Lets face it, the Craps suck right now. I think there are several things wrong with the team. However, I also think that this team has talent and can turn things around. Here are my thoughts:
1. New coach/new system: I get it. It's old news but it's still a contributing factor in the Craps early season struggles. I will say that the first 2-3 games of the season, they looked lost but they have been looking better in recent games. It will still take a little bit of time for the players to adapt to the system but there is little doubt that this has been a struggle.
2. Special teams: This is a problem. Oates was brought in here to really help with the PP. Right now the PP is middle of the pack but the PK has been abysmal. We rank near the bottom. They have gotten a bit better but it's still not good. What bothers me on the PP, is I see WAY too much standing around. There's a lot of passing but not many shots. Would like to see more movement and more shots.
3. Goaltending: After the end of last season, I think everyone felt that Holtby was a #1 goalie. He has sucked this year with a GAA of 4.52! His save percentage sucks as well. Part of this is not his fault as the defense hasn't been great but in Sunday's game against the Pens, he allowed what I would consider two soft goals at a critical time in the game. I will say that I have liked Neuvy back there and was curious why he didn't get the start on Sunday. For some reason, the organization never seems to have liked Neuvy.
4. Where are the stars? I am specifically talking about Ovi and Backstrom. They both admit they haven't been playing well. Ovi is too predictable. Then I see him start hot dogging it around trying to make too much happen. The guy no doubt has supreme talent but he needs to recognize his age and he probably can't quite do the things he used to and also defenders know what to expect from him. He needs to adapt his game to suit his age and his size. He can still be great but he has to put in the time. Backstrom is a different story. He has just been sloppy. The Pens game he flubbed shots and passes and just looked out of position. Not sure what is wrong with him but he needs to be a lot better.
5. Playing a full 60 minutes: There are long stretches where the Caps look really good but it seems inevitable that there will be a stretch in the game where they are terrible. I can't really put all of this on conditioning as some of their best play occurs near the end of games. It is just commitment from each individual to go out there and perform their best on each shift. This may be the most troubling aspect for me.
There are some other issues with individuals who seem to not have progressed as hoped (MoJo and Carlson) but right now this is a team that is really struggling. ESPN has them dead last in their latest power rankings and deservedly so. I still believe the team can turn it around but this certainly doesn't seem like the team we have become accustomed to over the last few years.
Interesting that Anaheim (Boudreau's new team) is playing great. I'm sure many of us wish that Gabby had never left. I do believe it was time for him to leave as he fell victim to what the organization was telling him to do (become more defensive) and he changed his philosophy and his style (more player friendly to more disciplinarian) and he lost his way. There was never a question on whether he could coach but he probably needed a new start. I'm happy for him as he was the first to admit that he stopped coaching the way he knew in Washington and said he wouldn't do that again. Clearly, he is enjoying himself in Cali.
Caps have a game tonight at home against the Maple Leafs who played last night and had to travel. It's a game we need to win. If the Caps can string together 3 or 4 wins, everything will change but that's a big "if." A few more losses and this season will be lost. Will be interesting to see how the season unfolds over the next couple of weeks.
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