Probable lineups

chc14 wrote:

Beagle, Crabb and Ovie now thats a scary line D-men should be shaking on there skates seeing those 3 skate up ice on a 3 on 2

I hear Ovechkin wears a blindfold and smokes a cigarette when that line is on the ice.

Did Oates retire that combination for yesterday's win over the Flyers ?

Speaking of Oates he looks like the Grinch the Jim Carrey movie. I sure hope he retired that line the CBO line went bankrupt

chc ... i always thought Oatsy had the Ray Liotta look going,  the eyes.  
Oh well, about today's game.  I agree with the others about our offense.  We are fine getting into the other teams zone, and keeping posession .... but then what?  Even on the power play, we just seem to be standing, not trying to get open, and even whoever has the puckholds it for way to long,  we dontmove the puck enough.  The defense won't open up some holes unless we make them move .  
In other words ....DO SOMETHING!!

My guy(sticking by him) holtby not good at all.  Those two goals let in after we failed on the power play, a real good goalie just dosen't let them in.   

Dauber a Yankee av are you in mourning over the lose of Arod or Tex saying he is overpaid. As for Holtby goes I have no problem with him goalies will let in easy goals and give up juicy rebounds. Daubs the Caps have no offense ( 2 good assist men Riberio and Backs and 1 goal scorer Ovi thats it)

getting that pitchers and catchers report feeling ... so i had to roll out the baseball avatar.   i do realize it is one that won't make most caps fans happy.

I was a big Mickey Mantle fan seeing him play at memorial stadium

Power outaged at the superdome , its a shame it could not of happened 25 minutes earlier then I would not had to sit here and watch Beyonce

I really don't think it's close...Holtby on the bench. Very soft so far and Neuvy has been good. So far, Oates has blown this decision imo

No offensive pressure to speak of...even with an extra man they can't get the defense scrambling.

Also, these guys are (I'm hesitant to use this word)...lazy! Take notice of the energy level these guy's play with...when they're behind in the third period. Then ask yourself where was that earlier?      

This group of team leaders are no such thing.  Outside of Backstrom, every one of the core players on this team disappears for large sections of every game.


Time for the pressure to build on George McPhee.
  

i have noticed that it picks up when down in the third,, very noticeable sunday.  right, where is that effort  more often, we actually got some of that offensive pressure in the third, after showing none in the first two periods.  

I'm not sold on Backstroml lately,I ust feel he can be doing more and better also,

The Ward, Beagle line has shown the most effort.

Pretty inpressive game. They have to take that energy on the road. In last place in the league, but only 4 pts out of a playoff spot. The road has been unkind to them so far but they have to do something on this trip or risk putting themselves so deep they lose focus. The Stars need to step up and play with the bangers. Ward and Brouwer are playing like they want it, and our best playr is new in Ribiero. OV, Backstrom, Green, Chimera, need to step it up.

They need Laich. Anybody know when he is coming back? I heard he was skating and practicing.

Laich, What they reported saturday nite was he was cleared for physical contact and my guess is since they have only 2 games next week he will probably be in the line up that following week thats just my guess

Congrats to the caps finally getting a road win. Too bad they let Florida get a point too, but right now you take what you can get. At least now they are tied for last place instead of owning the last place spot all to themselves. LOL. Actually scoring 11 goals in two games is pretty promising after not scoring more than 3 in a game the rest of the year. Maybe they are starting to find their lines that play well together. Ribiero migh just turn out to be a bette center for OV than Backstrom is right now.

I reiterate..Holtby to the bench. You better not be counting on too many 6 goal victories.

Don't look now but here come the Caps! And not a moment too soon. 15 goals in 3 games with two of them being on the road qualifies as a streak. Thugh they are still in last place in the Eastern Conference, it is a 4 way tie and only 4pts out of a playoff spot. Extending it against the suddenly vulnerable Rangers in NY could easily produce points before an unusual two games in a row at home against the same team. Almost playoff like. Unfortuantely the team is the conference leading Devils who have had our number recently. and the division leading Hurricanes, who I predicted before the season started would win the division in this short season. Anyway we just need to stay hot in NY and bring our best game back home and it will take care of itself.


I do agree that even though Holtby is getting the benefit of some big scoring nighta and winnng that a goalie change nees to be made if not against the Rangers then certainly in the first game against NJ. He see,s to have better chemistry with the team, but Neuvirth is the technically superior goalie. HE just i in the right position almost all the time even if he is not as athletic as either Holtby or before him Varlamov.    

I'll remain in the minority with Braden ... gotta stick with my horse.  However it is nice to see us get it going.  This shortened year is a sprint more so than distance so the faster we put the poor start behind us the better .  go caps

Agree the Caps seem to have righted the ship...pretty dominating game on the road from start to finish. Hope springs eternal again.

I really like the differing speed of entry into the offensive zone that Laughlin was talking about. It's creating lanes and really is a departure from the offensive style of years past...defenses are actually backing up now instead of just playing the man with the puck.

Once again..Holtby to the bench. Ist 2 goals were soft (when are these guys going to stop calling them lucky bounces and call out Holtby for bad technique)...the third was an agressive play, but careless with a 2 goal lead late in the third period. I don't understand what Oates' is doing here.


Go Caps    

hockey is pretty secretive when it comes to injury. maybe neuvy isnt 100% or maybe because of past injury issues he is trying not to overwork him. Ot maybe he sees the team playign better offensively in front of holtby anfd thinks the overall product right now is better, even though the goal is a little more vulnerable. I don't know but a GAA just south of 4 is not good.

That I do agree on .... Holts season numbers up to this point ain't too pretty.

They should get better, i would hope so ... if not ... well ... there is only so long one can stay in the corner of a player.

The Caps are looking better each week. Holtby has looked good the last 3 games

I cant believe Howard Wolowitz miss that open net today, damn Sheldon Cooper could of score. Bazinga

The Caps are playing well. Have to see how it stacks up against the upper tier over the long haul, but they have been in control a lot lately. Could be on a 6 game win streak if it weren't for two 5 on 3's in the first Jersey game.


Have to say that Holtby seems to have settled into a great flow. Staying inside the cage much better than early season. 


Hope is increasing. I see another division title with this recent play.


Go Caps   

Tonight i was only able to see the first period ... we looked awful .. the word that come to mind is slow ... 
Holtby has been playing better as of late ... the numbers have been moving to normal,  i really didn't consider the first two goals bad ones ... don't know about the others i didn't see them.  Hopefully this was just a blip on the radar for the caps.

Not to make excuses, but this was one of those back-to-back nights and the record of NHL teams playing a second night in a row this year has been awful.    

Holtby and the Caps have looked better...need a win streak.



Go Caps 

Last in the Eastern Conference, yet only 4 pts out of the division lead and 3rd place in the conference. Unreal.