Rink Roundtable: Capitals Postmortem
by J.P. on May 15, 2009 7:00 AM EDT
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[In the wake of the Caps' dismissal from the annual tourney to claim Lord Stan's challis, Rink writers Pepper, DMG and I had a little back-and-forth over email about what went down and where things are going, and that discussion is posted below - feel free to jump into the conversation in the comments.]
J.P.: Alright, fellas. The dust is starting to settle and the post mortems are plentiful, so let's put on our 20/20 hindsight glasses, warm up our Monday Morning Quarterbacking arms and talk about what happened - and what didn't.
First question: What's your biggest "second guess" of the Pens series? If you could go back two weeks and whisper something in Bruce Boudreau's ear, what would it be?
DMG: Well, I think the big obvious is whether or not the team should have given Jose Theodore a start in Game Three or Four as a way to rest Simeon Varlamov. As good as he was in the playoff as a whole, he started to look tired during that two game set in Pittsburgh and never fully recovered. Personnel-wise I think you can look at the decision to recall Jay Beagle over Keith Aucoin. I'm not on the Aucoin bandwagon nearly as much as some fans, but this series was so close that if he could have captured any of that lighting in a bottle play he did in his last stint in Washington, it might have made the difference.
But what I second guess is one thing, and what I'd whisper in Boudreau's ear is another. That would be, "If you team finds itself shorthanded in overtime, make sure you have a better plan that putting a 39-year-old forward who's been showing his age out on defense."
J.P.: To me, it was starting Varly in Game 4.
I said at the beginning of the series that Bruce should have told Varly then that he'd be sitting one of the back-to-backs regardless of how great he was playing so that the kid could know that if he was to get a night off, it wasn't merit-based.
Then, soon after Game 3 ended, I thought about the possibility of Theo getting Game 4.
We know that there were concerns about Varly’s conditioning, and that Games 4 and 5 were back-to-backs that also represented both the first and last of three games in four nights, a total of four in six from Game 3 to Game 6. And Varly himself admitted that fatigue was setting in.
Now, Varly was incredible in Game 3, and you wouldn't necessarily want to bench your best player in a critical Game 4, up two games to one, but was Varly really going to be able to play - and play well - in every game?
The problem as I saw it was that if Varly wasn't good in Game 4 - and he wasn't - and they sat him for Game 5 (which they didn't), it would have sent him the message that he could be yanked after a bad game. And then they'd have put him back in for a potential must-win down 3-2? Alternatively, if they'd played him in Game 5 (which, of course, they did) after a less-than-stellar outing, they risked consecutive bad games because he’d either been solved or he’d burnt out.
On the other hand, had Jose started Game 4, there were two possible outcomes: win, great – Varly then gets three chances to close it out. Lose? Not disastrous, as the series is where it "should" have been – tied at two after four games. And if it was 2-2 heading into Saturday, the team gets an emotional boost by getting the guy they know can win a game on his own back between the pipes, rested and on home ice.
Jose was good against Pittsburgh this year, and maybe a right-catching goalie would have thrown the Pens off ever-so-slightly.
The reality was that Varly was going to get every start, and he probably deserved 'em if he wanted 'em. But for a goalie with durability questions and fatigue setting in, I’m not sure this was ideal.
Pepper: For sure, Varlamov was overworked. But had he not continued to face so much rubber as the series wore on, he would not have been as exposed to lapses from fatigue, and maybe we're not talking about goaltending changes at all. Game 3, in particular, saw a barrage of ridiculous-quality shots and scoring chances, the result of persistent defensive breakdowns.
The Caps lost this series because they couldn't get the puck out the zone quickly, period. That falls primarily on the D corps and, in particular, the one backliner who, despite a benching in the biggest Capitals game of the last decade, still logged the most ice time of all Caps in the playoffs: Mike Green. Now, of course, all of the Caps' defensemen can be blamed to one degree or another in failing to hold down the fort in and around Varly. But if I could change one personnel move of Coach Boudreau's in this series, I would have benched Green after Game 3.
The red, white, and blue, too often this series, were chasing the puck in their own end because they could not win corner battles, battles in front of the net, and then get that first outlet pass up ice and out of the zone. Forwards were forced to pick up the slack, rendering them exhausted and unable to transition to any sustained offensive pressure the other way. Green's ineffectiveness was a huge contributor to that story. But having two good shoulders is essential to the requisite effort.
Green was hurt, and though we knew not the precise nature or extent of his ailment, it was pretty clear that all was far from right with him. Various creative excuses were offered for his poor play at both ends of the ice. First he was sick, and then he was adjusting to a new stick. We'll find out more about what was bothering him with his re-injured shoulder, perhaps today on breakdown day.
Coach proved himself capable of making the gutsy, to understate it, decisions in the post-season, by tapping Varly's shoulder for Game 2 of the first round, a prospect as green as they come (pardon the pun), to replace the #1 veteran goaltender in JT, who had just, more or less, led the team to a 50 win season. So he should have followed up one bold move with another, and benched Green.
You'll recall the month of December, the one where the Caps enjoyed their best single-month record of the 2008-09 season, to the tune of 11-3. Green was initially hurt prior to that time, and the D corps was further decimated with lengthy injuries to Tom Poti and Jeff Schultz. In came Tyler Sloan, Karl Alzner, and even Sean Collins and Bryan Helmer, to gamely fill in. And they held down the fort. The Caps soared on account of a lockdown defense that played efficient and tough in the corners, allowing an average of 28 SA/G during that month, compared to 36.6 SA/G in the series with Pittsburgh.
Granted, the quality of opponent was lesser during December. But depth at defense is so critical in the playoffs because a team can then use it to rotate in NHL-quality D, sending out a full squad of six healthy defenders for a given contest. Not so they can wear suits in the press box.
A one-armed defenseman, Norris Trophy candidate though he may be, was no match for the Penguins' hulking centers. (Not to mention said injury severely impairing Green's ability to bomb from the point on the PP.) Sloan, for one example, was quite sound when he was given the opportunity, and might have earned more minutes, and Alzner deserved a post-season look.
J.P.: Bold. I wonder at what percentage of "Mike Green" Tyler Sloan becomes the better option. But the fact that Bruce didn't even really cut back on 52's minutes until Game 7 would seem to indicate a bit of a lack of faith not only in Sloan et. al., but also in the other five guys in the lineup.
Speaking of ice time, we made a lot of the long shifts skated by some of the forwards, and after Game 7, Alex Ovehckin, Alex Semin and Nick Backstrom ranked first, fourth and sixth in shift length in the playoffs. Did that aspect of game management come back to bite the Caps, or did they get away with it?
Pepper: I see it as related. Perhaps they wouldn't have had such long shifts if they didn't spend the first forty seconds or so of each one trying to get the puck out of the defensive end.
J.P.: Here's another question - In the past two seasons we've seen this team play at a feverish pace from November through the end of the regular season just to make the playoffs one year (and they were spent when they got there), and then enter the playoffs on cruise control in the other year after having built up a big lead in the Division early on (and they were perhaps unable to flip the switch back into full-on "compete" mode once they got there). Any guesses as to what 2009-10 will look like? With those two almost polar opposite examples in their recent memories, will they know how hard to push and how much to keep in reserve during the regular season to maximize their post-season ability?
Frankly, I can see the team struggling a bit through Christmas and a bit beyond - after this disappointment and playing at such an intense level for about a month, it might be hard to get amped up to play Atlanta in October and inter-Conference games in November, especially when they've seen teams like Pittsburgh, Carolina and Anaheim that coasted for much of this past regular season and seem to have caught their spark at the right time (granted, two of those teams fired coaches to help right their respective ships).
Pepper: The emotional roller coaster will be a distant memory come September, and though I would expect a less giddy and more workmanlike demeanor from guys at training camp, I see the team coming out of the 2009-10 gate strong. They might hit a lull pre- or post-Olympic break, but otherwise do fine into and through March.
I see another stellar regular season overall, flirting with 50 wins, and certainly no individual month below .500 (as it is currently mis-defined). I would look for them in particular to have a bit more consistent effort, which means winning a few more of the LA and Columbus-type games, and maybe losing a couple more to elite teams like Boston, Detroit, and, yes, Pittsburgh.
If they "keep some in reserve," it might be borne out by not getting too keyed up for the regular season games against those elite teams, knowing that it is just one game out of 82, and the same two points on the line.
DMG: I think the team's going to struggle a little bit early on because I think they're going to be willing to treat next season, in part, as an experiment. Things would really have to go awry for them to miss the playoffs and so it's less an issue of getting there than it is figuring out who's going to win once they get there. I'd expect see guys get chances in expanded roles and guys from Hershey get a chance to show what they can do at the NHL level. Once the team has a better idea of where they stand as a Stanley Cup contender, they'll be able to make adjustments (including going out at making deals, a la the 2008-09 Penguins) and do a better job of tweaking the roster to get that mix you need to have a legitimate chance at the Cup.
J.P.: OK, last question for now - if you could come up with a pithy mantra for next season, for team t-shirts, a sign in the room, whatever, what would it be?
Pepper: It's an awkward phrase (and I probably wouldn't want to wear it emblazoned on a t-shirt) but I'll go with "Win Each Period." Too often this season and into the playoffs, the team would come out slow and have to play catch-up. Treat each period as a game in itself, and resolve to come out ahead in each one. Don't expect to be able to turn it on and off and make up for missed opportunities on account of intermittent sagging effort.
J.P.: I'm going with "Own the Puck." Everything starts and ends with puck possession - be it more offensive chances for, increased penalties drawn, limiting chances against, fewer penalties taken, etc. When you talk about things like "discipline," that's really more often than not just a symptom - the disease is poor puck possession, and it needs to be the primary focus of this team going forward.
Alright, that's enough to chew on for now. Good talk, boys.
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Roster changes
This is another topic that I’d like to see discussed.
Another indication of inability to clear the defensive zone is a low number of breakaways as compared to what Pens threw on us.
What’s your biggest “second guess” of the Pens series? If you could go back two weeks and whisper something in Bruce Boudreau’s ear, what would it be?
Sidney Crosby scored eight goals in the series. Six of them were scored with Mike Green on the ice. Much has been made of Green’s lack of offense, but defensively he couldn’t compete with Crosby. The Caps needed another matchup there.
Speaking of ice time, we made a lot of the long shifts skated by some of the forwards, and after Game 7, Alex Ovehckin, Alex Semin and Nick Backstrom ranked first, fourth and sixth in shift length in the playoffs. Did that aspect of game management come back to bite the Caps, or did they get away with it?
To the extent this issue is wrapped up in injuries, it probably bit them in the end. Teh four of them had a combined one goal in Games 6 and 7 (Ovechkin). Was that injury (to Ovechkin, Semin (?), and Green), or was it a product of being gassed, or was it a combination? Whatever, the Caps’ big guns were running on fumes — either from fatigue or from injury catching up with them — and Bruce Boudreau was playing for the series, not worrying about the next round. Could he have eased up on the pedal on those guys in Games 3-4? Probably, but coaches and players get into rhythms. It’s hard to reset or recalibrate those things. As a rule, I wish Ovechkin and Backstrom would get fewer of those 60-plus second shifts. Then again, Sidney Crosby averaged as much time per shift as Nicklas Backstrom, and Malkin is second in the league in the playoffs (to Ovechkin).
If you could come up with a pithy mantra for next season, for team t-shirts, a sign in the room, whatever, what would it be?
“Only June Counts”… two years ago, we were thankful the Caps made the playoffs. This year, they won a round and extended the hottest team in the league to a 7th game and lost two games on deflections off their own sticks. Well, next year, I don’t want to hear from rock stars or regular season points records or anything of the like. Next year, anything short of an appearance in the Cup final will be a disappointment. The windows for these things aren’t often open for very long. Dan Marino went to a Super Bowl in his second year at age 23. Folks thought there would be lots of them — it was his last appearance. One would like to think that there are many chances for guys like Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom to skate in a final and win a Cup. Well, maybe. Gretzky won his last Cup at age 27, Lemieux at age 26.
If you've read this far...seek help.
by ThePeerless on May 15, 2009 7:40 AM EDT reply actions 3 recs
Gretzky won his last Cup at age 27, Lemieux at age 26.
Now there’s a stat…
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Maybe a little too much grim perspective for Friday…
by ThreePingPost on May 15, 2009 7:52 AM EDT up reply actions
Well, unless you’re going to tell me that Ovechkin and Backstrom get cancer, have serious back problems or get traded, it’s a stat that’s probably not that relevant. After his last Cup in Edmonton, Gretzky was sent to LA where he recorded succesive seasons of 168, 142, 163 &121 points and, after missing most of the next season to injuries, came back with a 130 point year. I don’t think the fact that he didn’t win another Cup had much to do with him and everything to do with the team he was on. After winning the Cup in ‘92, Lemieux only had three more completely healthy seasons before he retired the first time. If Gretzky/Lemieux had not been traded or had their health fail them, I have a feeling we’d have seen a few more Cups from them.The bottom line is while it’s true there are no guarantees in contending for the Cup, unless disaster befalls the young core, I see this group being near the top for quite a while.
Famous last words… :)
I agree, though – just thought it an interesting perspective.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
The young core gets older, and perhaps won’t even be a “core” any more. Ovechkin is here for the long haul, Green through 2012. Backstrom and Semin are up after next year. Will they be resigned? I’d think Backstrom is a certainty, but I’m not sure about Semin. If Semin has a 40-goal season next year, someone is going to offer him stoopid money. Patrik Elias makes $6 million now in New Jersey. Think Semin wouldn’t be in the market for a $2 million raise? It only takes one team to offer.
Then there is the matter of building a team around this core. Fehr and Fleischmann (to my surprise with regard to the former) have been less than advertised. Do they get pushed out by guys like Francois Bouchard or Chris Bourque, and if so, are those next guys any better? Can the front office dispassionately know when to cut some role players loose for the next wave?
The easy, not to mention lazy, journalistic argument is whether Crosby or Ovechkin is better, whether one or the other will win more Cups. Well, to me that has always been a product of how well the Penguins and Capitals built around those cornerstones. Gretzky never won a Cup without Kevin McClelland, Jordan never won an NBA championship without Scottie Pippen.
Teams - even great ones - have a shelf life. And the Caps are not yet a great team.
If you've read this far...seek help.
Peerless:
A couple of thoughts and counterpoints:
1) Not sure going RFA means that Backstrom & Semin are up – personally I see both of them ebing resigned unless Semin decides to go to Europe or he gets a stoopid offer and it could indeed happen.
2) Flash and Fehr have indeed underwhelmed but at 750K each are still currently fair values, the issue is the roster slot and there’s lots of competition from lots of baby caps for their slots. Methinks, next year will be tough on both of them if they don’t get it to the next level, not just Bouchard and I’m definately not yet sold on Bourque – there’s others who are also worthy Giroux, Aucoin, Osala…etc.
3) The goaltending situation can’t be ignored either….
4) The price we are paying for our highest paid healthy scratch, Nyls, needs to be resolved as well.
I agree there is a shelf life but this does appear an organization pre-positioned for the longer haul…
by markbona-capsfan99 on May 17, 2009 4:58 PM EDT up reply actions
I see the cancer argument, but aren’t Gretzky’s great numbers for the kings more proving the small window point? He still performed at an alarmingly high level and couldn’t finish the deal.
Saying the trade was his downfall is easy, because of where he was traded from. Though there are similarities between the current Caps and 80s Oil (Coffey/MG for instance), is it really accurate to say they are equivalent or even close? I’d need to do some research to believe it, because right now I only see similarities in style of play.
And in general, is it wrong overall to say that offensive dynamos peak early (at least statistically) even though they can be a force for a number of years? Another assumption I have that I need to research, but looking at Gretzky’s career, even limited to his time with the Oilers, is one example.
by Love and Osechkin on May 15, 2009 9:40 AM EDT up reply actions
The Oilers won a Cup after Gretzky left. Are you saying that if he stayed, he wouldn’t have made that team even better? As to comparing to 80"s Oilers to the current Caps, you’ll never find me doing that. That Oiler team was a force of nature up and down the lineup.
No, I’m not saying Gretz was no good in his post Oiler years. I’m more saying that how good he was is further evidence to the point. Without a team as amazing as the 80’s Oilers, even Gretzky couldn’t do it, so how can we hope for better (knowing that we are at best a faint image of that team)?
But the ‘90 cup is a great counter point. Messier’s ’94 cup should be part of the argument, too. Maybe the point to be made is that one dynamic offensive player will have a lesser impact than a stunning Goalie or amazing, gritty leader in the post season?
by Love and Osechkin on May 15, 2009 10:15 AM EDT up reply actions
Gretzky...
…did get the Kings to the finals at age 32 in 1993. He carried them there on his back, and got a hat trick against Toronto in the conference finals game 7 to ensure the Kings got there. Then the Kings discovered that Patrick Roy was… well, Patrick Roy…
Let's go Caps!
by MikeL-Pivonka on May 15, 2009 9:09 AM EDT up reply actions
Yes
The Kings were one Marty McSorley brain cramp and less than 2 minutes of play away from leaving the famed Forum and its ghosts up 2-0 in the series. If not for that moron the Kings would have won the Cup and made Leaf fans’ “we would have won the cup if not for Gretzky’s cheating and Kerry Fraser’s” incompetence that much stronger.
Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.
In McSorleys defence, do you think ANYONE would have been able to think straight after being pummeled so mercilessly by Wendel like Marty was after he cheapshotted Gilmour?
Ron and Fez Noon to Three
by YvonLabresMoustache on May 15, 2009 4:03 PM EDT up reply actions
Gretzky also high sticked Gilmour in OT of Game 6 against the Leafs to get them there
Ron and Fez Noon to Three
by YvonLabresMoustache on May 15, 2009 9:56 AM EDT up reply actions
True
And it should have been five and a game but Kerry Fraser is gutless.
Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.
STOP TALKING ABOUT THIS!
Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.
I saw Aucoin in play and was impressed with his ability to skate hard and respond to the opponent during the Islanders game on April 1, where he got his first goal as a Cap. I wondered why he wasn’t called up. Maybe he was needed with the Bears, but I didn’t follow that series, so I wouldn’t know.
Other than Green, I was most surprised and dismayed by Semin’s difficulties in Round 2, especially as seeing how he led the league in scoring and points at the end of Round 1. He had some great opportunities against the Pens but he couldn’t stay upright at times. I don’t think it was just a propensity for diving—he seemed to lose balance a lot, too. I’m curious about the breakdown today: who was injuried and so forth. Although I think Ovechkin is the greatest, with that star quality of his, Semin’s my favorite skater and I love how he sneaks up on the opponent with his wrist shot or shoots a hard one out of the blue, well, literally, from the blue (like that OT goal against the Bruins). I hope he recovers and comes back with a quiet but determined vengeance next season.
a hard one out of the blue, well, literally, from the blue (like that OT goal against the Bruins)
Thomas sprinted out of the crease last night just like he did after Semin’s goal. I was hoping the Bruins would win, but I still smiled at that image.
by Scott in Shaw on May 15, 2009 10:22 AM EDT up reply actions
For real? Thanks — Olympic news and rumors gives me something to start looking at during the off season.
This is going to be the best Olympics for a hockey fan. I’ll be happy no matter who wins, assuming it’s one of the 4-5 usual suspects. Plus I love the city of Vancouver, and I’ll enjoy seeing it on my TV.
by CapitalCentre on May 15, 2009 11:33 PM EDT up reply actions
US Olympic Netminders
Most teams will bring 3 goalies to Vancouver, and I suspect Thomas, DiPietro (if healthy) and Ryan Miller will be there. Miller probably gets the nod as the starter.
And whomever is in net will be seeing a lot of rubber… I don’t think the USA has that good a defensive corps as they used to. There’ll be some quality up front. As long as they don’t do what they did in 2006 (meaning pick all the same guys from 1998 and 2002, who are all ancient), they should be ok. Medal contention is a long shot at best. Russia, Canada, Sweden and Finland are all likely better, and the Czechs and Slovaks are tough too. And with the goaltending and defense they have, Switzerland will be in most of their games as well…
Let's go Caps!
by MikeL-Pivonka on May 17, 2009 11:10 PM EDT up reply actions
RE: Early season struggles
Agree with DMG on the probability of early season struggles, but have two questions on such.
1) If the solution is from within, is it the ‘right’ solution? We have the organizational blueline depth, but does that depth really — stress on really — address the need for a physical, stay-at-home defenseman? Alzer is great positionally…Carlson seems to have some offensive upside…I don’t know the answer and doubt we will until December. Heck, probably will be further down the road than this season even.
2) If the solution — as Tarik thinks — is outside the organization, do we resign any RFA defensemen? I would like to see Schultz back, but including him puts the Caps at 5 roster spots taken plus 1 UFA. So where does the organizational depth fit in? Are any of the current roster guys a #7 scratch defensman? I thought Erskine was for a while…
One thing is for certain, I don’t envy GMGM because this offseason may be the most important for the Caps — in terms of personnel decisions — we have seen post-lockout.
Incomplete thought
The “two questions” addressing why the Caps would have early season struggles, mostly coming down to ‘chemistry’ with new talent or having ‘right’ players from within. If it’s the first, that ship can right itself with time, if its the second, well, who knows the outcome.
by ThreePingPost on May 15, 2009 7:56 AM EDT up reply actions
2010 offseason is more important. Semin and Backstrom have to get paid, and the cap is going to drop. Much more difficult situation.
by Gould Old Days on May 15, 2009 8:40 AM EDT up reply actions
Here’s another question – In the past two seasons we’ve seen this team play at a feverish pace from November through the end of the regular season just to make the playoffs one year (and they were spent when they got there), and then enter the playoffs on cruise control in the other year after having built up a big lead in the Division early on (and they were perhaps unable to flip the switch back into full-on “compete” mode once they got there). Any guesses as to what 2009-10 will look like? With those two almost polar opposite examples in their recent memories, will they know how hard to push and how much to keep in reserve during the regular season to maximize their post-season ability?
There is a really, really fine line here between “pacing” oneself and mediocre play. If the Caps are slow or indifferent out of the gate next year, the thing that will be in the back of a lot of people’s minds will be that a team fired a coach that was in the last season’s Cup final and replaced him with a guy who might yet win a Cup this year. Boudreau is an Adams winner, and he has a lot of built up goodwill, but that’s a commodity that gets burned off really fast when a team is piling up more losses than expected.
You can’t win a Stanley Cup in October/November, but you can lose one. Of the four semifinalists this year, Carolina had the worst October/November record (12-11-2). Detroit was 15-4-4, Pittsburgh was 14-6-3, and Chicago was 10-6-6. You don’t have to set the world on fire and go 19-3-2, like Buffalo did in 2006, but you can’t be bad, either.
If you've read this far...seek help.
Related (perhaps) – of the Final Four, only Mike Babcock was his team’s coach on Opening Night this season.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
That is an awefully strange stat. I wonder if that has ever happened before.
To stick to the original point, that kind of trend will make owners/gm more likely to make a change in coaching early as well.
by HateOffSeason on May 15, 2009 8:45 AM EDT up reply actions
The Caps lost this series because they couldn’t get the puck out the zone quickly, period. That falls primarily on the D corps … The red, white, and blue, too often this series, were chasing the puck in their own end because they could not win corner battles, battles in front of the net, and then get that first outlet pass up ice and out of the zone. Forwards were forced to pick up the slack, rendering them exhausted and unable to transition to any sustained offensive pressure the other way.
While I agree with your idea of clearing the zone was a huge issue, I’m not sure I agree with your conclusions, Pepper.
Clearing the zone rests mostly on the D corps? Not really fair when the forwards didn’t give them anything to work with. How many times did we see the defense control the puck and start a breakout up the wall. The Penguins defense pinched down to interrupt the flow. The Capitals forward, seeing the defense with the puck, skates past the Penguins defender, but stays along the wall, effectively taking himself out of the play because there is no angle to get the puck to them. The defense can’t make a cross ice pass, becuase Crosby or Malkin was usually in the middle waiting to jump on that. That left, turning back ruining the breakout, trying to fight through the defender on the wall (terrible idea that we paid for often), or just throwing the puck blindly out of the zone.
And where does the idea come from that having forwards backcheck and help the defense wears them out? EVERY team still in the playoffs has forwards that play at both ends of the ice. Hell, I would imagine that of the teams eliminated, the Caps are just about the only team that doesn’t. Sure Ovie comes back and helps on defense when he turns the puck over, and sometimes sneaks in to make a steal. Backstrom is awesome about coming back and helping out. The rest? Not so much. They hang around the blue line, and skate for the breakaway every time, usually leaving their defense hung out to dry against an opposing forecheck.
I can’t argue with your assertion that we lost every battle on the wall. We are terrible there. Forwards can’t control pucks on the wall. The defense can’t beat the opponent to the puck behind the net, even when we are the ones passing it there, because there is no anticipation, and we do a terrible job of actually pressuring along the walls defensively. And our goalie was terrible about reading dumpins and stopping them behind the net (although I think that was just and experience/communication issue).
So while I agree with you completely that clearing the zone was one of Washington’s biggest problems this series, I completely disagree with you on the reasons for it happening.
Very good points, HOS. I was focused on what single personnel change might have made some difference in this last series, but you spell out a greater systemic problem that will definitely need to be addressed this off-season.
The responsibility of the forwards in this seems both an effort/judgment issue as much as a personnel issue.
by Stephen Pepper on May 15, 2009 10:56 AM EDT up reply actions
To this, I would add that having a goaltender who was (probably with good reason) unwilling to handle the puck in almost every situation definitely hurt the Caps’ ability to start the transition out of their own end. Say what you will about Theo, but he can actually puckhandle and pass, which Varly cannot. Yet.
Lacking that capability really hurt, but I also agree with HOS – as a defenseman, if all you have to pass to is the back of someone’s skates, or a guy wearing black and yellow, it’s not hard to look like a fool in your own end.
I think the team needs more speed. Apparently I’m alone in this.
I also don’t think BB is all that great a coach when he has players hurt. At what point does a coach know that someone can’t do his job due to injury and should be scratched? And it’s not just BB, maybe his two assistants need to be re-evaluated.
uhh...uhh...uhh...
Even with Ovechkin/Semin/Poti/Erskine hurt, I don’t think straight line speed was really our problem. Where we got beat was indecision by our defense in pinching on the offensive end, and not being able to anticipate indirect passes off the walls.
It seemed like every 2v1, that wasn’t caused by a bad turnover, was created by a defenseman that hung around in limbo outside our offensive zone, neither pressuring the puck nor busting their ass to get back, who just got taken out of the play by a pass away from them to the wall, that just went around them. It was a standard play of the Penguins, directly aimed at one of our weaknesses. Can’t understand how we didn’t make an adjustment at some point over 7 games.
by HateOffSeason on May 15, 2009 8:48 AM EDT up reply actions
Sorry, bro. You probably are alone on that. I think if speed was our issue Flash would have stood out more, and Semin probably would have scored more than one goal over Kozlov.
by Love and Osechkin on May 15, 2009 9:50 AM EDT up reply actions
No, I think lack of speed on our blueline is a big problem.
by red army line on May 17, 2009 10:10 PM EDT up reply actions
1) Here’s another ‘hindsight’ question/comment: Think GMGM would like to have given up that 3rd rounder it would have taken to acquire Bill Guerin? Subtract him from Pitt and add him to DC and its hard not to imagine the caps are not still playing.
2) In retrospect the Varlomov situation could have been handled differently, but in the playoffs its hard to not stick with the hot hand. Agree that the Beagle promotion over some other possible candidates is a head scratcher, although not sure it was a huge factor.
I find sometimes it's easy to be myself
sometimes I find it's better to be somebody else
I would add not retaining Cooke to this point. I know everyone says he takes dumb penalties, but damn he helped us out last year. And he helped the Penguins out this year. And he is exactly the type of role player we don’t have, but always say we need. You know, the physical aggravator who you love on your team, but every other team hates? Yep, that is Cooke.
by HateOffSeason on May 15, 2009 8:51 AM EDT up reply actions
Brashear might have been signed at that point, and money was too tight I think. And at this point, Della Rovere might fit that role for the club long term.
by Bald Pollack on May 15, 2009 9:00 AM EDT up reply actions
I hope Della Rovere does manage to fit that role, but it wasn’t this year, and probably won’t be next.
To your point of having the lines filled out JP, hopefully the front office has learned that having two skill / no grit lines just doesn’t work. I love the play we see from Ovechkin’s line. MInus defensive issues, I like seeing Semin with Ovechkin. But a line with Semin and Flash as the wingers? Seriously? Especially when you already have a line that is all fancy passes and outside shots and no puck control? Really bad idea.
by HateOffSeason on May 15, 2009 9:35 AM EDT up reply actions
You kidding? All that a Flash/Semin line is missing is Nyls!
by Love and Osechkin on May 15, 2009 9:53 AM EDT up reply actions
Assuming this is intended as sarcasm Ilike the sentement re: Flash and Nyls but Semin wasn’t the problem this offseason IMO
by markbona-capsfan99 on May 17, 2009 5:04 PM EDT up reply actions
GMGM thought he had the bottom six filled out – Laich, Steckel, Clark, Brash, Gordo and Brads (and the top six with AO, Backstrom, Kozlov, Flash, Feds and Semin… and that doesn’t even include Nylander) – and Sergei’s $4m also made Cooke an impossibility.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
I’ll stop bumping into you. Play me off keyboard cat…
by Bald Pollack on May 15, 2009 9:03 AM EDT up reply actions
esa
big part of the 98 cup run was tikannen. i think brads had a great playoffs as a physical player and chipped in some timely goals so he’s sort of an esa-type player. let’s say we did have a 2009 esa, who’s spot would he take?
Gordo’s? no
brads? no
steckel’s? hellll no
Faux -
It wasn’t what the Caps would have had to have given up to get Guerin that stopped a deal from happening, it was the salary cap and, to a lesser extent, the fact that the Caps already had 50 SPCs and couldn’t take on another. But yes, he would have been a good fit on this Caps team.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
by J.P. on May 15, 2009 8:57 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Re: Guerin, I believe the limit of number of players under contract prohibited that move.
by Bald Pollack on May 15, 2009 8:58 AM EDT up reply actions
I would argue that Guerin’s production against us was more a product of skating on Crosby’s line and our shoddy defense later in the series.
But I totally agree that Varly probably should have sat game 4 in Pittsburgh. That may have given the Capitals an advantage in goal, having MAF play back-to-back while we started a fresh Varly for game 5 (the game, as I see it, that lost the Caps this series). If Theo had lost game 4, so be it, if he shines like he did in the regular season and doesn’t let in 3 softies (gulp), even better as we come home up 3-1 with a chance to finish them off in DC.
by war_capitals on May 15, 2009 9:15 AM EDT up reply actions
Personnel changes?
It’s going to be an interesting off-season as the Caps have the same “problem” this year as they did last year, in that they have a glut of NHL calibre defensemen (at least 8, maybe more) and they need to move some of them. Green, Poti, Alzner, Pothier are certain not to move (the first 3 because they’re likely the top 3 for next year, Pothier because no one will likely take a chance on him with the concussion). Then you have Schultz (who will be a bargain for what he brings to the table), Morrisonn (always a contract headache), Erskine (toughness and grit), and Jurcina. Toss in some of the kids in Hershey (Collins, Lepisto, etc.) and you have a bit of a happy issue.
Maybe they can parlay a couple of the second four to a Western team needing defensive help (Colorado? Calgary? Phoenix-wherever?) and bring in another top 6 forward. Not an all-star, but someone like Brooks Laich…a 20-25 goal guy with some toughness….
Let's go Caps!
I think Pothier is shaking off the concussion stigma, as much as one can in his position. Moreover, if he plays well and holds up in the regular season, he becomes semi-attractive trade bait next March because of the UFA status. You can always get him back in the offseason if you need/want, since he’s likely to be a cheaper contract.
by Bald Pollack on May 15, 2009 9:32 AM EDT up reply actions
I don’t thnk the concussion thing is an issue, but other teams will, no doubt. Esp. teams that have had players who have had concussion issues before. Honestly, I think he’s over all the concussion stuff, but at the same time, if he gets another one, he likely will retire.
Let's go Caps!
by MikeL-Pivonka on May 15, 2009 1:08 PM EDT up reply actions
Love your idea for another gritty forward, not all star, in the 20-25 goal range. Exactly what we need on the 2nd line opposite Semin.
One of the problems this year is that Laich, with Clark injured, was the ONLY gritty forward we had with the ability to play on the top two lines and be in front of the net. I think it probably led to Laich being more dinged up most of the year than necessary, because he was the only one the Caps called to play that way when necessary. Another option would be awesome.
And I loved the emergence of the Laich/Steckel/Bradley line in the playoffs. That is exactly the kind of grinding line this team needs, and it’s a shame you are forced to break it up to provide physical play on the top 2 lines.
by HateOffSeason on May 15, 2009 9:42 AM EDT up reply actions
Some of the players who might be of the right type: Steve Bernier of Vancouver, Dominic Moore of Buffalo, Dustin Byfuglien of Chicago.
From teams needing help in the backline: Curtis Glenncross, Calgary; Evgeny Artyukhin, Tampa Bay; Shawn Horcoff, Edmonton
Let's go Caps!
by MikeL-Pivonka on May 15, 2009 1:14 PM EDT up reply actions
I know… but these guys are the type of player who the Caps might go after.
Let's go Caps!
by MikeL-Pivonka on May 15, 2009 2:38 PM EDT up reply actions
Artyukhin is a project and unlikely to amount to much in the near-term, Dominic Moore<Boyd Gordon, Buffugly’s not going anywhere after this playoff – Chicago’s cap woes improve considerably with Havlat and Khabby coming off their books.
Glencross is a decent 3rd/4th liner but that’s not really a place we have a big hole. Horcoff will be an Oiler for life and isn’t worth nearly what they pay him.
I’d rather go after Taylor Pyatt.
When we are looking at players the caps might go after, are we just talking about free agents? or also trades?
I was thinking about looking at the free agents available this year, who were in the 15-25 goal territory. Trying especially to find some muckers in that range, and guys that wouldn’t blow the whole cap to sign. I was going to put that together tonight…no time right now.
Trading for that kind of player opens a new can of worms. I wouldn’t mind adding potential trades to the list, but what teams can we identify that would be open to trading with us? I would think it would be limited to teams that could use a little depth on the blue line, not talking about us trading away the farm or anything.
by HateOffSeason on May 15, 2009 3:30 PM EDT up reply actions
It’s a thin group this year. There are some top-end guys (the Sedins, Bouwmeester) and some old guys (Sakic, Sundin, Niedermayer), but not many young #2 Center types, or grinding winger types. Those that are available have some downside.
Personally, my #1 target would be Mike Knuble, particularly if the team plans on re-signing Feds. Pyatt would be a decent fall-back option. Neither will break the bank. The team might also consider doing a “resurrection-type” contract for a guy like Steve Sullivan or Maxim Afinogenov.
Afinogenov would be an interesting pick-up…he’s another guy (see below) who might benefit being on a team with his fellow countrymen. And he’d have something to prove…
Let's go Caps!
by MikeL-Pivonka on May 15, 2009 4:12 PM EDT up reply actions
We’re not really talking about trading away the farm, it’s more like moving something from where the Caps are deep (defense) and getting something where they’re a little lacking in (20-25 goal guy with grit up front).
There are teams out there with depth in this regard but could use some 4th-6th defensemen, which the Caps have a bushel of.
As for Artyukhin, yes he is a project, but from what I saw of him in person and on TV, he’s got a huge upside (and not just because he’s a big ‘un.) If he ever figures out positioning and how to keep moving, he’s going to be a force.
I think he would be helped being on a team with more Russian players as well, make him feel more comfortable.
Let's go Caps!
by MikeL-Pivonka on May 15, 2009 4:11 PM EDT up reply actions
Mo,odd man out?
1) Would be shocked if Morrisonn is on the team come July 31st. With Poti, Green, Erskine, Pothier and Alzner signed, and the playoff emergence of Jurcina making him a lock to be resigned as well as the low cost of Schultz, it leaves no room for Morrisonn at a likely 2.5 mil cap hit.
2) Not sure what GMGM would get for him, but probably not a huge return unless he’s part of a larger/more complex deal?
I find sometimes it's easy to be myself
sometimes I find it's better to be somebody else
I dunno, a former first round pick (and current top 4 defenseman) who’ll turn 27 this year might a decent asset or two.
by Bald Pollack on May 15, 2009 9:59 AM EDT up reply actions
You may be right. Didn’t GMGM get a 1st rounder for Eminger ?
I find sometimes it's easy to be myself
sometimes I find it's better to be somebody else
Which turned into John Carlson.
Eminger became trade fodder too.. 12 games in PHI, 50 games in TB, 9 games in FLA. How GMGM convinced PHI to take Eminger for a first (maybe.. just maybe because he was drafted 12 overall hmself?) is beyond me.
If (big if) Carlson turns out to be everything people say he is, this could end up being one of GMGM’s best moves.
by :hsughrofl: on May 15, 2009 10:33 AM EDT up reply actions
I think folks were trading based on Eminger’s potential. Philly wound up turning him into Matt Carle*.
- Tampa FO strikes again.
by Bald Pollack on May 15, 2009 10:42 AM EDT up reply actions
Well he certainly wasn’t playing up to it.
by :hsughrofl: on May 15, 2009 10:55 AM EDT up reply actions
Don't know about Juice being a "lock"
I loved his play, but sell high GMGM! We’ve got a need for a guy with that grit + more skill, and a ton of kids in Hershey looking (and deserving) of a spot.
Also I’ll be pissed if we sign him, he sucks like he did most of the regular season, and we have to carry that $$ into the 09-10 offseason where we have to resign the big guns.
by Love and Osechkin on May 15, 2009 10:00 AM EDT up reply actions
Juice led the team in hits (by anyone not named Ovechkin), not to mention blocked shots. While his decision making is spotty, his physical play and cheap cap hit are quite appealing.
by Bald Pollack on May 15, 2009 10:31 AM EDT up reply actions
I think if there was ever any question about re-signing Juice, he answered them in the playoffs. He gets another year, at least.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Alright, I’ll put it this way instead,
I get that he brings something to the table, but there’s no way he’s a legit part of the team’s future with so many kids looking so good. That being true, why not sell him of now while he looks really hot? I’m down if we are looking to use him as bait, but what are the chances he looks as good as he does right now in Feb?
I am even open to keeping him (even though I have personal distaste) if we are talking about swapping a defensive prospect for an offensive prospect. Just don’t sign a guy when we have cap issues and a thick, cheap set of kids to use.
Third option and my least favorite is a one year deal, we use him and then he walks for free.
by Love and Osechkin on May 15, 2009 10:52 AM EDT up reply actions
How is there no way he’s a legit part of the team’s future? I recognize the relative silliness of what I’m about to type, but look at Zdeno Chara’s first few years in the League.
Juice is becoming less of a project and more of a legit blueliner, imo, and on a team with no young bangers (Finley being a possible exception), I’d hate to see them let go of someone who is a hitter and getting better.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Why would you sell a guy who’s one the more physical guys in back to bring up guys who you don’t know/aren’t sure would fill that role easily/quickly?
I’d agree at not re-signing anybody for the sake of cheap help, but Juice’s play remains solid, injury-free and (at least this year) with a cap hit of roughly half of either ShaMo or Alzner and another year of arbitration, this is a no-brainer.
by Bald Pollack on May 15, 2009 11:09 AM EDT up reply actions
I guess most of this is perspective. I can see you guys sense that the game we saw from Juice this post season is what we can expect in the future. I’m not convinced at all. If I believed we’d get what we just saw consistently all next season, I’d be with you. I’m saying he caught fire recently, and next season we can expect some great hits, better positioning, and a lot of debilitating puck management. Time will tell if I’m going to be wearing egg on my face, though.
And JP, if Juice turns into anything remotely like Chara, I’m buying you a 23 jersey, seriously. What do I get if he tanks?
by Love and Osechkin on May 15, 2009 11:38 AM EDT up reply actions
The agony of watching it happen.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Discussions like this make me think of what DMG always says, is there anyone better available at a cap-friendly price? If the answer is no, keep Jurcina. I lament his sometimes brutal, untimely penalties but just like the post-concussion Erskine, he stepped up in the playoffs which has to mean something. And, he’s still young enough to keep progressing.
You can come up with reasons to keep almost all of our D-men and yet most everyone agrees it’s an area that could stand some improvement. Therein lies the challenge.
You can come up with reasons to keep almost all of our D-men and yet most everyone agrees it’s an area that could stand some improvement.
This.
(by the way, I hate reply trends like this and “+1” and “FTW” and “thread over”)
by Scott in Shaw on May 15, 2009 12:48 PM EDT up reply actions
+ 1
But seriously, the defence needs a tonne of work from an impartial observer and expert on weak defence corps.
Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.
I totally disagree. Couldn’t disagree more, in fact. The defense corps needs a ton of work.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
by J.P. on May 15, 2009 2:13 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
Sure, J.P.‘s been called a xenophobe, but the truth is, he’s not. He honestly just feels America is the best country and all the others aren’t as good. That used to be called patriotism.
by Bald Pollack on May 15, 2009 2:23 PM EDT up reply actions
There are other countries?
j/k
Let's go Caps!
by MikeL-Pivonka on May 15, 2009 2:38 PM EDT up reply actions
I don’t see the humour in this at all.
by Stephen Pepper on May 15, 2009 4:43 PM EDT up reply actions
*Crap, how ’bout I think it out a little more?
by Bald Pollack on May 15, 2009 5:16 PM EDT up reply actions
Upside / Downside
Green: Great skater, great offensively, improving defensively / PP-machine, not a crease-clearer, injury concerns due to smaller size
Poti: Good puck-mover, good size/reach, steady on the PK / offensive production doesn’t match his reputation (not even close), allergic to bodychecks (Pokecheck Poti), still prone to really poorly-timed errors
Juice: Great size and strength, great bodychecker – closes the gap with frightening quickness, skates well for a man of his size, plays better the more ice-time and responsibility he gets, absolute howitzer of a shot / skates well for a man of his size, doesn’t always make quick/good decisions with the puck or with his pinches, takes far too many penalties (in his defense, I think he gets some size/strength-based penalties), has zero accuracy with his shot
Mo: Good size, great skater, steady defensively, can move the puck, capable of being physical / barely contributes offensively, will never crack the PP rotation, doesn’t play well enough defensively to justify his total lack of offensive production, doesn’t use his size often enough
Erskine: Good size/strength, great on the PK, willing to clear the crease and go into the corners, sticks up for his teammates, good hitter / not a great skater, often panics with the puck, frequently takes himself out of position to make a hit, not much offensively
Schultz: Great size/reach, improving skater, can use his reach to deny huge areas with his stick, can shut guys down without taking penalties, actually makes decent outlet passes / needs to grow into his frame, still awkward at times, wouldn’t hit a fly, lacks offensive polish, may never skate well enough for Boudreau’s system
Pothier: Great skater, great passer, good ice vision-awareness, hard and accurate shot, can QB the PP in a pinch, tenacious / undersized, one hit away from retirement, can’t really play a physical game and gets owned by larger/stronger forwards
Mo has always been a hassle to get signed. He (or his agent) thinks he’s worth a lot more than he is worth. He is worth something, being a solid, steady, defensive defenseman, but the Caps have one of those in Hershey (this year not next year) who has a much higher upside in Alzner. If Mo is going to be moved, this is the offseason. If they can package him with someone else and get a second line forward with some grit, all the better.
Let's go Caps!
by MikeL-Pivonka on May 15, 2009 1:18 PM EDT up reply actions
Here’s another ‘hindsight’ question/comment: Think GMGM would like to have given up that 3rd rounder it would have taken to acquire Bill Guerin? Subtract him from Pitt and add him to DC and its hard not to imagine the caps are not still playing.
As BP mentioned, the contract situation may have hamstrung McPhee ( which of course is his error for getting himself in that situation) but I think the Guerin scenario has to be addressed.The Red Sox and Yankees will routinely go after players solely because they don’t want the other to get them. I think the Caps have to start approaching acquiring players at the deadline with the same philosophy. If you think your main rival is going after Guerin and he could be the final piece of the puzzle for them, then you step in and steal him from them or at least you try and drive up the price so it hurts the Penguins down the road. I don’t know what Guerin could have done for the Caps, but I do know what he couldn’t have done for the Pens if he was wearing a Washington jersey.
I’m unfamiliar with this story….all it would have taken was a third rounder? Wouldn’t the larger issue have been cap room, and the Islanders’ unwillingness to take some back?
The keyboard is mightier.
Yes to cap concerns. It wasn’t doable.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Great idea. Probably not next year though. Hopefully he will make that step though in the next 2 to 3.
by HateOffSeason on May 15, 2009 9:38 AM EDT up reply actions
I would not get your hopes pinned on Finley. He’s a big, strong kid but he’s almost surely a long, long way from being ready for the NHL. As we know, D in general take longer to develop, and that’s doubly so for big defenders. That guy, in my mind, is a long term project who will is best stashed in the minors for the forseeable future. If he pans out, that’s great, but it won’t be for a while yet.
Yeah, I was trying to not be a Debbie Downer and say that 3 years to never for Finley. We can always hope.
Besides, if he pans out, he will probably be traded for a puck moving defenseman that this team lacks.
by HateOffSeason on May 15, 2009 9:45 AM EDT up reply actions
Exactly…
I’m pretty high on Finley myself, but there’s a reason there’s only one Chara in the league right now…
by Love and Osechkin on May 15, 2009 10:01 AM EDT up reply actions
Finley probably needs only 1 year in the AHL with a couple of spot trips up to the NHL. Playing for a strong college program like North Dakota, he was playing hockey at near the ECHL level. In 2010-11 he should be fighting for a regular job on the Caps back line, looking to replace Tom Poti.
Let's go Caps!
by MikeL-Pivonka on May 15, 2009 1:20 PM EDT up reply actions
That’s a very, very optimistic timetable for Finley. They guy seems to be a borderline AHL player at this point and guys don’t usually go from that to the NHL in a year.
by David Getz on May 15, 2009 1:31 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
This is the time of year for optimism, isn’t it?
Seriously, Finley is, right now, a borderline AHL player, but a full year in the AHL, combined with the fact he’s a little older than most guys playing in their first AHL leads me to believe he might fight for a job in 2010-2011… does he win one? Well, that’s up to him.
Let's go Caps!
by MikeL-Pivonka on May 15, 2009 2:40 PM EDT up reply actions
But his ability to eat 50+ buffalo wings at once ought to count for something right?
by Stephen Pepper on May 15, 2009 5:03 PM EDT up reply actions
Peps —
I think it should read “Don’t Miss Periods.”
by DrinkingPartner on May 15, 2009 9:48 AM EDT reply actions 2 recs
Good advice on and off the ice.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
It’s a universal PSA, I’d like to say.
by DrinkingPartner on May 15, 2009 9:55 AM EDT up reply actions
All the injuries
How, if at all, do you think the injury situation combined with the limit on call ups? Seems like it shouldn’t, as they’d be emergency callups, yes? Seriously, with what has come out and will come out today, would they have been any worse off using someone from Hershey? A guy who can’t hold his stick can’t shoot worth a darn, and I’m assuming that a broken bone in your foot has got to slow your skating.
And that’s not even addressing whether any of that would or could have changed the basic problems in front of the net. Both nets.
I know that everyone is going to say that the NHL club is the most important, and all decision making for call ups should be based upon the welfare of the parent team. But seriously, you do have to maintain a positive feeling of cooperation with your minor league team and its fans.
If we were seriously looking at 6 or 7 real injuries to Caps, Ovechkin/Green/Semin/Poti/Erskine/Fedorov, that would have absolutely gutted the Bears team and been a lock to eliminate them in the playoffs if you filled all those positions.
I’m sure that if the injuries were so bad that the Capital player couldn’t play at all, there would have been call ups. But if they could play, at least as well as the call up probably would have played, I’m sure it was a hard decision to make on whether to decimate the Bears or not.
by HateOffSeason on May 15, 2009 10:16 AM EDT up reply actions
Was "discipline" an important issue?
Can I see series stats for the number of minutes the Caps spent on the PK? (Where is the total stat page for the whole series anyway? Is there one?) Yes, sure, no doubt injuries/immobility among the Caps’ D contributed to the apparent (as I recall) large differential. But there is also a bit of a pond hockey, careless, lazy devil-may-care kinda strut to this team, top to bottom, that, while endearing at times, is not really built (IMO) for the post season. At least not when up against a team with more determination and (therefore) more discipline.
I dunno, goddamn. There is a machine-like quality to the teams that go on to their own Cup Parades. (We got steamrolled by that kind of machine 1998.) Our boys were just too human, too . . . young? . . . this year to find among themselves that other dimension. That other gear. That steely-eyed ruthless competitor mode that never, ever lets his opponent up off the mat. That keeps his foot on the snake’s head. That never loses focus. Maybe this is the quality BB was thinking about when he talked about ‘maturity’.
And the lack thereof is (partially) revealed by odd man rushes, shots-against, chances-against, and PP/PK time differential.
I also agree that Greener was so ineffective that he was a dangerous liability. In not sitting him, BB and GMGM erred. It was also a pretty surprising disservice to Mikey himself, who really was in an untenable position out there. It was not fair to him or to us or to the rest of his teammates. What were they thinking?
What Happened to the Caps' Forechecking Game????
To me this is the most overlooked problem with this team. Aside from the Laich/Steckel/Bradley line, I can’t think of a single unit that consistently got pucks deep and pinned the opposition D inside their zone.
Last season, Boudreau instilled an aggressive mentality that worked because from the get-go, the opponent was on its heels. It only worked because all 5 guys were doing it, and forwards were covering for D guys who pinched. This year the forechecking game was spotty. A sloppy effort here, a mis-played puck there or a lazy pinching decision by a slow defender led to too many odd-man rushes against. One or two of those snowballed into the Caps being on their heels.
and players worked well together within the system. When you get the other team on their heels FIRST, you don’t run into the problems we saw these playoffs: constant odd-man rushes and quite honestly, I think the 2007-2008 Caps were a better team for this reason.
The keyboard is mightier.
wow way to accidentally hit “Post” before you’re done, dumbass.
My point is this: our system play and discipline was sorely lacking by the end of the season. Whether that’s on Boudreau, injuries, or the character make-up of the team is up for debate. But it was the most dissapointing aspect of the playoffs to me.
The keyboard is mightier.
The Fehr injury hurt here – he’s a great forechecker. Obviously that’s only one guy, but it makes a difference.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
I can’t wait to hear what his injury was. If we had people playing with broken feet and separated shoulders and Fehr had something less significant, well…
by Scott in Shaw on May 15, 2009 10:37 AM EDT up reply actions
So does that make the guess a concussion? Seems like that’s about the only thing that would keep anyone out at this point. Especially as I don’t think he even skated after the injury.
What about his back?
Didn’t he have back issues that were so debilitating that he couldn’t move? Maybe they came . . . back.
He was skating soon after.. if you’ve had a concussion, don’t they keep you from the ice until you’re cleared?
If the back came up again, I don’t see him skating then either.
by :hsughrofl: on May 15, 2009 11:10 AM EDT up reply actions
This is a really good point, and one I was going to make. Pittsburgh’s forecheck was the key to this series. We can say we didn’t do a good job of getting the puck out of our zone, and that’s absolutely true, but we also never established anything close to that forecheck when the puck was in their zone. That would have taken a lot of the pressure off our D and made them look much better.
I think this is a personnel problem. Kozlov just isn’t a tenacious forechecker. Neither are Semin, Flash, or Feds. And those guys used up an awful lot of ice time. We’re going to have get guys who can do that. I guess we couldn’t have kept Cooke, but that’s where you really noticed his absence.
Last season in the Stanley Cup finals, the Red Wings dominated play with a puck possession game that the Penguins couldn’t match. (That Pittsburgh even won 2 games is amazing how much they were outplayed.) In the round against the Capitals, the Penguins did the same thing against Washington, outshooting them badly and being in control of most of the games. If it wasn’t for Ovechkin playing like a madman, this series should’ve been over in 5 or 6.
That’s what the Caps have to learn for next year’s playoffs (not so much in the regular season): learn to control the puck, forecheck better, make the other team turn the puck over, make it difficult every time the opponent is moving the puck.
How many times did you see Malkin or Letang or Gonchar come sweeping through the neutral zone without someone on them? How easy was it for the Penguins to get into the Caps’ zone? How many odd-man rushes did the Caps have from forcing the defensemen to make a mistake at the line?
They have the talent: Ovechkin, Backstrom, and Semin are a great top 3; Green can be a very good overall defenseman if he learns to play better in his own end; Varlamov, with some maturity, could be their goalie of the next decade. They just need to play smarter.
Tarik has posted the injury list
Semin…. thumb….
by Citygirlcountryheart on May 15, 2009 11:36 AM EDT reply actions
Yeah, bit of injury discussion over in the GOD’s FanPost (not to discourage talking about it here, mind you).
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
XM openly criticized BB’s policy of no-practice days in the playoffs.
And they talked about which team looked better prepared.
(I personally would have points to discuss on this second part, but it was not expanded or discussed in their statement)
Sure, easy to second-guess in hindsight, but that is the point of this post and it seems that’s what they were doing.
Fedorov earned $4 million this season and will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. But based on what McPhee and Coach Bruce Boudreau said earlier today, it certainly sounds like there’s a good chance Fedorov will be back next season.
And that Bondra guy… he was pretty good. Oh yeah, Gartner too
Let's go Caps!
by MikeL-Pivonka on May 15, 2009 4:15 PM EDT up reply actions
Oh, and don’t forget Geoff Courtnall….and Denis Maruk
Let's go Caps!
by MikeL-Pivonka on May 15, 2009 8:15 PM EDT up reply actions
"Win Each Period"
There’s a slogan I could get behind. As wrestling great Dan Gable said…
“The 1st period is won by the best technician. The 2nd period is won by the kid in the best shape. The 3rd period is won by the kid with the biggest heart.”
I’d say it’s pretty applicable to hockey.
Matt Wieters took batting practice this morning. There were no survivors.
Read it and weep (or swear): The Referee Report: 2nd Round Edition
Power Play vs. Shorthanded Comparison
Team PP PK Dif.
Pittsburgh Penguins 67 49 18 (15 against Washington)
Boston Bruins 43 27 +16
Detroit Red Wings 53 40 +13
Chicago Blackhawks 51 44 +7
St. Louis Blues 24 18 +6
San Jose Sharks 24 22 +2
New York Rangers 31 33 -2
New Jersey Devils 27 29 -2
Philadelphia Flyers 30 33 -3
Carolina Hurricanes 46 51 -5
Anaheim Ducks 44 50 -6
Calgary Flames 18 24 -6
Vancouver Canucks 44 51 -7
Columbus Bl Jackets14 22 -8
Montreal Canadiens 8 16 -8
Washington Capitals 52 65 -13 (-15 against Pburgh)
— Capitals fans might not like this, but the Penguins had a sizable power play advantage in their seven-game series win, jumping from the middle of the pack in the opening round, all the way to the top of the chart following the second round. The good news for the Penguins is they finally started to take advantage of their opportunities as the series progressed, converting on five of their final 11 power plays in Games 5-7. I suppose you could argue that the Penguins’ drastic advantage in the shots department was the result of having 15 more power plays in the round. On the other hand, you could also argue that the amount of time Pittsburgh spent in the offensive zone led to Washington taking more penalties.
by LangwayWasTheKing on May 18, 2009 4:20 PM EDT reply actions
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Southeast Standings
| GP | W | L | OTL | PT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Florida
|
53 | 25 | 17 | 11 | 61 |
|
Washington
|
54 | 28 | 21 | 5 | 61 |
|
Winnipeg
|
56 | 26 | 24 | 6 | 58 |
|
Tampa Bay
|
53 | 23 | 24 | 6 | 52 |
|
Carolina
|
55 | 20 | 25 | 10 | 50 |
(updated 2.10.2012 at 3:26 AM EST)
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