The "Not An Excuse" Canard

Well, let’s wait until the details come out, but I agree with the sentiment – of course injuries are an excuse in the explanatory sense of the word, but I think people are especially sensitive and hesitant to use it to shirk responsibility for poor performances, especially when you don’t know how banged up the other team is.

I also agree with the sentiment that these guys are warriors. In a perverse way, I love the days immediately after a playoff series when this information comes out and marveling at their courage. For example, Mike Green played the playoffs with one shoulder. Sure, he was a turnover machine and was a shell of “Mike Green.” But he also was credited with 34 hits in 14 games, and you can bet that not a one of them felt good. Tom Poti broke his foot in Game 1 of the Pens series, and yet went on to block 10 shots in the next six games. Tough. Period.

At the end of the day, this team is a year ahead of the projected schedule, if I recall correctly. This year was supposed to be the year they got their feet wet in the playoffs, and next year was the year they started to get serious about a deep run. The miracle run at the end of the season bumped the timetable up in terms of our expectations. But if you look at it right, we were all playing with house money when the Caps dominated their division this year and came within a couple bounces of playing in the conference finals.

I’m as low as anyone over the loss and of course the manner in which it came – but I’m pleased with the development of the team.

Instead of a “how the fuck do we fix this mess” situation, which was the discussion 4 years ago in Capsland, we’ve got a targeted list of weaknesses that need addressing. That’s pretty good. We have a committed owner and a clever strategist in charge of player personnel. That’s even better.

I’ll come out and say it: Pittsburgh won this battle, but I like our long-term strategic position considerably more. After Guerin and Kunitz leave, the Pens are going to be in the same position as last year, but with fewer resources to bring to bear on the problem.

We’ll get ’em next year, dammit.

Are both Guerin and Kunitz UFAs?

GOD, i’m glad you made this post. i don’t mind fans and analysts calling out the team for the flat performance in game 7, but i think all caps fans had recognized at that point that this was not the same team that finished 2nd in the east during the regular season. even if it were just mike green playing hurt, that would be enough to drastically alter this team’s effectiveness. it really hurts me as a fan to see the press repeatedly calling green and semin and others out for terrible postseasons (though semin was obviously solid against the rangers)…these are our guys, and anyone that saw only a handful of caps regular season games and then tuned in for the playoffs just doesn’t seem qualified to shoot arrows. not the real world i realize, but that’s my instinctual reaction. clearly there was a lot of sacrifice going on in the locker room and on the ice, and i appreciate it.

Apparently GMGM was just on EITM and said (per Tyler): Green and Poti broken bones (Poti foot but didn’t say what for Green. ) Semin jammed thumb with ligament damage. Had to numb him up before every game. AO groin.

And Ovi had a pulled groin (since game 4 against Rags) and messed up wrist.

Injections required each game.

“to blame”? I might be complicit but I am not “to blame”. An enabler, okay yeah. My fault? Sorry. Does not compute.

I agree with this entirely. Where, in this Blame Game, does the decision to leave them in get examined. How did playing a crippled Green help our chances more than a playing a healthy Somebody Else? (Alzner is hurt too now, it seems. . . )