Pick 'Em: Number Two Netminder
by J.P. on Apr 10, 2009 12:00 PM EDT
in Pick 'Ems
39 comments
No matter how you feel about Jose Theodore's prospects at success over the next couple of weeks and, lord willing, months, the reality of the situation is that if the Caps find themselves with someone other than JT between the pipes at just about any point during the post-season, something has gone wrong.
But whether it's injury or poor performance that forces the Caps to turn to a second netminder, and whether it happens in-game or pre-game, the team can likely ill-afford even a single loss due to not having "the right guy" available, so whomever sports the baseball cap to start the playoffs had best be ready at a moment's notice to step in and shut the door.
Is the value of keeping an emergency starter fresh by getting him post-season starts down a level in the AHL while having a veteran on the NHL bench to finish any games that the starter can't outweighed by the value to a young goalie (and, by extension, the organziation) of being part of an NHL playoff run, even if he's not playing? What can a team reasonably expect from a veteran who hasn't faced a shot in an NHL game since before Groundhog's Day?
With these questions in mind (which we've discussed a bit already), here's a quick look at the numbers for the two candidates (assuming perfect health, of course) for the post-season back-up goaltending gig:
0 recs |
39 comments
|
Email
Print
Comments
I voted for Varlamov across the board because I am concerned about Johnson’s lack of PT coming back from his injury. If he can go to Hershey and look good in a few rehab starts, that’s great. But until I’m 100% sure he can go, it needs to be Varlamov.
It’d be nice to get Varlamov that AHL playoff experience but I’m not sure the NHL playoff experience (even on the bench) is without value. Besides, the Caps are fortunate enough to still have Neuvirth getting that valuable AHL playoff experience – they can’t both play at the same time.
by grapejoos on Apr 10, 2009 12:07 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
In any other season with their stats so close, I would definitely say let the rookie get experience in the AHL, but with Johnson just coming off injury and totally untested and not into the regular flow, I think you have to go with Varlamov.
Besides, I think if the liberties taken with goalies continues this year as it did last year, and our defense is unable to clear the crease, I think I would rather have the guy available with cat like reflexes who has the chance to recover from distractions.
by HateOffSeason on Apr 10, 2009 12:10 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
My heart says Johnson, my brain says Varly.
by dcrock on Apr 10, 2009 12:15 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Yeah, that’s pretty much how I feel.
by DrinkingPartner on Apr 10, 2009 2:13 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I voted for “Johnson to back up, Varlamov to start, if necessary” for two reasons. If Theodore can’t go for an extended period of time I have think Varlamov gives the team a better chance to win. However, I also would like to see Varlamov get the experience of the AHL playoff rather than sit on bench for the NHL postseason.
Have to admit I’m very impressed with Johnson’s playoff numbers though.
by David M. Getz on Apr 10, 2009 12:15 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Have to admit I’m very impressed with Johnson’s playoff numbers though.
Yeah, but those are from 2001 and 2002 (the latter year, of course, being Jose’s Hart/Vezina season, so yeah… a while ago).
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
by J.P. on Apr 10, 2009 12:30 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
If Johnny’s ready, he gets the nod. He has to.
He’s been there before, he was playing pretty well before he was injured, and the caveat is total health, no?
I see this as a no-brainer…
by fat_daddyo on Apr 10, 2009 12:17 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
What, no Neuvy? ;-)
Russian Machine Never Breaks
by macvechkin on Apr 10, 2009 12:21 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Gotta give sparkly something to yell at me about, don’t I? :)
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
by J.P. on Apr 10, 2009 12:31 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Nah. As much as I like Neuvirth, he’s going to take more time to season at the AHL level before he’s ready for a playoff scenario. I guess my problem is that I see a lot of people getting too excited about Varlamov and pushing him too hard and too fast. He isn’t a god, and he has his issues; a little perspective, please.
I went Johnny to back up, Varlamov to start if needed. Johnny deserves a shot after last year, and Varlamov could well benefit from a Calder Cup race. If we need him, okay.
"It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees." - Delores Ibarruri
by gotsparkly on Apr 10, 2009 1:05 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I wrote up a thing about this awhile back and my sentiment is that A) Varly would be better served starting in AHL playoff games. B) Johnson was the odd man out last year and if he’s ready to go, the Caps owe it to him because of how he handled it last year and C) Johnson has playoff experience and if he’s acclimated back to the NHL speed, we’d be fools to not let him ride the pine behind Theo
Capitals Kremlin the second line center of the Caps blogosphere.
by CapitalsKremlin on Apr 10, 2009 12:34 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I pretty much agree with everything you said.
by Scott in Shaw on Apr 10, 2009 1:24 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I agree with points A and C, but really the organization doesn’t “owe” Johnson anything, especially this time of year. It’s not fair in an aggregate, karmic sense but in the playoffs winning games are priorities one, two, and three. To wind up in a situation where management essentially sends the message “I know we lost games we could have won, but we wanted to give Johnson a chance” is unfair to every other player on the team and to the fans.
by David M. Getz on Apr 10, 2009 1:31 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
If Johnson is ready to go, and he’s at full speed, I see no reason to have Varly riding the pine when he could be potentially leading a Calder Cup run. I get what your saying, but Johnson has taken one to many for the team, and if he’s 100% good to go, I say give it to him. If he’s 90% then Varly, all the way.
Capitals Kremlin the second line center of the Caps blogosphere.
by CapitalsKremlin on Apr 10, 2009 1:43 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
there is no way he is 100%. no matter what he says, he had freakin HIP surgery. there aren’t enough games left to figure out how well he can fare back in the NHL. its shitty circumstances, as i would love to see him in the playoffs if need be, but as DMG noted, its all about whats best for the team…
by ns on Apr 11, 2009 8:30 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I agree with all that, and point B worries me in particular: if this team dicks around with another goalie during another playoffs, will its promising prospects really want to make the effort to stay here and work?
by CapitalCentre on Apr 10, 2009 5:42 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Personally, I would have liked Johnson to have been able to get a few starts before the regular season ended so that I could be assured he’s 100%…and to be honest, the only reason I’d vote for Varly over Johnny is because of the fact that he’s been untested for quite a while and none of us are really sure if he’s 100% back in game shape.
All things being equal and if Johnson is healthy and ready to go, you gotta go with him, otherwise keep young russian around. Both have at least proven to be able to “hold down the fort” if you will.
AND….having said that, I hope JT60’s performance (and that of the team in front of him) renders this whole discussion moot.
by PaintDrinkingPete on Apr 10, 2009 2:24 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Career regular season stats heading into first NHL playoffs:
Varlamov: 4-0-1/2.37/.918 (assuming he doesn’t play tomorrow night)
Ken Dryden: 6-0/1.65
Dryden won the Conn Smythe and the Cup that year.
Just sayin’. :)
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
by J.P. on Apr 10, 2009 2:43 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I really believe that Varlamov could step in and win a series if Theo sucks/gets hurt. Maybe that’s foolish, but you’re not the only one to have this thought, JP. His wild play might make him the kind of goalie that teams can exploit in a 7-game series, but he’s shown me quite a bit in his 5 games.
by grapejoos on Apr 10, 2009 3:01 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
People were making similar comparisons with Carey Price a year ago. We saw how that ended. I’d much rather go with BJ, who knows what it’s like to be in the NHL. Maybe Varls has ice water in his veins, and is ready, but both have so many intangibles I just want the guy who’s been in the playoffs before to be in.
I'm so sick and tired of the refs explaining the calls like this is the NFL.
by Whiter Mage on Apr 10, 2009 3:16 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Don’t I remember half of the commenters here wanting to jettison JT60 for BJ1 not so long ago? My how things change…..
by TylerG on Apr 10, 2009 3:32 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
if by not so long ago you mean pre-December. Japers’ Rink has been a JT60 love-fest compared to the HF board and CMB.
Capitals Kremlin the second line center of the Caps blogosphere.
by CapitalsKremlin on Apr 10, 2009 3:37 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Not sure how much things have changed – just b/c people like Varly over Johnny doesn’t mean they don’t prefer both to JT.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
by J.P. on Apr 10, 2009 4:55 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
No, but you’d think that if people (were consistent and) preferred BJ1 to JT60 earlier in the season that they’d think enough of BJ1 to want to see him now.
by TylerG on Apr 10, 2009 7:53 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
and the end of the day, what we thought in October, doesn’t really matter right now. JT now is considerably different than the JT in Oct. So it’s really a moot point to call out people for supporting him now.
People are allowed to have doubts, and it’s up to players to shed them. JT shed them, good on him, I’m sure he’s not blocking shots and thinking “hah take that Theo hater, I sure showed you!”
Capitals Kremlin the second line center of the Caps blogosphere.
by CapitalsKremlin on Apr 10, 2009 8:24 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
No, but you’d think that if people (were consistent and) preferred BJ1 to JT60 earlier in the season that they’d think enough of BJ1 to want to see him now.
Why? People aren’t allowed to change their opinions? I think, even though he is sporadic at times, JT60 has proven that he’s a much much better goalie than he was earlier this season.
The opinion of players like Fehr and Flash have changed over the course of the season…why should it be any different for JT60?
by Yoshietree on Apr 11, 2009 11:15 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Being able to say “omg I totally called it!” is apparently what the cool kids do these days.
Capitals Kremlin the second line center of the Caps blogosphere.
by CapitalsKremlin on Apr 11, 2009 2:37 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I was a defender of Theodore in the early season, and I recall taking a lot of heat for it. Yeah, a lot of people DID want JT gone. I understand injury concerns, but I’m still thinking we’re wearing rose-colored glasses on Varls, and I’ve got so many more concerns about him than BJ.
I'm so sick and tired of the refs explaining the calls like this is the NFL.
by Whiter Mage on Apr 10, 2009 6:27 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I agree in terms of the rose colored glasses and I think Capitals fans as a whole have become a bit spoiled by the quick successes of guys like Ovechkin, Semin, Green, and Backstrom and are now thinking that whomever the team’s top prospects are, they should be ready to play major roles at 20-22. Consequently guys like Varlamov, Finley, Holtby and Bouchard are being looked at by some as studs in the very near future, and that’s too optimistic of a view.
by David M. Getz on Apr 10, 2009 6:33 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I agree with the general point, but I am not sure that it’s true about Varlamov or that he belongs in that group. I don’t think many of us are advocating that he start right now, but we’ve seen 5 games of his work now and the results have been pretty good. Surely 5 spot starts are different than being the man night in, night out, but performing the same way he has on a consistent basis for a full season is really the last thing Varlamov has to do to become a NHL starter. He’s getting pretty close, and it sure seems to me like the Caps are eyeing him as their full-time starting goalie year after next.
by grapejoos on Apr 10, 2009 7:23 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I’m still thinking we’re wearing rose-colored glasses on Varls
THANK YOU!
"It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees." - Delores Ibarruri
by gotsparkly on Apr 10, 2009 9:10 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I think there are some rose-tinted memories of Johnson as well. Some people don’t seem to remember that he only allowed fewer than four goals in one of his last five starts – and that’s because he was yanked after giving up three through two. Yes, he played hurt for a little while, but fact of the matter is he’s a mediocre goalie who, like every other goalie in the NHL, can get hot for limited stretches.
Both goalies can steal games, but I think Varly’s potential to do so – even right now – is greater. In 3 of his 5 starts, Varly has allowed 2 goals or fewer and faced 30 or more shots. Johnny’s done that 5 times in 19 starts (and, fwiw, Jose has done it 8 times in 54 starts).
But to me, the biggest difference is that Johnson hasn’t faced an NHL shot in 2.5 months. It’s simply too much to expect him to be able to step in and be at NHL playoff game speed after such a layoff. Varlamov’s already at that speed.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
by J.P. on Apr 10, 2009 10:59 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
I think if we have the situation arise where one of them is needed, we’re done regardless.
I'm so sick and tired of the refs explaining the calls like this is the NFL.
by Whiter Mage on Apr 11, 2009 1:59 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Frankly, JT’s opening act didn’t breed much optimism. I’d love to know the fans would think had he had a huge night against Atlanta to start the season.
JT’s been fighting to shed away that night from the memories of fans, but frankly, a round one win oughta do the trick.
Capitals Kremlin the second line center of the Caps blogosphere.
by CapitalsKremlin on Apr 10, 2009 7:20 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
333 votes, and Varlamov must have gotten the union and NEA endorsements or something.
"Thank God there is a sport for middle-sized white boys.."
by Bald Pollack on Apr 10, 2009 5:32 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Until there is any indication that BJ1 is really ready to go, I think people will hesitate to go any other way than Varlamov. I didn’t see the parenthetical about assuming BJ’s perfect health until just now – if I had, I would have picked him to back up, Varlamov to start (but tempted to give it to BJ outright).
by grapejoos on Apr 10, 2009 5:39 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
My vote would be for the one option not presented here: let Varly Valapski do mop-up duty (if necessary) and Johnny be the one to get starts if needed.
I have as many wins in a Capitals uniform as Michael Belhumeur does.
by marky narc on Apr 10, 2009 7:51 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
I like potato salad.
Like other posters, I’ll agree that we really need to see a few games of BJ1 in Hershey before we throw him the bone here as the back up during the playoffs/..
As a whole, I’d like to go with him over varly, but considering the injury and his lack of recent playing I’d go with the person who has been playing (and winning) recently.
That being said, I voted BJ1 to back up, Varls to start if needed..
If they where both in their prime and un-injured playing at 100% I’d have voted differently.. but considering the injury I just can’t justify throwing BJ1 into a playoff game without some kind of seasoning in hershey…
by JustJeff on Apr 10, 2009 9:57 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Washington
|
21 | 13 | 4 | 4 | 30 |
|
Tampa Bay
|
19 | 8 | 4 | 7 | 23 |
|
Atlanta
|
18 | 10 | 6 | 2 | 22 |
|
Florida
|
19 | 8 | 9 | 2 | 18 |
|
Carolina
|
21 | 4 | 12 | 5 | 13 |
(updated 11.20.2009 at 9:16 AM EST)
Certain photos copyright © 2009 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.
