GDT: GM 57: Caps to Oil the machine in B2B afternoon games

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He may not be wrong. The quick, clean puck movement and positioning recently, and this game specifically....haven't seen the Caps that on-point since the Cup run.

I love that they're controlling the boards with the D-men and as soon as it looks like one of the D-men might get in trouble or pressed a forward drops back to the middle for a shorter passing option and extra protection without giving up the zone. So many scoring chances seem to come from what might have been odd-man rushes in years past.

You can only do this if you have a really good corps of defensemen, and they do.
 
In the back of my mind, i kinda hope he doesn't score the last 13 too quickly ... i'd be concerned we would have an extended period of letdown leading into the playoffs

I guess there is the 900 goal mark, but still

Carbs would surely already be thinking about that scenario

895 seems inevitable, I want another Cup
 
In the back of my mind, i kinda hope he doesn't score the last 13 too quickly ... i'd be concerned we would have an extended period of letdown leading into the playoffs

I guess there is the 900 goal mark, but still

Carbs would surely already be thinking about that scenario

895 seems inevitable, I want another Cup

I think a period of rest before the playoffs would certainly help. He was completely cooked last year after basically playing playoff hockey for 2 months to secure the final spot.

I think it will come down to the final few games, then the playoffs will be right around the corner.
 
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I think a period of rest before the playoffs would certainly help. He was completely cooked last year after basically playing playoff hockey for 2 months to secure the final spot.

I think it will come down to the final few games, then the playoffs will be right around the corner.

I'm more thinking of the whole team having a letdown period, although i didn't convey that

Ovi's mood/desire likely sets the tone for everybody ... does he have another gear for the playoffs? as great as he is, not sure he does

if we go deep into the playoffs, he will be the most cooked Ovi we have ever seen
 
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Not much downside to pulling the goalie there. I bet the math shows a slightly increased likelihood of winning by pulling him.

I once heard someone, possibly Laughlin, saying something to the effect of “the math suggests you should pull the goalie with about 8 minutes left when you’re down by 3, with about 5 minutes left when you’re down by 2, and with about 3 minutes left when you’re down by 1.” I think that’s what I heard anyway. That was about five years ago or something, and I haven’t tried to Google this yet.
 
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I'm more thinking of the whole team having a letdown period, although i didn't convey that

Ovi's mood/desire likely sets the tone for everybody ... does he have another gear for the playoffs? as great as he is, not sure he does

if we go deep into the playoffs, he will be the most cooked Ovi we have ever seen

I don’t expect a Conn Smythe-level performance from Ovi, but I think he knows this is his possibly his last chance to win another one. My thinking is that the hunger will be there even when the body won’t be.

Deep in the playoffs is where we’ll need young guys like CMM or Protas to carry the mail. You could say the same on D with Chychrun carrying the play instead of Carlson.

Fortunately, this iteration of the Caps is the one that needs Ovi the least to succeed. We saw that when he was absent for 2 months with a broken leg.
 
I'm more thinking of the whole team having a letdown period, although i didn't convey that

Ovi's mood/desire likely sets the tone for everybody ... does he have another gear for the playoffs? as great as he is, not sure he does

if we go deep into the playoffs, he will be the most cooked Ovi we have ever seen
That's why he needs to get it in the middle of March so they have enough time to mentally reset for the playoffs.
 
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Awesome call!!!!
Watching Ovie score is always fun wish I had been a Caps fanatic all this time instead of being a closet Caps fan...that man can fire the puck like Bobby Hull one of my favorites used to blast his howitzers...and scores with the slapper from the leftside,rightside, slot,score with his wrister...from anywhere...he's the Great8
 
50 years of Washington Capitols...I remember when they drafted Greg Joly 1st overall in 1974...I went to school with his sister Shawn and was excited for them but that first Caps team wasn't afforded much in the way of talent and skill in ghe Expansion Draft then and were miserable and to make makers worse Philly was able to steal away the 1st choice next year(1975)and turned it into Mel Bridgeman...as a closet Caps fan all those years it was great to see them Win a Stanley Cup and see the Grate8 inch ever so close to the use to be great 99...hope the Caps Win another this year...as a fan in Canada I've watched more Caps games this last 3-4 months then I have in quite awhile all because of Ovie and PLD and Wilson,Chychrun,Carlsson,Sandin,Protas,Strome...man they have talent and skill wish Backstrom could come back...and the cupboard is brimming with talent...Miroshnichenko,Leonard,other Hutson,Kristall,Parascak the other Protas,Chesley and Muggli...they are going to continue to be good maybe Grate8!!!
Wait. You aren’t MaacoShark, are you?

Chandler Stephenson fan? Sorry if wrong
 
So is Strome. Dude is 6’4 and not thin!
I watch opposing teams broadcasts, and they’re always marveling at how huge our team is.

I love when they see this year’s version of Protas in action, and become WWE announcers: “bah gawd, that giant mass of humanity is skating through our team!”
 
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