GDT: GM:20 Devvies @ Cappies 7:08pm EST

[CapitalsCupReality]

Take away the PP goals scored by both teams, this is a 1-1 game even strength.

They lost….it’s over…no need to try and excuse it so vigorously…they need their offensive guys to score.

 

[SherVaughn30]

Twabby, I would be very interested in the analytics on Devils had they been shorthanded 2 more times that the refs chose to ignore calling? Just what it was for Devils and what it really should have been. I'm just so irate with the officiating!

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

He has the talent so I will always expect more.

Gonna be a long tenure of his for you then lol…He’s NEVER going to earn that cap hit.

 

[SecretaryofDefense5]

Gonna be a long tenure of his for you then lol…He’s NEVER going to earn that cap hit.

I believe he will at least 1-2 years of the deal. I believe!

 

[SherVaughn30]

They lost….it’s over…no need to try and excuse it so vigorously…they need their offensive guys to score.

Very easy to just move on, but I won't. It really bothers me when the officiating job is to call the game based on the rule book, but don't with ignoring even the most obvious infractions.

Do the simple math. Devils PP is running at 30%ish and the Caps PP is running around 15%. You give 5 PP's to one team and only 2 to other. Which team is going to be more negatively affected in the game? The Caps!

 

[SherVaughn30]

I believe he will at least 1-2 years of the deal. I believe!

PLD is already at a better production rate than he was with one full season with the Kings. I'm not worried about him. He just needs to keep doing what he's been doing, but maybe slightly shoot the puck more, and he will be fine.

 

[qc14]

Pretty even game that they grew into. Special teams and blocked shots the difference. Thought the third line and Roy were particularly good, 4th line and Fehervary particularly bad. Miro looked a bit peripheral but very importantly was completely fine on defense and the forecheck. Probably deserved a point but oh well

And as bad as the refs were in the Caps game it was far from the biggest screw job against a DC team tonight -- the Spirit got absolutely robbed in their championship

 

[PlushMinus]

Very easy to just move on, but I won't. It really bothers me when the officiating job is to call the game based on the rule book, but don't with ignoring even the most obvious infractions.

Do the simple math. Devils PP is running at 30%ish and the Caps PP is running around 15%. You give 5 PP's to one team and only 2 to other. Which team is going to be more negatively affected in the game? The Caps!

The thing is you ALWAYS blame the officiating when we lose - it's a bit tiresome, especially when you post about it 27 times in a GDT.

Genuinely good teams find a way to overcome. Our team looked pretty average tonight.

 

[alphabetical]

He has the talent so I will always expect more.

That sounds like an unreasonable expectation and a recipe for disappointment.

 

[Devil Dancer]

A hot Ovie masks a lot of ills. Losing that suddenly has been a shock to team offense.

Also, what's up with the schedule? It seems like they've been playing top teams every night for weeks now.

 

[stephenball]

Dude, stop complaining nonstop about the officiating. Sometimes the calls don’t go your way, but you still have to execute and win the game. You can cry about a potential game where everything got called, but that is all speculative. You can whine that maybe the Caps could have scored two power play goals on two missed calls, or you could live in the reality of the game and be more frustrated that we gave up two powerplay goals to them.

Turns out the team that has the puck the whole damn game is more likely to get the benefit of the doubt on penalty calls. It’s just the nature of the beast. Score when you get PP opportunities, and don’t let them score when they get them.

 

[Calicaps]

They increased their goals 100% game over game. Hopeful that continues.

 

[TheSmokingMan]

I think the consensus is that the officiating sucked, but the Caps still had plenty of chances to win the game. They looked better than they did against COL, but still more line tinkering needed. I didn't think missing Ovie would impact the team as dramatically as it has.

I think I might have been taking for granted how much the identity of this team rests on his shoulders and how important he is to their success. They really need someone to step up and lead for the next month while he's gone. We're going to learn a lot about the character of our team in this stretch.

 

[tycoonheart]

I was going to say this before Ovi's injury, but I felt part of them playing so well was the team rallying around the idea of Ovi breaking the record. Lots of players commented on it. Strome even talked about how cool it would be to assist on the goal. Then Wilson's comment after the injury kind of solidified that thinking. Think the team is just deflated right now.

 

[g00n]

Their identity this year had been "Ovie's team" with 8 chasing history and burning villages.

When you lose someone who's a clear unanimous 1st ballot HOFer, who's also close to the most sacred record in the sport AND is/was leading the league in goals, somewhere in the back of your mind you're thinking "oh shit, we're f***ed until he comes back".

Maybe they see him around, mostly just limping, and think "we can wait for Ovie to return" instead of digging in and having a foxhole mentality that forges a new but temporary identity based on "we're a great team without Ovechkin".

IOW the "next man up" mentality they had in 2018 doesn't seem to apply to Ovechkin this season. Not yet.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

Their identity this year had been "Ovie's team" with 8 chasing history and burning villages.

When you lose someone who's a clear unanimous 1st ballot HOFer, who's also close to the most sacred record in the sport AND is/was leading the league in goals, somewhere in the back of your mind you're thinking "oh shit, we're f***ed until he comes back".

Maybe they see him around, mostly just limping, and think "we can wait for Ovie to return" instead of digging in and having a foxhole mentality that forges a new but temporary identity based on "we're a great team without Ovechkin".

IOW the "next man up" mentality they had in 2018 doesn't seem to apply to Ovechkin this season. Not yet.

Yeah, Ovi’s leadership this season has been evident. He was leading the team physically, emotionally and provided motivation to the group. Even Logan Thompson as a goalie has been commenting on how great of a teammate he is.

I can imagine how motivating it is to watch a 39 year old veteran work hard and rediscover his scoring touch on the verge of an all-time record.

However, the record isn’t enough, the team core has to score and lead by committee.

 

[Empty Goal Net]

Their identity this year had been "Ovie's team" with 8 chasing history and burning villages.

When you lose someone who's a clear unanimous 1st ballot HOFer, who's also close to the most sacred record in the sport AND is/was leading the league in goals, somewhere in the back of your mind you're thinking "oh shit, we're f***ed until he comes back".

Maybe they see him around, mostly just limping, and think "we can wait for Ovie to return" instead of digging in and having a foxhole mentality that forges a new but temporary identity based on "we're a great team without Ovechkin".

IOW the "next man up" mentality they had in 2018 doesn't seem to apply to Ovechkin this season. Not yet.

Sounds like the perfect time for the presumptive heir to the captaincy to step up.