Speculation: Caps General Discussion (Coaching/FAs/Cap/Lines etc) - 2021 "Season" Pt. 3

[koalabear9301]

Pretty sure there's a middle ground that can be found between "Kuznetsov was a bottom-5 player in the league then re-evaluated every decision he's ever made in life with Laviolette's help and magically began playing well" and "Kuzy was playing at a Hart-caliber level and is now producing and it has literally nothing to do with Laviolette". His numbers were trending well prior to COVID regardless (and much improved from last season where he was a disaster), but he also wasn't making plays like the ones he made on both Ovechkin goals last night.

Regardless, I'm just thrilled he's playing at the level he is right now after what we've seen the last two years. Really don't care where it's coming from. two charts I attached are night and day lol.

 

[AussieCapsFan]

And now that he is playing well I'd like them to drop the Vrana on PP1 experiment and put Kuzy back there. I think they might have done this for the second power play in the last game?

 

[HTFN]

“I was playing well but the coach benched me anyways. Then I kept playing well and then the coach didn’t bench me.”

Media relations 101: don’t tell the truth, just say something generic so controversy is avoided.

200 level class is better: double down on something so f***ing crazy that it feels like a small victory just to have a rational disagreement.

 

[IvanMalison]

What lines will we see when Eller gets back? What lines do we want to see? I kind of like the idea of leaving oshie on the third line and seeing what lars can do with some really good wingers:

8-92-10
73-19-43
13-20-77
62-26-21

Leaves everything pretty much close to the way it is as possible, gets panik out of the lineup, and gives us 3 really good scoring lines.

 

[Coldplay619]

I think we see
8-92-77
73-19-43
13-20-10
62-26-21

 

[Hivemind]

I'd like to see them try:
8-92-10
13-19-43
73-20-77
14-26-21

 

[txpd]

And now that he is playing well I'd like them to drop the Vrana on PP1 experiment and put Kuzy back there. I think they might have done this for the second power play in the last game?

I suppose they may go that way, but the reason to put Vrana in Kuzy's spot is to provide a legit shooting threat opposite of Ov. Teams have been effectively covering Ov 1 on 1 and letting the player on the right half wall have all the room they want. Vrana isnt scoring but he is a legit shooting option and having him there has opened the Oshie hole back up for chances. Ovechkin will never be left open again unless someone on the right wing can score the puck

 

[koalabear9301]

And now that he is playing well I'd like them to drop the Vrana on PP1 experiment and put Kuzy back there. I think they might have done this for the second power play in the last game?

I'd rather replace Backstrom with Kuznetsov. Feel like having both of them out there is kinda redundant.

 

[Midnight Judges]

I'd like to see them try:
8-92-10
13-19-43
73-20-77
14-26-21

I like the idea of 77 feasting on 3rd line matchups.

If 10 is weak on the top line then you move 77 up, but if the top line is scoring virtually every game 5v5 then why not spread the wealth?

 

[um]

I'd rather replace Backstrom with Kuznetsov. Feel like having both of them out there is kinda redundant.

I disagree, Vrana loses the puck down low more than Kuznetsov and way more than Backstrom would. I think we should keep our two best puck handlers and playmakers on the 1st PP.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

I'd like to see them try:
8-92-10
13-19-43
73-20-77
14-26-21

Would like to see this as well but don’t see them benching Hags. Lavi loves his fourth line and trusts them with the hardest assignments. Hagelin is also their top penalty killer in terms of TOI from the forwards.

Sucks that Panik has no scoring touch because he can be pretty effective otherwise.

 

[tenken00]

Our PP with Vrana hasn't been scoring either. All of our goals are pretty much 5v5. I think I read somewhere we have the best 5v5 scoring per game in the league? Or close to it?

Imagine if we got our PP going.

 

[koalabear9301]

I disagree, Vrana loses the puck down low more than Kuznetsov and way more than Backstrom would. I think we should keep our two best puck handlers and playmakers on the 1st PP.

My issue is that teams cheat over to Ovechkin and Backstrom/Kuznetsov are too pass-first to keep teams from doing that. PP last year was pretty easy for teams to defend because of that. We need another shooting threat out there imo.

 

[Melkor]

Vrana should not be on any of the PP units. The guy gets shaky handed once he gets the puck on the wall and needs to open up some passing lanes to create opportunities. He's the easiest to pressure out of 9 guys they use on both units. Furthermore, everyone needs to ask themselves: how much did Vrana score via wrist shot/slapper from his off wing in his entire career? How much did he score from that far out? I didn't check the stats but my eye test tells me most of his goals have been from in tight. Either breakaways or pouncing on rebounds or being in the right place somewhere around the net mouth. Once he positions himself above the dots or somewhere up high in the zone his shots are either aiming for birds or hitting goalies' bellies.

 

[txpd]

I'd rather replace Backstrom with Kuznetsov. Feel like having both of them out there is kinda redundant.

Thats nuts

 

[txpd]

I disagree, Vrana loses the puck down low more than Kuznetsov and way more than Backstrom would. I think we should keep our two best puck handlers and playmakers on the 1st PP.

Vrana is not nearly the puck handler/passer that either Kuznetsov or Backstrom are. The reason to have him on pp1 is that he is much better shooter than either of the 2 centers. Its a definite trade off and would be more effective if Vrana would score more. But the Backstrom back door tap ins are a direct result of the pk diamond adjusting to keep Vrana from shooting while taking Ov away on the other side. If they take the back door away, then Oshie opens up. For Kuzy to get back on pp1 he needs to score power play goals from his spot on the half wall when he is there

 

[txpd]

My issue is that teams cheat over to Ovechkin and Backstrom/Kuznetsov are too pass-first to keep teams from doing that. PP last year was pretty easy for teams to defend because of that. We need another shooting threat out there imo.

Exactly.

 

[tenken00]

Sammy going back in for his 2nd game in a row after his last shutout.

 

[Eirikrautha]

Sammy going back in for his 2nd game in a row after his last shutout.

Well, somebody's gotta take one from the Rags. Might as well be "Saving" Sammy...

Edit: I'm beginning to think Tiger's injury is a groin pull or something that nags and takes a long time to heal... not good...

 

[tenken00]

Well, somebody's gotta take one from the Rags. Might as well be "Saving" Sammy...

Edit: I'm beginning to think Tiger's injury is a groin pull or something that nags and takes a long time to heal... not good...

More like Shutout Sammy!

 

[twabby]

I’ve done a 180 on Hagelin since last year. He gets the toughest matchups and PK1 duties and he’s still a 54% xGF% (and 50% GF). He might be a little overpaid but if so it’s not by much. I’d love to see him bury more chances but if he’s breaking even while up against the toughest opposition he’s doing his job.

 

[twabby]

I think the thing with Kuznetsov is that he was making the same plays earlier in the season, it’s just that:

1. He didn’t get as much ice time so he’d make fewer of those plays per game than he does now

2. He’s personally getting luckier now. The one goal off the skate against the Devils comes to mind, and also catching the Sabres goalie off guard also comes to mind.

3. Most importantly, his teammates are burying the chances set up by Kuznetsov now and weren’t earlier in the season. His passes look a whole lot better when they end up in the back of the net, and aren’t really memorable when they don’t end up in goals even if the chance itself is of similar quality. It’s where the eye test fails.

 

[txpd]

Ok...whats up with Eller?

 

[DWGie26]

I think the thing with Kuznetsov is that he was making the same plays earlier in the season, it’s just that:

1. He didn’t get as much ice time so he’d make fewer of those plays per game than he does now

2. He’s personally getting luckier now. The one goal off the skate against the Devils comes to mind, and also catching the Sabres goalie off guard also comes to mind.

3. Most importantly, his teammates are burying the chances set up by Kuznetsov now and weren’t earlier in the season. His passes look a whole lot better when they end up in the back of the net, and aren’t really memorable when they don’t end up in goals even if the chance itself is of similar quality. It’s where the eye test fails.

Your GIF, just like you posts, are dizzying. That is all.

 

[twabby]

Reaching.

Easiest course was to blame lingering covid or injury, not for coach and player to both tell the same basic tale about a player finding out his coach wants him to not play like shit.

If the numbers supported him playing poorly earlier in the season then of course I’d buy COVID as a possible reason for poor play. But the numbers don’t suggest that. They suggest he has been playing well all season and now he is finally getting the individual breaks and also increased ice time to make that success more visible to the layperson.