Thursday Caps Clips: Home Sweep Home
by J.P. on Oct 14, 2010 6:49 AM EDT
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Your savory breakfast links:
- Recaps and other assorted musings on last night's win from us, Vogs, NHL.com (Masisak), Carrera (blog, gamer), McNally (blog, gamer), Caps365 (video), CSN Washington (Beninati), Peerless, Frankovic, Puckhead, SB Nation DC, RMNB, OFB, RtR, Inside Hockey, Capitals News Network, Caps Snaps (pics), Caps In Pictures (pics and pics), and clydeorama (pics).
- Does the mainstream media go easy on the Caps (a.k.a. "Is there a happy medium between fluff and "choking dogs")? [Box Seats]
- Marcus Johansson has been upgraded from "week-to-week" to "day-to-day." [@VogsCaps]
- Eric Fehr was on a 6,000-calorie-per-day diet this summer. Follow your dreams. You can reach your goals. He's living proof. [D.C. Sports Bog]
- Calder watch: John Carlson is turning heads. [ESPN ($), The Becket Blog]
- FYI: the season ticket holder party that had been scheduled for tonight has been rescheduled... [Ted's Take]
- ... and two of the team's more popular players won't be able to attend, because they'll be off in faraway Connecticut filming a commercial for The Worldwide Leader. [Peerless, JtG]
- The Caps have the best top line in hockey, but AO will only score 37 goals? Bet the mortgage on the over. [NHL Hot Stove]
- DeAngelo Hall compares Alex Ovechkin to LaRon Landry. If anything, you've got it backwards, Mr. Hall. [D.C. Sports Bog, Redskins Blog]
- Rockin' the red on prime time network television. [LIR]
- D.J. Jazzy Brett's warm-up playlists... [Capitals]
- ... and much more on his spinnin'. [Caps Snaps]
- On "CrowdWave." [Capitals Outsider]
- Evgeny Kuznetsov is working his way back into shape (and the lineup) after a brief injury absence. [Russian Prospect]
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the hradek/ESPN snippet is short:
1. John Carlson, D, Capitals
The 6-foot-3, 208-pound defender remains a rookie despite playing 22 regular-season and seven playoff games during the 2009-10 season. He’s jumped out to a strong start, putting up a goal and three assists in three games while averaging more than 18 minutes a contest.
maybe more noteworthy: JC wasn’t even on hradek’s pre-season top 5 (which had subban on top).
“To be eligible for the [Calder Trophy], a player cannot have played more than 25 games in any single preceding season nor in six or more games in each of any two preceding seasons in any major professional league. The player must not be older than 26 years before September 15 of the season in which he is eligible.” [Link]
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
that’s funny. Imagine someone playing 25 games in the playoffs, winning the cup, getting the Conn Smythe , and then the Calder the FOLLOWING year
Ken Dryden says what’s up.
A very misguided piece on Huffington Post recently called 30 Rock the most racist show on television thanks to Tracy Morgan’s wild, manic, madcap performance. Tonight illustrated why whoever wrote that piece is full of shit and should be punched in the face until he has a more nuanced grasp on comedy.
by Bald Pollack on Oct 14, 2010 8:18 AM EDT up reply actions 3 recs
… and gives F&B a Big Red smile.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Cornell FTW!
"Do you see my fist? It was fists like these that built quaint Canadian cities out of the harsh Canadian wilderness, etc. etc."
Not in Seattle anymore.
by SeattleCapsFan on Oct 14, 2010 9:16 AM EDT up reply actions
BOOOOOOOOOO!
I’d flag this comment, but, you know that whole bit about the hand that feeds and what not.
Release the Mackan!
by Killer_Carlson on Oct 14, 2010 11:17 AM EDT up reply actions
SeattleCapsFan on the other hand…
Release the Mackan!
by Killer_Carlson on Oct 14, 2010 11:18 AM EDT up reply actions
What, are you a Colgate alum too?
(it is Colgate, right?)
"Do you see my fist? It was fists like these that built quaint Canadian cities out of the harsh Canadian wilderness, etc. etc."
Not in Seattle anymore.
by SeattleCapsFan on Oct 14, 2010 11:42 AM EDT up reply actions
A pox on both your (inferior) schools.
by RPI93 on Oct 14, 2010 12:41 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Yup, Colgate all the way. The school’s administration blows but I still can’t keep myself from pulling for their hockey team.
Release the Mackan!
by Killer_Carlson on Oct 14, 2010 1:44 PM EDT up reply actions
I feel that way about Cornell. It’s amazing how much hockey/school spirit I got once I didn’t have to go there anymore.
But um, any Colgate alums in the NHL these days? I can think of a couple Cornell boys, including Moulson from last night… :)
"Do you see my fist? It was fists like these that built quaint Canadian cities out of the harsh Canadian wilderness, etc. etc."
Not in Seattle anymore.
by SeattleCapsFan on Oct 14, 2010 1:49 PM EDT up reply actions
Cory Murphy also played in the NHL in the past few years, and Mark Dekanich is 3rd on the Nashville goalie chart as well.
Release the Mackan!
by Killer_Carlson on Oct 14, 2010 2:09 PM EDT up reply actions
Andy MacDonald. Won a Cup and didn’t take until he was 35 to finally make the NHL.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
by Rob Parker on Oct 14, 2010 1:53 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Hey, I was at your 15 year reunion (my wife is class of ’04).
Release the Mackan!
by Killer_Carlson on Oct 14, 2010 3:37 PM EDT up reply actions
Brainumbc, you really need to beef up on your hockey history. I mean, holy crap.
"Now wait a minute. This is just purely a social call. You know, just two adults getting a stew on, man."
by The Ghost of Bebop on Oct 14, 2010 9:22 AM EDT up reply actions
Meh! MEH I say. I’m fuzzy when it comes to pre-bondra.
I prefer to keep that that way. My brain has reached capacity and unfortunately instead of getting a phd I just filled it with random trivia.
So you seriously don’t know your old-time legends? Terry Sawchuk, Gordie Howe, Stan Mikita, Taro Tsujimoto, or Hakan Loob?
Atta dinnin stick a who!
by Gould Old Days on Oct 14, 2010 9:28 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Taro Tsujimoto
A legend if ever there was one.
by David Getz on Oct 14, 2010 9:32 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Godspeed, TT.
"Now wait a minute. This is just purely a social call. You know, just two adults getting a stew on, man."
by The Ghost of Bebop on Oct 14, 2010 9:33 AM EDT up reply actions
Can a made-up person really die? Like, can Sidd Finch die?
Life With Spidey -- a blog about sports, travel, work, family and fun.
Representing Caps fandom in the Gateway to the West.
I know the big names yea
If you ask anyone on the street most of those names, they’ll know.
But you throw the name Dryden out there and I bet most people think “Umm… baseball?”
Dryden qualifies as a big name if you’re a hockey fan. Let’s face it, most people on the street know Gretzky and maybe Crosby/Ovechkin.
"Now wait a minute. This is just purely a social call. You know, just two adults getting a stew on, man."
by The Ghost of Bebop on Oct 14, 2010 9:39 AM EDT up reply actions
3 rookie goalies have won the Cup and Smythe: Dryden (Habs), Roy (Habs), and Ward (Canes).
by red army line on Oct 14, 2010 9:29 AM EDT up reply actions
A very misguided piece on Huffington Post recently called 30 Rock the most racist show on television thanks to Tracy Morgan’s wild, manic, madcap performance. Tonight illustrated why whoever wrote that piece is full of shit and should be punched in the face until he has a more nuanced grasp on comedy.
by Bald Pollack on Oct 14, 2010 8:26 AM EDT up reply actions
.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
by J.P. on Oct 14, 2010 8:30 AM EDT up reply actions 12 recs
Did you just do a google image search for “Facepalm”?
"Do you see my fist? It was fists like these that built quaint Canadian cities out of the harsh Canadian wilderness, etc. etc."
Not in Seattle anymore.
by SeattleCapsFan on Oct 14, 2010 9:17 AM EDT up reply actions
I’m not sure that is enough facepalms
Release the Mackan!
by Killer_Carlson on Oct 14, 2010 11:19 AM EDT up reply actions
Read The Game by him, It’s one of the best books on hockey that I’ve read. Specific and timeless plus the guy could write.
Alright, confess-how many goals are you going to make this year?
"I'm not going to tell!"
Well can you at least guarantee fifty?
"No way. I have a different objective. To win."
by capsyoungguns on Oct 14, 2010 9:53 AM EDT up reply actions
Nope. Dryden’s a really smart guy. Actually now a Member of Parliament here in Canada
I poured spot remover on my dog. Now he's gone.
by Rather Bengt on Oct 14, 2010 10:00 AM EDT up reply actions
Member of Parliament here in Canada
So is another old hockey illiterate whose name I’m now blanking on.
by DrinkingPartner on Oct 14, 2010 10:01 AM EDT up reply actions
Jacques Demers and Frank Mahovilich are both Canadian Senators.
Bare in mind that in Canada, people are appointed not elected to the Senate.
I poured spot remover on my dog. Now he's gone.
by Rather Bengt on Oct 14, 2010 10:18 AM EDT up reply actions
grrrr Bear in mind
I poured spot remover on my dog. Now he's gone.
by Rather Bengt on Oct 14, 2010 10:18 AM EDT up reply actions
Frank’s in government? I did not know that.
A very misguided piece on Huffington Post recently called 30 Rock the most racist show on television thanks to Tracy Morgan’s wild, manic, madcap performance. Tonight illustrated why whoever wrote that piece is full of shit and should be punched in the face until he has a more nuanced grasp on comedy.
by Bald Pollack on Oct 14, 2010 10:20 AM EDT up reply actions
Ex Canadian PM Jean Chretien appointed him to the Senate in 1998.
I poured spot remover on my dog. Now he's gone.
by Rather Bengt on Oct 14, 2010 10:34 AM EDT up reply actions
Demers and Mahovlich are always bare in my mind.
Wait…did I say that out loud?
Release the Mackan!
by Killer_Carlson on Oct 14, 2010 11:20 AM EDT up reply actions
RB is right. Dryden is extremely bright and thoughtful, and has a rich interior life as evidenced in his book by his reflections on the life of a professional hockey player as well as how a team of disparate individuals come together to form a unit. Players have their roles both on and off the ice, and the book made me realize just how great a role the locker room can play on team chemistry and trust. He made me realize too just how different goalies are from the rest of the team—how different mentally they have to be in order to be successful.
The book is structured brilliantly too as it goes through the season, and it illuminated the competitiveness and other feelings they had for their fiercest rivals. It also gave me a great sense of the daily tedium a hockey player goes through and how alien that daily structure is as compared to other routines, especially a family’s (I thought of Knuble and the other married guys with kids).
I have re-read his book several times—it’s that good. Just a really great worthwhile classic read whether one loves hockey or not.
Alright, confess-how many goals are you going to make this year?
"I'm not going to tell!"
Well can you at least guarantee fifty?
"No way. I have a different objective. To win."
by capsyoungguns on Oct 14, 2010 11:06 AM EDT up reply actions
You don’t know who Ken Dryden was???? Egads.
Washington Capitals 2009-10 = Quebec Nordiques 1994-95
--- D'ohboy
by MikeL-Pivonka on Oct 14, 2010 1:03 PM EDT up reply actions
this sportscenter ad idea from peerless just might be what we see:
Varlamov and Ovechkin in John Buccigross’ office teaching him how to say, “Sidney Crosby sucks” in Russian.
it almost certainly has to be one of buccigross, van pelt or the hockey analysts (melrose/barnaby), you’d think.
Buccigross would never blaspheme his lord and savior in any language.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
by J.P. on Oct 14, 2010 7:40 AM EDT up reply actions 4 recs
If they get near Melrose’s tanning bed, there’ll be hell to pay.
A very misguided piece on Huffington Post recently called 30 Rock the most racist show on television thanks to Tracy Morgan’s wild, manic, madcap performance. Tonight illustrated why whoever wrote that piece is full of shit and should be punched in the face until he has a more nuanced grasp on comedy.
by Bald Pollack on Oct 14, 2010 7:45 AM EDT up reply actions
Jump the Glass had some good ones, too.
Ovie jumping against ESPN office windows while Varly holds up scorecards. None of them are over an ‘8’.
Varly shooting pucks at Ovie (in Varly’s gear) while laughing manically and yelling ‘FIVE HOLE!’ over and over again.
Ovie and Varly as SportsCenter anchors, showing only hockey highlights while Stuart Scott and Steve Levy are tied up in the corner.
by vtcapsfan99 on Oct 14, 2010 10:19 AM EDT up reply actions
haha, those are all rly good. i like that last one the most
Soon the Championship with be ours, all ours!
by kingzman264 on Oct 14, 2010 10:30 AM EDT up reply actions
How about one of these?
Ovie standing in full gear next to Barry Melrose in a dentist chair, as Melrose gets a front upper tooth pulled to get the Ovie look. Ovie is either giving advice to the dentist or ensuring to Melrose that it looks great.
Ovie is in the ESPN locker room in full gear as Van Pelt or Levy or Melrose put yellow laces in their dress shoes. He encourages them that it looks good.
A rehash of the LeBron/VanPelt chair commercial with Ovie now in the mix, pointing out that LeBron may be king, but he’s Alex the Great and deserves the chair.
Ovie working with Levy or Van Pelt or Scott to jump up against the back of the set after a good show, only to see one of them knock the set over.
Life With Spidey -- a blog about sports, travel, work, family and fun.
Representing Caps fandom in the Gateway to the West.
Bucci interviewing Varly (who’s in full uniform), with AO as translator. AO leaves to get some water, and Varly tries to ask Bucci a question in English. Bucci doesn’t understand and instead tosses Varly a notebook and a pen, both of which go over Varly’s glove and fall behind him.
by red army line on Oct 14, 2010 10:38 AM EDT up reply actions
I just don’t see Varly in a commercial. Ovie, maybe Green, maybe Backstrom, maybe Boudreau. Not Varly.
Life With Spidey -- a blog about sports, travel, work, family and fun.
Representing Caps fandom in the Gateway to the West.
You could do a “Varly and Me” gimmick
Money don't make my world go round...i'm reaching out to a higher ground
Box Seats Blog
Ron and Fez 11 to 3
by YvonLabresMoustache on Oct 14, 2010 10:44 AM EDT up reply actions
Only his groin does.
Money don't make my world go round...i'm reaching out to a higher ground
Box Seats Blog
Ron and Fez 11 to 3
by YvonLabresMoustache on Oct 14, 2010 12:42 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I lol’d
"Now wait a minute. This is just purely a social call. You know, just two adults getting a stew on, man."
by The Ghost of Bebop on Oct 14, 2010 12:47 PM EDT up reply actions
Dafoe will play the part of Varlamov. He’ll re-create the famous scene from Platoon for when his groin is injured.
Human existence being an hallucination containing in itself the secondary hallucinations of day and night (the latter an insanitary condition of the atmosphere due to accretions of black air) it ill becomes any man of sense to be concerned at the illusory approach of the supreme hallucination known as death.
SEE HIS HEAD COME APART LIKE DAT? DAT’S DA WAY DAFOE LAUGHS AT YOU
Money don't make my world go round...i'm reaching out to a higher ground
Box Seats Blog
Ron and Fez 11 to 3
by YvonLabresMoustache on Oct 14, 2010 12:48 PM EDT up reply actions
well, the news is that both Varly and Ovi won’t be at the STH party because they will be at the shooting of this new commercial
Soon the Championship with be ours, all ours!
by kingzman264 on Oct 14, 2010 10:45 AM EDT up reply actions
I can – that short he did telling people to come to the Caps Convention was warm and engaging.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
That’s the one I saw like a hundred times waiting for the Rookie Game to load on the internet. I thought it was funny.
Money don't make my world go round...i'm reaching out to a higher ground
Box Seats Blog
Ron and Fez 11 to 3
by YvonLabresMoustache on Oct 14, 2010 11:01 AM EDT up reply actions
I can wai to see you theyare .Click on meh…for teeckets
Money don't make my world go round...i'm reaching out to a higher ground
Box Seats Blog
Ron and Fez 11 to 3
by YvonLabresMoustache on Oct 14, 2010 11:05 AM EDT up reply actions
I cleecked and cleecked and cleecked just to hear his laugh and say cleek. He’d be great in a commercial.
Alright, confess-how many goals are you going to make this year?
"I'm not going to tell!"
Well can you at least guarantee fifty?
"No way. I have a different objective. To win."
by capsyoungguns on Oct 14, 2010 11:08 AM EDT up reply actions
It’s part of the Caps365 archive.
http://video.capitals.nhl.com/videocenter/console?id=74771
(Yes, I know about the avatar hounding - just pretend mine is invisible.)
Varly was pretty funny during the Coming to America panel discussion. I think he’d do well in a commercial.
by vtcapsfan99 on Oct 14, 2010 11:06 AM EDT up reply actions
You have to wonder if they’ll do a play on the “disembodied head” thing:
Van Pelt and Scott are in the break room looking for coffee filters, they open the cabinet, and Ovie’s head is there. “No the coffee filters aren’t here, they’re two cabinets over on the right.” They open that cabinet and Varly’s head is there, “Bucci and Melrose took the last package of filters” says Varly…
Nah, probably not….
Washington Capitals 2009-10 = Quebec Nordiques 1994-95
--- D'ohboy
by MikeL-Pivonka on Oct 14, 2010 1:10 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Van Pelt is one of the few ESPN guys I still like, probably because he’s local, but also because he is funny as hell. I saw him in Dewey once, hanging out in the back of the Bottle and Cork and drinking cheap beer.
Aim for the head baby Jesus
SVP famously loves the bottle and cork.
by Natty Bumppo on Oct 14, 2010 6:52 PM EDT up reply actions
So do I, FWIW (though not famously).
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Two things about the “experience;” one good, one bad…
First, the bad. Lose that lame interactive crap. It plays to the lowest common denominator of sports fan, the one who has the attention span of a turnip. If the difference between winning and losing one of those things in my section hinges on my waving my arms or thrusting left, right, or up the brain-dead moron’s ass who thought this up, well… no prize for our section (but I don’t think there are any prizes for this, anyway, just the joy of victory or the agony of defeat, I guess).
And the good. Brett Leonhardt is a DJ Genius (in fact, it ought to be his new nom de disque). His playlist and production is several orders of magnitude better than the usual in-game music. Shoot, I’m an old fart whose attention to modern music pretty much ended in 1995, but I like what he’s doing with his chance at the mixer. As long as he wants to do it, he should be the master of musical ceremonies for every game.
If you've read this far...seek help.
by ThePeerless on Oct 14, 2010 7:25 AM EDT reply actions 5 recs
I completely agree with you on both points. I’m thrilled that they’re posting DJ80’s playlists on the Caps’ website, too.
John Carlson - Glory follows him.
Six Beers Too Many Fantasy Team - BizNasty's Hobo Rodeo
DJ Genius – Not too bad…
DJ 80 – Money…
Washington Capitals 2009-10 = Quebec Nordiques 1994-95
--- D'ohboy
by MikeL-Pivonka on Oct 14, 2010 1:11 PM EDT up reply actions
Since the Caps already have D.J. King, shouldn’t Stretch be King D.J.?
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
I think James Wisniewski has the “King B.J.” nickname wrapped up.
Money don't make my world go round...i'm reaching out to a higher ground
Box Seats Blog
Ron and Fez 11 to 3
by YvonLabresMoustache on Oct 14, 2010 7:46 AM EDT up reply actions 4 recs
When the Isles sign Alexandre Giroux to a contract, they can have the duo of “BJ and the (ex) Bear”
I poured spot remover on my dog. Now he's gone.
by Rather Bengt on Oct 14, 2010 7:53 AM EDT up reply actions
I think we already had that here during the Brent Johnson Era.
Money don't make my world go round...i'm reaching out to a higher ground
Box Seats Blog
Ron and Fez 11 to 3
by YvonLabresMoustache on Oct 14, 2010 7:55 AM EDT up reply actions
When the Isles sign Alexandre Giroux to a contract, they can have the duo of "BJ and the (ex) Bear"
Right now, they’re just Minus the Bear.
'Cause the end of what it was is what it is right now...
by D'ohboy on Oct 14, 2010 8:04 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Absolutely agree on the interactives. If I can look up a stat, (such as "which Cap has achieved x) I have very little patience with waving my arms left right and center about it. I also don’t get the interactive Zamboni races. Three sections waving arms to “drive” Zambonis around the score board? Lame, especially if the Caps use Olympias.
Bring back the “What year was it?” and the Lotto interactive that involved the entire arena.
by miseenjeu on Oct 14, 2010 7:29 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
BEEEEFcAAAKE!!!
•Eric Fehr was on a 6,000-calorie-per-day diet this summer. Follow your dreams. You can reach your goals. He’s living proof
by Brainumbc on Oct 14, 2010 7:46 AM EDT reply actions 2 recs
Eric Fehr used to be a 98lbs weakling, just like you. Then he got weight gain 4000.
Country Gentlemen's Pig Fertilizer Gazette
Dunny-on-the-World
Nhl.com has him at 6’4" 214lb. Anyone know if that’s accurate. I know their weight stats aren’t always that accurate.
So the question is: Who’s the heaviest NHLer right now?
Nhl.com has Dustin By-Fuglie-n at 265lb. I’m gonna bet one him
Probably him or Boogaard.
John Carlson - Glory follows him.
Six Beers Too Many Fantasy Team - BizNasty's Hobo Rodeo
Chara is listed at 255, Ivanans is listed at 256, Boogaard is listed at 257
Money don't make my world go round...i'm reaching out to a higher ground
Box Seats Blog
Ron and Fez 11 to 3
by YvonLabresMoustache on Oct 14, 2010 8:26 AM EDT up reply actions
Or roughly half the length of Tyler Myers’ neck
Money don't make my world go round...i'm reaching out to a higher ground
Box Seats Blog
Ron and Fez 11 to 3
by YvonLabresMoustache on Oct 14, 2010 8:28 AM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
He’d be so easy to guillotine.
FREE MP
by jordanDC on Oct 14, 2010 8:29 AM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
Lots of subject line fail goin’ on this AM…
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
by J.P. on Oct 14, 2010 8:34 AM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
Yeah I was hoping no one would notice.
Money don't make my world go round...i'm reaching out to a higher ground
Box Seats Blog
Ron and Fez 11 to 3
by YvonLabresMoustache on Oct 14, 2010 8:36 AM EDT up reply actions
In keeping with the South Park theme:
“The human-giraffe gene splicing produced a man with a longer neck, but it has only one ass. It is of no use to me….”
Washington Capitals 2009-10 = Quebec Nordiques 1994-95
--- D'ohboy
by MikeL-Pivonka on Oct 14, 2010 1:13 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Ironically, that was also the weight of Bon Scott’s liver.
Money don't make my world go round...i'm reaching out to a higher ground
Box Seats Blog
Ron and Fez 11 to 3
by YvonLabresMoustache on Oct 14, 2010 9:16 AM EDT up reply actions
After seeing it last night, Gilles could give that a run for its money.
A very misguided piece on Huffington Post recently called 30 Rock the most racist show on television thanks to Tracy Morgan’s wild, manic, madcap performance. Tonight illustrated why whoever wrote that piece is full of shit and should be punched in the face until he has a more nuanced grasp on comedy.
by Bald Pollack on Oct 14, 2010 8:27 AM EDT up reply actions
And he took Bryan Little with him… what a guy.
Washington Capitals 2009-10 = Quebec Nordiques 1994-95
--- D'ohboy
by MikeL-Pivonka on Oct 14, 2010 1:15 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
but AO will only score 37 goals? Bet the mortgage on the over
I think what’s more laughable is the 82 point prediction.
Projections for the 2010-11 season:
Nicklas Backstrom – GP 80 G 26 A 63 PTS 89
Alexander Ovechkin – GP 78 G 37 A 45 PTS 82
Mike Knuble – GP 80 G 22 A 28 PTS 50
I’ll take the trifecta and bet the over on all of them for points and goals.
If you've read this far...seek help.
Kicking myself for not throwing a couple bucks on the under last night.
A very misguided piece on Huffington Post recently called 30 Rock the most racist show on television thanks to Tracy Morgan’s wild, manic, madcap performance. Tonight illustrated why whoever wrote that piece is full of shit and should be punched in the face until he has a more nuanced grasp on comedy.
by Bald Pollack on Oct 14, 2010 8:06 AM EDT up reply actions
One guy is based in Queens, the other in the Boston area.
Money don't make my world go round...i'm reaching out to a higher ground
Box Seats Blog
Ron and Fez 11 to 3
by YvonLabresMoustache on Oct 14, 2010 8:11 AM EDT up reply actions
… they’re two men with a mission: “we need content, I don’t know, make a list with predictions or something”
Watch as the amazing and wacky hi jinx ensue, tonight, on The Tepid Stove
Atta dinnin stick a who!
by Gould Old Days on Oct 14, 2010 9:33 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I smell a commenter that should switch to unleaded coffee; the leaded apparently has typos.
A very misguided piece on Huffington Post recently called 30 Rock the most racist show on television thanks to Tracy Morgan’s wild, manic, madcap performance. Tonight illustrated why whoever wrote that piece is full of shit and should be punched in the face until he has a more nuanced grasp on comedy.
by Bald Pollack on Oct 14, 2010 8:14 AM EDT up reply actions
MARLKIN TO THE KRINGS!
Money don't make my world go round...i'm reaching out to a higher ground
Box Seats Blog
Ron and Fez 11 to 3
by YvonLabresMoustache on Oct 14, 2010 8:16 AM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
Just hope the Krings don’t trade Mustin Grown. Or Flayne Timmonds.
Money don't make my world go round...i'm reaching out to a higher ground
Box Seats Blog
Ron and Fez 11 to 3
by YvonLabresMoustache on Oct 14, 2010 8:31 AM EDT up reply actions
If one of those guys is moving to wing it won’t be the one who wins half his faceoffs and plays great D.
Release the Mackan!
by Killer_Carlson on Oct 14, 2010 11:31 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
We also have Tim Kring to blame for Heroes
Money don't make my world go round...i'm reaching out to a higher ground
Box Seats Blog
Ron and Fez 11 to 3
by YvonLabresMoustache on Oct 14, 2010 9:38 AM EDT up reply actions
Hey, it was good while it lasted.
Pick it up in OT?
A very misguided piece on Huffington Post recently called 30 Rock the most racist show on television thanks to Tracy Morgan’s wild, manic, madcap performance. Tonight illustrated why whoever wrote that piece is full of shit and should be punched in the face until he has a more nuanced grasp on comedy.
by Bald Pollack on Oct 14, 2010 9:48 AM EDT up reply actions
Sure
Money don't make my world go round...i'm reaching out to a higher ground
Box Seats Blog
Ron and Fez 11 to 3
by YvonLabresMoustache on Oct 14, 2010 9:48 AM EDT up reply actions
More realistic projections…
Nicklas Backstrom – 30G 72A 102PTS
Alexander Ovechkin – 57G 59A 116PTS
Mike Knuble – 27G 28A 55PTS
4th Floor, is next, swimvare, undervare, Eric Fehr...
Yep. The projections on the whole seem pretty bad to me, with most seeming too low. I’m not even sure all the “lines” given are actual lines that play together.
by red army line on Oct 14, 2010 8:39 AM EDT up reply actions
Over on goals for Knubs? That’s bold. Not impossible, but bold.
"Do you see my fist? It was fists like these that built quaint Canadian cities out of the harsh Canadian wilderness, etc. etc."
Not in Seattle anymore.
by SeattleCapsFan on Oct 14, 2010 9:21 AM EDT up reply actions
Ovechkin is on pace for 82 goals. Its simple math…
Anthony Curatolo
NHLHS NHL Writer
acuratolo@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @HockeyGuy_AC
Brandon Macdonald
NHLHS Editor
bmacdonald@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @bMacdonald8
According to these donks, these are the players that will out score Ovi.
Backstrom – 89
St. Louis – 83
Stamkos – 110
Thornton – 84
M.Richards – 83
Crosby – 101
Malkin – 103
Spezza – 83
Kopitar – 104
Datysuk – 98
Statsny – 83
Toews – 85
Hossa – 93
Kane – 84
Roy – 86
If Ovechkin is 16th in overall league scoring or worse, barring significant injury, I will wear a pink Sidney Crosby shirt all summer long until the new season starts.
4th Floor, is next, swimvare, undervare, Eric Fehr...
I will wear a pink Sidney Crosby shirt all summer long until the new season starts
(bookmarked) :)
Speaking of bets. I bet Fehr & Balanced that he could pick my avatar for a couple weeks if Carolina didn’t make the playoffs last season.
Fehr! Whre u at
A good closeup of the ’Wis would work.
'Cause the end of what it was is what it is right now...
by D'ohboy on Oct 14, 2010 8:21 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I support this message.
Release the Mackan!
by Killer_Carlson on Oct 14, 2010 11:32 AM EDT up reply actions
Seconded
"Do you see my fist? It was fists like these that built quaint Canadian cities out of the harsh Canadian wilderness, etc. etc."
Not in Seattle anymore.
by SeattleCapsFan on Oct 14, 2010 11:47 AM EDT up reply actions
Guess I was confused about the bet... Better late than never
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
by Rob Parker on Oct 14, 2010 2:17 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
Ok, this is even better than a picture of Wis. Classic.
Release the Mackan!
by Killer_Carlson on Oct 14, 2010 2:20 PM EDT up reply actions
What will be left for Sidney to wear?
If you've read this far...seek help.
by ThePeerless on Oct 14, 2010 8:09 AM EDT up reply actions 7 recs
Obviously you’re not accounting for the 20 games they expect Ovechkin to miss due to suspension.
"It's always good to have vikings."
I’d still bet on him being higher than 16th in scoring even with his 20 game suspension.
I don’t have much tolerance for stupid. Or cheese on food that doesn’t need it. -duck
by twistedlogic on Oct 14, 2010 8:25 AM EDT up reply actions
He's changed the numbers
Now there are mock numbers ( * for the haters)
Nicklas Backstrom – GP 80 G 35 A 89 PTS 124*
Alexander Ovechkin – GP 78 G 86 A 53 PTS 139*
Mike Knuble – GP 80 G 22 A 28 PTS 50
But his original numbers have changed too
Nicklas Backstrom – GP 80 G 35 A 63 PTS 98
Alexander Ovechkin – GP 78 G 52 A 45 PTS 97
Mike Knuble – GP 80 G 22 A 28 PTS 50
And they’re still off!
And he has added a comment defending himself, including this perhaps I said too much admission,
“Yet, homer fans, everyone else thinking they are a hockey god, and the fact that did anyone ever think maybe some of the figures we placed in there were strictly for reactions?”
Obstreperously Avatarless
So you’re trolling fans to boost page views? Wow, don’t pull a muscle reaching to pat yourselves on the back, guys.
So incredibly obnoxious. His main defense makes absolutely no sense, either:
It’s called PREDICTIONS and PROJECTIONS. This has nothing to do with PAST PERFORMANCES
You had me at no problem.
Ha! Since predictions and projections have nothing to do with past performances. Kinda like predicting Tyler Sloan will have a 50 goal season.
Also, who the hell would predict AO would only have a 37 goal season? Did he pull out his Magic 8 ball of goal predictions and that’s what came up?
I don’t have much tolerance for stupid. Or cheese on food that doesn’t need it. -duck
by twistedlogic on Oct 14, 2010 3:43 PM EDT up reply actions
He pulled out his Magic 8-ball of “What would most irritate Caps fans?”
And then he has the audacity to call US the haters.
You had me at no problem.
Well we are. Since predictions are clearly NOT based off of past production, he can pick any goal number he damned well wants! 37 seems like a great number!
/snark
I don’t have much tolerance for stupid. Or cheese on food that doesn’t need it. -duck
by twistedlogic on Oct 14, 2010 3:55 PM EDT up reply actions
Didn't notice this earlier.
He has Backstrom missing TWO games.
Obstreperously Avatarless
by Edanger6 on Oct 14, 2010 3:23 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Is it sad that I’m more annoyed by this comment than any others? Observe:
But, at the end of the day (and for ALL THE CAPS COMMENTS) when Washington was the LAST team we completed, after a weeks time of coming up, editing and creating material in this article, as well as others, you should have cut us a bit of slack.
I hate that. If you believe it, stand by it and give reasons for it – but don’t try and defend yourself by admitting you probably phoned it in a little because it was the last one. (And I have no sympathy or intention of cutting them slack for a crappy prediction just because they were mentally exhausted after writing a whole paragraph for each team.)
If anyone needs me, I'll be at Kettler.
So their content for a week = any one of the comments on a single FanPost on this site? Sounds about right except the posters/commentors here usually get it right.
"Inglewood Jack! Inglewood Jack!" - Coach Jules
by Alz Well That Ends Well on Oct 14, 2010 3:44 PM EDT up reply actions
It was so ridiculous this morning I just kinda strolled through shaking my head. But after reading this thread I went back to the comments and not only is your selection a gem of stupidity, but I love this bit too. It so aptly defined their bias:
Instead of going INSANE over the fact that I THINK "MAYBE" Ovi has an off year and doesn’t score 40 (he’s a dirty hitter and I think he’s going to blow his knee out and miss some time this year), etc.
Then they follow it up with:
Think of, or ask why instead of blatantly destroying material. We aren’t rocket scientists nor prophets – we are writers who love the sport that we do write on and enjoy to have some fun with it from time to time.
If they loved the game then they should love watching Ovi play even if they can’t stand him as a player. There are players on other teams that I can’t stand but I still love to watch because they are that good at what they do. Watching great athletes perform seems like a major part of loving a sport.
Alright, confess-how many goals are you going to make this year?
"I'm not going to tell!"
Well can you at least guarantee fifty?
"No way. I have a different objective. To win."
by capsyoungguns on Oct 14, 2010 4:19 PM EDT up reply actions
I’m not going to get upset about people calling AO since it is so objective and he does have a history of borderline hits. But if they really thought he was going to get hurt/suspended and miss a bunch of time they wouldn’t have predicted him to play 78 games. Clearly a (very poor) post hoc rationalization of some horrendous predictions.
The thing that I love is how they say in the blurb how offensively dominant the line is and how they will be at the top of the scoring charts, and then predict them to be around a point a game.
Release the Mackan!
by Killer_Carlson on Oct 14, 2010 4:33 PM EDT up reply actions 3 recs
I don’t get too bothered either with people calling Ovi out for his borderline play. He’s earned it. I do expect commentators, including these guys, to give him credit for what he has done as a player however. They just threw some numbers out there without any thought or analysis and were I believe taken aback when called on it, hence their rather defensive attitude in the comments section. Resorting to calling him dirty in parenthesis’s in the comment section is rather lame in my book though.
It doesn’t bode well the writers/blogger to come across as a mouth-breather in the comments section of his own piece.
Alright, confess-how many goals are you going to make this year?
"I'm not going to tell!"
Well can you at least guarantee fifty?
"No way. I have a different objective. To win."
by capsyoungguns on Oct 14, 2010 5:33 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah, I had never heard of the blog before, and they sure as hell didn’t show me anything to get me to go back there.
Release the Mackan!
by Killer_Carlson on Oct 14, 2010 8:42 PM EDT up reply actions
Someone needs to blingee up a photo of DJ Stretch. He needs some gold chains and a pimp cup.
John Carlson - Glory follows him.
Six Beers Too Many Fantasy Team - BizNasty's Hobo Rodeo
i know its only a few games in, but....
Smirk Contest Winner and top o’ the league in wins
If you want to survive out here, you've got to know where your towel is.
That's a terrible picture of him
I prefer the “DRrrRRrRR” expression on nhl.com
or possibly the older pic of him when he was with the Sugarcubes
....
Nothing is worse than the picture they use for Ovechkin in ESPN.
4th Floor, is next, swimvare, undervare, Eric Fehr...
Allan Muir @ cnn.com
did his annual predictions
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/allan_muir/10/13/wheels.off.predictions/index.html
I couldn’t tell if he was joking abou Ovi or not? Can anyone confirm?
Fleischmann
Does it seem like he is struggling out there to keep up physically? Both games I’ve been able to watch this year I’ve noticed by mid game or end of 2nd period he’s doubled over trying to reach a puck.
If you want to survive out here, you've got to know where your towel is.
I was a lot more concerned with the tremendously poor play of Sloan and Erskine last night.
Each of them did the following 3 times:
1. Hard arounds to nobody when the Caps had 3 men on the near wall, one between the circles, and another at covering far point
2. Force feeding the middle in the Neutral zone into 4 Islanders
3. Pushing up the bench near side defensive boards during Islanders line changes.
Just those 3 examples accounted for 6 immediate turnovers, and an icing.
Country Gentlemen's Pig Fertilizer Gazette
Dunny-on-the-World
Oh, I didn’t forget, I just didn’t want to give myself apoplexy thinking about those two being on the ice any longer.
Country Gentlemen's Pig Fertilizer Gazette
Dunny-on-the-World
Anyone in Hershey an improvement at this point over Sloerskine?
If you want to survive out here, you've got to know where your towel is.
by ns on Oct 14, 2010 8:39 AM EDT up reply actions
Actually I thought Sloan seemed to be doing better this year. He doesn’t seem to be turning it over much and everytime he gets the puck he gives it straight to Ovechkin.
When in doubt, give it to #8
Disagree. I think Sloan has been pretty poor.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
by J.P. on Oct 14, 2010 8:42 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I get that he has good footspeed for his size, but he doesn’t seem to use his skating very effectively.
FREE MP
My bigger problem with his game is that his decision-making and execution just aren’t NHL speed. Plays are on top of him before he reacts. It’s not good (and not getting better). Perhaps more games will help him along, but that’s probably a longshot. Tyler Sloan is what he is, and that is, to be brutally blunt, one of the worst players in the NHL. Literally.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
by J.P. on Oct 14, 2010 8:52 AM EDT up reply actions 4 recs
I noticed a lot of that last night. He would start out of the zone and you could see that he should either move the puck or reverse.. and he’d do neither.. then finally try to reverse, and would get pinned to the boards with the puck in his own zone.
Urgh.
FREE MP
That happened quite a bit. Plus it looks as though he makes that indecision in slow motion.
I don’t have much tolerance for stupid. Or cheese on food that doesn’t need it. -duck
by twistedlogic on Oct 14, 2010 8:55 AM EDT up reply actions
More he plays, more video other teams will be able to watch, more he’ll be isolated as folks figure out his weaknesses
If he becomes a regular…
Atta dinnin stick a who!
by Gould Old Days on Oct 14, 2010 9:39 AM EDT up reply actions
Remember the good old days when Sloan was an emergency call up? That’s when I actually liked the kid…sigh.
"Do you see my fist? It was fists like these that built quaint Canadian cities out of the harsh Canadian wilderness, etc. etc."
Not in Seattle anymore.
by SeattleCapsFan on Oct 14, 2010 9:40 AM EDT up reply actions
I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a slower decision maker than Sloan. The worst part last night is he would keep getting the puck and then you’d see the wheels slowly start grinding, leading to the inevitable cough up.
Think twice before you speak, and then you may be able to say something more insulting than if you spoke right out at once.
You’re being too nice. He has been atrocious.
If you want to survive out here, you've got to know where your towel is.
by ns on Oct 14, 2010 8:51 AM EDT up reply actions
Sloan’s been terrible so far.
4th Floor, is next, swimvare, undervare, Eric Fehr...
by JSchon on Oct 14, 2010 9:40 AM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
There are times when he’s not so terrible. I find myself crediting Sloan with a decent zone clear every now and then.
by DrinkingPartner on Oct 14, 2010 9:44 AM EDT up reply actions
I agree, he cleared the zone wonderfully on a handful of occasions last game…for the Islanders.
Though let me also state that a lot of this terrible play is Bruce’s fault. The team carried 8 D last year, Sloan pretty much never played. How does Gabby expect the kid to become an NHL Caliber defenseman if once you call him up, you spend the next year having him sit in the press box.
Bruce certainly thinks that to get better in the NHL you have to play games and make mistakes. (e.g. what he’s said about Alzner, Carlson, Johansson, Green—a few years ago) If he knows this and didn’t play Sloan for a year when he could have had him down in the AHL playing and 2 hours away if needed, than Bruce holds the bag for the Sloan not getting better.
Country Gentlemen's Pig Fertilizer Gazette
Dunny-on-the-World
Sloan is 29, he’s not a kid. He is what he is and his game isn’t going to develop into an NHL caliber game from playing in the AHL (or NHL for that matter).
Release the Mackan!
by Killer_Carlson on Oct 14, 2010 2:29 PM EDT up reply actions 4 recs
Sorry I couldn’t hear you, I was just marveling at the fact that Dwayne Roloson became an NHL goalie at the age of 32 and got significantly better at 35. It couldn’t be the experience, could it?
Country Gentlemen's Pig Fertilizer Gazette
Dunny-on-the-World
First, Roloson played 31 games in the NHL when he was 27 and had his peak years at 33-34 years old splitting time behind the ultra-defensive Wild team.
Second, great, one example out of thousands upon thousands of players.
Third, goalies are such a different breed regarding development patterns that it is utterly useless to compare the development curves of any goalies (much less a single goalie) to that of a defenseman.
It’s not out of the realm of possibility that more time would make Sloan’s horrendous decision making and hockey sense passable at the NHL level after his prime age, but it is such a long shot that it is unfair to blame BB for not giving him more time.
Release the Mackan!
by Killer_Carlson on Oct 14, 2010 4:03 PM EDT up reply actions
I mean yeah you could make the same argument using Tim Thomas. Players are on a much different development curve.
Exactly. Goalies can have the physical talent but be headcases, like Tim Thomas. Once he calmed down and focused he became an NHL goalie (just in time for his skill to start to erode).
Skaters get identified early if they have the skill. Sloan just doesn’t.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
PMac could be, but he’s hurt. Fahey looked pretty solid to me during camp and preseason, though.
FREE MP
At this point, for players under contract, I suspect you’re looking at Sean Collins. The Caps are not deep in this area.
If you've read this far...seek help.
Watching Mottau eat up so many minutes for NYI last night gave me a major case of the “what ifs”.
I poured spot remover on my dog. Now he's gone.
by Rather Bengt on Oct 14, 2010 9:04 AM EDT up reply actions
I think it’s more likely that they’d sign Nycholat.
Jesus, defensive depth is such an issue. If only anyone had seen it coming!
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
by J.P. on Oct 14, 2010 9:05 AM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
If there’s any silver lining, maybe it forces GMGM to address it for real (i.e. an actual top 6 NHL dman).
Or, put another way, maybe its an indication that he has plans to address it before long.
The fact that Willie Mitchell was brought to DC tells me they’re very much aware of the need – they just need to get the right deal (and get the player/other team to agree to it).
If anyone needs me, I'll be at Kettler.
It tells me they’re probably rigidly opposed to anything more than a 1 year commitment (well, that and the Poti extension).
Kevin Bieksa, come on down…
Had the TOR-PIT game on in the background yesterday and it just made me wish we had Francois Beauchemin on our team. That guy saved Phaneuf’s bacon on more than one occasion last night.
Hopefully Alzner will develop into a similar type D-man.
I poured spot remover on my dog. Now he's gone.
by Rather Bengt on Oct 14, 2010 9:13 AM EDT up reply actions
Speaking of which, nothing makes me happier than to see some people starting to hit the PANIC! button in Pittsburgh. Glorious.
Money don't make my world go round...i'm reaching out to a higher ground
Box Seats Blog
Ron and Fez 11 to 3
by YvonLabresMoustache on Oct 14, 2010 9:17 AM EDT up reply actions
Shouldn’t people wait for at least ten games? I mean, we’re winning, yet have a ton of complaints. It’s early, people.
"It's always good to have vikings."
that they’re hitting PANIC 4 games in was what makes it so amusing.
Pledge Drive 2010-2011: SO KIDS CAN!! Help build a playground
They have a lot of key players out, doesn’t make much since to panic.
Think twice before you speak, and then you may be able to say something more insulting than if you spoke right out at once.
They were extremely unfortunate not to emerge from last night’s game with 2 points, let alone 1. They did their thing – dominate possession, get pucks to the net, pressure the snot out of the offensive zone…they just couldn’t buy a bounce.
They’re going to win their fair share before it’s all said and done. I like it when Pitt loses, but it’s far too early to celebrate their complete demise.
Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?
PIT will be there at the end of the year and I’d probably bet that they go further in the playoffs than us.
That said, what the fuck was Geno doing on that penalty shot?
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
Reminds me of his penalty shot in the playoffs against the Rags a few years ago. He just meandered in and lobbed the puck into Lundqvist’s glove. He looks like he just doesn’t give a shit at all on penalty shots.
Release the Mackan!
by Killer_Carlson on Oct 14, 2010 2:24 PM EDT up reply actions
At least he hit the net against the Rags. Didn’t he slam it wide last night? Or did MONSTER make the save?
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
Looked like it went wide, but I only saw one replay.
Release the Mackan!
by Killer_Carlson on Oct 14, 2010 2:27 PM EDT up reply actions
They should be worried. The Flyers’ putrid start last year really doomed them — they never really recovered.
Atta dinnin stick a who!
by Gould Old Days on Oct 14, 2010 9:40 AM EDT up reply actions
Considering that the Flyers were a Marian Gaborik appearance in the shootout away from missing the playoffs, I’m not sure if this snark is well-placed.
'Cause the end of what it was is what it is right now...
Considering each of the last two EC champs got their coach fired mid-season I don’t think the standing mean shit right now. Anyone with a clue knows PIT will be in the playoffs if Malkin and Crosby combine for 120 games played.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
Yeah, but you also don’t want to piss away most of your year and plan to “turn it on” at the end.
'Cause the end of what it was is what it is right now...
I don’t even know anymore. We’ve gone into the playoffs hot, no dice. We’ve gone into the playoffs coasting, no dice. The Pens went in hot and won the Cup. The Flyers coasted in, barely made it, and went to the SCF.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
The flyers didn’t need a change in their roster to start performing at a high level. They just needed a kick in the ass.
The Caps need better defensemen, period. You can kick Erskine all you want, he won’t get any faster.
You had me at no problem.
Actually, the Flyers’ 3rd pair needed constant hiding and hand-holding. Sounds familiar.
"Essentially, all models are wrong, but some are useful" George E.P. Box
by Knee high to a duck on Oct 14, 2010 10:57 AM EDT up reply actions
Erskine’s not the one I’m quite as worried about, it’s Sloan and the two of them together.
"Do you see my fist? It was fists like these that built quaint Canadian cities out of the harsh Canadian wilderness, etc. etc."
Not in Seattle anymore.
by SeattleCapsFan on Oct 14, 2010 11:49 AM EDT up reply actions
Well, they’re rigidly opposed to more than a one-year deal for a guy getting over a serious concussion. And they’re not alone there, LA was the only team in the Mitchell “sweepstakes” to offer more than a one-year deal.
If anyone needs me, I'll be at Kettler.
I guess what I mean is the fact that they went after him and didn’t appear to go after anyone else (they were willing to wait but made no move when they missed out) tells me they were looking for a bargain, looking for a one year guy.
I don’t know if they would have been in on Mitchell if he had been healthy and could command a 3+ year deal or something on July 1. I think if they were willing to go for that type of player they would have made another move.
So yeah, definitely didn’t want to give him an extra year because of the health, but I think that’s almost why they went for him in the first place. They knew the market there wouldn’t push them to offer big term, and they had a shot at a one-year guy.
They had the “phantom trade”, which involved a F leaving and a D arriving, according to Mirtle.
I feel sure that GM has a plan. Whether he can execute it, who knows?
Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?
It’s all about the trade-deadline. I’m thinking GMGM stays pat with the team we have; then, trades away some forward asset we have and uses the large amount of cap space we have to get a d-man for Poti to pair up with and another center.
Furthermore, I really, really hope Flash can be as good as he is now come springtime. If that happens, I can see GMGM picking up a great center and anchoring Flash and Chimmer to that line and then BB divying out equal minutes to the ‘2nd and 3rd’ lines (even though those constructs would then become something like the skill and then the grit line respectively
Soon the Championship with be ours, all ours!
by kingzman264 on Oct 14, 2010 11:54 AM EDT up reply actions
I really, really hope Flash can be as good as he is now come springtime.
Flash has been pretty bad thus far.
'Cause the end of what it was is what it is right now...
by D'ohboy on Oct 14, 2010 11:57 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
In what metric?
Soon the Championship with be ours, all ours!
by kingzman264 on Oct 14, 2010 11:58 AM EDT up reply actions
Touche.
With the incredible insight i’ve gained watching the team 3 games into the season, i feel like the 2nd line has done very well. Relevant to their success is the pivot, Flash.
Soon the Championship with be ours, all ours!
by kingzman264 on Oct 14, 2010 12:05 PM EDT up reply actions
I’d say that, the pass to Chimera and his goal notwithstanding, Flash has been pretty invisible.
'Cause the end of what it was is what it is right now...
I’ve sure noticed his defensive lapses. But he’s hardly alone in that this season.
You had me at no problem.
My main complaint is how often the Caps seem to get stuck in their own end when he’s on the ice.
'Cause the end of what it was is what it is right now...
The Caps have been pinned in their own end regardless of the line. Not that time of possession is exactly measured but you can’t for a second blame that shark sandwich squarely on Flash. It doesn’t help having him out there with 2nd line minutes, but there’s so much more to that trainwreck than those curly locks of hair.
Human existence being an hallucination containing in itself the secondary hallucinations of day and night (the latter an insanitary condition of the atmosphere due to accretions of black air) it ill becomes any man of sense to be concerned at the illusory approach of the supreme hallucination known as death.
If that’s the case, then why are Flash’s Corsi numbers extremely negative, while Laich and Semin’s are extremely positive?
'Cause the end of what it was is what it is right now...
This season? Laich last season wasn’t “extremely” positive, I don’t think.
I’m pretty sure Laich spent much more time with Semin, and had more stable line combinations than Flash. It doesn’t account for everything, but that’s part of it.
by red army line on Oct 14, 2010 1:04 PM EDT up reply actions
This actually something I’m curious about. How/why are Semin/Laich’s Corsi numbers that much different than Flash’s this season? They’ve spent almost the entire time on the ice together, yet they’re numbers are 15-20 apart.
Ahhh for some reason I thought Corsi was only ES. Is there a way to differentiate/split up the Corsi numbers then?
As soon as Vic Ferrari updates the playershot Timeonice scripts, there will be.
by red army line on Oct 14, 2010 1:24 PM EDT up reply actions
Keep in mind it’s been 4 games, so on the season Semin is like a +8 in Corsi, Laich +10, and Flash around -8.
Dobber Hockey says 72% on the season for Flash having Laich and Semin on his wings.
by red army line on Oct 14, 2010 1:11 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
That’s either sample size, or a glaring indictment of just how crappy Flash has been.
'Cause the end of what it was is what it is right now...
NYI, Flash was a -8 Corsi with the teams even in shots for the game. Laich and Semin were +1s. AO was -8. So I guess it was the horrible 1st by the top line that did it.
by red army line on Oct 14, 2010 1:36 PM EDT up reply actions
And, out of AO, Knuble and Flash, who would you hold responsible for that?
'Cause the end of what it was is what it is right now...
Probably a mix of all three. I didn’t catch the game though :( so I’m not sure. I wouldn’t shy away from guessing most of it is on Flash, though.
Judging by the shift chart, it looks like the top line was frequently going against Comeau-Bailey-Parenteau all night long. I guess it was just the top line turning it on at some point. AO hasn’t had to be THE guy to get the puck on his line since early 2007-2008.
by red army line on Oct 14, 2010 2:09 PM EDT up reply actions
Actually, looking at the shot report for OTT, Flash, Chimera, Fehr, and others were downright brutal. Flash was a -5 in that game.
by red army line on Oct 14, 2010 2:23 PM EDT up reply actions
It’s hard to get the puck into the offensive zone when you don’t get the puck off the faceoff.
You had me at no problem.
His first games as a center last season, IIRC, he was killing it. Dunno what happened.
You had me at no problem.
And my theory is that he’s heavily dependent on the matchup/style of faceoff, but that’s not really based on anything.
well, home and away FOs are very different
Soon the Championship with be ours, all ours!
by kingzman264 on Oct 14, 2010 12:22 PM EDT up reply actions
I think there are alot of reasons why they are stuck in their own end when Flash is on the ice. Although I would place some of the blame on Flash losing face-offs, thus giving the other team possesion, it shouldnt be overlooked that most of the 2nd line’s minutes probably come with Sloan or Erskine on the ice
Soon the Championship with be ours, all ours!
by kingzman264 on Oct 14, 2010 12:16 PM EDT up reply actions
Well Sloan and Erskine haven’t been paired, so its probably safe to say that most of the team’s minutes come with either on the ice.
I don’t have much tolerance for stupid. Or cheese on food that doesn’t need it. -duck
by twistedlogic on Oct 14, 2010 12:21 PM EDT up reply actions
I mean that the 2nd line is on the ice with either Sloan or Erskine, either situation cant help
Soon the Championship with be ours, all ours!
by kingzman264 on Oct 14, 2010 12:23 PM EDT up reply actions
This is true…but I meant more that all 4 lines have had to deal with Sloskine.
I don’t have much tolerance for stupid. Or cheese on food that doesn’t need it. -duck
by twistedlogic on Oct 14, 2010 12:25 PM EDT up reply actions
And that invisibility became apparent last night when he started with the first line. Its little wonder BB went back to the standard lines.
I don’t have much tolerance for stupid. Or cheese on food that doesn’t need it. -duck
by twistedlogic on Oct 14, 2010 12:11 PM EDT up reply actions
That was the most ugly thing I’ve seen in my life (Flash on the 1st line)
If Backstrom gets hurt just call up the Bears and put everyone else on IR, the team is totally done for without him.
Human existence being an hallucination containing in itself the secondary hallucinations of day and night (the latter an insanitary condition of the atmosphere due to accretions of black air) it ill becomes any man of sense to be concerned at the illusory approach of the supreme hallucination known as death.
I wouldn’t say done for. . .BB would have to change up the playing style. Maybe put MP on the 1st,
Soon the Championship with be ours, all ours!
by kingzman264 on Oct 14, 2010 12:19 PM EDT up reply actions
I know Ovie is a team player and such, but I wonder if he is possessive about Nick. Not to the point of sabotaging his play when Flash was out there, but stepping it up when Nick came back. I don’t see him ordering players to fake knee injuries in order to dictate line ups, but I think he does expect Nick to play on his line and likes being with him.
"Inglewood Jack! Inglewood Jack!" - Coach Jules
by Alz Well That Ends Well on Oct 14, 2010 12:35 PM EDT up reply actions
Eh…I don’t know. I think the lack of scoring chances and being down a goal was a kick in the butt for everyone. It just so happens that BB changed up the line combinations right after that.
I don’t have much tolerance for stupid. Or cheese on food that doesn’t need it. -duck
by twistedlogic on Oct 14, 2010 12:37 PM EDT up reply actions
He’s probably more comfortable with Nick as his linemate, but I think that’s as far as you could go. No way Ovi holds anything back just because Nick isn’t his C.
"Do you see my fist? It was fists like these that built quaint Canadian cities out of the harsh Canadian wilderness, etc. etc."
Not in Seattle anymore.
by SeattleCapsFan on Oct 14, 2010 12:37 PM EDT up reply actions
Sorry, this is what I meant. I think Ovi + Nick is simply greater than the sum of their parts, while there are other players who may sulk/intentionally not adjust to different linemates.
"Inglewood Jack! Inglewood Jack!" - Coach Jules
by Alz Well That Ends Well on Oct 14, 2010 1:11 PM EDT up reply actions
Speaking of them (but not related), it was hilarious last night when they showed the two of them on the Jumbrotron after Nick’s goal. The camera was centered on Ovi though so he started pointing “No, no it was HIS goal” over Nick’s head.
I did enjoy that.
"Do you see my fist? It was fists like these that built quaint Canadian cities out of the harsh Canadian wilderness, etc. etc."
Not in Seattle anymore.
by SeattleCapsFan on Oct 14, 2010 12:38 PM EDT up reply actions
I don’t think so. I think given enough time AO will gel with anyone (he did it with Halpern, Clark, and Zubrus, after all). Playing so frequently with Backstrom he just can’t adjust at a moment’s notice, methinks.
by red army line on Oct 14, 2010 1:05 PM EDT up reply actions
You really cant expect a line to gel that quickly. Flash and Ovi never play together. Furthermore, Flash and Lars are very different players with very different talents.
Soon the Championship with be ours, all ours!
by kingzman264 on Oct 14, 2010 12:18 PM EDT up reply actions
He’s had a goal and 2 assists. So not dominating, but hardly invisible.
Soon the Championship with be ours, all ours!
by kingzman264 on Oct 14, 2010 12:14 PM EDT up reply actions
Well then he should be just as good in the springtime!
Release the Mackan!
by Killer_Carlson on Oct 14, 2010 1:49 PM EDT up reply actions
Here’s my completely baseless speculation on his plan.
He’s looking at teams like Vancouver, NJD, and Boston, who are under the cap only by virtue of having guys on LTIR. Once the injured players return, those teams will need to move someone.
So I’m thinking it’s the December/January timeframe he’s targetting now. Or at least I’m hoping.
Either that, or he’s decided that this isn’t the year, with Alzner and Carlson being too young to rely on, and he’s decided to hold his powder and go all in next year.
Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?
yeah, the LTIR is a decent plan too. But i feel like those teams would either move someone who isn’t crucial to their roster (a player we dont want), someone with a large contract (again, someone we dont want), or someone who’s overpayed (maybe someone we want).
As far as going all in next year. . .with this much cap room, i cant see GMGM NOT going all in this year
Soon the Championship with be ours, all ours!
by kingzman264 on Oct 14, 2010 12:01 PM EDT up reply actions
Unless he has a secret plan to have Semin on next year’s roster, or another player of near equal value in exchange, he’d better be all in this year.
The ice will show everything.
And he has a few people on the team to sign for next year that will prolly sink our cap space
Soon the Championship with be ours, all ours!
by kingzman264 on Oct 14, 2010 12:10 PM EDT up reply actions
Just because someone isn’t crucial to a team’s roster doesn’t mean it’s someone the Caps don’t want. Salvador, for example, isn’t crucial for NJ, but he’s a hell of a lot better than Sloskine and thus makes the Caps a better team.
Release the Mackan!
by Killer_Carlson on Oct 14, 2010 1:53 PM EDT up reply actions
I wasn’t too concise with my 3 groups, but, i would put Salvador in the 3rd category of a guy who is good talent but is overpaid to a point that the NJD (or any other cap crunched team) doesn’t really want to part ways with but has to because of cap concerns
Soon the Championship with be ours, all ours!
I’m hoping any trades come earlier this year than last. Throwing Corvo/Belanger out there that late last season really didn’t give them enough time to get accustomed to a new team, imo.
"Because the game is not just about fighting no more. " D.J. King
One positive aspect, though, of not bringing back some of the more middling D or BMo/Belanger is that when the Caps do go out and bring someone in, there is a place for them to play.
One of the problems GMGM and Bruce have cited (if memory serves) from last year was having too many bodies post-deadline, guys that were used to playing every night but weren’t able to. If this year’s Caps add a center and a D, nobody is going to be too bent out of shape. It results in some Sloskine right now, but hopefully there will be harmony once some moves are (hopefully) made.
But the D issue has be a glaring one for 2 seasons. There’s no way the Caps needed ALL the depth they have at forward. Somewhere, somebody in Hershey could have been traded. One of their developing D for one of the Caps developing forwards.
It’s not like GMGM was ignorant of the difficulty in making trades for NHL top 6 defensemen. Particularly when every other team fears meeting them in the playoffs as is.
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Having too many D kept Alzner in the AHL all year — I don’t think it was the same issue last year.
Atta dinnin stick a who!
by Gould Old Days on Oct 14, 2010 9:41 AM EDT up reply actions
We’ve lost ShaMo, Juice, and Corvo off the top of my head…and now with Poti (and Green?) hurt, we’re in serious trouble
"Do you see my fist? It was fists like these that built quaint Canadian cities out of the harsh Canadian wilderness, etc. etc."
Not in Seattle anymore.
by SeattleCapsFan on Oct 14, 2010 9:49 AM EDT up reply actions
and last night seeing Juice play I thought “really, we kept Erskine and Sloan but let Juice go for $1m to the Rangers?”
Human existence being an hallucination containing in itself the secondary hallucinations of day and night (the latter an insanitary condition of the atmosphere due to accretions of black air) it ill becomes any man of sense to be concerned at the illusory approach of the supreme hallucination known as death.
Yup, my thoughts exactly.
"Do you see my fist? It was fists like these that built quaint Canadian cities out of the harsh Canadian wilderness, etc. etc."
Not in Seattle anymore.
by SeattleCapsFan on Oct 14, 2010 9:58 AM EDT up reply actions
to the Isles*
I poured spot remover on my dog. Now he's gone.
by Rather Bengt on Oct 14, 2010 10:00 AM EDT up reply actions
Because Erskine and Sloan were under contract. Jurcina, alas, was not. All things being equal (as in, “all are UFAs”), I suspect the Caps keep Jurcina.
If you've read this far...seek help.
by ThePeerless on Oct 14, 2010 10:11 AM EDT up reply actions
Additionally, I suspect we saw Jurcina’s max, A+, foot-on-the-mat effort all game last night. He won’t bring that every night.
He was, after all, 9th on the Isle depth chart, at least according to Botha.
Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?
I was thinking the same thing while watching last night. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Juice shoot that many times in a game.
I don’t have much tolerance for stupid. Or cheese on food that doesn’t need it. -duck
by twistedlogic on Oct 14, 2010 11:15 AM EDT up reply actions
yeah, I was screaming at the TV last night. “Why didn’t you take more than one shot in Washington, Juice?! HUH?!”
Pledge Drive 2010-2011: SO KIDS CAN!! Help build a playground
I was waiting for him to score. That would have just killed me!
I don’t have much tolerance for stupid. Or cheese on food that doesn’t need it. -duck
by twistedlogic on Oct 14, 2010 11:19 AM EDT up reply actions
Definitely but Jurcina at his worst is better than Sloan at his best, again, for $1m. Upsetting to say the least.
Human existence being an hallucination containing in itself the secondary hallucinations of day and night (the latter an insanitary condition of the atmosphere due to accretions of black air) it ill becomes any man of sense to be concerned at the illusory approach of the supreme hallucination known as death.
Remind me again why we extended Sloan’s contract?
I don’t have much tolerance for stupid. Or cheese on food that doesn’t need it. -duck
by twistedlogic on Oct 14, 2010 12:00 PM EDT up reply actions
Scarlet Caps are buying a ton of Sloan fatheads.
Human existence being an hallucination containing in itself the secondary hallucinations of day and night (the latter an insanitary condition of the atmosphere due to accretions of black air) it ill becomes any man of sense to be concerned at the illusory approach of the supreme hallucination known as death.
I knew there was a good reason!
I don’t have much tolerance for stupid. Or cheese on food that doesn’t need it. -duck
by twistedlogic on Oct 14, 2010 12:12 PM EDT up reply actions
hey, the ladies of the Tyler Sloan Has Sexy Glasses Fanclub are a distinct and separate entity from Club Scarlet!
Pledge Drive 2010-2011: SO KIDS CAN!! Help build a playground
plus, Juice had one hell of an Olympics and if I am remembering correctly did a relatively awesome job of stepping up his game back against the Penguins trying to fill the massive void in the defense left by an injured Schultz..
Human existence being an hallucination containing in itself the secondary hallucinations of day and night (the latter an insanitary condition of the atmosphere due to accretions of black air) it ill becomes any man of sense to be concerned at the illusory approach of the supreme hallucination known as death.
Many Bothas died to bring us this information.
by Wheeler on Oct 14, 2010 12:13 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Its a trap!!!
I don’t have much tolerance for stupid. Or cheese on food that doesn’t need it. -duck
by twistedlogic on Oct 14, 2010 12:15 PM EDT up reply actions
000
Money don't make my world go round...i'm reaching out to a higher ground
Box Seats Blog
Ron and Fez 11 to 3
by YvonLabresMoustache on Oct 14, 2010 12:26 PM EDT up reply actions
Page fail…bah!
Money don't make my world go round...i'm reaching out to a higher ground
Box Seats Blog
Ron and Fez 11 to 3
by YvonLabresMoustache on Oct 14, 2010 12:26 PM EDT up reply actions
Oh. My. God. Eeeeeewww. Don’t ever do that to Star Wars again. I will find you, and I will choke you to death with a copy of Lucas’ edits for Episode IV. And Han vs. Greedo in the Mos Eisley Cantina will be wedged up your nostrils.
Country Gentlemen's Pig Fertilizer Gazette
Dunny-on-the-World
Overreaction much?
I don’t have much tolerance for stupid. Or cheese on food that doesn’t need it. -duck
by twistedlogic on Oct 14, 2010 3:10 PM EDT up reply actions
If only someone could have foreseen the extensions for Erskine and Sloan being foolish…
Release the Mackan!
by Killer_Carlson on Oct 14, 2010 11:49 AM EDT up reply actions
Don’t forget Pothier, who likely could have been brought back for cheap.
'Cause the end of what it was is what it is right now...
Yeah, losing Pothier is huge considering what a complete flop Corvo was. Could care less about Oskala, but you’d have to be insane to put Erskine or Sloan on the ice instead of Pothier every night. He might not be a shut down defender but he’s far better on ice tha nthe others.
Human existence being an hallucination containing in itself the secondary hallucinations of day and night (the latter an insanitary condition of the atmosphere due to accretions of black air) it ill becomes any man of sense to be concerned at the illusory approach of the supreme hallucination known as death.
Wow I can’t believe I missed him. He was my favorite.
"Do you see my fist? It was fists like these that built quaint Canadian cities out of the harsh Canadian wilderness, etc. etc."
Not in Seattle anymore.
by SeattleCapsFan on Oct 14, 2010 11:50 AM EDT up reply actions
I really hated losing Potsie. I got to watch him play in boarding school, and so thought my high opinion of him was biased. It has always been my estimation that he read opposing lines (and line changes) extremely well, and that his big weapon was getting the puck out of the zone. A great first pass man w/ some offensive upside was my take. But the NHL in general disagreed, or he wouldn’t be playing in Switzerland right now.
Country Gentlemen's Pig Fertilizer Gazette
Dunny-on-the-World
And then when Ralph Malph went down, I could hardly drag myself out of bed in the morning after that.
"This guy is an android. He's not human....Oh my goodness."
by Sam DC on Oct 14, 2010 5:46 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Brooks Laich can fill in @ D.
Can’t he?
That could move Semin to LW and Fehr to RW on the 2nd line.
I gotta stop thinking this way.
4th Floor, is next, swimvare, undervare, Eric Fehr...
He can fill in short-term when the team is in a bind. Long-term, I would rather just have Erskine.
"Do not be afraid to ask for credit, for our way of refusing is very polite."
by Laich It Or Lump It on Oct 14, 2010 9:22 AM EDT up reply actions
Say what you will about Fehr...
but every time i see him I just think about how the Caps drafted him when Mike Richards and Ryan Getzlaf were still on the table. what could have been
Who would be a better fit with the caps? Richards or Getz? I think I’d rather have Richards on the team
Richards is Alexander Ovechkin’s Mortal Enemy.
I think I would rather have Brad Richards.
Money don't make my world go round...i'm reaching out to a higher ground
Box Seats Blog
Ron and Fez 11 to 3
by YvonLabresMoustache on Oct 14, 2010 8:47 AM EDT up reply actions
.
But you could put Richards on a line with Ovechkin and he could hop on his back. Instdead of a Flying V, you could have something that looked like this coming at you in goal:
Dude… I think you need to switch to decaf. Your regular-strength crack seems a bit much this morning. Rein it in a bit.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Do you think of what could have been if the Caps had drafted Pavel Datsyuk instead of Jomar Cruz, Todd Hornung, Krys Barch, Chris Corrinet, Mike Siklenka or Erik Wendell?
GMs miss picks. And as misses go, this one isn’t an awful one. Time to move on…
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
by J.P. on Oct 14, 2010 8:49 AM EDT up reply actions 6 recs
Some times they do alright. The 2004 Draft class for the Caps just surpassed 1000 games played for the team.
Thank you.
GMGM has had more hits than misses in this decade. A lot more.
4th Floor, is next, swimvare, undervare, Eric Fehr...
…relative to expectations, that is (since the only low picks of note are SDR, MP, and Andrew Gordon, as far as I can remember).
by red army line on Oct 14, 2010 9:43 AM EDT up reply actions
Aren’t you supposed to hit with first/early second round picks?
A very misguided piece on Huffington Post recently called 30 Rock the most racist show on television thanks to Tracy Morgan’s wild, manic, madcap performance. Tonight illustrated why whoever wrote that piece is full of shit and should be punched in the face until he has a more nuanced grasp on comedy.
by Bald Pollack on Oct 14, 2010 9:48 AM EDT up reply actions
Look around the league — there are plenty of 1st and 2nd round misses every year. Just pull up any year’s draft and you’ll see what I mean.
Atta dinnin stick a who!
by Gould Old Days on Oct 14, 2010 9:51 AM EDT up reply actions
On average, they’re still like 60-70% hits for skaters, though, right? GMGM’s missed at least 3 1st rounders in the last 6 years.
by red army line on Oct 14, 2010 9:52 AM EDT up reply actions
but of course he’s had more than 6
Atta dinnin stick a who!
by Gould Old Days on Oct 14, 2010 10:30 AM EDT up reply actions
Yeah, I probably underestimated the amount of 1st rounders total. I count 12. 9/12 hits sounds only slightly over average for the 1st round, IIRC.
But in terms of second rounders—Neuvirth…? Granted, part of it is trading some away, but after the 1st round GMGM doesn’t look all that great.
by red army line on Oct 14, 2010 10:35 AM EDT up reply actions
I thought he was a 3rd, but could be faulty memory on that.
by red army line on Oct 14, 2010 11:16 AM EDT up reply actions
Was and couldn’t be, respectively.
A very misguided piece on Huffington Post recently called 30 Rock the most racist show on television thanks to Tracy Morgan’s wild, manic, madcap performance. Tonight illustrated why whoever wrote that piece is full of shit and should be punched in the face until he has a more nuanced grasp on comedy.
by Bald Pollack on Oct 14, 2010 11:17 AM EDT up reply actions
He was, but he still counts if they’re talking about “after the 1st round” (even though one player doesn’t address that point very much)
Nor has that one player proven anything yet.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Most of the research I’ve seen looks at the draft as “1st & 2nd round” together, unless the analysis goes round-by-round.
by red army line on Oct 14, 2010 11:38 AM EDT up reply actions
Much as I’d like to pimp this one more time, there was a piece earlier this year (which I can’t find now) that discusses that he’s good at the 1st rounders and subpar elsewhere.
A very misguided piece on Huffington Post recently called 30 Rock the most racist show on television thanks to Tracy Morgan’s wild, manic, madcap performance. Tonight illustrated why whoever wrote that piece is full of shit and should be punched in the face until he has a more nuanced grasp on comedy.
by Bald Pollack on Oct 14, 2010 9:54 AM EDT up reply actions
I’d rather hit with 1st and 2nd rounders, then not and occasionally find late round gold.
Apparently, some people think we aren’t doing too bad picking and grooming talent.
http://www.hockeysfuture.com/nhl_organisation_rankings/
4th Floor, is next, swimvare, undervare, Eric Fehr...
I wonder how that’ll change as soon as Carlznerson and Varlavirth “graduate.” My guess is a drop to ~15.
by red army line on Oct 14, 2010 10:02 AM EDT up reply actions
Then guys like Kuznetsov, Galiev, Eakin, Orlov, Beagle and Johannson… Take over.
And by the way… of the top 12 teams, only WAS, CBJ, BOS and VAN were playoff teams.
All of our top players are under 26. We aren’t doing too bad.
4th Floor, is next, swimvare, undervare, Eric Fehr...
Johansson could graduate this year too. Even MP, depending on injury situations.
We’re losing 4 top-50 prospects according to HF, plus possibly one more. Two of those are in the top-10, and you can make a case that all four should be top-30. The Caps will be taking a huge hit. None of the new guys have shown themselves even close to the level of Carlson and Varlavirth.
by red army line on Oct 14, 2010 10:13 AM EDT up reply actions
Its a cycle, part of the reason why it may happen is that we aren’t drafting in the top 10, or even 20.
Even the poster child for drafting and grooming talent, the Red Wings, can stay on top of the pedestal. That’s what happens when you win 45+ games a year, every year.
4th Floor, is next, swimvare, undervare, Eric Fehr...
It’s not necessarily bad to be at ~15 in the rankings, as long as you’re still getting top-end talent. I also think Nicklas Lidstrom is a huge part of why they’re consistently near the top of the rankings. Do the Caps have someone that dynamic in Mike Green or John Carlson? Maybe. But they’d probably be best off not letting one of Green/Semin/someone else important go and hope to replace the guy via draft, at least in the immediate future.
The Red Wings are #15 in those rankings, for what it’s worth.
by red army line on Oct 14, 2010 10:24 AM EDT up reply actions
But you need the late round homegrown talent as part of your team, otherwise you’re paying a million per to guys that are really good on faceoffs.
A very misguided piece on Huffington Post recently called 30 Rock the most racist show on television thanks to Tracy Morgan’s wild, manic, madcap performance. Tonight illustrated why whoever wrote that piece is full of shit and should be punched in the face until he has a more nuanced grasp on comedy.
by Bald Pollack on Oct 14, 2010 10:03 AM EDT up reply actions
Low round picks can also cost as little as league minimum on their ELCs. At the other end of things top end guys like AO and Backstrom can command over $2 million with bonuses. The delta is enough to add a Betts-type.
by red army line on Oct 14, 2010 10:05 AM EDT up reply actions
Nah, you just need to be willing to accept relatively high turnover on the 4th line and go bargain hunting in UFA. I mean perhaps our best true 4th line internal option wasn’t drafted (Beagle, and I say “true” because I think Gordon’s ideal role is in an area with more offensive potential), and the potential is there to sign someone like Betts, or Asham, etc. for near minimum contracts almost every year.
Look at Chicago; Buff was an 8th round pick, Brouwer was a 7, Hjalmarsson was a 4. Pittsburgh picked Talbot in the 8th, Kennedy was a 4, Letang was a 3. These guys were drafted into contributing roles (of varying significance) on their club. That’s the part that’s lacking from being a wholly robust system.
A very misguided piece on Huffington Post recently called 30 Rock the most racist show on television thanks to Tracy Morgan’s wild, manic, madcap performance. Tonight illustrated why whoever wrote that piece is full of shit and should be punched in the face until he has a more nuanced grasp on comedy.
by Bald Pollack on Oct 14, 2010 10:11 AM EDT up reply actions
We also have way more 1st rounders (even if they’re not all 1st round talent anymore, like Steckel and Gordon) than most teams, so that adds to our robustness even without those later round contributors.
I think getting hung up on where they’re drafted is a mistake. We’ve got lots of internal depth at most positions, whether they were high or low picks. As long as they’re not high 1sts the difference in salary and cap hits is pretty minimal, and long term it all depends on how the player develops anyways.
We don’t need to draft and develop really good 4th liners (for example). We can sign and develop them if we need to, or we can go for any of a number of high quality (as far as 4th liners go) UFA options that are available every year.
I think getting hung up on where they’re drafted is a mistake. We’ve got lots of internal depth at most positions, whether they were high or low picks. As long as they’re not high 1sts the difference in salary and cap hits is pretty minimal, and long term it all depends on how the player develops anyways.
Right, and the development of homegrown assets helps benefit the organization top to bottom. So why not put the time in to do it? And as to internal depth at “lots of positions,” who are the 5/6 D right now?
We don’t need to draft and develop really good 4th liners (for example). We can sign and develop them if we need to, or we can go for any of a number of high quality (as far as 4th liners go) UFA options that are available every year.
Again, 4th liners isn’t the issue, it’s the ability to draft and develop lower round talent into holes that could fill the roster without needing to go for the UFA options that might cost more in money and acclimation time.
A very misguided piece on Huffington Post recently called 30 Rock the most racist show on television thanks to Tracy Morgan’s wild, manic, madcap performance. Tonight illustrated why whoever wrote that piece is full of shit and should be punched in the face until he has a more nuanced grasp on comedy.
by Bald Pollack on Oct 14, 2010 10:27 AM EDT up reply actions
But UFA’s can be dumped at the trade deadline for future draft picks or those younger players you’re talking about.
4th Floor, is next, swimvare, undervare, Eric Fehr...
Right, and that worked wonders last year.
A very misguided piece on Huffington Post recently called 30 Rock the most racist show on television thanks to Tracy Morgan’s wild, manic, madcap performance. Tonight illustrated why whoever wrote that piece is full of shit and should be punched in the face until he has a more nuanced grasp on comedy.
by Bald Pollack on Oct 14, 2010 10:33 AM EDT up reply actions
Did we trade our drafted UFA’s last season?
Pothier?
I think we traded draft picks for Corvo and Walker and Belanger.
I can’t remember exactly.
4th Floor, is next, swimvare, undervare, Eric Fehr...
Presumed you were going the other way with it.
A very misguided piece on Huffington Post recently called 30 Rock the most racist show on television thanks to Tracy Morgan’s wild, manic, madcap performance. Tonight illustrated why whoever wrote that piece is full of shit and should be punched in the face until he has a more nuanced grasp on comedy.
by Bald Pollack on Oct 14, 2010 10:37 AM EDT up reply actions
I think the guy we need to look at for return on investment is Semin.
Homegorwn drafted talent heading into UFA with a heavy pricetag.
4th Floor, is next, swimvare, undervare, Eric Fehr...
You’ll never get value for him as aninjury-prone pending UFA who is unproven (at best) in the playoffs and might very well bug out to Russia next summer.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
I agree that we will not get equal value for him, but if we decide to move him or trade his negotiation rights, there will be a return of some kind. Just curious to see what that is.
We’ve truly not been in this position yet with this group of Caps.
4th Floor, is next, swimvare, undervare, Eric Fehr...
I disagree. There are 29 GMs out there, and 20-25 will be reasonable in hoping their team makes the playoffs come the trade deadline. I doubt every single one of those GMs will think along those lines and refuse to give fair value.
by red army line on Oct 14, 2010 11:40 AM EDT up reply actions
I think the issue with Semin is more the question of what is fair value based on his playoff history. Anything the Caps could get for him likely won’t outweigh his value if he has a good postseason, and that’s probably a bet worth making for the Caps unless the return fills a dire need.
If Semin’s value is low, then we should be able to resign him for a reasonable number. If his value is high, we should be able to trade him for a good return. It can’t be both.
You had me at no problem.
Sure it can. Simply put, Semin’s trade value will be low (relative to his potential contribution to the Caps) prior to the playoffs. This is because he’s a rental player on the trade market who is injury prone and has had some lackluster playoff series. The only way I see the Caps jumping at a trade offer is either an insane offer from another GM or a complete disaster of a season where GMGM is a seller at the deadline (both unlikely).
At the same time, he is not likely to sign an extension before the playoffs. It makes little sense for him to do that for the kind of number the Caps would jump at, and I don’t think the Caps are going to make a big money, long-term commitment to him without a good playoffs.
If Semin has a bad postseason, maybe his FA asking price drops but the Caps’ interest might drop in tandem. If he has a great postseason, his FA asking price will be high, maybe worth it to the Caps and maybe not.
Short version: don’t expect a Semin trade and hope for a good playoffs. Shorter version: what JP said.
I do not expect a Semin trade. I expect Semin will be with us for a couple more short-term contracts.
You had me at no problem.
Assuming his play isn’t horrific in the playoffs and his contract demands are reasonable, I could see this happening too. I don’t think Semin wants to go anywhere but his contract status is going to force the issue unless he takes a discount.
Now that I understand your point a little better, I’d only add this to what I said above: his value can increase post-deadline to the point where he’ll no longer be affordable and the Caps could “lose him for nothing.” Of course, that would only happen with a monster postseason, which hopefully will deliver results that will make us not care so much :)
I didn’t say they shouldn’t do it, just that they’re doing ok without it.
As for “lots of positions,” I intentionally didn’t say “all” because of the D. They’ve got some good prospects on the way (Orlov, Wey, maybe Flemming) but nobody outside PMac ready to step in yet. But they’re great in goal and very goot at F, it appears.
My original argument was simply that “needing homegrown late round talent” isn’t the opposite of “paying a guy 1mil to be good at faceoffs.” Steckel wasn’t paid that money because he was a 1st rounder (see B. Gordon) and having or not having the late round talent doesn’t change the fact that we could have easily replaced him on the cheap if the desire had been there (and/or the willingness to deal with his contract).
Steckel isn’t here because we haven’t been good at getting late round impact players.
Aside from asking “Why IS Steckel here?” which is a whole other discussion point, here’s where we agree. The pieces to replace that role are available, so why not do it?
But the bigger question is that if there’s a piece that can replace a Flash (for instance), why not approach each pick with the scrutiny (or as much as can be exerted) on a first rounder?
A very misguided piece on Huffington Post recently called 30 Rock the most racist show on television thanks to Tracy Morgan’s wild, manic, madcap performance. Tonight illustrated why whoever wrote that piece is full of shit and should be punched in the face until he has a more nuanced grasp on comedy.
by Bald Pollack on Oct 14, 2010 10:39 AM EDT up reply actions
Probably because there’s just less talent available later on (or, rather, it’s more boom-or-bust if you want the upside). I think GMGM has generally been more conservative with his later round picks, for instance looking at NCAA players that he can sit on for several years before making a decision. And its harder to scrutinize a pick when it takes 3 or 4 years for them to really contribute in the first place.
And its harder to scrutinize a pick when it takes 3 or 4 years for them to really contribute in the first place.
Just as long as we say the same thing about praising them, we’re all good. ;)
A very misguided piece on Huffington Post recently called 30 Rock the most racist show on television thanks to Tracy Morgan’s wild, manic, madcap performance. Tonight illustrated why whoever wrote that piece is full of shit and should be punched in the face until he has a more nuanced grasp on comedy.
by Bald Pollack on Oct 14, 2010 10:45 AM EDT up reply actions
Given limited resources to scout, I think it’s more important to scout the higher-round players, since they generally have higher upside. It hurts more to have a 1st rounder be a bust than, say, a 5th rounder.
Given that, I’d love for the Caps to develop some sort of specialty area. Maybe Russia, or the WHL, where they’ve had success recently. I personally think Europe (Finland, Sweden, Russia, and emerging Denmark) is the way to go.
by red army line on Oct 14, 2010 10:44 AM EDT up reply actions
I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately, especially with the Caps starting to have non-first-round picks who show some promise to be full-time NHLers (e.g. Eakin, Perreault, Galiev).
In GMGM’s time as GM, he’s only drafted three guys beyond the first round who have gone on to play more than 100 games in the NHL. These individuals are as follows:
Johnny Oduya (301 GP)
Matt Pettinger (422 GP)
Krys Barch (209 GP)
Nathan Paetsch (167 GP)
The only one of these players who ever dressed for an NHL game in a Caps uniform is, of course, Pettinger, which was more a symptom of having a weak team than of successful drafting. There are other players who are likely to break that mark, of course (Sami Lepisto (80 GP) and Tim Kennedy (78 GP)). Also, the only two of these players who are regular NHLers are Oduya and Barch.
I think part of the reason for a lack of success with later-round prospects, at least early in GMGM’s tenure, is a lack of organizational focus on drafting and scouting. In fact, pre-2002, this certainly plays out (the Caps’ first picks in ’98, ’99, ’00, and ’01 are Jomar Cruz (who never played an NHL game), Kris Beech (last seen in Finland), Brian Sutherby (a fourth-line grinder for Dallas) and the aforementioned Nathan Paetsch (who I believe is currently riding the pine in Vancouver).
With the fire sale, however, came a focus on building through the draft, and I imagine that also came with more money (from Ted) for scouts. It takes time to build up something like a scouting organization to the point where it’s a strength, and we may be seeing some of the early fruits of that.
IIRC GMGM as part of the fire sale strategy also sat down with his scouts to retool their scouting analysis and change their scouting philosophy to improve their draft choices. So when I look at the history of GMGM’s scouting I tend to take that into account—pre- and post-fire sale drafts.
Alright, confess-how many goals are you going to make this year?
"I'm not going to tell!"
Well can you at least guarantee fifty?
"No way. I have a different objective. To win."
by capsyoungguns on Oct 14, 2010 10:37 AM EDT up reply actions
Waiting for Ryan Miller to call out Patrick Kaleta. Be a man.
(Warning…video features Jeanneret)
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by YvonLabresMoustache on Oct 14, 2010 8:49 AM EDT reply actions
That song where he calls out Hogan is awesome.
However, I am a bigger fan of “Hulkster In Heaven”
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by YvonLabresMoustache on Oct 14, 2010 8:54 AM EDT up reply actions
I WANNA BE A HULKAMANIAC HAVE FUN WITH MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS
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by YvonLabresMoustache on Oct 14, 2010 11:08 AM EDT up reply actions
Personally, I’m an even bigger fan of “Macho Man – Speaking From the Heart” – as well as just about every other song on that album.
You had me at no problem.
I guess, if anything, Kaleta keeps his head in the game.
I poured spot remover on my dog. Now he's gone.
by Rather Bengt on Oct 14, 2010 8:52 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Guessing Wysh will expand on his Tweets from last night about that today.
A very misguided piece on Huffington Post recently called 30 Rock the most racist show on television thanks to Tracy Morgan’s wild, manic, madcap performance. Tonight illustrated why whoever wrote that piece is full of shit and should be punched in the face until he has a more nuanced grasp on comedy.
by Bald Pollack on Oct 14, 2010 8:53 AM EDT up reply actions
The headbutting is pretty dangerous.
Wonder if the league will take a look at that. He did target a star player…
Kaleta is a turd.
Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?
If anyone thinks that guy wouldn’t intentionally endanger himself to draw a PIM (which is what people said about his ridiculous stunt to get the boarding against AO), they should check out the Mike Fisher incident.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
The OFB Intern Guy may be the bravest person on the internet
Many in the press box were questioning the decision to dress D.J. King. He does not skate particularly well, New York is not a team known for fighting this season and after a slew of poor performances, excluding the New Jersey game, one would think a coach would want to put out his best players. Sure, King fought, but he really did not add all that much to the game. With only 4:43 of ice time, its hard to believe there was not another player who could have contributed more.
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by YvonLabresMoustache on Oct 14, 2010 9:33 AM EDT reply actions
Someone’s going to be looking for a new internship soon.
"Now wait a minute. This is just purely a social call. You know, just two adults getting a stew on, man."
by The Ghost of Bebop on Oct 14, 2010 9:34 AM EDT up reply actions
wasn’t there all this talk after dumping Brash last year about how we didn’t want an enforcer on our team?
That was before Boogaard and Shelley came to the East, though. Not really a surprise that the org. would change its tune due to new pressures in the conference.
King didn’t look too bad out there and given the choice of a healthy King or a hurt Bradley, who are you going to put out on the ice?
We get it, you don’t like enforcers. I don’t either, but I’m not going to invent my own reality to support that.
Human existence being an hallucination containing in itself the secondary hallucinations of day and night (the latter an insanitary condition of the atmosphere due to accretions of black air) it ill becomes any man of sense to be concerned at the illusory approach of the supreme hallucination known as death.
but I’m not going to invent my own reality to support that.
Huh? 4:43 of TOI is kind of useless, if you ask me. Might as well dress a 7th D or something.
by red army line on Oct 14, 2010 9:42 AM EDT up reply actions
What 7th D? A call up from the AHL? Everyone scratched was banged up.
Human existence being an hallucination containing in itself the secondary hallucinations of day and night (the latter an insanitary condition of the atmosphere due to accretions of black air) it ill becomes any man of sense to be concerned at the illusory approach of the supreme hallucination known as death.
Collins, McNeill (he is skating again, right? Or are he and Miskovic still both out?), or call up MP, Andrew Gordon, Aucoin, etc.
by red army line on Oct 14, 2010 9:44 AM EDT up reply actions
Never mind. JP makes a good point on IR below.
by red army line on Oct 14, 2010 9:45 AM EDT up reply actions
Inventing my own reality? What does that even mean?
I think that King should have played last night. But to write that, in that particular forum, filled as it is with glowing columns and paeans to “old time hockey” (including the one direckely below that where a Kevin Kaminski Bobblehead is turned into a poor man’s Jobu), is pretty awesome on his part.
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by YvonLabresMoustache on Oct 14, 2010 9:42 AM EDT up reply actions
It means ignoring the facts of there wasn’t anyone else to dress unless they wanted to go short, in which case why go short?
The guy has a beef with enforcers, we get it.
Human existence being an hallucination containing in itself the secondary hallucinations of day and night (the latter an insanitary condition of the atmosphere due to accretions of black air) it ill becomes any man of sense to be concerned at the illusory approach of the supreme hallucination known as death.
Boy they’re trying hard for both ends of that discussion aren’t they?
A very misguided piece on Huffington Post recently called 30 Rock the most racist show on television thanks to Tracy Morgan’s wild, manic, madcap performance. Tonight illustrated why whoever wrote that piece is full of shit and should be punched in the face until he has a more nuanced grasp on comedy.
by Bald Pollack on Oct 14, 2010 9:38 AM EDT up reply actions
I said it last night and I’ll say it again: NYI’s Trevor Gillies looks like a bad ass version of Super Size Me’s Morgan Spurlock.
I poured spot remover on my dog. Now he's gone.
by Rather Bengt on Oct 14, 2010 9:38 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Gilles reminded me of Officer Colicchio
"Now wait a minute. This is just purely a social call. You know, just two adults getting a stew on, man."
by The Ghost of Bebop on Oct 14, 2010 9:40 AM EDT up reply actions 5 recs
Who does not make a panko-crusted ahi tuna filet nearly as well as Chef Colicchio
If you've read this far...seek help.
by ThePeerless on Oct 14, 2010 10:04 AM EDT up reply actions
a slew of poor performances, excluding the New Jersey game
So by “slew of” he means “two.”
And, last I checked, the Isles’ roster features the dude who led the League in fights last year.
More to the substance… which other player would have contributed more? Certainly not one currently in D.C., since they’re all injured. And anyone called up from Hershey would require a roster move (MoJo → IR, for example), which is obviously not something the team wants to do.
Point not taken, sir.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Yeah, but did Trevor Gillies (AHL career high 7 points in 51 games) contribute any more in his 1:16?
The Caps won that little roster game — King is the better hockey player.
(this is my best justification for having a halfway-competent goon. If King’s presence puts Shelley or Koci or Boogaard in the lineup and takes out a player whose skills are more important to Ws and Ls, he’s already done his job before the first faceoff)
Atta dinnin stick a who!
by Gould Old Days on Oct 14, 2010 9:46 AM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
Gene Wang wrote a decent article in today’s Post about King’s debut. Some insightful quotes on how the other players view him:
It’s no secret, however, that Washington lacked a measure of hostility last season, and King fit the bill.
“Those are the things [King] does, and he’s really good at it,” Hendricks said. “It boosts the team morale quite a bit.”
King made an impact early in the preseason by fighting Boston’s Shawn Thornton in a game at Verizon Center. The partisan crowd applauded King for his first scrap in a Capitals uniform, and teammates gave their approval with stick slaps. Following that fight, Boudreau referred to the 6-foot-3, 230-pound Saskatchewan native as a “big brother” on the team and added the Capitals were deficient in that regard last season.
“Every team I’ve played on that’s had it, there’s a need for it,” Hendricks said of King’s fighting moxie. “If you don’t have it, you tend to shy away from different plays and being physical, and with him out there, guys really can play their game.”
Emphasis added by me. Overall, I thought King looked pretty solid in a limited number of minutes. I think he was too amped up during his fight, and got caught with some good punches, but his play outside of that was energetic and physical. I can’t remember who said it here, but he did have a moment or two of “get that puck away from me”.
I’m in favor of having King on the team, but I do have to admit that I thought twice when the Isles scored almost immediately after his fight last night. I don’t think the two were related, in this case.
Couple thoughts.
The “boosts team morale” is the stock answer that “regular” skaters give when asked about tough guys. As an example, when Steckel was asked about Semin’s bongo performance on Staal, he started to laugh, caught himself, and said “it got us fired up”, while trying not to laugh.
The second bit you bolded is in the same vein, but it sounds more like something he means.
King ended up out on the ice with AO for a shift in the third last night – no idea how – but he actually looked pretty decent. AO got the puck to the net, and King was in front, trying to screen, poking for a rebound…he at least knew what he should be doing.
Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?
he at least knew what he should be doing.
That’s the thing, as far as enforcer-type guys go, King’s got some decent hockey skills too.
"Do you see my fist? It was fists like these that built quaint Canadian cities out of the harsh Canadian wilderness, etc. etc."
Not in Seattle anymore.
by SeattleCapsFan on Oct 14, 2010 12:00 PM EDT up reply actions
I had more respect for everything he did besides the fight. The Isles goal was unrelated, just to be clear, but if the team needs a morale boost 3 minutes in, than there’s something very wrong with the locker room.
My thinking about King’s thinking is that he knew he wouldn’t see a lot of ice time, so he better ring the bell and quickly. But wouldn’t that kind of morale boosting fight have been more useful late in the 2nd or early in the 3rd?
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Dunny-on-the-World
Well he threw a hit on the forecheck to try to get his physical game going and Gillies immediately challenged him. I don’t think he was going out looking to fight, but he sure as hell wasn’t going to turn it down. So he tried to get on the forecheck, precipitated a fight challenge, and took it. Not a big deal in my mind. That’s the way he should be playing.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
by Rob Parker on Oct 14, 2010 5:04 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Yea that’s what I saw too. I was initially scratching my head over fighting so early, but the on the replay I realized he was just answering the call.
"Do you see my fist? It was fists like these that built quaint Canadian cities out of the harsh Canadian wilderness, etc. etc."
Not in Seattle anymore.
by SeattleCapsFan on Oct 14, 2010 5:47 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah, King looked pretty comfortable in front of the net. He’s about 3 of Fehr and 2 of Knuble there so if a D man has a decent shot, that guy is going to screen the goalie and most of the people in the stands behind him.
On a rebound, he should have the strength to keep his stick from being tied up. I wouldn’t be too surprised if he gets a goal or two here.
Human existence being an hallucination containing in itself the secondary hallucinations of day and night (the latter an insanitary condition of the atmosphere due to accretions of black air) it ill becomes any man of sense to be concerned at the illusory approach of the supreme hallucination known as death.
So I’m inferring that you think it’s naive to believe anything a “regular” skater says about a “tough” skater in the press. Am I correct? If so, I would obviously disagree. I think quotes like these shout down all the “What do enforcers deterz?!? Ovi still got slashed!!” commenters. It’s not just about deterrence, but also about having someone on the team who can play some hockey and can foster a spirit of toughness that permeates through the roster.
The Steckel/Semin reference is irrelevant because it involved two non-fighters who got into a slap fight coming out of a scrum.
In general, I think it’s wise to take everything a hockey player says to the media with a grain of salt. Particularly when they say something you’ve heard a bunch of times before. All athletes rely on a bag of tried and true cliches to get them through interviews, but hockey players impress me as going to that well even more than other athletes.
That’s why I brought up the Steckel/Semin reference. Steckel’s remarks coincided with the first Hendricks remark you related.
Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?
CRASH
Write this down.
(beat)
“We gotta play ’em one day at a
time.”
NUKE
Boring.
CRASH
Of course. That’s the point.
(beat)
“I’m just happy to be here and
hope I can help the ballclub.”
NUKE
Jesus.
CRASH
Write, write—“I just wanta give
It my best shot and, Good Lord
willing, things’ll work out.”
Human existence being an hallucination containing in itself the secondary hallucinations of day and night (the latter an insanitary condition of the atmosphere due to accretions of black air) it ill becomes any man of sense to be concerned at the illusory approach of the supreme hallucination known as death.
by sydtron on Oct 14, 2010 12:57 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Anyone have an update on Green today? He looked like he was seriously hurting last night.
"Do you see my fist? It was fists like these that built quaint Canadian cities out of the harsh Canadian wilderness, etc. etc."
Not in Seattle anymore.
Consensus in the thread last night was a stinger or something with his shoulder. I thought it was back at first on account of how ginger he was but after rewinding it and watching the play again after being pointed to the right injury, it’s definitely stinger/something with the shoulder.
Human existence being an hallucination containing in itself the secondary hallucinations of day and night (the latter an insanitary condition of the atmosphere due to accretions of black air) it ill becomes any man of sense to be concerned at the illusory approach of the supreme hallucination known as death.
He was spotted post-game (Katie reporting) in a sling.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Funny you ask. Here’s a tidbit that gives bloggers a bad name. Picked it up off the google news (link = http://www.mynhltraderumors.com/2010/10/14/brian-rolston-to-ltir-mike-green-injured-washington-capitals/comment-page-1/ )
Katie Carrera of the Washington Post: Mike Green left last night’s game early, and was wearing a shoulder sling on his right arm. It won’t be known until this morning the extent of the injury.
The problem? It links to a post by Tarik from November 2008.
"It's always good to have vikings."
Wha?!?! Awful. I retract my comment above. Thanks.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Lineup from that game against the Ducks
Okay, so it’s confirmed: Alexander Semin, Shaone Morrisonn and Sergei Fedorov are out tonight against the Ducks. Jose Theodore will be in net, which likely means Brent Johnson comes back tomorrow night against the Kings (though Coach Bruce Boudreau did not confirm this).
Barring any last minute changes, the lineup should look like this:
Forwards
Ovechkin-Backstrom-Kozlov
Fleischmann-Laich-Fehr
Steckel-Gordon-Bradley
Brashear-Nylander-ClarkDefense
Schultz-Green
Poti-Sloan
Erskine-Jurcina
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by YvonLabresMoustache on Oct 14, 2010 9:47 AM EDT up reply actions
That fourth line sure makes a great cap hit.
Human existence being an hallucination containing in itself the secondary hallucinations of day and night (the latter an insanitary condition of the atmosphere due to accretions of black air) it ill becomes any man of sense to be concerned at the illusory approach of the supreme hallucination known as death.
That was November of 2008, and 5 of those six defensemen are still here. 4 of them played last night.
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by YvonLabresMoustache on Oct 14, 2010 10:21 AM EDT up reply actions
Actually 5 of them played last night in the game. Jurcina was skating for the Islanders….
Washington Capitals 2009-10 = Quebec Nordiques 1994-95
--- D'ohboy
by MikeL-Pivonka on Oct 14, 2010 1:27 PM EDT up reply actions
Ah.
Would have been everyone if Poti had skated. Well…Sloan/Erskine would have been out, so never mind.
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by YvonLabresMoustache on Oct 14, 2010 1:31 PM EDT up reply actions
So we still don’t have a second line center, Sloan is still playing, and Erskine is still stinking up the place. Not a lot of difference, haha.
Think twice before you speak, and then you may be able to say something more insulting than if you spoke right out at once.
Hypothesis: a positionally sound goalie will tend to better when down a man than a more athletic netminder with a tendency to over-commit. Buy or sell?
—JP, from the “Neuvirth Home Cooking” thread
Among the top 30 goalies in SHsv% last season (min 15 GP), here’s what I have:
Athletic: Conklin, Miller, Thomas, Leighton, Elliott, Nabokov, Pavelec, Raycroft, Fleury, Huet, Lalime, Kiprusoff, Deslauriers
Positional: Clemmensen, Howard, C. Mason, Niemi, Bryzgalov, Halak, Rask, Garon, Neuvirth, Giguere, LaBarbera, Greiss, Lundqvist, Ward, Hedberg, Backstrom, Anderson
I realize some goalies are kind of both (especially the elites) and some kind of neither, but I tried to pick either one or the other. I don’t have much of an idea on many of the goalies, though, so I just gave it my best shot.
My count is split 13-17, which is 2 off of an even split. I think it’s more the team in front and how they choose to PK (and how effective they are), rather than the goalie style. The PP style probably affects it too, like F&B said on that thread.
I’m a most unkeen observer of the game, but I was thinking of this point last night when Neuvy dove/splayed out a couple times when he was saving the rest of the club’s bacon. I’m certainly not saying he isn’t best described as a positional goalie, but the guy can also move. I guess as RAL says: “I realize some goalies are kind of both (especially the elites) .”
"This guy is an android. He's not human....Oh my goodness."
A better way to categorize goalies is “blocking” goalies and “reaction” goalies.
This athletic\technical thing is pretty ridiculous. Every goalie (other than Giguere =) is very athletic and they all play positionally. No one out there is Hasek.
Think twice before you speak, and then you may be able to say something more insulting than if you spoke right out at once.
Fine. Replace “athletic” with “reaction” and “technical” with “blocking.” It’s more “what do they rely on to make a save.”
Either way, I don’t think there’s any correlation.
by red army line on Oct 14, 2010 10:45 AM EDT up reply actions
There actually is a difference and your list doesn’t apply there either.
A blocking goalie gets into a position to take up as much as the net as possible, waits for the shot, goes into a butterfly and then tries to react.
A reaction goalie gets into a position to take up as much as the net as possible, waits for the shot, reacts to it, and chooses the most appropriate save.
There is a reason you couldn’t categorize the guys in the way you were trying to. It’s because everyone is sound positionally. No one tries to put that on the back burner.
Think twice before you speak, and then you may be able to say something more insulting than if you spoke right out at once.
Well, sure. But by the same token, every NHLer is one hell of a hockey player. Tyler Sloan is one hell of a hockey player.
The use of “athletic” or “technical” really is just referring to a guy’s attributes relative to approximately the set of NHL goalies.
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Eh, I disagree. Every goalie is trying to be in the best position possible for the first shot. It’s what they do after which sets them apart.
Think twice before you speak, and then you may be able to say something more insulting than if you spoke right out at once.
I think the way I’d define it is by how far back in their net they play on a consistent basis. That’s the big difference between guys like Lundqvist (way back in the net) and Luongo (used to be way out in front, now further back).
When I watch, it seems like Varly is further back in his net, whereas Neuvy is further out.
'Cause the end of what it was is what it is right now...
That’s an interesting way to try to categorize goalies.
There are different technical +’s and -‘s for depth though. The main factor if a guy is always deep in the crease is going to be how he is taller down in the bfly than someone who is shorter who is going to need to be out on top of the crease to cover the same amount of net. Taller guys can get away with playing deeper and that’s a big advantage.
You have to be more athletic to play on top of the goal crease and even above that, because you are setting yourself up for very long pushes across the crease. Varly, esp. in his first season, used to come so far out there would be no point of return if he messed up or there was a pass. He’s a bit more reserved now but I don’t think it’s his natural tendency.
As you know, but writing for others, if you’re further out from the goal line you’ll usually be in better position for a shot, if you’re closer in you’re going to be in better position for a pass\second shot.
Here is a good article on reaction and blocking.
Think twice before you speak, and then you may be able to say something more insulting than if you spoke right out at once.
by zephyr on Oct 14, 2010 11:27 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Thanks for the link, Z. Quality article. Also quality: pictures of Olie Kolzig and Brent Johnson Craig Billington.
"Do not be afraid to ask for credit, for our way of refusing is very polite."
by Laich It Or Lump It on Oct 14, 2010 12:35 PM EDT up reply actions
I buy that. I think it’s part of our nature to try to group things neatly into “either/or” categories. Ultimately, yeah, it’s probably a lazy substitute for more in-depth, case-by-case analysis.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
But King’s best intentions backfired when Nino Niederreiter gave the Islanders a 1-0 lead less than 30 seconds later, beating Michal Neuvirth between his blockers for his first NHL goal.
I knew goalie equipment rules were changing for this season, but I didn’t think having multiple blockers was the new standard.
by Kerry Fraser's Hairspray on Oct 14, 2010 9:52 AM EDT reply actions
Haha, there’s a name I haven’t heard in ages.
by Kerry Fraser's Hairspray on Oct 14, 2010 9:56 AM EDT up reply actions
If that had been written, “through his pad,” it might have conjured an entirely different mental image.
If you've read this far...seek help.
by ThePeerless on Oct 14, 2010 10:13 AM EDT up reply actions
Re: Hendricks has good speed
Someone brought it up the other day, but, after watching the game last night, I have to rescind my comment that he was “no faster than Bradley blah-blah-blah.” Hendricks is only marginally faster than Steckel, it looked to me last night, and that might be generous. He is not light on his feet by any means.
by DrinkingPartner on Oct 14, 2010 10:00 AM EDT reply actions
It was me. I think it’s just his skating style, it’s very compact and low. Makes him look fast without anyone skating near him.
Human existence being an hallucination containing in itself the secondary hallucinations of day and night (the latter an insanitary condition of the atmosphere due to accretions of black air) it ill becomes any man of sense to be concerned at the illusory approach of the supreme hallucination known as death.
Hendricks is a lot faster than Steckel. I’d put him on par with Gordo, although maybe not Bradley.
'Cause the end of what it was is what it is right now...
Straight line – Brads all the way.
Quickness (esp. laterally)? Maybe Gordo.
'Cause the end of what it was is what it is right now...
I’d like to see that race. I’ll pay attention next time they’re both playing, but I remember remarking to somebody recently, “damn, Gordo can fly.”
FREE MP
I think that was me, and he can. Gordon is probably one of the faster players on the team, he just doesn’t play a role where you get to see his North-South speed at all.
by DrinkingPartner on Oct 14, 2010 10:43 AM EDT up reply actions
(Which is why Gordon is a better penalty killer, especially in a more aggressive system, than Steckel, despite the latter’s monster reach advantage.)
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Wouldn’t that be countered by Steckel’s ability to win draws?
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by YvonLabresMoustache on Oct 14, 2010 10:40 AM EDT up reply actions
Gordo seems to be more consistent, Steckel is just able to embarrass certain people over and over again.
Human existence being an hallucination containing in itself the secondary hallucinations of day and night (the latter an insanitary condition of the atmosphere due to accretions of black air) it ill becomes any man of sense to be concerned at the illusory approach of the supreme hallucination known as death.
Steckel was also surprisingly terrible at clearing the puck out of the zone last season. Not sure if he’s always been like that, but that’s not a good trait for a PKer.
"Yes, but Rimmer Directive 271 states just as clearly, 'No chance you metal ba****d.'"
I mean, there aren’t a lot of people who compare to Tom Poti in puck clearing percentage.
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Ron and Fez 11 to 3
by YvonLabresMoustache on Oct 14, 2010 10:47 AM EDT up reply actions
No, he’s always been pretty bad about it. Then again the whole team was pretty terrible the last year or two. There was a time where Fleischmann (yes, Fleischmann) was the only Cap that could clear the puck from the zone. We were bad at it. Steckel just never caught up to the rest of them I think.
He makes up for it in attitude. I really like the determination and drive he’s brought when battling for the puck. And it’s not like he’s slow.
Alright, confess-how many goals are you going to make this year?
"I'm not going to tell!"
Well can you at least guarantee fifty?
"No way. I have a different objective. To win."
by capsyoungguns on Oct 14, 2010 10:39 AM EDT up reply actions
Hendricks looked slow as molasses last night. If he looks better on Saturday, I’ll be willing to eat my words, but man, he did not impress me with his movement last night.
by DrinkingPartner on Oct 14, 2010 10:44 AM EDT up reply actions
He also seems to be the new go to quote guy for reporters.
The Artist Formerly Known as CP2Devil.
Links guy at Five For Howling.
by Carl Putnam on Oct 14, 2010 11:14 AM EDT up reply actions
Are we not going to get a new pic of Christina Hendricks in every thread in which Matt is mentioned? That’s disappointing…
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Well, I guess we can now look forward to a season’s worth of astounding cleavage around here.
You had me at no problem.
I guess we can now look forward to a season’s worth of astounding cleavage around here.
Sorry but Mike Green took his option this morning.
A very misguided piece on Huffington Post recently called 30 Rock the most racist show on television thanks to Tracy Morgan’s wild, manic, madcap performance. Tonight illustrated why whoever wrote that piece is full of shit and should be punched in the face until he has a more nuanced grasp on comedy.
by Bald Pollack on Oct 14, 2010 11:31 AM EDT up reply actions
I thought I was pushing it by posting the first one. It’s hard to find ones that I don’t seem like they are pushing the NSFW boundary too.
Think twice before you speak, and then you may be able to say something more insulting than if you spoke right out at once.
Here we go, all covered up
Think twice before you speak, and then you may be able to say something more insulting than if you spoke right out at once.
by zephyr on Oct 14, 2010 11:31 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
000
What about GIFs?
Money don't make my world go round...i'm reaching out to a higher ground
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Ron and Fez 11 to 3
by YvonLabresMoustache on Oct 14, 2010 11:32 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Reading Slate this morning, eh?
If wishes were horses, we'd all be eating steak.
by Hang a Laingtern on Your Problems on Oct 14, 2010 11:46 AM EDT up reply actions
Yeah that’s where I got it from…LULz.
Money don't make my world go round...i'm reaching out to a higher ground
Box Seats Blog
Ron and Fez 11 to 3
by YvonLabresMoustache on Oct 14, 2010 11:47 AM EDT up reply actions
I just took a look at the series of tweets from Katie and Corey this morning, and they’re a hoot. It’s a little like “who’s on first?” The facts keep on changing.
"It's always good to have vikings."
speaking of Katie’s tweets, JP, can you (in your spare time) correct her twitter handle in the tweet tweeter? right now, her tweets don’t appear.
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Per KC
The Capitals had an optional practice at KCI this morning but nearly the entire roster is in attendance. Mike Green, who left last night’s game with what Bruce Boudreau called a “stinger”, Michal Neuvirth and John Erskine are the only players not on the ice.
Matt Bradley and Tom Poti, both day-to-day with lower-body injuries, skated and participated in drills as did Marcus Johansson (foot), who appears no worse for the wear after blocking a shot off his foot against Ottawa Monday.
Anyone know what a “stinger” actually is? Not that I take BB’s words at face value for a minute.
Pretty good news on Brads, Poti and MJ90, though.
Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?
It’s either a nerve tweak or an amped up wrestler who started dressing like The Crow.
A very misguided piece on Huffington Post recently called 30 Rock the most racist show on television thanks to Tracy Morgan’s wild, manic, madcap performance. Tonight illustrated why whoever wrote that piece is full of shit and should be punched in the face until he has a more nuanced grasp on comedy.
by Bald Pollack on Oct 14, 2010 11:50 AM EDT up reply actions
Yeah, generally used in the context of “it hurt real bad, but he’s fine”. I am skeptical. We’ll see.
You had me at no problem.
Ninjak – Not really, especially when used in football. If you don’t let the area ’calm down" with rest (from contact) they tend to reoccur. If you let the inflammation subside the nerve goes back to normal and all is good.
That being said the use of a sling makes me wonder.
BP – You’re giving me N.W.A. flashbacks.
The Artist Formerly Known as CP2Devil.
Links guy at Five For Howling.
by Carl Putnam on Oct 14, 2010 11:57 AM EDT up reply actions
A “stinger” is a pinched nerve in your neck/shoulder area. Hurts like hell, but usually doesn’t linger.
'Cause the end of what it was is what it is right now...
Alright, confess-how many goals are you going to make this year?
"I'm not going to tell!"
Well can you at least guarantee fifty?
"No way. I have a different objective. To win."
by capsyoungguns on Oct 14, 2010 11:55 AM EDT up reply actions
When it does, I go to my doctor for pain relief. If he says he can’t help, I just have to ask him “do you have to…do you have to…do you have to…do you have to let it linger?”
Money don't make my world go round...i'm reaching out to a higher ground
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Ron and Fez 11 to 3
by YvonLabresMoustache on Oct 14, 2010 11:55 AM EDT up reply actions
I go to my doctor for pain relief.
Hand relief usually works better.
'Cause the end of what it was is what it is right now...
Dr. Wisniewski has some alternative medicines for you.
Just trying to capture the spirit of the thing...
by dcsportsfan1 on Oct 14, 2010 12:28 PM EDT up reply actions
google is your friend
Burners and stingers are common injuries in contact or collision sports. A burner or a stinger is an injury to the nerve supply of the upper arm, either at the neck or shoulder. The injury is named for the stinging or burning pain that spreads from the shoulder to the hand. This can feel like an electric shock or lightening bolt down the arm.
In most cases, burners and stingers are temporary and symptoms quickly go away.
"It's always good to have vikings."
No danger there. I can’ t think of any team that needs a G that desperately.
Money don't make my world go round...i'm reaching out to a higher ground
Box Seats Blog
Ron and Fez 11 to 3
by YvonLabresMoustache on Oct 14, 2010 12:14 PM EDT up reply actions
Plus, Varly is 100% so there’s nothing to worry about anyhow.
"Because the game is not just about fighting no more. " D.J. King
Crap we should have re-signed him to a 2 year deal for $1.2 mill, cause you know how hard it is to find replacement-level talent these days!
by Kolzilla on Oct 14, 2010 12:21 PM EDT up reply actions 5 recs
Oh, Danny Sabourin is on waivers. I thought it was Ken Sabourin. Too bad. Then again, if it was Ken, I would doubt teams need radio color guys who can’t talk and provide nothing but blinding glimpses of the obvious.
Just trying to capture the spirit of the thing...
by dcsportsfan1 on Oct 14, 2010 12:25 PM EDT up reply actions
provide nothing but blinding glimpses of the obvious.
I wonder if Ken has been a Caps fan since 1975?
by Cluster on Oct 14, 2010 12:34 PM EDT up reply actions 4 recs
No, that would be blinding glimpses of the irrelevant.
"Do you see my fist? It was fists like these that built quaint Canadian cities out of the harsh Canadian wilderness, etc. etc."
Not in Seattle anymore.
by SeattleCapsFan on Oct 14, 2010 12:38 PM EDT up reply actions
Dunno about that, but Ken did play for the Caps for a few years in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Was a servicable 5th defenseman.
Washington Capitals 2009-10 = Quebec Nordiques 1994-95
--- D'ohboy
by MikeL-Pivonka on Oct 14, 2010 1:31 PM EDT up reply actions
Not sure if this is OT or not...
Did anyone catch On the Fly last night? What was with them dedicating the entire hour to three games and a ten minute ass licking of Modano? There wasn’t a single Caps highlight….yet they spent ~10 minutes for each of the games they did discuss.
No Caps highlights at all?? Damn, I set the DVR to catch one of the 58 different airings while I was asleep, now I’m annoyed.
What games DID they focus on, do you remember?
If anyone needs me, I'll be at Kettler.
I only caught part of the show last night, but I definitely remember seeing highlights for Montreal-Tampa Bay and Nashville-Chicago.
by Kerry Fraser's Hairspray on Oct 14, 2010 1:25 PM EDT up reply actions
I remember seeing the Modano montage.
by DrinkingPartner on Oct 14, 2010 1:25 PM EDT up reply actions
...
How bout that Lapierre hit on Downie, huh? Wow.
Can’t say karma doesn’t owe Downie one though…
Money don't make my world go round...i'm reaching out to a higher ground
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Ron and Fez 11 to 3
by YvonLabresMoustache on Oct 14, 2010 1:28 PM EDT up reply actions
Thanks for not failing to subject line. I feel sick every time I see that Crosby-Downie incident with Crosby’s leg bent funnily.
by red army line on Oct 14, 2010 1:38 PM EDT up reply actions
Somewhere there has to be footage of him slashing the ref in the ahl
"When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro"
Money don't make my world go round...i'm reaching out to a higher ground
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by YvonLabresMoustache on Oct 14, 2010 1:44 PM EDT up reply actions
The Caps game was one of the first few that they showed. They even did another “why is Ovechkin so hard to defend segment” as though viewers didn’t already know that he is good at shooting through the Dman’s legs.
Release the Mackan!
by Killer_Carlson on Oct 14, 2010 1:42 PM EDT up reply actions
Really? When did you watch it? I sat through 2 hours of crap (10-midnight) and didn’t see a single highlight. It was all Modano, NJ/BUF, TAM/MON and NSH/CHI.
I watched after the ANA-VAN game ended, so I caught the end of the 12-1 showing and the start of the 1am showing.
Release the Mackan!
by Killer_Carlson on Oct 14, 2010 2:05 PM EDT up reply actions
Steven Stamkos(notes) called it “a dangerous hit” and asked the referees why Lapierre was not thrown out of the game. “He said if Downs would have been hurt, (Lapierre) would have gotten tossed,” Stamkos said.
Fuck NHL officiating. Brutal hit and you flat out tell the players that now they need to embellish shit just to get the proper call? See you in hell, fuckers.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
Lapierre should have been tossed.
Ironic that Downie’s too psycho to stay on the ice and embellish to draw a game misconduct.
NHL officiating is the worst.
Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?
How in the world did he get a FIVE MINUTE MAJOR for boarding and wasn’t thrown out of the game??!!
Sweet Jesus….
Money don't make my world go round...i'm reaching out to a higher ground
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Ron and Fez 11 to 3
by YvonLabresMoustache on Oct 14, 2010 1:54 PM EDT up reply actions
You get the major for boarding, you get tossed for injuries. That’s why Ovie was tossed after the hit on Campbell last year but Hossa only got 5 minutes for a similar hit against Nashville.
If anyone needs me, I'll be at Kettler.
I don’t have any problem with what Downie did. I would be pissed if players started embellishing. He’s a psycho, but this wasn’t the time to condemn him for it. He just wanted to get up and handle his business like a man instead of rolling around the ice like a soccer player. Good on him, doubleplusungood on the ref for admitting that injury is the deciding criteria.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
“No no, see, we just need to change the culture!
Patrick Ka-who?"
-Ryan Miller
Money don't make my world go round...i'm reaching out to a higher ground
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Ron and Fez 11 to 3
by YvonLabresMoustache on Oct 14, 2010 1:51 PM EDT up reply actions
It is funny that Miller is the guy to speak out with that dirtbag on his team. Friedman’s post on it was great, “look down your own bench before opening your mouth.” Problem is, everyone has a guy like that so does that mean nobody can stand up and talk about the bullshit?
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
With Cooke no longer here, who would you say from the Caps is “that guy”?
"Inglewood Jack! Inglewood Jack!" - Coach Jules
by Alz Well That Ends Well on Oct 14, 2010 2:00 PM EDT up reply actions
I don’t know if we have a Cooke/Kaleta type guy, but we don’t have a clean rap sheet. Erskine loves getting his stick up, Green and AO both have suspensions in the last year.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
Oh I don’t think any team is 100% immune from the occasional cheap penalty, but I also don’t see the instigator/take runs at people’s backs/heads-type.
"Inglewood Jack! Inglewood Jack!" - Coach Jules
by Alz Well That Ends Well on Oct 14, 2010 2:09 PM EDT up reply actions
Green and AO both have suspensions in the last year.
Let’s not forget that Ovie’s suspensions are due in part to the “repeat offender” status incorrectly bestowed on him by Kaleta pretending to be injured after being cleanly hit into the boards.
…Not that it changes your point or anything.
AO also had enough bad hits that a suspension was deserved somewhere in there.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
Yeah, I’m pissed at Kaleta for that, and the league for not having the balls to call him out for his bullshit.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
The dive after he head butted Parise (twice, no less) was truly egregious. Like God himself had reached His hand down to yank on the back of Kaleta’s jersey…
Too bad PL3 is in Albany, I’d like to see him chase Kaleta down.
Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?
Anyone. I want anyone to feed him his lunch with extreme prejudice. If I could choose Avery or Kaleta to remove from the league forever, I’d remove Kaleta.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
Some fresh hockey thread for you hungy folks
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Went to my first caps game last night. Very enjoyable. The crowd wasn’t as into it as I had hoped, but I still had a great time. Went because I found tickets for $15 on stubhub. During the second intermission some nice guy on the lower level mentioned that he had unused seats next to him so for the third period me and my friend sat in $130 seats, 6 rows from the glass. Can’t beat that. Will go again, but later in the season might not be able to afford tickets.
by discuit on Oct 14, 2010 1:56 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Weeknight games on stubhub are usually pretty cheap. Somewhat more expensive on weekends, but not too bad. Only way I can afford to go really since most of the games are White/Blue and those seats are 50+ for the even the last row. Sure do miss the Eagle’s Nest.
I don’t have much tolerance for stupid. Or cheese on food that doesn’t need it. -duck
by twistedlogic on Oct 14, 2010 2:04 PM EDT up reply actions
That’s awesome! Glad you had a good time – although the crowd was a little dull, I’ll agree with that. We probably should have “unleashed the fury” at some point ;)
If anyone needs me, I'll be at Kettler.
Yeah, we’re spoiled :P But even so, the crowd usually starts out pretty loud and dies down when they realize it’s going to be a defensive/goalie battle. Everyone was half-asleep last night – I kind of figured that’d happen, for whatever reason people around here don’t get excited about the Isles even though we’ve had really exciting games against them in the last 2 years.
If anyone needs me, I'll be at Kettler.
We have gotten spoiled about crowds too. Friends of mine who have lived to the dark days of Caps fandom are still amazed at the energy and noise at Verizon.
So to me it’s all relative. I am going to get far more excited at an opening game and against the Devils on a weekend than I am for the Islanders during the week. Nevertheless I was there and cheered. And the crowd was loud at times. Just many people elected to stay home and not use their tickets so some seats were empty. Makes a difference in the noise.
Alright, confess-how many goals are you going to make this year?
"I'm not going to tell!"
Well can you at least guarantee fifty?
"No way. I have a different objective. To win."
by capsyoungguns on Oct 14, 2010 3:36 PM EDT up reply actions
"He’s so good and he’s got such a great release. He gets [the puck] in between guys and defensemen’s feet and between their sticks. He just gets it through there and he shot a couple low tonight which he normally doesn’t do. The first one tricked me," added Rolson on Ovechkin and how he manages to fool opposing net minders with his skill and ability.
That’s from Ed’s post on the game. Does anyone else agree that AO doesn’t shoot low? I feel like he shoots everywhere and isn’t even aiming a lot; I feel like he aims for the holes in the D more than anything at the net, and if nothing else he scored the GWG in the previous game right on the ice. I wouldn’t want to peg AO as a top shelf shooter, that would be Alex Semin, and I definitely think it’s a bad idea for NHL goalies to be cheating like that.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
I noted the same quote, and it similarly struck me as a bit of iffy analysis. We’d have to ask NHL goalies, I guess, if AO has any pattern to where his shots end up, but I feel like he’s not the most pinpoint of shot takers out there; that he’s mainly trying to get a lot on it and get it on the net, figuring that enough of them will find the net.
Now, Semin, there’s a guy that’s sniping for the top corner.
Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?
I think Ovechkin is picking a specific target more than he gets credit for. How many times do we see him whiff on a shot because he’s heads-up looking for net to shoot at? At least a couple times a game, I’d say.
FREE MP
But with so much focus just trying to get the puck through the D, you really think he can also pick a spot on the net? I guess he’s the best player on earth so if anyone can, he can, I just think that’s a hell of a lot to ask a player to do. If you get it through the D cleanly you have a great chance to beat the goalie without aiming for a spot on the net.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
I think he just has a general sense of where the net is and tries to shoot closer to the edges, getting lucky about 1 in 7 or 8 shots. That goal he scored at VC against the Canes once, the one where the puck was behind him and he skated back and fired an almost no-look one-timer off the pipe and in really stands out to me.
by red army line on Oct 14, 2010 3:40 PM EDT up reply actions
It’s a bit of everything. You have shots where u just try to get the puck off, shots where u get a bit of a glimpse at the goal, and shots where u just hope it gets on goal.
After taking so many shots; however, you start to get the feeling of how each shot feels in your arms and hips. I bet Ovi, among many other NHLers, could aim it with just one glance to see where they are in relation to the goal.
Soon the Championship with be ours, all ours!
by kingzman264 on Oct 14, 2010 3:50 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I bet he could aim without looking at the goal. For instance, if he’s standing on the faceoff circle and he knows what angle he’s skating at he’ll know where the net is. Once you know where the net is muscle memory takes over.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
I was actually just thinking about this today. His first goal against Brodeur was on the ice until it got moving and bounced a bit, his goal against LeClaire was on the ice, and his goal against Roloson stuck to the rink as well. Although it’s only three instances, I think Ovie is deliberately keeping them low to get goaltenders who start to creep high and try to cheat to the corner spots
Soon the Championship with be ours, all ours!
I’d venture that, if anything, that might have more to do with him not being 100% comfortable with his wrist (Weber slash in the preseason, then Kelly again on Monday). For now at least.
Idk, he did take quite a slap-shot on that Backstrom goal yesterday.
That might be true, but i think he is just trying to catch goalies cheating. Any shot you take a bit of work from the wrists.
Soon the Championship with be ours, all ours!
That second shot he put down in between Roloson’s legs deflected off of the goalie stick and hit the crossbar, too. It’s like he’s discovered a whole new weapon.
by DrinkingPartner on Oct 14, 2010 3:54 PM EDT up reply actions
That puck hit Roloson’s stick before the crossbar? Didn’t realize that.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
I know I’ve heard a quote from a goalie last year or the year before to the effect that Ovechkin will surprise you sometimes with a low shot(can’t find it immediately), but I’d hardly say that the “book” on Ovie says that he normally shoots high. Ovechkin will put the puck anywhere the goalie isn’t.
You had me at no problem.
Take my observations for what they are worth since I’m still new to hockey, but honestly to me it looks like Ovi is changing up his patterns a bit for shooting. I recall watching him shoot low before but it’s not his preferred pattern. I guess he’s just covered so heavily that he has to find new ways to shoot the puck. And he’s been criticized heavily for relying on his favorite driving up the wing patterns. In the last two games it seems that he has chosen to use the d-guy covering him as a screen. Also it seems that he has varied his speed a bit, kind of like a pitcher with a surprise slow pitch. And last night I saw him do a pivot to his left while directly in front of the net to shoot the puck. It didn’t go in but it definitely surprised the defender (all I remember is that it was probably in the 3rd quarter. I really should start making notes but I’m kinda just in the total experience of the game.)
Alright, confess-how many goals are you going to make this year?
"I'm not going to tell!"
Well can you at least guarantee fifty?
"No way. I have a different objective. To win."
by capsyoungguns on Oct 14, 2010 3:53 PM EDT up reply actions
At least when making that move (enter the zone, flatten out his path, shoot through the D), I feel like his M.O. in the past has been to go high, usually glove side. Maybe it’s just his playoff hattie vs. Fleury burned into my memory, but that seemed to be his signature move. Based on the goals he’s scored in the past 2 games, it seems like he’s intentionally going low on those and fooled Leclaire/Roloson.
And to address the other issue, I think he is consciously trying to aim them on those wristers, whether high or low, glove or blocker, etc.
Bwahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.
Short form: The salary cap is ruining hockey because it means that Sidney Crosby doesn’t have a talented WINGAH.
Insanity. How about the fact that they committed their money to the guys that aren’t on Sid’s line? How about all the teams that have dominant lines? WAS, SJS, CHI, TBL, yadda yadda.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
I read your comment and expected the link to be somewhere like Pensblog or a site like that. . .but the toronto sun?
jeeze
Soon the Championship with be ours, all ours!
I love his logic like no one else on the team helps him score, even if they’re on different lines, whattahomer
Human existence being an hallucination containing in itself the secondary hallucinations of day and night (the latter an insanitary condition of the atmosphere due to accretions of black air) it ill becomes any man of sense to be concerned at the illusory approach of the supreme hallucination known as death.
If only the Pens had another great scoring forward (like someone who could win the Art Ross or Conn Smythe trophies, to pick a completely random set of criteria) that they could pair with Crosby if they so desired! Woe unto hockey and Mr. Canada!
It’s Toronto, obviously they hate the salary cap, the Leafs would buy half the league without a cap.
Aim for the head baby Jesus
even when they did buy half the league, it didn’t help them. detroit, on the other hand, had that whole “Yankees on Hockey” thing down. “Oh, let’s go buy Hull/Robitille/Shanahan this week!”
Pledge Drive 2010-2011: SO KIDS CAN!! Help build a playground
Also, it didn’t strike me right away, but this argument is particularly nutty given that (a) Pittsburgh likely only has Crosby due to the lockout lottery, the whole point of which was to get a cap in place, and (b) Pittsburgh is a franchise that was really struggling financially in the-pre cap era, and has now won a Cup in the post-cap era. I realize this is a Crosby-centric and not Pens-centric “argument,” but still.
I thought he made everyone he plays with better, so he could get $4m value out of a $1m winger. Huh.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Wysh has a very good rebuttal.
it doesn’t address one of our favorite talking points (you know, that one about of Ovie can turn anyone into a 25 goal scorer, but Bill Guerin scored just as much on the Island as he did on Sid’s wing….), but still a good piece.
But face it: The salary cap, for all its problems for the on-ice product, has helped turn the NHL into a 365-day sport. Every team is facing a ticking clock in the summer that requires constant tweaking of the roster. Players move on, players drop out, new players arrive.
The cap has simply made life more interesting. Take the Devils. For all the demonization of Lou Lamoriello’s cap management, who among us isn’t intrigued to see how Harry Lou-dini is going to escape next?
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