Coach Bruce Boudreau wouldn't divulge his starting goaltender for Saturday's game, but he did have this to say when asked if he planned to make an announcement this morning: "You'll see it in the warmup. But look it, it's not a big surprise -- Theo is our No. 1 goalie."
almost 3 years ago
J.P.
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…and play just well enough to keep his job and lay another egg down the road. sorry, game 1 is the type of game you would expect out of a rookie, not a seasoned veteran. all we’re doing is restarting the clock on the time bomb, IMO.
Russian Machine Never Breaks
So the Caps would be better off with the rookie than a veteran who had “the type of game you would expect out of a rookie”? Huh?
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Well…yes. I don’t think Varly would have played like a rookie, but at least if he did you’d have that to justify it.
I don’t know if it’s the move to make, but from here, I’d just as soon see the Caps down with the goalie of the future than wait for another Theodore choke. I can’t trust Theodore and don’t want to see what effect he has on the team when the next softie goes in. More of a personal preference, as I prefer to not self-medicate for EVERY game.
Russian Machine Never Breaks
Theodore has never lost a first round series and won far more games than he lost over the course of the regular season. And If he does that again in this round, the Caps will advance.
It may not always be pretty, but it has, more often than not, been effective.
If he’s bad again, I support making a change. But there is no need for a desperate move – which, make no mistake about it, is what starting Varly would be – when the Caps aren’t in a desperate situation.
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err…not desperate? odds on winning the series after dropping the first two at home?
i think they’ll win, barring a repeat horrendous performance by JT. i’m not livid about this move, just would have been game to roll the dice with varly.
Russian Machine Never Breaks
J.P. was saying he’d look to Varlamov if Theo’s bad again but that starting him in Game Two would be a desperation move in a non-desperate situation.
depends on your threhold for desperation. if we lose tonight we’re going to have to dig out the prayer beads.
Russian Machine Never Breaks
it would really suck if we lost tonight since the game’s not til tomorrow.
by mechanicsville on Apr 17, 2009 2:11 PM EDT up reply actions
Tonight? I wish.
Down 1-0 is not desperate. Down 2-0 is. Pretty clear threshhold, to me.
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3-0 is certainly lights out, but I’m not keen on a 1-in-4, 1-in-5 chance of winning either.
Russian Machine Never Breaks
Right, but right now they’re at just under 50% i.e. not desperate.
But your definition of “desperate” seems to be “if a loss would put you in a position that most people would consider desperate, you’re desperate.” By logical extension, then, the Caps should have been desperate prior to Game 1, since a loss would have put them in a position where another loss would have made them desperate.
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by J.P. on Apr 17, 2009 2:29 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Right. Thanks for clarifying.
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I’m trying to decide how to respond to this post, and I find myself scribing a witty retort only to delete it because it comes out to harsh…
But if I understand you correctly you think that based on the first game of a seven game series Jose should just be benched? If that’s the case, Is Steve Mason going to be benched tomorrow? What about Cam Ward?
Just taking a glance at last year’s playoffs…Chris Osgood stunk it up in game 3 with a nice cool .857 SA% on 3 goals. Think he shoulda been pulled then?
Or what about Nabakov last year? .870 in game 1 .840 game 3…yet he went on to win the series.
Pick a goalie and I can find you a poor performance in the playoffs.
Pick a goalie and I can find you a poor performance in the playoffs.
Brett Leonhardt!
by David Getz on Apr 17, 2009 2:13 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
you have to give track record (and not JT’s regular season hardware from 7 years ago) some consideration. osgood had a cup, ward had a cup. nabokov not quite the resume, but i’d rather have him over JT. what options does St. Louis really have beyond Mason?
Russian Machine Never Breaks
If “you have to give track record (and not JT’s regular season hardware from 7 years ago) some consideration,” how do you support going to a kid with six NHL games of experience under his belt over a guy who has never lost a first round series?
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That’s what we’re hanging our hats on? A guy that has gone 3-0 in the first round in his career and never won shiz beyond that? The reason I would support going with the rookie is because at least there is upside vs. the Dead End that is JT.
Russian Machine Never Breaks
4-0.
And we’re hanging our hats on the fact that he won 60% of his regular season decisions and that he can be good enough to win games for this team in the playoffs.
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I was talking about Steve Mason, who plays for Columbus….not St. Louis.
And why are you willing to exclude JT’s hardware from 7 years ago, but unwilling to include his playoff experience from just last year? He played sick for the second round, but look at his first round. Why do you continue to ignore the repeated inclusion of the fact JT has not lost a first round playoff series in his career?
Why include Ward’s Cup if you’re not going to include JT’s hardware? I believe Ward won it 4 years ago…and couldn’t even get his team back the next two years.
and couldn’t even get his team back to the playoffs the next two years.
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Yeah, there is no applicability whatsoever of a series win in the past year over a team with a great goalie that played good defense but had trouble scoring.
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i’ve seen it up close and personal at the X, that team is a bunch of dogs.
Russian Machine Never Breaks
How do you define a “bunch of dogs”? Seems to me a team that puts togheter the 7th most points in the NHL last year should be something more than a “bunch of dogs”. Or is that you just don’t like defensive teams with a strong keeper?
smoke and mirrors run by a guy trying to win like it’s 1995.
if everything is so rosy why is everyone canned after back to back seasons of 7th overall and missing the playoffs by 2 points? that team as constructed is junk, do not get me started. :-)
Russian Machine Never Breaks
Lemaire quit, he wasn’t fired.
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I knew that was coming.
What’s you evidence for Lemaire being forced out? Really “because I say so” isn’t all that convincing.
Or, perhaps more accurately, one first line forward’s groin away from being a playoff team.
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per 82 games. good luck with that. and all those playoff stats are basically 2003.
Russian Machine Never Breaks
Look, you’ve got to stop this “Oh, crap, that bests my point, I’ll switch to something sort of related and try and shift the argument” tactic. Essentially this is how this line of discussion has gone:
JP: The Wild would be in the playoffs if Gaborik were healthy
Mac: No, Gaborik sucks
Yoshie/DMG: No, he’s productive
Mac: Yeah, but he gets hurt
You really seem like you’re just looking for something ti argue about in every post someone writes in response to you without any mind as to what the original and underlying point is.
by David Getz on Apr 17, 2009 3:02 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
He’s throwing crap against the wall and seeing what sticks.
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The only arguments you seem to offer are statistics convenient to your side; nothing like games missed, playoff performance post-lockout.
The problem is that your opinions are beyond reproach, whereas you can respond to anything I say and expect no rebuttal. I offer rebuttal. I say Gaborik is a no show artist and you respond with extrapolated totals per 82 games for a player than can’t’ stay healthy. I say he’s a no show and you include stats from 2003 to mask his past two playoff performances (11 games, 3 goals, 2 assists). I live in TC, I know
a little bitabout the situation. I know the perceptions of Lemaire and Risebrough and the team in general. The team hasn’t won a playoff series since 2003 and beating them last year was nothing to brag about. Hope that crap sticks to the wall.
Russian Machine Never Breaks
It’s not pretty, but damn it, Lemaire’s hockey style works. It might be outdated, but with mediocre players, you still get wins. Case in point – the Wild are 2 points out of the playoffs this year with above average goaltending, good defense, and no offense. Last season, they won their division. Previous year, finished 7th and made the playoffs.
Fact of the matter is that Lemaire and his staff were turning garbage into gold for a long time and being successful at it, and more than likely it’s the GM and the Coach not getting along that caused him to leave. A healthy Gaborik since the lock out, assuming he kept the same production, would have made this team a force in the postseason.
I'm so sick and tired of the refs explaining the calls like this is the NFL.
The only arguments you seem to offer are statistics convenient to your side; nothing like games missed, playoff performance post-lockout.
Again, Gaborik’s diminished value because of his injury problems is not issue at hand, the issue is whether or not the Wild would have been better with Gaborik in the lineup, so his injury issue isn’t relevant to the discussion. And the reasons I used post lockout statistics are (1) I don’t think Gaborik at 19 has much bearing on Gaborik at 26 and his 1.35 points per game this season are more indicative of his potential impact on the team this year than his .50 points per game when he was a rookie and (2) the game has changed in a lot of ways since the lockout. Even then, he averages 63 games, 28 goals, 28 assists a season or 36 goals and 36 assists per 82 games. The issue at hand – that he’s a good player who would have helped the Wild probably make the playoffs this year if he’d played – is unchanged, and his playoff performance has no bearing on it since we’re only discussing whether team would have made it into the playoffs.
If we’re talking use of relevant statistics, how are games missed to injury or playoff performance at all relevant to discussion about whether or not a healthy Marian Gaborik gets Minnesota in to the playoffs? The man games issue is moot because without it, we’re not having the discussion and the playoff game issue is moot because we’re talking about what he would have done for the Wild in terms of their postseason chances this season.
The problem is that your opinions are beyond reproach, whereas you can respond to anything I say and expect no rebuttal. I offer rebuttal.
No, the problem is that when I’m discussing topic A and someone makes a point about topic B, which is different but related to A, in an attempt to refute it, it’s a poor debate strategy. For example, if someone says the Wild would have been a playoff team with Gaborik because he’s productive when he’s healthy and you counter is by discounting Gaborik’s value because he gets hurt a lot, you’ve shifted the discussion to Gaborik’s value given his injury problems and away from what a healthy Gaborik would hypothetically do for the Wild this year. That implies that the fact Gaborik was hurt means the Wild aren’t a good team, which was your original point, when it doesn’t. You’re not offering rebuttals to the issue at hand, you’re offering rebuttals to issues that are related but not being discussed.
Dude. Reading comprehension. C’mon.
I never said anything about Gaborik’s ability in the clutch, merely that if he had played the 65 games he missed this season, the Wild would have gotten three more points and made the post-season. I don’t think that’s unrealistic, do you?
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No, I agree. And we would have had to wait an extra week or two for Lemaire and Risebrough to get canned.
Russian Machine Never Breaks
Hell, Nabokov even lost yesterday. With the San Jose Sharks. Against the Ducks? In a 1 v 8 matchup?
Damn, the pitchforks sure are primed and the fire is burning.
by DrinkingPartner on Apr 17, 2009 2:07 PM EDT reply actions
Crap, that was in response to Yoshietree.
by DrinkingPartner on Apr 17, 2009 2:07 PM EDT up reply actions
As a reminder to all (not just you, m’ville), the “What We’re Reading” left sidebar widget on the front page is updated constantly throughout the day with breaking news and information like this (and not just “like this,” but this exact info… you know what I mean).
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Roger, that. Got caught up in the thread and just asked the question.
by mechanicsville on Apr 17, 2009 2:23 PM EDT up reply actions
Lundy: "I'm fine"
Lundqvist: “I’m fine”…
…although after practice, the Rangers goaltender was still loosening his neck. “My neck was jammed,” he said. “Not my shoulder.”
But he was smiling and admitted that he was jolted at first by the pain. Slamming his stick, he said, was a way to get rid of the pain. Transference, I guess. Lundqvist also took a couple shots off the mask, and a strap broke at one point.
“He finished practice, so he’ll play.” said coach John Tortorella, who said he didn’t see the incident. Said Fred Sjostrom: “When I asked him about it right afterward, he (Lundqvist) just grunted.”[Link]
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Likely. Not that everyone has to comport themselves with the utmost class at all times, but the kind of folks who root for opponents to get hurt aren’t the kind of folks we want around here.
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Are you someone who would think that hurt and injured are two different things? When I see Ovechkin line up a guy, I want it to hurt. I don’t want him to be injured, but I want him to think twice about getting up and getting hit again. Never do I want a guy to be injured and unable to perform physically, but mentally, and to an extent physically, I want it to smart.
I'm so sick and tired of the refs explaining the calls like this is the NFL.
by Whiter Mage on Apr 17, 2009 3:30 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I can buy the distinction there, and agree.
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Glad to hear he’s okay, though I can’t honestly admit that I wouldn’t have breathed a mixed sigh of relief if he was out a game.
"It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees." - Delores Ibarruri
That’s fair. But you wouldn’t come on this site (I’d hope) with a “Woohoo! Lundqvist is injured!” comment.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Nope.
Besides, injuries just give other teams excuses – I’d rather see my team beat the best team they can ice.
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WASHINGTON—-Disturbing moment. Nik Antropov, skating in front of Henrik Lundqvist, who was sliding to his left. Antropov’s leg seemed to clip Lundqvist’s left shoulder. He lay on his stomach, kicking his skates, then skated to the side boards and when he returned to the net, was flexing his left glove arm/shoulder for several minutes.
Link.
by mechanicsville on Apr 17, 2009 2:21 PM EDT up reply actions
Well to be fair, that’s how you learn things, by asking. As long as that same guy doesn’t think he has all the answers to the team’s problems I give him a pass.
by David Getz on Apr 17, 2009 2:33 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Put Jeff Schultz on the ice.
Zing!
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Definitely not – the team is 0-3 and outscored 12-6 in his three career playoff games, and it’s clearly all his fault.
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Yes, this is appropriate. Start Theo tomorrow. If he flops tomorrow, we start Varlamov in game 3. Is it ideal? No. But it’s too early to run screaming for the hills.
I’ll say this, though – this is Theodore’s final chance. If Washington exits early because of poor goaltending, he won’t get another starting job. And I think he has to know that. I suspect he and the entire team will come out swinging for the fences.
"It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees." - Delores Ibarruri
I really think that no matter what happens, Theo is the starter at the beginning of next season. I also think that whatever happens, Varlamov passes him by the all-star break.
by David Getz on Apr 17, 2009 2:44 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Except that he has another year on his contract at $4.5m here.
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And this stops us from putting Varly in goal how? Bruce plays the hot hand.
Also, wanna bet anyone’ll sign him for that after next season if he flops?
"It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees." - Delores Ibarruri
The reading comprehension in this thread has gotten intolerable.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Sorry. Perhaps that was, um, misplaced. I must’ve meant to reply to something else.
Anyway, you wrote:
This is Theodore’s final chance.
It’s not. He’ll have a chance next year, as he has a contract for next year.
You wrote further:
If Washington exits early because of poor goaltending, he won’t get another starting job.
That remains to be seen, but history is littered with mediocre goalies getting starting gigs, even after post-season flameouts.
Regarding him being under contract, you wrote:
And this stops us from putting Varly in goal how? Bruce plays the hot hand.
It doesn’t stop “us” from doing anything. I didn’t say it stopped “us” from doing anything. I said that he is under contract for next season, meaning this is not Theodore’s last chance. See above.
Also, wanna bet anyone’ll sign him for that after next season if he flops?
Not sure what relevance this has to anything, but not thanks – I’m not a betting man.
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What you’re saying is true, but it’s not quite what I was thinking. I was thinking more in terms of his contract as a whole. Sorry if I didn’t make that clear.
"It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees." - Delores Ibarruri
No worries. It’s all good. I think the extra day of tension is getting to everyone (myself included).
But alas, Happy Hour is mere minutes away…
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
I think it’s good that we have it, though. It’s definitely good for the team – the extra practice can only help.
Of course, I’m going even crazier. My work chose this week to send me to Denver for training this week, so I’m missing the first two home games … and now I’m smack in the middle of the monstrous snowstorm running through the state and have absolutely no idea whether I’ll get back to get out of town or not.
Thankfully, I’ve got a place nearby with good food, good $ADULT_BEVERAGEs, lots of big-screen TV’s, and a willingness to put on Caps/Rangers games.
"It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees." - Delores Ibarruri
Denver, eh? Ask the locals what they think of Jose. :)
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It’s amazing that nary a person wants to see Varly, quite contrary to the thoughts on Wednesday. Calling for Varly is like trying to ground “the ungroundable”. I’m ok with whatever, my expectations are already down a notch – for rounds 2/3. I still expect this series to be won.
Russian Machine Never Breaks
I think it’s just too early to go into panic mode, and going to a rookie backup who has never played a professional playoff game in North America in his life is pushing the panic button.
"It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees." - Delores Ibarruri
by gotsparkly on Apr 17, 2009 2:50 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
well said! over and out on this topic!
by mechanicsville on Apr 17, 2009 2:58 PM EDT up reply actions
LOL
What’s really sad is that there’s a part of me that longs to do that. Just once, in the regular season, just to see what would happen. But … at the same time, if he flopped, the legend would be broken. The other part of me says that for this one thing, it’s better to wonder what might have been.
"It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees." - Delores Ibarruri
isnt he writing a book on his experience this year?
by ns on Apr 17, 2009 3:30 PM EDT up reply actions
Boy, am I glad I missed the better half of this thread. For what it’s worth, I think you start Theodore with a short leash. That’s the only reason you’d need to explain a damn thing to your goalies. If a coach has to explain himself to his players while things are going on, you’ve got a problem with the coach. You play the system. You don’t ask questions, or you start sliding the wrong way.
I'm so sick and tired of the refs explaining the calls like this is the NFL.
There was no better half of this thread, WM. :)
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Shit – the Rags just signed Matt Gilroy (and not “shit” for this series, just a general "shit, a team I hate is getting a real nice player).
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Hobey Baker winner. Nice defenseman.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Will he even play for the big club? More likely he’s going to the minors.
I'm so sick and tired of the refs explaining the calls like this is the NFL.
Sounds like he’s meant to be a good depth player, though, and you can never have enough defenseman, regardless of what we may have thought last year.
by DrinkingPartner on Apr 17, 2009 3:31 PM EDT up reply actions
and you can never have enough Gooddefenseman
Fixed.
I'm so sick and tired of the refs explaining the calls like this is the NFL.
Not that it means much, but there was an article about him going to Toronto in one of the Canadian papers that I saw this morning and he was said to be considering 3 teams, It that particular article, he was talking about Toronto being a good option because with the young team, he could be playing up there right off the bat. Not sure what the expectation with the Rangers would be.
But, as a fellow BU Alum, it’s nice to see him get a chance and I’ll hope he does well (except against the Caps of course)
2 years, 4-5 million seems like a lot for some reason. Then again, I didn’t watch much college hockey this year.
by Sombrero Guy on Apr 17, 2009 3:53 PM EDT up reply actions
They signed this undrafted UFA kid for THAT? Holy hell, man. Have we missed a diamond in the rough?
by DrinkingPartner on Apr 17, 2009 3:55 PM EDT up reply actions
Us an everyone else – that’s what “undrafted” means.
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A player who signs a deal for 5 mil straight out of college, undrafted, makes it seem like an egregious error has been made in the scouting of BU. We had him in front of our noses all last weekend, too.
by DrinkingPartner on Apr 17, 2009 4:00 PM EDT up reply actions
I also grant that we couldn’t afford that :-), but I’m just saying…
by DrinkingPartner on Apr 17, 2009 4:01 PM EDT up reply actions
That error was made by all 30 NHL teams who didn’t draft him when he became draft eligible. It happens. You can’t always project guys. Just look at drafts themselves. It’s an inexact science.
And he’s gone on to a 5 mil contract. Good god.
by DrinkingPartner on Apr 17, 2009 4:45 PM EDT up reply actions
Wow, I'm getting dizzy
Jeez, I just logged on after being away all day and, I have to say this was one strange series of threads. The he said, you said, they said, what’d you say? back and forth was more confusing than listening to Miles and Hurley explain time travel. These days off are brutal. I can only imagine if I actually got involved early in the discussion how really screwed up the conversation might have been.
Nope – He’d have dropped to his knees by then. Butterfly and all.
I'm so sick and tired of the refs explaining the calls like this is the NFL.
by Whiter Mage on Apr 18, 2009 1:17 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
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