Game 3 Craps vs. Rangers

Ovechkin seems mentally checked out.

Messiah717 said:

Ovechkin seems mentally checked out.

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He does, but I also think he is just old now and not close to the player he was. He can still snipe, but he is very one dimensional now. Along those lines, his regular season was just whatever by his standards. 31 goals are the least he has ever had in a full season.

I do agree though he doesn't really seem to be giving his all or be fully invested. How much of that is there's something there, and how much of that is just old one dimensional, who knows.

Don't forget he does not have his old buddies Backstrom and Kuznetsov anymore, especially Backstrom. They do have some nice young forwards but nothing great. This caps team will be a lottery team for years.

Once again, just an observation, second straight game Panarin 0 shots on goal (he took a few that missed the net). It is all great we are beating a very inferior team, but I think we will need Panarin against the Canes. My hope/thinking is we are so much better than the Caps, we don't need Panarin, so he isn't being asked to do much, and he'll be ready to go game 1 against the Canes. And on the positive side, he has been engaged physically as we saw with Oshie in game 2, so that is good. I have very little doubt he'll be Panarin against the Canes but pointing it out, nonetheless.

The Caps are trying to make it difficult for Panarin much like how the Rangers are doing the same with Ovechkin. He is the primary offensive threat so every team they play is going to try to eliminate him. Thankfully the Rangers are getting scoring across all lines. as long as that continues opportunities for Panarin will open up.

Agreed, but the greats fight through that, and now at this stage in their careers Panarin is above OV, so I don't think that is a fully apples to apples comparison (I get your point on primary threats for their teams though). Like I wrote, not too concerned as they are scoring elsewhere, and they are way better than the Caps and don't need Panarin in this series. They will need him against the Canes IMO, and they will try and eliminate Panarin as well, so he'll need to fight through that. The key is staying aggressive shooting first as he did all season. I think Panarin will, but something to keep an eye on, I think.

Also, the Kreider/Zibanejad/Roslovic line has been good in this series (at even strength as well). If they play well, it makes us very difficult to beat. Good to see.

Side note: I still wonder if and when Chytil is ready, who do they put him in for and do they even put him in until they lose or trail in a series. Even though I was saying game 4, with how the team is playing I don't think I mess with success right now. I think you have to keep him out for now. And looking at the lineup I am left saying who would you take, not an easy answer. I would guess Roslovic and Cuylle are the main candidates, but I would leave Cuylle alone as his physical presence adds something to the team. I continue to be very interested to see how Lavy plays it with Chytil.

Hilarious to see all the male, pansy writers complaining about the Rempe hit. Guys that go to work and their wife is bent over when they leave because they are wearing a skirt all day. God the fucking NHL is covered by a bunch of pussies. After watching the Rangers get cheap shotted for over a decade I love Rempe. I can't wait for him to fuck up some more players next series.

If you watch the Youtube video, all the Canadian fans love the hits, say they are clean and wish Rempe was on their team. Unlike the woke American candyasses in this country.

So angry....haha

I will tell you one thing; I would be shocked if the Caps didn't take a major run at Rempe in game 4. They are complaining about the hit that took TVR out, and they are down 3-0, so they probably figure they have nothing to lose. Get ready for that one, I think it is almost a lock. Rangers need to stand up for themselves, but also be smart. If that gets the Caps off their game and/or gives the Rangers a PP/an advantage, the best way to handle it is make them pay and sweep them.

NYR_94 said:

I will tell you one thing; I would be shocked if the Caps didn't take a major run at Rempe in game 4. They are complaining about the hit that took TVR out, and they are down 3-0, so they probably figure they have nothing to lose. Get ready for that one, I think it is almost a lock.

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If the Rangers go up big I expect them to act like assholes.

Messiah717 said:

If the Rangers go up big I expect them to act like assholes.

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For sure, and the Rangers need to be careful. We cannot afford an injury or suspension playing the Canes in round 2. Play hard and don't take BS but be smart and don't get suckered into nonsense. Sweep them and that is the payback. I just hope they don't get cheap and try to injure Rangers.

The Capitals' Nic Dowd called out the Rempe hit on van Riemsdyk. "That was a dirty hit. I think anyone can understand that Riems made a play, time passed, and a player took advantage of another player in a vulnerable spot," said Dowd.

Defenseman John Carlson, who skated over 30 minutes in Game 3 because of injuries on the Capitals' blueline, was exasperated.

"I'm sick and tired of losing defensemen to 'clean' hits, that's for sure. It's frustrating how guys can get injured and it's legal," he said.

Following an optional skate on Saturday, Capitals coach Spencer Carbery said he felt Rempe's hit was borderline.

"I think it's really close on a lot of fronts: Interference, charging, late. It's such a fine line. The game is so fast. The physicality is such an important part of the NHL. But there is a line and player safety is a big, big issue in the league. Protecting players. And the onus is on the players. It's tight. It's really, really tight," he said.

"[Van Riemsdyk] just turns. I don't know if there's a set amount of time, where they put a guy on a stop clock and it's one one-thousand, two one-thousand and 'bang,'" Carbery said, clapping his hands. "But it was really close."

Go back and watch Scott Stevens if they think that hit was much of anything . Rempe’s hit would’ve been fine if he wasn’t a giant.

You have to recognize that the NHL is a much different sport now than 25 years ago. All sports evolve to some degree and rightly so a lot of that evolution is focused on player safety.

The craps are such joke complaining about that Rempe hit. They should be the last team complaining about late hits. They have Tom fucking Wilson on their team. On top of that, Ovechkin has gotten away with so many dirty late hits over the course of his career. Bunch of sore losers. Meaningless franchise who will be a lottery team for years.

Please, look at some of these hits are late and dirty.

Stepupstepan said:

Please, look at some of these hits are late and dirty.

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That first hit was fine.
Second one was dangerous.
Third was fine.
Same with the fourth.
Same with the fifth....are these supposed to be dirty hits? I'd love for any Ranger to make hits like these. Especially that first one on Marchand! That was fantastic.

Why don't the Crepes do something besides run their mouths and tear ducts? Thought Wilson was a bad ass or is it just against teams with no player able to physically challenge cheap shot Tom who was just suspended for dirty play a sixth time last month.

Greyvtrayn said:

That first hit was fine.
Second one was dangerous.
Third was fine.
Same with the fourth.
Same with the fifth....are these supposed to be dirty hits? I'd love for any Ranger to make hits like these. Especially that first one on Marchand! That was fantastic.

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The difference is Rempe would get called for some of those hits. Ovechkin never did and now they complain about Rempe hits.