Regardless, this beatdown has been so comprehensive that changes, perhaps big changes, will require to be made because its clear that this [gestures broadly at whatever] isnt working.
What if the Caps fire Reirden and then discover that the genuine issues stay. What if something is systemically wrong here, and switching coaches is just altering the salad dressing on a bed of rotting lettuce (except you, Ovi, you, my dear, are the one tasty infant corn in there).
Evgeny Kuznetsov: 5:18 5v5 TOI, 0/ -8 CF, 0/ -7 shots, 0/ -1 goals, 0/ -6 SCF, 0/ -5 HDCF.
— Chris Cerullo (@CJC_95) August 16, 2020.
Its going to be tough to strongly alter the lineup with a flat income cap. Maybe altering coaches is the most aggressive thing they can do. All I ask is that if they fire Reirden, do not broach him like he was bad at his job. Perhaps its time for us to be more hesitant about the roster.
The emerging story goes like this: Barry Trotz is out-coaching Todd Reirden. The Capitals former Stanley Cup champ head coach, who led the Caps to the promised land in 2018 and after that quickly left the group, is taking his previous assistant to school with exceptional hockey brainpower and experience.
As Trotz left for greener pastures (and I imply, greener) in New York, Reirden, his protege, received the opportunity to be an NHL head coach for the first time. With that chance came the unenviable job of attempting to improve on the essentially un-improvable: winning the Stanley Cup. I think you could win a champion gooder and more thoroughly right?
Oh no, I embedded the video.
The Capitals are more gifted and skilled than the Islanders, but the Capitals are still getting absolutely pounded at 5v5. Beyond excellent performances from Alex Ovechkin and Braden Holtby, the Caps have actually looked an empty shell of itself. Eventually, the gamers efficiency, conditioning, and motivation fall on the head coach and the rest of the coaching staff.
Every Capitals coach hired because 1981 who didnt win a playoff series in their very first 2 seasons didnt get to coach into a third other than for Glen Hanlon (who was in a reconstruct.).
— Ted Starkey (@TedStarkey) August 17, 2020.
How much should we make of this years playoff catastrophe is up for dispute.
Reirdens expectations were sky high, while Trotz, when he first concerned the Capitals company were low: simply return into the playoffs after Adam Oates damaged the joint.
If the Capitals end up losing to the Islanders, which is nearly a statistical assurance at this moment, this falls offseason will be crucial to figuring out if any more Cups will be won during the Alex Ovechkin Era. Since winning everything in 2018, the Capitals have actually still won like they utilized to in the regular season, but they have stopped working to find that next level in the playoffs. They appear less starving.
Heading photo: Elizabeth Kong/RMNB.
I think the way we assess Reirden is colored by how things ended with Trotz too: winning the Stanley Cup. No matter what imperfections Trotz had as a coach (he entered into the season as a lame-duck and was nearly fired numerous times during the season), they were wiped away when he led the team to its first championship. We will constantly look at him fondly.
Kuznetsov does not appear to be reacting to Todd Reirden any longer. In Game Three, which Reirden specified as “the most significant of the year”, Kuzys first-period stat line looked like this.
The Capitals are a hodgepodge of various styles (speed, ability, physicality), making a particular identity or a single, all-purpose system hard to develop. Barry Trotz tweaked the Capitals defensive coverage late in 2018, which required the gifted group to kick back more and have 5 men on top of the puck at all times. The team totally purchased in to the more defensive system and rode the wave to the Stanley Cup.
The Capitals just do not have a 3rd line that ratings like it utilized to. The teams depth is not as strong as it utilized to be.
The Islanders had to play excellent hockey instantly to advance, defeating the Florida Panthers three video games to one in the Qualifying Round.
After losing John Carlson to injury in the exhibition video game, the Capitals seemed to handle, deliberately or unintentionally, their effort during their 3 round-robin video games.
Its uncertain how good of shape Capitals gamers had the ability to remain in throughout the pandemic.
The team is playing in a bubble away from their families and friends. Its unclear what the psychological toll is for specific players.
Todds career record is 89-46-16. Reirdens.642 point portion ranks fifth in NHL history among coaches with at least 100 video games.
The Capitals won the Metropolitan Division in both of his seasons.
Reirden is the third coach in NHL history to earn an All-Star nod in his very first two seasons as a head coach.
The Reirden Capitals had virtually the exact same regular-season record in 2018-19 (48-26-8) as the Trotz Caps in 2017-18 (49-26-7). And Reirden was on rate, through 69 great games (41-20-8) this season to go beyond that record or match.
Alex Ovechkin, regardless of aging, has actually gotten even much better under Reirdens management and had 99 objectives over the last 2 seasons.
John Carlson is the preferred for the Norris Trophy.
This is a viewpoint, however Reirdens lines always made good sense to me. There have been no rage-scratchings of talented young gamers like Jakub Vrana.
Im not sure if I discussed this in the past, but Todd never ever benched Nate Schmidt in a playoff game for Mike Weber.
If defensive coach Reid Cashman were the problem, the opportunity to change him passed two months back. If systems were the problem, hes had 160 video games to make changes. If motivation were the problem, he is becoming less most likely to find the right series of words to speak in the right volume with the ideal articulation to get them going.
Winning is magic. Winning absolves coachs of their failures and removes the whisperings of “he lost the room.” All of these numbers would be cast in a different light if the Caps would have squeaked out an undeserved win in Game Three.
Firing Todd Reirden is an easy fix. The teams playing core is under agreement for the long term, and the team has currently verbally committed to keeping Alex Ovechkin for the rest of his career.
As Peter composed earlier today:.
The Washington Capitals are down 3-0 to the New York Islanders and may get swept Tuesday night, ending a season that started with a lot promise. It would mark the 2nd consecutive first-round exit for Todd Reirdens Washington Capitals.
What if Reirden is a great coach? What if this Reirden vs. Trotz story is oversimplifying something method more made complex? Every statistic you look at, beyond playoff performance, recommends that Reirden is good.
Thats why, if there is a required to make huge modifications, Todd Reirden will be the first to go. Unless the Capitals can do what just four other teams in NHL history have done– dig itself from a 3-0 hole and win a series– Reirden will likely be out at the end of this season.
All of this is to say that from the outdoors, I believe we unfairly slam Todds efficiency as head coach of the group. Does that mean he should get a chance to coach the team next year if the group is swept? I dont know.
Past history does not simply recommend Reirdens firing; it practically ensures it.
Some questions:.
Im not sure I totally buy it. Barry is still the second losingest coach in NHL history and one time, he scratched Nate Schmidt for Mike Weber in a playoff video game. However Im also unsure I could encourage you not to believe it.
What if Reirden is an excellent coach? I believe the way we evaluate Reirden is colored by how things ended with Trotz too: winning the Stanley Cup. As Trotz left for greener pastures (and I mean, greener) in New York, Reirden, his protege, got the chance to be an NHL head coach for the very first time. Kuznetsov does not seem to be reacting to Todd Reirden any longer. In Game Three, which Reirden specified as “the biggest of the year”, Kuzys first-period stat line looked like this.
There might be issues with this group despite the coach:.
Yup, theres Mike Weber deflecting a puck directly to Patric Hornqvist for the game-winning overtime goal after I begged Barry not to play him previously that day.
Theres this: What if the Capitals terrible showing in the playoffs is completely random? What if the unmatched five-month layoff due to the coronavirus pandemic and the 24-team playoff format, which had the Capitals playing crucial games behind the Islanders, gave the Isles an advantage?
