Well IMO there are valid reasons that contribute to teams playing badly some times while other times there really aren't. IMO the 'Canes missing 4 guys, 3 of them very important pieces is a valid reason that contributed to them performing so poorly. Playing the 2nd night of back to backs, especially on the road, against a rested team is again a valid reason so frankly I wasn't surprised or too upset about the Caps' play against the Flyers the other night.
Winnipeg was rested and at home and I don't believe missing anyone too important except for Enstrom and the Caps were missing Green. The Caps simply outplayed the Jets.
I guess that having Laich, Orlov and even MAJO out of the line-up isn't even thought of anymore.
Even by Pierre's standards that was inexplicable. I think Pierre just said something like "he's big... he's nasty...." and someone in the Caps' locker room pulled out that (ironic) epithet after hearing it.
If you can remember back to a time where Mike Green not only played hockey, he scored goals, he pretty much won a playoff game with a well placed slapshot to the balls.
I guess that having Laich, Orlov and even MAJO out of the line-up isn't even thought of anymore.
I wasn't even counting Pitkanen simply because he wasn't one of the guys who came back the very next game. The Canes were missing their top 3 defensemen and one of their top 4 forwards.
No the Caps missing a guy who at this point doesn't even have an assured place in the lineup, a guy who couldn't get a jersey in the playoffs last season, and Laich doesn't come anywhere close to that.
But sure I also heard one of the Caps is having girlfriend troubles, another's kid failed his math test, and one had issues falling asleep the night before the Flyers game so excuses abound...
I wasn't even counting Pitkanen simply because he wasn't one of the guys who came back the very next game. The Canes were missing their top 3 defensemen and one of their top 4 forwards.
No the Caps missing a guy who at this point doesn't even have an assured place in the lineup, a guy who couldn't get a jersey in the playoffs last season, and Laich doesn't come anywhere close to that.
But sure I also heard one of the Caps is having girlfriend troubles, another's kid failed his math test, and one had issues falling asleep the night before the Flyers game so excuses abound...
Orlov not being in the line up has allowed for Kundratek's emergence
but
Laich > Crabb
MAJO > Wolski, and I'm not the biggest MAJO fan
Lack of D-Men wasn't the issue for the Canes in that game, it wasn't like the Caps forwards were generating the O in that game, two of the goals came from Caps d-men. Canes couldn't generate O of their own in that game and that was due to the play of the Caps (probably most active I've seen with their sticks in passing and shooting lanes) and Holtby. Cam Ward kept the game from being worse than it was for the Canes (his save on Joel, his brother from another mother). I don't believe Skinner in the line up that night would have altered the outcome of that game.
Plus one of the very lucky parts about the Caps getting the Canes when they did is not just that those guys were all absent, but that they got 4 guys back the very next game and it made a huge difference IMO in their team's overall play against the Pens and Panthers. If the Caps got your 3 examples back the next game that would have made a difference in the luck factor IMO but that wasn't the case.
Plus one of the very lucky parts about the Caps getting the Canes when they did is not just that those guys were all absent, but that they got 4 guys back the very next game and it made a huge difference IMO in their team's overall play against the Pens and Panthers. If the Caps got your 3 examples back the next game that would have made a difference in the luck factor IMO but that wasn't the case.
Horshoes, rabbits feet and 4 leaf clovers aside, now I know you are trolling me.
I did notice though that you conveniently ignored the fact that the Canes were "lucky" that they were playing at home against the Penguins and the Panthers.
Our D equivalent to what the Canes iced against us would be something like
Schultz Kundratek
Poti Erskine
Hillen Schilling
It is absolutely valid to look at unless you want to delude yourself about how the team has been playing. Though at this point the latter is quite a bit less painful.
let me just say I am still not 100% certain Ward saved that Ward shot.
The replay angles were horrible
I am like 99.9% sure it wasn't. While if the puck had gone to the back of the glove, it might have crossed the line, it didn't. The puck hit off the bottom half of the glove, near the heel/palm, which is slightly further forward than the rest of the glove.
I am like 99.9% sure it wasn't. While if the puck had gone to the back of the glove, it might have crossed the line, it didn't. The puck hit off the bottom half of the glove, near the heel/palm, which is slightly further forward than the rest of the glove.
I figured you'd know. I figured the quick review they did limited the camera options. I was left wanting to see the conclusive over head cam which they don't often show.
Like the one they used when Knuble was in the Halak crease. Which of course did not show Gill who had into backed Knoobs.
I think in honor of Adam Oates, he should commit a full day of practice to crisp passing. Be it slap passes if need be. Anyone that attempts to pass without putting muscle into it, has to go do push ups. Wearing a skirt.
We clearly need passing drill work, making and catching crisp passes. Its a 2 way street.
Riberio and Erskine can run the drills. Screw all the other boring crap they do every practice.
I realized the other day, maybe we do not attempt to pass with authority because no one can catch said passes. So perhaps that why slow passes remain our norm.
Next up on drill work, how to clear the crease. Erskine and Brouwer can run those drills.
