Capital Ups and Downs: Week 3

He was definitely a lot more aggressive on Saturday than normal. Hopefully that helps him refocus. He seems to need those games every once in a while.

True, but Ovie also had 9 goals and 7 assists, and Backstrom had 2 goals and 9 assists. The whole line is starting slow, which is why Knuble isn’t benefiting from their offense like he did last year – plus Knuble’s 5 assists all came at the end of those first 8 games, and he didn’t really seem to settle in until December.

I think as guys get older (especially when they don’t skate at all over the summer) it just takes a little longer for them to find their groove. I’d expect him to find it faster this year than last but I think he still gets a little grace period before we start to worry.

I think the Caps thought King had a bit more upside than he has shown so far so maybe they would have still picked him up.

I don’t think they were expecting such a good game coming from Hendricks though. He’s really played pretty well considering his role. It seems like he is still adjusting a bit too so hopefully better play is to come.

If you actually want to see MP play, I am not sure this is the solution since King is usually a scratch anyways. You have to figure out which regular to replace with him.

I don’t think we’ve played the teams where DJ is going to have an impact (ie NYR, Flyers, Pens, etc).

Hendy, Brads and Chimmer are middleweights and I wouldn’t consider Erskine a heavy weight although he’s not afraid to dance with big dudes. He needs to pick his spots. King is the only true heavyweight we’ve got.

And this might be one of the rare cases where I think Erskine’s numbers hide a bit more decent play than they reveal – not a HUGE fan of the boarding penalty he took Saturday night but it wasn’t the dumbest penalty someone on this team has taken this year, and he’s been staying more in position when he hits.

He’s been asked to carry a much bigger load than I think any of us are comfortable with, and has actually not done that badly doing it. Do I want him regularly skating 25 minutes a night (or think the team is), or do I think he’s capable of performing this way long-term? Of course not. But given the circumstances, a very good week for #4.

yet from quotes I read over the off season it seemed like he wanted to stay here a while. Maybe it wasn’t the long term part of the deal he didn’t like, maybe it was that GMGM wanted a long term deal at less than Semin (or his agent) wanted.

Agreed, even more reason for both of those guys to step up. I just find their lack of action after that obvious aggression towards Neuvy completely perplexing.

Same thing with me. My eyes were on Neuvy sprawled out flat on the ice. Very scary moment though it seemed much longer than that. Next thing I knew Erskine was fighting Buff.

Right. Because the Caps were already skating with 5 D – might as well drop that to 4.

Steckel said something to Buff and got a hard shove for his trouble. In a way, Steckel and Chimera did a great job distracting Buff long enough for Erskine to get a nice jump on the big idiot.

Imagine if the Caps were in NJ shoes today. I can’t even imagine the blood-letting that would be going on around here.

Whoa, I’m not saying fire BB. I’m saying down arrow for the week, and if anyone asked, I’d say for the season. The team looked like crap against the B’s, twice. They looked terrible for the final 17 minutes of the 1st period on Saturday and then the damn game went to OT b/c BB had a stupid lineup on the ice after ATL pulled their goalie.

In fairness, the PK is massively, massively improved from last year, so kudos there.

Problem is the Caps are going nowhere this season, that is pretty evident. Almost every team in the East is better and we are the same or worse.

So basically it is another wasted season of Ovie/Semin/Backs/Laich in their primes.

If you have ever played hockey in your life, you appreciate and understand the world-class abilities he has, regardless of inconsistencies.

Roger on the first two counts, but the first two counts do not necessarily lead to the third. Just because I appreciate the guy’s skill doesn’t mean I excuse the inconsistency. If anything, it makes the inconsistency more infuriating. In fact, I’d say that 99.9% of the frustration with Semin around these parts stems from the fact that he clearly seems to “turn it on,” at times (like Saturday night), while at other times, he seems completely disinterested. When you’ve got that kind of talent and $6m/year coming your way, that kind of attitude (whether real or perceived) is going to rub some people the wrong way.

You need to be more specific then in your post. You went from JP and an up arrow to everyone is a hater—logic fail to me.

The media folks like their narratives, and certain members of the media can be lazy and just repeat certain memes, which begs the question: “did they really watch the game?” But not all members of the media hate Semin, just as not all Caps’ fans hate him. It’s always dangerous to make accusations with vague, loosely defined targets such as “everyone” or the “media.” You get no argument from me that some members of the media can be like babies and take it out on players with unwarranted criticism (or poor Theo wouldn’t have had the Wild’s reporter tweeting in anger because he didn’t want to talk to the guy before the game).

But as much as I love Semin and his enigmatic, temperamental but brilliant style, he’s fair game for criticism. He can be uneven and frustrating then suddenly he’s breathtaking. Hope this Semin is here for a bit. Maybe he can give Ovi and Nicky a bit of space so they can get back on their game.

Also, I have never played hockey but I can and do appreciate the world-class abilities Semin has.