Recap - Capitals 5, Islanders 3
by David Getz on Apr 2, 2009 7:00 AM EDT
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They say you can't please everybody, and last night the Capitals seemed determined to prove the old adage wrong. Whether you view this team as a legitimate Stanley Cup contender, the type of division leader who will get bounced in the first round of the playoffs, or a team that's been riding an inexplicably long lucky streak and has no business in the postseason, you could probably back your point pretty convincingly with a highlight reel comprised entirely of clips from last night's game. However, as they've done all season, the Caps came through when the chips were down, rebounding from a slow start and dominating the final frame, scoring three unanswered goals and outshooting the Islanders 22-9 and, in the process, proving yet again that these guys can look like the best team in the NHL. When they want to.
Some additional thoughts on last night's game:
- To further the point of the Capitals slow start: In the first period, the Capitals had one takeaway and nine giveaways; the Islanders had two giveaways and four takeaways. The Capitals registered six hits in the first - one more than Tim Jackman.
- Kudos to Mike Green for breaking the Capitals single-season record for powerplay goals by a defenseman and for reaching thirty goals. Green's only the eighth defenseman in NHL history to hit that milestone, and the first to do it since the 1992-93 season, when Kevin Hatcher tallied 34.
- Kudos, too, to Keith Aucoin (last night's hard hat recipient) for his first NHL goal in over a year, and kudos to Eric Fehr for the kind of forechecking it takes to create chances in the offensive zone.
- While we're at it, kudos to Jeff Schultz for fairing pretty well in his first NHL fight, and one against a guy who has 23 fights between the NHL and AHL this year alone. And while we're on the topic of Schultz's fight, did anyone else notice that when he came out of the penalty box Alexander Ovechkin stood up on the bench, banged his stick on the boards, and gave Sarge some words of encouragement?
- Why have the instigator rule on the book if you're not going to call it in cases like the John Erskine/Joel Rechlicz scrap from last night?
- Speaking of Erskine, we're big supporters of the defensemen getting pucks to the net and all, but getting three shots on net and having six either be blocked or miss the net isn't really getting the job done.
- Tom Poti's turnover that led the the Islanders first goal was just terrible. A guy who's been in the NHL for the better part of ten years ought to know you don't dump the puck softly up the middle. Especially when you have the kind of time.
- Along those same lines,
Tomas FleischmannMichael Nylander's turnover that led to Richard Park's goal wasn't any better. Nor was the turnover at the Capitals blue line Fleischmann committed later in the same period. - Whether it's injury or illness or both, Alexander Semin did not look anywhere close to 100% last night, as his five giveaways and five missed shots will attest.
- We're not saying Mike Green's hit on Andy Hilbert didn't warrant a penalty (if anything, Green got off easy), but it was interesting to see Hilbert lying on the ice until the whistle was blown and then suddenly springing into action.
- Even at his age, Sergei Fedorov is great at finding open space and getting to it.
- Hit of the night goes to Mike Green for laying out Tim Jackman behind the Capitals net in the third. Looks like Schultz has Green's back and Green has Schultz's.
- Michael Nylander was a minus-one, with one shot on goal, no hits, no blocked shots, and three giveaways. Ouch.
- No Capital had more takeaways than giveaways.
- The Islanders had quite a disparity in shots - 23 of their 27 shots came from six players, while nine players failed to register a shot.
In the end, the Capitals walked away from last night with another two points to add to their season total which, given that the Devils lost to the Penguins and the impact in the standings, should be enough to tide fans over... for now.
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Nyls had one shift in the last 27 minutes of the game.
I get you on Flash’s turnover leading to Park’s goal. But before Flash made his boo-boo, 26 had two chances to make good decisions to get the puck out of the zone and flubbed them both. (OK, one to get the puck out, one to pass it to an all-alone 52, who pretty much had a clear sheet of ice in front of him.)
Yeah, but Flash still had every chance not to kick the puck into the center of the top of his own zone. Flash’s TO was the proximate cause of that goal.
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Correction: it was Nyls, not Flash we’re talking about. Our bad, Flash.
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hell, Schultz was getting punched before he even realized he was in a fight. They could have easily called an instigator on Jackman.
Schultz looked kinda scared to me, but kudos to him for hanging on for dear life. Kinda weird to see a guy with that much of a size advantage ducking to avoid punishment. This isn’t a knock on Sarge, he’s not a fighter, and as Sombrero says, he was kinda jumped.
hell, Schultz was getting punched before he even realized he was in a fight. They could have easily called an instigator on Jackman.
Actually, on the replay it’s Schultz who throws the first punch, a gloved one at Jackman’s head.
Schultz should’ve gotten an instigator!!!!!
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52
Green: 30-40-70, +24 in 63 GP. Next highest-scoring D? Andrei Markov: 11-51-62, -2 in 13 more games played.
Looks like Schultz has Green’s back and Green has Schultz’s.
On the latter, Green seemed to cite it as a catalyst with Lisa Hillary last night.
"Thank God there is a sport for middle-sized white boys.."
Bruce thought the Erskine fight was more of a catalyst, but hey – whatever got ’em going, got ’em going.
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Not for nothing, but Kyle Okposo is a hell of a nice player.
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A pity that he’s wasted on that club right now.
"Thank God there is a sport for middle-sized white boys.."
That’s what everyone said about AO two years ago.
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You mean a GM and an owner with an actual “plan?”
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Don’t sleep on the lighthouse project…
Seriously I read an article saying that they had contacted the USTA about turning Arthur Ashe (US Open main stadium) into a hockey arena during the winter. That would be pretty great, I think…but extremely unlikely.
While we’re speaking of “not for nothings”, Tarik mentioned that Backstrom was 16 of 24 last night in the dot.
Yeah, and Keith Aucoin – a guy who’s around 40% for his career – was 7-for-9. Hell, Nylander was 11-for-18.
Caps won 65% of the draws last night. That’s ridic.
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Only caught the last 14 minutes of the game – which turned out to be the best part, so that’s kinda nice. Don’t know what the vibe was for the rest of you that were watching from the opening, but when the wife asked me how the game was going, I told her the Caps were going to even it up very shortly. You could just tell from the flow of the game that the Isles weren’t going to hang with the Caps much longer.
I tell you what, after years of watching hard working but less-talented Caps teams cough up leads in the third, it was awfully nice to be on the other side of the ledger.
How was it they ended up down a goal? More sleepwalking, or was McDonald standing on his head? Jose give up a couple bad ones? All of the above?
I took note of Backstrom’s night on the dot when I looked at the scoresheet, as well as Nylander’s abysmal stats and limited ice time. He is really the suck.
Nylander
I’m almost wondering if Bruce is looking at Aucoin to replace either him or Fedorov? Does this make sense or am I out in left field?
"It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees." - Delores Ibarruri
that was discussed a bit yesterday. I think that it was DMG that pointed out the fact that Aucoin is just too small, and not good enough at the dot to replace either of those guys or Steckel/Gordon.
Like Laing, what Aucoin is bringing to the picture is consistent hard work, which this team doesn’t seem to have. I wouldn’t think that Aucoin will be a certerman for the big club next year.
I don’t know. Sometimes hard work accounts for more than size, and Aucoin doesn’t do stupid crap like Nylander does. He gave a good account of himself out there, and if you put him with a bigger winger who can fish the puck out of the boards, I don’t see a problem with it.
"It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees." - Delores Ibarruri
I assume you mean on next year’s roster w/r/t Feds and this and next w/r/t Nyls?
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I would not dress Nylander in a playoff series against the Flyers or Hurricanes. But that’s just me (and his combined 1 assist and -8 rating in 9 games against those two teams).
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From Mike Vogel's Recap
Washington’s Donald Brashear missed his ninth consecutive game with a knee injury, but the team expects the enforcer to be available for the playoffs.
Why bother?
I guess anything is better than Nylander, but beyond that, what does he add?
Scored a huge goal in Game 1 last year.
But if he dresses and Gordon is ready and sits, I’ll barf.
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Scored a huge goal in Game 1 last year.
Yeah. Not a believer in lightning striking twice, getting a hit in the same shell hole, or pick your cliche of choice.
I’m with you – give Gordo a sweater and sit Brash unless and until they meet the Flyers, where he might actually be a useful deterrent.
Last year I remember thinking that Brash was a useful forechecker and grind-line component, and the availability of his fists was a nice cherry on top. This year, I’ve not been as pleased with his actual play. And the fighting has disappeared.
Brash as a useful deterrent? That must be why Huet went through seven games completely untouched.
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LOL
’Nother good point. I had forgotten about Huet getting run.
I retract my comments about Brashear as a useful deterrent.
Everyone Keeps Talking about his fighting being gone...
Well it’s not true. He has 11 fights this year. 12 all of last year. 10 the year before that.
What do you people want him doing? Just slugging for no reason? Going after guys that don’t even want to fight him?
He isn’t the Donald Brashear from 1996. There are like 7 guys in the whole league that will even drop gloves with him.
I don’t see the Caps as a team that normally agitate guys enough to make them just want to fight. Put Parros on this team off of the Ducks and his numbers will go down too.
I think that you have made everyone’s point for them. Brash is a deterent because he can kick their a**es. But Brash doesn’t deter people because if they run the goalie, or board someone he can’t make them pay. As you said, they won’t drop the gloves with him. If Mike Richards runs over Theo, the only people that Brash could fight are Cote or Carcillo because Richards isn’t dumb enough to get tangled up in that fight. Brash being there doesn’t deter Richards from doing anything.
Sort of agree. I wasn’t talking about the deterring people though. I’m talking about him actually fighting and over the past 9 years his fight numbers are always 10-15 (I think) People keep saying that his fighting has disapeared but it’s the same as it ever was and the Caps are a team that doesn’t fight a lot.
Put him on the Ducks and he’s probably going to be close to breaking 20.
Tuff-guys don’t fight the little guys anyway. Should Richards be scared about Cote getting into a fight?
It wasn't Fleischmann's turnover that led to Park's goal
In the video, Flesichmann isn’t in the frame. Morrisonn tried to move the puck along the boards, Nylander got caught up with Jackman at the line, then tried to kick the puck to the middle. Park picked it up, skated in, and scored. Flesichmann was still in the neutral zone.
Nylander didn’t skate another shift the rest of the night.
If you've read this far...seek help.
Know what? You’re exactly right. For some reason I had it in my mind that it was Flash. Must correct.
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"Even at his age, Sergei Fedorov is great at finding open space and getting to it."
Speaking of catalysts, there’s another one: Gramps! He appeared to be, as the saying goes, a man on a mission last night. You can’t hear very much of that ‘tween periods interview in the arena, but he seemed kinda riled. Apple Cheeks asked him about the fight and Gramps said he didn’t see the start of it because he was on a 3-on-2 rush at the time.
Ooops.
And his comments about his brief stint on the back line included something about having to play D and forecheck on the same shift. Sounded just a tad like a . . . complaint . . . .
And I believe the Takeaway of the Night belongs to Nicky at the end, where he stripped that guy clean as a whistle and scored in the empty net. Who was that poor victim? Was it Witter?
Andy Hilbert…he lifted Hilbert’s stick, picked up the puck, and sent it in.
If you've read this far...seek help.
Nick’s game went from horrible to brilliant last night. His first period was atrocious, but man, did he get better and smarter.
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speaking of witt
eventhough it wasn’t he as the victim you speak of… he was TERRIBLE last night, and that -30something rating, i’m glad we ditched him.
disagreed. The fights last night seemed to turn things around for the Caps. Fighting can be an effective tool for motivation when appropriatell used.
Also disagree. For every game that a staged fight might ruin the “flow” of, there are 5 games (such as last night) where a fight adds excitement, energy, and overall fan enjoyment. And I’m not just speaking from a Caps fan perspective on this because the fights gave us momentum last night.
Aesthetically, the game last night was garbage until the hitting/fighting ensued.
The last two times Erskine fought the Caps clearly responded in a positive manner. It’s hard to say fighting is nothing more than a sideshow in that context.
I think you’re in agreement that most fights are not flow-killers, right? Hard for me to tell by your second sentence. It can be read both ways.
But anyway, I totally agree about Erskine’s recent fights. To me it seems like the Caps respond a bit more when other players besides Brash drops the gloves. Maybe Brash’s role is so clear and he’s so “robotic” in the way he dismantles opponents (usually), that it doesn’t always have the intended effect. But when Erskine, Bradley, Clark, or Schultz do it, the whole demeanor of the team seems to change.
Well, any whistle kills the flow really. If there are frequent icings or off-sides the flow is gone. When penalties are called the flow is stopped. When the goalie freezes the puck, etc. That doesn’t mean you remove the whistles from the game. The NHL has made a decision to remove a lot of the whistles that hurt the flow of the game, namely two-line pass and a lot of icing whistles. So yeah, a fight can ruin the flow of the game but as long as the fight is organic to the game I prefer allowing the fight rather than banning fights for the sake of flow.
How is a fight organic to a game? Everything stops to watch it happen. I think it shows complete lack of sportsmanship if someone gets checked in to the boards, takes offense to it and comes over to fight about it. Its one thing to use the game to get back at someone, it’s another to start throwing punches.
Aesthetically for the Caps anyway. I’m sure the Islander fans were pleased.
I think the only reason it helped the Caps was that the fighting was done by people who don’t fight normally. I’ve never seen the caps respond well when Brads fights, they almost seem ashamed. Remember that game (I think it was against the rangers) when Brash got into a fight for no reason, then Brads got his handed to him, then the Rangers caught up and beat us in a shoot out? That seems to happen more often than not when one of the Caps drops gloves.
Lately Brash’s fights have been pretty weak also. The last one he got laid out, but before that it seemed like he was just bored of it, trying to wrestle for position and never really landing many solid blows.
I used to be into Hockey for the fighting, now I’m in it for the grace, flow and pure violence that the sport brings with it. Why isn’t checking enough?
In any other sport a fight is a damning offense (outside of sports that ARE fighting). The only redeeming factor is that a lot of fans like it, but unless they’re flyer fans I think they’d rather have the team win than watch a fight.
I think a solid check would do almost as much as a fight and be a lot more productive. Most of the time when gloves drop it’s between two people who are in the league to drop their gloves. Nobody expects anything of them and once it’s done it’s like the game continues like nothing happened. I think the players that would start something and not fight (richards) are smart enough to know that if you’re going to try to fight me I could not fight back and you’d get a penalty and I’d be skating free.
by snowburnt on Apr 2, 2009 5:01 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Nobody expects anything of them and once it’s done it’s like the game continues like nothing happened.
You seriously think the game went on like nothing happened after Erskine fought last night? And against Nashville? The Caps sure as hell didn’t act like nothing had happened. Solid checks can get teams fired up but a fight is just at another level. It takes serious balls to let another NHL player take bare knuckle shots at your face, and the players on the bench truly appreciate that, IMO. I think that winning or losing a fight doesn’t even matter a lot of the time. Bradley gets beaten on usually but it never stops him. His teammates aren’t blind; they see him continually get his tail whipped but he goes to the locker room, gets his stitches, and comes back banging full speed in the corners. That kind of toughness and resolve fires a team up, regardless of an ugly loss in the fight.
To fold this response into the question above, a fight is organic when it develops from the tension of the play on ice. You can watch a game and literally see things about to explode. Play gets chippier, sticks get up, everyone is on edge. Fights can vent a lot of that steam and take the temperature down a bit. There are also times when a team just looks lifeless out there and someone on the team takes it upon themselves to give the team a spark. That is what Erskine did last night. We needed a boost and Erskine saw an opportunity to give the team a boost and it paid off. The fight developed as a result of the on ice play, not from some pre-arranged agreement/expectation that two heavyweights were going to meet at center ice.
First, don’t get me wrong, I’m sure they appreciate it and yes it takes balls to be in a fight with another athlete like that.
What I meant was that technically the game goes on like nothing happened: 2 guys who are there to fight (most of the time) are sitting for 5 minutes and both teams get to replace them, to the rule book unless they deem one of them to be an instigator it’s as though nothing happened, neither team is penalized. Even with offsetting minor penalties both teams are a man down, what’s so different about fighting? It’s a penalty, or is it?
I’m glad they get a boost out of it, I just don’t like it.
I think the only reason it helped the Caps was that the fighting was done by people who don’t fight normally. I’ve never seen the caps respond well when Brads fights, they almost seem ashamed.
By my count, Bradley’s fought in six games that were close. In those games, post fight, the Capitals have outscored opponents 16-11, have outscored their opponents for the remainder of the game three times, and been outscored in the remainder of the game once.
Not what I expected, but thanks for the numerical beat down :-)
I don’t question their heart, I just question why would a fight do that? Personally I think I’d rather let my “hockey skills” or leadership do my talking rather than a closed fist. It just doesn’t make much sense for me, I’m also surprised how heated people get about fighting in hockey.
Because it is part of the game, always has been and frankly is one of the things that makes hockey the best professional sport, in my humblest of opinions. If they take the fights out perhaps NHL players will be shooting themselves, getting gun charges, assault charges, etc like the athletes in the sports where fighting is a damning offense. I know that is a stretch, but NHL players can get that frustration and rage out on the ice.
That’s a new and frankly completely bizarre argument.
I hope that was tongue-in-cheek because I could think of a several arguments that I’d posit as to why there is less violent crime among hockey players rather than the allowance of fighting.
by snowburnt on Apr 2, 2009 9:59 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Last night Feds explicitly said that the Erskine fight helped get the team going. Yesterday on Rome is Burning Nick Lidstrom was the guest and he was asked about fighting in the NHL. He prefaced his remarks with “Well I’m Swedish and I grew up playing in Europe…” and then he went on to say that he thinks fighting needs to stay in the NHL and listed several of the reasons that are always brought up in the fight debates. When you have two first ballot HoFers that were never noted for being particularly physical, and certainly were not fighters, agreeing that fighting plays an important role in the game, you have to listen. It’s one thing for Bobby Clarke to rant about the place in the game, but it’s even more credible coming from Feds and Lidstrom.
I’m obviously not going to outlaw fighting in hockey, just trying to state my opinion.
I think that fighting in hockey helps stir up the teams because it’s a tradition. If it helps get the team going to have Bradley make a donation to red cross (that would make a great local commercial I think) so long as it’s legal, go for it. I still feel like the arguments for keeping fighting in hockey is like arguing that they should keep hazing in Fraternities.
My arguments for keeping fighting in hockey.
1) It’s tradition
2) More fans come to see the fights than those who stay away because they might happen (Which is really the league’s reason it exists)
3) It’s something that gets almost everyone pumped up
4) It’s long been part of the game
5) It happens in Europe too (See when I think Sovjet Sport interviewed Brashear)
6) It’s one of the few drawing points hockey has over other sports
7) It’s something that, personally, I enjoy
8) It’s something that rarely results in any significant injury. Up until this year, I hadn’t even seen someone get a concussion from fighting, let alone the fellow in the Juniors who died. A more barbaric practice in the NHL is not wearing a visor. Personally in roller hockey growing up, not being forced to wear one, I didn’t, because I hate half face shields and couldn’t put a cage on the mask I had, but you see far more injuries from that. Also, even though I wrote a long winded highly viewed article on neck guards, you didn’t see neck guards come up because Zednik got his throat cut.
Hockey has a lot of barbaric practices, yes. But the fact of the matter is that all of the primal barbaric things about the game (Blades on your feet, clubs in your hands, fist fighting) are drawing points for many fans. Drawing points for other fans are the speed of the game, the beauty of a crisp pass, the power of a slapshot, or the snap of a catching glove robbing a shooter.
I would rather players fight hand to hand than see an elbow to the head, or a slash or butt end period. If they’re going to fight, without weapons is the way to do it.
Hockey is a beautiful game, and can be ugly. So is life. It’s a passionate game, and every facet of it has some fans that feel passionately about it. I passionately hate the no line change icing rule. Others hate fighting. Others hate how big the goalies pads are. Others love those things. Controversies happen, but the fact of the matter is that it’s simply the best sport, because it has a little bit of everything, good, bad, ugly, and beautiful.
I'm so sick and tired of the refs explaining the calls like this is the NFL.
Up until this year, I hadn’t even seen someone get a concussion from fighting, let alone the fellow in the Juniors who died.
Todd Fedoruk got a ridiculously broken jaw. Nick Kypreos got a career ending concussion.
I think you already noted the reason why a fight can do that. Especially when it’s a guy who doesn’t fight much or always gets his ass kicked like Bradley. The players on the bench see their teammate risking a beating and embarassment and they think to themselves, “Am I giving that same effort for my team?” It shames or inspires them into picking up their game. And this can happen to both teams simultaneously.
Or at least, that’s the argument for fighting as a motivational tool. And in that example of the Rangers game, I think that’s what happened but not so much with Bradley’s fight. I think it has more to do with the fight with Brashear. You have to think an opposing team’s players get a little hyped up when someone is willing to stand in there vs. Brash.
Fedorov also yelled angrily at Al Koken, which might have been the real catalyst.
I'm so sick and tired of the refs explaining the calls like this is the NFL.
He was being interviewed between second and third periods, and basically told Al that he was down there forechecking even though he was playing defense, and he generated the pass to Ovechkin. And then Koken said something like “So you were doing your best Mike Green impersonation” and Fedorov said the same thing, slower, using smaller words. I don’t know what made him angry.
I'm so sick and tired of the refs explaining the calls like this is the NFL.
If I had to read the tea leaves I would hazard these guesses:
1. Koken is a moron, a complete dork, and his general manner makes you want to bite tin foil; or
2. Feds tagged Anna Kournikova, has multiple rings, and is going to the HOF — he don’t imitate no 20-something kid. If their games show a resemblance, it’s because the kid imitates Feds, dammit; or
3. He was annoyed at the level of effort shown by his team mates; or
4. He was annoyed that he was stuck back at D; or
5. A combo of all of the above (most likely explanation, imo, but only because it would be most satisfying to me).
Expectations lowered
After last night’s first period I officially lowered my expectations for the Caps in the first round. They may not make the Finals.
If at first you don't succeed, don't try parachuting.
Nah
I’ve reversed field on this one. They’re gonna be fine. They stomped a mudhole in the Isles’ collective butts when they needed to.
I’d agree with this. Once they got all fired up and played like they cared, the Isles got mudhole stomped. It wasn’t even close.
it’s just that first period. I think the boys have Ersky and Schultz to thank for that.
"It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees." - Delores Ibarruri
The Isles gave that game away as much as the Caps took it from them.
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Sure. But it’s not as if the Caps simply imposed their will on the Isles. NY took bad penalties, made horrible turnovers (hello Aucoin goal), and didn’t get saves (Ovechkin goal, Green’s 2nd).
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Heh. You’re trying to make me worry again, I know it.
I’ll note that factors 1, 2 and 3 were notable contributors to Green’s second: bad penalty, horrible clearing attempt right to Green, and a soft shot that MacDonald inexplicably whiffed on (I’m not buying the “screen” from Flash).
Still, I thought they dominated play in the third. Granted, I did not see the first two periods. And the Isles had a goal waved off and Park was all alone in front for two whacks at at it to tie it up…
But I do think the pressure from the Caps made the Isles wilt.
I think Fehr needs some props for drawing the extra minor in the 3rd and getting under the skin of the Isles last night. I loved the shot he gave to the back of one of the Isles (not sure who) for no reason behind the net last night… it’s little things like that, that happen early which cause the penalties late.
Nice call on the drawn penalty – I noticed it at the time, but it slipped my mind since.
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I thought that minor went to the Islander player who gave Laich an extra shot after the player, and that Fehr’ altercation resulted in minors for each side.
I remember the play you’re talking about though: Martinek to end the second.
I have a hard time holding AO’s goal against MacDonald. MacDonald had no business being in that play and 9/10 times AO puts that puck in the open space under the bar. MacDonald didn’t even realize the puck had come back out that side of the net until the puck hit him. You could say that is his fault but most goalies don’t stop AO in that spot.
I thought I heard it ring Mac’s mask on its way into the net. I agree that he can’t really be faulted for that one. The defense that let Ovie get in clear, that’s a different story.
I’m not sure if it caught mask but it definitely got a good chunk of MacDonald solely because AO shot the puck right back at him. Anyone else and that is a save with everyone wondering how that puck didn’t go in. AO got the shooter’s bounce.
Yeah, but in almost any other situation Ovie puts it in the huge empty space and the goalie doesn’t even get the chance to make the save. Ovie almost screwed it up big time, MacDonald just screwed it up slightly more (or, rather, wasn’t able to take the gift he was being given).
Basically, I have trouble “blaming” MacDonald for it when he shouldn’t have had the opportunity in the first place.
Islanders were really disciplined. But once they took penalties in the third, their PK wasn’t up to task.
by red army line on Apr 2, 2009 6:06 PM EDT up reply actions
I never knew Bobby Orr had +/- average of +124 one season. I care about that stat, but I had never thought about who holds the all time record.
Oh, that came up because I was looking at the nice chart that JP linked related to Mike Green’s goal.
by boz on Apr 2, 2009 8:18 AM EDT up reply actions
That’s one of the reasons why I think Orr was the best ever.
Quick Bobby Orr story: he was the leading scorer on his 16-and-over team, leading scorer in the league, and all-time leading single season scorer for the league…when he was twelve.
I got a ton of Bobby Orr stories.
My dad is from Parry Sound, and my uncle coached and reffed youth hockey when Orr was a kid there. Can’t go 10 minutes at a family reunion without a fond reminiscence about his youth hockey career.
Back in the 60’s, NHL teams owned the regional draft rights, so in Boston we knew we were getting Orr when he was 13. The joke back then was that we knew more about Parry Sound than we did NYC because of the constant barrage of stories about Orr.
I think I’d rather go back in time to see Orr (or Rocket Richard) play a game than to see a Led Zeppelin concert.
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anytime i watch a non-Caps game i am reminded of this. he truly brings everyone to their feet every time he touches the puck.
i tend to get bored now watching other teams…bleh. although, Chicago is a VERY exciting team to watch. i’m adopting them for my Western team…unless they meet the Caps, then let them burn.
by ns on Apr 2, 2009 10:01 AM EDT up reply actions
My uncle swears he witnessed Orr’s first organized team practice – when he was 5; as you know kids in northern Ontario start skating at the age of 2 or 3, but team play starts at 5 – and the drill was to get the kids laced up and turn ‘em loose, just to see who were the good skaters. All the other kids were leaning on their sticks, kinda wobbly, but ol’ Bobby was loose, easy and wheeling around, changing direction, etc.
The head coach stopped him and asked him if he could skate backwards. He replied that he probably could if he tried, which he proceeded to do.
I think that one is probably apocryphal, myself, but the general point about Orr being a fantastically talented skater is dead on.
How did Aucoin look?
He wasn’t getting a lot of ice time by the time I got to the game.
Saw that he scored, saw the highlight, looked like a textbook forechecking goal – incidentally, Fehr covers an awful lot of ground out there, they just cannot give up on that guy – but how did he look in general?
Is the collective opinion that he is a viable candidate to replace Nylander’s minutes? Tip o’ the tam to NS for bringing up this last subject, btw.
just stating the obvious :) for him to stay he would be 1 of the 4 final call ups, yes?
Nylander brings not a thing to the table that the Caps need.
A play making center? got a great young Swede and a Russian vet for that, thanks. In fact, Semin has become more of a playmaker than a sniper as of late, which could help Flash and Fehr step up (we hope).
A veteran voice/calming influence? ….umm, right. those circles are enraging.
Aucoin forechecks, hussles, and creates. he’s no top 2 line center, but damn i like him better on a 3rd of even checking line.
by ns on Apr 2, 2009 8:45 AM EDT up reply actions
FEHR
there is an odd out of control look to his play that always makes me nervous, and surprised, when he is actually able to make a good move to the net.
by ns on Apr 2, 2009 8:55 AM EDT up reply actions
He’s a little gangly and could be more efficient in his movement. But I dig him.
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When his results catch up to his play, he is going to be a very productive player. He forechecks aggressively, he doesn’t take many shifts off, he is more assertive shooting the puck. The guy was a 50-goal scorer in junior and was a quite prolific scorer in the AHL. That isn’t a guarantee of success at this level, but it suggests he has a lot of upside that hasn’t yet emerged. He just needs one to go in…off a skate, off a crossbar, something.
If you've read this far...seek help.
by ThePeerless on Apr 2, 2009 9:02 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Agreed on all counts. I love him on the forecheck – you can really tell which guys actually enjoy that part of the game and which don’t, and it’s a joy to watch guys who love forechecking.
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Kind of like Schultz?
"It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees." - Delores Ibarruri
nah. Schultz’s puck control and skating is utter garbage.
by ns on Apr 2, 2009 9:29 AM EDT up reply actions
Fehr is not what you’d call a graceful skater, and he strikes me as a guy who could use to spend a summer hitting the weights. As a bit of a WAG, I think that his long layoff due to his back/hip problem really delayed his development in those two areas. For a big guy, he looks like he gets pushed off the puck an inordinate amount. I would say it’s not just a matter of strength, but also a matter of developing the balance and coordination to have effective strength on skates.
I’m hopeful for him, though. Mike Vogel has always compared him to Tomas Holmstrom and Ryan Smyth. Neither of those guys are graceful skaters (and Holmstrom was absolutely atrocious when he first came up), but they manage to get the job done.
One, he’s young. Two, he’s capable of covering a lot of territory. On Aucoin’s goal he got from corner to corner in a hurry and pressured his opponent into a turnover.
Not saying he’ll be as good as Green, but his flashes of very good play interspersed with struggles to keep up do remind me of #52 about 3 years ago.
I think Fehr will be something special.
Semin
…has he forgotten how to shoot? he can score on a deke but, as mentioned, his shots have been missing the net entirely
At the risk of understatement, he’s kinda streaky.
And he’s been ill. I’m hopeful that he’ll shake the rust off in time for the second season.
“Ill.” The whole team has been “ill.” Mike Green has had the flu three separate times in the past month. Uh-huh.
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I take it you are, uh, skeptical.
What is the real reason? Not that I doubt you, just not sure what a more plausible explanation would be? Hangovers? Injuries?
I think Mike Green’s upper body may have had a touch of the flu, and Alex Semin’s lower body and/or upper body may have had a touch as well.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Ah, well, “creative” injury reports have a long and glorious history in the sport we love. I distinctly remember a player, believe it was Brett Hull, giving an interview after a game he had missed. A reporter asked him why he had missed the game, and Hull went over and had a whispered consultation with the trainer. He came back and announced, “I have a cold.”
So if they’re dinged up but calling it flu, that’s OK with me.
What was with the lines? Bruce seemed to give Fehr about a period and a half on the top line before that ended. There didn’t seem to be consistency. I know that there was some juggling because of the 3 d-men in the box situation but did the lines ever get back to “normal” after that?
When he jumbled the lines, he got the Ovechkin and Aucoin goals, so he stuck with some variations on those new lines. Who knows what we’ll get going forward?
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Btw, I’ll readily admit that it’s silly, but I’m rooting for Carolina to win tonight so the Caps don’t clinch the division and have just a little more incentive to show up tomorrow night.
Plus, it’ll be all the sweeter to win the division with a win at home rather than backing in via another team’s loss on an off-night.
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But hockey isn’t baseball circa 1983: Winning the division doesn’t mean that much, especially for this (2d in East) bunch.
I said a little more incentive. And it still matters. You set goals before the season, and that’s certainly one of them.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
It’d be nice to soften up the Rags a bit and keep them in 7th, yes. Loser of that game drops to 7th seed, so better it be the Rags. I was going to root for the Rags, but I see your point.
"It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees." - Delores Ibarruri
The play of the game
I’m surprised no one’s said a word about it: On the Aucoin goal Eric Fehr forechecked and dug the puck out of one corner, sending a pass all the way across the ice to a player who wasn’t there. So Fehr got on his horse, skated all the way across to retrieve the puck, and then sent it in front to Aucoin. Great play. Best individual hustle play a Cap has made in weeks. Best forecheck-generation-of-offense in at least that.
DMG said these words about it in the post:
Kudos, too, to Keith Aucoin (last night’s hard hat recipient) for his first NHL goal in over a year, and kudos to Eric Fehr for the kind of forechecking it takes to create chances in the offensive zone.
And we’re discussing Fehr’s forechecking above.
Sorry if we didn’t have a detailed enough recount of the play-by-play for you – maybe Tarik does. :)
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From my comment at 5:32 PDT
Saw that he scored, saw the highlight, looked like a textbook forechecking goal – incidentally, Fehr covers an awful lot of ground out there, they just cannot give up on that guy – but how did he look in general?
Noted in passing, of course, but I am in agreement with you on the point you make. That play was one of those moments that tells you you have something special on your hands, imo.
Joel Rechlicz
I had no idea who he was before last night, but I want to singlehandedly thank him for being the catalyst in the Caps win. First he starts the fight with Erskine that completely changes the momentum of the game. Then he gets called for interference that nullifies a clear Islander breakaway that could have sealed the win for NY. And finally he gets the extra roughing penalty against Fehr that allows the Caps to score the tie goal on the PP. Quite a night.
how angry does Flash look at the puck in this pic?
http://www.japersrink.com/photos/recap-capitals-5-islanders-nbsp-3/2706
MUST SCORE…HATE…PUCK. ahahaha
yes, i am amusing myself
I’m just psyched to have those AP photos on this site. And I like this one.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
agreed. love the AP photo additions.
I find myself getting excited now when i see Erskine out on the ice. I REALLY want him to score. His puck handling and skating have even improved. In hindsight, that contract looks pretty good….
by ns on Apr 2, 2009 9:13 AM EDT up reply actions
Lost in the shuffle: Jose Theodore’s 30th win, becoming the first Caps G to hit that mark since Kolzig in 2002-03.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Don’t you mean Matt Bradley’s 30th win?
http://www.japersrink.com/photos/recap-capitals-5-islanders-nbsp-3/2703
by Kerry Fraser's Hairspray on Apr 2, 2009 10:19 AM EDT up reply actions
Epic fail.
FWIW, we don’t caption those – AP does.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Very strange indeed. This is the caption on an AP photo that PPP is currently showing:
Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Curtis Joseph, left, prepares to tell Ian White how he rid Newmarket of Visigoths in 645AD after the Maple Leafs beat the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2 in an NHL hockey game in Toronto on Wednesday, April 1, 2009. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Chris Young)
Visigoths? What? Is this some obscure reference that I am not getting?
The Caps looked like a team that hadn’t played for awhile for the first period and a bit of the second. That second goal was the cold water in the face that woke them up. From that point on, the Caps outplayed the Isles, and outscored them 5-1.
I thought Green had a very slow start to the game, but he certainly game on, and his play in the 3rd was outstanding. Nylander may need another “message” sent to him with a night in the press box. Unless you’re going to do the Erskine as forward experiement, there’s no point.
Of course, once the playoffs start, the Cap goes away and the Caps can bring up another forward or defenseman (or both).
Schultz held his own in the fight, but really, he needs to avoid that, esp. when Erskine is in the box already, and Green is getting a penalty. Also, while its nice to see Ovie get in there and defend his teammates, it’s not his job to be in the box when the Caps are behind….
But hey, one more point and the Caps are division champs, and 8 more points, and they’re the #2 seed in the East…
Let's go Caps!
I hadn’t thought of that, but … maybe give Nyls a night in the press box against Buffalo and move Erskine to forward for the evening? Would that be enough of a shuffle to get the boys going? It’d sure be interesting for me.
Maybe ….
Ovechkin-Fedorov-Kozlov
Laich-Backstrom-Semin
Flash-Aucoin-Fehr (Hershey line ho)
Erskine-Steckel-Bradley
(sit Nylander)
Green-Mo
Pothier-Schultz
Poti-Jurcina
(Reasoning on D pairings: I was looking for a leftie and a rightie on each line and a S@H and an offense guy on each line.)
"It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees." - Delores Ibarruri
Off-topic, but something with which I happen to agree, the Columbus Dispatch’s Adam Portzline on the hubbub over Syracuse Crunch (AHL) fans being pissed that the Jackets recalled Nikita Filatov, only to healthy scratch him, while the Crunch could use him in their playoff push:
No easy way to say this: Crunch games are glorified exhibition games, just like every AHL club’s games. If they win, great. If they lose, no big deal. If they lose and the top prospect has a good night, it was a great night for the organization. If the Crunch make the playoffs, lots of folks are happy. It’s good experience for some of the lads. If they don’t make the playoffs, it’s not the end of the world.
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Arrogant comment from someone who clearly doesn’t understand the roots of hockey and what the AHL means in smaller cities. Try telling the 10,000 people who routinely go to Bears games that they’re watching an exhibition game.
I should clarify that the part with which I agree is the over-riding sentiment that what’s best for the NHL team absolutely trumps what’s best for the AHL team. Portzline’s language is a bit harsh, though, and shows a misunderstanding in that part of what’s best for the NHL team is a thriving AHL environment in which its players can develop.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Indeed and that’s the point the writer misses. When he calls AHL games “glorified exhibitions” he’s only looking at it from the parent club’s perspective. Without doubt, the Blue Jackets have the right to call up Filatov, but if they’re just going to have him sit in the press box who does that benefit. The Caps routinely call guys up when there’s an injury, illness or someone isn’t playing well. But, as we’ve seen, when they’re not needed any longer they go right back to Hershey. That’s the essence of maintaining a good working relationship. Sure the AHL needs the NHL, but the NHL may need the AHL even more. The good franchises recognize that and treat their farm club with the respect they deserve.
by b.orr4 on Apr 2, 2009 9:48 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Well, if the parent club feels that Nikita is better served in the long-run by practicing with the team and being a part of their first-ever playoff run – even if it’s not on the ice during games – than he would be playing in the A, I think it’s their decision to make.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Yeah, its arrogant and really stupid. Winning breeds winning. Having a strong farmsystem, and a great relationship with that farmsystem is one of an NHL team’s best assets. The callup is ok in my book, but the comment from the writer is just dumb.
Seriously. Look at what the Caps were able to accomplish even through a hellish spate of injuries that would have floored a team with a lesser relationship with their affilliates. We leaned on Hershey HARD in November and December, and they came through for themselves and for us, and somehow they made it work.
"It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees." - Delores Ibarruri
But the more important thing is that it worked for the Caps. That Hershey could withstand that is a testament to organizational strength and depth, but if the Bears lost every single game that Collins, Sloan, Helmer, Alzner, Lepisto (Jesus!) were here helping the Caps win that they otherwise might have lost, I’d have been fine with that, too.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Very true. It’s a nice aside that Hershey made it work for both. I guess my point is that with a good relationship between AHL and NHL and good depth, it doesn’t have to be good for one or the other – you can have your cake and eat it too.
"It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees." - Delores Ibarruri
Which is a testament to Ted, GMGM, Doug Yingst, and everyone else in the front offices of both teams.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Alzner...
anyone else think Alzner is going to be a head case and not live up to expectations? and that Carlson will outperform him sooner than anyone expected?
by ns on Apr 2, 2009 10:08 AM EDT up reply actions
Nope. Just you. :)
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by J.P. on Apr 2, 2009 10:33 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
No longer Orangemen – just Orange.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Schultz on the 2nd Isles goal
Seems like nobody’s going to mention it, but Schultz’s choice to step up at the defensive blue line led directly to the 2 on 1 that scored the Islanders’ second goal. It was really an atrocious decision and he’ll have to tighten that up for the playoffs.
There was one play in the third where he made a blind backhanded clearing pass out of the corner to. . . nobody in particular. The puck just sort of floated into the slot. I have no idea what he was thinking. Overall, the Caps were fortunate that they were playing a mediocre AHL squad last night, otherwise a lot of their boneheaded plays would have ended up in the back of the net.
bad enough that JP can now recycle content
Tom Poti’s turnover that led to theInsert Team Namefirst goal was just terrible. A guy who’s been in the NHL for the better part of ten years ought to know you don’tInsert Horrible Play.
Also, nice job clearing the crease on the Okposo goal. Not.
Russian Machine Never Breaks
Oh, he did a great job…of standing directly in front of his own goalie. The Caps have been on a consistency rollercoaster of late, but TPs trajectory has only been in one direction, down.
need a little stat help
seriously NHL needs to do major upgrades to your stat options
can anyone tell me what the most PP goals in a season for a defenseman (for the whole NHL) is?
i checked the likely contenders like Coffey, orr, macinnis and housley, but none of them broke the teens.
cause all i can find is Souray’s 19 pp goal season…could Green be that close to the all time record?
by luketheriault on Apr 2, 2009 11:43 AM EDT up reply actions
Washington vs Pitts All-Time
Primary team Washington:
Wins: 95
Losses: 112
Ties: 16
OTLosses: 2
SOLosses: 2
Goals for Washington: 793
Goals against Washington: 834
We’re closing in boys! Could really speed this up if they were in the same division…
Other possible 2nd round opponents Playoff Stats
Carolina:
(Caps never played playoff series?)
Rangers:
2 – 2 (Haven’t played since 1993-94)
Habs:
(Caps never played a playoff series?)
Outsider take
Was flipping between Pens/Devils and Caps/Isles last night and had a few observations:
1. My God the Isles look bad. Why is Brendan Witt still getting NHL ice time? He reminds me of the last few years of Derian Hatcher. A bid cone who makes stupid mistakes with the puck.
2. Agree with the upthread comment that Okposo’s talent seems wasted on such a bad team. Imagine what K.O. could do if he was on a team like Florida with Weiss and Horton as linemates. Unfortunately for him, he’ll probably play with Tavares next season and get lost in that hype. Too bad—I really like his game.
3. Green needs to toughen up. There were at least two instances where a puck was dumped in his corner and he was more concerned with the hit than playing the puck, which led to the Isles getting possession. If the Caps play the Rangers in the 1st round, you’re going to see a lot of this when Avery, Orr, Callahan, etc. are on the ice. He’s -4 over his past 18, even despite continuing to produce offensively, and I think this is part of the reason.
4. Nylander seems worthless. I’m not even a Caps fan, but I can see how terrible the guy is. Keep Aucoin in D.C. He never seems to be out of position, he back-checks, and he doesn’t make stupid plays. That’s huge in the postseason, and it’s what you ask out of your 3rd/4th line centermen.
“Outsider” = “Pens fan,” fwiw
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Yet even someone of that ILK can see the magic of Nylander.
Someone convince me we are worse off with Aucoin centering 3rd line. And don’t play the faceoff card. That can be managed. :-)
Russian Machine Never Breaks
Experience. It’s the only card I have, but Aucoin has little to no playoff experience. Nyls has a ton. Actually, I don’t like Aucoin, if you’re going to call someone else up, I dunno who, but it can’t be Aucoin. Please?
I'm so sick and tired of the refs explaining the calls like this is the NFL.
Aucoin has playoff experience, just that it’s AHL-variety. Who else you got at center? And what’s wrong with Aucoin on a 3rd line that doesn’t do much anyway? Imagine for a moment that Nylander could possibly have gotten that turnover last night. Do you think he shoots and follows up his own rebound? Do we even want to imagine that clownery that would have ensued and whether or not a SOG would have been registered? Aucoin is a hard-hat, grit, overachiever type that we need on that 3rd line, not an aging dinosaur that actually makes the team worse.
Russian Machine Never Breaks
Nah. I’d rather have Nyls than Aucoin in the playoffs this year. No doubt AHL playoffs are good for experience building, but not anywhere close to the experience the NHL playoffs provide.
Someone convince me we are worse off with Aucoin centering 3rd line. And don’t play the faceoff card. That can be managed. :-)
I gave one idea. The rest point to Aucoin for now. I’ll admit to holding a torch for Nylander despite the fact he’s been playing poorly for, well, ever since he injured his shoulder. But I don’t like Aucoin. He’s too small, and he’ll get pasted in a series against NYR or Philly. If you’re going to call up a center, see below. It’s Beagle.
I'm so sick and tired of the refs explaining the calls like this is the NFL.
Beagle can be nothing more than a 4th liner. Don’t play the small card, don’t you know it’s the size of the fight in the dog. He’s the same size as Martin St. Louis. If he could be half the player we’d be thrilled.
Russian Machine Never Breaks
But he isn’t, and probably won’t be. He scored one goal against the worst team in the NHL. That doesn’t get him as much as you seem to want to in my book.
I'm so sick and tired of the refs explaining the calls like this is the NFL.
I hope you’re having fun. That’s not even a counter to the argument I just made.
I'm so sick and tired of the refs explaining the calls like this is the NFL.
If 30 points from your third line center is a problem, and he gets minimal power play time, it’s one of the better problems to have. No, the Caps are not getting good results for the money they’re spending on him, but their getting adequate results from his role. And let’s be honest, the only reason you harp on him so hard is the contract. If he made 750k, you’d say he was a bargain.
I'm so sick and tired of the refs explaining the calls like this is the NFL.
And if you’re looking ceiling on Aucoin, you have to look ceilling on Beagle, which is probably Checking line center. And your checking line is traditionally your third line. Nylander doesn’t fit because he’s not a checking line center and he’s been forced into playing on the third line that never has the same assignment game in and game out as far as whether to score or grind and is routinely having new players on his lines. You call up Beagle and put him there, if you put Laich with him, you have a checking line, no matter what. I don’t think Aucoin is someone I want to throw into the pit of the playoffs.
Of course, when Boyd Gordon comes back, I’d rather Boyd take 4th line Center, and Steckel 3rd anyway.
I'm so sick and tired of the refs explaining the calls like this is the NFL.
The Capitals don’t use their third line as a check line all that much. But I agree ceiling is key. Aucoin’s at his ceiling right now as a tweener who can maybe be a contributor on the right team. Beagle can be a legit fourth liner down the road (though I see it as unlikely).
They don’t, but they never (this season at least) have established what they want the 3rd line to be. Is it a scoring line? It hasn’t been. Is it an energy line? Hasn’t been. Checking? Nope. Make a decision and go with it.
I'm so sick and tired of the refs explaining the calls like this is the NFL.
Part of that problem, if it is a problem, is that BB doesn’t match lines. It’s easier to give an identity to a line if they are given a defined role and played in specific situations. BB doesn’t ascribe to the older definitions of what lines should do. He wants all of his lines to play aggressively and try to score. With that attitude it doesn’t make much sense to assign a “checking” line.
Beagle
Here’s an idea that might help on two fronts (Nylander/Brash): What about Beagle? He’s big, plays tough and he had that 1-punch fight down at Hershey. As a center, his performance during the short visit earlier in the season was not as bad as Nylander has played lately. Maybe on the energy line. Just a thought…
I do like Beagle, and think he’d be an upgrade on Aucoin
I'm so sick and tired of the refs explaining the calls like this is the NFL.
you didn’t finish the sentence…
…an upgrade on Aucoin to replace Nylander.
Come on, just say it, you’ll feel better I promise.
Yeah they were not very good. It’s going to be interesting to see how they put the team together. Kessel, Kane, Parise, Stastny, Okposo, Ryan, Wheeler, Mueller, Booth. We could put three lines together of guys that never played an NHL game before the lockout. Does that even mean there is space for a guy like Gomez? There are a lot of veteran players that will probably be left off this team and I think USA Hockey should consider erring on the side of youth since I think the NHL will probably allow the players to play in Sochi 2014. Get them experience now and we are going to have a dangerous core of players. Yes, I’m already a little obsessed with USA 2010. It won’t get any better over the next year.
On the PP that Green tied the game...
Does anyone know why the face-off started in the neutral zone? I assume it was because the D came in during the scrum but I’m not positive. I thought the rule that PP face-offs start in the offensive zone trumped everything.
Same with the TB game on Friday last week. They started a PP in the neutral zone. Was it because they got a penalty after the other two Isles got penalties?
by red army line on Apr 2, 2009 6:42 PM EDT up reply actions
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