The Caps' Secondary Scoring Slump
by J.P. on Feb 19, 2009 2:32 PM EST
Email
Print
As great as Alex Ovechkin is, as great as Mike Green has been, and as much as Eric Fehr has produced lately, they've masked a somewhat worrisome fact: the Capitals are not getting much secondary scoring these days.
Consider that Alex Semin has just three goals since January 17; Tomas Fleischmann has one since January 14; Michael Nylander has goals in two games since January 10; Nicklas Backstrom has two goals since January 6; Brooks Laich has two since December 30; Viktor Kozlov has two since December 26; and Sergei Fedorov has just one goal since November 6 (!). That's not a whole hell of a lot of production out of the guys who are penciled in on your top three lines who aren't named in that first paragraph.
Throw in the fact that the Caps have just one non-empty net goal from a blueliner on the current roster not named Green since December 16, and you can see that there's some cause for concern if the Caps should, say, find themselves in a playoff matchup against a team that figures out how to shut down AO (easier said than done, of course).
Point being, as the team starts readying itself for the playoffs, it would be nice if the team would start readying itself for the playoffs.
39 comments
|
Add comment
|
2 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
The lines just need to gel
Feds is still getting back up to speed. F Street will start to click, I’m sure of it.
Also, Semin is a streaky scorer. When it turns back on its going to be fun to watch.
I thought “F Street” was gelling? And Feds has played 16 games since Jan. 8 and has one goal. Shouldn’t he be back up to speed by now?
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Look how long it took Green to feel 100%
F street is gelling as far as the system is going. They are playing well together and getting pucks ON NET but so far Fehr is about the only one to get picks IN NET. It will come though.
Fedorov is in a Caps Jersey for one reason and one reason only: Post-Season. He’ll be there for us when the time comes.
And Backstrom seems to be getting more and more confident.
Like I said… I’m just waiting for the “Semin ex Machina” to wake up and we wil definitely see some production.
As for the D-Man goals. Outside of Green, what are we looking for from the Blue Line? A few from Juice would be nice considering the all-out howitzer he has for a slapshot but if the plan is to work in a way for Schultz, Poti, Morrison or Alzner to kick in a few points then we need a new plan.
Poti should have at least one goal since Thanksgiving, no?
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
He quietly has the best even strength Corsi among forwards though.
As it was alluded to the other day, his role was to act as a mentor of sorts for Semin. I’m hoping the message didn’t include taking a hiatus of sorts during January/February and hope it comes back for the playoffs.
"Good crowd out there tonight, boys, let's really try to win this one."
by Bald Pollack on Feb 20, 2009 8:56 AM EST up reply actions
He’s had the best Corsi all year, and is doing some other things (including recovering from an injury and presumably pacing himself).
Still…
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Oh, completely agreed. I’m just still bitching about that intangibles that cost $4 million.
"Good crowd out there tonight, boys, let's really try to win this one."
by Bald Pollack on Feb 20, 2009 11:06 AM EST up reply actions
As for Semin, yes, he’s streaky. But he’s only on a 28-goal pace since November. Lots and lots of assists in there, but he’s a goal scorer and needs to start scoring goals.
Here’s an idea – take him off the world’s best goal scorer’s line. Just a thought, not a sermon.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
I'm with that
I like the Alexes split up on the top two lines. I think Kozlov’s return will allow Bruce to do this.
Ugh… the McLean Bible Church tag line? I’m so gald I don’t listen to the radio anymore.
The Ovechkin Effect
One of the likely reasons secondary scoring is down is because other teams haven’t been shutting down Ovie. When he doesn’t score and we win, it’s usually because there’s 2 plus D men all over Ovie letting everyone else be free. When Ovie isn’t on the ice the other team is probably resting their best D to let them be fresh for Ovie. When they don’t shut him down they can be more balanced and prevent the secondary scores but allow the big guy to put 3 in, just a thought
Huh? When there are 2+ D-men all over Ovie that’s inhibiting the production of lines not on the ice? And are teams playing three or four D against AO?
I think the point (s)he’s making is that when teams gameplan to stop AO, that frees up the other lines a bit, but when teams just roll their lines and D-pairings (and heaven knows why they would do that), AO scores more and other lines end up facing higher quality competition than they might when the opponents a playing the line-matching game.
I’m not sure I buy it – teams always try to match-up against AO, it seems – but that’s the theory.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Agreed JP. This is a problem. It’s closely related to the problem of players not numbered ‘8’ and ‘52’ showing up on a nightly basis. This is a team in cruise control and the stats show it. They only show up for games against BOS-level teams, or when they’re playing in front of a 20-year-old G.
Also, Semin skating on a line with 8 makes as much sense as Glen Sather spending so much money on…
Cruise control?
Perhaps, but if them cruising a little bit now and winning at this clip means that they’re mentally fresh and jazzed for the playoffs, I can deal with that. Mike Green made a remark to that effect in his conference call the other day.
You have to remember that last night, we were playing a team that had just had a bucket of icewater thrown at their psyches. They’re spiraling down, desperate, and fighting for their hockey lives. And realistically, they’re a very good team. They were going to come out flying, and every single one of us knew it. They did. So why are we surprised that they put up the kind of fight they did?
I think the problem last night was not one of effort, and to say that it is isn’t giving the Habs enough credit. It was, as JP said, a problem with geling, a bunch of individuals on the ice rather than a team.
That said, I do agree that secondary scoring is something we need more of. Backstrom did well last night – let’s hope he keeps it up. Like someone else said, Semin is streaky. Flash needs to step up, as does Laich.
No one’s surprised that MTL put up a good effort. But a MTL team without Kovalev, Lang, Tanguay and others simply shouldn’t be able to keep up with the Caps playing at home, much less take them to a shootout.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
There are several reasons to move Semin to a different line:
1. Two lines with a Semin(al) ha talent and a nose of the net are better than 1
2. They both get caught being too fancy when they play with one another.
3. They both love to shoot the puck.
For me, the third is the best reason to break the line up. They both have great shots. If the goalie makes the stop, it frequently leads to rebounds and goalies being out of position. An off winger that is going to the net should be able to score lots of goalies just on this fact alone.
As for why Kozlov hasn’t been scoring as Ovi’s winger, well… maybe there is a hole in my theory.
by Sct112 on Feb 19, 2009 3:20 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
I wholeheartedly endorse this comment – there simply aren’t enough pucks to go around to warrant keeping the SOB line together. A Kozlov or Fehr or Laich top line RW makes far more sense to me, but I don’t have an Adams trophy, so…
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Sounds great ....
Except that Kozlov is injured right now :) I’ll hold my tongue on the SOB line until Koz comes back, because putting other people on that right wing thus far has been a spectacular flop.
ok… so what are your lines that will fix this with a healthy kozlov? do you keep the f bombs together?
ovechkin-backstrom-kozlov
fleishmann-fedorov-fehr
semin-steckel-laich
brashear-gordon-bradley
i think having 8, 14 and 28 on different lines gives us a constant shooting threat
Probably not by accident.
Still, I’d go with:
8-19-25
28-91-21
14-92-16
87/10-39-15
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Assuming there are no trades between now and the end of the season, that’d be my lineup too.
I’d also get 91 out on the PK, I’d ban 19 from PKing again all year, and I’d sub for 19 on non-neutral-zone faceoffs until he shows he’s going to take them more seriously.
Agreed. Though I would say take him out for the defensive zone ones only. I’m less inclined to take him off of the offensive ones because he is such a threat offensively. If they can get a good forecheck going the offensive loses are less disasterous than the defensive ones.
Also, when would he get any practice against guys that weren’t named Coach Dean if he was only taking neutral zone face-offs?
I could also potentially live with:
8-19-25
14-91-28
21-39-16
87-15-10
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
I might be mistaken, but didn’t Bruce have them together at one point earlier in the year (and weren’t they a line on Hershey’s Calder Cup team)?
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
these are the lines I’d like us to use when Kozlov is healthy. If they start to gell run with it, if they don’t mix it up a bit.
I think Boudreau would read that comment like this:
these are the lines I’d like us to use when Kozlov is healthy. If they start to gell run with it, if they don’tmix it upa bit.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Great research and article JP, some of those numbers and dates mentioned above are very eye-opening. To me though, it highlights the team’s strengths more than the secondary scoring slump, which quite frankly had been completely unnoticeable to me, at least collectively. The Caps’ depth, chemistry, intangibles, and improved goaltending have become equal parts of this team’s constitution and reason for success, and all are characteristics of a playoff-primed team. For some reason, the lack of secondary scoring doesn’t worry me.
That they’ve been able to win often and usually easily is a testament to AO and Green, the goaltending, and the fact that when they’ve needed it, someone else has usually stepped up.
But those individual goal-scoring rates aren’t where they should be and hopefully will be come April.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
A lot of games I see BB start the games with these paper perfect lines and then the Caps start getting shut down by some crap team like the oilers so he mixes it up half way through to ’ole faithful SOB.
It was pretty awesome last night when the 1st line was Ovi, Backs, Semin, with Green and Feds on D. That’s better than any teams 1st pp unit just about.
It was also pretty telling (And awesome in it’s own way) that Steckel got a garbage goal. Ovi-Backs-Semin-Green-Feds is about as good as any fivesome in the NHL, but no one on the ice would be in front of the net waiting to deflect or get dirty.
How the HELL does Shaone Morrisonn keep getting a sweater?
Something to say? Choose one of these options to log in.
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Related FanPosts on Japers' Rink
Related FanShots on Japers' Rink
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recent FanPosts
FanShots
Quick hits of video, photos, quotes, chats, links and lists that you find around the web.
Recent FanShots
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)
The Vault
In Association With
Latest Puck Daddy - NHL from Yahoo! Sports
- The Chicago Blackhawks’ losing streak is bad for everybody
- According to NHL, here’s why Dominic Moore escaped suspension for Fedotenko hit
- How Mats Sundin’s no-trade clause controversy made fans reconsider loyalty in NHL
- Nordiques Nation invades Hockey Day in Canada
- Youth hockey coach, parents clash over alleged tirade over 9-year old’s 200th goal puck
Certain photos copyright © 2012 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
