Tag: nhl

Damn it Caps…A game 1 recap.

Paul FaragLeave a comment

Here we go…The recap to game 1 of the NHL playoffs between the Washington Capitals and the Columbus Blue Jackets. A game that should have been a 4-1 victory for DC turned into an oh-so familiar sloppy 4-3 OT loss. Blown leads, sloppy on the PK and questions at goal keeper.

Washington Capitals goalie Philipp Grubauer
Photo Credit: NBC Sports Washington

Blown Leads: First and foremost we must all thank the heavens we have Kuzy. Two goals in 30 seconds is no easy task. For anyone. Sadly his heroics couldn’t help the Caps as they went from up 2-0 to losing 4-3. The Caps who constantly found themselves losing face-offs, sloppy on PKs and horrific net-front managed to keep their lead for a while…they even extended it 3-2 thanks to DSP who badly needed to score a goal. Then the mistakes happened…

Sloppy Penalty Kills: Burakovsky got called for a pointless tripping in the offensive zone. Power Play Blue jackets. The Caps who aren’t the best this year at PKs (15th) had plenty of chances, 3 to be exact, to kill the PP. The Blue Jackets, who quite frankly suck at power plays (25th) found a way to keep the puck in play, stay in the offensive zone and charge ahead for the tying goal. This was hands down the reason the Caps lost game 1. However that won’t be the discussion…

Goalie Questions: Gruby got the start because he earned it. Holtby down the stretch was struggling. Coach Trotz did what many figured he would do and play the hot hand. Gruby didn’t lose this game. We just covered how struggles at the PK cost us the game, how the defense net- front was non existent. However Gruby is not proven in the Playoffs. He did play sloppy, giving up four goals on 27 shots. He played glove down over his pads when he’d set up for a shot. Maybe it was nerves, but he did not play well. Enter Braden Holtby. The same Holtby who IS proven in the playoffs. When you have a goalie who currently boasts the second-best playoff save percentage (.931) in NHL history, and started in all but one of the Caps playoff games since 2012, you question immediately if he should get the start before Sunday’s game 2.

Final Thoughts: 

1) Coach Trotz’s record in the post season is now 19-31. Much worse than Boudreau at 24-19. During the regular season Trotz is calm, cool and collected. During the post season he looks clueless.

2) Jay Beagle is Missed. Columbus won 33 faceoffs to the Caps 27. Even at 80% the Caps need him back or this series will be lost.

3) Defense as a whole is struggling. They loose battles, make terrible cross ice passes to the other team, and are soft in their own zone. Kempny going out changed the game. Having only 3 top 4 defensemen and playing Orpik and Jerabek more hurt the Caps and allowed the Jackets to come back.

 

 

DC Playoffs – A tale of two teams.

DefeatingTheCurseLeave a comment

As the playoffs quickly approach in the nation’s capital, the two teams gearing up for them are on completely different trajectories. The Capitals and Wizards yet again find themselves in the playoffs (woohoo!). This year however, things seem….different.

OviWall(Screenshot/Monumental Network)

Last fall fans all around the DC area had two questions on their mind: “Do you think the Caps will be the dominant force they once were?” AND  “Do you think this will be the Wizards year?” The questions were justified. The Capitals lost key players in FA, had gaping holes on defense and everyone just kinda assumed Ovi was old and past his prime. Then there were the wizards, max contracts all around, the message of consistency was being preached, our core group was kept together and everyone was healthy….

My how things change. Fast forward all of the seasons headlines and you come to where we are now. The Caps are 3rd in the East, winning their division on Sunday against one of their biggest rivals and on an impressive 11 game winning streak. Ovi has played in his 1000th game as a Captial, the same season he made goal number 600. The rookies have stepped up, and the questions on defense….well they shifted from the ones asked in fall.

On the other hand you have the Washington Wizards. John Wall, Bradley Beal, Otto Porter. The core of the Wizards. The ones who were to carry us to 50 wins, put us in great position for the playoffs and hopefully, at LEAST the conference championship. Again…how things change. Wall gets hurt. Porter gets banged up, but Beal…steps up. All-star season. The bench gets their act together and they make having an injured Wall seem not that big of a deal….for a while. The Wizards now are the 7th seed in the all of a sudden competitive East. 11 losses in the last 17 games is not how you want to enter the playoffs.

So where are we now? The Caps are set to face the first wild card seed, most likely the Philadelphia Flyers. If they can get into the 2nd round…the chances they meet the Penguins are very high…We’ve been there before. Lets cross that bridge if/when it happens. Everyone pray. The Wizards however are poised to meet the Kyrie Irving-less Celtics. As we’re getting healthy and finding our rhythm again, the Celtics are figuring out who to play and what match ups to chase without Irving or Marcus Smart. The thought now is…can the lower seeded Wizards, gain traction at the exact right time, be a dark horse and surprise all the teams they face in the playoffs? I say yes.

April is the best month of sports. NHL and NBA playoffs start, the same time the MLB and our Nationals begin their season. This year seems different though. The playoffs have come into DC as awkwardly and surprisingly as the forecast for snow this weekend. Everyone get ready…its going to be an interesting few weeks.

 

 

Wizards Win; Capitals Go West; MLS Replay is Horrible; Netflix Shows

joeazer1Leave a comment

https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-meysg-8cba70

The Wizards needed a win and they got it against the Heat! LP, FP, and Joe discuss the Wizards struggles over the past week while watching and discussing the Wizards vs Heat game in real time. Sessions is back, Wall is almost back, Morris is playing better, but Beal and Porter look tired and in need of rest heading down the stretch towards the playoffs. Join the boys as they discuss the big win for the Wizards and chat about instant replay in MLS soccer, the Capitals upcoming west coast trip, and what shows they are currently watching on Netflix/Hulu. This is a unique show recorded in real-time, don’t miss it!

DTC:FP and LP on NFL Free Agency and the Combine

joeazer1Leave a comment

https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-9vz22-8c73ba

Kirk Cousins is long gone, the Redskins will not be tagging him. Alex Smith is the Redskins quarterback going forward. Join LP and FP as they gather their thoughts, over 1 month removed from the trade. They also talk NFL combine, NFL free agency, including WR picks for the Redskins. The talk shifts to the combine where we’ve heard from the Redskins Brass on free agent talks with Zach Brown and other pending Redskins free agents. Shaquem Griffin has throughly impressed everyone with his showing at the combine. LP and FP close out the show with some Wizards (We NEED John Wall back and healthy) and Capitals talk. 

Kirk Cousins situation; Wizards/Capitals Heating up

joeazer1Leave a comment

https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-i2hfq-8227ec

The DTC crew is back discussing all things Washington D.C. sports in this episode. There is no DTC podcast with at least talking the Kirk Cousins contract situation. FP, LP, and Joe all discuss the contract situation once again ahead of Kirk’s charity event on 1/5/2018. The Wizards and the Capitals are heating up. The guys discuss the amazing job that Bradley Beal is doing, and the under appreciation that Marcin Gortat often gets. In NHL talks, the Vegas Golden Knights seem to have a real home ice advantage, is that a product of being in Vegas?