Recap - Avs 4, Caps 1
by J.P. on Feb 20, 2009 11:55 PM EST
62 comments
[AP Recap - Game Summary - Event Summary - WashingtonCaps.com Postgame]
Bruce Boudreau, after tonight's 4-1 loss to Colorado, remarked, "We just didn’t have it. We had nothing. We were horrible."
Fact, fact and fact.
Hey, it happens. But it's the frequency with which these "efforts" are happening that is more than a little disconcerting.
Earlier in the day on Friday, Boudreau wouldn't agree that the Caps have a tendency at times to play down to the level of their opponents, going as far as to chide the reporter asking the question, but if Friday night's "effort" wasn't playing down to the opponent's level (or, more accurately, far beneath it), then the Caps are simply not a good team. Take your pick.
The Caps let a team with the fewest points in the Western Conference come into their barn and dictate play from the opening faceoff, outshooting their hosts 20-16 through two periods. They let a goalie whose save percentage and goals against average don't even make the top thirty in a thirty-team league have his best road game in two months. They let a lead-footed defenseman score his first goal in 106 games and look like the "other" 52 on the ice in the process. They didn't get pucks deep, attempted more hopelessly unsuccessful Hail Mary passes than an October's worth of Sundays, and didn't get big saves when they needed them. For forty-plus minutes, the Caps were playing as if they figured they could keep the game close and they'd get a power play on which Mike Green would score or Alex Ovechkin would do something spectacular in the last five minutes and, two points later, everyone would forget what came before. But that didn't happen. This one got away.
The Caps still have a brilliant record, especially at the Verizon Center. They still, of course, have brilliant players having brilliant seasons. And tonight wasn't without a few bright spots (the penalty kill and faceoffs, to name two). But if they're not worried about the way they've played some of the League's lesser lights, they're fooling themselves, because the difference between the Avs, Kings, Oilers, et. al. and whomever they're going to draw in the first round of the playoffs might be a lot less than they think.
The last time the Caps put up a stinker like this was against Edmonton a month ago. Besides being a home game against a Northwest Division opponent, the other thing that that game had in common with tonight's is that the next game on the schedule was Pittsburgh. We all know of the circus that's involved every time the Caps and Pens square off, so perhaps there was a bit of looking ahead on Friday night, which makes Sunday's game the biggest game of the year for the Caps: a reeling top rival... at home... on national television... a chance to make the statement that the Caps are a contender, and a team that takes care of business and wins the games it should win in the fashion in which it should win them.
But if they don't prevail on Sunday, it certainly won't be because the Caps played down to the level of their competition. Because they don't do that. That question is not a good question.
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Just got back from the game and here-here JP. Wonderfully said. What a bunch of f’ing b.s. mf’er crap ball stinky poo.
I was yelling at Kronwall to cross check that dude in the teeth.
I was cringing when Nylander turned over the puck in the neutral zone for no reason.
I was puking in my mouth when Theo decided to cover the bottom of the net with just his glove.
I just don’t get…as hard as all these guys like to work they just think goals are just going to happen for them and they’ll just win games against lower opponents. They could have been shutout tonight easily.
by zephyr on Feb 21, 2009 12:15 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
I really hope Corey (or whoever the reporter that originally asked it was) asks him about that again and never lets him forget it. BB is a great coach in most ways, but it’s embarrassing how little this team seems to care about playing the bad teams. You’d think after a half-dozen times going through this same thing they’d realize what’s going on, but apparently they haven’t seen it enough to open their eyes.
by brs03 on Feb 21, 2009 12:50 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
I come home from VCU for a Caps game and this is what I get treated to. Well my record falls to 7-1 on the season.
by CapitalsKremlin on Feb 21, 2009 1:03 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
Big deal
Boy, the boys weren’t playing the game last night at all. Having said that, the Av didn’t give the Caps ANY ROOM at all. They played the Caps’ pointmen high on the power play. They were in all the passing lanes, etc. But on defense, they didn’t look like a team at all.
Hey, I can’t explain it – I can only skate in a forward direction.
by hotdog88gt on Feb 21, 2009 7:46 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
certainly, much respect to the Avs.
But the crux of the matter is the continual disappointing lack of effort at times. I don’t know why, but maybe they’re reading their headlines too much. But this team isn’t that good that it can just turn off the effort and coast.
Wednesday, they didn’t play that well (which wasn’t surprising against a desperate team that played decently) but to get throttled by the Avalanche is inexcusable.
I’m also down on Jose. I don’t think he played the worst he has ever played for us, but with all the talk he was going on about, he should have stood on his head. If you’re going to run your yap, you better back it up.
by Chimaera on Feb 21, 2009 8:38 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
I’m also down on Jose. I don’t think he played the worst he has ever played for us, but with all the talk he was going on about, he should have stood on his head. If you’re going to run your yap, you better back it up.
All due respect, but standing on his head wouldn’t have helped. If anything, the sleepwalking team in front of him was the bigger problem.
"Good crowd out there tonight, boys, let's really try to win this one."
by Bald Pollack on Feb 21, 2009 9:41 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I didn’t get into many specifics in the post, b/c they seemed relatively irrelevant to the big picture problem, but here are a couple of thoughts:
- Where were Brash or Brads to provide a spark that was obviously needed?
- Staffan Kronwall can go back to whatever AHL hole he crawled out of as far as I’m concerned.
- Alex Semin is wearing on my last nerve, and the Care Bear line that was broken up in the third should be reunited only on the rarest of occasions (like when the Caps find themselves down late AND all three players have actually been working hard the whole game).
- The game was incredibly poorly officiated.
- Fedorov was terrible. Nylander was worse.
Meh.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
by J.P. on Feb 21, 2009 9:03 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
I agree on Kronwall, though I suppose he might come around with another game or two to adjust. Still, I don’t have faith in a man who wears a visor in the fashion he does. What the hell is that?
You can speculate for hours on what’s going on, but this much I know is true: Nylander earned himself another healthy scratch.
by David M. Getz on Feb 21, 2009 9:52 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Agreed about Semin – he’s a feast or famine kinda guy. Sometimes he looks brilliant and sometimes he looks like he has no idea what he’s doing.
As for the officiating, it wasn’t even the penalty calls. It was little things like icings being waved off when they shouldn’t have been at all.
There were also a number of bad bounces that went against the caps, especially in those points of the game when they actually hustled (i.e., all the missed open net chances they had). That gets frustrating.
Some good news – the penalty kill was 5 for 5.
by sincitycapsfan on Feb 21, 2009 10:21 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I still think Semin is here for the rest of the season. Over the summer, I’d be thinking long and hard about whether I wanted him back if I were McPhee (especially since Semin would net a good return).
by David M. Getz on Feb 21, 2009 12:07 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Right after AO got into that dustup with the Avs tough guy, Cody McCleod, Bruce should have sent Brash out to straighten things out. It would have restored order and maybe swung some momentum to the Caps. What’s the prupose of having a deterrent if you don’t threaten to use it when necessary?
by b.orr4 on Feb 21, 2009 1:56 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Brashear
Just and FYI: there’s no one on the Avs that would fight Brashear. No one is even close to his weight class. Sending him out wouldn’t have done anything.
In fact, I was a little surprised to see him in the line-up since the Avs don’t have any true enforcers. Just a lot of Pests. One who can fight: Laperriere, one who can’t McLeod, and one who’s a bitch-ass and won’t: Tucker.
The 2008-2009 Colorado Avalanche: Slumpbusters
by Jibblescribbits on Feb 21, 2009 4:33 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Which is why Matt Bradley should have stepped up and done his job.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
by J.P. on Feb 21, 2009 5:16 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
That would assume that everybody was doing their job. Nobody was.
I was in the lower bowl after deciding to go to the game at the last minute. It was a miserable experience watching a talented, young, normally passionate team not give a damn. Two things stood out for me:
1. The fact that the Caps didn’t chase down pucks until the last half of the third period, after it was far too late. I can’t count the amount of times Green allowed some opponent beat him to the puck because he was gliding along with little effort.
2. Mo’s intermission interview. Specifically: “They’re not a division rival, so we have to force ourselves to get up for this game.” Nice thing to tell a sold-out home crowd
Only Flash and Fehr seemed to give any kind of honest effort tonight. Which is why Thedore got hung out to dry on 24 SOG—nearly all of them seemed to come from five feet of the net.
Pathetic.
by Forsch31 on Feb 21, 2009 6:00 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Who said Brasher needed to fight? I said send him out to let the Avs know the next time it wouldn’t be tolerated. All Brashear would have had to do was line up next to McLeod, ask him if he wanted to go and when he said no that would end it for the night. That’s why I called him a deterrent.
by b.orr4 on Feb 21, 2009 6:01 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I don’t think it would have deterred McLeod.
The 2008-2009 Colorado Avalanche: Slumpbusters
by Jibblescribbits on Feb 21, 2009 8:52 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
At least we can say the caps are beating contenders, ie detroit, boston, new jersey, etc. I mean, the only way you establish yourself as a contender is if you beat contenders. It just bugs me that the west—as a whole—has walked all over them this year which could be signs that they are yet so close yet so far from that big shiny thing. They got their chances last night, but missed like three wiiiiiide open nets, wtf. For the record, I don’t think Kronwall is that bad, he was just trying so hard to make an impression for himself last night. Nylander is kinda making me mad, I think caps need to make a push for a good defenseman to be a serious contender, maybe take a run at Bouwmeester or Pronger—depending on where their teams sit—come deadline time?
by bigmac1124 on Feb 21, 2009 9:50 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
Random thoughts
After witnessing last night’s game, several things became remarkably clear:
On Ovi- while he may have among the greatest set of hands in the league it is his feet that make him the best player on the planet. IMO, he seemed to be favoring his foot all game and lacked the breakaway quickness that defines him. But for the first few shifts of the first period, his breakaway quickness was average at best, he couldn’t separate and he couldn’t create space. After that his energy faded and as his energy faded, so did the team’s. I don’t how many hits he had but I can only remember 1 or 2.
And as Ovi’s energy goes, so goes the Caps. The Caps rely not only on his breathtaking physical skills but feed off his energy, possibly to an extreme degree and (more worriedly) possibly as a necessity. Some player other than Ovi needs to be the spark when he cannot. When that doesn’t happen and the Caps are playing an inferior team prior to playing their two biggest rivals in the next two games, they are prone to wandering around and you get last night’s performance. The playoff atmosphere, intensity-wise, will take of itself I think.
Feds has looked increasingly old to me. I had hoped his time on IR would have him fresher for the end of the year but that doesn’t seem to be happening. Maybe he is having his December energy lull in February and will bounce back in April. But I am very concerned.
Kronwall will deservedly take some heat for the first goal but I watched the replay last night after the game and IMO his hesitation looked more a function of unfamiliarity. He was positioned in front of the net and had to get back to make the hit. He got there but not quite in time. I put more blame on Theo than him; Theo needs to hold the post better. He did miss an open net but so did Semin, Fehr, Flash etc. I think the puck rolled on him abit and he got it up. I am not ready to throw in the towel.
Semin needs a new stick or at the very least a new curve. His wrist shots are sometimes 5 feet over the net. When he shoots topshelf, he is not even close.
Nyls- yuck.
Backstrom is getting an attitude. I think I like it.
If it ain't broke, don't break it.
by ChrisAm on Feb 21, 2009 10:00 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
Backstrom was the only Cap that I was happy to have on the team last night.
The Caps need some leadership on the ice. They might be missing Clark more than any of us expected. I understand that Ovi is the leader on the team but I’ve always favored a grinder/guts guy actually wearing the C. Hard work is impossible to shut down. Whether it produces goals or not, its successful because it doesn’t have anything to do with the opponent. If you are outworking the other team, be it Boston or the Isles, they can’t do anything about it. Does trading for a semi-skilled agitator make sense?
Feds should be helping in this leadership role and I don’t see him doing it. I hope that he can turn things around, and I suppose that his worth will be measured come April/May.
This team needed a good ole fashion ass kicking, and all the better the Avs gave it to them. There is no excuse at this point. They have been winning despite playing down to their opponents (as mentioned several times yesterday and here). Even the losses that they had against the Kings (They are a good team playing well) and the Rags (Desperate team, in their barn) were “positive losses” where they showed grit and heart etc. That argument can’t apply to last night. They were reminded that they can’t simply rely on Greenie, Ovi and Theo to win in this league, even if their opponent has 20 less points than them.
All that said, maybe Bruce outwitted us all, saying those things to let his team think that they can just keep sliding by, but all the time knowing they would get hammered by the Avs and he could then use this as a fresh example… man… He’s a GENIUS!!!!
by Sct112 on Feb 21, 2009 10:47 AM EST reply actions 1 recs
Great comment, but one word jumped off the screen at me:
leadership
They clearly miss Clark (as you note), and I agree that Feds doesn’t seem to be pulling his weight in that regard (certainly not with the North American players, and if he is with Semin, it ain’t showing). And you know who else they really miss in this area? Olie Kolzig. This team doesn’t have someone right now who’s willing to blow his stack, and they could probably use it.
I think trading for a Gary Roberts type (recall what he meant to Pitt) could be the move to make.
Spot-on comment.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
by J.P. on Feb 21, 2009 10:52 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
That’s all well and good but we need to take into account how well the opponent plays as well. We never seem to do that, and the Av played very well last night.
by hotdog88gt on Feb 21, 2009 11:04 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Who gives a crap how the other team played? If the Caps had played hard and lost to a team that simply rose to the occasion or had a better game plan, I don’t think we’d have any heartburn about the game.
That’s not to take anything away from Colorado – they were the better team last night, and their defense in particular was impressive. But we’re talking about the Caps’ effort here, nothing more, nothing less.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
by J.P. on Feb 21, 2009 11:10 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I agree. It’s not that the Capitals lost, it’s how they lost – by being selfish and lazy and not adhering to their coaches’ game plan.
by David M. Getz on Feb 21, 2009 12:06 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Absolutely
That’s a tough addition to make, though. Can a guy just walk into a room and overhaul its mindset? On- and off-ice leadership would definitely help but the coaching staff has to do a better job of getting their point across and holding guys accountable. Guys need to step up and lead by example but instead of doing that guys just seem to want to do everything themselves instead of resorting to smart team play. Again, I tend to think that goes back to how these guys are prepared for games. There has to be a stronger reliance on improved team play in games where an adjustment from their normal finesse sniping game just won’t cut it.
by Langway on Feb 21, 2009 11:31 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Improving the leadership would help a lot. The team needs a Roberts-esque guy right now: a veteran who isn’t afraid to give the team a kick in the ass when they need it and won’t accept losing or half assed efforts.
by David M. Getz on Feb 21, 2009 12:27 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
after watching last night
is ryan smith available? contract too out-of-control?
by Natty Bumppo on Feb 21, 2009 1:06 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Cap hit is 6.25M through 2011-12.
by David M. Getz on Feb 21, 2009 1:46 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Nylander on the first line
Per Cory (via the What We’re Reading sidebar):
The Caps are going through practice right now at a packed house here in Arlington. Bruce Boudreau only needed one bad effort to change up the lines he used for four straight games — which was pretty much a record for this team. Viktor Kozlov is on the ice, but wearing a blue jersey.
Ovechkin-Backstrom-Nylander (red)
Fleischmann-Fedorov-Semin (gray)
Laich-Steckel-Fehr (green)
Brashear-Gordon-Bradley (white)
What exactly about last night’s performance indicated that Nylander deserved to be moved up a line? Did he even play in the third period?
by David M. Getz on Feb 21, 2009 12:17 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Those lines are… interesting.
At least Semin and Ovechkin are on separate lines.
Frankly, I’d have gone with:
Ovechkin-Backstrom-Fehr
Flash-Feds-Semin
Bourque-Steckel-Fehr
Brash-Gordon-Bradley
But what do I know?
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
by J.P. on Feb 21, 2009 12:27 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Well, I really think that spot with Ovechkin is a microcosm of the problem people are having with Boudreau at the moment. That has to be the single most coveted winger spot in the hockey right now and you can bet the Capitals can round up someone who’s going to appreciate it, bust their ass, and put up decent enough numbers (coughcoughEricFehrcoughcough). Instead we see Semin, who shows no interest in adapting his game to incorporate more discipline or to be less cutesy and now Nylander, coming off a game that should have earned him a healthy scratch. Accountability, anyone?
by David M. Getz on Feb 21, 2009 12:31 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Problem is that I seriously doubt Nylander has a future on this team, but the only way the team can trade him is to play him. Making him a healthy scratch isn’t going to help them do that, not with other GM’s worried about future league revenue and what that might do to the salary cap in two years. Nyls is still a hefty cap hit for two more seasons.
This is still a team in transition, and Boudreau has to deal with that. He’s willing to hold Nylander accountable (and has), but with the trade deadline looming, he might not have as much leeway as he did in November.
by Forsch31 on Feb 21, 2009 6:06 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
The only way the team can trade him is if he waives his no movement clause. That’s a bigger obstacle in my opinion.
by David M. Getz on Feb 21, 2009 7:00 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
first and third lines
that’s a lot of ice time for fehr, no? :)
by Natty Bumppo on Feb 21, 2009 1:11 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Heh. Dammit. Throw Laich on 3rd-line RW. :)
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
by J.P. on Feb 21, 2009 1:22 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I like Nyles on line 1. If he can get 3 or 4 accidental points in the next two weeks, maybe he’ll have some value and they can ship his ass somewhere else.
by Gould Old Days on Feb 21, 2009 12:33 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I think the odds of Nylander waiving his NMC during the season are very, very small.
by David M. Getz on Feb 21, 2009 12:41 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I don’t agree. I think Nylander wants out.
by Forsch31 on Feb 21, 2009 6:07 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I haven’t heard him say anything about wanting to go anywhere.
How the HELL does Shaone Morrisonn keep getting a sweater?
by Whiter Mage on Feb 21, 2009 8:02 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
To answer your sig line
I think it’s the same way Nyls keeps getting one…he gets paid too much NOT to get a sweater apparently.
by wittcap79 on Feb 21, 2009 8:39 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I don’t always agree with Boudreau’s decisions but I will say this: that he has scratched Nylander this season at least once and was willing to scratch Pothier last season indicates that he’s not going to keep guy in the lineup simply as an effort to justify their contracts.
by David M. Getz on Feb 21, 2009 9:09 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
He has been lately, but we’ll see. It’s been beaten to death here and we all, in some way or another advocated more playing time for him. Well, he got it, on the top line no less, and did…..ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!
by wittcap79 on Feb 21, 2009 9:16 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
And why would he? He’s making a ton of money, his family is (presumably) happy in the DC area, and he’s on a great young team that looks poised to go deep in the playoffs. I could see him waiving it in the offseason, but I don’t see it happening now.
by David M. Getz on Feb 21, 2009 9:10 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Nyles is going nowhere. And he may cost the Caps a Stanley Cup in the process. It’s not just his bad play, but the 4 1/2 mil in cap space he is sucking into his black hole.
by urhockey22 on Feb 21, 2009 12:48 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
4 4/5 million.
I don’t think he’d cost the team a Cup. They can always scratch him.
by David M. Getz on Feb 21, 2009 1:03 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
If there's any justice...
That’s just a precursor to a Nylander scratch, but his replacement (Kozlov or callup) isn’t skating today.
by brs03 on Feb 21, 2009 1:14 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
neutral zone trap
laughlin mentioned twice that the avs’ trap defense was making it difficult on the caps, as if it were something they weren’t accustomed to seeing. my understanding was that the trap can be beaten (especially with the return of hooking and holding calls) by teams exactly like the caps…speed and skill to get around the defenders.
is that wrong? could it be that they weren’t dumping and chasing enough? in recent weeks, we’re also seeing a lot of turnovers due to players trying to carry the puck through traffic. not everyone can be alex ovechkin out there.
by Natty Bumppo on Feb 21, 2009 1:23 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
If this team has one consistent offensive flaw its that they feel they are skilled enough to carry the puck in against everyone that they play. It simply isn’t true.
Speed and size, which the Caps have ample quantities of, are very effective when used as part of an aggresive forecheck. The Caps are at their best when they are forechecking (as is everyone) and the way you start a good forecheck is getting pucks deep.
by Sct112 on Feb 21, 2009 1:28 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Couldn’t have said it better myself.
by David M. Getz on Feb 21, 2009 1:47 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Hard work vs talent
I use to have a coach ( basketball, but the anology still works) that would put an equation on the blackboard after a bad game:
Superior skill & hard work usually beats lesser skill and hard work
BUT
Less skill and hard work always beats superior skill and no work.
The message being that no matter how good a team is, if they don’t put out the effort they’re going to lose to a decent team that badly outworks them. That’s what happened last night. The Caps looked at the standings and figured they could just throw their gloves on the ice and get the two points. Green’s head was so big after all the press clippings, I’m surprised he didn’t tip over. He’d played as lazy a game as I’ve ever seen. Ovie tried to do way too much. ShaMo and Kronwall did too little. ( Ahh Stefan, you are allowed to hit Smyth when he’s taking four whacks at the puck) And Nylander, well he just plain sucks. The good news is that if they had somehow managed to come back and win last night, it would have just reinforced the bad work ethic. Now Bruce can legitimately get their attention for tomorrow’s game.
by b.orr4 on Feb 21, 2009 1:50 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Sounds like I missed the right game.
How the HELL does Shaone Morrisonn keep getting a sweater?
by Whiter Mage on Feb 21, 2009 2:35 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Hoo, that was stinker
Yes, the Caps went out and laid a big old hairy egg last night. I was reminded, ironically enough, of the Caps of 3-5 years ago who just could not get out of their zone. If memory serves, 3 of the goals were directly tied to poor clearing attempts.
On offense, blech. If they’re going to play a trap, imo the thing to do is make them pay for it by lobbing it in deep and punishing them on the boards. Still and all, they did miss some complete layups, which won’t happen in that quantity very often.
I’m withholding judgment until after the Pitt game – if they come out on fire, hey, every team is allowed a flat effort now and again.
by fat_daddyo on Feb 21, 2009 3:18 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Hershey
Anyone heading up to watch the Bears and the Phantoms play? I’ll be there, Tarik is going…
OH, and although Varlamov is still injured, he was spotted by one of my roommates at the Milton Hershey Ice Rink getting some practice in with two other Bears players this morning.
by Simply Sensational on Feb 21, 2009 3:24 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
The team is young.
One of the pleasures I have enjoyed for the past couple of years is watching this team grow. They are very young (at least the best players are) so you have to expect some bad games. They seem to have lulls and I think that is rather natural. Honestly I do not mind them mailing in games every now and again as that seems to motivate them after they do it. I would not want to be the penguins on Sunday.
by pigeonhed on Feb 21, 2009 5:23 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
JP are you serious? DMG - I'm disappointed in you too...
Guys what are you thinking? Yes, the Caps sucked eggs last night – no doubt about it. A truly lackluster showing, but give credit where it’s due – the Avs executed their game plan to a tee. Now why am I disappointed in you guys? It’s simple – the Washington Capitals with 79 points are firmly in a battle for second place in the Eastern Conference, on pace for a 110+ point season. Yet you two think the response to the latest streatch of games where they’ve gone 7-2-1 in their last 10 games (0.750 hockey) is to: 1) rail against a coach who doesn’t want to call out players to the media while we make the final run to the playoffs; 2) explore trading our second or third best forward and a guy who is averaging 1.25 points a game in the 40 games he’s played; 3) rail against a goalie who is having a very solid year because he couldn’t single-handedly beat his former team on a night when the entire team was off pace; and 4) complain about a 39 year future hall of famer who at times has been the only guy on the team who can win faceoffs because he isn’t inspiring the North Americans and last we should 5) call up Borque who hasn’t really yet shown he can consistently play in the NHL to what – shake things up?
I think you guys are really overreacting – take a chill pill – go back to your day jobs and let the professionals – Boudreau & McPhee sort this out. And factor this into things – what kind of message would Ovie, Feds and Kozlov think is being sent when one of the best Russian players in the world is shipped off because why?
by markbona-capsfan99 on Feb 21, 2009 9:18 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
If you want to just mindlessly love the home team and pretend that all is perfect in the world, go to OFB and bask in the way they poop sunshine.
This blog is excellent for lots of reasons, but one of them is because it doesn’t hesitate to forthrightly analyze performance. The commenters here are often smart, engaged and knowledgeable.
If you think there weren’t problems vs. COL and that there have been for a few games… well, that’s just willful ignorance. Try the Wizards. I think they could use some mindless homerism right about now.
by TylerG on Feb 21, 2009 11:02 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Tyler - read the first line of my post...
I Started with “Guys what are you thinking? Yes, the Caps sucked eggs last night – no doubt about it. A truly lackluster showing…” That said I stick by my points last and not just because the Caps “pasted” the Pengiuins the last time out.
1) At the time of the post and since – Semin has over 1.25 points per game – that puts him at #5 in the league in stats – who do we trade him for that gets us the same or better productivity and costs $4M/year next season? The guys in front of him right now are: Crosby (8.7M), Ovechkin (9M), Malkin (8.7M) and Kariya (has played 11 games so Semin is actually # 4 of guys who’ve played 40 or more games. Datsuyk is right behind him at 1.25 PPG and his Cap Hit is 6.7M…
2) Playing 0.750 hockey in their last 10 put the Caps on par or above the pace of over 80% of the teams in the league. Granted the tendency to not get up for lesser teams, especially lesser teams in the Western Conference is confounding and frustrating, but it’s not because of the coaching staff, it’s the players… though not “the role players” – if you want to see Nylander sit out more fine by me, but That seems to be a real waste….
3) Theodore since the Rangers game isn’t the problem, JP has covered this ad nausiem…
4) Federov’s leadership – basically, I disagree with JP and DMG’s assessment there – so if they say something it’s making excellent points; if I say it, I’m “mindlessly loving the home team” – I got it, maybe I should move to Pittsburgh and share an apartment with Pierre Maguire, I’ll get back to you on that one, but I don’t see that happening any sooner then a trade that swaps Nylander for Malkin…
5) I’m not sold on Chris Bourque as the right guy to call up from Hershey if you want to shake things up a little so again disagree with DMG since I think we need bigger, more physical guys and again somehow that makes me “mindless”…
I stand by what I said – I wasn’t a GMGM “hater” when it was somewhat fashionable before the replacement of Coach Hanlon and I’m not now; I’m also definately a bigg fan of what Coach Boudreau has done – I love the exciting style of hockey the Caps have played since he took over and I think the results have and continue to speak for themselves. As far as not thinking there were problems against the Av’s I’m pretty sure if you look at the whole post again, you’ll see I agreed the Caps were horrible in that game. However, I did think folks were overreacting then and I still do, further I, a marketing professional, disagreed with a) a guy who is an Attorney by day; and another guy who just finished grad shool in I believe the subject is economics though I defer to DMG if I’m wrong. I think my qualifications to disagree with them is clearly on par with their qualificatins to comment on what GMGM and last year’s Jack Adams Winner think the right things to do are…
by markbona-capsfan99 on Feb 23, 2009 2:52 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
For the record, it was J.P. who mentioned recalling Bourque. But I can’t say I disagree with him.
by David M. Getz on Feb 23, 2009 6:56 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
For the record, it was also J.P. who spelled “Fedorov” correctly. C’mon, mate.
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by J.P. on Feb 24, 2009 7:27 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
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Southeast Standings
| GP | W | L | OTL | PT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Washington
|
59 | 41 | 12 | 6 | 88 |
|
Tampa Bay
|
57 | 25 | 21 | 11 | 61 |
|
Atlanta
|
57 | 25 | 24 | 8 | 58 |
|
Florida
|
58 | 24 | 25 | 9 | 57 |
|
Carolina
|
58 | 21 | 30 | 7 | 49 |
(updated 2.9.2010 at 4:15 AM EST)
Certain photos copyright © 2010 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.
