The Caps have lost 10 of their last 12 matchups and their chances of making the playoffs are on the decline. With 12 games left to play before the Olympic break, and 36 total games left in the season, the Caps will have to find solutions to the problems that have plagued them since game 1, quickly. Lets take a look at some of these problems.
Turnovers:
The Caps have consistently made bad decisions with the puck this season. Being smarter when moving the puck and not making passes that could potentially lead to a breakaway or an odd man rush could go a long ways towards getting wins.
Defensemen getting caught in the zone:
In Adam Oates' system, the defensemen have full permission to enter the O-zone and help the forwards cycle the puck or help out by providing some extra offense. But they have to anticipate when it's ok to gamble like that. It absolutely helps out the forwards and strengthens our chances at scoring, but if it's not done carefully, it helps the opponents chances of scoring as well. We have seen WAY too many odd man rushes for the opposition this year.
Penalty Kill:
They started the season off near the top of the league when on the PK. But they have lost the touch. The Caps now rank 18th in the league when they're a man or two down. They have to get better on the penalty kill. When they have the chance, they need to clear the puck. They're letting opponents cycle the puck around until one line is completely out of energy and the puck ends up in the back of the net. Shotblocking, clearing the crease and getting into passing lanes would go a long way towards improving the PK. Their PK has been the main reason for some of their recent tallies in the loss column as of late.
Discipline:
The bottom line is, when your a man down, your losing time in which you could be focusing on scoring goals. The penalties have to stop. How many times in the last 12 games have we seen someone clear the puck over the glass for a delay of game? How many penalties have we taken in the last 5 minutes of the game. Just like when the Caps thought they had the game won against Buffalo after scoring on Ryan Miller late in the 3rd only to have the goal washed out due to a Backstrom penalty. These guys are professionals and they need to start focusing on avoiding the dumb penalties. Its dragging them down.
Shotblocking:
I saved this for last because I think it's single handedly, the worst problem the Caps have had ALL season long. They're the 3rd worst team in the league when it comes to shots on goal against, giving up an average of 34.1. This is absolutely horrific! If the Caps are going to turn this thing around, someone besides John Carlson needs to start stepping in front of pucks. Shotblocking is key in this league! Seriously, how many blocked shots do we see a game? Barely any... The Caps beat the defending champion Bruins in a playoff series with Dale Hunters shotblocking style and I don't understand how NONE of that stuck with these guys. Shotblocking can steal a game just as much as an incredibly good goalie can. It's just too important to not utilize at this level. The worst part is, it's like they haven't realized they're giving up all of these shots and are just placing the responsibility on the shoulder of the goalie. I have not seen Calle Johansson try to make any adjustments to help limit the opponents shots on net. We obviously lack one or two shutdown defensemen, so shotblocking is the key to the puzzle. If they start sacrificing their bodies, we could very well see a dramatic turn around for this team.
With the right adjustments, I do believe this team is capable of making a deep playoff run. Last game in Pittsburgh, the Caps were coming off a late OT loss the night before and the Penguins were coming off a three day break but we still controlled much of the game. Sure we have lost to the last place Buffalo Sabres, but we have beat some really good teams as well. I think this team is better then what their record suggests. They need to find a way to limit their mistakes and 90% of those are coming from their defensive game. You'd better believe that Mcphee knows and sees exactly what we do and we could be sellers AND buyers at the March 5th trade deadline. This defense could use a shake up and I see that happening in the near future.
LETS GO CAPS!
Zach Hart
Shades of Red
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