Why Caps?

JokestarWJ

JokestarWJ

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It's the playoffs again, and what seems to be an annual occurrence the Caps are struggling in the playoffs. What's worse is it's against the hated penguins. I loved what the Caps showed in picking up to bona fide playoff performers in Justin Williams and Mike Richards, and I was ecstatic about the depth we showed during the regular season. However, all that has seemed to dissipate and now their on the brink of elimination...AGAIN!:duh: I do not know what it is about this Washington area that losing teams seems to be synonymous with whether it be hockey, baseball, or football. Could we come back in the series? Sure any team could eventually come back, we have two players in Richards and Williams that did it a couple years ago (albeit against the Sharks, who are basically the Caps of the West.) I love hockey but for some reason this year if we can't get past the second round I don't think I'll watch the rest of the playoffs. We need to take away Murray's sight lines, are stars (Ovie, Backstrom, and most definitely Kuzy) needs to show up. There was so much excitement during the season because we had scoring depth outside of the first line, Kuzy/Williams/Johansson or Burakovsky has been underwhelming to say the least. I don't even know why I posted this, but maybe it's to just get things off my chest....:curse::curse::badmood::badmood::badmood::badmood::badmood:
 
I'm a Minnesota Sports fan, so I get the pain. Other than the Twins in 1987 and 1991 and the Gophers in 2002 and 2003 Championships are scarce.

Murray has been playing out of his mind, and the Pens won the regular season series as well. So I'm not sure it's that unexpected that it's 3-1 at this point. But like you said, teams come from down 3-1, Minnesota did it twice in the same playoffs to reach the WCF back in 2003. There's always hope!

Derek K.
 
Murray has been the X Factor, I don't think anyone could have predicted that.

And regular season success isn't always the best barometer for playoff dominance.

Exhibit A, the 2012 LA Kings, barely got in the playoffs and were the lowest seeded team in the whole NHL. They won the Stanley Cup in the second fastest run in history behind only the 1988 Edmonton Oilers. They got hot and Jonathan Quick owned it.

That seems to be how it goes every year. The goalie gets hot (Murray) and the team jells at the perfect time.
 
TheGriceBoys said:
Murray has been the X Factor, I don't think anyone could have predicted that.

And regular season success isn't always the best barometer for playoff dominance.

Exhibit A, the 2012 LA Kings, barely got in the playoffs and were the lowest seeded team in the whole NHL. They won the Stanley Cup in the second fastest run in history behind only the 1988 Edmonton Oilers. They got hot and Jonathan Quick owned it.

That seems to be how it goes every year. The goalie gets hot (Murray) and the team jells at the perfect time.
Click to expand...

I think Barry nailed it. A hot goalie can take you a long way in the playoffs.
 
TheGriceBoys said:
Murray has been the X Factor, I don't think anyone could have predicted that.

And regular season success isn't always the best barometer for playoff dominance.

Exhibit A, the 2012 LA Kings, barely got in the playoffs and were the lowest seeded team in the whole NHL. They won the Stanley Cup in the second fastest run in history behind only the 1988 Edmonton Oilers. They got hot and Jonathan Quick owned it.

That seems to be how it goes every year. The goalie gets hot (Murray) and the team jells at the perfect time.
Click to expand...

Caps fans know that all too well see (i.e- 10-11 President trophy Caps, bounced by Habs and Halak playing insane like Murray is now.) Just thought that what I saw in the regular season the team looked far more complete and deep. But the speed of the Penguins and the Caps inability it seems to cash in on it's grade A scoring chances has completely befuddled the Caps.
 
That's why it's such a hard trophy to win! Even the President's Trophy winner only wins the cup about a quarter of the time.

As for the Caps specifically, this is actually a pretty even match-up. I don't know if anyone follows advanced stats, but Pittsburgh has a slightly better Corsi rating and they're practically even in 5x5 goal differential. So to me, the problem has been the power play. After starting 8 for 17 in winning their first 3 games (which accounted for 2/3 of their goals), they're 1 for 22 since. The result? A 2-5 record. And all 5 losses were by 1 goal (when taking into consideration empty net goals).
 
The Pens have a great team, they made some key additions. They tweaked their lines and have found 4 solid lines, they are super fast and aggressive on the forecheck. Seems like the top lines with Crosby and Ovy are cancelling each other out but the Pens secondary scoring is out playing the Caps. Murray has played well but so have Holtby. You have to remember that the Pens were the best team in the second half of the season. They were hot going into the playoffs and if I remember correctly beat the Caps the last two times in the regular season.

The Caps need to get their secondary scoring going. If they change their focus and take it off Crosby than his line will dominate. The Pens are a tough deep team. The Haglin, Bonino and Kessel line have been solid as a third line.
 
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The main factor in winning an NHL game is luck. Pure and simple... Parity has mostly removed competitive edge, and to top it off, the league management allows the rules to be applied differently in the playoffs, meaning what allowed a team to be successful in a regular season won't necessarily be available or applicable at the most important time of the year.

I can guarantee you that someone will ALWAYS finish first overall in the league - what can't be guaranteed is that they are indeed the best team in the league.

I still think Washington has a chance in this series, and won't be surprised to see it go 7 games.

Cory
 
pwag31 said:
I think Barry nailed it. A hot goalie can take you a long way in the playoffs.
Click to expand...

Like Johan Hedberg in 2001, damn that NJD!!! Also don't forget Cam Ward + Patrick Roy!

Yes a good goalie means more for the team during playoffs compared with during the regular season and Murray has been (much to adding) better than Holtby in this playoff so that's everything you need to win then even if your team didn't scores that much.

The problem with WSH is that they has too many player with non-winning mentality who're not ready to sacrifice themselves for the team to winning the cup.
It's pretty mindblowing that WSH has only managed to sin just FIVE playoff series during the "ovie-era" since 2005, 11 years!!! As comparison that Pens racked up 7 playoff series wins only during 2008 and 2009!....that's scary for a such good team especially considering by how often they has captured the President Trophy or finishing as top-3 but the regular season and the playoff is an entirely different creature unfortunately....

Ovie has never been good in a important game no matter if it's in SC, WC or the Olympics or whatever....he's always falling apart short when the team needs him as best, he makes same stupid mistake year after year to burning out all his energy and frenzy during the regular season and enters into the playoff with a more or less empty tank and doesn't score in same rate as during the regular season......even if he shots like 6-10 shots on every playoff games....the 97-98 team was nowhere near good as the 15-16 one but yet managed to reaching the finals with only 5 loses during the 3 first rounds until the finals.....!

WSH is for sure NHL's biggest enigmas during 2000's!
 
Not only is Murray a hot goalie but look at what the Pens did without two of their top d-men (Letang, Maatta). Their #1 last night in minutes played (Daley) is a guy that has been traded twice in the past calendar year, and Justin Schultz played almost 18 minutes. Yes *that* Justin Schultz. The rest of the cast is Dumoulin, Lovejoy, Cole and Pouliot. Those guys are 4/5 d-men on most NHL rosters at best. This team has absolutely bought into a system.
 
I thought Justin Schultz played a heck of a game last night. He seemed to simplify his game and did good work in the dirty areas.

Trotz seems to be stuck in gameplan limbo.
 
Brave said:
I thought Justin Schultz played a heck of a game last night. He seemed to simplify his game and did good work in the dirty areas.

Trotz seems to be stuck in gameplan limbo.
Click to expand...

Washington is doing so much right, and effectively playing their game. They can't finish and you can see it frustrating the hell out of them. These games are all close, all one-goal games, two in overtime. Pittsburgh, despite an impotent power play, injuries, Letang's suspension, they're adapting faster than Washington can respond.
 
Brave said:
I thought Justin Schultz played a heck of a game last night. He seemed to simplify his game and did good work in the dirty areas.

Trotz seems to be stuck in gameplan limbo.
Click to expand...

Agreed. Always thought Schultz should be playing. He was great in Game 4.
 
The Penguins finished the year as one of the hottest teams in the league - they had their struggles during the regular season but have been fantastic for the past couple of months. They were going to be a tough draw for anyone regardless of a hot goalie. Throw that on top of it and it just gets even tougher.

Guys start squeezing the stick a little bit and try to do a bit too much and it just builds on top of itself. I think the Caps have played a pretty strong game for the bulk of this series, they just don't seem to have anyone that can lead them on the ice and get them to settle down and simplify their game. Ovy has always been guilty of pressing when games get tight and he continues to do so - and the team is following suit.
 
timber09 said:
Guys start squeezing the stick a little bit and try to do a bit too much and it just builds on top of itself. I think the Caps have played a pretty strong game for the bulk of this series, they just don't seem to have anyone that can lead them on the ice and get them to settle down and simplify their game. Ovy has always been guilty of pressing when games get tight and he continues to do so - and the team is following suit.
Click to expand...

If this series ends and Washington doesn't prevail. The Ovy :caps: era will forever be button holed as the:

IMG_20160505_190539_zpslmmrhr7w.jpg


:|
 
:(

Heartbreaking loss after an awesome (albeit lucky) comeback. The curse continues, with despite likely one of the best records in the Ovechkin Era, never reaching the third round.

Sigh.
 

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