Friday Caps Clips: Bounced in Beantown

This defense is horrible without #52. Horrible. I wonder if the message is still being heard by the players. The team has looked good in one game.

Yes it is, but Corey is way too charitable with Shamo. Calling him above average, probably even average, is a bit of a stretch. He’s also way too easy on GMGM for the multiple draft failures. It would have been even worse if Eminger hadn’t tricked PHI into thinking he was worthy of a First. Who knew there was a worse two year contract in the organization than either of Sloskine’s. An all too familiar situation. I wonder what happens with Miskovic now, is he the next Collins? Or might he be a player?

No panic button being pressed here, but the team hasn’t looked right in all but 1 game. I’ve said it somewhere before, #52 may be the most important player on this team given the system being employed.

2 years ago, when we had 7 players out, we still won until Green went out and then we went on a losing streak.

Plenty of time to fix whatever is wrong, but I’d like to see happen sooner than later.

Concern? Yes and beyond just the issue of top line play and PP%. This team seems to be suffering from the inability to get over bad habits. Fancy passing when a dump and chase might be the better option, inability to clear the defensive zone, allowing the goalie to see the puck, Ovi going it alone, etc. Habits that have been forged the past couple of years due to their superior talent level and some weak competition.

The Habs exposed some of their weaknesses last Spring and other teams have taken note. On top of that, they have two guys (14 and 90) who are new to critical positions. I do think this team, like many of us here, are dismissing the regular season as a mere formality.

In the long run, it’s probably a good thing that they are struggling right now vs. cruising along.

I said it last night and I’ll say it again, in the long run these consecutive losses to Boston may be the best thing that can happen to this team. Like it or not, the Caps are still suffering a psychological hangover from that Montreal series. And after being told by just about everybody that the regular season is meaningless, they seem to be believing it. The worse thing that could have happened was for them to bolt out of the gate and go 8-2 or something like that. They needed a punch in the nose to get them in the here and now and hopefully Boston gave it to them. Adversity builds character and aside from a #2 center and another defenseman, that’s what’s missing the most among this group of players. I’ll be very curious to see how they respond on Saturday night.

They’re scoring a goal less per game from last season. That should be a concern.

I jest. Appreciate the even keeled perspective you’ve thrown our way Peerless. Last night’s GDT was not exactly quite at the level of panic, it’s the apocalypse, the sky is falling, this team is never going to win, fire BB, [insert whatever simplified and perhaps overblown and simplified description of the dire situation the Caps are in] but it did have some general tones showing a rapid trend towards that direction. That’s not to say I don’t have my concerns nor do I not share the ones others point out — consider me as pessimistic and realistic as any Caps fan out there…

Granted, I haven’t been here at the Rink pretty much throughout the entire off-season but I followed enough here and there to grasp a little bit of how much the current personnel and roster make-up of the team will potentially affect their play throughout the season. We know there were and still are concerns about:

-the deficiencies of the D-corps and the general lack of depth
-the lack of a legit 2C and depth down the middle
-the PP
-the offense
-ice time management
-systems play in all three zones
-discipline (on the fundamentals) and adjustments during the course of 60 minutes of play
-FO
-The top line
-The offense

The list can go on, and on but let’s not lose sight of the fact the season is long. There’s time to work out the kinks, thoroughly look at all of those particular deficiencies and needs before the trade deadline and ultimately the playoffs — in short, what really is the identity of this team? I thought we got a glimpse of it during the game against New Jersey, but maybe that was an anomaly. The only way we’ll find out is through the grind called the regular season. Of course, the Caps still need to make the playoffs.

Name a team, any, that at this point of the season is satisfied at where they are — feeling good about how they’re playing, etc. — and thinking they’ll still be at the same position come playoff time.

I found good stuff to draw from yesterday’s game along with stuff that left a lot to be desired of course. Check in with me around late November/early December and maybe I’ll push the button above. I highly doubt it though.

Despite these facts, this team looks utterly feckless against a good defensive team.

As far as rebuild-trades go, that was quite a dud. Johannson’s 1 game NHL career is not much considering he was a first rounder.

Russ Thaler kept him company for most of the night.

I couldn’t find a DD to get out there.

I was bummed I didn’t actually meet anyone. Next time I guess…

Also did anyone else think the bar manager who was serving the free beer looked eerily like Erskine?

How ’bout them Panthers!

Maybe he means if Burke needs to spend ad cut costs elsewhere? Doubtful given MLSE’s budget and resources.

professional journalist

One of those two words is not true. Take your pick.

He is waiver ineligible, though, so the statement is true even if he gets there for the wrong reason.

Would have been better if they asked him a bit about hockey. But the stories of the old MIchigan days were pretty good.

he looked a whole lot better than the B’s player that took an OV shot to the leg, at least Hendricks was able to walk on his own once he got to the bench and off the ice.

I approve of this message. With the D healthy, these are the pairings I’d like to see (although maybe sans Sloan).

Glad to hear it’s not another “optional” practice. I usually don’t care much that some big minute guys take their option the morning after a roady, but this would not be a good time for that.

Oh crap

cmasisak22 Oops – my mistake on the d pairs. Let’s try that again: #Caps d-pairs are Schultz-Green, Alzner-Carlson, Sloan-ERSKINE). Sorry.

I shot you an e-mail.

And for those that remember me saying I wouldn’t get something like this because I’d never get any homework done: so far, so accurate. I justified it using my scoring chances recording for when I can’t watch the game, but it’s been, um, challenging. Having the whole slate to pick from whenever I want to watch hockey is a powerful distraction.

Yikes. Not up to Corey’s usual standards.

It is. I’d wager a guess that he just got the day off since he played 24 minutes last night and is probably still not 100% from whatever was bugging him…but obviously I have no clue and yeah, surprising that Corey didn’t ask. Oh, well.

Corey rectified his mistake.

cmasisak22 Corey Masisak
Bruce Boudreau said #Caps d-man Tom Poti was taking a maintenance day and is “100 percent” certain he will play tomorrow vs. ATL.

And it’s up.

just to be clear, maybe not the current version of him…he might be a bit slow and fragile now….but I doubt it.

I would love a Kono on any team I had,

Thank goodness someone in the franchise other than Laich is saying this.

Ha! Hockey’s okay for me. Two or three days between games. Football would be tough if the Redskins hadn’t given me yearly practice in diminishing expectations. Baseball can be debilitating when your team goes on FAIL after FAIL after FAIL with 8+ game losing streaks. Constant teasing for hope. As a Nats fan, I am all to familiar with the extended losing streak.

Then again, 1/5 of MLB teams haven’t sniffed the playoffs in a decade or more. That patience can get worn pretty thin.