[OOT] Oct 28 - 5 Games

[Inferno]

I just got back from the game. My god the Caps were absolutely terrible in all three positions. And after he got his penalty shot Ovechkin was pretty much invisible.

[metroneck]

Was at the game also. This was my 5 time seeing Ovechkin live. All 5 times he has been a no show.

I was sitting in the 500 Club, so right over the rink. Great for watching behind the play. OV is such a floater. It is really unbelievable how little effort he put in.

[Hockey]

I actually thought he might have gotten injured. Hadn't heard his name since the penalty shot until a late Caps PP.


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[thefoss1957]

In St. Paul: As good as Backstrom looked on Saturday...he looked bad last night...'Hawk Goals, Sharp, Brookbank (GWG), Leddy (PP), Kane (sweet feed from Saad), and Saad (made Backstrom look silly after 2 Wild took each other out in a collision on a 4 on 4)...Pominville ripped a bomb to make it 1-1 in the early 2nd...but then it was all 'Hawks, and even the bottom lines kept the Wild pinned in their own zone for long stretches.

[stemit14]

Ovechkin was terrible tonight. Regardless of how many goals he scores nowadays... He's not as entertaining anymore cause the act has gotten old. He is a lazy player with a ton of skill who cherry picks and shoots one-timers. Crosby is far more entertaining to watch cause he is so hard working and unpredictable as well as insanely skilled.

[19Yzerman19]

Originally Posted by Hells Bells

What Caps games have you been watching? They're not playing pretty well at the moment at all. They played horrible against Calgary, only won against EDM & WPG because of how brutal those teams are.

I mean the Canucks are playing pretty well, so losing to them in a 1 goal game isn't really paper bag territory. The shots do look pretty bad though.

[Inferno]

Originally Posted by 19Yzerman19

I mean the Canucks are playing pretty well, so losing to them in a 1 goal game isn't really paper bag territory. The shots do look pretty bad though.

It doesn't matter how many goals you lose by. When you play that bad you should be embarrassed.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by 19Yzerman19

I mean the Canucks are playing pretty well, so losing to them in a 1 goal game isn't really paper bag territory. The shots do look pretty bad though.

I'm not all that sold on the early success of the Canucks based on their record.

They and the Oilers have played more out-of-conference games than any other team in the west, and 13 of their 19 points have come out of games with EC teams. They are the #4 ranked team in the Pacific division based on points earned in the West, and are only better than Phoenix, Calgary, and the terrible Edmonton Oilers.

We'll get a better sense of how good a team they are after the Canucks complete their four-game California swing on 10 November.

[opendoor]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

I'm not all that sold on the early success of the Canucks based on their record.

They and the Oilers have played more out-of-conference games than any other team in the west, and 13 of their 19 points have come out of games with EC teams. They are the #4 ranked team in the Pacific division based on points earned in the West, and are only better than Phoenix, Calgary, and the terrible Edmonton Oilers.

We'll get a better sense of how good a team they are after the Canucks complete their four-game California swing on 10 November.

I agree with your caution, but on the other hand not all games against Western Conference teams are created equal. The average points % of Vancouver's Western Conference opponents this year has been just under .700 thanks to 2 games against San Jose and one against St. Louis. Compare that to a team like LA who has largely played bottom feeders like WPG, NSH, DAL, EDM, etc. and has faced an average points % of about .500 in their Western Conference games.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by opendoor

I agree with your caution, but on the other hand not all games against Western Conference teams are created equal. The average points % of Vancouver's Western Conference opponents this year has been just under .700 thanks to 2 games against San Jose and one against St. Louis. Compare that to a team like LA who has largely played bottom feeders like WPG, NSH, DAL, EDM, etc. and has faced an average points % of about .500 in their Western Conference games.

That's fair. The Canucks have so far responded better to Tortorella than I had expected, but it is still tough to get a read on this team. Like I said: we'll know much more about them in mid-November.

[Street Pharmacist]

Originally Posted by metroneck

Was at the game also. This was my 5 time seeing Ovechkin live. All 5 times he has been a no show.

I was sitting in the 500 Club, so right over the rink. Great for watching behind the play. OV is such a floater. It is really unbelievable how little effort he put in.

Reminds me of watching Rick Nash years ago in Edmonton.

[Red John]

The canucks are all buying into Tortorella's system and other teams haven't adjusted to it yet. Give it a quarter of a season, as other teams begin to gather video you will see some adjustments to the canucks style of play. Their entire aggressive puck-pursuit is based off other teams inability to move the biscuit quick enough.

Once teams start doing that, it will open the canucks up to a lot of odd-man rushes. Furthermore as the season goes into the playoffs, Tortorella's system is hard on the players and a tough one to bring consistently for a full season. The canucks will likely wear down, make the playoffs, maybe win a round, but not more than that.

Finally, putting Kesler with the Sedins gives them one very good top line but nothing after that. Once teams shut them down (or contain them) no one else will be able to score.

Full credit to the canucks as they are playing very well right now with an aging group. They are not at the level of San Jose, LA, Chicago, St. Louis though and that will show itself when all is said and done.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Red John

...The canucks will likely wear down, make the playoffs, maybe win a round, but not more than that...

I disagree entirely. As well as the Canucks have been playing, they are still very much on the playoff bubble. They might make it as a bottom-two seed, but I don't have any faith that they can win a round. I'll be impressed if they manage to win two games this year.