Of Starts and Finishes
by David Getz on Oct 20, 2010 12:01 PM EDT
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PrintOne of the most impressive - and most frustrating - things about the Washington Capitals over the last couple of seasons has been their ability to "turn it on" at will; to go from seemingly being outplayed early on to dominant in the game's later stages and, more often than not, pulling out the win. Obviously this has certain advantages (getting the two points is nice; so is seeing the Caps win), but it doesn't exactly inspire confidence in the team's ability to consistently win difficult games. The type of games where the other team is going to be going full-bore the whole time and won't let up, and where an abundance of skill won't necessarily do the trick. You know, playoff games.
Despite the clear progress the Caps have made in other areas in the first handful of games in the 2010-11 season, the team hasn't exactly come out swinging on a nightly basis, at least to the eye. With that in mind, we thought we'd take a look at a few numbers and see what the team's performance, by period looked like.
The numbers suggest the same thing the eyes do, namely that the Caps have been bad in the first, better in the second, and their best in the third, the only period they've outshot their opponents, and the only (regulation) period in which they've tallied a powerplay goal. Of course, it's important to note that there's bound to be some correlation between these numbers: it makes sense that a team would be recording more shots during periods where they have significantly more powerplays than the opposition. That said, the total picture is somewhat bleak for those of us who we hoping the Caps could at least "stay angry" up to the opening faceoff.
There is a potential silver lining in these numbers, however. Another common concern has been Bruce Boudreau's ability to make adjustments, both during the course of a playoff series and within games. We're going to have to wait until the spring to see what Gabby to do in a series and, realistically, until the team has more games under its belt to make an authoritative claim on whether he's doing it in-game, but the numbers do offer a ray of hope.
That possibility is all the more reason to pay extra attention to tomorrow night's game in Boston. If Boudreau is indeed making more effective adjustments, perhaps we'll see a different first period than we've become accustomed to.
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My money is on Boudreau doing a poor job of getting the team prepared. The patterns are there, just the same as Marv Levy had issues with preparedness.
Human existence being an hallucination containing in itself the secondary hallucinations of day and night (the latter an insanitary condition of the atmosphere due to accretions of black air) it ill becomes any man of sense to be concerned at the illusory approach of the supreme hallucination known as death.
We’ll see…one thing that really stood out last night was the Caps inability to handle the Bruins’ forecheck. The Caps were very unsure of what to do and were rushing and throwing the puck all over the ice rather than making crisp passes. Part of the problem is the lack of Mike Green who is one of the best puckmoving d-men in the league. Still, I didn’t see very many adjustments by the Caps over the course of the game…very little dump and chasing; no consistent approach to breaking through the neutral zone. I am going to be watching closely on Thursday to see if the Caps have a better gameplan as well as execution.
I’m not concerned with several aspects of Gabby’s coaching ability. What does worry me is his ability to get lazy players playing. We know who the offenders are most often, what is troubling is that a lot of the more consistent guys are falling into that pattern. Which makes it even more confusing when the PK shows tons of energy, exuberance, and a willingness to win.
But other than those 10 minutes a game the team hasn’t looked like the Capitals at all. They look disinterested and occasionally angry. But not even angry in the Detriot/Caps way. Angry in the “we’ll drop the gloves” style. Which while refreshing isn’t as helpful as previous seasons.
Bruce Boudreau when asked about Brooks Laich's return to the lineup, he said: "He just adds another dimension to our team. If it was puzzle, he just fits that thing. He completes us."
Brooks Laich completing everything from teams to tires and everything in between.
Teams have learned how to beat Gabby’s system from watching what the Habs did last spring. Let Ovechkin speed up the left wing, cut to the middle and wrist it. If he doesn’t score, you get an odd-man rush the other way. Boudreau knows nothing about possesion hockey, apparently the concepts of “cycling the puck”, “clean breakout”, and “dump and chase” are not in his knowledgebase. He coaches the same way that he played.
I would love to see what this supremely talented team could achieve with a little bit of discipline, instead of going for a home run every time they touch the puck. I doubt they would ever get outworked by the likes of Atlanta or the Islanders.
But the Caps did adjust over the course of the Habs series…at least from the standpoint of beating the trap. Early on, they had great difficulty getting through the neutral zone and entering the Habs end with speed. By the third game, they had no trouble. Their bigger issue was what they did once they got across the Habs blueline, both at ES and on the PP. I thought that both Ovechkin and Semin became very predictable in terms of what they were trying to do offensively and the Habs were well prepared to counteract Ovie’s moves to the inside (having a plethora of left shooting d-men halps) and push Semin to the outside and above the circles. (Semin didn’t help matters though by flinging pucks from 50+ feet every chance he got.)
Again, my issue last night was the clusterf*%ck that was the Caps attempt to get through the Bruins neutral zone and into the offensive zone with any semblance of speed and organization. if they have similar troubles tomorrow night, somebody is either not coaching or paying attention (or both).
Apparently Bruce stopped practice today and yelled at the team – Compton from NHL.com said he could only make out the words “move your legs!!” (and I’m sure some expletives were tossed in).
I don’t know whether BB and his coaches will be able to get this team to adjust, but they certainly know the way the team is playing right now is unacceptable. Haven’t really seen a happy coach post-gamer yet, have you?
If anyone needs me, I'll be at Kettler.
No. And I see some of the same bad habits creeping into their game that existed last year, namely, trying to do the same thing over and over and expecting a different reasult. How many times did a forward dump the puck in last night? You can probably count the number on one hand. I don’t know if dump an dchasing was the answer to the Bruins gameplan last night, but whatever the Caps were trying to do sure wasn’t succeeding. Let’s see if things improve when Green comes back
The most frustrating thing is that the third and fourth lines are the only ones who seem to be able to maintain any kind of pressure and possession in the offensive zone. The 1 – 2 lines seem to have nothing going for them except speed and talent, and opposing teams are learning how to deal with it. To win the cup, you need all four lines playing the “energy line” game. Just watch a couple of Red Wings games and you will see how it’s done.
I’d disagree with the 2nd line. They seem to be more of a faucet at the moment. They’ve turned it on a few times, and other been completely dry. First line is a complete mess at the moment. Ovie hasn’t been dominant but it still producing. Backis and Knuble however are completely out of sync with the world.
Bruce Boudreau when asked about Brooks Laich's return to the lineup, he said: "He just adds another dimension to our team. If it was puzzle, he just fits that thing. He completes us."
Brooks Laich completing everything from teams to tires and everything in between.
They’re swapping the centers of the 2nd and 3rd lines to try to get more offense. I would have considered some different moves, given the fact that the 1st line is a mess at the moment.
I was actually considering creating the following new first line: Ovi/Johansson/Fehr since that combination managed to produce a goal in preseason. (I know/I know. One trial. One preseason game). The second line would be Laich/Backstrom/Semin (which has worked in the past). Of course, what to do with Knuble? I don’t know how well Chimmer would work with Knuble and Flash.
Rocking the Red since 1975
That’s a big gripe of mine, the contrast between the Red Wings and the Capitals. The 3rd/4th lines are pretty similar between the two, but the 1st lines are night and day. The Capitals have the talent to play the same style of possession hockey. Why they choose not to employ that against teams is beyond me….especially when your first line has the ability to wear down a team at both ends and the checks in between.
Human existence being an hallucination containing in itself the secondary hallucinations of day and night (the latter an insanitary condition of the atmosphere due to accretions of black air) it ill becomes any man of sense to be concerned at the illusory approach of the supreme hallucination known as death.
in reference to this post about how they can “turn on their game” at will, i think last night was a good dose of medicine for this team…espescially considering how the last few have gone (Ottawa, NYI, and Nashville). They need to learn that they can’t do that and beat good teams…they’ve go so much talent it is a hard lesson to teach because they often times can just turn it on and WIN. I would argue that heir problem, i think, lies in their own psyche and approach to the game on many nights
Only from my eyes, the Caps are a team of two distinct, surprising, and alarming parts. I have little quarrel with the defensemen or the goaltenders. Having missed Green and Poti for stretches has meant others getting more minutes and the pairings to be mixed up. They have done well to adjust. Neuvirth has been better than advertised, and Varlamov was solid in replacing him last night.
The forwards. Now that’s another story. They have had trouble gaining the offensive zone under control, had trouble moving the puck through the neutral zone (at times it was painful to watch last night), and generally been awful on faceoffs, picked odd times to step up on opponents, and for long stretches mailed in their effort, relying on their abundant skill.
Like it or not, this comes down to the guy with the “C” on his jersey. And I am not liking what I see. Yeah, I get it, he can score. Eight points in six games works out to 100-plus points. But subjectively I’m not seeing a guy who seems to be taking this part of the season all too seriiously, and players take their cues from their captain. He has fallen into some of the same bad habits he had a few years ago, especially when he doesn’t have the puck. He floats, doesn’t get back, plays too much in the middle of the ice.
See that scoring line in the table above? The Caps haven’t scored a first-period goal in any of their last three games. Ovechkin has yet to register a first-period point so far this season. It isn’t coincidence.
If you've read this far...seek help.
by ThePeerless on Oct 20, 2010 1:13 PM EDT reply actions 6 recs
And he didn’t get a shot on goal last night until late in the second (?) when Chara was in the box. Ovie’s performance has been troubling – others have pointed it out, but aside from the other bad habits he looks winded, like he’s not in shape. We know he trained this summer (at least once, we have photographic proof) but it was w/ a new trainer and perhaps it wasn’t as good as it should have been.
He’ll get into shape eventually, playing this much and getting into a more regular routine will do that to someone…but I agree, as a captain he needed to step it up and if he’s not working hard out there, the rest of the team has an excuse not to, as well.
If anyone needs me, I'll be at Kettler.
Ovie’s performance has been troubling – others have pointed it out, but aside from the other bad habits he looks winded, like he’s not in shape.
So…mono?
Because he's class, and you're not.
by Bald Pollack on Oct 20, 2010 1:40 PM EDT up reply actions
God, for his sake I certainly hope so…otherwise I’m tempted to go out to Kettler and whack him on the nose with a rolled-up newspaper for daring to come back to camp in less than his best physical shape.
If anyone needs me, I'll be at Kettler.
Hey come on, that pitch had snark behind it.
Because he's class, and you're not.
by Bald Pollack on Oct 20, 2010 1:50 PM EDT up reply actions
Oh, I know you were snarking, believe me.
Just saying, for his health and well-being he’d better hope he’s sick and just doesn’t know it. Otherwise I’m gonna kick some Russian butt (or…you know, talk big about doing it and then ultimately opt for no jail time) for daring to come to camp w/ that ‘C’ on his jersey and not being in the best shape of his life.
If anyone needs me, I'll be at Kettler.
Yesterday for warmups, Neuvy and AO charged out of the tunnel as usual, Neuvy split off for the net and Ovi skated … straight to the other end of the bench for a teevee interview.
:: sigh ::
You perhaps knew me better as "Your Nation's Capital." Same great commentary, now with 100% more transparency!
For national TV and a marquee matchup I can understand it.
Because he's class, and you're not.
by Bald Pollack on Oct 20, 2010 3:50 PM EDT up reply actions
…low percentage 1-on-2 and 1-on-3 rushes; BB allows him long shifts; BB often lets him play every second of the PP; too often he plays as if he’s the only Cap on the ice because he’s the only Cap in the offensive zone on his rushes. And after last night I found myself tired of watching Alex retrieving pucks on the PP as well.
Does AO think that the “C” means he has to carry the whole team in the BB era?
(He shouldn’t have been given the “C” to begin with – he’s more of an “A”, but that’s all water near a bridge now).
Ovechkin at the start of a shift doesn’t look winded, but when BB is leaving him out on the ice for 45 minute stints no one in the world is going to last that long at competitive speed. I don’t buy that he’s out of shape, just being overworked. BB won’t ever have the restraint to roll the lines to keep people rested if the Capitals are down several goals.
Human existence being an hallucination containing in itself the secondary hallucinations of day and night (the latter an insanitary condition of the atmosphere due to accretions of black air) it ill becomes any man of sense to be concerned at the illusory approach of the supreme hallucination known as death.
There are three themes with the Caps that are so predictably regular, you can set your alarm clock to them: slow starts/competing for a full 60 mins; “we need to get more traffic in front of the net”; and “we tried to be too cute/pretty”. Unfortunately, the only thing more regular than hearing about these shortcomings is the team failing to address them.
Just to clarify, no club scored more first period goals than the Caps last year (92), and the 67 they allowed in the first period was their fewest by period (Only Chicago had a bigger first period goal differential). They scored the first goal in 52 out of 82 games and led at the first intermission 39 times (they trailed 17 times).
If you've read this far...seek help.
That last number is kind of stunning, no? Not only were they great at erasing deficits, but they only trailed after the first period 17 times. Still amazes me.
If anyone needs me, I'll be at Kettler.
It cannot be overstated how important getting off on the right foot is in the NHL. Last year, NO team had as much as a .500 record in games in which they trailed at the first intermission. The Caps were the only club with a winning record when allowing the first goal (all based on NHL’s stats).
If you've read this far...seek help.
I’m thinking the 2009-2010 Caps were a complete freak of nature and we’ll be lucky to ever see a team that puts up goals, and can come back from allowing the first goal, like that again.
although, it sure was fun,a s a fan, to be able the breathe easy. “Oh, it’s only one goal. They’ll still win.”
Pledge Drive 2010-2011: SO KIDS CAN!! Help build a playground
Understood, which is why I lumped that in with competing for a full 60 minutes. I think while it’s understandable that a team can’t play at 100 percent intensity for a full game, every game, we’d agee that the Caps can improve in this area. And for all the games where the Caps got behind the eight ball early on, there were plenty of games where the Caps got a lead and let up on the gas instead of putting the opponent away. I suppose slow starts and soft finishes all fall under the umbrella of competing for a full game.
The Caps in their current configuration remind me so much of those frustrating Penguins teams from the late 1980s and into the 90s. Supremely talented but readily outworked and yet able to just “turn it on” to win (certainly thanks to Mario and Jagr in his prime). I just hope we end up with the same results that the 91 and 92 Pens experienced, but what an eerie sense of deja vu.
I wouldn’t count on facing relatively weak teams like Minnesota (27-39-14, 4th in Norris in 1991) or Chicago (87 pts, 2nd in Norris in 1992) in the finals the way the Penguins did.
If you've read this far...seek help.
No, but until now, the Caps didn’t have the otherworldly talent on their roster like the Pens did, either.
Speaking of the Pens of that era, the interesting team (at least from the Caps’ perspective) was the one that followed the consecutive Cup champs. 119 points (ten more than the next team), 56 wins. And they lost in the second round in seven games to the Islanders, Game 7 going to overtime. It happens.
If you've read this far...seek help.
And here I thought we were the first…
"Do you see my fist? It was fists like these that built quaint Canadian cities out of the harsh Canadian wilderness, etc. etc."
Not in Seattle anymore.
by SeattleCapsFan on Oct 20, 2010 2:49 PM EDT up reply actions
The Islanders finished 32 points behind the Pens that year. Sound familiar?
If you've read this far...seek help.
On frustration
When I watch the Redskins if they go down at any point in the game I don’t expect them to keep playing or come back (lately they’ve been better, but my expectation is very low) and I get frustrated that they let this happen. Same thing with the Nationals.
With the Capitals if they go down, I don’t worry until there’s 1 minute left in the 3rd period. The plus side to any deficit that the opponent is able to put the caps in is that there’s still time left in the game. If there’s time, there’s a good chance they can come back and possibly win.
Suspend Colin Campbell!
Another common concern has been Bruce Boudreau’s ability to make adjustments
Thank you for noticing. A comment along the lines of “fire BB” is just a cry of frustration to me. I don’t want the guy to lose his job. He took the wet blanket off the Caps’ offense when he came in and, more importantly, gave the team some self-esteem and confidence.
But, for me, the shine has worn off BB and it’s really been the first five games this season that had rubbed off the last of the luster he had. It’s time for him to show that he and his coaching crew can decipher opposition defenses aside from drawing penalties and relying on man-up opportunities to come along. The coaches are switching up line mates but the overall game never changes.
Everyone on the bench is hoping the next shot from above the circles will find it’s way through somehow. Maybe the games play out this way because everyone is gunning for the Caps now that they’re in the “elite” class of teams.
Scoring Chances tell same story
I have been logging the high quality scoring chances for the Caps this year and it’s the same story pretty much.
Totals at all strengths:
Period, SCF, SCA, DIff
1, 25, 36, -11
2, 34, 33, +1
3, 33, 19, +14
OT, 7, 0 +7
5v5 only:
Period, SCF, SCA, DIff
1, 16, 25, -9
2, 25, 26, -1
3, 19, 18, +1
OT, 4, 0, +4
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by 5ive Hole on Oct 20, 2010 5:37 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
I wonder if the score effects are the only things keeping the Caps afloat during the 2nd and 3rd. What’s the score-tied tally?
by red army line on Oct 21, 2010 1:24 PM EDT up reply actions
BB's adjustments
In playoff series? Must have missed the part where he adjusted to Montreal’s defense.
by alisterio on Oct 21, 2010 12:08 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
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