Post-Game Talk: NYR @ WSH Game I: An Implosion Of Modest Proportions

[machphantom]

They did not dominate the game. The game itself was a very even game. Caps dominated the first 10 min. The Rangers the next 10. Caps the next 10. Then even next 20. Rangers the final 10. It was winnable. The series is winnable. Just need some lucky bounces and no more boneheaded plays/penalties.

Where did I say they dominated? I said there were sustained periods where we looked like the superior team. Even last year, it just seemed as though we would have to take a Caps barrage just to hope to eventually get a shot at winning. Tonight's game seemed at least even, and I was impressed that the Rangers' ability to hold the puck in the caps zone and get the puck near the crease.

 

[Championship*]

It's also mind boggling that the Rangers have essentially no problem with the caps in the Regular season, but have problems with them in the playoffs.

 

[BarbaraAlphanse]

The same problems still exist though. The offense is a rollercoaster. A few good games, a few bad games. Every time. The PP hasn't been good in years. Nothing is changing. That's why it's so easy to predict these games. Nothing is changing.

Nothing changed and we made it within 2 games of the SC last year. You can't predict what happens. Did anyone predict the isles making hte playoffs this year? No. Nothing's changed for them in years either. Same can be said about Toronto. Just need to stick with your plan.

I don't know what to tell you about the powerplay. This isn't the thread to be discussing the Rangers woes over the last 5 years. I'm talking about this series, this game. We could have won the game. We can still win the series. Clearly they need to change "if" to "do" but its within reasonable assumption that we are every bit up to the task of taking this team. Everyone predicted this series to go 7. Let it play through. You can harp on the negatives of this team and system if they're eliminated. Right now, it doesn't make sense.

 

[Championship*]

Nothing changed and we made it within 2 games of the SC last year. You can't predict what happens. Did anyone predict the isles making hte playoffs this year? No. Nothing's changed for them in years either. Same can be said about Toronto. Just need to stick with your plan.

I don't know what to tell you about the powerplay. This isn't the thread to be discussing the Rangers woes over the last 5 years. I'm talking about this series, this game. We could have won the game. We can still win the series. Clearly they need to change "if" to "do" but its within reasonable assumption that we are every bit up to the task of taking this team. Everyone predicted this series to go 7. Let it play through. You can harp on the negatives of this team and system if they're eliminated. Right now, it doesn't make sense.

You absolutely can predict what happens. Call it an educated guess if you want but you can. We made it within 2 games of the SC last year, but our downfall was our offense. Same problem this year. Nothing's changed.

 

[5 4 Fighting]

You absolutely can predict what happens. Call it an educated guess if you want but you can. We made it within 2 games of the SC last year, but our downfall was our offense. Same problem this year. Nothing's changed.

Actually, our downfall was the overall fatigue. Tortorella played with 4-5 D every game, the wheels completely fell off, everyone was dead tired because we took 2 inferior teams to 7 games and played another 6 game series. It takes it's toll. Now we have a deeper D core but that doesn't mean squat without Staal. I agree though with the offense, we need to get quality shots to the net, the Capitals have much more cohesion than we do, we can't even complete 2 passes in a row sometimes, it's upsetting.

 

[Krams]

Oh no! Adversity! Collective breaths, my friends. Battles are won and lost yet wars rage on.

We'll get ours.

Yes. And with that, I will smoke a cigarette and head off to bed.

 

[Championship*]

Actually, our downfall was the overall fatigue. Tortorella played with 4-5 D every game, the wheels completely fell off, everyone was dead tired because we took 2 inferior teams to 7 games and played another 6 game series. It takes it's toll. Now we have a deeper D core but that doesn't mean squat without Staal. I agree though with the offense, we need to get quality shots to the net, the Capitals have much more cohesion than we do, we can't even complete 2 passes in a row sometimes, it's upsetting.

Part of the reason we had to go 7 games with those teams is we couldn't score. Fatigue is just another problem the Rangers also had. They scored 4 goals once in 20 games.

 

[Jarkko Immonen]

Am not discouraged by this game. Not at all. They will win game two.

 

[JohnC]

Am not discouraged by this game. Not at all. They will win game two.

Bold statement to utter round these parts

 

[BarbaraAlphanse]

Bold statement to utter round these parts

...And that's the last hfboards ever heard from Jarkko Immonen.

 

[Ryan McDonut]

the last 4 years: the other team scores 3 goals...the game is over. im sorry thats not hank's fault even if he lets in 3 softies. he can hold the other team to 1 goal but at some point this team needs to score a real ****ing goal. not a ****** off the skate wraparound by hagelin, fact is this team cant score. better bail hank out in game 2 and win or this series is all but over.

 

[PromNite]

the last 4 years: the other team scores 3 goals...the game is over. im sorry thats not hank's fault even if he lets in 3 softies. he can hold the other team to 1 goal but at some point this team needs to score a real ****ing goal. not a ****** off the skate wraparound by hagelin, fact is this team cant score. better bail hank out in game 2 and win or this series is all but over.

Exactly what I was thinking. I saw that the Caps scored two quick ones on my phone while driving home from work and I knew the game was over. It's a shame rooting for a team that you just know can't score a goal to save their playoff lives.

 

[PromNite]

Bottom line: If the Rangers are up, they might win. If they're down: the game is over.

 

[Rangers ftw]

Nash without speed
Girardi&MCD with a off game

And get Girardi and Richards the **** off the 1st PP unit ASAP.

 

[Callagraves]

Oh no! Adversity! Collective breaths, my friends. Battles are won and lost yet wars rage on.

We'll get ours.

Only sane man.

 

[Holocene]

Only sane man.

Hey now, there are a bunch of us sane people around. Just hard to find those posts with all the clutter

 

[StepansLabyrinth]

And get Girardi and Richards the **** off the 1st PP unit ASAP.

I agree with Girardi. There's no reason for Girardi to be on the PP. A) He's not good at it. B) He already looks worn down, there's no reason to tire him out on shifts he's basically useless on. We should be saving him for ES and PK time so he can focus on defending Ovi. This is going to be a long series if we have a chance to come back and we need Girardi rested as much as possible. PP is a waste of his energy and a waste of a PP. He played 29 minutes!

I have less of a problem with Richards getting powerplay time than I do with Brassard barely getting any time at all. Brassard, who's been great for us, plays all of 13 minutes while Richards gets 1 shot and a -1 in 23 minutes? The PP time between the two of them was more even but we need to put more faith in Brassard.

Why did we change the Pyatt-Richards-Zucc line? They were producing and Nash was playing well with Brassard. Losing Clowe mucks things up but I think a Nash-Brassard-Kreider line is worth a look and could definitely produce.

Lastly, playing Stralman 17 minutes and Eminger 9 makes little sense to me. Stralman, unsurprisingly, was all over the place on defense and it helped lead to a WSH goal. Eminger is a better defender. At the very least, give the time to John Moore, who played well. Getting Staal back will help a lot but I'm at my wit's end with Stralman (admittedly, I can't stand D-Men who make defensive mistakes, even if they contribute on the offensive end).

 

[Krams]

 

[Unpredictable1]

Bold statement to utter round these parts

I'm with Jarkko Immonen.

 

[SixGoalieSystem]

We need our big bodies back.

First ten sucked. Other than that it was a decent game. They'll hit back tomorrow.

 

[Holocene]

ILastly, playing Stralman 17 minutes and Eminger 9 makes little sense to me. Stralman, unsurprisingly, was all over the place on defense and it helped lead to a WSH goal. Eminger is a better defender. At the very least, give the time to John Moore, who played well. Getting Staal back will help a lot but I'm at my wit's end with Stralman (admittedly, I can't stand D-Men who make defensive mistakes, even if they contribute on the offensive end).

At your wit's end? He's been great for us this year and hasn't made many mistakes that cost us at all this year. He's been our moat consistent defensemen, he's earned his icetime. He should be playing on the first PP over Girardi. Take him off the PP so he can focus on PKing and defending Ovechkin. I thought Mac and Girardi did a pretty good job on him tonight. He was very quiet on even strength.

 

[5 4 Fighting]

Problem is, we have 0 transition. We just might be one of the worst teams in that department (going from defense to offense) it's a shame, that dump and chase lazy crap won't work here, teams carry the puck and make crisp passes in the playoffs, we need to start getting more physical around the net to, if the Caps are gonna get away with murder in front of Holtby. The kid barely had to work tonight, Moore's shot went in, but inconclusive evidence it is, what can you do on to the next one.

We need a win Saturday night.

 

[Holocene]

Seriously that was so unnecessary, I thought we were past that garbage.

 

[5 4 Fighting]

At your wit's end? He's been great for us this year and hasn't made many mistakes that cost us at all this year. He's been our moat consistent defensemen, he's earned his icetime. He should be playing on the first PP over Girardi. Take him off the PP so he can focus on PKing and defending Ovechkin. I thought Mac and Girardi did a pretty good job on him tonight. He was very quiet on even strength.

Spot on, Stralman was also hooked and taken down on the play by Perrault, but there was no whistle. Stralman is very solid and is at times our most consistent defenseman, he wasn't the reason we lost, not even close.

I'm very disappointed in Nash, he seems lost out there sometimes, and likes to float around in the defensive and neutral zones just waiting for the puck sometimes, he needs to crash and bang more so create chances. Callahan too, Erskine did a good job on him, Oates is very underrated with adjustments and match-ups, he sees our weaknesses and does a good job of exploiting them, we use the boards way too much, we need to start using open ice and cut the long stretch pass crap.

 

[Glen Sathers Cigar]

Seriously that was so unnecessary, I thought we were past that garbage.

Everyone realizes that was Nash's fault right? Stepan went off for a change, but Cally and Hags stayed on. Richards is supposed to replace Stepan, but Nash must've thought all 3 were changing and was so over eager for the game that he jumped on too.

Am not discouraged by this game. Not at all. They will win game two.

Yes, please. Come out and set the tone, skate hard, hope the refs swallow their whistles (as they should in the playoffs) and hit the net. Big emphasis on hitting the net, it was too easy for Holtby tonight. Most of our chances in prime scoring areas were either blocked or missed the net. Can't score if you're not hitting the net. Anyway, I think if we do all of that we should be fine. Contrary to what Caps fans think, that was not a dominating performance at all. They had opportunistic goals and they clogged up the slot and blocked shots.