"The Caps are a team with balanced scoring (seven players with 10 goals or more and three players...

"The Caps are a team with balanced scoring (seven players with 10 goals or more and three players maintaining more than a point-per-game), and an underrated and steady defensive corps. The only serious question mark is in goal, where back-up Brent Johnson has outplayed No. 1 goaltender Jose Theodore so far. If they can get the goaltending situation settled by the time the playoffs roll around, they could have a long playoff run. Alex Ovechkin is the league's best and most explosive player, Alexander Semin is becoming a force, and Mike Green might be the most unheralded defenseman in the league."

- USAT's Ted Montgomery, who apparently hasn't seen a Caps game in a month and change

about 3 years ago J.P. 21 comments 0 recs |

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Wow, once Approved Group Judgment™ comes in, there ain’t a darn thing that will sway it, is there?

I have as many wins in a Capitals uniform as Michael Belhumeur does.

by marky narc on Jan 28, 2009 3:53 PM EST reply actions

If we played “count the memes,” I think I’d have to take off my shoes and socks to keep track (though kudos for breaking with the pack and praising “an underrated and steady defensive corps”… that hasn’t necessarily been so thus far.

Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world

by J.P. on Jan 28, 2009 3:57 PM EST up reply actions

As long as you don’t unzip your fly.

by gotsparkly on Jan 29, 2009 10:13 AM EST up reply actions

Wow, once Approved Group Judgment™ comes in, there ain’t a darn thing that will sway it, is there?

Hahaha. That was my first thought when I read that column. I even scrolled back up to the byline, “wait, when was this written?”

That and, “Boy, I thought I disliked Claude Lemieux, but this guy … whoa.”

Lighthouse Hockey: an SB Nation New York Islanders blog with hip issues.

by Dominik on Jan 28, 2009 4:41 PM EST up reply actions

I think the “The team is good but they’re going to have trouble in net” story was the line on the Caps going into the season and one the first few weeks seemed to re-enforce it, it became the approach everyone had to the team. Now people are just going to write that because “everyone knows” it’s the line on the Caps.

by David Getz on Jan 28, 2009 4:17 PM EST reply actions

Exactly where is Mike Green “unheralded”? Outer Mongolia?

by b.orr4 on Jan 28, 2009 4:20 PM EST reply actions

Joe-say since Christmas

12 games, 8-3-1, 2.08 GAA, .923 SP

by macvechkin on Jan 28, 2009 4:36 PM EST reply actions

And by comparison, Tim Thomas’ numbers since Christmas are 7-2-1, 2.20 GAA, .932 SP. Pretty close I’d say.

by b.orr4 on Jan 28, 2009 4:43 PM EST up reply actions

most def, and in the caps system, JT isn’t going to put up Vezina numbers, he just needs to make the timely big saves and we’ll win. like last night. err…

by macvechkin on Jan 28, 2009 4:53 PM EST reply actions

Poti/Alzner

So Poti gets healthy and Alzner is the guy we send down? I know I’m no fan of Poti, but I’m more pissed at sending Alzner down. Now we have Clark and Poti back in the line-up and we’re supposed to be better than we were weeks ago? I guess all NHL teams have to think with their payrolls, but paying to much attention to them and letting guys like Clark and Poti play over guys like Giroux (or a host of Bears forwards) and Alzner is a little ridiculous. Now we’re playing the guys who cost the most over the guys who can do the most for the club….great

by wesvenis on Jan 28, 2009 5:11 PM EST reply actions

You make it sound as if there’s any choice. You think the team wants to send Alzner down? There’s no cap space to keep him up, and I don’t see any way they can justify waiving their captain.

by brs03 on Jan 28, 2009 5:24 PM EST up reply actions

As brs03 said, it’s about the cap and maintaining as many assets as possible and sending Alzner to Hershey lets the organization keep the most of its assets. The team isn’t using contact to dictate playing time, which is why Nylander and Clark are seeing significantly less ice time than some other people who make less.

I have to say though, I don’t think there’s any way Alzner’s better than Poti or Giroux is better than Clark.

by David Getz on Jan 28, 2009 5:50 PM EST up reply actions

Don't forget

Wes is the guy who thinks Poti has a “history of injuries”. I’m not happy about the King going down either but the team doesn’t have much choice…who do you propose they get rid of?

by wittcap79 on Jan 28, 2009 6:11 PM EST up reply actions

well, wes does have a point on the injury front with Poti. But there is no question he’s going to be a welcome addition to the D corps

by bigonetimer on Jan 28, 2009 6:20 PM EST up reply actions

LMAO

We’ll agree to disagree.

by wittcap79 on Jan 28, 2009 8:10 PM EST up reply actions

We’ll have to disagree too. I think Poti has been relatively healthy over his career, except for this year. He’s also defensively the best d-man we have, and with him in the line up, our PK will be better.

I also think we should trade Giroux while everyone’s talking about him. The kid can cherry pick and get breakaways, but he doesn’t know how to beat good goalies. If anyone deserves a crack at Chris Clark’s job (Ugh, I wish he’d stop slumping), it’s Chris Bourque. He plays the most similar style, and would fit the job of adding grit.

If Alzner has to go down to make room for Poti, he can. Salary cap moves happen. Poti > Alzner, at this point. But I would rather see Alzner than Mo or Juice out there.

Football's boring. Get over it.

by Whiter Mage on Jan 28, 2009 8:19 PM EST up reply actions

I wonder if they are so close to the cap they can’t bring Bourque up at this point.
But it seems like a good idea to me.
I have Johnson as a third string goalie on my fantasy team, and let me tell you, he hasn’t be outplaying anyone lately. :)

by DebCapsFan on Jan 28, 2009 10:06 PM EST up reply actions

Giroux’s 27 and has six points in 23 NHL games and it isn’t as if he’s blowing up at the AHL level all of a sudden, he’s been a good point producer there for years. A guy like that really doesn’t have any value, except for maybe in return for another career minor leaguer.

by David Getz on Jan 29, 2009 12:13 AM EST up reply actions

Giroux’s value is exactly where he is now, dominating the AHL and putting Hershey on top of the league. That’s why the Caps need him and why it wouldn’t make sense to trade him (and as you suggested, the return would merely be another AHLer and there aren’t many better than what we’ve already got in Giroux – Aucoin – Mink).

by brs03 on Jan 29, 2009 12:33 AM EST up reply actions

Agreed. Basically, Giroux is a key player for the Bears and helps them get to the AHL playoffs (and, hopefully, go deep). That playoff experience helps the true prospects get ready to do it in Washington down the road. I like Giroux, as long as he’s in a Hershey sweater.

by grapejoos on Jan 29, 2009 10:24 AM EST up reply actions

I remember someone saying or writing that a large part of the value of Aucoin, Mike, and Giroux was that the three could make up a top line in the AHL which let the younger players focus on developing without having the pressure of having to be the guys teammates and fans expected to carry the team to victory. I thought that model was brilliant.

I agree that Giroux’s value to the Capitals organization is much greater than anything they could get in return for him.

by David Getz on Jan 29, 2009 1:41 PM EST up reply actions

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Southeast Standings

	GP	W	L	OTL	PT
Florida Litter Box Cats	55	27	17	11	65
Washington Japers' Rink	55	28	22	5	61
Winnipeg Arctic Ice Hockey	57	26	25	6	58
Tampa Bay Raw Charge	55	24	25	6	54
Carolina Canes Country	56	20	25	11	51