Recap: Flyers 6, Caps 5 (OT)
by J.P. on Oct 6, 2009 10:50 PM EDT
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In a game that lived up to much of its overwhelming early-season hype, the Caps and Flyers entertained a nation or two of hockey fans and delivered roller-coaster rides of emotion to their respective fan bases before birthday boy Danny Briere got free on a goal-mouth scramble and beat relief netminder Jose Theodore at 3:52 of overtime.
The Caps balanced their brand of explosive offense (five goals against a team that had yielded just two in their first two games of the season) with their brand of poor discipline (nine minors against the team with the sixth-best power play of a year ago) and came away with a point in a tough barn. But if there's such thing as a good loss, this wasn't it, as Saturday night's third-period stumble turned into something a bit more disconcerting in tonight's middle stanza, with whispers gaining volume regarding the youngster between the pipes.
Ten notes on the game:
- Semyon Varlamov can't be blamed for all of the goals he allowed, but it's pretty clear that the book on him is exactly what we began to see in the Pittsburgh series last spring (if not earlier) - get him moving laterally and shoot high glove. As Corey pointed out, Varly has now given up three goals in a period in five of his last six outings (including the pre-season and playoffs), and Bruce Boudreau rightly called him out on it post-game, noting "[He] has got to be mentally tougher to play. Right now ... they score in bunches on him." So Varly took the League (or, more accurately, the Rangers and Pens) by storm and now seems to have been figured out a bit. Your move, kid.
- When Boudreau reshuffled his defense pairings, the duo of Tom Poti and John Erskine raised an eyebrow, and tonight we were made painfully aware of why. The answer to "Why is Erskine playing so much?" was an easy one: because he was Poti's partner. The answer to "Why is Erskine Poti's partner?" is still baffling. Erskine ended up with more minutes than Shaone Morrisonn and Jeff Schultz, was minus-two on the night (and was on the ice for all three Philly power play goals) and committed a pair of penalties. Just a bad, bad night for Number Four.
- On a positive note, Schultz's season debut? Plus-one, four blocked shots (twice as many as any other player in the game), a handful of good things that don't show up on the scoresheet and 2:36 of shorthanded ice time during which the Flyers failed to score.
- On another positive note, Alex Ovechkin had his third consecutive three-point game to start the season (but wasn't credited with a single hit), Alexander Semin had a pair of goals (to go along with three giveaways and a hooking penalty), and Nicklas Backstrom continues to quietly amaze, with another three helpers.
- Brendan Morrison may not have "kicked" in his goal, but he definitely kicked in his goal.
- To my untrained eye, it looked as if Mike Green was a little contact-shy after taking that early hit.
- If I'm Boudreau, I request a pre-game conference with the officials prior to the next Philly game to review what is and isn't goaltender interference in a Caps/Flyers game, because it appears to be different than it is in games between other teams.
- It was nice knowing you, Boyd Kane.
- A couple of helpers, plus-two and a fight (if you can call it that) for Matt Bradley would have no doubt made him hard hat-worthy had the Caps taken that extra point in OT.
- Nice to have that Jose Theodore safety net for the moment, isn't it?
The Caps return home to face the Rangers on Thursday night and all eyes will be on the Washington net. If it was my call, I'd throw Varly back in there - if there's one team against whom and one building in which he should be able to regain some confidence, it's the Blueshirts that he so thoroughly dominated just six months ago and Verizon Center. It's way too early to panic... but it's not too early to re-focus.
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*panics*
Just kidding.
I’m kinda glad I missed this one, sounds like it was a frustrating game.
"And next year it will be ours."
Yup, frustrating. Five points in the first three games should feel better.
Fuck you, High Expectations.
Atta dinnin stick a who!
by Gould Old Days on Oct 6, 2009 11:06 PM EDT up reply actions
I want to see the Rangers bite it on Thursday. That’s when I’ll accept we lost.
by DrinkingPartner on Oct 6, 2009 11:08 PM EDT up reply actions
After the early hit, Green’s head was popping up and on a swivel, at least for the first 40 minutes. He missed passes, didn’t skate to pucks, passed up shots, all of it. He was afeared.
If NYR does the same and 52 responds the same way, GMGM needs to consider addressing it.
Well, if the refs would actually make calls, he wouldn’t have to wonder who the next guy to take out his shoulder is. I realize he’s a pro and has to deal with it, but watching him go down was painful.
Uh, they did make the call.
It was a two-minute penalty that paid dividends for the Flyers though. Knocked 52 off his game for at least 40 minutes.
Umm, no penalty was called. The Bradley fight was spurred by the hit at 7:43 of the first, and that’s all there was.
hmmm wierd. I could have sworn there was a power play after that play.
Talk about shitty reffing, since when does a fight negate a boarding call?
When it’s a call against the Flyers in Philly.
by DrinkingPartner on Oct 6, 2009 11:13 PM EDT up reply actions
… during their home opener on national TV, no less. Home cookin’ perhaps?
Regardless, awesome game to watch in terms of action both ways. And we learned who needs to sit on D (right?)
"I am... *grins* ... 'Nobody' "
- Odysseus
by war_capitals on Oct 7, 2009 10:26 AM EDT up reply actions
there was no call as far as i could tell
although versus was really late getting other PPs up too. i was going in and out and didn’t even realize philly was on the PP at times until they scored.
by twistedlogic on Oct 7, 2009 10:27 AM EDT up reply actions
The camera director (I guess) was surprisingly bad tonight. Too many times when the wrong camera was selected.
by DrinkingPartner on Oct 6, 2009 11:09 PM EDT up reply actions
Par for the course for Versus, isn’t it?
Doesn’t make sense, Comcast has local team coverage that doesn’t suck, you’d think they could use some of that talent.
I think it’s a home team, thing, though. The Caps crew is trying to do the best job they can. The Versus crew couldn’t give a shit.
I guess.
by DrinkingPartner on Oct 6, 2009 11:12 PM EDT up reply actions
Comcast also has Flyers, Blackhawks, Sharks. Maybe others. I’m just saying, they have a alot of talent that produces hockey. Versus = Comcast.
The “Versus” crew likely isn’t the “Comcast Philadelphia” crew, is all I meant to say.
by DrinkingPartner on Oct 6, 2009 11:15 PM EDT up reply actions
I wasn’t sure if that’s where you were going. My point is that it SHOULD be. Not like they had anything else to do tonight.
Should be, sure. But I’ve never seen a Comcast Philly broadcast game before – maybe this is why Philly fans are always so angry.
by DrinkingPartner on Oct 6, 2009 11:18 PM EDT up reply actions
You’re right, I’m wrong. Sorry about that. I could have sworn there was an extra two there.
Yeah, Versus would rather run scoring recaps/etc. than actually tell us who got called for what penalty and for how long. Joe B never misses that stuff on CSN. It’s Versus.
by TylerG on Oct 6, 2009 11:08 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
And Joe B was pretty good about getting the update in when they finally cut back to him after whatever nonsense they were shoehorning into the game.
Atta dinnin stick a who!
by Gould Old Days on Oct 6, 2009 11:11 PM EDT up reply actions
A lesson to all: you can admit when you’re wrong about something, and it actually makes people like you more. Huh.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
by J.P. on Oct 6, 2009 11:11 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
How is GMGM going to address it?
I'm so sick and tired of the refs explaining the calls like this is the NFL.
To my untrained eye, it looked as if Mike Green was a little contact-shy after taking that early hit.
Visions of Chris Pronger lurking in his head?
Russian Machine Never Breaks
C’mon – if Green starts getting into it with Pronger, he’s ineffective. So he’s a Nancy boy because Pronger separated his shoulder last year. Pronger knows his quarry – I think Green gave him some respect. Nothing wrong with that.
Besides, when you’re just killing penalties all night, why the run around like a maniac, headhunting?
No one’s criticizing Green for not going after Pronger or anyone else. The problem was that the hit and/or fear of being hit took him off his game.
And the message it sends to the other 28 teams in the League who don’t have Chris Pronger, but do have guys who can target a shoulder.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
At his current pace, Ovechkin gets goal # 50 in game #30. He’s going to cool off, but so far, it’s nuts.
According to Vesus, Alex is only the third player in league history to record three point nights in the first three games of the year. A lot of threes going on there.
That seems like an incredible stat. I was surprised. Seems like Gretz or Lemieux would’ve pulled that off at some point.
by DrinkingPartner on Oct 6, 2009 11:00 PM EDT up reply actions
Take incredible by its sheer definition. The stat sounds wrong, but maybe it isn’t.
by DrinkingPartner on Oct 6, 2009 11:02 PM EDT up reply actions
I thought so too, but they actually named the other two although for the life of me I can’t remember their names. I think LaFleur was one of them.
I didn’t hear the other one, either. LaFleur was the other. Anyone?
by DrinkingPartner on Oct 6, 2009 11:05 PM EDT up reply actions
An interesting record. Still, just not something I would have figured to be so rare.
by DrinkingPartner on Oct 6, 2009 11:09 PM EDT up reply actions
Does anyone else think he seems calmer than he used to? He seems to be making better, more informed decisions.
by DrinkingPartner on Oct 6, 2009 11:44 PM EDT up reply actions
I don’t even remember where this one was supposed to go, but it somehow ended up here.
by DrinkingPartner on Oct 6, 2009 11:50 PM EDT up reply actions
This was in reply to b.orr4 right under me.
by DrinkingPartner on Oct 6, 2009 11:50 PM EDT up reply actions
This just in: Erskine still sucks. Hello Sloan on Thursday, goodbye Erskine. I think Nyls has a nice warm seat for you.
Chances are two D aren’t in that situation (especially since Pothier doesn’t play like a 4th forward) and Pronger is more concerned with defense against Ovie or Sasha.
by red army line on Oct 7, 2009 10:54 AM EDT up reply actions
If Sloan’s a tweener, what word should we use for Erskine?
by mechanicsville on Oct 6, 2009 11:05 PM EDT up reply actions
“Useful player if used the right way”
Atta dinnin stick a who!
by Gould Old Days on Oct 6, 2009 11:07 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Too strong. I still believe in John Erskine. He shouldn’t play every game; he should be on the third pairing when he plays; and he has no place on the PP.
That said, the handling of the defense so far has been inexplicable to me. Yes, Boston, Toronto, and Philly are three of the most physical teams in the league. But Erskine’s just been exposed. It ain’t his fault he’s being asked to do things he shouldn’t be asked to do.
Atta dinnin stick a who!
by Gould Old Days on Oct 6, 2009 11:14 PM EDT up reply actions
Oh, he’s trying out there, but you’re right, he doesn’t have the skills. And it wasn’t just tonight he was making dumb mistakes. He made a bunch against Toronto, but the score covered them up. The guy is at best a #6 or #7 defenseman. Anything more and you’re asking for disaster.
The guy is at best a #6 or #7 defenseman.
Agree 100% with this. But I do think he’s a #6/7. He belongs in the NHL. You just gotta use him right.
Atta dinnin stick a who!
by Gould Old Days on Oct 6, 2009 11:19 PM EDT up reply actions
That #7 D is still sparingly used on most teams. He had no business being placed in the situations he was tonight, hearkening back to your own above comment.
by DrinkingPartner on Oct 6, 2009 11:20 PM EDT up reply actions
He’s a #7 or a #8 on this Caps team. Unfortunately because of cap management/etc. the Caps’ best six D are not in WSH.
And we aren’t prepared to send Erskine through waivers just to make it happen, so whatever. That probably wouldn’t even help.
by DrinkingPartner on Oct 6, 2009 11:23 PM EDT up reply actions
I do think 5 of the top 6 are up (Green, Poti, Schultz, Pothier and ShaMo). Shaone Morrisonn is quietly playing pretty well, and trust me, it hurts me to say that.
Alzner may be better than Sloan in some abstract sense, but he didn’t outplay Sloan in the preseason. Until he does, Alzner deserves to be in Hershey.
Atta dinnin stick a who!
by Gould Old Days on Oct 6, 2009 11:25 PM EDT up reply actions
I think we’d all agree that Sloan outplayed Erskine, though.
by DrinkingPartner on Oct 6, 2009 11:26 PM EDT up reply actions
Agreed.
I think Alzner did outplay Sloan though. Substantially. Ideally he’d be paired with Poti right now.
I didn’t watch all of the preseason, but Sloan looked really great in the games I saw, and Alzner looked hesitant
Atta dinnin stick a who!
by Gould Old Days on Oct 6, 2009 11:29 PM EDT up reply actions
He’s a 6/7. He’s ahead of Sloan on the depth chart(he’s not behind a tweener. Just because Sloan is the next best option doesn’t make him a better option), and if I’m BB, I’m alternating him with Pothier based on the match up.
I'm so sick and tired of the refs explaining the calls like this is the NFL.
These past two games make me want to see him in the Press Box more often than not.
Well, BB kind of said in his interview that they were still trying out combos and such. In 3 or 4 weeks, the best ones will play all the time, or some such thing. He’s still running tryouts, for some reason.
by DrinkingPartner on Oct 6, 2009 11:17 PM EDT up reply actions
I don’t get that feeling, personally, given that Woods had no personal experience with Erskine before WSH (not like his HER guys, at least) with the same kind of nepotism that BB has for his HER guys.
by DrinkingPartner on Oct 6, 2009 11:29 PM EDT up reply actions
I think Boudreau is choosing the pairings, with input from McPhee about who needs to play so they can be shopped. And they seriously need to rethink their strategy.
Atta dinnin stick a who!
by Gould Old Days on Oct 6, 2009 11:30 PM EDT up reply actions
Maybe I’ve just become a cynic, but I feel like GMGM is not someone you should listen to when it comes to D.
by Steckel Me Elmo on Oct 6, 2009 11:32 PM EDT up reply actions
?
Why not? He was an NHL defenseman in his time…
by DrinkingPartner on Oct 6, 2009 11:34 PM EDT up reply actions
His personnel decisions in his time as GM have been questionable. At best.
by Steckel Me Elmo on Oct 6, 2009 11:36 PM EDT up reply actions
I’d say that I’m not the only one here who can argue the opposite side of that argument. What do you mean exactly?
by DrinkingPartner on Oct 6, 2009 11:36 PM EDT up reply actions
Other than his recent drafting of D which has the potential to be good, his decisions to fill out the Caps roster have been terrible in my opinion.
He’s brought in one definite top 4 (Poti), and then the rest is waiver wire (Erskine) and cast offs (Jurcina). ShaMo can fill in as a 4 but it has yet to be seen if he can handle that on a consistent basis. Pothier is good as a 5 guy and spot duty on 4, and had a good year on a stacked team. The jury is out on Schultz, he looks to be improving nicely, and may turn out to be a top 4 this season, but that’s a maybe.
In Ovechkin’s first and second year these kinds of players are fine to teach the youngsters and fill in until the team is a contender. But at this point a contending D can’t have only one top pair D (Green), one definite top 4 (Poti), two maybe top 4 (ShaMo, Schultz), and 4 5-7 guys (Sloan, Erskine, Jurcina, Pothier).
At some point he has to get creative and do something to improve the D. This core won’t be able to wait for Alzner, Carlson etc to mature due to cap restraints.
by Steckel Me Elmo on Oct 7, 2009 12:08 AM EDT up reply actions
Green, Poti, Pothier, ShaMo, Schultz.
They’d likely fill the roles they currently do on any other team (I’d mark Poti between 2-3, Pothier 3-4, ShaMo 3-4, Schultz 3-4).
We’re missing a clear #2, that I’ll agree with, but you also have to remember that WSH didn’t attract any free agents of note until AO signed his contract.
Also, GMGM inquired after Pronger, but there’s no way in hell he was going to give up the future on both our blueline and our goal line for 2 or 3 years of an aging defenseman.
And, also, obviously, another reason we’ve got the corps we do is because of the pipeline: Alzner, Carlson, and Orlov all look to be pretty special defensemen. We’re not going to sign anyone to long-term, expensive deals with them waiting in the wings, because we’ll need the money for them!
Honestly, I don’t have a real problem with the way things have gone down. In fact, I think the D have been handled almost perfectly, it’s the O that have been mismanaged, losing Bourque and rendering Nyls absolutely useless: those I’ll pin on GMGM (and I’m not even that upset about Bourque).
by DrinkingPartner on Oct 7, 2009 12:18 AM EDT up reply actions
I like how he’s handled the O. Bringing in (for the most part) the proper placeholders. Kozlov worked as a placeholder. BMo is filling his role well so far, as is Knuble. The loss of Bourque is not a big deal, does it suck to lose him for nothing? Of course, but he was hardly a blue chipper.
The Nylander deal most people were happy about at the time, and it worked out initially (under Hanlon). Unfortunately it has turned out to be cap crippling to this team (hindsight is 20-20).
Like I said, the first couple years of Ovechkin’s tenure here I can understand. But since then I think he should have been able to be more creative to improve the D.
And yes, players like Pothier, ShaMo, Schultz et al have roles on teams, but my point is that a contending team cannot be dressing all of them (at their given time in their development, ShaMo and Schultz may develop to legit 2nd pairing players, but not yet. And Pothier is what he is, a good 3rd pairing guy). A contending D should only be dressing 2 5-7 D a night, maybe 3 if forced by the cap (which the Caps will be).
The Caps’ main problem has been their D and their PK. Which GMGM has not successfully addressed. The drafting may turn out to be successful but at this point it is potential and nothing more.
by Steckel Me Elmo on Oct 7, 2009 12:30 AM EDT up reply actions
IIRC, Ovechkin was hoping they’d bring in a solid vet defenseman this summer.
He was happy to get the new vet forwards, but he mention D more than once.
And perhaps they need some D with a little more snarl in their game. Which might upset the locker room kismet a bit, but might serve well long term.
IS PAЯTY NOW
I think you’re seriously underestimating the quality of their defensemen – Schultz is a legit top four guy and their 5-7 guys are both quality in that role and in abundance. In my opinion all the team needs is one more a guy who can play top four minutes and they’re in very good shape back there.
Of course, you’re limited in your moves by your options and given who’s been available, the asking price, the Capitals cap situation, etc, I think McPhee’s done very well.
I have significant doubts people are being shopped. The team is way too tight to the cap to make any real deals unless they hurt the team to get rid of cap. the only move we can afford to make, roster wise and cap wise, is one involving Nylander, and we can’t take that move.
The last thing we need to do is send another NHL caliber player for a prospect.
I'm so sick and tired of the refs explaining the calls like this is the NFL.
we might get lucky and have some middle range team lose their top centers to injuries allowing us to trade Nylander…might get next to nothing for him but it’ll be way more than we’re getting right now.
I’m saying it makes no sense right now to trade a defenseman for a prospect. Nylander for a box of donuts and Jim Schoenfield would be an ok trade.
I'm so sick and tired of the refs explaining the calls like this is the NFL.
It’s still very early. Making the right move with the D now could be real important later. If they are deciding who to keep and who to move I’d rather they make the right choice. I’d also rather them not play Erskine at 4D when it should have been clear that he can’t play that role, even before tonight.
If you're after gettin' the honey, then you don't go killin' all them bees.
Woods had a few games of Ersky in Hershey in 06-07, if I’m not mistaken.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
(Not that that’s a lot, but he also had him all pre-season and has seen him for a couple of pre-seasons – he knows who he is).
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Erskine has some issue with the Flyers. I thought he sucked in that series in the ‘08 playoffs. But he was really good in the playoffs last year against two non-Flyer teams. Maybe it’s the orange, I dunno. At any rate, we needs Potsy more than Sloan (and I like Sloan). Also, here’s to Schultz hopefully silencing the haters (of which I was one last year).
Agreed, Pots could have helped tonight, but Bruce seemed determined to get all eight some playing time. Maybe Juice sits as well.
Juice wasn’t that bad. I’d say his bad about equalled his good. He was okay, but no more than that.
by DrinkingPartner on Oct 6, 2009 11:06 PM EDT up reply actions
I really didn’t think his game was that awful. There were a few jumbled pucks, and the one penalty on VanRymsdiek (sp?) (that comes to mind), but he was decent otherwise, IMO.
by DrinkingPartner on Oct 6, 2009 11:11 PM EDT up reply actions
I thought the penalty on Juice for holding JVR was really weak. Of course it is hard to tell since VS refused to announce the penalties, much less show a replay.
Of all our iniquities ignorance may be the worst
by Killer_Carlson on Oct 7, 2009 1:09 AM EDT up reply actions
Maybe GMGM and Bruce will move Erskine to F in an effort to salvage his NHL career…
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
by J.P. on Oct 6, 2009 11:12 PM EDT up reply actions 3 recs
God, I hope Erskine is a scratch and Fehr is ready to play on Thursday. Kane only got a few minutes, but I was scared with him out there.
That’s two bad games in a row for the lumberjack.
by DrinkingPartner on Oct 6, 2009 10:59 PM EDT reply actions
Nice to have that Jose Theodore safety net for the moment, isn’t it?
depressing prediction: F&B becomes very active in this comment section after the JT lobby returns to re-state his case in the most valuable cap rankings..
Bwahahahaha. Nice job Natty. Is he a better option than Varlamov right now? Yeah. Is he the only vet that could do that? No. Stay dormant Theo Lobby. Now there’s another Lobby that should be heating up, and seeing as how the Perreault Lobby is hitting some slow months I think I might just have the time to run it…
If you're after gettin' the honey, then you don't go killin' all them bees.
Oh no — here comes the Jason Bacashihua Lobby…
Atta dinnin stick a who!
by Gould Old Days on Oct 7, 2009 1:23 AM EDT up reply actions
Erskine wasted no time getting back into the doghouse (starting this pre-season). I’m almost surprised he was able to ruin the good will he built up with his post-concussion play last season.
by Steckel Me Elmo on Oct 6, 2009 11:03 PM EDT reply actions
It looked like in the toronto game Ovie got checked into the goalie and got a GI call. Is this a new interpretation of the rules?
I’m a pretty objective observer when it comes to reffing, usually, but tonight was pretty fucking skewed in Philly’s favor.
by DrinkingPartner on Oct 6, 2009 11:07 PM EDT up reply actions
I’m still trying to figure out what the call on Laich was for. He didn’t hit the goalie and he dislodged the net in his offensive zone when his team had control of the puck. Why would he possibly do that on purpose. Just awful reffing tonight.
I thought it was a DoG, at first, which would have made more sense than interference on no one.
Brooks yelled at the bitch all the way to the box. That made me smile.
by DrinkingPartner on Oct 6, 2009 11:15 PM EDT up reply actions
(Y’all can call me “bitch” any time you like)
Atta dinnin stick a who!
by Gould Old Days on Oct 6, 2009 11:21 PM EDT up reply actions
There’s a difference between playfulness and the CI/Pensburgh-level name-calling to which I was referring.
To be fair, I’m pretty sure Brooks had far harsher words for the Ref than “bitch.”
by DrinkingPartner on Oct 6, 2009 11:23 PM EDT up reply actions
What if we make a resolution to use the “z” pluralization for bad referee calls? “bitchez”? That way we’ll know it isn’t gender-based venom we’re spewing, but orange armband-based?
"I am... *grins* ... 'Nobody' "
- Odysseus
by war_capitals on Oct 7, 2009 10:43 AM EDT up reply actions
you’re right, if you’re going to use the word bitch, at least refer to briere.
Russian Machine Never Breaks
I hate Briere. God, why’d it have to be him?
by DrinkingPartner on Oct 6, 2009 11:52 PM EDT up reply actions
There’s not one Flyer who I wouldn’t find myself saying that, though. Except maybe Kimmo Timmonen, who I find myself getting closer to hate. I used to love that guy. Predators were cool. Now he’s just a Flyer =/
I'm so sick and tired of the refs explaining the calls like this is the NFL.
Well, Giroux, VanRiemsdyk (i think that’s it), hell, Pronger, even – - I don’t hate them, yet. But Briere.
Ugh.
by DrinkingPartner on Oct 6, 2009 11:55 PM EDT up reply actions
I can’t hate Timmonen only because whenever I hear his name I immediately remember the 2008 series when he blocked Green’s shot with his jock strap….is it wrong that this memory always makes me laugh a little inside?
by SeattleCapsFan on Oct 7, 2009 12:46 AM EDT up reply actions
Patrick Thoresen was the one that had his jock shattered by Green’s shot.
by Steckel Me Elmo on Oct 7, 2009 12:50 AM EDT up reply actions
That would be Thoresen you’re thinking of. Whether it’s wrong or not probably depends if you’ve ever had the pleasure of being hit in the nuts at 100 mph.
Russian Machine Never Breaks
Dangit, that teaches me not to fact check my memory. Sorry.
by SeattleCapsFan on Oct 7, 2009 12:50 AM EDT up reply actions
I can’t hate him. He’s my top defenseman in on my fantasy team.
by red army line on Oct 7, 2009 10:57 AM EDT up reply actions
That and the Clark call were completely baffling to me. Other calls were understandable as they were at least borderline penalties, even if some of them could/should have been let go
Because now I can justify browsing and commenting during the work day with the argument that I am promoting my business.
by Sombrero Guy on Oct 7, 2009 12:34 AM EDT up reply actions
uhhh, apparently Brooks was called for interference on Parent, not Emery. Still baffling.
Because now I can justify browsing and commenting during the work day with the argument that I am promoting my business.
by Sombrero Guy on Oct 7, 2009 12:41 AM EDT up reply actions
Duh, Laich interfered with Parent’s crosschecking motion. It makes total sense now. I take back everything bad I may have said about the refs.
Of all our iniquities ignorance may be the worst
by Killer_Carlson on Oct 7, 2009 1:27 AM EDT up reply actions
same here
although i was yelling words slightly stronger than “bitch” while this was taking place.
by twistedlogic on Oct 7, 2009 10:37 AM EDT up reply actions
I think it’s an interpretation of bad refereeing. That was a horrific game.
by DrinkingPartner on Oct 6, 2009 11:07 PM EDT up reply actions
There was a lot of chatter during game time comments about sending Varly down to Hershey and bringing up Neuvirth.
Neuvirth deserves a shot, but if you don’t give Varly a chance to redeem himself you basically just pushed back the development of a much herald quality prospect.
Personally, I wish the Caps had a career backup behind Theodore so Varly and Neuvirth could spend most of the year in the AHL. Another year in development never killed any young goalie. But as the Caps are going for the Cup this year patience and the future aren’t a major priority.
As it is, the Caps are still doing pretty well. They just lost, in OT mind you, to a strong, hungry Flyers team on their ice during their home opener. So far, not bad. It could be much worse(cough Vancouver). The offense looks strong, we’re questionable at goalie, but our defense is the real problem.
I’m going to see how the rest of October pans out before I start calling for heads. For now, it’s all just early season mayhem.
And remember, last it took the Pens almost and entire regular season to get their act together and they didn’t do too poorly.
I don't care how you score goals. Pretty or ugly. The ballet or the bulldozer. However you do it, just do it. And make sure you do it more than the other guys.
Neuvy’s still hurt, isn’t he? I know Holtby just won his first game, but I didn’t know if that had to do with his turn in the rotation or Neuvy’s status.
by DrinkingPartner on Oct 6, 2009 11:14 PM EDT up reply actions
I disagree that defense was the real problem tonight. Erskine was a major problem, but for the most part I think the D did a pretty decent job limiting chances (considering the quality and the depth of the Flyers’ offense). If you are going to point to a real problem aside from goaltending it has to be the penalties the team took. The refs were terrible, but not all of the calls were undeserved.
Of all our iniquities ignorance may be the worst
by Killer_Carlson on Oct 7, 2009 1:31 AM EDT up reply actions
I believe they’ve only played one game. Maybe Neuvirth starts the next one.
I don't care how you score goals. Pretty or ugly. The ballet or the bulldozer. However you do it, just do it. And make sure you do it more than the other guys.
Well...
They weren’t going to win every game, and getting a point on the road when playing that loose on defense, hey I’ll take it.
A few things:
1) Ovechkin was astonishing again. It is looking like he is going to have a career year.
2) Semin scored two goals (good) but had some bad give-aways…
3) Brads was a goal away from the Gordie Howe hat trick. A sweet pass from him to Ovie for the assist.
4) The PK, despite the numbers, was not all that bad. The first PP goal by the Flyers was a terrific play by Carle and Richards. The last one was a flukey goal.
What’s encouraging to me is that the Caps were in the bullring with in a hostile environment, against a quality opponent, not playing their best, and still getting a point in the effort. If they step up the effort a little bit next trip to Philly, they’ll come home with 2 points and send the Fly-boys home with 0.
It’s still early in the season, and this team still hasn’t hit it’s stride yet. When it does, the sky’s the limit.
Let's go Caps!
Honestly, the only thing I really want to come out of this game is for Varlamov to walk up to Irbe and ask him to figure out why he keeps bobbling easy glove saves like that.
by DrinkingPartner on Oct 6, 2009 11:25 PM EDT up reply actions
He needs to go outside and play catch with the boy. My glove has always been my weakest part of my game and I improved in a lot by wearing my goalie glove to my brothers baseball games and us rocketing throws to each other pregame. Worked way better than the tennis ball on the wall and juggling.
One guy just drove his semi as a float. I guess semis are cool.
Great idea… have someof the Nats pitchers throw to him. It’d work out well because they have no idea where the ball is going to go once they throw it, so Varly will get a good work out.
Let's go Caps!
by MikeL-Pivonka on Oct 7, 2009 8:59 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I thought both teams were better on the PK than on the PP. Funny thing to say given the box…
Atta dinnin stick a who!
by Gould Old Days on Oct 6, 2009 11:28 PM EDT up reply actions
Both teams were deathly afraid of letting the other’s PP do any damage. It’s just unfortunate that two of the Philly PP goals were really, really lucky.
by DrinkingPartner on Oct 6, 2009 11:31 PM EDT up reply actions
Waaaay too many penalties… and most of them were of the effort variety. That can be fixed.
Let's go Caps!
by MikeL-Pivonka on Oct 7, 2009 9:01 AM EDT up reply actions
Ovechkin having a “Career year” is a god damn scary thought for 29 NHL teams.
I'm so sick and tired of the refs explaining the calls like this is the NFL.
Yeah...
…but it sure is fun, isn’t it?
Let's go Caps!
by MikeL-Pivonka on Oct 7, 2009 8:58 AM EDT up reply actions
And he blocked several — four? five? — centering passes that would likely have resulted in shots. There’s no stat for that, but Schultz was mighty effective at preventing scoring opportunities tonight.
I attempted to convert my Dad to be a Schultzian tonight, but I think it was for naught.
by DrinkingPartner on Oct 6, 2009 11:28 PM EDT up reply actions
Nothing wrong with that. He’s had 3 good games. There’s plenty of time for him to fuck up if he’s gonna.
by DrinkingPartner on Oct 6, 2009 11:32 PM EDT up reply actions
Every time I looked up Poti was covering for Erskine. He just couldn’t be ubiquitous.
I thought Schultz was the best D tonight, yes. And I think BB should put him in the top four and leave him alone. Poti, Green, Mo and Schultz should play every night, period. Pothier too, probably. Let Ersky, Juice and Sloan rotate into the other spot if need be.
I’d give the #6 (according to your rankings there) to Juice every time. The other two wouldn’t get in except for injury.
by DrinkingPartner on Oct 6, 2009 11:33 PM EDT up reply actions
There is some need to keep them engaged and to show potential trading partners that they have a pulse though, no?
I don’t think that Sloan or Erskine are getting shopped, though. It even keeps Juice in the spotlight for a potential buyer.
by DrinkingPartner on Oct 6, 2009 11:35 PM EDT up reply actions
I’d guess that ShaMo and Juice are the main pieces. Sloan’s too cheap for better Erskine-production to simply get rid of. But maybe.
by DrinkingPartner on Oct 6, 2009 11:38 PM EDT up reply actions
Appropos of nothing, my inbox had this week’s Ice Chips newsltter from the Caps, with a nice “Get to Know ShaMo” feature in it.
Hmmmm….
IS PAЯTY NOW
The Caps opponent on Thursday needs a defenseman now that Semenov’s wife said he couldn’t play for the Rags.
I heard about that, what’s a summary of the problem with NYR?
by DrinkingPartner on Oct 6, 2009 11:38 PM EDT up reply actions
All I heard is that Semenov wanted to sign with the Rangers but his wife said nyet about moving to NY.
Sounds just like Nylander’s wife not wanting to go to Edmonton due to the lack of shopping there (as if WEM is just some stripmall). Wives should have no role in where their husbands play.
In fairness to the wife (who I’m not particularly defending), all we have is what was reported. It’s one year; while not optimal, he could have chosen to sign and leave the family in Russia. $200,000, while not chump change to us, isn’t worth potentially torching an NHL career over.
I remember seeing a link last night which quoted him saying he wouldn’t go to the K, but I did have a couple of cocktails last night too.
"Good crowd out there tonight, boys, let's really try to win this one."
by Bald Pollack on Oct 7, 2009 10:29 AM EDT up reply actions
I don’t think shopping had anything to do with.
And I strongly disagree wives should have no role in where their husbands play. If I were married and were considering taking between two jobs in different countries and different cities that were 2,300+ miles away from one another I’d sure as heck want to make sure my wife was okay with my decision (and I’d expect her to extend the same courtesy to me).
Most of his time on ice....
…I didn’t notice him. For defensive d-man, that means they’re doing well. He should get another start against the Rangers tomorrow, and they can let Erskine sit. Pothier and Schultz worked well together last year…
Let's go Caps!
by MikeL-Pivonka on Oct 7, 2009 9:02 AM EDT up reply actions
Well, Theo is looking like Varly and Varly is looking like Theo. Despite Varlamov’s struggles, I don’t mind it as much seeing how Theo played great in Boston and in relief in Philly.
Mr. Masisak has a good point that Varlamov’s bad stretch includes the pre-season and of course, the Pittsburgh game.
Perhaps it’s time for Varlamov to take a breather, regain his focus in Hershey and see what Neuvirth can do on an extended NHL tour.
Seems a little harsh. There’s no reason to bring up Neuvy right now. Varlamov had one egregious goal and a few shaky ones against a top 3 team. Shit happens. More importantly, he’ll improve.
by DrinkingPartner on Oct 6, 2009 11:48 PM EDT up reply actions
I’m not worried about Varly because of this game. I’m worried because I saw this game coming in how we played the third period of the Toronto game. And that third period was bad, and Varlamov could have made any of those saves to stop the bleeding, and did not.
I'm so sick and tired of the refs explaining the calls like this is the NFL.
The saves where the rebound was put in before he had a chance to react? With the exception of the first Stempniak goal, I didn’t see any of the rest of those goals as savable beyond the initial save.
by DrinkingPartner on Oct 6, 2009 11:53 PM EDT up reply actions
It’s about rebound control. He’s consistently struggled with it. He needs to improve it, and no, I don’t expect him to make all of those saves, but I do expect him to make “the save” if he has to. At some point, you have to bail your team out, and when you struggle with rebound control and lateral movement to an extent, and you let in potentially a softie per game, it’s your job to get that one back. He has yet to do that, and I think he could have had a few more of those Leaf shots. He definitely should have had a few of the shots tonight (And Emery didn’t make him look any worse).
I'm so sick and tired of the refs explaining the calls like this is the NFL.
Absolutely. Rebound control will also come with improved 5-mph glove saves. But in regard to those goals against TOR, he made the initial save. It’s just as much up to the D to clear the front of the net as it is for him to get the rebound to the corner.
by DrinkingPartner on Oct 6, 2009 11:59 PM EDT up reply actions
I’m sure he’ll improve. He’s got the things you can’t teach – so it’s going to be interesting to see how he adapts to the things you can. And (looks around for PPPers) I think Varlamov and Neuwirth are both better options currently to Monster.
I'm so sick and tired of the refs explaining the calls like this is the NFL.
I wonder how patient BB is going to be with Varly. It’s an inauspicious start, certainly.
by DrinkingPartner on Oct 7, 2009 12:04 AM EDT up reply actions
His rebound control is a completely separate problem from his glove issues, so I don’t think it’s accurate to say rebound control will come with improved glove work. While it is part of the D’s job to clear the front of the net, Varlamov’s rebound control on low shots is pretty terrible and consistently puts the D in tough spots by throwing rebounds in front of the net. Another issue with him is not only where the rebounds go, but his recovery from the initial shot. Like other acrobatic goalies, he tends to play the initial shot too aggressively and take himself out of position, making the D’s job even tougher.
Of all our iniquities ignorance may be the worst
by Killer_Carlson on Oct 7, 2009 1:42 AM EDT up reply actions
I think you are being tough on him but his rebound control does look terrible compared to Neuvy. It sort of reminds me of how Kolzig was those last few years.
One guy just drove his semi as a float. I guess semis are cool.
I think that’s a pretty good comparison, but Varlamov is obviously much quicker and able to recover from an initial save.
I don’t mean to trash the guy, and by no means do I think Varlamov can’t become a number 1 goalie. There are benefits to his style of play, one being that he is never out of the play. He’s never going to be the technical goalie that Neuvirth is (which is fine), but he has work on things like not overcommitting to make his scrambly, acrobatic style effective. Rebound control is less of an issue for a goalie as quick as Varlamov, as long as he leaves himself in some kind of position to make the second save possible. But he hasn’t done a great job of that thus far.
His style makes a lot of saves look tougher than they have to be (similar to Hasek), so he has to do what he can to make it a little easier on himself. They aren’t unfixable flaws, but they are things he needs to work on to become a reliable starting goalie.
Of all our iniquities ignorance may be the worst
by Killer_Carlson on Oct 7, 2009 2:57 AM EDT up reply actions
He needs to at least start putting all but the impossible shots into the corners. It’s not that hard to do and at that level if you are going to be a starter it needs to be second nature.
Neuvy on the other hand is like a wall of velcro. I’ve been so impressed with him since the call up last year on how he eats up pucks. I just hope the next time he is called up the pucks hit him a bit more so he has a chance to demonstrate that skill.
Rebound control cost Emery that B-Mo goal too.
One guy just drove his semi as a float. I guess semis are cool.
Tagging back in, I’d say if there’s a pie chart of goaltending imperatives, the biggest pie hunk is stopping the initial shot. The next biggest is rebound control. Somewhere on that chart is keeping your stick on the ice at your five hole, and another part of that pie chart is knowing how to do the splits. I guess what I’m saying is when I was playing goalie, the first two things I was taught was “If you can see it, you better stop it, or we’re benching you” and “Put the puck where your defensemen have the best chance of clearing it – or the corner.” Granted, a shot from the right circle at my left pad is going to be tough to control. But it’s not impossible, or everyone would make that shot.
Varls should improve. Arturs Irbe was a sponge when he played. Neuwirth is as close as we have to a sponge now. And, frankly, Varly has the athleticism to make a save if he does give up a bad rebound. But, like tonight, sometimes it’s really going to bite him in the ass. I can’t wait.
I'm so sick and tired of the refs explaining the calls like this is the NFL.
I agree with this, and it is along the lines of what I was trying to get at when I was saying Varlamov’s rebound control doesn’t need to be perfect, but it does have to improve.
I also was not impressed with Emery’s rebound control throughout the night. If I remember correctly, Semin’s 2nd goal followed a bad rebound off of his chest and into the slot (which Baxter then poked over to Semin).
Of all our iniquities ignorance may be the worst
by Killer_Carlson on Oct 7, 2009 10:55 AM EDT up reply actions
If I’m BB I start JT next game, he’s earned it. He had a better game vs. a better offensive team (BOS vs. TOR) and Varly was just not all there vs. PHI.
I thought Poti played really poorly, but not as bad as Erskine, next game Erskine should be buddying up with Nyls and Sloan and Pots should be on the ice.
On the subject of Nyls, as much as I still think hes useless (in the CAPS system, not for another team), I would like to see him get a legit chance to play a real game with real linemates. He’s not gonna do much on the 3rd/4th line, perhaps we can put him on the second line for a game to see how he does. It just seems kinda a waste to have $5 million sitting on the bench.
I’d rather Morrison play than Nylander play on a line with Knuble and Laich, of all people. He’s an expensive ornament, but I think it’s a disservice to the team as a whole to play him in his intended role and displace Morrison while doing it.
by DrinkingPartner on Oct 6, 2009 11:57 PM EDT up reply actions
If Fehr isn’t ready to go, I would play Nyls. There’s no reason to keep Kane, he’s not contributing at all. And I’d rather see Nyls out there for those 9 minutes, because I feel he could help the team with them more than Kane can. If Fehr is ready to go, though, no reason to keep either. wtb OO.
I'm so sick and tired of the refs explaining the calls like this is the NFL.
I don’t see Nyls doing any good on the 4th line, though, and Brooks is playing too well to be bumped down.
Speaking of Brooks, who else is upset he’s not still tied with AO?
by DrinkingPartner on Oct 7, 2009 12:05 AM EDT up reply actions
I’m more upset about who is tied with AO.
If you're after gettin' the honey, then you don't go killin' all them bees.
I’d rather see 11 forwards/ 7 defense than Nyles.
Atta dinnin stick a who!
by Gould Old Days on Oct 7, 2009 1:26 AM EDT up reply actions
A veteran All-Star goalie named Roberto Luongo has also been allowing goals in bunches so far this season. Just sayin’.
I’ve always personally felt he was overrated. Good goalie, great goalie, even, sometimes, but he’s never impressed me tremendously.
by DrinkingPartner on Oct 7, 2009 12:06 AM EDT up reply actions
Brodeur is the surprise for me, thus far.
by DrinkingPartner on Oct 7, 2009 12:06 AM EDT up reply actions
naw i don't think so
he came back well after injury last year. you also have to look at NJDs poor defense and inability to score goals.
by twistedlogic on Oct 7, 2009 10:42 AM EDT up reply actions
Poor defense or not, he gave up some soft goals and generally did not look good against the Rangers. I’m not ready to write him off as washed up, but I think it is fair to say that his best days are behind him. How much his play drops is the question.
Of all our iniquities ignorance may be the worst
by Killer_Carlson on Oct 7, 2009 10:58 AM EDT up reply actions
That’s a nice thought, but there is a HUGE difference when one of the top goalies in the league (and a guy who has typically has subpar Octobers) starts slow and when a 21 year old with fewer than 20 NHL games experiences starts off struggling. I’d like to think that Varlamov’s struggles are just as likely to be a short term blip as are Luongo’s, but that is simply not the case.
Of all our iniquities ignorance may be the worst
by Killer_Carlson on Oct 7, 2009 1:50 AM EDT up reply actions
BB Says:
“You take [nine minor penalties] in a game, you’re not going to win that game, and we took six in one period,” Coach Bruce Boudreau said. “That’s how four goals get scored against you. It’s something that’s unacceptable.”
You know, bad reffing aside, I’m sick of hearing it. That is how this team was last year, and that’s how it’s going to be this year. These guys are who they are, get different ones if you are tired of the penalties (Erskine, Jurcina, Clark) and learn to deal with the ones you can’t get rid of (Green, Semin).
Russian Machine Never Breaks
Agreed. Take away awful calls on Clark and Laich and that’s still seven minors which, by his own standard, is two-to-three too many.
Start using ice time as a carrot/stick, Bruce. You have 79 games to get this shit straight. Start now.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
by J.P. on Oct 7, 2009 6:44 AM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
So any suggestions on the solutions? I can’t think of anything except benching guys for taking bad penalities. There are plenty of bodies in the press box to make an example of someone.
For some guys, benching is a little extreme. But PP time should, perhaps, be viewed as a reward and not a right.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
And yet, the worst penalty came from a guy who is considered your most responsible player. Yeah, he got a little tied up, but Gordon has to be a lot smarter in that situation.
Unquestionably. No one should be taking penalties 200 feet from their own goal, much less Boyd Gordon.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
“Tonight we were our worst enemy,” Morrison said. . . . We just couldn’t stay out of the box. We have to learn this lesson quickly if we want to be a good team, not a great team."
And new guys are so very fervently hopeful that someone somewhere will “learn” this. Like maybe you can tape electrodes to the sides of their heads and apply some current to the frontal lobes. Let’s all don our “Caps Take Moronic Penalties At The Worst Times” hats and get on with it. “Learn”? Puh-leze. Plan B = PK experts
Injuries for the Flyers
I read this on Broad Street Hockey:
Blair Betts will miss at least a month due to a dislocated right shoulder injured on a lost faceoff late in the third period. He also stated that James van Riemsdyk
One guy just drove his semi as a float. I guess semis are cool.
quote fail:
…got his “bell rung” and will be evaluated Wednesday.
One guy just drove his semi as a float. I guess semis are cool.
I’m not sure it was “our guy” last time either, but I hear you.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
…I guess when Betts is back in the line-up, he may get “Caps flu”. In his last 2 meaningful games with the Caps, he’s suffered major injuries (one unintentional, one questionable…)
Let's go Caps!
by MikeL-Pivonka on Oct 7, 2009 9:04 AM EDT up reply actions
The Caps return home to face the Rangers on Thursday night and all eyes will be on the Washington net. If it was my call, I’d throw Varly back in there
Completely disagree. Is the message we should be sending to Varlamov that he is being handed the job on a platter? Or that he has to earn his job? He was given a 30 W veteran’s job after said veteran let in two bad goals in a game (albeit a huge game). He was outplayed by Neuvirth over the pre-season, yet he still got the job (yeah, injury). If Neuvirth is ready to play he should be given the chance to come to DC, though I’d still play Theo against the Rags. Let Theo hear the fans cheer for him. He’s earned it.
Do we want a team built as a meritocracy or a draft-ocracy? If we have to coddle Varlamov at this point, then he doesn’t have the mental make up to be our long term solution. Maybe we should take a cue from the D logjam and keep trotting him out there until we find a trade partner. Lately Varlamov hasn’t been fulfilling either of the goalie’s two main duties: No soft goals, and make the big save when the team needs it.
If you're after gettin' the honey, then you don't go killin' all them bees.
by Rob Parker on Oct 7, 2009 1:23 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
I agree. I thought Theo should have started this game anyway.
I think he has made a lot of big saves when the team has needed it though. In Toronto he kept it a close game a few times on some pretty big saves. From the highlights tonight, it looked like he made some big ones to keep it 0-0 as well.
The softies just counter-act those big saves in a big bad way.
One guy just drove his semi as a float. I guess semis are cool.
I also agree with this. Varlamov needs to prove he can work through his issues in practice before he gets handed the start over a veteran who has been playing much better hockey. To me giving Varlamov the start is the equivalent of throwing Erskine out on the second pairing again to try to get him back on the horse and keep his confidence. Doesn’t this go against the accountability we talked so much about this offseason?
Of all our iniquities ignorance may be the worst
by Killer_Carlson on Oct 7, 2009 1:58 AM EDT up reply actions
I don’t think that giving a guy a chance to work through a tough spot by giving him the next game turns this into a “draft-ocracy.” He absolutely has to earn his job and his minutes, but when do you give him the chance to do that? In Detroit? Now’s a chance to see what he’s made of – can he bounce back? Better to know sooner rather than later just how deep his current issues run.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
T to the h-i-s. Much rather figure it out now than say the post-Olympic break.
"Good crowd out there tonight, boys, let's really try to win this one."
There are another 40 games until the Olympic break, approximately. There is plenty of time to find out if Varlamov can move on. I have a philosophical opposition to starting a guy the night after he shits the bed, possibly single-handedly costing us a point in the standings. If this is supposed to be a 2 or 3-way competition where Bruce “rides the hot hand” then you can’t just keep playing the guy who has the hot-potato hand.
If you're after gettin' the honey, then you don't go killin' all them bees.
I thought Bruce was going with an even split for the first ~50, expressly not riding the hot hand and then seeing where we’re at at that point.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
There has still got to be a performance based element to getting starts.
If you're after gettin' the honey, then you don't go killin' all them bees.
I totally agree with that as applied to a larger period of time, but I don’t think one start upsets that guidance.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
I’d be okay with letting Varlamov work out his issues if it weren’t for the fact that he’s not the clear #1 goalie, Theo has earned with his play more than 1 start in the first 4 games, and Theo isn’t exactly a mental rock in net.
Of all our iniquities ignorance may be the worst
by Killer_Carlson on Oct 7, 2009 11:03 AM EDT up reply actions
Not that it matters, but I’m pretty sure Corey’s Varly stat is wrong – he gave up two in the first and two in the second vs. PIT. Granted, he surely would have given up a third in the second against the Pens, had he been around to have the opportunity.
Ugh.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
green
i did notice that green was very hesitant in the first period. he opened up a little more in the 2nd. it just seemed he was making sure he didn’t get checked into the boards.
and 23 pims… wtf!!!
Relax....
…It took gimmick bad ice, horrible officiating, home ice, and an overtime to eek out a win over the Caps. If anything, last night made me feel more confident about the Caps chances in the east.
PS – Good lord Shultz looks like he is in slow motion on the ice, there is no way we can continue to give him ANY minutes….
First, see here.
Second, Schultz was, at worst, the team’s third best defenseman last night. He blocked shots, broke up plays, and prevented the other team from scoring. What more do you want?
I’m not knocking 55 as I do agree, he was definitely top 3 last night, AFTER sitting out the first 2 games, but I do have a question for the observers…
Obviously the guy isn’t fleet of foot (or skate) but does it seem that most fore-checkers beat him to loose pucks/dump-in’s more than they beat other defenseman? is that by design? (i.e. he goes right to “position” because he knows he can’t win the foot-race) …
again… not trying to s#it on the guy (DMG :-) i really still can’t convert myself to like him, although I’m trying) but it’s just an observation, maybe I’m viewing it wrong?
I think one of the biggest obstacles for Schultz is the way he looks when he’s playing: he’s not a graceful skater, not a great puckhandler, and he doesn’t do anything remotely flashy. That said, he gets the job done and that’s what matter in the end.
To that end (and I have to give J.P. credit for showing me this) the website hockeyanalytics.com just released their 08-09 report (viewable here as a PDF). One of the sections is on contributions of defensemen to defense and is calculated using statistics like GAA, penalties taken, etc. Not surprisingly Lidstrom was first and guys like Vlasic, Niedermayer, and Scuderi all scored really well. But by the metric Schultz was 13th best in the entire NHL, ahead of Green and guys like Pronger, Keith, and Regehr (the section’s on page 34).
Don’t get me wrong – I think those guys have more skill than Schultz, fewer flaws in their game and I’d take any of them over Schultz (salary being equal) but the point is that in terms of production, Schultz scores among the best of them. How he does it doesn’t make much of a difference to me.
Yeah, it was down right comical how badly he was getting beat by the speedy Flyers forwards and then stood around watching guys score in front of his net instead of using his size. Wait…you said Erskine, right?
Of all our iniquities ignorance may be the worst
by Killer_Carlson on Oct 7, 2009 11:05 AM EDT up reply actions 3 recs
Hard to tell without seeing a /snark markup tag?
I think we can all out-skate Sarge in terms of speed, but that misses the point. His job is to prevent goals or the setup of goals in his own zone. As long as he continues to do these things, I’m not sure how much I care that he’s a slow skater.
Don’t compare our stay-at-home defensemen’s skating speed to the forwards on this team. Not a fair comparison and has nothing to do (or very little) with how well a defensemen’s playing at any given time. Easy mistake to make, which is why this site is so ridiculously good at using stats to counter such viewpoints that may seem to make sense at first glance.
“JP (et. al.) will teach you, you will learn!”
"I am... *grins* ... 'Nobody' "
- Odysseus
by war_capitals on Oct 7, 2009 11:42 AM EDT up reply actions
It was most certainly full of snark. Erskine had a front row seat to goal after goal for the Flyers, Schultz was a +1. The original commenter was right about someone needing their minutes cut.
Of all our iniquities ignorance may be the worst
by Killer_Carlson on Oct 7, 2009 12:29 PM EDT up reply actions
Stupid computer. Make rec speed now.
"Good crowd out there tonight, boys, let's really try to win this one."
by Bald Pollack on Oct 7, 2009 11:44 AM EDT up reply actions
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Southeast Standings
| GP | W | L | OTL | PT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Florida
|
53 | 25 | 17 | 11 | 61 |
|
Washington
|
54 | 28 | 21 | 5 | 61 |
|
Winnipeg
|
56 | 26 | 24 | 6 | 58 |
|
Tampa Bay
|
53 | 23 | 24 | 6 | 52 |
|
Carolina
|
56 | 20 | 25 | 11 | 51 |
(updated 2.11.2012 at 8:02 AM EST)
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- Nordiques Nation invades Hockey Day in Canada
- Youth hockey coach, parents clash over alleged tirade over 9-year old’s 200th goal puck
- Friday’s Three Stars: Blackhawks lose seventh straight; Wings win nineteenth straight at home
- Puck Previews: Blackhawks reeling; Sabres streaking; Holmstrom’s 1000th game
- Will Teemu Selanne remain with the Anaheim Ducks through the trade deadline?
Latest stories and headlines from NHL.com
- WHL Roundup: A look at Friday's games
- Franson scores winner as the Giants edge the Silvertips 3-2
- Ross with goal and assist to lead the Winterhawks over the Americans 4-2
- Wedman, Aviani and Valcourt lead the Chiefs over the Thunderbirds 5-4
- Elynuik scores winner as the Cougars beat the Oil Kings 5-4 in OT
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