jokinen tripped over the back of the net.

 

[Unsustainable]

Good win to finish the year

 

[VAcaniac]

I will get shot for saying this.

But is it me or does it seem D is much tighter when Lack starts? I really cant think of many great saves he has made.

 

[VAcaniac]

You know, I'm still not convinced they have the "talent", in the general sense (on paper), but I think the coach has them playing as a team and making the most out of the talent they have, so I agree with you at the macro level. It's a long shot, but not out of the question.

At the start of the season, I predicted they'd be picking in the 5-8 range, and they still might, but they are playing a lot better than I thought they would, particularly with 3 rookie defensemen playing key minutes.

Yes. 100% agree. Like Babcock in Toronto, Bill Peters has done a good of turning Cicken **** into Chicken Salad.

I will still be shocked if we make the playoffs but i am genuinely excited for our future.

*i think i stole that line from Tank

 

[Big Daddy Cane]

PDG continues to impress with his play away from the puck. He finishes his checks, backchecks hard with a purpose and as evidenced late in the 3rd after the Ovechkin goal, is willing to step in front of one and block a shot. He's off to a good start to his NHL career.

 

[JClaus33]

Man was that atmosphere fun tonight. Good amount of Washington fans, but it was basically some sort of chanting or cheering going on throughout the whole game. One of the better atmosphere games I've been to in quite a while, and the team played well to back it up. Fun way to start my new year personally

 

[NotOpie]

PDG continues to impress with his play away from the puck. He finishes his checks, backchecks hard with a purpose and as evidenced late in the 3rd after the Ovechkin goal, is willing to step in front of one and block a shot. He's off to a good start to his NHL career.

I've been on the "Phil Di Giuseppe is a serious sleeper pick" for a while. If you even go back to his Michigan career, you can see that something just clicked. I recall that the second half of his last year he really picked up his scoring and the rumors about training and effort disappeared. If he continues to train hard and keep his head in the right place he's a genuine middle six guy with 2nd line upside.

Hate to say it but despite some of the turds JR handed this team, he did a pretty fair job drafting late in his tenure. As was said before Slavin and Pesce were JR picks. Down in Charlotte Carrick, McGinn, and now Altshuller were JR picks. He might have screwed the big club with some of his moves, but he did start putting a foundation in place. The kids are alright...as it were.

Oh, and I'm still waiting for Chris Terry to get to that 40 point plateau.

 

[Ole Gil]

I think the unfortunate factor in the Canes recent success may be the unsustainable run of good health.

As other teams lose more and more players, the Canes remain unhurt. Outside of Wiz, it could even be argued that the injuries (such as to Gerbe and Murphy) actually improved the team by allowing more talented players to take their place.

But when you run the names of people who haven't missed a game to injury through 38, it's Staal, Staal, Skinner, Lindholm, Rask, Versteeg*, Faulk, Hainsey, McClement, and Liles are all at 38.

That's some crazy good fortune. Hopefully it continues, because a healthy Canes lineup can compete with a beatup rest of the league.

 

[Discipline Daddy]

Yes, we've been healthy, and we're a JFaulk injury away from being a bottom 3 team, but with the parity in the league we're actually not far from bottom 3 already. But aside from Faulk, I am not worried about injuries too bad because we've seen some young players capable of taking those roles. I like Murphy more than almost any other NHL team as a great callup D and I feel like our forwards are sharing the load well offensively. Maybe Derek Ryan would do well if the need came.

Anyhow, I'm really optimistic about our fortunes this year and beyond. Not only is the team winning more games, much of the reason we're winning is because of the rookies we've called up. It feels rare to see so many rookies play an important role driving the team. We aren't relying on hot goaltending, we play a team-based game.