Someone needs to take that Samuel Jackson jaws gif and replace Samuel L Jackson's face with Ovi's with a lion's mane around his head, with the word ROAR appearing at the end of it.
I'd troll every single remaining goal of his career with that.
I want Oates to design plays for Ovi to get fed one timers at ES. There has to be a way to get more than he does. Hell PP too. I think Green learned today to try it more often, if he misses, keep going back to it, misses are how you dial in.
I would like to see Ovi with Ward and have him just get into position nearby ward battling on the boards, ready to fire. Brouwer seems off to a slow start.
oates put him back out with backstrom and brouwer. a real first line and he seemed to really regain his energy.
what i find interesting is the goat crew...three of the four guys everyone wants gone are pulling the train. ward, green and neuvirth. i will leave schultz out of it for now.
The less ice time Marcus Johansson sees, the more the Caps look like a team that could win games in the NHL. Not a coincidence.
I hate to agree with this. However, it's true.
When he's put on a line, that line usually has a lot of trouble keeping sustained pressure in the offensive zone. He's just too soft on the puck, off the puck, and along the boards. Everyone knew the only thing MoJo would be known for is his speed, hands, passing, and defensive play. However, when he's not doing any of those things as well as he could, he's a liability on whatever line he's on. Just gets pushed off the puck like nothing and creates too many turnovers.
I hope he can turn it around because I still have high hopes for him.
When he's put on a line, that line usually has a lot of trouble keeping sustained pressure in the offensive zone. He's just too soft on the puck, off the puck, and along the boards. Everyone knew the only thing MoJo would be known for is his speed, hands, passing, and defensive play. However, when he's not doing any of those things as well as he could, he's a liability on whatever line he's on. Just gets pushed off the puck like nothing and creates too many turnovers.
I hope he can turn it around because I still have high hopes for him.
I mean so do I lol. I have him in my salary cap pool and he had huge upside to start the season playing with Nicky and Ovy. The thing that concerns me the most with MJ is he doesn't turn it up to that next level yet. He has his usual 1 point games. But he doesn't usually stand out for even consistent periods.
The good thing is he's only 22. We might expect too much out of him right now because he's considered top 6 for us. The only reason he's considered top 6 is because he's a better wing, we lack wings, and Laich's injured.
Btw, Erskine with 20 minutes of TOI. Didn't notice Kundratek tonight, naybe it's time to send him down and rotate Poti/Hamrlik anyway.
I really question whether Kundratek goes down. He's looked okay. But the main reason is that he's a RD. Unless one of Poti, Hamrlik, Erksine or Schultz move to right D then I see Kundratek staying and one of the aforementioned traded.
I'm pleasantly surprised at Erskine's play and he will drop the gloves and hit someone. I'm surprised Poti is out because of his play before his injury and I thought he was fine given his situation since returning. Hamrlik I don't think played badly to start either given everything was new. That leaves Schultz.
And then there is Hillen and Orlov. And I guess at some point Laich is going to return. Not that he's a D but he needs a roster spot I believe.
While our C depth is important is also important to develop prospects. He got Ribs, Laich coverted to C. MP is a C. Beagle emerged which doesnt help his cause. He is not a winger to me.
I know not all prospects can pan out but George needs to recognize that and trade them on the high. Not on a low.
I suspect at this point its best to hold, let him mature and test him at center. Only its too crowded now so.... he is just a scratch candidate.
oates put him back out with backstrom and brouwer. a real first line and he seemed to really regain his energy.
what i find interesting is the goat crew...three of the four guys everyone wants gone are pulling the train. ward, green and neuvirth. i will leave schultz out of it for now.
Neuvirth looks like he is cementing his #1 position right now.
Ward looks great right now.
My problem with Green is his offensive zone decision making. He shoots when he should pass and passes when he should shoot.
Eh, not sure who other than BradD wants Ward out. I only want him out if we really need the salary space for someone else, other than that he's great. Well, not great, but only guy who remembers how to cycle and drive the net. Him and Ribeiro could do some damage since Ribeiro has a cycling style himself that results in a ton of scrambles with the puck being left in front of the net.
Green leaving is more of a philosophical approach to the roster (knowing basically what he is at this point) than a gut reaction to his play here and there. He should probably stay until he has the trade value of a good PMD again and people aren't hung up on his former injuries.
One of Neuvirth or Holtby I feel like should be moved to address other holes with a legitimate vet goalie (Nabokov? Howard? Backstrom? Lolongo?) brought in. Maybe not during the season but in the offseason. Platoons generally don't go very far, especially platoons of young goalies. One inevitably gets wasted.
While our C depth is important is also important to develop prospects. He got Ribs, Laich coverted to C. MP is a C. Beagle emerged which doesnt help his cause. He is not a winger to me.
I know not all prospects can pan out but George needs to recognize that and trade them on the high. Not on a low.
I suspect at this point its best to hold, let him mature and test him at center. Only its too crowded now so.... he is just a scratch candidate.
Laich should not be a C. George threw that line out to justify overpaying for him (much like Fleischmann and Nylander and Steckel and Theodore and Jeff ****ing Schultz and everyone else he wanted to give retarded money ever), and it's been sapping the roster since. He's an overpaid 2nd line LW capable of around 10 ESG a year and whatever else he can leech off of his linemates or on the PP. Use him like that or get him off the roster.
Johansson should be groomed at C until we can market him to other teams as a promising young C and answer to their 2nd line C problems.
Neuvirth looks like he is cementing his #1 position right now.
Ward looks great right now.
My problem with Green is his offensive zone decision making. He shoots when he should pass and passes when he should shoot.
there's always somethng to complain about green. passing. the ovechkin goal was easy to see the pass. the ward goal i believe was a play started in the zone with a nice pass by green. there were two more touches befoe the goal and therefore no assist, but the play was there.
by the way, alzner looks totally settled down playing wth green after admitting to getting lose playing with carlson. most here think alzner should be there to settle green not the othr way around
It's rare a young dman steadies a vet a norris runner up, and even rarer that the masses suggest it.
Green is maturing. He coverted to a steady eddie, and is consistent enough in the D zone to steady green horns, finally.
Greens quest for a proper 1LD partner has been on going and its nice to finally see Alzner getting a look. Its exactly the pairing so many have been waiting for since his draft day.
Laich should not be a C. George threw that line out to justify overpaying for him (much like Fleischmann and Nylander and Steckel and Theodore and Jeff ****ing Schultz and everyone else he wanted to give retarded money ever), and it's been sapping the roster since. He's an overpaid 2nd line LW capable of around 10 ESG a year and whatever else he can leech off of his linemates or on the PP. Use him like that or get him off the roster.
Johansson should be groomed at C until we can market him to other teams as a promising young C and answer to their 2nd line C problems.
Brooks Laich is paid as he should be. He plays hard and shows up when it matters.
Guy led the team in takeaways, blocks shots, hits, and produces all while being shifted to a new position.
He is another one like Green who gets too much hate. It isn't like we have a cap problem. We are certainly better with him.
