Obviously Oates has barely had time to install anything. Things certainly may get a lot better. But our old habits are clearly on display. Difficulty clearing the zone, poor puck movement (especially on the PP), terrible board play, etc.
Watching OV tonight, it is pretty obvious to me that last season was not an aberration, but rather what we can expect from him from here on. I don't know how it happened, whether lack of motivation, lack of performance enhancers, league figuring him out, or what...but I consider this season and probably next season as rebuilding years until the Kuznetsov amd Forsberg era. OV is merely a piece, a role player.
Here's the problem with that argument: Hunter resolved those issues, and did so nearly a year ago.
So, those are not habits... they're inherent traits.
Begs the question: how is it we're continuously choosing players with these same traits? Of course... we need look no further than who is in charge.
On the plus side... maybe Oates will prove to be a disciplinarian in the mold of Hunter.
Even if he does, he's still gotta apply the whip, and force the play of the grinding game.
AND... lobby for proper player change... which may not be possible with the current management.
Originally Posted by RandyHolt View Post
We lost our wet noodle spine when Hillen got trucked and we never responded.
If it weren't for Ovi I would say we hit the least of all the teams, and probably with Ovi. Our defense leads the charge by serving ****ing coffee and donuts in the crease. I want 3 D pairs next game. Get erskine in there, we need a sack check... already.
We got 3 garbage goals.... much better than a shutout..
I don't think the non-response was due to having no spine.
We didn't respond... because the hit was clean. Or, what's being allowed nowadays.
FTR: My Missus thought it was charging,
Still, the team saw it as a check done within the rules.
AO did give us one notable check, while Tampa was on the PP. But in doing so, he took himself outta the play, and enhanced Tampa's man advantage in our zone. Luckily, we didn't pay the price for it.
We've got a roster full of people who need the likes of a Hunter in order to be successful.
I'd say we'd better hope Oates coaches in the manner of Hunter, and on the next level of management, we start picking better players, as lord knows, nothing seems to place GMGM's job in danger.
hunter was defense to the exclusion of everything else. it was beagle to the exclusion of ovechkin. there were no decisions to be made. no thinking. defensemen dumped the puck in and went no further than the blue line.
even with that the caps took months to find a way to make it work. lets give this more than a game.
i dont know much about hockey. but it looked to me like the caps had the bolts boxed in for the first period. as their energy ebbed their control of the game slide as well. sounds like conditioning to me.
oates was quoted as saying they needed to use their ice time on systems and to get in shape on your own. again...that sounds like conditioning.
I don't buy the conditioning argument. Why did the Bolts have so much more jump in the 3rd? They haven't all been playing this whole time.
Maybe the Caps got lost in a new system, or, more likely, maybe it was just a bad night against a good offensive team. Those are going to happen several times a year. There's a reason why playoff series are seven games long... one game is not conclusive evidence of how good or bad a team is.
I don't buy the conditioning argument. Why did the Bolts have so much more jump in the 3rd? They haven't all been playing this whole time.
Maybe the Caps got lost in a new system, or, more likely, maybe it was just a bad night against a good offensive team. Those are going to happen several times a year. There's a reason why playoff series are seven games long... one game is not conclusive evidence of how good or bad a team is.
It was their home opener and have had the same system for the past 3 years.
We also "outplayed" them in the first bad, they just had better goaltending play
While I hate losing, it will take some time for the team to gel. We played good on offense but bad on defense.
I think Holtby needs some more time to adjust back to playing at NHL level speeds. His reaction time was so off.
Give him a couple more games to adapt. IMO
my only worry about holtby is the tranistion from AHL to NHL level of play never was a problem before infact he would often come in and get a shutout in call ups
It was their home opener and have had the same system for the past 3 years.
We also "outplayed" them in the first bad, they just had better goaltending play
Right, all the more reason why one game doesn't mean much, if anything.
I will disagree on the goaltending, though. Lindback didn't stop anything he shouldn't have, and I couldn't believe what a poor job he did with rebound control. If that's how he's going to play all the time, TB has not solved its goaltending problem.
Not going to panic or think that the sky is falling. Tampa looked more cohesive last night with their offensive game plan, and our defense looked out of sorts. As others have said I think having 6D will help where the D can build some chemistry.
1st line looked like it was lacking chemistry last night, same deal with 1st line PP. A lot of standing around for those first 3 power plays.
I did like what I saw out of Wolski-Ribs-Brouwer and the 3rd line. Hopefully getting Laich healthy can only make things better.
Lets see how they do at home against WPG before we decide to be all doom and gloom
Our special teams needs some serious improvement. Our PK was worse than our PP, but not by much. The PK looked so lethargic, no one really hustling for lose pucks, very stagnant not much movement to take away good shooting angles.
Still it's only 1 game with many new features this season, I think the first home game in front of a home crowd will re-energize the Caps.
I'm not sure that he's not very good. I think they need a shakeup, I just don't know that they're emotionally mature enough to handle it.
They've gone the coach route twice now, and one clearly didn't work.
I still think the onus is on bringing in a coach with experience. I know it hasn't been long with Oates, but going to the well of no experience guys twice has been a bit disappointing.
Twice? You mean twice since the other two inexperienced guys I presume.
If we all have learned only one thing from yesterday, let it be this, NO MORE GAME DAY THREADS BEGINNING THE DAY BEFORE THE GAME! There's a reason they are called "Game" day threads. They should only begin no earlier than 12:00 AM on game day. If you feel the urge to start looking towards the Tuesday game against Winnepeg, a pre-game day thread is appropriate. Otherwise it's just bad juju.
John Carlson with long hair and Green with a tattoo on the back of his left hand?
Also, I know this is just the 1st game, but the Defense was below average tonight. A lot of pylon from the usual suspects and it seemed they infected their partners.
New coaching staff or not, the blue liners outside Mullet Carlson and Alzner are un-inspiring.
It does seem like it could be a season where I'm going to want those two to play 30+ minutes.
I'd be less concerned if the hustle and work rate was there and their timing was just off. It could get late awfully early for this bunch if they don't prepare and play with more urgency. Given that this would not seem to be a hallmark of this core and the organization's approach generally I have my doubts. Early on the ability to at least win the individual battle of wits is an advantage for some teams and the Caps aren't formidable in that regard. Ribeiro looked pretty savvy but the overall tempo was crap.
Winnipeg plays at Boston tomorrow afternoon but I'd bet they'll still be faster Tuesday night.
We are just so damn easy to play against! I swear if I skated in on our D with the puck I would be fearless. I absolutely would have no worry about getting hit. None. ever.
Did anyone on our blue line try to hit one of the rat face led punks? I mean, we don't even clean the crease, so plowing someone coming into the zone is never going to happen.
I watch the Flyers game, Grossman runs over and tags Sid. Maybe we need a big angry viking on defense.
Now we have Sarge trying to score more than hit. By Oates's directive of course.
Thats not fair. We all KNOW Sarge cant hit. He knows it, the team knows it, Oates knows it. So lets try and see if he can score. Least its something new?
Sarge is GMGM's directive. Just being there, its on GMGM.
That soft fluff team was all George, people. Gone are Bradley and Knuble, or last "semi" hitters. In are Wolski, Hillen etc.
Dont get me wrong, I like Wolski....enough. Hillen? I had no clue he was SO damn small. Until I saw him get bowling balled into the boards by Lecavalier...who isnt exactly a steamroller.
Man, that was silly, and it seems the end of the game, for all intents and purposes.
Don't worry, McPhee can go behind the bench if things don't work out.
Ironically perhaps he has more NHL experience than his hires do.
I called for that when everyone was ready to dump Boudreau. Best thing for George (assuming we are STUCK w him, which I think we all know we are) is to really get back behind the bench and see what his" solutions to a winner" have wrought.
Get him back there, watch these imbeciles on a bench in game basis. See the game from their perspective.
Or get bungling Ted to do it. Jerry Jones this thing
Jerry Jones lol. At minimum, George can come stand on the bench for 3rd periods
If Oates doesn't work out, is it unreasonable for Ted to suggest a consultant for the next hire?
I don't think its unusual to see a GM's strengths favoring players and development, over say finding a coach. If the players are not the problem, his choice of coaches are.
Jerry Jones lol. At minimum, George can come stand on the bench for 3rd periods
If Oates doesn't work out, is it unreasonable for Ted to suggest a consultant for the next hire?
I don't think its an unreal to see a GM's strengths favoring players and development, over say finding a coach. If the players are not the problem, his choice of coaches are.
Ted has to start assessing GM at some time.
Maybe not.
EG still has his job with the Wiz, McPhee is a better GM than EG by a mile in their respective positions, but McPhee is a failure as well. Ted is just a terrible owner. All he cares about is the almighty dollar.
However, as it stands, he does have a playoff team (of some sort) who won a round last year.
He's also curbing the budget a bit, and filling the seats. So if he is worried about the dollar, firing the GM who meets his needs isn't the way to go about it.
If we all have learned only one thing from yesterday, let it be this, NO MORE GAME DAY THREADS BEGINNING THE DAY BEFORE THE GAME! There's a reason they are called "Game" day threads. They should only begin no earlier than 12:00 AM on game day. If you feel the urge to start looking towards the Tuesday game against Winnepeg, a pre-game day thread is appropriate. Otherwise it's just bad juju. 
