What an opportunity, a crappy team limps its way into town, 2 or 3 games in hand on our divisional foes with those teams not playing, a prime chance to make up some ground and how do we respond?
By laying a big turd.
BB said they just didn't seem to have any energy....how the hell do they not get up for this game? BB's fault IMO & that evil goal post/crossbar.
It is becoming very clear that this team is not ready to talk about playoffs this year.
Lack of resolve the past few games. AO can't always be the catalyst, and he's obviously not 100%.
I'm not convinced icing 2/3 of a first and second scoring line is more effective than using just one that works. Kozlov adds puck possession, excellent passing, as well as creating time and space for whoever he's skating with. But on AO's line he doesn't have to take face offs so much.
There's a point where after missing 2 of your top 6 for most of the season, that injuries no longer appear to be an opportunity for other guys to step up. In the scope of increasing stakes and competition, the Caps' incompleteness has simply become detrimental to advancement.
1) Actually last night was a typical Islander's game. Slow, boring tempo, and they score when given a chance. Give them credit. Look at that lineup and you can't imagine they have won 5 strait and are a mere 1 point from the post season! 2) That said, as good/underrated an NHL defensemen as Radek Martinek is, the Caps allowed him look like a Norris candidate last night. The rest of their defense probably wouldn't even be playing if not for 4 injuries(Witt,Sutton, Campoli, Gervais). 3) Perhaps (More) line juggling is in order? Despite his nice pass to Semin Pettinger( first point in a calendar month) is not a top 6 forward. Fleischmann despite his near set up of AO on the PP is not a top 3 forward. Coincidence that Ovechkin is scoreless since the Flash promotion? Fehr needs to be back up. He seemed like he wasn’t afraid to go to the net( A rarity on that team)
I'm trying to figure out how either of those goals were due to poor goal tending...Olie made a great save on the Guerin breakaway...granted he was out of position for the secondary shot, but the goalie MUST be able to rely on his defense to protect him from a secondary shot following a breakaway.
And the second goal was what it was...a fluke goal from behind the net. Yes, Olie could have been more on top of the post, but he was text book position to cover the open man in the slot...who should not have been standing there unmolested to begin with.
This team desperately needs a Witt/Reekie type defenseman to remind the opposition that the area around the crease does not belong to them.
If you want to blame someone for the first goal, blame Semin. That lazy SOB.
he tries some fancy move int he offensive zone which leads to a turnover, then he doesnt cover his man on the way back into the D zone and the guy scores.
All this bickering about bad goaltending, acceptable goals, yada yada yada...
The Caps NEEDED to win this game, and it was Brooksie that said it best (in Tarik's column): "I think it's a lack of killer instinct," Laich said. "When we do have a lead, the old cliche is 'step on the throat.' We sit back a little bit more, or we try to get fancy. But we just need to play our same game and stay aggressive." I would have still been disappointed had we won this game in OT or the SO. The Caps should be able to beat a team like this with a comfortable goal differential. I seriously have to think George is going to make some move at the deadline if for nothing more than to wake this team up...again.
I don't get the Laich thing personally. He looks so...delicate in the face. I was pretty upset after the game last night. They should have run with the 2-0 lead and kept going. That second period was the worst period I've seen from the Caps in a long time. That first goal they left Olie completely out to dry. And I agree Ovy isn't right. I'd be interested to see his ice time in the 3rd. They'd better figure out a way to get up for the Carolina game.
1. The Second Goal was Kolzig's fault... I don't care how Fluke it looked, it is the goalie's responsibility to cover the post. He looks slow laterally, that is the big difference between Kolzig this season and Kolzig last year.
As for the Playoffs: We won't make the playoff's with only one line that can score, even if we have the best 1st line in the game (Koz-Back-OV). Kozlov makes the 2nd line better and OV will start to score again. If one of those post-ringers goes in last night we are having a COMPLETELY different conversation.
Since we went over .500 exactly a month ago we have not looked that great. However, we are a decent 6-5-2 (But only 3 of those wins came in regulation). Every team goes through periods of cold where they do not play their best hockey (See Ottawa) and the puck doesn't bounce their way (see 3 Goals scored from behind the net in the last 3 games). BB forte is the cold streak is not that cold (i.e. the 6-5-2 record) and the hot is really hot (i.e. December through Mid January). Were 2 points out of the SE lead with 2 games in hand with 21 games to go. If we get hot at the right time (and I think we will) we are 3rd in the east with home ice in the 1st round.
The first goal, Ollie flopped for no reason I can surmise. If he keeps his feet OR gets back on them with a little urgency he's maybe in position to make the save on the second shot. That doesn't take away the responsibility of the other five players to be defensive.
I can see no way we make the playoffs, or at most, do anything in the playoffs with the mediocrity shown by all lines that don't have Ovechkin taking up two opposing players. And has anyone else noticed that Green is drawing a forward in the offensive zone? Is that just with the Isles? We MUST have secondary scoring, and it's way past patience waiting for this group to produce it. We have to get into the trade game.
Was it only my building that experienced an audio bleed over from the Food Network for the entire game? I watched from both my condo and the gym in the basement of the building and i kept hearing Emeril throughout the entire game. Not only was the game a pisser, but having to hear chipotle chicken and cucumber dipping sauce recipes throughout didn't make me any happier.
CD- I had the same problem and had to unplug my left speaker. How Comcast Sportsnet continues its regional dominance with such an 'amateur night' approach to A/V and intermission reports is beyond me. At least David Lee wasn't doing the highlights last night.
Photo: AP
27 comments:
I feel like both goals were preventable with proper goaltending, but you can't score just two goals against that team. Ovy was snake bitten.
When you're goalie gives up two goals - whether they're both flukes, whether it's on 2 shots or 100 shots - you have to win. Period.
What an opportunity, a crappy team limps its way into town, 2 or 3 games in hand on our divisional foes with those teams not playing, a prime chance to make up some ground and how do we respond?
By laying a big turd.
BB said they just didn't seem to have any energy....how the hell do they not get up for this game? BB's fault IMO & that evil goal post/crossbar.
It is becoming very clear that this team is not ready to talk about playoffs this year.
JP, for the record, I agree with you.
Lack of resolve the past few games. AO can't always be the catalyst, and he's obviously not 100%.
I'm not convinced icing 2/3 of a first and second scoring line is more effective than using just one that works. Kozlov adds puck possession, excellent passing, as well as creating time and space for whoever he's skating with. But on AO's line he doesn't have to take face offs so much.
There's a point where after missing 2 of your top 6 for most of the season, that injuries no longer appear to be an opportunity for other guys to step up. In the scope of increasing stakes and competition, the Caps' incompleteness has simply become detrimental to advancement.
1) Actually last night was a typical Islander's game. Slow, boring tempo, and they score when given a chance. Give them credit. Look at that lineup and you can't imagine they have won 5 strait and are a mere 1 point from the post season!
2) That said, as good/underrated an NHL defensemen as Radek Martinek is, the Caps allowed him look like a Norris candidate last night. The rest of their defense probably wouldn't even be playing if not for 4 injuries(Witt,Sutton, Campoli, Gervais).
3) Perhaps (More) line juggling is in order? Despite his nice pass to Semin Pettinger( first point in a calendar month) is not a top 6 forward. Fleischmann despite his near set up of AO on the PP is not a top 3 forward. Coincidence that Ovechkin is scoreless since the Flash promotion? Fehr needs to be back up. He seemed like he wasn’t afraid to go to the net( A rarity on that team)
This one really pissed me off. The FRIGGIN ISLANDERS for crap's sake! Just give the damn point away.....
Who's responsibility was it to cover Satan on his goal? It looked like Semin had the better position to get to him, but just kind of let him go.
But I'm no hockey expert, so I don't know. Just looked that way to me.
Kolzig makes a great initial save but gets no help.
Olie was PISSED on that first goal, and should have been. 2 other isles were in front of him after the Guerin save before a single Cap touched anyone.
awful.
I'm trying to figure out how either of those goals were due to poor goal tending...Olie made a great save on the Guerin breakaway...granted he was out of position for the secondary shot, but the goalie MUST be able to rely on his defense to protect him from a secondary shot following a breakaway.
And the second goal was what it was...a fluke goal from behind the net. Yes, Olie could have been more on top of the post, but he was text book position to cover the open man in the slot...who should not have been standing there unmolested to begin with.
This team desperately needs a Witt/Reekie type defenseman to remind the opposition that the area around the crease does not belong to them.
Isles first goal. Semin is in front of Satan on the near-breakaway, then let's Satan get down the ice first.
If you want to blame someone for the first goal, blame Semin. That lazy SOB.
he tries some fancy move int he offensive zone which leads to a turnover, then he doesnt cover his man on the way back into the D zone and the guy scores.
The guy is a turnover machine.
Satan is *trailing* Semin by 15 feet near center ice then suddenly Satan is first to the puck with Semin once again trailing the play?
Does not look like they are a playoff team this year - even if they do manage to slide in there.
As far as Fehr goes, he doesn't look any better than Motzko to me. Fehr's NHL numbers after 25+ games do not impress.
All this bickering about bad goaltending, acceptable goals, yada yada yada...
The Caps NEEDED to win this game, and it was Brooksie that said it best (in Tarik's column):
"I think it's a lack of killer instinct," Laich said. "When we do have a lead, the old cliche is 'step on the throat.' We sit back a little bit more, or we try to get fancy. But we just need to play our same game and stay aggressive."
I would have still been disappointed had we won this game in OT or the SO. The Caps should be able to beat a team like this with a comfortable goal differential.
I seriously have to think George is going to make some move at the deadline if for nothing more than to wake this team up...again.
I had a bad feeling about this game all day yesterday.
It looked like a Glen Hanlon era game out there. Lots of shots but from low percentage areas.
All I have to say:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qwq7BYOnDrM
-d
My girlfriend thinks Brooks Laich is cute and would not shut up about it.
hotdog88gt
Sure you dont mean Flash and not Fehr?
I don't get the Laich thing personally. He looks so...delicate in the face.
I was pretty upset after the game last night. They should have run with the 2-0 lead and kept going. That second period was the worst period I've seen from the Caps in a long time.
That first goal they left Olie completely out to dry. And I agree Ovy isn't right. I'd be interested to see his ice time in the 3rd.
They'd better figure out a way to get up for the Carolina game.
1. The Second Goal was Kolzig's fault... I don't care how Fluke it looked, it is the goalie's responsibility to cover the post. He looks slow laterally, that is the big difference between Kolzig this season and Kolzig last year.
As for the Playoffs:
We won't make the playoff's with only one line that can score, even if we have the best 1st line in the game (Koz-Back-OV). Kozlov makes the 2nd line better and OV will start to score again. If one of those post-ringers goes in last night we are having a COMPLETELY different conversation.
Since we went over .500 exactly a month ago we have not looked that great. However, we are a decent 6-5-2 (But only 3 of those wins came in regulation). Every team goes through periods of cold where they do not play their best hockey (See Ottawa) and the puck doesn't bounce their way (see 3 Goals scored from behind the net in the last 3 games). BB forte is the cold streak is not that cold (i.e. the 6-5-2 record) and the hot is really hot (i.e. December through Mid January). Were 2 points out of the SE lead with 2 games in hand with 21 games to go. If we get hot at the right time (and I think we will) we are 3rd in the east with home ice in the 1st round.
Billy loves parenthetical phrases more than me.
FFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK
^what he said^
The first goal, Ollie flopped for no reason I can surmise. If he keeps his feet OR gets back on them with a little urgency he's maybe in position to make the save on the second shot. That doesn't take away the responsibility of the other five players to be defensive.
I can see no way we make the playoffs, or at most, do anything in the playoffs with the mediocrity shown by all lines that don't have Ovechkin taking up two opposing players. And has anyone else noticed that Green is drawing a forward in the offensive zone? Is that just with the Isles? We MUST have secondary scoring, and it's way past patience waiting for this group to produce it. We have to get into the trade game.
Was it only my building that experienced an audio bleed over from the Food Network for the entire game? I watched from both my condo and the gym in the basement of the building and i kept hearing Emeril throughout the entire game. Not only was the game a pisser, but having to hear chipotle chicken and cucumber dipping sauce recipes throughout didn't make me any happier.
CD, I was at the game and kept hearing a vacuum cleaner commercial. Or a least that would explain all the "This sucks..." comments I heard all night.
CD- I had the same problem and had to unplug my left speaker. How Comcast Sportsnet continues its regional dominance with such an 'amateur night' approach to A/V and intermission reports is beyond me. At least David Lee wasn't doing the highlights last night.
TJ...
Nope, I meant Fehr. He had only a few points in 25 previous NHL games he played and his few games up here didn't look any better.
As far as Flash goes, I'm not the one keeping him up with the Caps.
And we getting secondary scoring now - we're not getting primary.
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