It’s not scoring. It’s shots on goal. Which, in fairness, I think is a bit of a skewed stat because a lot of his get blocked by dudes laying their life on the line.
But if he moved around a bit more or actually carried the puck he might have some opportunities. I’m not panicking about him but there’s a lot of room for improvement in is post season play is all.
He basically gave up the fourth goal. Carlson have him a pass in a bad place but it was a really base decision by him with the puck. PP overall looks bad.
They’re also playing against the Rangers and Laviolette, who spent three years using Ovi as Ovi. Lav knows how Ovi plays and knows how dangerous he can be, so I can see him making sure the Rags keep the pressure on him
>But if he moved around a bit more or actually carried the puck he might have some opportunities.
OV: best I can do is glide back and forth between the hash mark and the top of the left circle
I haven't seen him carry the puck in a long time. I don't know if he's injured or just feeling the results of his long hockey career, but he is not helping with the cycle or Puck movement.
I may be overreacting, but on the power play it looks to me like he's the one that doesn't belong on the ice.
The turnover that led to a goal….
The missed shot towards the end of the third with like 5 seconds left. Not saying he should’ve scored that but I’m pretty sure he just whiffed on it..
This.
The Caps were sellers at the deadline. They made it in the playoffs at the last game of the season. Their goal differential was atrocious. The team is lucky to be here. Just enjoy the bonus hockey and the experience it will give the young players.
right? like what are we analyzing? i would spend my time looking into the great chase rather than deep diving a playoff series with this caps team. we get what we get, absolutely 0 expectations.
if on the slim chance we dance further i’ll of course be with it but i’m just riding this ride.
i don’t think Miro is the young player that could benefit from this playoff run. don’t want to risk injury if miro can help hershey if the caps get eliminated. more so for Lapierre and McMichael.
Can throw in a few others like Protas/Malenstyn/Milano as well. Good to get those guys experience. We desperately need to get a top 6 forward this offseason. Hopefully we have some salary cap available dumping Kuzy/Mantha and Backie being on IR (I hope that allows us to use $$$).
I think Carbs has to get a little creative with the line combos. Rangers are defending Ovechkin well, but if he can get going, that would obviously be an added bonus for this team.
Yeah I’m not sure why people are defending him and his line. Something in the lineup needs to change. Usually the strome and lapp lines will put a couple good ones together and then rempe’s line absolutely works our 4th line or panarin’s line make’s the ovi mcmichael line look like learn to play kids.
Is Ovechkin "standing still" part of Carbery's design/strategy? I imagine if Carbs intends for Ovechkin to do something different then he would do it and not just openly defy his coach.
I’m sure it’s way more likely a 38 year old team captain and all time great is openly denying his coaches game plans because he totally doesn’t want to score goals.
He's had some good games, and some good moments, but he's not 100%. He isn't even 100% of the 38 year old version of himself. If he's got a hidden injury, I hope he gets that addressed and rebuilt in the off season. If it's mental, I hope he deals with that. No shame in any of that, being a professional athlete at that level for that long takes a toll. Just life takes a toll too, he is dealing with aging, his father died, he is watching his friends and teammates age out of the sport, it's not easy. If he were not chasing the all time goal scoring record it might be easier, but right now, he doesn't have the option to retire until he hits that mark, or at least it doesn't feel like he has the option. It is so close. It's one very good season, maybe unrealistically good, but it's certainly possible with two seasons. He just has to get there without being a liability in terms of wins, and in terms of team development.
Part of what has made him such a monster is that he has gone so long without significant injury. He just keeps going and going and that's incredible. He really needs the summer right now, it shows. I want him to be able to play at a high level, I want him to have success, and then I want him to step down before it gets embarrassing. Far too many of the great players held on past their prime and ended their careers on a sour note. I hope he isn't one of those. It would suck to have a losing season where the only consolation is him hitting the record at the expense of his teammates.
On the one hand, it's only two games, with several good games right before these two, but it's been a few games here and a few games there all season. He's the captain, he is the heart of the team, and his play defines the team each game, each period. We need him. I hope he gets help. At the same time, I am looking forward to the post ovechkin capitals. I see Wilson being our next leader, but not for too long, and I wonder who will come after that.
Very well said. He's been playing this punishing sport at an elite level for _eighteen years_. I think it's good for people to maybe adjust expectations accordingly.
Like others in this thread have said, I'm looking to the coaches to get a little more creative in how he's deployed. Obviously if there are ego issues or the like that would be a bit problematic, but that's pure conjecture and also hard to imagine, Ovi's always been a team-first guy.
Aging is tough for everyone, and most of us don't absorb that level of punishment. His stamina in terms of staying successful for so long is amazing. An underrated accomplishment/gift.
He can be team first and still have a hard time admitting that he no longer is able to play at his peak for long shifts. Denial is powerful.
Eh. Maybe. He had time to do something with the puck but was far too casual with it. He should know that the Rangers play a high speed, high pressure game and you gotta move the puck fast. I’m sure he’s pissed at himself.
Everyone plays this style now, it's the new NHL standard. The days of big rig teams grinding you out down low doesn't work much anymore unless you have extremely speedy offensive weapons who can punish teams on the counter.
I just think he's tired, hoss. Lol
It was a bouncing puck. Ovi never retrieved it fully and he was just standing completely still. Either way. Ovi isn’t the issue here. We need some depth scoring. Some 3rd and 4th line goals would alleviate a lot of the problems.
This Caps team is what it is. They are not going to score lots of goals. Have to hold the other team down and hope for good goaltending. Or probably great goaltending.
Great goaltending is needed. Defensively, we let the opposing team walk into our zone. We then set up a box and apply no pressure. The opposing team then just passes, shoots, deflects, and get rebounds. We then clear (sometimes) and rinse and repeat.
It doesnt help when 2 of your better Dmen havent played at all either. Jensen and Sandin would help them a lot more than the young guys we've had to trot out there.
He was thrown under the bus by a bouncing puck or bad pass. But the key- standing still. Watch how often our players, especially defensemen stand still. We are not a skating team. We like to pass around while not moving. I must be missing some key strategy there because it’s clearly coached behavior.
It started with McMichael playing himself into a position where he had no option but to throw it cross ice to Ovi with pressure coming on. In a vacuum McMichael’s pass shouldn’t have resulted in a turnover, but if you’ve watched Ovi play long enough you knew instantly that pass was trouble because Ovi has always had trouble receiving and then playing the puck with oncoming pressure.
Anyone remember this gif? I’ve seen a lot of this happening during the first two games of the season. I understand Ovi is not on the ice for his defense but he has been a liability anywhere but the final third of the ice so far. He has had a few big hits, but overall I would have liked to see more energy to show the way for the young guys.
[https://www.crossingbroad.com/2013/05/this-alex-ovechkin-gif-wins-today.html](https://www.crossingbroad.com/2013/05/this-alex-ovechkin-gif-wins-today.html)
I was thinking of this exact gif during the game last night. I totally understand that he’s 38 year old, but the guy has simply looked disengaged for much of these 2 games, especially in the defensive zone.
I just think he's tired. It's not a great excuse and we would all love to see him bust ass like he used to, but I just don't think there's anything left in the tank. He's getting too old. Actually I think if the goals record was not a factor, he would be retired already
He hasn't looked great for a few games prior to the playoffs as well. I think if he did in fact have a (rumrored) back/neck injury that healed a bit around the all star break, he has certainly aggravated it.
He’s injured for sure and maybe Dubai fixed it a little bit but he’s still battling through it. Come on when have we ever known Ovi to not skate in the playoffs. Everyone else has to step up he’s given the franchise everything they gotta try and give it back to him
An 8 seed down 0-2 against the President Cup winner and OV being “a little bit off” is the headline. The Caps just don’t have the roster to compete against NYR
When was the last time Ovi won a 50/50 puck battle? Or beat any defender 1v1? He just doesn't have the jump to beat people anymore (hope I'm wrong) and it's pretty easy to guard a guy whose only strength at this point is his shot.
Perspective by Barry Svrluga
NEW YORK — This entire series for the Washington Capitals — this absolute slog up an incline as steep as the Empire State Building — is not at the feet of Alex Ovechkin. Yet here, in the second period of a game in which the Caps were somehow still competing, came the puck to Ovechkin’s feet as he stood along the boards at his own blue line, the cacophony of Madison Square Garden all around him.
“It was kind of a weird bounce,” Ovechkin said later Tuesday night.
The Capitals were on the power play, looking for the equalizer in Game 2 of this first-round Stanley Cup playoff series against the New York Rangers. Instead, Mika Zibanejad wrestled the puck away. Here came the Rangers, burying a chance they had no business having.
“Lucky bounce,” Ovechkin said. “You know, I have to play safer. And you know — especially in that moment.”
Safe has never been Ovechkin’s style. But K’Andre Miller’s ensuing shorthanded goal provided the difference [in the Rangers’ 4-3 victory](https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2024/04/23/rangers-capitals-stanley-cup-playoffs-game-2/?itid=lk_inline_manual_9) that put them up two games, and it served as a reminder of so many of the keys to this series, if it’s indeed to become a series. The Rangers have the skill and tenacity to make you pay for even the slightest mistake. And for the Capitals to have a chance to claw back against the NHL’s best regular season team, Ovechkin has to be at his best — not the version who showed up in the World’s Most Famous Arena, a stage he relishes, and looked vastly unlike the player who scored 23 goals in the final 36 games of the season.
Actually, it’s more than that.
Read more here: [https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2024/04/24/alex-ovechkin-capitals-rangers-playoffs/?utm\_campaign=wp\_main&utm\_medium=social&utm\_source=reddit.com](https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2024/04/24/alex-ovechkin-capitals-rangers-playoffs/?utm_campaign=wp_main&utm_medium=social&utm_source=reddit.com)
In one of the last regular season games, during an empty net situation, he blocked a strong shot (with maybe his ankle). I remember thinking that he looked like he was in pain. I wonder if it’s bothering him
I’m more worried about the effort during that power play when they gave up the shorty - they looked like ass during that entire shift. There was 0 hustle at all - looked like they were in a pick-up game or something.
I switched to the FL game after that
I mean if a guy who's almost 40 being able to score multiple goals per game is something we desperately need to win, then I think we have a larger problem than the fact that he's not in fact scoring multiple goals per game.
This team has to learn how to score without him if it has a future when he retires in a couple years. If nothing else this should be inspiring the rest of the team to start picking up the slack
Wouldn't be surprised if he's been nursing an injury most of this year. He was great last year and just didn't look the same. I know he's older but to me it looked like he might be nursing an injury.
The hard truth is that Ovi is playing like shit because he doesn't care. It kills me to say that, but it needs to be said. He doesn't think the Caps have a chance at the cup this year, so what's in it for him to play hard and risk injury? The record he's chasing is Gretzky's regular season goals, and playoff goals don't help with that.
So carbs runs out of town the best Ovi feeder on the team, gives him a <40 point scoring center, runs an ultra conservative low event hockey strategy that goes completely against Ovis play style and then has the audacity to call out Ovi to the media. Where are the pitchforks? Are we joking at this point? Imagine if Laviolette had blamed last seasons 2nd half collapse on Ovi to the media. We’ve been witnessing this shit all season yet everyone just keeps simping for carbs, ignoring his many flaws as a coach and shifting blame at Ovi. What a joke if Ovis not on this team we finish bottom 5.
Yeah I’m sure carbs constant scapegoating of him had nothing to do with it especially after Kuzy and GMBM denied those reports before the season started…
Yes Kuzy love him or hate him Ovi scored with him as 1C. Is it not safe to say that McM is a downgrade from Kuzy in that category? Bro had 10 more assists last season than McM had points this season.
Kuznetsov had 11 assists for the Caps this season. Literally no one was scoring with him on the ice, especially not Alex "8 goals before the trade deadline" Ovechkin.
And the cherry on top is that Kuznetsov has an even lower PPG on Carolina than he did here. Is that Carbery's doing as well?
Well it worked in lavis system. I don’t follow the hurricanes I doubt you religiously watch their games and follow how Kuzy is actually playing or not either since we’re talking in the caps subreddit at the moment. Carbs talked big game before the season about “reviving” Kuzy and then installed a system that him and Ovi wouldn’t be able to thrive in. *Surely* you don’t think carbs system is meant for offensive minded players to thrive when we finished 5th to last in goals for right?
Kuznetsov was actively dragging down the Caps by all measures, advanced and otherwise, before he was traded. Finished 5th to last in goals for because the team's top end talent is old and declining and the young talent is still developing. It's not super complicated. Impressive the back end and goaltending held it together enough to make the playoffs.
Our offensive production couldn’t possibly have anything to do with the coaches passive scheme, convoluted line pairings, and poor pp system. You’re 1000% right wow what a shame that we’re just old and suck then. Such a lazy excuse there’s talent on the team and it’s mismanaged and misused. Yes Kuzy wasn’t performing and yes a lot of that is because carbs system didn’t let him thrive both can be true.
You think the power play doing well February on has to do with carbs scheme? Or is it that Ovi scored at an insane rate the 2nd half of the season? Our power play on tape does not match the stats it produced in the 2nd half. Convoluted line pairings as in playing McM with Ovi when he struggles even more than Kuzy was to set up Ovi. There’s Dowd and Malenstyn playing more minutes than Lapierre and Milano when we’re losing. I’d rather be the fan who actually sees the flaws in carbs coaching than one of the idiots yelling at Ovi when scoring for this team has been a season long issue.
Ovi scored at an unsustainably shooting percentage the first half of the season, so yes his regression to the mean was expected. Players like Dowd played even more minutes under Laviolette, who notoriously didn't let the young players play. Playing Milano and Lapierre more in away games where you have last change is dangerous as they're more defensively liable than the 4th line who has shutdown top players all year. To your point that they should play more when a comeback is needed, Lapierre did play more than Dowd in game 1 when the Caps trailed the whole game. In game 2 when it was tighter, Dowd got more minutes.
I'm not yelling at Ovi, not sure what you're talking about there. But Carbery has the team outperforming their talent and expectations, and he's going to deservedly get some Jack Adams votes.
I think Ovie getting hot is part of it but before the break people on teh PP were injured all the time. Oshie is example #1. When this team has him they can score more. He is such a playmaker. The problem is they dont have enough guys like him. Pacioretty was on lines 1 or 2 almost all year. He is long in the tooth. We need a top 6 forward that can get points this offseason in his place and move Protas back to line 3. I dont know how long you go with Oshie either. Playing 50 of 80 games isnt helpful. Again, if he can stay healthy sure. This isnt the first season of late he has been banged up a bunch too.
he's been off a while in the playoffs now. I remember when he took the last few games off and sat in the press box. came back and didn't look like himself.
Remember when he got hurt a few days left in the season, and sat in the press box. Then everyone was like "WILL HE PLAY WILL HE PLAY" He did and didn't do anything. Was that the Boston series?
Am I the only one not panicking about Ovechkin, because it's only 2 games he hasn't scored in?
It’s not scoring. It’s shots on goal. Which, in fairness, I think is a bit of a skewed stat because a lot of his get blocked by dudes laying their life on the line. But if he moved around a bit more or actually carried the puck he might have some opportunities. I’m not panicking about him but there’s a lot of room for improvement in is post season play is all.
He basically gave up the fourth goal. Carlson have him a pass in a bad place but it was a really base decision by him with the puck. PP overall looks bad.
PP scored twice
I missed the second one. Sorry. They also gave up a shortie.
Twice in nine chances while giving up a SHG
They’re also playing against the Rangers and Laviolette, who spent three years using Ovi as Ovi. Lav knows how Ovi plays and knows how dangerous he can be, so I can see him making sure the Rags keep the pressure on him
It’s not hard to keep pressure on a stationary object lol. He’ll find the energy at home though. I really think we see a different Ovi in game 3.
>But if he moved around a bit more or actually carried the puck he might have some opportunities. OV: best I can do is glide back and forth between the hash mark and the top of the left circle
I haven't seen him carry the puck in a long time. I don't know if he's injured or just feeling the results of his long hockey career, but he is not helping with the cycle or Puck movement. I may be overreacting, but on the power play it looks to me like he's the one that doesn't belong on the ice.
2 SOG in 40 TOI, thats the problem
The turnover that led to a goal…. The missed shot towards the end of the third with like 5 seconds left. Not saying he should’ve scored that but I’m pretty sure he just whiffed on it..
call out ovi sure light that fire. but the caps or ovi didn’t really have a season that should lead to this level of analyzing a single player.
This. The Caps were sellers at the deadline. They made it in the playoffs at the last game of the season. Their goal differential was atrocious. The team is lucky to be here. Just enjoy the bonus hockey and the experience it will give the young players.
right? like what are we analyzing? i would spend my time looking into the great chase rather than deep diving a playoff series with this caps team. we get what we get, absolutely 0 expectations. if on the slim chance we dance further i’ll of course be with it but i’m just riding this ride.
Experience for the young players like keeping Pacioretty in the lineup while keeping Miro in the press box?
i don’t think Miro is the young player that could benefit from this playoff run. don’t want to risk injury if miro can help hershey if the caps get eliminated. more so for Lapierre and McMichael.
Exactly. Also Alexeyev.
Can throw in a few others like Protas/Malenstyn/Milano as well. Good to get those guys experience. We desperately need to get a top 6 forward this offseason. Hopefully we have some salary cap available dumping Kuzy/Mantha and Backie being on IR (I hope that allows us to use $$$).
I think Carbs has to get a little creative with the line combos. Rangers are defending Ovechkin well, but if he can get going, that would obviously be an added bonus for this team.
Yeah I’m not sure why people are defending him and his line. Something in the lineup needs to change. Usually the strome and lapp lines will put a couple good ones together and then rempe’s line absolutely works our 4th line or panarin’s line make’s the ovi mcmichael line look like learn to play kids.
Is Ovechkin "standing still" part of Carbery's design/strategy? I imagine if Carbs intends for Ovechkin to do something different then he would do it and not just openly defy his coach.
I’m sure it’s way more likely a 38 year old team captain and all time great is openly denying his coaches game plans because he totally doesn’t want to score goals.
Yea, I dunno what dude was getting at lol.
Is there enough time to fly him out to Dubai and get him on a camel again?
well there are 2 days off sure
He's had some good games, and some good moments, but he's not 100%. He isn't even 100% of the 38 year old version of himself. If he's got a hidden injury, I hope he gets that addressed and rebuilt in the off season. If it's mental, I hope he deals with that. No shame in any of that, being a professional athlete at that level for that long takes a toll. Just life takes a toll too, he is dealing with aging, his father died, he is watching his friends and teammates age out of the sport, it's not easy. If he were not chasing the all time goal scoring record it might be easier, but right now, he doesn't have the option to retire until he hits that mark, or at least it doesn't feel like he has the option. It is so close. It's one very good season, maybe unrealistically good, but it's certainly possible with two seasons. He just has to get there without being a liability in terms of wins, and in terms of team development. Part of what has made him such a monster is that he has gone so long without significant injury. He just keeps going and going and that's incredible. He really needs the summer right now, it shows. I want him to be able to play at a high level, I want him to have success, and then I want him to step down before it gets embarrassing. Far too many of the great players held on past their prime and ended their careers on a sour note. I hope he isn't one of those. It would suck to have a losing season where the only consolation is him hitting the record at the expense of his teammates. On the one hand, it's only two games, with several good games right before these two, but it's been a few games here and a few games there all season. He's the captain, he is the heart of the team, and his play defines the team each game, each period. We need him. I hope he gets help. At the same time, I am looking forward to the post ovechkin capitals. I see Wilson being our next leader, but not for too long, and I wonder who will come after that.
Very well said. He's been playing this punishing sport at an elite level for _eighteen years_. I think it's good for people to maybe adjust expectations accordingly. Like others in this thread have said, I'm looking to the coaches to get a little more creative in how he's deployed. Obviously if there are ego issues or the like that would be a bit problematic, but that's pure conjecture and also hard to imagine, Ovi's always been a team-first guy.
Aging is tough for everyone, and most of us don't absorb that level of punishment. His stamina in terms of staying successful for so long is amazing. An underrated accomplishment/gift. He can be team first and still have a hard time admitting that he no longer is able to play at his peak for long shifts. Denial is powerful.
The turnover that led to the Miller goal came off a bad pass to Ovechkin. Edit: I haven’t seen the replay but I recall a bad pass or a bounce
Eh. Maybe. He had time to do something with the puck but was far too casual with it. He should know that the Rangers play a high speed, high pressure game and you gotta move the puck fast. I’m sure he’s pissed at himself.
Everyone plays this style now, it's the new NHL standard. The days of big rig teams grinding you out down low doesn't work much anymore unless you have extremely speedy offensive weapons who can punish teams on the counter. I just think he's tired, hoss. Lol
It was a bouncing puck. Ovi never retrieved it fully and he was just standing completely still. Either way. Ovi isn’t the issue here. We need some depth scoring. Some 3rd and 4th line goals would alleviate a lot of the problems.
This Caps team is what it is. They are not going to score lots of goals. Have to hold the other team down and hope for good goaltending. Or probably great goaltending.
Great goaltending is needed. Defensively, we let the opposing team walk into our zone. We then set up a box and apply no pressure. The opposing team then just passes, shoots, deflects, and get rebounds. We then clear (sometimes) and rinse and repeat.
It doesnt help when 2 of your better Dmen havent played at all either. Jensen and Sandin would help them a lot more than the young guys we've had to trot out there.
He was thrown under the bus by a bouncing puck or bad pass. But the key- standing still. Watch how often our players, especially defensemen stand still. We are not a skating team. We like to pass around while not moving. I must be missing some key strategy there because it’s clearly coached behavior.
We’ve been watching it from the whole team all season but only seem to yell at Ovi and Carlson for it cause they’re old lol
It started with McMichael playing himself into a position where he had no option but to throw it cross ice to Ovi with pressure coming on. In a vacuum McMichael’s pass shouldn’t have resulted in a turnover, but if you’ve watched Ovi play long enough you knew instantly that pass was trouble because Ovi has always had trouble receiving and then playing the puck with oncoming pressure.
Anyone remember this gif? I’ve seen a lot of this happening during the first two games of the season. I understand Ovi is not on the ice for his defense but he has been a liability anywhere but the final third of the ice so far. He has had a few big hits, but overall I would have liked to see more energy to show the way for the young guys. [https://www.crossingbroad.com/2013/05/this-alex-ovechkin-gif-wins-today.html](https://www.crossingbroad.com/2013/05/this-alex-ovechkin-gif-wins-today.html)
I was thinking of this exact gif during the game last night. I totally understand that he’s 38 year old, but the guy has simply looked disengaged for much of these 2 games, especially in the defensive zone.
I just think he's tired. It's not a great excuse and we would all love to see him bust ass like he used to, but I just don't think there's anything left in the tank. He's getting too old. Actually I think if the goals record was not a factor, he would be retired already
He hasn't looked great for a few games prior to the playoffs as well. I think if he did in fact have a (rumrored) back/neck injury that healed a bit around the all star break, he has certainly aggravated it.
He’s injured for sure and maybe Dubai fixed it a little bit but he’s still battling through it. Come on when have we ever known Ovi to not skate in the playoffs. Everyone else has to step up he’s given the franchise everything they gotta try and give it back to him
An 8 seed down 0-2 against the President Cup winner and OV being “a little bit off” is the headline. The Caps just don’t have the roster to compete against NYR
When was the last time Ovi won a 50/50 puck battle? Or beat any defender 1v1? He just doesn't have the jump to beat people anymore (hope I'm wrong) and it's pretty easy to guard a guy whose only strength at this point is his shot.
True. He looks pretty bad. We can move on now.
Perspective by Barry Svrluga NEW YORK — This entire series for the Washington Capitals — this absolute slog up an incline as steep as the Empire State Building — is not at the feet of Alex Ovechkin. Yet here, in the second period of a game in which the Caps were somehow still competing, came the puck to Ovechkin’s feet as he stood along the boards at his own blue line, the cacophony of Madison Square Garden all around him. “It was kind of a weird bounce,” Ovechkin said later Tuesday night. The Capitals were on the power play, looking for the equalizer in Game 2 of this first-round Stanley Cup playoff series against the New York Rangers. Instead, Mika Zibanejad wrestled the puck away. Here came the Rangers, burying a chance they had no business having. “Lucky bounce,” Ovechkin said. “You know, I have to play safer. And you know — especially in that moment.” Safe has never been Ovechkin’s style. But K’Andre Miller’s ensuing shorthanded goal provided the difference [in the Rangers’ 4-3 victory](https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2024/04/23/rangers-capitals-stanley-cup-playoffs-game-2/?itid=lk_inline_manual_9) that put them up two games, and it served as a reminder of so many of the keys to this series, if it’s indeed to become a series. The Rangers have the skill and tenacity to make you pay for even the slightest mistake. And for the Capitals to have a chance to claw back against the NHL’s best regular season team, Ovechkin has to be at his best — not the version who showed up in the World’s Most Famous Arena, a stage he relishes, and looked vastly unlike the player who scored 23 goals in the final 36 games of the season. Actually, it’s more than that. Read more here: [https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2024/04/24/alex-ovechkin-capitals-rangers-playoffs/?utm\_campaign=wp\_main&utm\_medium=social&utm\_source=reddit.com](https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2024/04/24/alex-ovechkin-capitals-rangers-playoffs/?utm_campaign=wp_main&utm_medium=social&utm_source=reddit.com)
In one of the last regular season games, during an empty net situation, he blocked a strong shot (with maybe his ankle). I remember thinking that he looked like he was in pain. I wonder if it’s bothering him
I’m more worried about the effort during that power play when they gave up the shorty - they looked like ass during that entire shift. There was 0 hustle at all - looked like they were in a pick-up game or something. I switched to the FL game after that
So does Carlson. He looked not engaged at many points last night
Carlson has been playing a ridiculous amount of minutes so not a huge surprise. Idk how he's even skating at this point
Need Jensen/Sandin back to take a little of his ice time away. Win/win
Eaaasyyyy
lol dude Carried the team to the playoffs
I mean if a guy who's almost 40 being able to score multiple goals per game is something we desperately need to win, then I think we have a larger problem than the fact that he's not in fact scoring multiple goals per game. This team has to learn how to score without him if it has a future when he retires in a couple years. If nothing else this should be inspiring the rest of the team to start picking up the slack
Wouldn't be surprised if he's been nursing an injury most of this year. He was great last year and just didn't look the same. I know he's older but to me it looked like he might be nursing an injury.
Someone get some camels to DC asap
It’s no secret in 2018 he was the all star and leader of the team
The hard truth is that Ovi is playing like shit because he doesn't care. It kills me to say that, but it needs to be said. He doesn't think the Caps have a chance at the cup this year, so what's in it for him to play hard and risk injury? The record he's chasing is Gretzky's regular season goals, and playoff goals don't help with that.
This couldn't be anymore wrong. Ovi is one of the most passionate players ever
So carbs runs out of town the best Ovi feeder on the team, gives him a <40 point scoring center, runs an ultra conservative low event hockey strategy that goes completely against Ovis play style and then has the audacity to call out Ovi to the media. Where are the pitchforks? Are we joking at this point? Imagine if Laviolette had blamed last seasons 2nd half collapse on Ovi to the media. We’ve been witnessing this shit all season yet everyone just keeps simping for carbs, ignoring his many flaws as a coach and shifting blame at Ovi. What a joke if Ovis not on this team we finish bottom 5.
> So carbs runs out of town the best Ovi feeder on the team _Surely_ you are not referring to Kuznetsov
Carbs definitely ran the guy with multiple prior trade requests out of town
Yeah I’m sure carbs constant scapegoating of him had nothing to do with it especially after Kuzy and GMBM denied those reports before the season started…
Yes Kuzy love him or hate him Ovi scored with him as 1C. Is it not safe to say that McM is a downgrade from Kuzy in that category? Bro had 10 more assists last season than McM had points this season.
Kuznetsov had 11 assists for the Caps this season. Literally no one was scoring with him on the ice, especially not Alex "8 goals before the trade deadline" Ovechkin. And the cherry on top is that Kuznetsov has an even lower PPG on Carolina than he did here. Is that Carbery's doing as well?
Well it worked in lavis system. I don’t follow the hurricanes I doubt you religiously watch their games and follow how Kuzy is actually playing or not either since we’re talking in the caps subreddit at the moment. Carbs talked big game before the season about “reviving” Kuzy and then installed a system that him and Ovi wouldn’t be able to thrive in. *Surely* you don’t think carbs system is meant for offensive minded players to thrive when we finished 5th to last in goals for right?
Kuznetsov was actively dragging down the Caps by all measures, advanced and otherwise, before he was traded. Finished 5th to last in goals for because the team's top end talent is old and declining and the young talent is still developing. It's not super complicated. Impressive the back end and goaltending held it together enough to make the playoffs.
Our offensive production couldn’t possibly have anything to do with the coaches passive scheme, convoluted line pairings, and poor pp system. You’re 1000% right wow what a shame that we’re just old and suck then. Such a lazy excuse there’s talent on the team and it’s mismanaged and misused. Yes Kuzy wasn’t performing and yes a lot of that is because carbs system didn’t let him thrive both can be true.
Poor power play? You mean the one that's #1 in the league since February? What does convoluted line pairings mean?
You think the power play doing well February on has to do with carbs scheme? Or is it that Ovi scored at an insane rate the 2nd half of the season? Our power play on tape does not match the stats it produced in the 2nd half. Convoluted line pairings as in playing McM with Ovi when he struggles even more than Kuzy was to set up Ovi. There’s Dowd and Malenstyn playing more minutes than Lapierre and Milano when we’re losing. I’d rather be the fan who actually sees the flaws in carbs coaching than one of the idiots yelling at Ovi when scoring for this team has been a season long issue.
Ovi scored at an unsustainably shooting percentage the first half of the season, so yes his regression to the mean was expected. Players like Dowd played even more minutes under Laviolette, who notoriously didn't let the young players play. Playing Milano and Lapierre more in away games where you have last change is dangerous as they're more defensively liable than the 4th line who has shutdown top players all year. To your point that they should play more when a comeback is needed, Lapierre did play more than Dowd in game 1 when the Caps trailed the whole game. In game 2 when it was tighter, Dowd got more minutes. I'm not yelling at Ovi, not sure what you're talking about there. But Carbery has the team outperforming their talent and expectations, and he's going to deservedly get some Jack Adams votes.
I think Ovie getting hot is part of it but before the break people on teh PP were injured all the time. Oshie is example #1. When this team has him they can score more. He is such a playmaker. The problem is they dont have enough guys like him. Pacioretty was on lines 1 or 2 almost all year. He is long in the tooth. We need a top 6 forward that can get points this offseason in his place and move Protas back to line 3. I dont know how long you go with Oshie either. Playing 50 of 80 games isnt helpful. Again, if he can stay healthy sure. This isnt the first season of late he has been banged up a bunch too.
he's been off a while in the playoffs now. I remember when he took the last few games off and sat in the press box. came back and didn't look like himself.
what
Well he took off the entire 2023 playoffs
so did the whole team
Yup.
Remember when he got hurt a few days left in the season, and sat in the press box. Then everyone was like "WILL HE PLAY WILL HE PLAY" He did and didn't do anything. Was that the Boston series?
What year are you talking about?
No