Post-Series Talk: New York Rangers defeat the Washington Capitals 4-0

[Levitate]

He started practicing in January and fell over during a skate. It was pretty scary. The Rangers won't say anything but it was pretty obvious Post Concussion Syndrome.

Rumors were he was doing some non contact drills with Leschyshyn, accidentally stepped on Leschyshyn's stick and fell and the fall aggravated his concussion symptoms (not clear if he hit his head or the jarring nature of the fall caused it, that was as much potential detail as we got)

Yep, exactly the strategy I have asked teams to use for the last 10 years and it was only last year some teams started doing it on occasion with brilliant results. Good on NYR for finally waking up and doing something that should have been done a decade ago if not more!

In the past the Caps had enough dangerous talent that could then beat you on the power play if you covered Ovi, so teams were always reluctant to just shadow Ovi. On the other hand, his one timer was so automatic and he was still always the biggest scoring threat that I feel like saying "let's not cover the teams best and most automatic goal scorer who happens to be the best goal scorer of all time because some other guy might have a good chance to score" was galaxy braining some shit.

 

[Wtp99]

I read that Ovechkin did not score any goals in this series, but did he have any shots on goal?
Just think how much worse the Caps would be if Ovechkin was not their Captain; what a great leader.
And when the team needs his leadership and direction, they know their Captain can always be found on that face-off dot.

Just asking, Huh?

 

[Dessloch]

In the past the Caps had enough dangerous talent that could then beat you on the power play if you covered Ovi, so teams were always reluctant to just shadow Ovi. On the other hand, his one timer was so automatic and he was still always the biggest scoring threat that I feel like saying "let's not cover the teams best and most automatic goal scorer who happens to be the best goal scorer of all time because some other guy might have a good chance to score" was galaxy braining some shit.

+ The obvious fact that covering Ovechkin would force the Caps to change their whole power play strategy that they used all the time and do something entirely new without practice. I feel the reason it was never done properly is because there must be some kind of gentleman agreement that its bad for the sport or something or just pure lazy coaches that would have to adapt their own drilled PK to a new one vs Capitals.

Of course its easier to stop Ovi by doing now than then as he is older, but the Caps PP was always lethal, so by doing something new shadowing Ovi you would had nothing to lose everything to win as they lit you up by guarantee if you left Ovi wide open!
-

The only real shadowing I remember is Jay Pandolfo on Jaromir Jagr in 2005-2006 and that was all over ice and shut down Jagr real good! And that was all over the ice and not just on the PP!

Devils Hope to Follow Their Shadow (Published 2006)

Devils left wing Jay Pandolfo will spend the first round of the playoffs hanging onto Jaromir Jagr of the Rangers like another germ.

www.nytimes.com

DEVILS KNOW: SHADOW JAGR

For these amazing Devils to finally win a playoff series from the Rangers, the recipe is to keep Jaromir in a Jar, all bottled up. The Shadow is an old, old strategy, part of the burden of supersta…

nypost.com

 

[wetcoast]

Ovechkin is 85 years old, plays on a shitty defence-first team (that shouldn't even be in the playoffs), and against a well-coached Presidents' Trophy team. The only absurd thing here is there's actually people who thought he would be able to do something of substance in these playoffs.

That's true but I don't think that anyone could predict how lifeless he looked out there right?

 

[NoVaCapsFan]

That's true but I don't think that anyone could predict how lifeless he looked out there right?

It was very sad. He looked awful in the fall as well, got back his mojo and carried the team in the second half, and then looked spent in the four games (including directly responsible for the SHG that turned one game on its head). Hope he finds his mojo back next season.

 

[GAGLine]

+ The obvious fact that covering Ovechkin would force the Caps to change their whole power play strategy that they used all the time and do something entirely new without practice. I feel the reason it was never done properly is because there must be some kind of gentleman agreement that its bad for the sport or something or just pure lazy coaches that would have to adapt their own drilled PK to a new one vs Capitals.

Of course its easier to stop Ovi by doing now than then as he is older, but the Caps PP was always lethal, so by doing something new shadowing Ovi you would had nothing to lose everything to win as they lit you up by guarantee if you left Ovi wide open!
-

The only real shadowing I remember is Jay Pandolfo on Jaromir Jagr in 2005-2006 and that was all over ice and shut down Jagr real good! And that was all over the ice and not just on the PP!

Devils Hope to Follow Their Shadow (Published 2006)

Devils left wing Jay Pandolfo will spend the first round of the playoffs hanging onto Jaromir Jagr of the Rangers like another germ.

www.nytimes.com

DEVILS KNOW: SHADOW JAGR

For these amazing Devils to finally win a playoff series from the Rangers, the recipe is to keep Jaromir in a Jar, all bottled up. The Shadow is an old, old strategy, part of the burden of supersta…

nypost.com

This isn't a new concept. It used to be Jan Erixon's primary function.

 

[dukedukowski]

I. Guessing Rangers make it to finals

 

[Mach2]

The Caps organization has only one objective: do whatever it takes to support Ovechkin's quest for surpassing Gretzky's goal scoring record. Winning a Stanley Cup is not on their to-do list, and is a distracting nuisance.

 

[Dessloch]

This isn't a new concept. It used to be Jan Erixon's primary function.

NYR must be really smart then, but did he do it against Ovechkin?

 

[TRASHCAT]

The Caps organization has only one objective: do whatever it takes to support Ovechkin's quest for surpassing Gretzky's goal scoring record. Winning a Stanley Cup is not on their to-do list, and is a distracting nuisance.

They are developing and playing young players not loading the team with vets if they wanted to do that