Game Day Open Thread: Caps @ Cats
by J.P. on Feb 15, 2009 11:00 AM EST
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PrintWashington Capitals at Florida Panthers, Feb 15, 2009 5:00 PM EST
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Yeah, the Rangers certainly would have agrred with that description on Friday up until they lost their lead.
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by Donny Rivette on Feb 15, 2009 3:33 PM EST up reply actions
Are you seriously boasting about a 2-1 ‘shootout win’ over the Rangers at home? Panthers will be lucky to win 2 of their next 8 games.
Russian Machine Never Breaks
Easy, Mac…
True, we’ve got a tough schedule ahead, true, and not a Toronto or Carolina in the bunch. We’ll see what we’re composed of soon.
Little animosity after a 5-4 ‘shootout loss’ to the very same Blueshirts last week?
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by Donny Rivette on Feb 15, 2009 4:11 PM EST up reply actions
You might as well bring up the two Columbus 3-0 debacles. Every team has their nights, but I don’t see how the crappy Rangers are any kind of measuring stick…
Russian Machine Never Breaks
One game at a time for us. :)
The Litter Box: Your SBNation Florida Panthers Blogging Colossus
by Donny Rivette on Feb 15, 2009 4:27 PM EST up reply actions
Message-sending time, again. “I done tole you once, boys. Yer ain’t challengin’ us. Enjoy yer second place.”
Gotta admit, though, now I see why Boudreau scratched Alzner last night. He’s a sneaky son of a gun – the Alzner/Jurcina pairing is now fresh for the Panthers game where they’re most needed. Question is, who gets the night off?
I didn’t mind the Alzner scratch last night. If you are going to carry 8 defensemen then guys are going to get rested. Of course had that game gone horribly wrong I might have felt differently. :-)
My guess is Kronwall and Erskine sit tonight, although I’d prefer to see Kronwall and Morrisonn out.
Russian Machine Never Breaks
per TEB
You just can’t call them the F-Line," Boudreau joked. "That doesn’t sound right. They’ve played two real good games together, and they’ll be together again tomorrow night.
music to my ears.
F3 Line
Actually, I don’t think it really matters who Flash and Fehr’s center is. You notice that Flash/Nylander/Fehr tore up the ice when they were grouped, as did Flash/Backstrom/Fehr. I think those two have awesome, awesome chemistry together, and all they need is <insert reasonably decent center here> to make amazing things happen. Fedorov works, and the lines seem to work as they are, so what the hey. Only thing I’m not crazy about is, who’s our third line RW? Gordon doesn’t work for that. I’d prefer to call up a winger.
if for no other reason than to shop one, I agree on the Hershey call up. Assuming SOB and Triple F hold, Koz is the “3rd” RW when he returns…Laich-Nyls-Koz? Bruce has been skating 5 centers (or 6) as well
I think the triple-F line stays when everyone healthy and you can keep the Ovechkin/Backstrom/Kozlov line together and put Semin with Nylander and Laich.
The team has so many guys who can score, someone who deserves top-six minutes isn’t going to get them, that’s just the way it is.
Yeah.
I tend to agree, although the SOB line is scary in its own right.
I like Beagle, don’t get me wrong. Boy’s a beast. We’ve got too many centers, right now, though, and I was not crazy about Gordon as a winger. I’d rather call up CBo and stick him on Nylander’s wing, leaving Semin up top until Kozlov comes back. I see pros and cons to either 8-19-25 and 21-92-28 or 8-19-28 and 21-92-25, so I kind of like the idea of them being interchangeable.
Just my personal preference, though.
Effing-F-Line -- Love It
Yes, enjoying the F 3 Line or the Effing F Line (or the Triple F line) depending on what you want to call it. But, like gotsparkly says, it doesn’t seem to matter who the center is for them. They’ve done well with Nylander and Backstrom as center and even with Steckel. I’m glad to see Fehr doing well. Flash seems to have become more of a playmaker when teamed up with Fehr.
i actually thinking Gordon would work really well with Flash/Fehr
by ns on Feb 15, 2009 5:18 PM EST up reply actions
Steckel more so than Gordon. It’d be interesting to see if Stecks could get his scoring touch from the AHL back with two guys who work well together.
How the HELL does Shaone Morrisonn keep getting a sweater?
by Whiter Mage on Feb 15, 2009 10:28 PM EST up reply actions
/shrug
Stecks has yet to be a consistent “threat” for secondary scoring, or really for grinding. He wins a lot of face-offs (Or, did last year, haven’t really looked at his numbers for this year yet) and does good on the PK. If anything, he seems like a Gordon who can’t play right wing yet. If he could pot 10-15 goals a year, I’d pencil him in on my third line. Get him 10-15 goals, 20-25 assists? I couldn’t be happier with that. (For what it’s worth, how many teams finish with more than 6 20-goal getters? It’s pretty rare. Expecting more than 10-15 from a 3rd liner is expecting far far too much.)
How the HELL does Shaone Morrisonn keep getting a sweater?
Love the line names
Now we got three named lines, for now. The SOB line, which opposing D will utter every time they’re out there. The F’n Line, which has the ability to produce some f-ing O and the B-line. Hmm. Boom, Bomb, Buzz — pick any adjective that suits this line. … Now, SGL, or GLS (sounds like a car model) or LGS, that’ll be hard. If they could pick up the offense, instead of shut it down, it could be the Goal Scoring Line. Again, a stretch. Ideas anyone?
More About Line Names
I’d prefer to call them the OBS line since that’s their order from left to right. I guess I’m partial to that name since I’m on a contract that supports an office whose code is OBS. I was keeping a running tally of the Caps record with the OBS line which had gotten up to 9-0, until hitting a 3 game slump. Now, it’s 10-3. (I’m not counting a few games where they didn’t start but appeared briefly. If that were the case, it would be 12-4, with loss number 4 as an attempt to generate some offense when they got behind.)
Then, I’ve been calling our F named friends, the Effing F line (which I’m sure strikes fear into the other team.)
The B line should, of course, be the Killer B’s. Okay, I’m not original.
For other possible combinations (which, of course, can’t be used with OBS and the Effing F), I have cooked up other nicknames. I have referred to the OBK line as the “Sheep and Goat” line being as the name Ovechkin means “little lamb” and the name Kozlov means “goat”. That line is one place where you don’t separate the sheep from the goats, unless you count the center as the separator. I have also referred to any line with Fedorov and Semin as the “Chipmunk” line being as Fedorov means “Theodore”, or son of Theodore and Semin means “Simon”. Sometimes, Semin has been on the line with Nylander and Laich for the SNL line. Let’s hope they do well on a Saturday Night Live as well as any other say of the week live.
In any case, there are numerous line combinations that can work with the Caps. Of course, having 3 scoring lines is predicated on having everyone healthy.
(One request, please no more Nylander as right wing on the first line. He’s sadly miscast in that role.)
I like SOB line better.
For the reason I stated below – they’re the SOB line because they make defenders say it when they have the puck and they make the fans say it when they take dumb penalties.
Jon...
…you around for this one? Any interest in a “Field Trip” at some point?
The Litter Box: Your SBNation Florida Panthers Blogging Colossus
Per In The Room..
I present, the Alex Semin Hat Trick
Semin had a great goal, a couple of did-he-just-do-that stickhandling moves and a hooking penalty in the first period. Let’s call that the Alexander Semin Hat Trick from now, eh?
Genius. Simply genius.
Can’t Miss.
The Litter Box: Your SBNation Florida Panthers Blogging Colossus
by Donny Rivette on Feb 15, 2009 4:30 PM EST up reply actions
Penalty and Goal
Then again, Semin was not the only Cap with both a goal and a penalty last night. Ovechkin and Green both got one of each. (Well, we can forgive that trio for their penalties.)
Anybody else watching the Panthers feed?
by Simply Sensational on Feb 15, 2009 5:06 PM EST reply actions
Let the Denis Potvin hating commence. And no, I don’t know what the deal is with the bowtie.
The Litter Box: Your SBNation Florida Panthers Blogging Colossus
by Donny Rivette on Feb 15, 2009 5:08 PM EST up reply actions
Nys a scratch, eh? Still not out of the doghouse?
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Er, Nyls
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by Donny Rivette on Feb 15, 2009 5:12 PM EST up reply actions
Beagle had a good game, against NYR, Gabby is just giving him another chance, if Koz gets healthy, Beagle will go back down to Hershey after our FLA trip.
by Simply Sensational on Feb 15, 2009 5:13 PM EST up reply actions
Vokoun was channeling Mike Smith for a second.
"Good crowd out there tonight, boys, let's really try to win this one."
indeed he was
The Litter Box: Your SBNation Florida Panthers Blogging Colossus
by Donny Rivette on Feb 15, 2009 5:13 PM EST up reply actions
Gotta keep throwing it
The Litter Box: Your SBNation Florida Panthers Blogging Colossus
by Donny Rivette on Feb 15, 2009 5:23 PM EST up reply actions
Yeah.
More busy than I like. Vokoun hasn’t been exactly idle either, but I’d like to spend less time in front of our own net.
the 5 PM start time probably threw them off
by Simply Sensational on Feb 15, 2009 5:23 PM EST up reply actions
agreed
The Litter Box: Your SBNation Florida Panthers Blogging Colossus
by Donny Rivette on Feb 15, 2009 5:23 PM EST up reply actions
You guys do typically rock on OTs
The Litter Box: Your SBNation Florida Panthers Blogging Colossus
by Donny Rivette on Feb 15, 2009 5:24 PM EST up reply actions
not quite pension plan puppets
The Litter Box: Your SBNation Florida Panthers Blogging Colossus
by Donny Rivette on Feb 15, 2009 5:23 PM EST up reply actions
Slackers.
The Litter Box: Your SBNation Florida Panthers Blogging Colossus
by Donny Rivette on Feb 15, 2009 5:24 PM EST up reply actions
Might rain up there
The Litter Box: Your SBNation Florida Panthers Blogging Colossus
by Donny Rivette on Feb 15, 2009 5:26 PM EST up reply actions
he scored… ha just kidding. he did okay nothing to good or bad
by Simply Sensational on Feb 15, 2009 5:26 PM EST up reply actions
Beagle?
Maybe Beagle does that? Brash doesn’t fight that much anymore, and seldom in the heat of the moment.
“Good grief”? Beagles? A connection?
The Litter Box: Your SBNation Florida Panthers Blogging Colossus
not good at all…spending all their time practicing shootouts
The Litter Box: Your SBNation Florida Panthers Blogging Colossus
by Donny Rivette on Feb 15, 2009 5:30 PM EST up reply actions
that was my point above. Letting WAS dictate terms
The Litter Box: Your SBNation Florida Panthers Blogging Colossus
by Donny Rivette on Feb 15, 2009 5:31 PM EST up reply actions
SPG
After one period, everyone is tied with zero points. I’m surprised nobody picked Ovechkin for the goal.
Pick SPG for your chance to win probably nothing.
Well, 52 wouldn’t have been a bad pick either.
"Good crowd out there tonight, boys, let's really try to win this one."
by Bald Pollack on Feb 15, 2009 5:36 PM EST up reply actions
PAnthers need a serious regrouping. a step behind on everything and uber-sloppy. Caps outplaying them mightily
The Litter Box: Your SBNation Florida Panthers Blogging Colossus
I’m not seeing that. I’m seeing some good effort in the corners for the pahters, not great but some solid effort, but bad shots. Where as the caps are taking better ‘quality’ of shots.
Agreed. It seemed like the Panthers got discouraged that they couldn’t put anything in the first 5-10 minutes of the game and sagged, and they haven’t gotten it back yet. This period was better for them than the one last week (I thought).
"Good crowd out there tonight, boys, let's really try to win this one."
by Bald Pollack on Feb 15, 2009 5:40 PM EST up reply actions
Lucky to get out behind by only one
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gonna be a deboer sandwich for the next 15
The Litter Box: Your SBNation Florida Panthers Blogging Colossus
by Donny Rivette on Feb 15, 2009 5:38 PM EST up reply actions
Caps have run circles during this clinic. Well done.
The Litter Box: Your SBNation Florida Panthers Blogging Colossus
Honestly, I’d be more nervous if Florida had the lead, the way things have gone lately.
The Litter Box: Your SBNation Florida Panthers Blogging Colossus
by Donny Rivette on Feb 15, 2009 5:40 PM EST up reply actions
Since the eight week point of the year? Yep.
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by Donny Rivette on Feb 15, 2009 5:47 PM EST up reply actions
Another moody goaltender.
Renney’s got to be on life support.
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by Donny Rivette on Feb 15, 2009 5:49 PM EST up reply actions
Been saying that about Thierrien for 2 months but he’s still there. Bizarre how these guys hang in.
Then again, go a little higher and look at Don Waddell.
The Litter Box: Your SBNation Florida Panthers Blogging Colossus
by Donny Rivette on Feb 15, 2009 5:50 PM EST up reply actions
lol
The Litter Box: Your SBNation Florida Panthers Blogging Colossus
by Donny Rivette on Feb 15, 2009 5:55 PM EST up reply actions
Panthers Trivia
Who led the team in postseason points during the ’96 Playoff Run?
"Good crowd out there tonight, boys, let's really try to win this one."
Mellanby?
The Litter Box: Your SBNation Florida Panthers Blogging Colossus
by Donny Rivette on Feb 15, 2009 5:56 PM EST up reply actions
Dave Lowry, FTW.
"Good crowd out there tonight, boys, let's really try to win this one."
by Bald Pollack on Feb 15, 2009 6:47 PM EST up reply actions
Real simple on Fehr: When he goes to the net, he’s able. Until two weeks ago he was happy skating around the perimeter, shooting wristers from up-high, etc.
This week will go a long way toward determining what the Cats do at the deadline, aside from Bouwmeester
The Litter Box: Your SBNation Florida Panthers Blogging Colossus
By that, I mean how they respond to the “better” clubs.
The Litter Box: Your SBNation Florida Panthers Blogging Colossus
by Donny Rivette on Feb 15, 2009 5:59 PM EST up reply actions
I’d maybe extend that into next week too. Is .500 or better do-able?
"Good crowd out there tonight, boys, let's really try to win this one."
by Bald Pollack on Feb 15, 2009 6:04 PM EST up reply actions
Washington has only lost twice in regulation when leading after the first
by Simply Sensational on Feb 15, 2009 5:59 PM EST reply actions
Be nice to get a PP for the first time in, oh, two weeks
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PP goal
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by Donny Rivette on Feb 15, 2009 6:03 PM EST up reply actions
Horton’s been physical, if not much more
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Preaching to the choir, my friend.
The Litter Box: Your SBNation Florida Panthers Blogging Colossus
by Donny Rivette on Feb 15, 2009 6:06 PM EST up reply actions
Wouldn’t find a lot of folks down here disappointed if he were to be dealt
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by Donny Rivette on Feb 15, 2009 6:08 PM EST up reply actions
how can you get all that for $17?! That’s half a ticket in the “Eagle’s Nest” at the Verizon Center
by Simply Sensational on Feb 15, 2009 6:08 PM EST reply actions
They’re sucking it up hoping to bring in the non-diehards…get them assimilated. Same with all of their deals. If we get to the postseason, it wion’t be the same next year.
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by Donny Rivette on Feb 15, 2009 6:10 PM EST up reply actions
Specifically the $17 thing was a reaction to gas prices being 4+$
The Litter Box: Your SBNation Florida Panthers Blogging Colossus
by Donny Rivette on Feb 15, 2009 6:11 PM EST up reply actions
this game is never going to end with all these penalties
by Simply Sensational on Feb 15, 2009 6:10 PM EST reply actions
i don’t know what to think of Jurcina and Schultz on the same pairing…
by Simply Sensational on Feb 15, 2009 6:15 PM EST reply actions
I think Schultz was moving to Weiss, Frolik got by a napping Jurcina and Gordon.
"Good crowd out there tonight, boys, let's really try to win this one."
by Bald Pollack on Feb 15, 2009 6:17 PM EST up reply actions
Brown rice sushi and a Firefly Arnold Palmer.
"Good crowd out there tonight, boys, let's really try to win this one."
You traveled 15 by bus to say THAT?
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by Donny Rivette on Feb 15, 2009 6:24 PM EST up reply actions
should have included “hours”, I suppose
The Litter Box: Your SBNation Florida Panthers Blogging Colossus
by Donny Rivette on Feb 15, 2009 6:25 PM EST up reply actions
Long weekend
The Litter Box: Your SBNation Florida Panthers Blogging Colossus
by Donny Rivette on Feb 15, 2009 6:25 PM EST up reply actions
No worries. I think just about the whole crowd didn’t do the road trip.
"Good crowd out there tonight, boys, let's really try to win this one."
by Bald Pollack on Feb 15, 2009 6:27 PM EST up reply actions
Intermission Highlight FAIL
Always pathetic, but in the span of 20 seconds the guy doing the detroit/colorado highlights mispronounced three names. LaParEE ( LaPerierre), SalEE (Salei), and ClarEE(Cleary). I mean really, Cleary as Claree? . Can we please get someone who knows hockey to do the highlights.
Your favorite meme is dead
But it's such an easy fix
Would it kill them to gat a hockey guy in there? Or a least a guy who can read a prompter correctly?
Your favorite meme is dead
Well hello, Claree…
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by Donny Rivette on Feb 15, 2009 6:41 PM EST up reply actions
Haven’t scored in two weeks on the PP…gonna happen sooner or later…maybe
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by Donny Rivette on Feb 15, 2009 6:48 PM EST up reply actions
Two weeks? Gone.
The Litter Box: Your SBNation Florida Panthers Blogging Colossus
by Donny Rivette on Feb 15, 2009 6:48 PM EST up reply actions
Should have twice that number
The Litter Box: Your SBNation Florida Panthers Blogging Colossus
by Donny Rivette on Feb 15, 2009 6:49 PM EST up reply actions
looking at his girlfriend, I’d agree
by Simply Sensational on Feb 15, 2009 6:50 PM EST up reply actions
One last time...it's his wife, BTW
The Litter Box: Your SBNation Florida Panthers Blogging Colossus
by Donny Rivette on Feb 15, 2009 6:51 PM EST up reply actions
just when i thought i couldn’t have any more distractions trying to watch this game…
WOW
by Simply Sensational on Feb 15, 2009 6:52 PM EST up reply actions
nevermind then, he was something like 3/13 last night
by Simply Sensational on Feb 15, 2009 6:55 PM EST up reply actions
Where’s JP tonight? How’d he get excused?
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Gotcha…thanks T
The Litter Box: Your SBNation Florida Panthers Blogging Colossus
by Donny Rivette on Feb 15, 2009 6:57 PM EST up reply actions
Tyler…did I meet you at Christmas…the Sabres game?
The Litter Box: Your SBNation Florida Panthers Blogging Colossus
by Donny Rivette on Feb 15, 2009 6:58 PM EST up reply actions
I unfortunately called you “Trevor” as you left. D’oh. My apologies, bro.
The Litter Box: Your SBNation Florida Panthers Blogging Colossus
by Donny Rivette on Feb 15, 2009 7:05 PM EST up reply actions
thanks
damn commercial break right when i wanted to be upset with someone.
by Natty Bumppo on Feb 15, 2009 6:59 PM EST up reply actions
It worked.
The Litter Box: Your SBNation Florida Panthers Blogging Colossus
by Donny Rivette on Feb 15, 2009 7:02 PM EST up reply actions
The penalty kill
They were luck to get out of that one.
Part of the problem with all these penalties is that they’re keeping the scorers off. Eric Fehr: 8:08 TOI.
And Steckel has more TOI than Fedorov.
"Good crowd out there tonight, boys, let's really try to win this one."
by Bald Pollack on Feb 15, 2009 7:12 PM EST up reply actions
Why is that? Seriously?
The Litter Box: Your SBNation Florida Panthers Blogging Colossus
by Donny Rivette on Feb 15, 2009 7:07 PM EST up reply actions
Don’t know whether to laugh or cry.
The Litter Box: Your SBNation Florida Panthers Blogging Colossus
by Donny Rivette on Feb 15, 2009 7:09 PM EST up reply actions
We can’t score on the PP with a gun to the head. The Caps are certainly aggressive
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Thanks for getting ready for us
The Litter Box: Your SBNation Florida Panthers Blogging Colossus
by Donny Rivette on Feb 15, 2009 7:13 PM EST up reply actions
We were lucky to avoid 5 on 3 that last penalty kill.
It seems like they just dare the officials to call them.
Caps gonna go hard for Jokinen?
Kidding. Funny to see he’s being shopped.
The Litter Box: Your SBNation Florida Panthers Blogging Colossus
Amen.
The Litter Box: Your SBNation Florida Panthers Blogging Colossus
by Donny Rivette on Feb 15, 2009 7:18 PM EST up reply actions
He called the post, by the way.
"Good crowd out there tonight, boys, let's really try to win this one."
Luckily we didn’t lose any points to a team competing against us.
The Litter Box: Your SBNation Florida Panthers Blogging Colossus
To be fair, we were throwing that game away with those penalties. It’s a close season series.
"Good crowd out there tonight, boys, let's really try to win this one."
by Bald Pollack on Feb 15, 2009 7:27 PM EST up reply actions
The way the Habs are playing, you might get that result too.
"Good crowd out there tonight, boys, let's really try to win this one."
by Bald Pollack on Feb 15, 2009 7:29 PM EST up reply actions
One can dream…
The Litter Box: Your SBNation Florida Panthers Blogging Colossus
by Donny Rivette on Feb 15, 2009 7:36 PM EST up reply actions
The SOB line
They’re really making a strong case to be called that. They make defenders say it when they get the puck and they make the fans say it when they take a lazy penalty.
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