Series Thread: First Round: Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Washington Capitals

[elocomotive]

Best of luck to both teams. Hope it's a clean series and the refs aren't a factor. May the best team win. All the Metro series should be close since there wasn't much separating the teams this season.

Let's hope that in the meantime that Philly and Pittsburgh beat the living hell out of each other.

Cheers. LET'S GO CAPS!

 

[scoutyjones2]

Getting on the 'bus!

Go BJ's...send the Cap's packing earlier than facing the Pens in the second round!

 

[forty_three]

Let's hope that in the meantime that Philly and Pittsburgh beat the living hell out of each other.

A-Miller

Caps are vulnerable, believe it or not. They won the division going away and finished the season as strong or stronger than the Jackets. But they have a question mark in goal. Do they go with a guy with two career playoff appearances or their bread and butter starter who hasn't been himself since Mitch Korn left?

Holtby is still Holtby and can steal games. The only goal for the Jackets is to come out hard and try to put the Caps on their heels early. Capitalize on that doubt. Teams are pretty even overall. Both have some dynamic forwards who can break games open in the blink of an eye. Jackets have gotten much stronger on the back end and both have goalies, when on, are tops in the league.

The regular season record doesn't matter much as the Jackets have added three huge pieces since they played last. But they are still young. Hopefully too young to realize how scared they are supposed to be.

Should be a good series and whoever gets the momentum first and holds it wins.

"Wear earmuffs, Ovie! That cannon is LOUD"

 

[elocomotive]

Getting on the 'bus!

Go BJ's...send the Cap's packing earlier than facing the Pens in the second round!

The Pens have never won a Cup without playing the Caps en route, so...

 

[ritari330]

Caps' center depth and Jackets' bad special teams play will hopefully make the difference in this series. Caps in 6.

 

[forty_three]

Caps' center depth and Jackets' bad special teams play will hopefully make the difference in this series. Caps in 6.

The Power Play has woken up of late, but the PK is still lukewarm. If I had to pick, I would say that is my biggest worry with the Jackets. Caps speed and grit will goad the Jackets into penalties. Moreso if Dubinsky is playing. Which I hope he isn't.

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

If the Caps are anything close to as soft as they were in the first round last year and their goalie (whichever one) isn't on point, they're in trouble. Columbus played well down the stretch and pending Bobrovski not sieving it up they could control this series early if things break their way.

But I just can't see a second round without Washington (unless Halak is hiding somewhere...), so Caps in 6.

 

[elocomotive]

Caps' center depth and Jackets' bad special teams play will hopefully make the difference in this series. Caps in 6.

You on the Grooby train or prefer Holts, Ritari? Kevin?

I think Grubauer will start game 1. In his past 27 appearances, Grooby has a .937 save percentage and a 1.93 goals against average with three shutouts. Tough to argue with that.

 

[Kevin12773]

Ahhhh playoff time yet again... not expecting anything at all as usual

Still holding onto 1998 is depressing

 

[elocomotive]

If the Caps are anything close to as soft as they were in the first round last year....they're in trouble.

It's the playoffs. We're always in trouble.

But that's the adventure.

 

[ritari330]

The Power Play has woken up of late, but the PK is still lukewarm. If I had to pick, I would say that is my biggest worry with the Jackets. Caps speed and grit will goad the Jackets into penalties. Moreso if Dubinsky is playing. Which I hope he isn't.

In your view, is Bob's poor playoff numbers a Pittsburgh matchup issue or a fatigue issue? Something tells me it's a result of playing 2 generational talents on 1 team. Caps have generally played well against him regardless

 

[mattola]

Capitals in 6

 

[ritari330]

You on the Grooby train or prefer Holts, Ritari? Kevin?

I think Grubauer will start game 1. In his past 27 appearances, Grooby has a .937 save percentage and a 1.93 goals against average with three shutouts. Tough to argue with that.

Gotta be Grubauer. Only reason to go to Holtby at this point is his contract and its likely easier mid series to go from Holtby to Grubauer than Grubauer to Holtby.

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

It's the playoffs. We're always in trouble.

But that's the adventure.

Yes but on paper I think Columbus really shouldn't be troubling the Caps much in the same way I didn't think the Leafs should've been troubling them last year. If they learned anything from last year, and I think they have, they'll be fine. Waiting for CBJ to tire out the way the kids on the Leafs did last year would be foolish.

 

[forty_three]

Ahhhh playoff time yet again... not expecting anything at all as usual

Still holding onto 1998 is depressing

At least you have 1998. We have just made the playoffs consecutive years for the first time ever and our winnigest coach has 129...

In your view, is Bob's poor playoff numbers a Pittsburgh matchup issue or a fatigue issue? Something tells me it's a result of playing 2 generational talents on 1 team. Caps have generally played well against him regardless

You could argue that the Pens have 3 generational talents and split them effectively. The Pens have the ability to just counterpunch and take the wind out of your sails. Last year, the Jackets controlled 54 minutes of a game against Pitt and Pitt scored 3 times in that other six minutes to blow the game open. Plus the youth on the Jackets didn't seem to be able to handle the counterpunch.

Pens did it again the last game. They just hold on, hold on and the BAM right in the mouth. I don't think it's so much Bob's issue as it is the team. They Pens just flat out are in the whole team's head and Bob suffered. I don't think it's fatigue, Bob is the hardest worker on the team.

I would take literally anyone else than the Pens. Just to see how the team reacts.



Also, Werenski getting his face caved in last year was a factor.

 

[elocomotive]

Yes but on paper I think Columbus really shouldn't be troubling the Caps much in the same way I didn't think the Leafs should've been troubling them last year. If they learned anything from last year, and I think they have, they'll be fine. Waiting for CBJ to tire out the way the kids on the Leafs did last year would be foolish.

I can't say there is much difference between any of the top five Metro Division teams. All were pretty close all year long. I think all of them but Philly led the division at one point. I don't see this Caps' team as being as dangerous as their past teams nor as strong defensively, though I thought that of Pittsburgh last year and they won the Cup, so who knows. The Caps are much better up the middle though and I think better in 5v5 which helps more in the playoffs. Lars had a career year and Backstrom, Kuzy, Eller, and Beagle up the middle are about as good as it gets top to bottom in the NHL.

The defense is prone to mistakes though and there will be some odd man rushes and leaving whoever is guarding the cage in some bad situations.

The change I'd like to see Trotz make is sitting Orpik some and playing Chrisitian Djoos much in the way that Nate Schmidt came in and made a difference last year. Or maybe have Kempney-Orpik-Jerabek-Djoos in a rotation so they get a night off here and there. We'll see.

I think TJ Oshie is due for a big series. I think Shane Gersich is gonna find a goal or two.

 

[elocomotive]

I think the series goes 7 games. I have no idea who will win. But if we win, it has to be torturous, so it ends in 7. And if we lose, it has to be of the devastating/unexpected variety, so OT in game 7.

 

[Sgt Brutus]

Fantastic first round matchup. Hoping the goalie controversy sinks the Caps. I think our depth will be the difference, but honestly who knows what Bob is going to do in net. Good luck guys

 

[ritari330]

I can't say there is much difference between any of the top five Metro Division teams. All were pretty close all year long. I think all of them but Philly led the division at one point. I don't see this Caps' team as being as dangerous as their past teams nor as strong defensively, though I thought that of Pittsburgh last year and they won the Cup, so who knows. The Caps are much better up the middle though and I think better in 5v5 which helps more in the playoffs. Lars had a career year and Backstrom, Kuzy, Eller, and Beagle up the middle are about as good as it gets top to bottom in the NHL.

The defense is prone to mistakes though and there will be some odd man rushes and leaving whoever is guarding the cage in some bad situations.

The change I'd like to see Trotz make is sitting Orpik some and playing Chrisitian Djoos much in the way that Nate Schmidt came in and made a difference last year. Or maybe have Kempney-Orpik-Jerabek-Djoos in a rotation so they get a night off here and there. We'll see.

I think TJ Oshie is due for a big series. I think Shane Gersich is gonna find a goal or two.

Orpik isn't sitting unless he's injured, Trotz has made that much clear. I do think Jerebek masks Orpik's faults better than Djoos though. In fact, I think Kempney and Jerabek are the best deadline pickups that no one knows about.

It also wouldn't surprise me one bit if Trotz sits Vrana at some point this series because of Veteran Intangibles™.

 

[elocomotive]

Orpik isn't sitting unless he's injured, Trotz has made that much clear. I do think Jerebek masks Orpik's faults better than Djoos though. In fact, I think Kempney and Jerabek are the best deadline pickups that no one knows about.

It also wouldn't surprise me one bit if Trotz sits Vrana at some point this series because of Veteran Intangibles™.

Jerabek has been great, and I think Kempney generally plays pretty well, but he's prone to BIG mistakes also. So is Djoos, but he also adds speed and better puck moving than the other options. +/- never tells the whole story, but Djoos is a +13 (first on the team) and Orpik is worst on the team.

I think you're right about what Trotz will actually do though.