Series Discussion: Caps vs Hurricanes

[RedRocking]

Andersen's health will be a huge factor too.

The Canes were also below .500 on the road this season (16-21-4). But, then great in Raleigh obviously.

Not sure if RBA needs to get his smaller guys like Jarvis and Aho away from shutdown lines - or if it’s more about how much he rides Staal as his matchup guy at home.

Maybe the experience dealing with the Bell Centre will help with the rowdy PNC crowd. The D pairs better spend this week off working on their breakouts so they don’t get hemmed in by the Canes relentless forecheck.

 

[EroCaps]

Caps in 7. Leonard OT GWG.

 

[Melkor]

Whoever they meet later - if they manage to go past the Canes - this will be the toughest matchup of their bracket. Carolina always comes out swinging against them and they're quick as shit. I need that 6 million bucks guy in net to show what they paid him that money for

 

[trick9]

Should be a fun one.

Is there a start time already or only after Leafs-Sens is over?

 

[Acallabeth]

Well well well, now that's a team that will be hard to beat without competing the whole game.
Should be a good series.

 

[Ridley Simon]

Picked Caps in six. Hoping it's home, home, steal one, home and move on.

Wouldn’t that be Caps in 5?

 

[Ovechkins Wodka]

Gambling line are out. As it stands now we play Tuesday night

We are +125 to win the series they we are not favs.

 

[MW6]

Wouldn’t that be Caps in 5?

Or in 7.

 

[max21]

Yeah I f***ing hate Carolina

 

[g00n]

7 games of pure HF angst.

I'm here for it.

 

[MW6]

Not a fun fact, but A fact.

Out of the three teams in the Eastern conference that the Caps have never beaten in a playoff series, Carolina and Florida are two of them. Could be history-making run!

 

[CactusCap]

I greatly dislike Carolina and their and their fans bravado. Caps disrespected all over the place. This is a good team. This is the series we make some believers out of the haters.

 

[Fred22406Capsfan]

Wouldn’t that be Caps in 5?

Bourbon based math

 

[g00n]

This is the Pens series in 2018 all over again, just with less history. Probably the biggest hurdle.

Leno reminds me of Kuzy a little with his edge work. Like Kuzy, he gets the series winning goal.

 

[pman25]

I feel like this could get started Monday. I don’t think NHL will wait until Wednesday to start R2

 

[John Price]

I could also see it starting Monday or Tuesday too. good chance for me to relax and watch how these other series play out

 

[AlexModvechkin8]

My lines to start the series:

O-Stro-Beau
McMike-PLD-Wilson
Pro-Eller-Leonard
Duhaime-Dowd-Mangiapane

Pro-Eller-Leonard would suck to play against and I think adding Protas there can unlock some offense for Leonard. That’s a deep forward group and all four lines can cycle, score, and defend.

 

[Langway]

The Caps need to make this series about Carolina's weaknesses on paper, namely the lack of dynamic centers after Aho and questions in net. If it's about anything else I'm not sure they prevail. I don't know that Washington's depth is superior. It's pretty close. The Caps have a better 1-2 center punch but Carolina's core players at the top are more gamebreaking and it remains to be seen how much Eller can pitch in. The Canes have some key emerging talents in Stank/Blake need to be kept under wraps. Svechnikov is off to a good start. Jarvis. Hall. That's a deep group that's spread out pretty evenly. It's not Necas/Guentzel and a younger bunch maybe but it's arguably deeper. PLD can perhaps put a damper on their top line but there's far more to focus on compared to MTL. They're not going to be able to slack off or Carolina will blenderize 'em.

Thompson and being opportunistic could be the difference for the Caps. But the Caps can't let off and need to continue putting their boot to their neck whenever they hold the momentum. Do that and the seeds will be planted.

 

[trick9]

Do what the Bruins did few weeks back. Target Brent Burns every single time he steps on to the ice. Pressure him and attack against him with speed.

Blue print is out there. Bruins did that against Burns and they kept throwing Pastrnak out there who kept challenging Burns with speed. He's washed and the weak link there but Rod won't bench him and cut his ironman streak. Vs. Bruins Canes otherwise dominated that game but 5-on-5 Burns in 8:55 vs. Pastrnak ended up 0 goals for, 5 goals against. We don't have Pastrnak but we have plenty of speed on the wings.

 

[illicit]

This feels like a 7 game series for me, with the Caps winning of course.

 

[Lindemann]

I just want to win so I can see Rod cry

Guy is the biggest man baby in the NHL. Nothing is Carolina’s fault and every penalty is bullshit according to him

 

[stephenball]

I think PLD is the most important player for the Caps this series. Having home ice makes such a difference.

 

[crazy8888]

Caps are going to miss Fever in this series more than probably any other series that they can play this year. I hope AA can find a way to adjust positionally, otherwise his lack of speed will get exposed very quickly.

 

[Melkor]

The Caps need to make this series about Carolina's weaknesses on paper, namely the lack of dynamic centers after Aho and questions in net.

The Caps have the same questions. I like Strome and I like Dubois even more but they are not exactly what you'd call "dynamic" centers. Dubois' real strengths are not particularly noticeable unless you're an experienced viewer and Strome, while got some hands and a shot, is not really a quick player and is not really proven away from Ovechkin. And we know Ovechkin is old and the series could go south for him rather quick considering the pace the Canes play with. In that case, Strome would need to carry that line. Can he? That's a question. Thompson is also a big question mark. He's been good for half a season, then average, then looked dogshit for like couple dozens of games and had a rather respectable Habs series. Anyone would bet their money he keeps it over 0.91 SV% this series? And I think that's where his stats need to be for them to take the series. It's possible but are you confident in that?

 

[Calicaps]

Caps are going to miss Fever in this series more than probably any other series that they can play this year. I hope AA can find a way to adjust positionally, otherwise his lack of speed will get exposed very quickly.

It would be nice if he could get some dental work done and get out from the bubble.