League News: NHL Talk - (News n' Scores n' Stuff) | 2023-24 Regular Season Edition

[Ridley Simon]

Time to start rooting for Buffalo down the stretch I guess. 6-4-0 in their last ten. Hardly impossible they finish above the Caps. Probably also ought to hope for NJD/PIT to at least keep trying for a playoff spot.

The Caps could do some buying but hopefully not barring an exceptional opportunity. Just wait until the off-season. Goal differential suggests the Caps ought to be basically a bottom eight team and you wonder how easily the bottom will fall out of their game again when motivation becomes a challenge.

It’ll depend. If they are playing a lot of youth/kids, then they will probably win more games than expected due to coaching, synergies, hustle, and personal goals.

If they can crash the top 10, then great. That’s about where I see it (and maybe the NHL gifts us a lottery raise to whatever is the most to gain).

Why not? It’s our turn to win a lottery of some sort.

 

[trick9]

Red tank head-to-head games:

March 7: @ Penguins
March 14: @ Kraken
March 18: @ Flames
April 2: @ Sabres
April 4: vs. Penguins
April 7: vs. Sens
April 11: @ Sabres

Not many h2h games... which is good, if you are rooting for the tank. Because those games are the easiest ones that the Capitals have left, other than the 'hawks game this week. Rest of their schedule is all filled against top teams.

 

[Langway]

It’ll depend. If they are playing a lot of youth/kids, then they will probably win more games than expected due to coaching, synergies, hustle, and personal goals.

Hard to imagine that. How are they replacing Mantha's 5v5 production? Or Pacioretty's? With Miro? As the playoff math becomes increasingly daunting I've got to believe they'll slide. Maybe not as badly as last season but it doesn't much of a slide to land closer to the 8-10 range.

It depends to what extent they sell and leave spots open for Bears. They play a lot of good teams in a compressed schedule. They already struggle to score. It shouldn't take that much more selling to fall off.

 

[trick9]

Hard to imagine that. How are they replacing Mantha's 5v5 production? Or Pacioretty's? With Miro? As the playoff math becomes increasingly daunting I've got to believe they'll slide. Maybe not as badly as last season but it doesn't much of a slide to land closer to the 8-10 range.

It depends to what extent they sell and leave spots open for Bears. They play a lot of good teams in a compressed schedule. They already struggle to score. It shouldn't take that much more selling to fall off.

Something to follow too is... maintenance days seem to start piling up on Carlson and Ovechkin again. Are they at 100%? Ovechkin has taken a lot of maintenance days recently, but he's likely to play even if he's not at 100% given the record chase. But if Carlson drops out in a stretch where we are playing those top teams? Yikes.

Also when the Playoff spot eventually starts slipping away after selling, John Carlson isn't very likely to continue playing as much as he has played so far. He's 2nd in the entire NHL in TOI/GP. Only behind Drew Doughty who averages 8 seconds more. That alone makes them a likely regression candidate.

 

[ChaosLord]

Devils are not helping the tank. WTH is wrong with that team. Lost 3 in a row and 3-7 in in their last 10.

At least our old buds the Penguins are making a contribution: rallied to win last night and 5-4 in their last 10.

 

[Langway]

Kuzy matinee debut coming up already eh? Gonna be wild seeing what that rascal gets up to.

 

[tycoonheart]

Detroit has lost 4 in a row now. It's not just the 3rd metro spot that is up for grabs, the wildcards seem to be as well. Bolts haven't looked good recently.

 

[Ridley Simon]

The only wildcard teams that bought were Tampa….and maybe Devils/Flyers? They were more net neural. Wings and Isles didn’t do anything.

Caps sold. Pens sold.

 

[Langway]

The Devils and Flyers got worse in losing Toffoli/Walker. The Devils tried to change up their mix in net but it's still marginal. The Flyers did buy cheap but are worse overall. So, yeah, as fortunate as one could hope for among those 6 to whatever teams on the bubble.

The Caps have to hope Lapierre/Miro/AA down the stretch finding their game are their additions.

 

[AlexModvechkin8]

The Penguins stink. They look like they’ve completely given up.

 

[MW6]

The Penguins stink. They look like they’ve completely given up.

The only way they won’t be terrible for a decade is if the trade Crosby for an insane package this offseason, otherwise they’ll live in mediocrity for 3-4-5 years with all them contracts they have with ageing and diminishing players, until they’ll be worst in the league and then start a real rebuild. I mean, that’s IF the league don’t “hand” them the 1st OA on a lottery pick anytime soon.

 

[Langway]

MF's orange.

 

[Cappy76]

MF's orange.

Ha! What's he worked up about?

 

[twabby]

Ha! What's he worked up about?

He saw someone in the stands who didn't clap during the Lightning Miltary Salute Presented By Raytheon™

 

[RedRocking]

Vegas downs the Wings (now losers of 5 in a row). So we’re now 3 pts back for WC2, with a game in hand.

Do you believe in middling miracles? Meh.

 

[HTFN]

MF's orange.

lmfao the idea that some of those guys in the Tampa box were watching the other team's coach going "wooo, that's our guy" makes me laugh

If you asked me off the cuff I'd have said that was, like, any random Flyers box instead of Tampa alumni, what a great clip.

 

[g00n]

Playoffs definitely still a possibility.

 

[Langway]

Need that Ovi rearview mirror pic.



Whaaaaaaaaaaaat.

 

[HeyMattyB]

It's all (which is to say, partially) about getting hot at the right time. That said, for the Caps, the "right time" has to last for the last two months of the season.

I choose to root for success!

 

[tycoonheart]

Need that Ovi rearview mirror pic.



Whaaaaaaaaaaaat.

They have gotten a lot of greasy goals since coming back from the all star break. Seems to have been a point of emphasis to get bodies in front of the net. 3 of the goals last night were of that variety.

 

[twabby]

Need that Ovi rearview mirror pic.



Whaaaaaaaaaaaat.

51% xG share as a team during that period too, compared to 46% before.

Kuznetsov went to player assistance on February 5. I don't think it's a coincidence the team has turned it around since that point.

 

[StrikingDistance]

Watching the Pens-Oil game. Gotta love that the Pens are stuck with Letang for another 4 years at 6m, and Geno for 2 more years at 6m, Jarry at 5.3m for 4 more years.

That's a lotta sucky millions.

 

[trick9]

Penguins don't seem like a team that will pick up many points the rest of the way.

They'll get 7-9 pick for it at best but Sharks must be licking at their chops knowing they have the Penguins 1st next season.

Letang benched.

 

[g00n]

Watching the Pens-Oil game. Gotta love that the Pens are stuck with Letang for another 4 years at 6m, and Geno for 2 more years at 6m, Jarry at 5.3m for 4 more years.

That's a lotta sucky millions.

Sucky Millions is the name of my Alice Cooper cover band

 

[Carlzner]

Pretty nice being in such a better position for the future than the Pens right now.