Post-Game Talk: Horrifying Act of Violence

[UnSandvich]

Tbh we got on Ovi's case for his no-show this series, but Carbury was right when he said in his post-series interview that Ovi was at least partly just tired. He and Lindgren basically willed that team into the playoffs in the second half, over a couple teams that would've given us far more trouble.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

Worse team 2024 Capitals or 1994 Islanders?

 

[bl02]

Enjoy. I love Maloney!

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

Tbh we got on Ovi's case for his no-show this series, but Carbury was right when he said in his post-series interview that Ovi was at least partly just tired. He and Lindgren basically willed that team into the playoffs in the second half, over a couple teams that would've given us far more trouble.

Well one team. Pittsburgh would have been a pain for several reasons.

We would have swept Detroit and done so looking like the Avalanche. That team sucked too.

 

[bl02]

Is Trochek the greatest free agency signing in Rangers history? That contract is a beauty.

amazing for two reasons.
1) He is a terrific all around player that will do everything necessary on the ice to win.
2.) His signing prevented us from signing Stome or Copp.

 

[Machinehead]

Tbh we got on Ovi's case for his no-show this series, but Carbury was right when he said in his post-series interview that Ovi was at least partly just tired. He and Lindgren basically willed that team into the playoffs in the second half, over a couple teams that would've given us far more trouble.

Also, in Ovi's defense, he was up against the best.

I have to give Laviolette a ton of credit. He absolutely spammed Adam Fox when Ovechkin was on the ice. I criticized him for having Trouba and/or Miller be the matchup guy all season but he made Fox the matchup guy in our first series like people said he would. @McRanger92 was one of a few who mentioned it. He was right, I was wrong.

Fox laid that poor old man to rest. When they shared the ice, the Caps scored 1 goal on 4 high-danger chances. They had 4 good looks in 4 games. When Fox wasn't out there, he had an xGF% close to 70%.

People talk about Fox having an underwhelming series offensively but he was busy shutting down the shit out of the best goal-scorer of all-time. He had 31 goals and 65 points this year, and was red hot the second half. He's not nothing.

 

[NYR94]

 

[SnowblindNYR]

Well one team. Pittsburgh would have been a pain for several reasons.

We would have swept Detroit and done so looking like the Avalanche. That team sucked too.

If we played Detroit, I don't know if we'd sweep but our margins of victory would be bigger.

 

[ohbaby]

Going into the 1st round, I thought the Caps would give the Rangers a hard time. Then that 1st game revealed, the Caps are not up to it, They showed me nothing to assume they would be a contender. And then I promptly changed my tune, in predicting a sweep would be very likely. It wasn't much of a revelation, as it was an inevitability after watching game one. They just didn't have the tools to compete. Not in net, special teams, or 5 on 5.

And so here we are, waiting for the Canes to finish up with the Isles. I will feel much better about our chances, of going all the way if we get by the Canes. They are the favorites to win the Cup. And for good reason, Freddy Andersen has been outstanding this year. 13-2, with a .932 save pct. and a 1.84 GAA. He's been 12-2 since his return from blood clots that include 3 playoff wins. He's a far cry from Charles Lindgren.

Let's hope the Isles can shake his confidence by extending their playoff hopes.

 

[noncents]

I'm not a kid. I understand it. I am saying if I was a player on that team, I would not appreciate the team prioritizing this record over winning games or rebuilding toward that end. Ovi is more cooked than a gas station hot dog, they're gonna drag this out for two more years?

counterpoint - everyone playing on that team will have a chance to have an assist on the record tying and record breaking goals. that's a career highlight. helluva lot more easily attained then winning a cup

 

[mti79]

The entire Carolina roster are my least favorite players


Were doing the same thing. Buckle up

Hey!!! You leave Jesper out of this.... lol. But yeah, the rest of them all suck

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

Also, in Ovi's defense, he was up against the best.

I have to give Laviolette a ton of credit. He absolutely spammed Adam Fox when Ovechkin was on the ice. I criticized him for having Trouba and/or Miller be the matchup guy all season but he made Fox the matchup guy in our first series like people said he would. @McRanger92 was one of a few who mentioned it. He was right, I was wrong.

Fox laid that poor old man to rest. When they shared the ice, the Caps scored 1 goal on 4 high-danger chances. They had 4 good looks in 4 games. When Fox wasn't out there, he had an xGF% close to 70%.

People talk about Fox having an underwhelming series offensively but he was busy shutting down the shit out of the best goal-scorer of all-time. He had 31 goals and 65 points this year, and was red hot the second half. He's not nothing.

I wonder if that would have been the case had Trouba been healthy though.

His injury played into him getting dropped in the lineup I'm sure.

Wish we had a place to put #55 where he could just PK.

 

[LeetchisGod]

If we played Detroit, I don't know if we'd sweep but our margins of victory would be bigger.

This. The Wings defense and goaltending is a shitshow. We would have had at least a couple of blowouts against them.

 

[Elvis P]

Capitals, you give your fan's love ... a bad name.

 

[Leonardo87]

I prefer Mrs. Doubtfire rocking out to Aerosmith. Lol.

 

[kovazub94]

…And for good reason, Freddy Andersen has been outstanding this year. 13-2, with a .932 save pct. and a 1.84 GAA. He's been 12-2 since his return from blood clots that include 3 playoff wins. He's a far cry from Charles Lindgren.

Let's hope the Isles can shake his confidence by extending their playoff hopes.

The thing is that this top shelf perform by Andersen is not a given (or less likely) to count on compared to Shesterkin. Yeah, it’s possible that he outplays our Russian (and if that’s the case then Canes will most likely advance) but smart money would be on the other side.

 

[hardnosed]

I wonder if that would have been the case had Trouba been healthy though.

His injury played into him getting dropped in the lineup I'm sure.

Wish we had a place to put #55 where he could just PK.

So Machine brings up a stat where Fox completely neutralized Ovi when both were on the ice and you come to the conclusion that #55 should only kill penalties? Who the hell do you think was also on the ice during that time when Fox was shutting down Ovi?

 

[kovazub94]

Isn’t it weird that one player looked like team’s MVP of the series while his linemates looked like they underperformed? The reason Trocheck contrasted so much in comparison to Panarin and Lafreniere is that he’s a fixture on PK which was a LOT in this series (thank you refs) and he was able to get into the rhythm. Same kind of goes for other PK forwards too (Vesey wasn’t this bad overall as being portrayed here).

 

[kovazub94]

So Machine brings up a stat where Fox completely neutralized Ovi when both were on the ice and you come to the conclusion that #55 should only kill penalties? Who the hell do you think was also on the ice during that time when Fox was shutting down Ovi?

I’m fully bought into the sentiment that Ovechkin spent every ounce of whatever energy was there in his 38-year old tank to get Caps into the playoffs against worse odds than any of the other teams that didn’t make it. And with some smart moves in the offseason they are actually better set to make playoffs again next season compared to other bubble teams.

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

So Machine brings up a stat where Fox completely neutralized Ovi when both were on the ice and you come to the conclusion that #55 should only kill penalties? Who the hell do you think was also on the ice during that time when Fox was shutting down Ovi?

I wasn't aware that Lindgren played RD.

Come on.

 

[Riche16]

Yeah, the only reason Carolina is favored over us is because Carolina had the best odds to win the cup. I think they were +650 and we were +800. Not a big difference.

Wasn't speaking to that.

Was answering "underdogs"

We won the Pres Trophy & Vegas had us all the way past the Caps.

Yes. You can be favored and still underestimated.
Favoring a team that finished below us, that we beat in the season series and who hasn’t even won their series yet? Underestimating us. Again.

Vegas knows what they're doing but that's fine.

I don't care what the odds are now. We don't know our opponent yet.

I was answering that we were NOT underdogs in this last series.

We weren't... by anyone. Vegas or anyone else.

 

[PuckLuck3043]

I’m fully bought into the sentiment that Ovechkin spent every ounce of whatever energy was there in his 38-year old tank to get Caps into the playoffs against worse odds than any of the other teams that didn’t make it. And with some smart moves in the offseason they are actually better set to make playoffs again next season compared to other bubble teams.

I think Ovi was spent also. He was invisible and near the end of a great career. I do not think Washington is going to make the playoffs next year though. Ovi and Oshie are cooked and Carlson will also be 35 next season. They have Wilson, Strome and a few decent younger guys but I don't think it gets them in again.

 

[hardnosed]

I wasn't aware that Lindgren played RD.

Come on.

Yea, RD covers LW for every second of every shift. Got it. Thanks

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

Isn’t it weird that one player looked like team’s MVP of the series while his linemates looked like they underperformed? The reason Trocheck contrasted so much in comparison to Panarin and Lafreniere is that he’s a fixture on PK which was a LOT in this series (thank you refs) and he was able to get into the rhythm. Same kind of goes for other PK forwards too (Vesey wasn’t this bad overall as being portrayed here).

I buy it for game 3 because they were shorthanded 6 times.

I don't for the other games, especially game 2 where they out PP'd the Caps with 6 (I think) Opps of their own.

One of the main reasons why Trocheck/Kreider/Zibanejad stood out is because they slayed on the PK. That rhythm didn't really carry over for him 5v5.

Contrast that with guys like Cuylle and Kakko who were pretty strong throughout and don't get the minutes either.

Who said Vesey had a bad series? He didn't have a good game 4 and a few iffy moments along the way but was fine otherwise.

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

Yea, RD covers LW for every second of every shift. Got it. Thanks

Who do you think covers the LW on rush chances?

It wasn't #55.

FWIW, and @Machinehead left this out (not intentionally) but it was Fox who had him held to 4. With Lindgren on the ice, OV had 6 and Fox played nearly 2 full minutes more vs OV than RL did.

For reference -

Miller- 1 HDCA
Schneider- 1
Gus - 3
Trouba - 3

Everyone locked him up and RL still doubled up the other guys (or more.) Now he was second in TOI against him, but he gave up more chances than the guy who was #1.