Post-Game Talk: Caps vs Sabres 7pm Nov 8

[YippieKaey]

This game kinda felt like every player on each team was drunk except Kuzy and Wilson. Pretty entertaining but it looked so wide open at times and yet not much came of it

 

[DWGie26]

No chance we keep Dowd after this year. It is Beagle all over again. We will root for him to get a big phat contract elsewhere. Eller will man 4th line at 3.5 for his final contract year while CMM takes 3C. And when Eller goes the following year Protas will step in (Maybe Lapierre as well which would push CMM to wing).

 

[troyerlaw]

Not that odd when they went to 3 lines. I saw 24 with Hags and Hathaway and really liked that one shift they got.

As much as i love Ovie and i love the milestones, I wonder if it’s a good idea, over the course of a season, to play him 20-25 min in games. Overall i thought our team looked tired, old, and banged up in the playoffs last season.
Also, when you go down a center, typically a coach then revolves the 3 centers through four sets of wings, as opposed to just sitting for rest of game the wingers whose center got injured. And again, all indications were that Leason and AJF were being effective. Really high-pressure forecheck and keeping play in offensive end while Hags was busy taking penalties and Eller line was utterly unproductive

 

[Roshi]

No chance we keep Dowd after this year. It is Beagle all over again. We will root for him to get a big phat contract elsewhere. Eller will man 4th line at 3.5 for his final contract year while CMM takes 3C. And when Eller goes the following year Protas will step in (Maybe Lapierre as well which would push CMM to wing).

While this is the most likely how it goes, i think its a solid option to give Dowd the BM-special of 2,5 mills per 4 years and save a million on cap space by saying our best goodbyes for El Tigre.

Lars have been less a factor than Dowd for the past couple years, and plays a more natural fit on 4th line than the Dane. And you might actually still get a mid round pick for Lars too. Maybe even use as a value trade chip this TDL to upgrade another position if Backy is back and CMM keeps his spot.

CMM or Hendrix really should be 3rd line C next season though.

 

[pman25]

While this is the most likely how it goes, i think its a solid option to give Dowd the BM-special of 2,5 mills per 4 years and save a million on cap space by saying our best goodbyes for El Tigre.

Lars have been less a factor than Dowd for the past couple years, and plays a more natural fit on 4th line than the Dane. And you might actually still get a mid round pick for Lars too. Maybe even use as a value trade chip this TDL to upgrade another position if Backy is back and CMM keeps his spot.

CMM or Hendrix really should be 3rd line C next season though.

$2.5 mil for Dowd is too much. The great thing about Dowd is being a capable 4C for league minimum. That $750k is a bargain and GMBM will need to find the next 4C for that amount. We have plenty of players that can fill the role. Bump down Eller, bring up Protas, Pilon, or Pinho. I’d rather give that 2.5 to Sprong if he pots 15-20 this year and earns the trust of management

 

[Roshi]

$2.5 mil for Dowd is too much. The great thing about Dowd is being a capable 4C for league minimum. That $750k is a bargain and GMBM will need to find the next 4C for that amount. We have plenty of players that can fill the role. Bump down Eller, bring up Protas, Pilon, or Pinho. I’d rather give that 2.5 to Sprong if he pots 15-20 this year and earns the trust of management

Yeah it definately is a bit much for him and its a good possibility he could take closer to 1,5 given the term and safety. But we know how BM likes those 4 year "I trust you" deals for his veterans.

Anyways, for next season we dont know yet if Protas is ready for a regular spot. Bumping down Eller makes you pay your fourth line center 3,5 millions, and I think Dowd might actually be the better fit for that spot anyways. So if and hopefully when CMM or Lapierre is ready to take the 3rd line spot, I think the best option is to pay Dowd a million or two less for the fourth line role compared to Eller and/or pay Dowd a million more than compared to rookie like Protas.

AND no, I have not forgot the goal!

 

[SherVaughn30]

No chance we keep Dowd after this year. It is Beagle all over again. We will root for him to get a big phat contract elsewhere. Eller will man 4th line at 3.5 for his final contract year while CMM takes 3C. And when Eller goes the following year Protas will step in (Maybe Lapierre as well which would push CMM to wing).

Dowd is not gonna get $3 million per season. I would say $1.5 -2 million at most. His age and lower point production will keep his cost down.

 

[SherVaughn30]

As much as i love Ovie and i love the milestones, I wonder if it’s a good idea, over the course of a season, to play him 20-25 min in games. Overall i thought our team looked tired, old, and banged up in the playoffs last season.
Also, when you go down a center, typically a coach then revolves the 3 centers through four sets of wings, as opposed to just sitting for rest of game the wingers whose center got injured. And again, all indications were that Leason and AJF were being effective. Really high-pressure forecheck and keeping play in offensive end while Hags was busy taking penalties and Eller line was utterly unproductive

Time for Hags to get a scratch. He's looking like $2 million overpaid right now.

 

[Raikkonen]

CMM said its hard to take something out of Ovi's game (to incorporate in his own) in postgame

 

[Raikkonen]

Watched several more videos from postgame, mostly young guys. They all seem like they could be here for years. Encouraging looking stuff. Id watch some more Capitals hockey after Ovi perhaps

PS: I cant point out what I feel exactly, has to be the vibe/attitude of all of them (CMM, Jimi, Fever, Protas).

 

[ovikovy817]

Ovi is just a monster.
But I'd like to see him play a little bit less (TOI)
We have the next 3 games in 4 nights.

 

[marcel snapshot]

PS: I cant point out what I feel exactly, has to be the vibe/attitude of all of them (CMM, Jimi, Fever, Protas).

I think it’s a combo of their youth and energy coupled with the fact that they are coming into the Show just as the game’s greatest scorer for the last few decades is on an epic heater and playing some of the best hockey of his career.

Somebody mentioned his hands were better than they’d been in years - and that’s true. But it’s not just his hands - he’s moving his feet with a consistency that’s been missing, and his puck-handling, awareness, and D play are all elevated right now.

I think the kids are genuinely psyched and inspired by that. It might be different if they were coming up while Ovie was in one of those torpid mid-season lulls, and Kuzy was in the kind of shell he was in the last couple of years - but it’s the opposite of that. And Ovie and Kuzy get some juice from the vigor of the pups.

The young guys see a 36 year old play with this kind of energy, joy, and proficiency, and they want to do whatever they can to stay a part of it for as long as they can.

 

[maacoshark]

Why are people complaining about Vanacek in this game? The first goal was on Ovi, the second was a full defensive breakdown and Vanecek made a couple of nice saves before Buffalo got a lucky bounce and the third goal looks like it was deflected a few feet in front of the net.

Vanecek wasn't bad but he wasn't great either. I think the issue is that his technique is very poor. Yes the Eakins goal was on Ovi but Vanecek played that so poorly it was pretty much impossible for him to make a save. He played so small that the entire top half of the net was open. He also didn' play the angle very well. There was alot of room on the glove side.
The Caps are giving up the lowest amount of shots per game. Only once did they give up alot of shots and Sammy was in net that game. We also haven't given up many high danger chances. Alot of the goals we have given up could be prevented if our goalies were better technically.
The way it stands now almost any defensive mistake ends up a goal against. Our goalies have rarely bailed out their team mates.

 

[aonb]

wait. does at least one person here completely non-ironically think that our goalies are okay right now? that they are able to win an important game for us? that they can make a huge save in crucial moment? and that they can do it on regular basis, not once a month? i have zero faith in both vanecek and sammy right now, they are average AT BEST and you won't win anything with average/poor goaltending

 

[txpd]

As much as i love Ovie and i love the milestones, I wonder if it’s a good idea, over the course of a season, to play him 20-25 min in games. Overall i thought our team looked tired, old, and banged up in the playoffs last season.
Also, when you go down a center, typically a coach then revolves the 3 centers through four sets of wings, as opposed to just sitting for rest of game the wingers whose center got injured. And again, all indications were that Leason and AJF were being effective. Really high-pressure forecheck and keeping play in offensive end while Hags was busy taking penalties and Eller line was utterly unproductive

Ov is fine with the pp time. I will let you tell him that he is going to sit for half a pp. Its been tried in the past and never lasts more than a handful of games. As for banging on Hagelin and Eller, I will pass. Lavy skipping the kid wingers when Dowd went down, They had lost 3 in a row with a road back to back coming up. They won the game. That was the thing I had highest on my list. They did that. I am not poking it in the eye with a stick. You can, if you want to.

 

[troyerlaw]

Ov is fine with the pp time. I will let you tell him that he is going to sit for half a pp. Its been tried in the past and never lasts more than a handful of games. As for banging on Hagelin and Eller, I will pass. Lavy skipping the kid wingers when Dowd went down, They had lost 3 in a row with a road back to back coming up. They won the game. That was the thing I had highest on my list. They did that. I am not poking it in the eye with a stick. You can, if you want to.

All fair points. And you’re right, getting the W was paramount.