GDT: Kings in the Capital

[Kingspiracy]

Don't feel bad guys ,, Caps destroyed the Hawks this year like they did your team

If someone could take out Pens ,, I think Caps could go to finals this year and be favored to win it all

Pens are bad matchup for Caps though and if they run into them again it could be another heartbreak/disappointment for them

I think we're not too stressed about it, we can really get the excuse book out on this one (whatever happened to that jinx o meter or whatever it was?)

9am start, on a back to back (so were the caps), guys coming back from injury, time of the month......

It is what it is, a regular season game spanking from a top team. Cant win them all.

At least jdub scored

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

At this point you guys pretty comfortable with playoff hopes?

West is pretty weak this year and Kings appear to be better then most of teams chasing you guys

 

[Kingspiracy]

At this point you guys pretty comfortable with playoff hopes?

West is pretty weak this year and Kings appear to be better then most of teams chasing you guys

Not really comfortable at all, we need our top guys to perform and quick to come back healthy. Without Carter we'd be dead in the water already.
Hopefully Toffoli can get up to speed quickly and give our offense a much needed boost.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

A lot depends on which Kings team shows up, as some games like the one today demonstrate, it can get ugly when both the offense and defense lays an egg.

Most nights the defense is solid though but the offense is so wildly inconsistent and dependent of a handful of players. They need to find another winger capable of putting the puck in the net, a 50+ point winger that they lost in Williams/Lucic.

But Dean better not trade long term assets for yet another rental who will walk away after another early elimination (if they reach the playoffs).

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

I think we're not too stressed about it, we can really get the excuse book out on this one (whatever happened to that jinx o meter or whatever it was?)

9am start, on a back to back (so were the caps), guys coming back from injury, time of the month......

It is what it is, a regular season game spanking from a top team. Cant win them all.

At least jdub scored

It's been a busy year for me :/

At this point you guys pretty comfortable with playoff hopes?

West is pretty weak this year and Kings appear to be better then most of teams chasing you guys

Not really. We've been very up and down and I'd like to think if we were healthy, the team has been assembled in such a way that we're good enough for at least a Pac#3 or top WC spot since we've sorted out our defense and theoretically have good forwards and depth...but with injuries especially and slumps, the offensive results haven't manifested. We've also seen weirder things happen, like 2015, so I'm not comfortable until game 82, even though I'm an eternal optimist.

On the other hand, Kopitar is starting to look healthy and him and Toffoli are too good to NOT score, so while other things may be meh, I'd like to think those two surging will help.

 

[johnjm22]

A lot of people had the Capitals favored last year too, and we know how that ended.

I expect them to get eliminated in the second round as usual.

 

[lumbergh]

For those keeping score, that's 129 minutes of scoreless regulation hockey for the Kings. Ugh.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

For those keeping score, that's 129 minutes of scoreless regulation hockey for the Kings. Ugh.

Yep, the Kings seem to really struggle on the road. I don't know what to expect from their offense against Tampa and Florida in the upcoming week.

 

[KingsFan7824]

At this point you guys pretty comfortable with playoff hopes?

West is pretty weak this year and Kings appear to be better then most of teams chasing you guys

Too much inconsistency for the last 222 games to be comfortable. It's there if they want it, especially with St.Louis looking shaky. Not a great regulation record, not a great road record, a 1st line that might get 30 goals between the 3 of them, who knows who the goalie will be. Miss the playoffs, go out in 5, or get to at least the 3rd round, none of it would be a surprise.

 

[kingsfan28]

Back to back, early start, on the road...

This was one of those games where the coaching staff just throws out the game film.

Hopefully out the window on the bus ride back to the Hotel doing 88 mph!

 

[kingsfan28]

It sucks when you're shutout by a goalie who sounds like a Bond Villain.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

It sucks when you're shutout by a goalie who sounds like a Bond Villain.

Or Hans Gruber.

 

[Reaper45]

At this point you guys pretty comfortable with playoff hopes?

West is pretty weak this year and Kings appear to be better then most of teams chasing you guys

Playoffs? Playoffs?

 

[Bladerunner]

A lot of people had the Capitals favored last year too, and we know how that ended.

I expect them to get eliminated in the second round as usual.

26 of 30 teams always get eliminated in the second round or do worse

I expect more than one top team to be eliminated in the first or second round in the East. Three, maybe four counting NYR, of the top/ better teams in the NHL are in the Metro

Just to point that out - nothing more.

 

[PJ Kings Hockey]

Playoffs? Playoffs?

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Too much inconsistency for the last 222 games to be comfortable. It's there if they want it, especially with St.Louis looking shaky. Not a great regulation record, not a great road record, a 1st line that might get 30 goals between the 3 of them, who knows who the goalie will be. Miss the playoffs, go out in 5, or get to at least the 3rd round, none of it would be a surprise.

Haha, this is so true. All over the map.

 

[Little Psycho]

A lot of people had the Capitals favored last year too, and we know how that ended.

I expect them to get eliminated in the second round as usual.

Yup I'll believe it when they make it pass the second round. Getting St. Louis vibes from them.

 

[KingsFan7824]

Yup I'll believe it when they make it pass the second round. Getting St. Louis vibes from them.

With the playoff format, the 2nd round can be a bit different than it used to be, and while it's not necessarily now or never with their RFA and UFA situation, it won't get easier for the Caps to win after this season. Can't have another playoff no-show from Kuznetsov. Or Burakovsky for that matter.

 

[bob77]

I would hope Brodzinski gets the call up. He deserves it more than anyone.

I agree. And, he can flat out shoot. Quick release, very accurate, etc. Think Toffoli. When Brods shoots you start to think it always has a chance of going in. We need to see if he could catch fire. If he does, it could reduce the need to trade for a F. But, we certainly already missed prime opportunities to see this, with TT and other injuries. I'd bring him up and just flat out put him with Kopitar.

 

[Reaper45]

I agree. And, he can flat out shoot. Quick release, very accurate, etc. Think Toffoli. When Brods shoots you start to think it always has a chance of going in. We need to see if he could catch fire. If he does, it could reduce the need to trade for a F. But, we certainly already missed prime opportunities to see this, with TT and other injuries. I'd bring him up and just flat out put him with Kopitar.

I thought Rosen already stated that no one was getting called up. Either Lombardi is banking cap space for a reason or he'd rather just go with what they've got?

 

[deeshamrock]

Yup I'll believe it when they make it pass the second round. Getting St. Louis vibes from them.

Caps won't make it past the 2nd round, if they make to to the 2nd, they won't make it past the Pens. Caps remain historically a great regular season team who put up great numbers. But the playoffs are a different beast and requires a great deal of mental toughness which they have lacked. Last year, given how they lost, they should have identified players who were available that have been thru the playoff wars, gone deep, the OT's, the game 7's, the pressure of being tied in the 3rd in a must win game. Those are the guys that would add to the on and off ice leadership you need. Lars Eller and Connolly aren't those guys. Eller esp, giving up two 2nd's for a career 25 point player who is soft? He doesn't have the set of fangs you need.
The pens, whether you like them or not, have those players, guys who've wont those wars, battles and as recently as last year.
When you play a team in a the playoffs who have those guys, and you don't ,it matters

 

[deeshamrock]

I thought Rosen already stated that no one was getting called up. Either Lombardi is banking cap space for a reason or he'd rather just go with what they've got?

I think a bit of both. Lombardi likes to over marinate his prospects and Sutter doesn't like rookies and they already have some on the roster, can't see him wanting to take on newbies during crunch time.

And even tho I think he's trying to trade for a top 6 winger, I hope he doesn't, banks the 7M which he'll need this summer. Unless that player is coming with good paper that will last a few years.

 

[Fat Elvis]

Toffoli doesn't look ready IMO, injury is still bothering him. Just doesn't look right

 

[fsanford]

At this point you guys pretty comfortable with playoff hopes?

West is pretty weak this year and Kings appear to be better then most of teams chasing you guys

It is weaker than previous years, Blues lost a key piece for the year and it appears they are going to move out a top D man at the deadline.

Jets, Stars, all have more holes than the Kings

Kings problem is the back up goalie is 2-7, and has shown zero ability that he can win a single game going forward. Budaj is going to get ground into dust, his workload is ridiculous. If Quick comes back in March, then the Kings have pretty good 1-2 combo.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Toffoli doesn't look ready IMO, injury is still bothering him. Just doesn't look right

He definitely looks rusty. Aside from his shot that hit the post, he hasn't looked very strong on the puck.