Heroic Shrimp
New member
https://twitter.com/Capitals/status/856329904455077889
Class.
Class.
Capitals @ Leafs - Apr. 23rd, 7:00pm - SN, Fan 590
- Thread starter CarltonTheBear
- Start date
hockeyfan1
New member
Heroic Shrimp said:
The picture alone is worth a million words.
The rest...priceless.
Thank you, Capitals. And Congrats! (from a Leafs fan to you!)
scottishleaf
New member
Heart breaker of a loss but with the loss comes a lot of pride and realisation that this young team is the real deal and will be back to compete again next season and will be stronger, fitter and better prepared for the challenges ahead.
So unlucky to not take it back to Washington for a game 7 which I think they deserved but even so they ran the Caps so very close.
Looking forward in anticipation to October more than I have for many's a long year!
So unlucky to not take it back to Washington for a game 7 which I think they deserved but even so they ran the Caps so very close.
Looking forward in anticipation to October more than I have for many's a long year!
mr grieves
New member
scottishleaf said:
Was it "unlucky," really?
I mean, by the end of the series, the Leafs had no powerplay, a mediocre penalty kill, and only one line that could score 5v5. Trotz had figured them out, and a lot of the team hit a wall. Kadri's line faded as the series progressed. Marner's line never really showed up. The 4th line had one game where they exceeded expectations, but other than that... they were a fourth line. And an already weak defense lost a guy who'd played really well for the last quarter (Polak) and had one of their top 3 coming back from an injury and not looking very good at all. A few heroic performances from Hunwick and Marincin were followed by them coming back to earth.
I look at the series and think Babcock might've been at fault for not mixing things up when it became clear some players were starting to fade (if Brown or Marner or Kapanen isn't going to be what he can be, why the heck not throw Sosh or Leivo in?). On the other hand, I think he might've wanted to see -- and to let the players see -- where they were. So, can't complain. This was a great development opportunity. But I can't really say they were unlucky not to win.
scottishleaf
New member
mr grieves said:
On balance of play in the game last night I thought they were unlucky not to get the winning goal, certainly had some chances. Didn't quite get the breaks. That's the way these things go.
Agree re special teams, it cost us more and more as the series progressed and was a crucial factor in losing the series, if the powerplay had clicked in the 3rd period of game 5 then we might have been heading back for game 6 with a chance to eliminate.
In a series as close as that was then it's the small details that count.
As you say this was a great development opportunity; a real bonus and the experience will hopefully pay dividends as the team continues to develop.
herman
Well-known member
This was the best case scenario for the Caps.
They faced and overcame some early adversity from a team that was Penguins-lite and only lost a weakness on defense to injury. Pittsburgh didn't have difficulty with Columbus on the scoresheet, but when they're not scoring, the Blue Jackets just try to kill you.
They faced and overcame some early adversity from a team that was Penguins-lite and only lost a weakness on defense to injury. Pittsburgh didn't have difficulty with Columbus on the scoresheet, but when they're not scoring, the Blue Jackets just try to kill you.
Highlander
Active member
What a great season, so much promise, now we face expectations as we should, we can see the talent assembled. Lou somehow you have to pull a stud D-Man out of a hat. How that will be possible, I have no clue but we do need that one ingredient as we seem to have an A-1 goalie and a great forward corp. Just one shut down superhero D-Man.
It's disappointing because much like when we lost to Boston I think that the road to the Cup finals through the East is very much wide open if we got our of the 1st round.
L K
Active member
Hopefully the biggest thing gained from this playoff series is that Shattenkirk isn't worth the money.
Expectations certainly changed for me with how well the team played but defensive at times they got stuck running around.
Outside of their one big game, the 4th line wasn't very good. They got steadily outplayed by the Beagle/Wilson line. I certainly hope they don't think it wise to pay the 4th line 7+ million dollars to provide 20 combined points next year.
Expectations certainly changed for me with how well the team played but defensive at times they got stuck running around.
Outside of their one big game, the 4th line wasn't very good. They got steadily outplayed by the Beagle/Wilson line. I certainly hope they don't think it wise to pay the 4th line 7+ million dollars to provide 20 combined points next year.
itsgametime
New member
Shattenkirk was invisible
pnjunction
New member
It's always easy to pick on defense but I think in the end the offense cooling down/getting shut down is what cost us.
The Caps were kept to 1 goal in regulation the final two games but we just couldn't get 2 to put a game away, Matthews was amazing scoring in both games but we needed someone else to step up and put one in to get it to 7.
Marner looked small and Nylander shot 4.3% both of things can easily change next year.
The Caps were kept to 1 goal in regulation the final two games but we just couldn't get 2 to put a game away, Matthews was amazing scoring in both games but we needed someone else to step up and put one in to get it to 7.
Marner looked small and Nylander shot 4.3% both of things can easily change next year.
hockeyfan1
New member
pnjunction said:
The biggest question is where was Marner? His passing, scoring skills seemed either diminished or stunted, if we can call it that. Why was he not shifted to another line, ex. mix up some of the lines. True that Marner perhaps was contributing more of a 'defensive' role but at the expense of his much-needed (potential) production?
Andy007
Active member
hockeyfan1 said:
Marner is a 19-year old rookie playing in his first NHL playoffs against the best team in all of hockey. Yea, I'm not sure we need to worry that much about his lack of production as of yet.
But I was a little surprised that there was no line shifting whatsoever. Hyman had a good game six, granted, but he's otherwise completely out of his element on the 1st line. Brown should have been bumped down a line or two as well. I would have liked to have seen JVR on the top line, Marner on the 2nd w/ Kadri and Kapanen with Bozak and Brown on the 3rd line. And maybe something like Hyman, Boyle and Soshkinov to round it out.
Anyhow I was very pleased with the quality of hockey regardless. Riveting games from start to finish. And I was amazed at how clean and disciplined Washington was last game so as not to get called for a full powerplay
Andy said:
This is why it was sort of baffling that Babcock basically ran the exact same forward group from the start of the season to the very end. The playoffs aren't really the time where you want to be doing these sort of line experimentation. You just don't have the luxury of giving them enough time to see if they will work or not.
herman
Well-known member
CarltonTheBear said:
Though they were driving for the playoffs, I think it was still treated very much as a developmental season, even towards the end. Lineup stability might have been part of that equation.
Our external assessments also don't fully align with their internal evaluations (obviously, as Babcock continues to love Martin, Hyman, first half Hunlak), so whatever they were measuring, it was working for them.
I would have much preferred more experimentation in the early goings (even when things appeared to be working) to get a better feel for the prospects in the pipeline: which playstyles mesh well with theirs? are they carrying their weight, or are they passengers? what roles do they gravitate towards? which in-betweener might have more to give with a greater opportunity?
I don't know the exact reason, but lineup stability, even to the detriment of coaching flexibility, was clearly a tenet the Leafs felt the need to abide by. And this is how far we could get with that particular hand tied, so that's rather exciting.
L K
Active member
Yeah, I'm not worried about Marner. He scored just fine in the OHL playoffs (69 points in 34 playoff games; 15 points in 7 Memorial Cup games).
He played in 82 games last year between the OHL Regular Season, Team Canada, OHL Playoffs and Memorial Cup. That was spaced over October to essentially June (9 months).
This year he played in 83 games over 7 months. You travel and stay in better places than junior hockey but the mileage is longer. I'm not worried about a guy who put up 61 regular season points and backed his way into 4 points in the postseason despite his entirely line not playing very well offensively. Everything about Marner's game is based on his ability to handle physical contact because of his elusive play. But like every rookie, he needs to learn how to do it at the next step. Marner has done that in every year of his career. No reason to suspect that he won't be able to adjust for next season.
He played in 82 games last year between the OHL Regular Season, Team Canada, OHL Playoffs and Memorial Cup. That was spaced over October to essentially June (9 months).
This year he played in 83 games over 7 months. You travel and stay in better places than junior hockey but the mileage is longer. I'm not worried about a guy who put up 61 regular season points and backed his way into 4 points in the postseason despite his entirely line not playing very well offensively. Everything about Marner's game is based on his ability to handle physical contact because of his elusive play. But like every rookie, he needs to learn how to do it at the next step. Marner has done that in every year of his career. No reason to suspect that he won't be able to adjust for next season.