GDT: GM#5: The Half smokes @ the Cheesesteaks - 6pm?

[qc14]

Carbs is the 2nd best coach of the Ovy era, imho.

He's in a tie for 4th right now with Lavy for me but on track to pass him and Oates this year

*ducks around corner*

 

[Nogatco Rd]

If he has only 20, the record ain’t happening unfortunately. Needs to have 25+ at least to have a chance.

Either that or it’s a reality check to put the work in over the offseason.

 

[DWGie26]

So Caps are 5th in the league in points percentage right now.

Obviously pending other results tonight.

And only game tomorrow is Caps-Flyers. IIIFFFF we can take two more points again tomorrow, we are in a top position.

 

[Langway]

Chychrun was such a brilliant pick-up. Have to lock him up no question.

Seems kind of clear to me that the weakest links at this stage are Sandin and Lapierre.

Solid road effort. The PP needs to get going again, mostly executing faster, shooting and crashing for rebounds.

 

[NobodyBeatsTheWiz]

It's easily a vegan combo from an Ethiopian place for me as the standout local fare. DMV is a very underrated food area ... yes no nationally known staple akin to a cheesesteak but pretty great options at every different price point and vibe for almost any cuisine.

Always feels good to beat Philly, another great performance and win

Yeah, the DC Metro food scene is deep. I think it's top 5ish in the country. The District proper is limited compared to other International cities only because of its size handicap.

 

[DWGie26]

He's in a tie for 4th right now with Lavy for me but on track to pass him and Oates this year

*ducks around corner*

4th… what do you have on dance card:

1. Trotz - won cup so ok. Not sure he was that great
2. Carbs - he did the impossible and got caps in playoffs last year. Trending well. Still more impact than others and this will trend up
3. Lavi - I liked Lavi as the choice. It did not go well.
4. Bruce - lots of offense there. Maybe I would have him at 3.

 

[895]

I always thought CMM would be good. Couldn't figure out why he was struggling the past few years. Glad it seems like he's finally found it.

 

[Ovechkins Wodka]

Not worried about Ovi. He hasn’t been given many good looks and he’s known to be streaky. He could go on a 20 goal in 30 games stretch and chip away at the record. He’s got 150+ games left to score 40 goals.

You think he’s going to retire before he gets the record? Close to zero chance I see that happening.

 

[BallardEra]

What’s the latest on Roy?

 

[Ovie's Neighbor]

Another great game by this team. Off season signings look good. I am worried about PLD though, we really do need more from him at his cap hit.

 

[Lindemann]

PLD has been totally fine so far

Don’t look at points and goals at this point, when he’s on the ice, the offense is creating chances and he’s been creating some strong plays with his body

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

I always thought CMM would be good. Couldn't figure out why he was struggling the past few years. Glad it seems like he's finally found it.

NHL game is a grind. He needed to mature physically and improve skating…he’s done that, now reaping rewards.

 

[Dr John Carlson]

I want you to put the word out there that we back up.

 

[Ovechkins Wodka]

I really wish the NHL would do more of these frozen frenzy

Doing it just once a season seems like such a missed opportunity

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

I want you to put the word out there that we back up.

 

[SherVaughn30]

4th… what do you have on dance card:

1. Trotz - won cup so ok. Not sure he was that great
2. Carbs - he did the impossible and got caps in playoffs last year. Trending well. Still more impact than others and this will trend up
3. Lavi - I liked Lavi as the choice. It did not go well.
4. Bruce - lots of offense there. Maybe I would have him at 3.

Lavi gets moved down a bit. He did not get away from McCarthy soon enough and it hurt our team because of it.

 

[Firsov99]

Either that or it’s a reality check to put the work in over the offseason.

He is not going to change his prep routine after 20 seasons. He’ll continue drinking sodas and eating cheetos too. I believe that Ovi will still put an earnest effort, but if he fails to break the record, I don’t think that he would be overly disappointed. His fans will be though.

 

[SherVaughn30]

PLD has been totally fine so far

Don’t look at points and goals at this point, when he’s on the ice, the offense is creating chances and he’s been creating some strong plays with his body

PLD is buying into the system and that is what is important for an offensive skilled player like him that is not regarded being good at back-checking. The points will come. His cap hit will hit will blind some ppl see how fairly good he's fitting in.

 

[LesDiablesRouges]

Chychrun was such a brilliant pick-up. Have to lock him up no question.

Seems kind of clear to me that the weakest links at this stage are Sandin and Lapierre.

Solid road effort. The PP needs to get going again, mostly executing faster, shooting and crashing for rebounds.

Give Chych the 8 x 8.

I’d be totally fine with packaging Sandin at some point, but with Cristall, Miro, and Leonard on the way next year, do they really have room for another long-term FWD option? They definitely need top-end talent and could reshuffle the deck in preemptive or proactive moves, but I’m not even sure they resign Mangi given the high-end glut en route.

Lapi will be fine IMO, think he just needs some time. Something I just don’t like about having Vrana and Mangi together.

 

[McVechkin]

4th… what do you have on dance card:

1. Trotz - won cup so ok. Not sure he was that great
2. Carbs - he did the impossible and got caps in playoffs last year. Trending well. Still more impact than others and this will trend up
3. Lavi - I liked Lavi as the choice. It did not go well.
4. Bruce - lots of offense there. Maybe I would have him at 3.

I’m not a lavy hater, but his time with the caps didn’t line up well with the roster composition.. he just didn’t provide much value to the ovie era. I got 1) trotz for the cup. 2) Bruce for the years of run and gun offense. Then everyone else. Carbs is going to be really good, just need more time from him to to cement it. He’s got great philosophy m, strategy, command of the team. Personable. Really like him.

 

[BallardEra]

March 8, 2006 was the last time that the Caps scored two shorties in a game:

Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Washington Capitals Box Score: March 8, 2006 | Hockey-Reference.com

Get the latest box score updates on the Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Washington Capitals game played on March 8, 2006 on Hockey-Reference.com

www.hockey-reference.com

 

[max21]

Ovie really misses Backstrom's as a centre hope Alexander scores 50-60 goals this season...The best of Luck to the Grate Eight

Hell yeah

 

[qc14]

4th… what do you have on dance card:

1. Trotz - won cup so ok. Not sure he was that great
2. Carbs - he did the impossible and got caps in playoffs last year. Trending well. Still more impact than others and this will trend up
3. Lavi - I liked Lavi as the choice. It did not go well.
4. Bruce - lots of offense there. Maybe I would have him at 3.

1 and 2 are Trotz and Boudreau for me and they're both pretty interchangeable. Trotz coming in in 2014 was exactly what that group needed and while he had a stacked roster he got them results (and obviously won a cup ...), Boudreau is maybe the most underrated coach in NHL history and while he had some pretty notable playoff shortcomings he won two presidents trophies playing completely different brands of hockey with a defense corps that was uhh ... not the best.

3 is Oates, who was below average at the tactical/team management aspect of the job but incredible at helping individual players improve their skills -- none more than Ovi. Don't think it's a stretch to say that without some of the adjustments he made to Ovi's game the Gretzky chase isn't possible. Oates also doesn't get enough credit for revolutionizing powerplays with the 1-3-1 to such incredible success that you hardly ever see anyone above the pewee (!!!) level run anything different these days.

As for Carbs vs. Lavy -- I know Lavy's last year ended poorly and a lot of people in the media (and particularly from a certain four-lettered site) didn't like the way he interacted with them. That being said, he got the absolute best for two years out of a roster that was way past its expiration date and lottery-caliber goaltending. He completely outcoached a record-breaking Panthers team in a series that was probably a Hathaway empty-netter one inch to the right away from going the other way and had the team playing very well with a 21-13-5 record through the new year in 22-23 when he lost Carlson to a brutal injury.

Carbs got us into the playoffs last year and played in a style that maximized the roster he had and I think was (slightly) better than the underlying numbers give him credit for, but ultimately the team last year got incredibly lucky/unsustainable results. There were also times, especially early, where his man-on-man system looked like complete suicide last year. I'd like to see him repeat last year's playoff make with a better process before I jump to conclusions.

He's certainly on his way though. Don't think there's been a 5 game stretch where we've looked this good since probably that December 22 run before the Carlson injury.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

You think he’s going to retire before he gets the record? Close to zero chance I see that happening.

That’s not what I was implying. He’s got 150 games on his contract, which is more than enough to score 40 goals.

 

[SecretaryofDefense5]

Certainly sounds like you’re super patient!

I’ve seen many players in these parts get “resets” after a smaller sample size (cough, thanks Lavi) I don’t think it’s a crazy idea to have him sit a few games upstairs to watch and mentally reset.