Friday Roundup - Fathers And Sons And Sun
by J.P. on Feb 13, 2009 6:41 AM EST
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With Wednesday night's loss now nearly ancient history in the grind that is the NHL season, the Caps have embarked upon their annual Mentor's Trip (dad's and the like along for the ride) to Florida.
For the players, the trip is a great reminder of where they've come from and why they play the game, and it comes at a good time for such remembrances - right in the middle of the dog days of February (check out Comcast's feature from last year's trip for more on the trip itself).
But a two-stop trip to Florida is wrought with peril even without added distractions. As I noted back in July, the Caps played both Florida teams on the road back-to-back twice last season and went 1-3 in those four games. In 2006-07, they were 0-2 in those situations and in 2005-06 they were 0-1-1. In fact, all-time, the Caps are 6-10-2-2 when facing the Panthers and Lightning on the road on consecutive nights.
An inherently tough trip to begin with (the Caps are 9-12-1-1 in the Sunshine State since the lockout), the Caps will enter Sunday night's game against the Cats with a 4-5-1 record in the second of back-to-backs this season, and given that the second of back-to-back road games is statistically tougher to win than any other type of road game... well, you can see where I'm going with this - a four-point weekend would be a heck of an achievement.
That said, it's certainly doable, even with Michal Neuvirth (who didn't exactly set the AHL ablaze) likely to make his NHL debut in one of the two games, and a pair of wins this weekend would be another nail in the Southeast Division coffin. Let's just hope that with all the distractions surrounding them this weekend - fathers and fishing, sun and South Beach with Sergei - they can focus for the 120 minutes that really matter... to the rest of us, at least.
Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks:
Allan Muir picks Mike Green for Team Canada (I wonder if Pierre LeBrun and E.J. Hradek want a mulligan on that one).... Barack Obama: GMGM's righthand man (see slide #9; h/t Caps Message Board).... A year ago today, Tomas Fleischmann got a two-year contract extension. Money quote: "Flash's cap hit next year will be just over 1/10th of Tomas Vanek's. I'll take the over on him scoring 1/10th as many goals and points as the Sabres' stud. Low-risk. Medium-reward. Good deal." As of now, Flash has 16 goals and 28 points while Vanek has 32/52.... Peter Bondra will be at the Baltimore Auto Show this evening, but he presumably won't be wearing a Caps jersey with the logo airbrushed out.... Mirtle's a-Twitterin' (and don't forget, we are too).... This has nothing to do with hockey, but it's a hell of a haircut.
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Cats 5 Canes 0
Florida absolutely beat the snot out of Carolina yesterday. The Panthers are looking more and more like a legit playoff team.
Yeah, and that was a pretty early 5-0 before both teams just played out the rest of the game.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
LeBrun and Hradek see the light
I wonder if Pierre LeBrun and E.J. Hradek want a mulligan on that one
JP, wonder no longer.
Nice.
I suppose another 40 or so games of being the best offensive defenseman in hockey by miles convinced ’em.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
I’m living in Chicago at the moment, so it was especially gratifying to see Green chosen over Brian Campbell on all three lists.
If Greeny makes 5.25 mil/year and Campbell makes 7.14 mil/year, is Green a poor man’s Campbell or is Campbell a poor man’s Green? :)
by Natty Bumppo on Feb 13, 2009 9:44 AM EST up reply actions
Florida will be playing their 4th game in 6 nights on Sunday. It is our 3rd in 7 days. Back to backs on the road are tough, but it’s not like Florida has been sitting around waiting for us.
I’ve always felt that three games in four nights is much tougher than back-to-backs. I have no research to back this up, but I’ve often heard players complain after that third game about their lack of energy. Hopefully it works out on Sunday. As for the father-son trips, the concept is all warm and cuddly but I think they’re a big distraction for the players. Pro athletes are creatures of habits; they eat their meals at the same time on game day, take afternoon naps, etc. and when the dads are along it seems everything gets a little out of whack. Then there’s the added pressure of knowing your father is in the stands cheering you on. Unless I’m mistaken, when they took the dads along last year, the team’s record wasn’t so hot. If they’re going to do it, I would have rather have seen them do it early in the season when they took that trip to California. They have the ocean and golf courses out there too. Maybe I’m worrying about nothing, but this is the stretch drive and I’d like their focus to be solely on the games ahead.
I got no problem with the fathers trip. I would think it would be a good motivation. All those guys learned how to play from their dads.
Ovechkin used to get crushed in 1 on1 by his mom, so he decided to play hockey instead.
I don’t have a problem with it, but agree that it should be earlier in the year. Deep sea fishing is exhausting (on a good day). This year the scheduling didn’t really do the caps any favors.
I disagree. This is the worst part of the NHL season’s grind — just before Spring makes things interesting again. Anything to break up this part of the schedule…
by Gould Old Days on Feb 13, 2009 1:08 PM EST up reply actions
3 in 4 is always tougher than a back to back, if only because it includes a back to back in it.
Football's boring. Get over it.
by Whiter Mage on Feb 13, 2009 11:39 AM EST up reply actions
Next 3 FL games
Has anyone else noticed that the next three games against Florida are on the back end of back2backs? This Sunday after the Tampa Bay on Saturday; Sunday, March 1 after a Saturday affair with Boston; and Tuesday, March 17 after a Monday game with Atlanta.
There's no way the Caps can't make the playoffs!
At least according to these guys in Canada. After you’ve checked out the top of the list, move on down to the 30 percent probability range:
http://habsinsideout.com/main/15405
Ha, there are a lot of teams in the East that are eliminated.
I’m hoping the GMGM is learning a lesson from this year’s Pens. Going after the big name for one shot might not be the best way to go about things. Other teams are going to get better at the deadline, but selling the farm for Pronger (etc) might really put a hurting on the Caps.
I don’t know that going for Hossa got the Pens in the position their in right now at all. Colby Armstrong is probably a loss, but Erik Christensen, Angelo Esposito and that late 1st round pick wouldn’t be helping this year’s Pens all that much.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Coaching, to an extent, and the Gonchar injury was huge.
But also some of the personnel decisions have been shaky (Satan? Really?), and their cupboard was stocked with nice high-end talent, but apparently not much behind it. Also, they lost a LOT of leadership – Roberts and Malone – and frankly don’t have a strong leader wearing the “C.”
That’s my quick, generalized answer, and if Hooks stops by, I’m sure he’ll expound upon it and/or correct me where I’m wrong.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
All of that and...
Fleury is not playing like he was. That could be a result of Gonchar’s absence, but the mistakes he is making show something more troubling. I get the impression Michel Therrien is as flummoxed as we are and is casting about. The odd thing for me to understand is there is obvious chemistry when you have the two assist leaders in the league, but what are those assists getting you?
I hate Pittsburgh. And the Pens too.
I don't know about you...
Michel Therrien is as flummoxed as we are
…but I’m not the least bit concerned
going anyway
I witnessed our terrible game against Florida a couple of years ago…I think it was 8-3 or at least it felt like it and the Panthers fans next to me started consoling me. It was very strange.
Hopefully they won’t want to embarrass Neuvirth on Saturday night….I was watching the Lightning/Leafs game and the Toronto goals had a lot of cheering….hopefully it will sound the same with the Road Crew crowd when the Caps score.
This game, perhaps? I remember it well – the eve of my birthday.
Enjoy Sunday.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Elsewhere...
you made no mention of Barbie being at the Baltimore Auto Show. Maybe the Mattel celebrity will bump Bondra and Chris Simon will bang her into the side of the Mercedes concept car.
And that haircut obviously belongs to a real shithead.
I hate Pittsburgh. And the Pens too.
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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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