Capitals name Arturs Irbe as Goaltending Coach
"The Washington Capitals have hired Arturs Irbe as the organization’s goaltending coach, vice president and general manager George McPhee announced today. Irbe replaces Dave Prior, who recently resigned after 12 years with the club to spend more time with his family." - Press Release
almost 3 years ago
J.P.
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Rest of the release:
Irbe, 42, is a native of Riga, Latvia, and served as the goaltending coach for his hometown Dinamo Riga last season in the Kontinental Hockey League. He has also worked with the Latvian national team, which he represented in the 2002 and 2006 Olympics. Irbe is also a former teammate of Capitals’ assistant coach Dean Evason, as both players were with the San Jose Sharks from 1991-93.
Irbe native is a 13-year NHL veteran and played for San Jose, Dallas, Vancouver and Carolina. He played in 568 games and compiled a career record of 218-236-79 while appearing in two NHL All-Star Games (1994, 1999). His last NHL season was 2003-04, and he finished his NHL career with a 2.83 goals-against average and an .899 save percentage. Irbe played professionally in Europe after he left the NHL and retired completely after appearing in six games with Slovakia’s HK Nitra in 2006-07.
Irbe is fluent in English, Latvian, Russian and also speaks some German. He was selected in the 10th round, 196th overall, in the 1989 NHL Entry Draft by the Minnesota North Stars. He spent five years in the San Jose organization and made his NHL debut in the 1991-92 season when he appeared in 13 games. Irbe played in 74 games for the Sharks during 1993-94 and set an NHL record (since broken) by playing 4,412 minutes in the regular season. He spent the 1996-97 season with Dallas and the 1997-98 season with Vancouver before joining Carolina for the final six years of his career.
Irbe became a fixture in the Carolina net and played more than 50 games in each of his first four seasons with the Hurricanes. He registered career-best marks in GAA (2.22) and in save percentage (.923) during the 1998-99 season, his first with Carolina. He played a career high 77 games during the 2000-01 season and a year later he helped lead Carolina to the Stanley Cup final.
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Happy trails Mr. Prior.
http://wewintrophies.com/ - 12 major trophies in national and international competitions. Be a part of the next one.
by Bald Pollack on Aug 13, 2009 9:25 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Irbe is fluent in English, Latvian, Russian and also speaks some German
So, the Caps are going to trade Theodore, keep Varlamov with the big club, and sign Kolzig back. Right?
If you've read this far...seek help.
I guess that means we’re thinking of bringing up Holtby to be the next goalie – I don’t see “fluent in Czech” anywhere on that release.
by DrinkingPartner on Aug 13, 2009 9:30 AM EDT up reply actions
I think Neuvirth speaks English. I think that was a major reason he came over to play in the CHL. I’m not convinced that Neuvirth isn’t the Caps goalie in 5 years.
Goalies don’t need to talk, they just need to save the puck! As long as he can understand English that’s all I really care about. Goalies are weird in general so I don’t worry too much about their personalities, as long as they are mentally tough.
I’m happy to see that my joke went over so well :-).
by DrinkingPartner on Aug 13, 2009 11:16 AM EDT up reply actions
I’m not convinced that Neuvirth isn’t the Caps goalie in 5 years.
The day of reckoning is upon us. F&B and I are in total agreement about something.
And then the masses will promptly vote Kolzig “Most Valuable Cap.”
by Rob Parker on Aug 13, 2009 9:30 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
So, the Caps are going to trade Theodore, keep Varlamov with the big club, and sign Kolzig back. Right?
You forgot the part about Peter Skudra being signed to an ECHL deal.
http://wewintrophies.com/ - 12 major trophies in national and international competitions. Be a part of the next one.
by Bald Pollack on Aug 13, 2009 9:33 AM EDT up reply actions
Even though he was born in South Africa, he is German so im pretty sure he does.
by hockeyman33 on Aug 13, 2009 10:13 AM EDT up reply actions
Yeah, but in his life he’s spent less than a year in Germany if I’m remembering some of his interviews correctly, and most of that was with the national team.
It wouldn’t surprise me if he did, but I was just curious.
he didn’t even know he was a German citizen until he tried out for the Canadian jr. national team. (I’d be pretty irked with my parents over that one)
I don’t believe that is accurate based on the stories I have read on the topic. The issue related to needing the Canadian citizenship to play for the Canadian team. And there’s the story of the German federation not knowing he was German until Ustorf told them.
Kolzig has also addressed the topic of speaking German and that he knew the basics from learning it as a kid, but not much more and that it improved with his time with the German national team over the years. There are a few articles that touch on the topic if anyone is interested in digging them up.
maybe I’m confusing the details. I thought he went to try out (or was invited to try out) for the Canadians jr national team and when they were doing the paperwork they discovered he only had German citizenship, which he didn’t realize.
Sounds to me like you are correct up until the last part. The issue wasn’t whether or not Kolzig knew – he knew he had a German passport – but as a teen didn’t really give it much thought as it related to attending the camp and was sent home after the snafu when he was trying to fill out the paperwork and they found out he did not have Canadian citizenship.
What’s the Eagles of Death Metal album doing here?
http://wewintrophies.com/ - 12 major trophies in national and international competitions. Be a part of the next one.
by Bald Pollack on Aug 13, 2009 11:21 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Close, but Peace, Love, Death Metal is slightly different (and much more awesome).
by Scott in Shaw on Aug 13, 2009 2:23 PM EDT up reply actions
If one is going to spin this, it is that the Caps are looking to fill a void they can’t fill on the ice with one they can hopefully address via a coach. If one assumes, for the moment, that Varlamov is going to be the goalie next spring (regardless of how many games he plays in during the regular season), he has next to no playoff experience, and certainly not nearly the amount that Cup-winning goalies usually have. You can’t feed him that experience like a download in “Matrix” (yeah, I can fly that helicopter).
But you can bring in a coach who has recent experience in the playoffs — for a coach (51 games worth in his career, 24 of them since 2001). It is the single biggest missing element in the Caps squad — playoff experience in goal with the guy who seems at least as likely as not to be the one playing the position next spring.
If you've read this far...seek help.
by ThePeerless on Aug 13, 2009 9:40 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Nice spin.
I wonder how much switching goaltending coaches at this stage in development impacts Varly and Neuvy.
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I don’t know that it will matter to Neuvirth because he didn’t spend that much time with the Caps/Dave Prior anyway. Varlamov spent more time with them than Neuvirth did but I have to imagine any comfort he had with Prior is more than balanced by the comfort he’ll have in communicating. Both guys have had a few goalie coaches in the past so I don’t think a change at this point will bother either of them (especially given the credentials of their new coach).
Prior spent plenty of time in Hershey, though, during the year, and also worked with them in the summer camps (obviously).
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Also, much was made of how much Prior helped Neuvirth when he was called up and how Neuvirth was essentially a different goalie when he returned to Hershey.
Man, I know the Caps didn’t plan on this, but I can’t help feeling this coaching change comes at the absolutely worst time. To go with a rookie goalie coach? Ugh.
I don’t think Irbe is a good fit for Varlamov though. Varly’s knock is that he is not too technically sound, and is therefore not very efficient in his movements, wasting energy. I thought a coach who would help Varly use his size to improve on his technique more (think Allaire with Giguere) would be a better option.
While I like goalies who play Varlamov’s style (Kipprusoff and Nitty are good comparables), it’s still beneficial that he works on his technique. For him to change how he plays would be a mistake, and he doesn’t need to. But bringing in a coach who was a small goalie and played the way Irbe played was, to me, the wrong move.
That’s the headscratching part of this. Young goalies sometimes founder because of techical problems (then they mature, learn better technique, and shine), and Varlamov seems to be a goalie who will need technical mentoring.
I have no idea if this is a good thing, or a bad one.
If you've read this far...seek help.
I thought Irbe was actually fairly technically sound (and to comment on a different post, not much of a puck handler). I noted the fitness/stamina aspect on other boards and agree with the people commenting on that as it is an issue with Varlamov and one would assume Irbe would be a good coach/mentor in that respect.
sidebar: The speaking Russian aspect is a positive, although a minor point, one of the first things I think of with Irbe is his passion for Latvia and feelings about the Soviet Union given the history.
Anyway, should be an interesting next step. I don’t share the concerns of some here regarding the goaltending coach change at this time.
Another knock on Varly is that he may prove to not be very durable, so hiring the dude who set a single-season minutes mark to teach him how to endure a long season sounds okay to me.
by Scott in Shaw on Aug 13, 2009 9:55 AM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
But he’s not durable because how he plays wears a lot on his body. That’s why I’d like him to become a little more efficient. I’m not sure how much you can teach durablity otherwise.
If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball. Just sayin’.
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by J.P. on Aug 13, 2009 9:59 AM EDT up reply actions 3 recs
Goalie coaches don’t have to play the same style as their students. Goalie coaches don’t even have to be exceptionally skilled goalies. They just need to know the position, which Irbe surely does. Jeff Hackett(!) was Theo’s goalie coach in COL and Theo credits Hackett with turning his game around. Hackett and Theo play nowhere near the same style.
There’s an old expression – those who can’t do, teach.
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No. Those who can’t teach…
…go into research.
If you've read this far...seek help.
by ThePeerless on Aug 13, 2009 11:54 AM EDT up reply actions
Woody Allen says
Those who can’t teach, teach gym.
by bilspacecadet on Aug 13, 2009 11:57 AM EDT up reply actions
That’s definitely true, but you need to consider what the student needs work on. In Colorado, I feel Theo had two major problems going in, one was an extreme lack of confidence (he has the mentality of a teenage girl) and the other was that he was was not playing out of his crease enough, a problem that was being exploited due to his small stature and the decreased size of the pads. Hackett was a good fit because he had been through a long career full of ups and downs, so he knew what was necessary to bounce back, and I’ve noticed Theo challenging the shooter a lot more since going to Colorado, so he must have impacted him there. That does get him in trouble with 2 on 1’s sometimes, but what can you do?
Anyways the point I’m trying to make is that coaches and students at this level rarely play the same style, but a coach needs to be able to work with a student in the areas where they’re lacking. Theo’s problems were a little broader than Varly’s current ones, and I’m just hesitant that Irbe would be capable of helping Varlamov with that.
A funny fact to note while we’re on the topic, Hackett lost his job in Montreal to Theo during his Vezina season in ’02.
Two things. Yes, Theo is a head case, which is the worst thing a goalie can be, IMO. Being a goalie is mostly mental (at the NHL level, anyway) and Theo doesn’t have the mental toughness. Second, Theo is a small guy that plays goalie relying on his athleticism. Jeff Hackett is not. Jeff Hackett was able to teach a guy with far more athletic ability than him; why wouldn’t Irbe be able to teach a goalie whose only difference is size. Varlamov and Irbe both rely on their athletic skill, but Varlamov is bigger. I’m pretty sure Irbe will be able to figure out how to work that into his game plan/coaching lessons.
That’s the problem I have with Irbe, he also mostly relied on his atheltic skill. I would’ve perferred a coach who could incorporate a more techinical style of play with Varly, similar to how Neuvirth plays now, if you want a comparable. I want to reiterate though that I’m not calling for Varly to have a different style, just for that to be more of an influence than it is now.
The pro with signing Irbe is that he can build on Varly’s current game. My opinion though is that he would benefit more from the former.
It’s too late to re-make the goalies. They play the style they play. I don’t want Varlamov playing like Giguerre (basically being huge and square to the shooter) and I don’t want Neuvirth playing like Hasek. I have a feeling the Caps wouldn’t have hired Irbe if they thought he was incapable of teaching either Neuvirth or Varlamov. He’s a pretty smart guy and an experienced goalie, I think he can help both with their games.
Definitely. There’s no way you can change a goalie at this point. I also mentioned a few times that that’s not what I want. I just want Varly to eliminate some of the waste motions in his game in order to help his endurance/durability, and the only way to do that is by playing a more techinically sound game.
It’ll be interesting to see Irbe’s influence this season. I enjoyed watching him play growing up.
So maybe skill/playing style is not a determinative factor in how a goalie coach will teach his students?
I’m not saying it is. They way my first coach played (Jim Hrivnak for you old schoolers) and the style I developed is entirely different, so I understand what you’re talking about. I’m just saying that Irbe will probably work with him in one of two ways, either help him improve his techinique, which I think is his biggest (maybe only?) issue, or build on his current acrobatic and reaction based game. I just see Irbe most likely going with the latter, when, in my opinion, I think Varly would most benefit from the former.
It’s not saying that all hope is lost by hiring Irbe and it was the absolutely wrong decision. I was just saying that I personally was surprised with the decision. I did read that Prior recommended him, so that is a good sign.
Do you think Irbe could help teach Varlamov to conserve energy and better condition himself to play that highly athletic style? That could be as big a help to Varlamov as technical work, IMO. I think you raise good points, I’m just not sure that a goalie coach’s background matters much. (Does anyone know anything about Francois Allaire’s background or Warren Strelow’s?)
While better conditioning would allow him to continue playing that style, being a little more conservative will also go a long way in keeping him in position after the initial save, which he does have a tendency to get out of sometimes.
I’m not familiar with Warren Strelow, but SI had an article in ‘03 on the Allaire brothers. Much of it had to do with how much they influenced and revolutionized the butterfly into the style that’s prominent in Quebec with its goalies today (though Giguere and Hiller’s styles deviate a little bit in that they focus more on using their great size.) Now I never saw him in action, but I’d assume that that would mean he played something similar.
I feel old when someone says they are not familiar with Strelow.
If you are interested in learning, there were a number of articles a couple of years ago when he passed away…about his coaching career (his goalie school in MN, coaching US Olympic goalies including Craig, UMinn, NJD and Brodeur, the Capitals naming him the first full time NHL goaltending coach and working with the Sharks’ goalies at the last decade or so)
OT, but about Prior’s playing background, I believe he played a season, maybe more, of college hockey in Canada, but I don’t know where I read that or if someone told me.
Here’s his Hockeydb profile, fwiw.
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Yeah, FWIW, I looked at that, but some of the older lesser league and Canadian college information isn’t complete on hockeydb.
Don’t know Warren Strelow??? Sorry but any pts. you might have made about coaching goalies have been severely discounted.
Ha, sorry, he’s way before my time. And I’m only speaking off experience of being a goalie, not coaching. My coaching experience is limited to helping out at youth camps. On a semi unrelated note, I did work with Bill Daly’s son, who just recently started strapping on the pads, over at Cabin John last week at their summer camp which was pretty cool though. Got to meet him and exchanged a few words about the mess in Phoenix.
I think Daly and Bettman are thinking of buying a home in PHX now that they spend half their days in district court here.
The thing, though, is that coaches are supposed to be able to work with what they’re given. Varlamov is a fantasic athlete, and that seems to work for him. The coach is supposed to help him make his style work better for him.
by DrinkingPartner on Aug 13, 2009 11:29 AM EDT up reply actions
he has the mentality of a teenage girl
Perhaps Jonas Brothers would have been a better choice for goaltending coach.
Russian Machine Never Breaks
Given his history with Paris, I wouldn’t think he’d be able to tell the difference.
by DrinkingPartner on Aug 13, 2009 11:30 AM EDT up reply actions
Good goalie coaches are basically a psychologist with a great understanding of technicality and the ability to see things that need minute changes.
The psychologist part is huge. I think that was a bigger reason Kolzig didn’t like BB than anything technical. Being a goalie coach is such a specialized skill. There are very few coaches that can do a good job coaching goalies as well as the skaters (excluding ex-goalies).
Which is why I find it stupid when player coaches in youth hockey try to teach goalies when they have no idea what they’re talking about. My personal favorite is, “Don’t go down!”
I’ve known some amazing coaches that just say all the wrong things to goalies. They don’t mean to hurt but it’s what they do a lot more harm than good in most cases.
My best coach ever used to yell at me before almost every game\period\etc and say “DON’T LET ANY FUCKING GOALS IN” my only allowed response was, “Yes coach.”
by zephyr on Aug 13, 2009 1:17 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Rule #1: Lose those silly looking masks and go back to something more traditional.
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Has any goalie in NHL history ever done more with less (size) than Irbe?
I was a huge fan of Irbe the goalie in the “Like Wall” days in San Jose. With that said, I’d caution against reading too much into Irbe’s style as a goalie, as far as figuring out what his style as a coach would be. Irbe’s body basically defined how he had to play to have any success. But he’s a really smart guy who gave a great interview (once he got better with English, although that “Like Wall” quote early in his career was phenomenal). I don’t doubt his ability to coach players who have a different style than his.
That guy made some amazingly athletic saves in his day. Reminds me of Varlamov’s playoff performances. If Irbe can teach Varly and Neuvirth some judgment and craftiness, that’d be great.
Sad to see Prior go though. Really liked that guy. Hope he can hook on as a consultant with the Caps.
by Gould Old Days on Aug 13, 2009 10:22 AM EDT reply actions
Has any goalie in NHL history ever done more with less (size) than Irbe?
Hey Hey Hey….
down here…
If you've read this far...seek help.
by ThePeerless on Aug 13, 2009 11:56 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I always found it funny that the man known for saying Holy Jumpin’! on my television probably had to do so in order to reach the crossbar.
Winterion Game Studios
Visit us online at : http://winterion.com
The best part of the Yotes bankruptcy is it scared Pang out of town. I can now watch Yotes games in peace again. Now if someone could figure out how to do the same with Mark Grace…
Loved those giant white pillow pads he used to have
Ron and Fez Noon to Three
by YvonLabresMoustache on Aug 13, 2009 10:26 AM EDT reply actions
OT: Prior was working with the Dallas goalies before he was hired by Washington…one of the last goalies he worked with in Dallas was Arturs Irbe.
Agree about the style issue and coaching, but also, as I noted, Irbe played a technically sound game from what I recall and relied on acrobatics/athleticism more as it related to his size.
I miss Tommy Soderstrom
Ron and Fez Noon to Three
by YvonLabresMoustache on Aug 13, 2009 11:02 AM EDT up reply actions
try this one…
If you've read this far...seek help.
by ThePeerless on Aug 13, 2009 12:18 PM EDT up reply actions
Y’know, everyone’s focused on the kids here (and rightly so), but I wonder if a fresh perspective might straighten out JT’s game a bit.
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One hopes so.
One also wonders if Bruce publicly saying Theo is his #1 will help his confidence.(http://voices.washingtonpost.com/capitalsinsider/boudreau-jose-enters-camp-no-1.html) Theo reminds me of those headcase pitchers in baseball who are seemingly bi-polar. They’re great one night, and the next they resemble Rick Ankiel during his worst moments.
One also wonders if Bruce publicly saying Theo is his #1 will help his confidence.
I’m going to go with “uh, no” here. Theo was the #1 heading into the playoffs last year, and we know how that turned out.
This is lip service to keep a fire under the kids.
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I agree with this. I also think Theo plays the best when he’s not the clear No. 1. He didn’t turn it on in COL until Budaj challenged him. He didn’t turn it on in DC until BJ challenged him. When BJ went down and there wasn’t a veteran challenger to his crease, Theo’s game went down. We’ll never know if his game would have picked up in the playoffs after being benched because Varlamov didn’t let him back in the net until it was too late. Tell Theo he sucks, tell him he’s in a contract year and needs to play well if he doesn’t want to go to the KHL, tell him Varlamov is going to be given a chance to be the starter. Then watch him put his game together. Head. Case.
Somehow I’m guessing that he knows without being told that Varly’s going to make him work. Besides, I doubt Bruce would say such a thing publicly.
"It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees." - Delores Ibarruri
Tell Theo he sucks, tell him he’s in a contract year and needs to play well if he doesn’t want to go to the KHL, tell him Varlamov is going to be given a chance to be the starter. Then watch him put his game together. Head. Case.
Really, I’m willing to try anything at this point if it means reaching the Holy Grail.
Theo’s fascinating. Normally someone has headcase-y as he would have never made it this far, let alone lasted this long. Makes me wonder what he’s like in practice.
Normally head cases don’t put a full year together and win two of the most important individual trophies in the sport.
like I said, he’s fascinating. Although I’m glad I’m not one of the poor people tasked with figuring out how to make the headcase work.
that’s OK, Propecia is taking care of part of it.
from the house that Red Jesus built
by bigonetimer on Aug 13, 2009 12:35 PM EDT up reply actions
I think Bruce should tell Theo, “You’re not good enough.”
Russian Machine Never Breaks
by macvechkin on Aug 13, 2009 11:31 AM EDT up reply actions 4 recs
Nice.
http://wewintrophies.com/ - 12 major trophies in national and international competitions. Be a part of the next one.
by Bald Pollack on Aug 13, 2009 11:33 AM EDT up reply actions
per TEB
“Right now Jose is the No. 1 guy and the other two young men have got to come in and play the way they did last year and try to push him out,” Boudreau said this morning at KCI…
from the house that Red Jesus built
by bigonetimer on Aug 13, 2009 12:41 PM EDT up reply actions
sorry RB, didn’t see your tag!
from the house that Red Jesus built
by bigonetimer on Aug 13, 2009 12:42 PM EDT up reply actions
OT: But I was looking something up about Dave Prior and discovered his nephew, Nick Coone, was drafted in the last OHL draft (in a late round), by none other than the London Knights.
What makes me hopeful that Carlson can become a great offensive defenseman is that he played with Tavares for London for a couple of months.
by red army line on Aug 13, 2009 4:39 PM EDT up reply actions
Dave Prior, who recently resigned after 12 years with the club to spend more time with his family.
i’ve lived for too long in washington, DC, not to recognize code words.
Amen to that. Except I don’t remember hearing rumblings beforehand.
by CapitalCentre on Aug 13, 2009 1:12 PM EDT up reply actions
people who leave to “spend more time with their family” (as oppose to the no quotation marked version) typically aren’t recommending their replacements and heading up the interview committee.
agreed. that particular phrase rings clearly to me (almost to the point that i would avoid it were i in PR), but my comment came before seeing the full TEB report.
by Natty Bumppo on Aug 13, 2009 1:20 PM EDT up reply actions
Natty owns a Jump to Conclusions Mat.
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i’ll accept the shame…and the huge insurance settlement?
by Natty Bumppo on Aug 13, 2009 1:30 PM EDT up reply actions
another thing i’ve learned living in DC: had i made the same comment with a question mark at the end, i would have been thoughtfully prodding, not idly speculating.
on the other hand, if his wife or another family member is gravely ill….well, then i’m just a total douchebag.
so can we expect prior kept on as a part-time consultant? from all that i’ve read, he’s more familiar with the nuances of their games than anyone.
by Natty Bumppo on Aug 13, 2009 1:41 PM EDT up reply actions
another thing i’ve learned living in DC: had i made the same comment with a question mark at the end, i would have been thoughtfully prodding, not idly speculating.
Most definitely. Phrasing a statement – no matter how controversial/untrue – as a question is a time-honored technique for some.
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by J.P. on Aug 13, 2009 1:45 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
so long as i evade o’reilly’s hall of shame (the authoritative list of “media outlets that traffic in defamation”), my commenting career is still intact.
by Natty Bumppo on Aug 13, 2009 2:03 PM EDT up reply actions
Suppose New Jersey people know that too now…though I’d like to think it’s legit
by red army line on Aug 13, 2009 4:40 PM EDT up reply actions
TEB has more: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/capitalsinsider/irbe-ready-for-new-challenge.html
Irbe, a small yet feisty goalie who led the ‘Canes to the Stanley Cup final in 2002 and spent a total of 13 seasons in the NHL with four teams, came to the Caps highly recommended by Dave Prior, the man he’s replacing.
Prior, who had been the Caps’ longest tenured coach, stepped down after 12 seasons to spend more time with his wife. Prior, who was Olie Kolzig’s coach when he won the Vezina Trophy in 2000, recommended the acquisition of Cristobal Huet at the 2008 trade deadline as well as the selection of both Varlamov and Neuvirth in 2006 draft.
“He was away from home 230 nights last year, not counting the day trips,” McPhee said of Prior. “He couldn’t do it anymore and said he owed his wife a better life, which you have to admire him for that.”
Prior coached Irbe when the two were in San Jose during the 1990s and he also played with Caps assistant coach Dean Evason with the Sharks. After Prior informed the team that he intended to resign, he was asked to help in the search for his successor. One of his recommendations was Irbe.
So, if you’ve spent your whole life in hockey, but you were never the superstar who made the big money, what do you do when you resign to spend more time with the family? Hook up with a local rink and coach kids? This is a serious question, I’m not mocking anything here. I assume one can make a reasonable living doing that.
Man, spend a morning out of the office and get in the car and turn on the radio, and find out I missed good stuff.
And Tarik is positively prolific today on the goaltending situation.
"It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees." - Delores Ibarruri
“But for myself, if you look at the season, out of 82 games I still played 57 and had a pretty good record and was pretty consistent toward the end.”
“Consistent” is not a synonym for “good.” He was 6-3-1, 3.21, .889 in his last ten regular season games and was pulled once.
If you've read this far...seek help.
I think those numbers are a major factor in the explanation of another number: 1, as in playoff starts.
I don’ t know what playoffs you were watching, but I saw Jose Theodore start and finish the Caps’ postseason. What more could you ask of a guy?
Ahem.
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Wait! I thought of one more thing to ask for…
…nope, lost it.
by Rob Parker on Aug 13, 2009 2:47 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I think this quote really sums up what he is going to do here
“It’s a great situation when you have young guys who are skilled and have great potential,” Irbe said. “They have made it here for a reason. They have made it up to this point because they are good. They know what they are doing. They don’t need to be changed, don’t have to be interfered [with]. It’s more about supporting them and helping them just to read the game and see the things you are incapable of seeing when you are in the net. To see yourself from the outside with a different view. It could be camera, but it’s even better if someone who is watching you off to the side and can ask you questions that no one else can ask, like, ‘Why did you move this way?’ or ‘What were you thinking?’”
That’s really great to read and bonus points that he was interviewed by Prior. Prior is top notch and I have full support on Irbe.
it’s even better if someone who is watching you off to the side and can ask you questions that no one else can ask, like, ‘Why did you move this way?’ or ‘What were you thinking?’"
A lot of fans wanted to ask Theodore that question last spring.
If you've read this far...seek help.
Heh. Evidently Canes Country approves.
"It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees." - Delores Ibarruri
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