Much as I want to root against Boston, the Caps are just so hard to like. Terribly undisciplined, no defense, Tom Wilson, shitty uniforms. Just nothing likeable about that team at all.
Yep. Big Caps fan and agreed about Ovechkin. You sound like me watching the last 2 games. I like the uniforms though. I think a lot of the issues have to do with key players missing almost every game for the past couple months. They have never gotten on the same page as a unit. Talent allowed them to keep winning, but it is starting to cost them in key moments this series. I have felt the Anti-Wilson stuff would make non-Caps fans turn on the team, which is unfortunate, but he brought that on himself. I think the rest of the team is highly likeable. Good games last night. Panthers and Pens win hard fought games. Golden Knights and Habs with nice road wins too. 4 road wins. Hope it continues tonight! Hope Tavares is okay too.
That's gotta be why Hagelin/Does/Hathaway has been their best performing line. They even said on the broadcast they're the only line that's been together all year. I know the announcers heavily criticized Backstrom in the first but he really does look uninterested in contact throughout his shifts. Has he always been like that?
Yeah, I wouldn't say Backstrom has ever been a real physical player. He is solid at defense, but I wouldn't say he is interested in contact. He is another player who has been hurt. Him, Ovechkin, Carlson, Oshie, Eller, Kuznetsov, etc all key players in the Caps 2018 Cup run. Injuries can't be an excuse in the playoffs though, and especially not for vets like them, but it explains why they haven't been their usual selves. Especially John Carlson. I can just tell he is not right at the moment. Need to tie the series up at 2 tonight no matter what!
Who you got in tonight's games? Took the Caps and Hurricanes on separate tickets. Went big on the Oilers the other night but scared to do it again. Only thing worth betting in Avs/Blues is the O/U 5.5
I feel like all are toss ups, but the Blues looked pretty lost in Colorado. Not sure how they respond at home. I think the Caps and Oilers bounce back tonight. I feel like Nashville can win at home, but the Canes have been great, so hard to say.
Start, middle, and finish was ugly. Worst playoff game since.........last year against the Isles. We will see if they have any pride and bounce back Game 5 or not. I'd say it is 50/50 at best.
Yeah man. That was an ugly one. Lightning getting dominated right now in shots, possession and offensive zone time yet they're up 3-1.
What you think about the Caps tonight? Do they get this one and lose in 6? Bruins without Kevan Miller tonight.
I wouldn't say that. They got to Round 2 in 2015, 2016, 2017, and won the Cup in 2018. 2019 lost a thrilling 7 game series to the Canes. 2020 they had no interest in the bubble and were terrible. This year they were in a completely even series with the Bruins, then blew Game 3 in Double OT and never were able to recover. Not sure how you translate that to not a strong playoff team.
Hats off to the Bruins tough series. I honestly knew when the Bruins tied it up with less than 3 minutes left in Game 2, that the Caps were in trouble. That close to a 2-0 series lead and you blow it. Then Game 3, exact same thing, blowing a 3rd period lead, ultimately leading to a horrendous mistake in double OT to drop to 2-1 in the series. At that point, the Caps were dead, and they played like it the rest of the way. I think the Bruins are a really good team though. They play great defense and have an explosive top line. Plus they had an actual NHL goalie in Rask, unlike the Caps it seemed....
Picking up Hall was a great move for them Now they have two lines they can rely on to score. Whoever wins Isles-Pens will have their hands full in Rd 2.
HA.... when they were playing Vegas for the cup I told my cousin (who's the biggest hockey fan in the family) I was rooting for the Caps.... "WTF?! HOW CAN YOU ROOT FOR THE CAPS?!?! That's like rooting for the Braves to win the World Series?!" "..... Well.... I'm rooting for Ovechkin to finally get his ring, but mostly rooting against an undeserving "fan base" getting handed a cup in their first season" "OK, that makes sense"
NHL payoff hockey is a bruising style of play, I have always been critical of Backstrom for his non physical play and any forward who runs away from contact for that matter. Look at the teams who move on in the series, even Marchand for all his antics gets down and dirty and is not afraid to take a beating for the the win. I thought Florida was going to be a tougher out than they are but their goaltending has been atrocious. Tampa Bay can play physically and finesse, they remind me of the old Red Wing teams under Bowman. Tampa will win the cup again this year, too much talent, depth and goaltending.
Florida can't get out of their own way. They need a big bodied defenseman. I like Weegar a lot but he doesn't body people off the puck like he would need to if he's going to face top lines. Yandle's got the great game streak and all, but same thing - doesn't seem like a top line defenseman. Brobovsky and Driedger have been dreadful. I was reading their board some and most of them are super frustrated with Brobovsky and his big contract. So much cherry picking on both sides too. But it feels like the Panthers have treated this series with being OK with giving up goals because they'll just try to beat them in a track meet. I still like the Avs, but yeah Tampa Bay is really rolling right now. I don't think the Canes stop them unfortunately.
Ovechkin’s entire career is one of playoff failures; not that it is his fault which is why I was pulling for him to win a Cup. To the specific years you mention, 2015 is when they blew the 3-1 lead to the Rangers. 16 and 17 were losses to the Penguins that in retrospect aren’t a surprise but at the time they were seen as the Caps choking in the playoffs again as a team that just can’t get over that hump. Those losses cost Trotz his job despite winning the Cup in ‘18 as the organization had already decided to move on from him that season believing he must be what was holding them back like Bruce Boudreau.
Yeah, just an odd comment though since they literally did win the Stanley Cup in 2018. Doesn't get better than that in the playoffs. Who is a strong playoff team to you? It is tough to win year in and year out. The Capitals have been at the top or near the top of the NHL since 2008. I get what you mean since they only have one Cup, but if you watched each and every series, you would see it is difficult. It looks like the Bruins were the far better team this year. I can't complain too much.
