Key to the series?

by blockersave93 on Apr 14, 2010 10:01 PM EDT

From Japers' Rink:

I agree, Montreal was 2 for 8 on the PP against us when they played at the Verizon Center this year. They were also 3 for 9 in Montreal. Most of the goals they scored against us were on the 5 on 5…

So we can score 5 on 5 AND on the power play?!?! The achilles heel of the Habs has been the offense, and that is a stat that actually gives me some hope the we can compete with the high powered Caps.

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The Real Key to the Series...

…is discipline. The team that stays out of the box the most will have the better chance at winning. Both teams have outstanding Power Plays, and while Montreal’s PK is better than the Caps, the Caps Power Play is the best in the NHL (and it’s not close).

The other side of discipline is staying with the Game Plan. For the Habs it’s trying to frustrate the Caps with a plug up the neutral zone trap, and for the Caps it’s forgoing the usual transition game and going to a dump-and-chase plan. If the Caps stick with that and can frustrate the smaller Habs defensemen, they can build a lead, force the Habs to press, and then begin to use the transition game. The Habs have to try to get the Caps frustrated in center ice and then use their speed on transition if and when the Caps become undisciplined.

We will see how it plays out….

Let's go Caps!

by MikeL-Pivonka on Apr 15, 2010 9:30 AM EDT reply actions

You make a great point about sticking with the game plan.

If the Caps get out to an early lead in a game, it could be doom for the Habs if they get rattled too much. A 1-goal lead can quickly turn to 2 when the team playing from behind gives up their plan in desperation. At the same time, if Montreal shocks the Caps and gets a quick goal, the Caps can’t panic either.

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by The Bull Gator on Apr 15, 2010 9:33 AM EDT up reply actions

You’re right that the Caps can’t panic if they fall behind early in a game, but they’ve shown that they don’t get too rattled if they give up one early. The Caps don’t panic when they get 1, 2 or even 3 down. They know they have the talent and skill to come back, as evidenced by several rallies from 3 down this year, including a national TV game against Pittsburgh, where they were down 4-1 late in the second and down 4-2 in the third.

The Habs can very well win games against the Caps (as they did in the regular season), but four out of seven is asking a lot. Still, they play the games for a reason, in that we can talk all we want, but the players still have to execute.

Let's go Caps!

by MikeL-Pivonka on Apr 15, 2010 12:28 PM EDT up reply actions

Even against the Habs this year the Caps showed the propensity to come back. I actually believe that the last 2 minutes of these games will be where it is won or lost. Our waterbugs have showed the ability to keep the puck in the offensive zone and neutral ice so that their size doesn’t become such an issue but that seems to disappear as the clock ticks down. If Montreal can clear the zone when we get to the top of the circles to the blue line, we can make a series of it, but we have had a weakness in doing that consistently.

What we are also going to find out is if the Caps will bring the same ferocity that they showed against the Pens in sweepint their season series. As the season series shows, the Habs can split 4 games and make it a 3 game playoff series. If our goaltending and offense keeps pace, there is no reason why we can’t compete.

by blockersave93 on Apr 15, 2010 12:50 PM EDT up reply actions

Oh I completely agree with you...

…neither team can get caught up in that “holy crap it’s the playoffs and we’re down 2 goals!” The Caps are less likely to do that, but you never know. Many a team has gotten rattled and instead of being forced out of their game plan, they jumped out of it trying to come back. Basically, I’m just hanging on the anything that might give the Habs an advantage…HA!

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by The Bull Gator on Apr 15, 2010 1:19 PM EDT up reply actions

Goal count after game 1

5 on 5: Habs 2 Caps 2
pp goals: Habs 1 Caps 0

Scoring 5 on 5 looking pretty important, but a long way to go…

by blockersave93 on Apr 17, 2010 11:25 AM EDT reply actions

And now
5-on-5: Habs 6, Caps 8
PP: Habs 2, Caps 0.

Watch out for that Caps 0 on the PP so far. It’s in a funk, but is liable to break out at any time. Could be a series-changer.

Cидни Kросби: Александр Oвечкин, он твой папа теперь
Capitals Coming: for Capitals fans who can bear reading something less intelligent than a story at Japers' Rink

by red army line on Apr 18, 2010 12:24 PM EDT up reply actions

Don’t care what the Caps can do offensively, this was about the Habs if you had bothered to read any of the original post. Montreal had scored 3rd fewest 5-5 goals during the regular season. The point was our ability to score 5-5 against in this series, which has thus far been spot on as the series is razor thin…between the 1 and 8 seeds. Caps had nearly more goals 5-5 than the Habs had total…but if the Habs can keep them held back and can score 5-5 AND PP…that was the point which you obviously missed.

And that 0-8 is due to the PK more than a funk. The caps moved the puck well but couldn’t get more than a sniff in game 2…because of the PK. Again it’s completely off the point, the 5-5 by the Habs may define the series.

by blockersave93 on Apr 19, 2010 12:44 AM EDT up reply actions

the 5-5 by the Habs may define the series.

If the Habs win, it’s with 5-on-5. Definitely. Or the Caps sending a parade to the sin bin every game.

by red army line on Apr 19, 2010 1:40 PM EDT up reply actions

Your new problem in this series

Goes by the name of Varlamov. Montreal is in trouble.

"When I wake up now, I don't have breakfast. I try to make something, but it's no good. I just go to Starbucks and eat chocolate." - Alex Ovechkin

by williamhudsonlink on Apr 19, 2010 8:38 PM EDT reply actions

Donde Valrlamov? Oooooppps…he kept his GAA in game 7s under 9. I am impressed. Thanks for adding your 2 cents…something tells me you ain’t reading it tonight. Go Habs Go!

by blockersave93 on Apr 28, 2010 10:55 PM EDT up reply actions

Sooooo…5 on 5 is looking like an Achilles heel rather than a strength after game 3. As has been painfully obvious all year, the 5 on 5 drought has returned. Wouldn’t have been nice to have a 1 goal (or more) lead at the end of the first so that when an odd play and good pk by the Caps ended up with a goal the entire arena wouldn’t have gone quiet. Oooopps. 1 game does not a series make, and Varlamov wanted to make sure he got his grip on the starting job and wouldn’t let go, so maybe we’ll see better 5 on 5 play tonight. If not, 5 may be another number we will be analyzing…5 games and out of the playoffs!

by blockersave93 on Apr 21, 2010 2:26 PM EDT reply actions

When was 5v5 a strength for the Habs this series? Game 1, it didn’t kill them, but Games 2 and 3 it did.

by red army line on Apr 21, 2010 4:09 PM EDT up reply actions

Seriously, this is a running thread…meaning it goes back to before the series and I am keeping track of it. Let me explain it again, in the season series Montreal scored even strength regularly against the Caps and they couldn’t score against anyone else in the league 5 on five. They were second WORST 5 on 5.

So we can score 5 on 5 AND on the power play?!?! The achilles heel of the Habs has been the offense, and that is a stat that actually gives me some hope the we can compete with the high powered Caps.

Furthermore, games 1 and 2 we did score 5 on 5 (2/3 in game 1 and 4/5 in game 2). That would allow us to compete in the series, which we have been able to for long periods. Again…the point was before the series and breaking it down, the regular season series showed we could score 5 on 5.

by blockersave93 on Apr 21, 2010 10:37 PM EDT up reply actions

Uhhhh....

Maybe I should have highlighted the terrible passing around the offensive blueline setting up a goal in the 3 wins by Washington…we have ourselves to blame. 5 on 5 tonight, 2/3…and just not good enough.

They’re not to 4 wins yet…too bad they don’t have to get to five wins…

by blockersave93 on Apr 21, 2010 10:43 PM EDT reply actions

Sooooo.....

Where has this team been since game 1? Excellent game 5 on 5, good Ovie goal, otherwise excellent control throughout by the Habs. First 60 minute effort. 2/2 5 on 5, that will do pig, that will do.

PP shut out 2 straight games, and good PK by the Caps…which usually occurs as series go on…but the 5 on 5 scoring has restarted.

If the team defense is going to be solid as it was tonight and the 5 on 5 goals keep coming, maybe game 6 goes our way…Go Habs Go…Proud of the effort tonight, true 60 minute effort. Exceptional 5 on 5 play.

by blockersave93 on Apr 23, 2010 11:11 PM EDT reply actions

Sooooo...x2

PP showed up again, great momentum, but the two 5 on 5 goals vs the 1 by the Caps equals game seven. Another game to be proud of the boys, sure they were miserably outshot, but all year our shooting percentage has been higher than most.

The entire team was committed to winning, and that is how you win 5 on 5. The Habs consistently outworked the Caps, winning battle after battle.

Montreal now has 12 goals 5 on 5, 2 per game plus nearly 1 goal per game on the PP for roughly 3 goals a game, and the Habs have been exceptional when scoring more than 3 goals a game.

1 win till the second round…and more 5 on 5 goals!

by blockersave93 on Apr 26, 2010 11:12 PM EDT reply actions