GDT: Vegas @ Washington | 1/24/22 | 7p ET

[YippieKaey]

Im starting to feel like we might not even make the playoffs this year. 12th in points percentage right now. Precipitious drop below but who knows. the PP just has to improve, otherwise playoffs will be pretty meaningless with a first round exit. Maybe it´s time to tank for Bedard or something

 

[max21]

We won 3 of our last 10 damn lol

 

[TheLegendOfPatPeake]

Vegas was missing a lot tonight and still beat us. Good times.

 

[IafrateOvie34]

Im starting to feel like we might not even make the playoffs this year. 12th in points percentage right now. Precipitious drop below but who knows. the PP just has to improve, otherwise playoffs will be pretty meaningless with a first round exit. Maybe it´s time to tank for Bedard or something

The organization's goal is to be compete for the playoffs, not in the playoffs. They'll ride Ovy and Backstrom to the grind and be happy about it as long as they get four extra games in the post season. I'm holding out this team will be complete opposite if they make it in and that's being liberally optimistic. If they make it in, it's because of the helluva start.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

Im starting to feel like we might not even make the playoffs this year. 12th in points percentage right now. Precipitious drop below but who knows. the PP just has to improve, otherwise playoffs will be pretty meaningless with a first round exit. Maybe it´s time to tank for Bedard or something

Luckily for us, all the teams outside the playoff picture suck and won't catch up to us. They all have a losing record and they give up a ton of goals. None of the teams below Boston will make the playoffs, which makes us the 8th seed by default.

We have another 1st round exit coming, probably at the hands of Florida/Tampa/Pittsburgh.

 

[tycoonheart]

Vegas was missing a lot tonight and still beat us. Good times.

But Oshie!!!!

 

[TheLegendOfPatPeake]

Im starting to feel like we might not even make the playoffs this year. 12th in points percentage right now. Precipitious drop below but who knows. the PP just has to improve, otherwise playoffs will be pretty meaningless with a first round exit. Maybe it´s time to tank for Bedard or something

I’m not quite there yet. It would take a massive tank for that to happen. That being said, they are going to get thumped in the first round so not sure it’s worth caring either way.

 

[IafrateOvie34]

We won 3 of our last 10 damn lol

Remember those blown leads too.

 

[SpinningEdge]

Imagine putting Hagelin out there with 2 minutes left in a game where you're trailing by a goal when that dude would fail to score even if the net was empty (except if it was his own of course). 5 in 58 on the PP for the past 21 games. That's half of the season with almost no goals on the PP.

If I was that bad at my job I'd be fired.

Unfortunately you don’t work for Ted. You only get fired if you win a cup in Washington (yes I know he wasn’t fired but basically was forced out by Ted being selfish & on Reirdens dong piece)

 

[Peeri]

Another L in the bag. Please don't make any big trades this year, this team is not going deep and one player wont change a thing.

 

[IafrateOvie34]

Luckily for us, all the teams outside the playoff picture suck and won't catch up to us. They all have a losing record and they give up a ton of goals. None of the teams below Boston will make the playoffs, which makes us the 8th seed by default.

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We have another 1st round exit coming, probably at the hands of Florida/Tampa/Pittsburgh.

A ton of hockey to be played and HF lovefest Yzerman can still make a trade that put Detroit in.

 

[Langway]

Kempny should probably not play but then the two extras are also stiffs. I don't doubt they continue to struggle without Jensen. He was very solid and a good part of their defensive identity this season. I think this team lost their game once the full complement of six defensemen weren't together and haven't managed to fill their gaps back in since. A lot of their shit is just the dysfunctional PP, though. Another goal here and there and these are different games. They're directly dropping points as a result.

They don't really do adjustments and managing issues very well. They just sort of roll along, shorten the bench, and mostly lack the cohesion and smarts for their individual efforts to translate to much.

 

[Capsman]

Watching post game and why the F was Wilson so wide of the post? They’re all ripping the PP set up …of course the elephant in the room is dancing and spraying water everywhere.

 

[Rayquaza64]

I get injuries are a problem for us but we aren't the only team, at what point are we beyond the point where injuries cant just be the excuse for poor play.

 

[TheLegendOfPatPeake]

A ton of hockey to be played and HF lovefest Yzerman can still make a trade that put Detroit in.

I want them to make the playoffs but another part of me wants Mac to be forced to address some of the crap he created.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

A ton of hockey to be played and HF lovefest Yzerman can still make a trade that put Detroit in.

I don't see it, they're not coming back. They have awful special teams (same PP%, worse PK% than us), and they don't score a lot at ES either. They have a hard schedule with a ton of games left against Tampa/Florida/Carolina/Toronto. We have a 96% chance of making the playoffs, Detroit has a 2% chance.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

Another L in the bag. Please don't make any big trades this year, this team is not going deep and one player wont change a thing.

So then you're OK with them wasting 1 more year of Ovi and Backstrom? The team probably doesn't have the horses to go all the way, but the leader on this team is defying age and is likely going to be MVP this year at 36. They should be reasonable at the TDL but I sure hope they don't just sit on their hands or trade for another Michael Raffl.

 

[BallardEra]

I can see everyone saying "you don't really wanna face the Caps in the first round!" after we lock down that WC2 spot.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

I can see everyone saying "you don't really wanna face the Caps in the first round!" after we lock down that WC2 spot.

You can see people saying that? Of the other 7 teams in the playoff picture, we're probably the easiest to beat.
I'd bet on all 7 other teams against the Caps in a series.

 

[Misery74]

Zero chance this team can win a playoff series.

Paging Alain Vigneault.

 

[shtorm2005]

 

[caps4cup]

Since 12/1, the Caps are 7-7-3. In that time frame, they have the 6th best 5v5 xG% in the league. Right behind Colorado and right ahead of Pittsburgh (the two top teams in point % during that time frame). Besides the Caps, the only other team in the top 12 in xG% during that time frame that has a point % below .667 is Calgary. For reference sake, if they had just that .667 point % in that time frame, the Caps would be in 1st place right now with 61 points and have the 4th best point % in the league.

Hot take, they’ll be fine. We saw Colorado, Toronto, and Pittsburgh all go through slow starts at the beginning of the season where they were playing well but had a low PDO and people were wondering what was wrong with them. Now, they can’t lose. Same thing is happening with the Caps right now.

The PP is an issue, as is goaltending (for now). They’re a very good 5v5 team though which is the best indicator of future (and playoff) success. It’s rough right now and it f***ing sucks that they’re losing but they’re really not playing poorly. Would much rather get this PDO/losing swoon and negative vibes out of the way right now than later in the season.

 

[Ovie's Neighbor]

Watching post game and why the F was Wilson so wide of the post? They’re all ripping the PP set up …of course the elephant in the room is dancing and spraying water everywhere.

Yeah if I am the Caps and down two men for 2 minutes I would love for their best chances to be tough angle one timers. Horrific setup.

 

[Ovie's Neighbor]

Since 12/1, the Caps are 7-7-3. In that time frame, they have the 6th best 5v5 xG% in the league. Right behind Colorado and right ahead of Pittsburgh (the two top teams in point % during that time frame). Besides the Caps, the only other team in the top 12 in xG% during that time frame that has a point % below .667 is Calgary. For reference sake, if they had just that .667 point % in that time frame, the Caps would be in 1st place right now with 61 points and have the 4th best point % in the league.

Hot take, they’ll be fine. We saw Colorado, Toronto, and Pittsburgh all go through slow starts at the beginning of the season where they were playing well but had a low PDO and people were wondering what was wrong with them. Now, they can’t lose. Same thing is happening with the Caps right now.

The PP is an issue, as is goaltending (for now). They’re a very good 5v5 team though which is the best indicator of future (and playoff) success. It’s rough right now and it f***ing sucks that they’re losing but they’re really not playing poorly. Would much rather get this PDO/losing swoon and negative vibes out of the way right now than later in the season.

I love stats and I think they have their place. But I also think the eye test is important and we are not even close to those other teams.

Also we have had a really easy schedule so the fact we are at .500 against these opponents says something.

 

[hb13xchamps]

I think Sprong gets the message loud and clear that he needs to play better. Maybe give him a sweater next game and send one of the kids down. Leason played 5 minutes tonight. That’s not doing him any good and clearly he’s not helping the team out.