Series Discussion: Round 2 (Caps vs Rangers) 2015 Playoffs

[KevinM]

Meh. There were about 100 people there for Game 4 and it was pretty raucous when they scored in overtime to win it.

Less people, more giveaways for me

What kind of goodies are we talking about here?

 

[BrooklynCapsFan]

What kind of goodies are we talking about here?

A Caps win.

 

[RandyHolt]

I am still laughing that the Isles coach didnt yank Halak putting all his faith in his feeble PP! Playing afraid, of a meaningless empty netter.

 

[KevinM]

A Caps win.

Does it come in a snapback cap with geico logos plastered all over it?

 

[troyerlaw]

Rags looked like poop against Pens. And they'll be rusty after layoff. And there is added pressure as #1 seed and Pres Trophy winner. I like us in 6.

7, if we can't steal one of the first two at MSG. I disagree that a 2-0 series deficit is fatal. Certainly not ideal, but I could see winning one of two at home and Game 5 at MSG.

I just think we are stronger, deeper team in the past, especially on D and behind the bench. And Kuz has emerged as X factor.

 

[SpinningEdge]

If we lose at least I won't feel like the Caps failed - which has happened too much to me in the past playoffs. I felt like Caps should/were better than the Isles, so them actually winning the series - It's awesome. If they lose this series I'll be disappointed at another 2nd rd exit, but it'll at least it'll be a feeling of we lost to a better team and we were just playing with house money at that point.

In the Ovi era - have we ever been underdogs like this in a playoff series? The last time we were this big of underdogs was probably against the defending Stanley Cup champion Bruins.... yeah?! That had a pretty awesome result

 

[Blades of Steel]

I think the isles were a much better team than people are crediting them for, they were one of the top playoff teams in the east, and I'd be willing to bet they would've beaten anyone else and even pushed the Rangers to 7 as well.

 

[Hivemind]

I think the isles were a much better team than people are crediting them for, they were one of the top playoff teams in the east, and I'd be willing to bet they would've beaten anyone else and even pushed the Rangers to 7 as well.

A team that iced Thomas Hickey, Brian Strait, Matt Donovan, Scott Mayfield, and Griffin Reinhart was not one of the top playoff teams in the East. The only other team they would have beat is the Penguins.

 

[CapsJunkie]

Where's Orlov? Can't he play for the bears on a conditioning stint?

 

[Blades of Steel]

A team that iced Thomas Hickey, Brian Strait, Matt Donovan, Scott Mayfield, and Griffin Reinhart was not one of the top playoff teams in the East. The only other team they would have beat is the Penguins.

Yeah except you're including players that the Caps forced into the series by injuring their opposition, what other team would've pushed that envelope other than Washington?

I can almost guarentee you they would've matched up well with any other team.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

Where's Orlov? Can't he play for the bears on a conditioning stint?

Orlov needs to get prepared in case of injury. If he is good to go, I'd even put him in Gleason's spot.

 

[El Gato Bodegero]

If we lose at least I won't feel like the Caps failed - which has happened too much to me in the past playoffs. I felt like Caps should/were better than the Isles, so them actually winning the series - It's awesome. If they lose this series I'll be disappointed at another 2nd rd exit, but it'll at least it'll be a feeling of we lost to a better team and we were just playing with house money at that point.

In the Ovi era - have we ever been underdogs like this in a playoff series? The last time we were this big of underdogs was probably against the defending Stanley Cup champion Bruins.... yeah?! That had a pretty awesome result

That's how I felt that season but if we lose this series against the Rangers is a Failure. Maybe not Monumental like 2010. Can't lose 3 series in a row against the same team and not be a failure.

This Rangers team is no dynasty packed with superstars. They have a great core of players with more experience than us, an amazing defense and the King. But if both teams play at their full potential am sure we are better than them.

We are not even close to being as underdogs as we were on that season. Boston was the defending champions and they finish 2nd in the east behind the Rangers. Ovechkin had one of his worst seasons by his standards and Hunter Hockey was just playing not to lose. Holtby stood on his head against that Rangers team and we still lost.

Those memories at the end of game five with Ward high sticking double penalty still haunts me.

So just judging by season stats the Rangers won the President trophy and are 3rd offense, 3rd defense and #21PP; We have the 6th Offense, 7th Defense and #1 PP. We are definitely not that underdogs as many people think.

 

[BobbyCarpenter]

A team that iced Thomas Hickey, Brian Strait, Matt Donovan, Scott Mayfield, and Griffin Reinhart was not one of the top playoff teams in the East. The only other team they would have beat is the Penguins.

They played well as a unit. Better?

 

[RaindanceMaggie]

If I lived in DC I'd go to the Verizon Center. Better to watch with other fans than by yourself.

 

[El Gato Bodegero]

Orlov needs to get prepared in case of injury. If he is good to go, I'd even put him in Gleason's spot.

Orlov is good to go, it's been a month since he completed his three games at Hershey. The thing is that Gleason has been good and Orlov wasn't at his 100% in those games... So without a game this season at the majors is a huge risk I don't think Trotz or any other coach in his scenario would take.

The payoff of taking the risk is huge because his offensive upside but if we just allowed 11 shots against the Islanders in game 7 and 5 goals in the last 4 games without counting the empty netter, there's no reason to put him in anyone's spot unless the injury scenario.

 

[SixGoalieSystem]

Unlike some, I love that this series keeps returning. Expecting it to be really close and hoping it's clean and injury free for both teams.

Best of luck, boys. I'll find my way back to HFNYR now.

 

[Raikkonen]

We need to get the 1st game (or at least 2nd) to offset the Lundqvist advantage.

Beagle, Bura, Brouwer, Glencross - they need to show up on the scoreboard. Then we have a chance perhaps.

Our best chance is to close it in 6th game. So 1 in NY, 2 at home and then 6th.

Their PP is dangerous, but if Yandle is already injured another good hit to him will weaken their PP instantly. He's good at PP, making crisp passes all over the OZ.

Another guy who needs to be in check is Hayes. Gives every team troubles.

Latta is maybe to slow to play them, IDK.

 

[g00n]

Rangers score 8 5 on 5 goals in 5 games. Caps 14 in 7 games. I guess though, you have to have some respect for the balance of the Caps forward crew in order to believe in them

About 75% of the people responding to this poll have the Caps winning the series, and most of them think it will be a close series at 6 or 7 games, if we're going to drop numbers and hope they have context and meaning. And that doesn't include any non-caps-fans who may have dropped in to vote against us.

 

[txpd]

I responded to a specific response. do you disagree?

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

I'd be far more interested in hearing what that has to do with a Washington/NYR head to head matchup.

I keep reading the Rangers are faster, deeper, and better at every position than the Islanders. The head to head results, the ice test, and the metrics don't bear that out. You knew that already, though.

 

[RandyHolt]

I know the Trotz RW Lock is his way to defend all, but I wonder who he wants out against that Nash line. He seems to vary a lot how he defends top lines. We don't have a checking line it seems. We can expect Orpik on the D side, but I would like to see him to roll our top line against Nash on occasion, and of course want to see Ovi try to finish him like he tried on Tavares early in the series.

This is one way that Ovi is unique. You do not often see the other teams stars going on hunting missions, but Ovi does, and hope he softens up the big forwards in addition to his standard targets.

 

[g00n]

I responded to a specific response. do you disagree?

What was so unclear?

You're preaching to the choir about it being a potentially even series, but the stat use is highly suspect.

 

[Turd Ferguson]

I'd absolutely love to win this game tonight right off the hop in MSG. Caps by a lot of Rangers fans or bandwagoners are calling us to lose in 4. Just want to silence the haters right away in their own building. Rangers lost in the final to the 8th seed with a pretty similar roster. Yes they've made some strong additions and played well this year, but I don't suspect them to run away with this. 4-1 in the final series to 8th place seed with the same core group of players. Were no 2014 LA kings, but we can throw the weight around and with a solid effort we give them a run for their money.

 

[RandyHolt]

I really want to see a bad call against the Rangers in the first, and THE patented Alex PPG, to deflate the crowd.

But our PP needs work. It was a complete mess against the Isles, and full credit to them of course. Expect the Rangers to do exactly the same. I am anxious to see the plan. Stay the course, roll Brouwer in and out of the slot some, or something radically different.

It's high time Kuz gets promoted to PP1.

 

[BobRouse]

In any individual regular season game I'd say the Rangers style lends them a significant advantage vs the Caps.

During the regular season a team like that doesn't have to go against a bigger physical opponent 7 times in 14 days. Generally those games are spread out and there are sometimes longer rests involved between games. Even the most physical regular season teams don't bring it every single night thus earning the smaller team more of a reprieve.

This is the playoffs. There is a reason physical play increases in value. The Rangers will have to play a bigger more punishing team over and over again. We saw what that did to the Islanders...they weren't nearly as speedy halfway through the series than they were at the beginning.

I think the Caps will surprise alot of the pundits.

The New York media will get on the "dirty" Caps case. They will get on Wilson, Ovie, and Orpik for their head hunting ways.

This will help us to no end...

They will pepper the Rangers with such queries and all that talk is bound to get in their heads like it did with the Islanders "that guys an idiot!" "We can play that way too!"

Now we hear things like "To the brutal Caps..play physical at your own risk!" or Girardi does his Tavares "We can play that way too!"

This lets me know its already in their heads that they will be taking a beating physically. Yandle is low hanging fruit. They play him and he is likely going to be done for the playoffs in short order.