AttaBoyd
by Becca H on Oct 21, 2010 11:00 AM EDT
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"Boyd Gordon can give you something. He'll win you faceoffs, [...] he'll kill a penalty, he doesn't complain, he's an excellent teammate, and guys like that, there's something to be said for why they're in the locker room." - Alan May on Japers' Rink Radio, 10/16/10
Boyd Gordon is never going to be an offensive dynamo in the NHL (although he certainly has his moments). He's rarely going to crack fifteen minutes of ice time a night, and will probably only get a shot in the shootout if the coach has exhausted all his other options. And yet when he's healthy, he's often as invaluable to this team as the guys making the big bucks and earning the big minutes.
Why? Because, to borrow an oft-used hockey cliché, he simply does the little things right, the things that don't show up on the scoresheet. Make the simple play, make (or take) a hit, work the boards, get the puck down the ice.
You only have to look as far back as his last game, Saturday's overtime comeback win against the Nashville Predators, to see Gordon's value. A quick glance at his stats for the evening wouldn't reveal anything particularly notable - just over ten minutes of ice time, a couple of shots, a couple of faceoffs, no points, a minus-one...mediocre at best and certainly nothing to write home about. But with Gordon, the stats rarely tell the whole story. His 10:30 of ice time Saturday night was efficient to say the least - almost three and a half of those minutes came shorthanded, and at least some of that time was spent bailing out his penalty-killing partner David Steckel on a failed clearing attempt. He took only eight draws but won five of them, with five of the draws coming in the defensive zone - and four of the wins.
Quintessential Gordon, to be sure.
We're often trained to look at the big, shiny numbers, the goals and assists and plus-minus, to measure a player's worth. There's no real metric for someone who does the little things right, though, because they are just that - little things. They can only be measured by how much the coaching staff trusts a player, what kind of situations he's put in and at what points in the game. And by that metric, we know Boudreau and his staff have the utmost faith in Gordon's abilities.
In the admittedly few games he's appeared in this year, Gordon's been heavily relied upon to take key defensive faceoffs, starting just a third of his shifts with a faceoff in the offensive zone. Yet despite spending so much time in his own end, Gordon has only been on the ice for one goal by an opponent - not only that, but exactly half of his shifts that started with a faceoff in the defensive zone (and stopped with a whistle) don't end there. And it's that ability to clear the zone (and sometimes turn a defensive shift into an offensive push) that has made him a stellar penalty-killer, as well. Gordon's average overall ice time may be low, but he leads all forwards in average shorthanded time and is part of the penalty-killing crew that, through six games, has yet to surrender a power play goal.
Boyd Gordon is simply one of the most dependable defensive forwards on a team that is sometimes lacking in that area. He is often the conscience of the team, the guy who will rarely make the highlight reel but who almost always makes an impact on a game. And unlike some "grinders", Gordon's skating ability makes him even more useful; the team knows his skating's going to be solid enough to match up with just about anyone in the League, both end to end and laterally, thus increasing the team's versatility.
His simple style of play and willingness to sacrifice makes him a guy the coaches can rely on in tough situations - and a great, albeit oft-overlooked, asset to a team with Cup aspirations.
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A healthyGordoJay Beagle can sure make that Steckel contract look terrible
Fixed.
It takes a special kind of man to be a Scuttlin' Crab Man
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by YvonLabresMoustache on Oct 21, 2010 11:07 AM EDT up reply actions
A healthyGordoSteckel can sure make that Steckel contract look terrible
Doubly fixed.
On topic: One thing I’ve noticed is that Gordon’s strength on his skates seems to have improved as well. A few years ago he was getting knocked around quite a bit, but he seems to be stronger on the puck now. Maybe all of the time he spent injured helped him improve his strength.
"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 21, 2010 11:09 AM EDT up reply actions
I believe I cut it out of the piece, but one thing I’ve noticed with Gordon is that he falls down a ton – but unlike some of his teammates, when he falls down he still manages to make a really good play about 75% of the time. It’s gotten to the point where he falls and my friends and I say “Boyd Gordon fell down…gonna be a good shift!”
If anyone needs me, I'll be at Kettler.
I’ve noticed the same improvement with Gordo. I think Gordon’s issue with falling down from contact was directly related to his back problems. One’s ability to receive contact well has a lot to do with core strength. Without knowing for sure, I wouldn’t be going out on a limb saying he re-habbed the heck out of his back/core muscles to improve his ability to stay up when hit. I speak from experience…I had back surgery and for about a year afterwards I would uncharacteristically fall down even after mild, adult-league contact. I was told by my doctor to focus on core muscle training. That fixed the problem.
The "Other" Box Seats Blogger
at season ticket party, I was in the line for Steckel and Bradley. The women in front of me had an 8×10 of the un-photoshopped “Save The Kittens!” photo.
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although he certainly has his moments
How ’bout this one. "The goal that made him "Muffins"":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esdCqf-50sc
If you've read this far...seek help.
by ThePeerless on Oct 21, 2010 11:13 AM EDT reply actions 2 recs
How ’bout this one. "The goal that made him ‘Muffins’ ":
Great example of what May talks about … "Magnetting" re: Shots & Dumped Pucks at Net
Keep Fear Alive
by Christoph J on Oct 21, 2010 11:30 AM EDT up reply actions
Great job Becca.
Boyd falls in line with the Caps tradition of having great role players that made me fall in love and stay in love with this team 28 years ago as a 7 year old from Toronto. The Bobby Goulds, Steve Konowalchuks, Kelly Millers, Greg Adamses, Bob Rouses etc were the type of guys who were never Ovechkins, let alone Mike Gartners, but defined this team and gave them an appeal that a dynasty like the 80s Oilers or Isles never had.
I poured spot remover on my dog. Now he's gone.
by Rather Bengt on Oct 21, 2010 11:17 AM EDT reply actions 2 recs
I rec’d your post because I couldn’t agree more. Sadly, there aren’t many of us fans remaining that appreciate those players for the reasons you mentioned. The Caps of the 80s/90s were short on skill and long on heart. It killed me that they would bust their ass and play 110% throughout the entire year, consistently finish in 2nd place in the Patrick, and then lose in the playoffs to a team that coasted through the regular season.
The "Other" Box Seats Blogger
Thanks for the kind words topshelf. That’s one of the many great things about the Rink: Amidst all the new fans the present era Caps have attained, it’s also great to get acquainted with longtime fans like MikeL, CP and Gouldie (to name just a few) and reminisce and share stories about the Bryan Murray/David Poile years and drop names and memories from the 80s and 90s.
I poured spot remover on my dog. Now he's gone.
by Rather Bengt on Oct 21, 2010 6:57 PM EDT up reply actions
It’s things like this entry that crystalize my frustration with this team. The guys you might have had questions about coming into the year — the third and fourth lines, the defense, the goalies — the guys you trust to keep goals out and be gritty…they’ve done their jobs and then some.
It’s the guys who DO have the big, shiny numbers that haven’t yet been carrying their share of the load, at least not consistently.
If you've read this far...seek help.
by ThePeerless on Oct 21, 2010 11:20 AM EDT reply actions 3 recs
Rec’d for truth, my friend. I guess the silver lining is that the “questionable” areas are under control and you have to think that, eventually, the talent level and the compete level of the top guys is going to catch up…right? If that happens, watch out, this team could be dangerous.
If anyone needs me, I'll be at Kettler.
Right there with you. If everybody on the team played as hard as Gordo does night in and night out, they’d have 130 points and go fo’-fo’-fo’-fo’.
Eat, drink, and be merry! And then drink some more.
It’s true – and yet that’s kind of the case on most teams, no? The 3rd/4th line guys are going to work hard and do the little things right because that’s really all they have. They’re highly replaceable and don’t have the talent to get by on talent alone, so if they don’t “produce” in their way they’re gone. Not knocking what they do, and certainly some are better at it and more invaluable than others – hence the Boyd-love in this post – but that’s the reality of their job.
The big name guys, however, (like this team at times) can float through the occasional game and still come out on top. Figure that Ovie has yet to put together a really solid performance and is still scoring at about a point-per-game clip…
If anyone needs me, I'll be at Kettler.
If you prove consistently that you’re a C-student, getting a B is an achievement. If you prove consistently that you’re an A-student, getting a B is underperforming. It’s still a B, yes, but if Ovi can play like ass and get a P/G then maybe I expect him to do more than that. The overall point is that I don’t like the shitty play from the top line especially, so far.
Eat, drink, and be merry! And then drink some more.
You’ll get no argument from me on that one, believe me…I’ve been really disappointed by those guys in general, too. My point, though, is that guys like Ovie and Backstrom a) still produce when they’re slumping/underachieving and b) are in no danger of being pushed out from below…unless they slump for a REALLY long time.
Gordon, Steckel, Bradley, Hendricks, etc, all have very little margin of error between performing well and becoming invisible, and have plenty of guys in Hershey who could do their job for cheaper.
If anyone needs me, I'll be at Kettler.
The threat of losing one’s job can certainly make one perform better. As you note, however, there’s no chance of Ovechkin or Backstrom being pushed off the roster, and I think that’s where your captain and the coach come in. Of course, since Ovechkin is the captain and he’s the one “slumping” (which makes it doubly worrisome), even more of the onus falls on Boudreau. Problem is, I’m not sure that BB isn’t content to just let his superstars be. If these guys are giving less than they should, it’s mostly on BB to fix it.
Eat, drink, and be merry! And then drink some more.
Right…and I think we’re arguing two different things here ;) Not saying the top guys shouldn’t perform with the same 110% effort as a Boyd Gordon or a Matt Hendricks; we should absolutely expect that and it is up to the coach and captain to make sure everyone does it more often than not.
What I’m going for is that on most teams, you’ll see this kind of thing happen. The heart-and-soul guys who maybe lack in the talent department have no choice but to go all out every night – or they risk losing their jobs. The talented guys can generally afford to take a night off (even though we wish they wouldn’t and love the few who don’t even more) and not have it impact whether they’re still part of the team the next day.
As you said above, if the best guys played as hard as Gordo does every night, they’d have 130 points – the fact that it doesn’t happen on most teams is a big reason why the “best” teams on paper aren’t automatically the #1 seed every week. Just look where SJ is in the standings right now.
If anyone needs me, I'll be at Kettler.
A complicating factor?
Ovechkin spent much of last year being coached, encouraged, and ordered to ‘lighten up’. The acclaim he earned with his abandon turned to widespread criticism of his recklessness. I would argue this change occurred w/o a big change in his playing style.
Could it be harder than we think to ‘modulate’ a game the size of Ovechkin’s? Might this ‘slump’ (!) be the hockey gods’ way of saying “here’s your new, more measured Ovechkin. Have fun wit dat.” ?
There's no 'i' in "team". But there's a 'nap' in "champion".
That’s why Boyd Gordon, Andrew Gordon, or Gordon Bombay are never going to get 10-year deals. There are many more of them then there are Ovechkins (even if not all of them are named “Gordon”)
If you've read this far...seek help.
by ThePeerless on Oct 21, 2010 1:05 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I think a lot of time it looks like a talented player isn’t working hard when they really are. There’s a lot of things going on mentally, reading the play, and guessing where the puck is going to be.
A workhorse like Gordon is a lot easier to appreciate on appearance alone. He’s going to be skating as hard as he can, forechecking, backchecking, and chasing pucks for an entire shift.
The talented guys don’t do that as much because it just doesn’t leave as much room for creativity or big scoring chances. (Whether they should all be playing like that I have no opinion to voice)
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 21, 2010 11:40 AM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
It’s a fair point, and I agree that if Backstrom gave the effort he gave in OT in Chicago or on that stickless PK on every shift he’d kill his body and wouldn’t have a chance to be Backstrom. Backstrom and Ovechkin are going to give up scoring chances against because they’re not just going to sit and cycle, they’ve got other shit to do.
That being said, something’s not working, and it’s looked to me so far that the effort hasn’t quite been there, not that everyone has suddenly become so effective at shutting down 8/19/22. They’re still making some strong plays and I’m not saying they need to go balls-out every single shift, but they’re just…of, I guess.
Eat, drink, and be merry! And then drink some more.
That being said, something’s not working, and it’s looked to me so far that the effort hasn’t quite been there, not that everyone has suddenly become so effective at shutting down 8/19/22.
I’m not sure it’s solely a question of effort. There’s something more fundamental that has to be addressed. And as for “shutting down 8/19/22”, perhaps everyone hasn’t suddenly been effective at doing so but teams are adjusting quite well towards the offensive tendencies of the Caps 4 games into this season. I think some adjustments need to be made by the Caps’ offense without taking away the ability to exploit their talent.
This is worth reading if you haven’t yet.
UF? I do not know whom you are talking about ...
Keep Fear Alive
When I read this piece and some of the comments, a player flashed into my head. Another western Canada guy, about the same size as Gordon. Not much by way of shiny stats. Toiled in obscurity for four seasons. Then his club won a Stanley Cup. He moved on after a couple of years, and then his new team won a Stanley Cup. Moved on a couple of years after that, and then his next team won a Stanley Cup.
Maybe it was just blind luck, or maybe he was the kind of guy you need on the bottom half of your forward lines, the guy who understands his role, plays it well, plays it consistently, does what it takes to win in a consistent manner without getting a lot of credit for doing so.
Perhaps it would be a good thing that Gordon not take his simple skills elsewhere and have him become this generation’s Mike Keane.
If you've read this far...seek help.
by ThePeerless on Oct 21, 2010 11:42 AM EDT up reply actions 5 recs
Definitely Peerless, great call. Keane was definitely admired by his teammates also.
I poured spot remover on my dog. Now he's gone.
by Rather Bengt on Oct 21, 2010 12:01 PM EDT up reply actions
Excellent example, and i would also bring up such guys as Kris Draper and Kirk Maltby in Detroit. Those guys were a fixture on those Stanley cup winning teams. Both had nonexistent scoring stats but there work ethic and skill set made them as valuable to the team as Lidstrom or Datsuk.
Bullshit. Lidstrom is a top 3 D of all time. Let’s not let the grinder love get carried away. DET would give up both of those grinders rather than either skill guy every single day.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
by Rob Parker on Oct 21, 2010 2:21 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions 4 recs
You are right. Players like Lidstrom don’t come around very often which makes them very difficult to replace, and therefore pretty valuable. However, just because guys like Draper and Maltby are more easily replaceable doesn’t mean that their contributions weren’t very important to the team winning.
“Very important” wasn’t the characterization, “as valuable” was. That’s flat out hyperbole.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
by Rob Parker on Oct 21, 2010 2:37 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
It may seem like semantics, but I’m not trying to argue that Maltby and Draper have equal value as Lidstrom. Rather, I’m just saying that the roles they fill for the team are both valuable/important. For what it’s worth, I think that’s what the original poster meant as well.
Yes, very well put. These guys fulfilling their assigned role was as important to Detroit’s success as that of their star players. It was not a direct comparison of the players themselves.
I categorically disagree. Nik Lidstrom contributed a whole hell of a lot more to the Red Wings winning the Cup in any of their four recent championships than Maltby and Draper put together. If you replaced those two guys with league average players, the difference in that team isn’t huge. Replace Lidstrom with a league average player and Dallas and Colorado have at least one more championship a piece. Guys like that are important in a room, but all of them put together don’t match Nik Lidstrom.
"Essentially, all models are wrong, but some are useful" George E.P. Box
by Knee high to a duck on Oct 21, 2010 4:31 PM EDT up reply actions 5 recs
We’ll have to agree to disagree because there is no way that your two average NHLers can fulfill the role these two did year after year. There is a reason these guys have played more than a thousand games apiece and its because they were the best at what they did. It wasn’t scoring or flashy play but taking on the opposition’s best line every night and shutting them down.
See, that’s not the argument, though. If you’re going to argue that neither is replaceable by an NHL average player in that role, you’re right in the strictest possible sense. But that’s not really interesting; what’s interesting is how far over the average that player is. There’s a very good chance that the Wings are still skating the Cup in all of those years with someone else in Maltby and Draper’s sweaters, but their chances are significantly damaged without Nik Lidstrom. The degree of difference matters, not just the absolute fact of irreplaceability.
"Essentially, all models are wrong, but some are useful" George E.P. Box
by Knee high to a duck on Oct 21, 2010 4:53 PM EDT up reply actions
You’re insane. Neither of those guys are HoF and while they were stud grinders they are just grinders. What happened in 08? Then what happened in 09 when both Datsyuk and Lidstrom were hurt? Equating grinders with HoFers takes some mental gymnastics that would make Justice Scalia proud.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
by Rob Parker on Oct 21, 2010 5:27 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions 1 recs
Didn’t click through because I’m on my limited mobile browser, but a quick clarification: if that zone start is what I think it is, the formula is (OZone Starts)/(OZone Starts + DZone Starts), so Boyd is starting in the offensive zone half as often as he is in the defensive zone; that’s even more impressive than starting 1/3 in the OZone. If the link is something else, please disregard.
I’m a big fan of Gordo and Brads as 4th line players. They both outperform their league peers pretty significantly. Add in that they seem tremendously likeable as people, not just players, and it’s no surprise that they’re fan favorites. Great post.
"Essentially, all models are wrong, but some are useful" George E.P. Box
by Knee high to a duck on Oct 21, 2010 11:39 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
I got a nice assist on the fancy stats from JP (you know me…I like G-A-Pts-+/-, anything beyond that makes my eyes cross a bit) so I’ll pass off the clarification to him, should he surface here. But I like the idea that Gordo’s even more impressive than I made him sound – so let’s go with that for now :)
If anyone needs me, I'll be at Kettler.
Zonestart 36.7% (last among Caps forwards), Zonefinish 50% (4th among Caps forwards, behind…Fehr, Laich, and Chimera). I know small sample and all, but Gordo is sure having a sweet first few games.
by red army line on Oct 21, 2010 1:10 PM EDT up reply actions
Anyone have any inside information on what really ailing him? BB says it’s not his back. I really hope it isn’t it sounded like he worked hard to get rid of that injury this offseason.
Earlier today, I called out Dan Steinberg on Twitter after he made this post
You know which D.C. pro athlete has the longest continuous tenure in this city right now? Hint: he recently spent time in a halfway house.:
I replied, “Boyd Gordon has never been in a halfway house”
(Per Yahoo, Gordon’s first game with Caps was 10/9/03, Arenas’ first game with Wiz was 10/29/03. An honest mistake by Seinberg, as he forgot about the strike year when counting seasons).
"I am ready for his provocations"
twitter
by PaintDrinkingPete on Oct 21, 2010 1:09 PM EDT reply actions
Funny I had the same reaction when I saw that comment about G.A.; glad someone sent him the correction.
Of course, one could argue Gordon’s time spent in the AHL means he doesn’t meet Steinberg’s criteria?
He offered that up as well (although he admitted it was the strike year that threw him; Arenas’ 8 seasons to Gordo’s 7), but he was with the Caps organization the entire time. I thought it was fair to call it a draw.
"I am ready for his provocations"
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by PaintDrinkingPete on Oct 21, 2010 1:40 PM EDT up reply actions
and you know Boyd Gordon wins draws…
There's no 'i' in "team". But there's a 'nap' in "champion".
by redlineblue on Oct 21, 2010 1:51 PM EDT up reply actions 3 recs
Wavie Stekel
The Caps would do themselves a favor if they demote or wave Steckel and promote Beagle or A. Gordon..
The best fourth line they can ice is Brads/Gordo/Hendricks, with a boost to PK. Beagle or A. Gordon would be the 13th forward and fill in gaps because of injuries.
Better line, lower cap hit and more flexibility to go trade for a D or a 2C later in the season.
Besides, Steckel lately looks slower than Erskine, without the punch.
Beagle and A. Gordon are basically replacement level players. Steckel is basically a replacement level player. You’re probably not going to get better contribution out of either of them, just a cheaper contract. That adds up if the Caps are planning on making a deadline acquisition, but otherwise, it’s a wash or tilted slightly in Steckel’s favor. I’m as down on Steckel as anyone, but let’s not get carried away.
"Essentially, all models are wrong, but some are useful" George E.P. Box
by Knee high to a duck on Oct 21, 2010 4:34 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
nice props for Gordon
I’ve liked Gordon since he came on. His health, mainly his wonky back, have dimmed his star a bit, understandably. Playing him at right wing instead of bending him over in the circle may increase his chances for consistent health, but removes one his best values from the equation as well.
I agreed with Mays philosophy regarding what a team needs. The 2nd line has laich and semin, who outweigh any center option the caps have. But, their blueline remains dangerously weak on skill on the 3rd pair, while counting on inexperience with a lot of potential on the 2nd line. The problems down the middle result in more pressure on the blueline. Plain and simple, what we see is a team out of balance with the current lineup. Gordon and Bradley both become much more important; fortunately, they are effective in their roles.
The Way is riddled with deep, dark holes.
by The Jade Donkey on Oct 21, 2010 2:25 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
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