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still drunk?
Just trying to capture the spirit of the thing...
by dcsportsfan1 on Mar 21, 2010 9:39 AM EDT up reply actions
And on the reading front:
Game article on Capitals Insider
The Peerless Prognosticator recap, saying it’s a 2 point night
On Frozen Blog where the author was discussing his experiences in NY, with the NHL store being underwhelming: not enough merchandise, nothing reasonably priced; etc. Also talks about his meeting with fellow blogger Pepper. (Isn’t he from your group?)
Ed Frankovich’s Blog has a recap
Puckhead’s Thoughts discusses what it would take for the Pens or Blackhawks to overtake the Caps and what it would take for folks to overtake Ovi, among other things.
Bleatings of a Cap’s Nut has a recap of last night’s game, with postmortem and links to articles
Rocking the Red since 1975
Am I that predictable?
Probably.
"You want to start being part of the Rink? Fine, but more’s expected of you than John/Jane Cap Fan. Carry the cause of informed discussion to the unwashed masses and don’t crap in the yards of other SBN sites if you decide to go over there. They’re passionate about their teams too, no need to troll elsewhere and/or be a sore winner." --BP
Dude, you keep dropping recipes on us, you can be as predictable as you like.
This offseason we need to do a recipes thread, maybe actually put together a pdf cookbook that folks can print out. I’ll contribute the citruscello section.
Atta dinnin stick a who!
by Gould Old Days on Mar 21, 2010 11:40 AM EDT up reply actions
There’s a great idea.
Citruscello? is that like lemoncello, but varied citrus?
Try the pancakes. Use the cream, and then get outside and move around a bit to work off the extra calories.
"You want to start being part of the Rink? Fine, but more’s expected of you than John/Jane Cap Fan. Carry the cause of informed discussion to the unwashed masses and don’t crap in the yards of other SBN sites if you decide to go over there. They’re passionate about their teams too, no need to troll elsewhere and/or be a sore winner." --BP
I plan to try those pancakes.
So far we’ve made Meyer lemoncello, bay-leaf cello (an amazing herbal liquor), grapefruitcello, bergamotcello, Seville orangecello, Rangpur limecello, and pomelocello. They’re all awesome, and all really distinct.
Atta dinnin stick a who!
by Gould Old Days on Mar 21, 2010 12:11 PM EDT up reply actions
Bayleaf-cello sounds incredible. What’s the process and general proportions?
Wonder what it would be like with a little toasted cumin?
"You want to start being part of the Rink? Fine, but more’s expected of you than John/Jane Cap Fan. Carry the cause of informed discussion to the unwashed masses and don’t crap in the yards of other SBN sites if you decide to go over there. They’re passionate about their teams too, no need to troll elsewhere and/or be a sore winner." --BP
The nice thing about experimenting with that stuff is all you need is flavorless cheap vodka.
We put 5-10 bay leaves into a half liter of vodka to soak for two weeks. We then fished out the leaves, added the other half of the liter of vodka, and sweetened to taste using a 2 pts sugar to 1 pt water syrup (it’ll require more sweetening than you expect). I’d give it another 2 weeks
Cumin is intriguing. Toasting is definitely a risk, but you can always make a small tester batch. After all, all this really costs is a little cheap vodka, sugar, and whatever you’re adding.
Atta dinnin stick a who!
by Gould Old Days on Mar 21, 2010 6:01 PM EDT up reply actions
I know what citrus and lemon are, and I play the cello. But I don’t know what it means to put them together. Can someone fill me in?
Remember- always dispose of mice responsibly.
Chowdah Chatter - an outlet for my random thoughts and such.
by crabchowdah on Mar 21, 2010 10:22 PM EDT up reply actions
It’s pretty much what I described above. Put something in vodka for about two to six weeks (depending on the ingredient), so the flavor is drawn out. Then take the thing out and add sugar. You’re done — you have infused vodka. If you use lemon, you just made traditional Italian limoncello.
Atta dinnin stick a who!
by Gould Old Days on Mar 22, 2010 3:56 AM EDT up reply actions
I am!
Toronto is aces.
If you pay peanuts, you get monkeys.
Founding member of the Tyler Sloan Fan Club
Hahahaha.
I should have saved my old signature. Oh well!
by Whiter Mage on Mar 21, 2010 11:17 AM EDT up reply actions
So...
Nashville won 1-0
Los Angeles won 1-0
St. Louis won 1-0
And then on the other side…
Phoenix won 5-4
Dallas won 5-4
Cидни Kросби: Александр Oвечкин, он твой папа теперь
Capitals Coming: for Capitals fans no more intelligent than myself
and what a game we had
We Rinne looks unstoppable attm.
On the Forecheck: a blog that's more productive than a Predator power play!
Follow me on Twitter
Now Cycling like the Sedins
by Chris Burton on Mar 21, 2010 9:57 AM EDT up reply actions
At the rate it’s going for you guys, you guys would get the ’Nucks if things stay as they are.
Can we now count on the Kings advancing? At the rate the Sharks are imploding, Phoenix could take that division and the Sharks could end up in 4th. And we all know how the Sharks are at playoff hockey.
Rocking the Red since 1975
So, the points race has Ovi: 97, Hank: 95. Goals Ovi:45, Crosby:45.
All in 10 less games. Wow
Crosby and Backstrom both got a point yesterday, so they are still tied for 3rd in points.
You can argue whether he deserves the Hart based on it’s stated definition, but no way does not get the Pearson. Best in the game? No question.
"The Caps fan doesn't say, 'is the glass half full' or 'is the glass half empty'. He wonders when the glass is going to spill."
The definition of the Hart is troublesome – especially given the Caps’ record without him -but given that he’s won the past two years and is having the most statistically dominant season of his career this year, hard to see how another skater wins it.
I do think the Nucks and Pens would be more screwed if they lost Sedin and Crosby, but between the stats and the captaincy thing I’m not sure Ovie can be passed over.
by grapejoos on Mar 21, 2010 11:36 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
The team’s success rate since Ovi getting the C is IMO the best argument for getting the Hart. Oh and staying at or near the top in points and goals despite missing so many games. BUT thank goodness the team is more than just Ovi, as well as Backs.
by capsyoungguns on Mar 21, 2010 11:50 AM EDT up reply actions
I agree with you, but I was looking at it from the contrarian point of view. Just so if he doesn’t win, we can theoretically excuse it. Without taking the suspensions into consideration, which some voters undoubtedly will, it’s simply a matter of how many.
"The Caps fan doesn't say, 'is the glass half full' or 'is the glass half empty'. He wonders when the glass is going to spill."
I see it more as the icing and cherry on top—nice season ending dollop but not the goal. I agree that one can easily make the opposing argument, given the remarkable season of so many Caps players especially Backs. The number of players having career highs is incredible. I’m trying to appreciate and enjoy the historic run, set apart from my obsession about the post season.
by capsyoungguns on Mar 21, 2010 12:37 PM EDT up reply actions
Down trending year for the NHL
seem’s like it will be a down trended year for the nhl. If I had to guess Ovie finishes with 108 points and 51 goals. My expectations for the seasons end:
2 – 100 point guys. Last season had 3, 2 of which were 110 or more
7 – 40 goal scorers. Last season had 9.
4 or 6 – 90+ point guys. Last season had 7….This season’s 6 might be a stretch depending if the Stamkos St.Louis duo can get 8 points in their last 11 games each.
7 guys could finish with +30 +/- which would be the same as last season, however no one broke +40 which Ovie currently has.
Seems like a lot of injuries this year, and maybe a bit of a stressed year on the players with the Olympic break forcing so many games closer together.
Nothing.
Randoms..
this is the last three day break the caps have before seasons end and they finished their last muti-day road trip. would expect some work on the PK before the pens game and perhaps this is the time when line combo’s get set. if i were scotty walker red, i might want to be sure to be on the ice tomorrow.
also, the last game of the season is on a sunday afternoon. if i recall, they start the playoffs near the end of the week to ensure some weekend games. the caps will draw one of those weekend spots (maybe sunday on NBC). any guesses as to when the playoff games would start? trying to do some planning ahead..
Just trying to capture the spirit of the thing...
Word is Walker tweaked a knee. It’s unclear if it happened during the fight, but he’s listed as day to day.
via TEB. Personally, I don’t think Walker will get into the set lines. I pray for no injuries, but every team will have some and having these extra bodies is good. I just hope nobody tries to play through an injury in the first two rounds to keep their spot. I’d rather have them sit out and rest, and I hope BB tells them that, and that they will get another chance.
His knee looked like it did something funny before he fell and got hit in (what I thought was the) helmet. It looked odd.
I should have saved my old signature. Oh well!
by Whiter Mage on Mar 21, 2010 11:12 AM EDT up reply actions
We were battling for playoff position with NJ right up to the end last season, and riding our regulars hard the whole way. This year, 6 of 8 defensemen are taking occasional rest-days, as are 2-3 forwards. BB is learning to keep the right balance of letting guys rest vs playing hard to get ready for the playoffs.
You had me at no problem.
We didn’t really have any spare players available anyhow. Clark was still out. Brash was out for a while. And, if I remember correctly, we had various people out with the flu in late March, first Fedorov and then Semin. (I think Gordon was ill but missed no games.)
I know they called up Aucoin and Laing at the tail end of the season and then Laing got hurt.
Rocking the Red since 1975
Last year I think it was a similar sort of deal. Playoffs I think started mid-week.
Cидни Kросби: Александр Oвечкин, он твой папа теперь
Capitals Coming: for Capitals fans no more intelligent than myself
by red army line on Mar 21, 2010 9:52 AM EDT up reply actions
any guesses as to when the playoff games would start?
First games last year, including Caps-Rangers, were on Wednesday, April 15. Caps then played game 2 Saturday at 1 on NBC. I’m sure you’re right that regardless of the game 1 date, game 2 will most likely be a weekend NBC game.
by PensAreYourDaddy on Mar 21, 2010 3:25 PM EDT up reply actions
FanHouse is wondering what's up with Pittsburgh's D
Um, yeah. What’s up with Pittsburgh’s D?
Now helping to keep an eye on all things Gr8 at Alex Ovetjkin.
Nice use of MS Paint. haha
My question…where in the hell is the other Carolina player? I count 5 ‘guins and 4 ’canes and it wasn’t a penguins PP. And (I’m guessing) this is about the time that Carolina scored their 2nd goal. Wow. basically a 4-on-5 to tie the game with under 5 to play.
Founding member of the Tyler Sloan Fan Club
Here is the game summary in HTML
CAR on ice: Staal, Whitney, Ruutu, Pitkanen, McBain, Peters
I see the three forwards and Pitkanen in the picture, I think.
TOI report (Ctrl F for McBain)
Shows that McBain had a 1:19 shift. I think it’s likely he went for a change. Pitkanen had just over a minute in shift at the time of the goal. I’d think though that Pitkanen can better handle long shifts than McBain.
(all that work for what we all thought in the first place I guess…)
Cидни Kросби: Александр Oвечкин, он твой папа теперь
Capitals Coming: for Capitals fans no more intelligent than myself
by red army line on Mar 21, 2010 10:45 AM EDT up reply actions
They spent their $$ on invisibility cloaks?
Cheers, Complaints, homerism and bashing of mediocre pop musicians in 140 Characters
"DO NOT get stuck behind Kyle Wellwood in the buffet line. This isn't really etiquette, but it will prevent you from starving to death"- Down Goes Brown on Etiquette for Jason Spezza's wedding
by Kevin Sellathamby on Mar 21, 2010 10:53 AM EDT up reply actions
So that’s why the Penguins have no cap space.
Rocking the Red since 1975
by CapsFan75 on Mar 21, 2010 10:55 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Romulans.
I should have saved my old signature. Oh well!
by Whiter Mage on Mar 21, 2010 11:14 AM EDT up reply actions
That’s actually a Marc-Andre Fleury thought balloon in which he is saying… “uh, guys?…WTF???”
If you've read this far...seek help.
by ThePeerless on Mar 21, 2010 6:31 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
Caps Magic Number to clinch the Eastern Conference
With the standings below (with no regard t o tie breakers just yet) isn’t it a possible for Wednesday Nights Penguins game to be a Conference Clinching game @ home?
Gms to go Wins Points -Pts Max Pts M #
WASHINGTON CAPITALS 10 48 106 -
PITTSBURGH PENGUINS 10 42 90 -16 20 4
NEW JERSEY DEVILS 11 42 88 -18 22 4
BUFFALO SABRES 12 38 86 -20 24 4
"Here lies David St. Hubbins... and why not?"
...David St. Hubbins from the movie "This Is Spinal Tap"
MN to clinch outright (meaning no tiebreakers is 5)
Caps could eliminate Buf and Pitt on Wednesday, if everything breaks right.
Buffalo plays today @Carolina and Wednesday v. Montreal. If they lose both those games and the Caps get a W or an OT Loss, Buffalo is eliminated.
Pitt plays Monday @Detroit and then Wednesday @Caps. If Pitt loses in regulation on Monday and the Caps win in regulation or OT v. Pittsuburgh, Pitt is eliminated.
But NJD only play once between now and Wednesday, so they cannot be eliminated on Wednesday.
"You want to start being part of the Rink? Fine, but more’s expected of you than John/Jane Cap Fan. Carry the cause of informed discussion to the unwashed masses and don’t crap in the yards of other SBN sites if you decide to go over there. They’re passionate about their teams too, no need to troll elsewhere and/or be a sore winner." --BP
Bummed the 2 teams I was pulling for in the NCAA men’s hockey tourney, Miami & UAH, have to play each other on the 1st round.
"You ever use smelling salts, every time you type a bad blog?" Brooks Laich
I’m hoping Michigan doesn’t make it past Bemidji on day 1.
Kung-fu Rink Rabbit
Donate to the Rink Pledge Drive for SAVES FOR KIDS! Ain’t nothing [wrong] about giving $5 so a stranger’s premature baby can have the time on a respirator they need.~Gould Old Days
I’ll agree with that. Boo Michigan.
"The Caps fan doesn't say, 'is the glass half full' or 'is the glass half empty'. He wonders when the glass is going to spill."
Ditto! It’s always a good day when Michigan goes down!
Says the Ohio State Alum.
by MR Laughlin18 on Mar 21, 2010 9:19 PM EDT up reply actions
seeing Miami and Bemidji as a potential second round match-up (and no Duluth!) just ruining my weekend.
Kung-fu Rink Rabbit
Donate to the Rink Pledge Drive for SAVES FOR KIDS! Ain’t nothing [wrong] about giving $5 so a stranger’s premature baby can have the time on a respirator they need.~Gould Old Days
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/deadspin/2009/05/funny_face.jpg&imgrefurl=http://deadspin.com/5237325/pens-fans-attempt-to-distract-capitals-with-funny-faces&usg=fSoJzjOh9x2c5q43rD4Aflz1k8k=&h=424&w=700&sz=140&hl=en&start=1&sig2=Bp0nEiFK_DvhLTg-a05bQ&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=w9Qcw9J2B2sLCM:&tbnh=85&tbnw=140&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dfunny%2Bcapitals%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26tbs%3Disch:1&ei=EU-mS4nHD8P7lweOt6GaAg
~~~ R0cK D@ R3D ~~~
by Chaz-Capapalooza on Mar 21, 2010 12:53 PM EDT reply actions
this boston nyr game is just a parade to the penalty box
"Hey anyway I can get my name out there 30 years from now is great," Steckel said. "They will be like, ‘Who was that guy?’ Then they’ll look at the stats and say, ‘Well, at least that guy was really good on face-offs.’"
hurricane’s chances have SOARED up to a whopping 2.22%
That’s like a 123984723980571290857 % increase from the other day
by Brainumbc on Mar 21, 2010 1:25 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Brian Campbell on the hit.
“Whatever he says isn’t going to change the fact I’m not going to be playing for a little while… I think the intent was there. If the intent is there, I don’t think you can really say you didn’t mean to do anything. So for me, I don’t need anything from him.’’
Только игра! Почему надо быть сумасшедшим?
WARNING: Irrrational defender of Semyon Varlamov
FREE ERIC FEHR
Caps Snaps - Washington Capitals Photography
fuckin’ baby, he’s chicago’s crosby
~~~ R0cK D@ R3D ~~~
by Chaz-Capapalooza on Mar 21, 2010 2:41 PM EDT up reply actions
In fairness, what do you say when asked about the guy who pretty much ends your season?
I should have saved my old signature. Oh well!
by Whiter Mage on Mar 21, 2010 2:58 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
exactly
I feel where he’s coming from. You can’t just sit on the couch and smile about it. Even if it was clearly 100% an accident, you’re going to be pissed at someone.
Nothing.
Yeah. Not saying we’re in agreement with the guy, but you really have to get where he’s coming from.
I should have saved my old signature. Oh well!
Disagree. Accept the apology gracefully. He damn well knows he caught an edge and that was a contributory factor. He says “if he checks me or rides me into the boards that’s cool” but if AO did that he’d be in a lot more pain. It was stupid and unfortunate but to say there was intent is idiotic. Especially considering he talks about the hit on Seabrook in the same discussion. You can’t watch both of those hits and not see the difference in intent. He’s just being a baby.
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 21, 2010 4:31 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I’d think he’s somewhat satisfied with the suspension and isn’t losing any sleep over it, and feels no need to embarrass the NHL by saying that he caught in a rut, etc.
Cидни Kросби: Александр Oвечкин, он твой папа теперь
Capitals Coming: for Capitals fans no more intelligent than myself
by red army line on Mar 21, 2010 4:46 PM EDT up reply actions
I don’t think acknowledging the rut would have embarrassed the NHL.
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 21, 2010 5:03 PM EDT up reply actions
Colin Campbell does a good enough job of that himself.
by DonCaps819 on Mar 21, 2010 5:03 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Guy was knocked out for the season, probably the play-offs too. His team had a dream year, might win the cup, and he’s out of it all. The last thing I’d want if I were him is Ovechkin calling me. Actually I think he was pretty restrained in the comment above. His ass is on the couch and Ovechkin is playing, scoring goals.
Just noticed that in the Verizon Caps vs Flyers commercial Ovie’s sweater now has a “C” instead of an “A”
(Yes, I know about the avatar hounding - just pretend mine is invisible.)
by oldemystix on Mar 21, 2010 2:05 PM EDT reply actions 2 recs
Bruins and Rangers are two sorry excuses for an NHL team. At least Boston finally put one in the net. (at least Boston can say a big piece of their offense is out injured)
"The Caps fan doesn't say, 'is the glass half full' or 'is the glass half empty'. He wonders when the glass is going to spill."
yep and ny has had 6 powerplays one of them a 4 minute double minor. they just suck i feel kinda bad for henrik…sorta
"Hey anyway I can get my name out there 30 years from now is great," Steckel said. "They will be like, ‘Who was that guy?’ Then they’ll look at the stats and say, ‘Well, at least that guy was really good on face-offs.’"
Hank deserves better than that crap team.
I have a C on my heart.
by boutros23 on Mar 21, 2010 2:34 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
yeah i feel like he has to get a shutout every game to get the win. mostly because the offense on the rangers is either non-existent or scores 6 in one game but usually non-existent
"Hey anyway I can get my name out there 30 years from now is great," Steckel said. "They will be like, ‘Who was that guy?’ Then they’ll look at the stats and say, ‘Well, at least that guy was really good on face-offs.’"
Can you imagine what would happen to the Rangers if Lundquist went down with an injury? When Buffalo lost Miller, they imploded and then lost the playoffs by a small margin.
Rocking the Red since 1975
no doubt that the rangers would crash and burn
"Hey anyway I can get my name out there 30 years from now is great," Steckel said. "They will be like, ‘Who was that guy?’ Then they’ll look at the stats and say, ‘Well, at least that guy was really good on face-offs.’"
Every year, the Rangers get off to a good start and then crash and burn. Last year, they fired Renney, saying the players wouldn’t play for him. And now Torts is widely regarded as incompetent.
Rocking the Red since 1975
yeah well torts doesn’t make himself look competent when he is constantly fighting with fans and reporters
"Hey anyway I can get my name out there 30 years from now is great," Steckel said. "They will be like, ‘Who was that guy?’ Then they’ll look at the stats and say, ‘Well, at least that guy was really good on face-offs.’"
by jenlee0828 on Mar 21, 2010 3:04 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
i dunno where the players really not listening to him or was that the excuse they used? could they have found someone that doesn’t get as wound up as torts? too many questions and issues i don’t know the answers to concerning that franchise so i dunno.
"Hey anyway I can get my name out there 30 years from now is great," Steckel said. "They will be like, ‘Who was that guy?’ Then they’ll look at the stats and say, ‘Well, at least that guy was really good on face-offs.’"
i guess since both are fighting to get into the post season nbc thought it would be better.
"Hey anyway I can get my name out there 30 years from now is great," Steckel said. "They will be like, ‘Who was that guy?’ Then they’ll look at the stats and say, ‘Well, at least that guy was really good on face-offs.’"
Even if the Eastern Conference has less than 8 good teams but the rules say that 8 teams must start out in the playoffs.
Rocking the Red since 1975
i never said it was logical especially since NBC fails most of the time
"Hey anyway I can get my name out there 30 years from now is great," Steckel said. "They will be like, ‘Who was that guy?’ Then they’ll look at the stats and say, ‘Well, at least that guy was really good on face-offs.’"
Well they are the Nothing But Crosby network, except the Pens don’t play today.
Rocking the Red since 1975
pens, detroit, chicago all have today off so they didn’t have many options
"Hey anyway I can get my name out there 30 years from now is great," Steckel said. "They will be like, ‘Who was that guy?’ Then they’ll look at the stats and say, ‘Well, at least that guy was really good on face-offs.’"
caps are starting to get a lot more attention from NBC, don’t be surprised if they get on their knees for us too
~~~ R0cK D@ R3D ~~~
by Chaz-Capapalooza on Mar 21, 2010 2:50 PM EDT up reply actions
yeah i could see that but the last 2 regular season games on nbc are detroit/flyers and chicago/detroit (again that is at least the 3rd time this season)
"Hey anyway I can get my name out there 30 years from now is great," Steckel said. "They will be like, ‘Who was that guy?’ Then they’ll look at the stats and say, ‘Well, at least that guy was really good on face-offs.’"
Or will NBC change their mind and want to show next week’s game between the Caps and Calgary?
Rocking the Red since 1975
i dont know why they are not showing a game next week because i hardly ever watch nbc but my guess would be no
"Hey anyway I can get my name out there 30 years from now is great," Steckel said. "They will be like, ‘Who was that guy?’ Then they’ll look at the stats and say, ‘Well, at least that guy was really good on face-offs.’"
oh so that is what is on next weekend march madness?
"Hey anyway I can get my name out there 30 years from now is great," Steckel said. "They will be like, ‘Who was that guy?’ Then they’ll look at the stats and say, ‘Well, at least that guy was really good on face-offs.’"
I doubt that’s the reason, or there wouldn’t have been a game today, either.
"The Caps fan doesn't say, 'is the glass half full' or 'is the glass half empty'. He wonders when the glass is going to spill."
well i don’t watch basketball so i have no idea what the schedule is all i know is nbc isn’t showing a game of the week next sunday
"Hey anyway I can get my name out there 30 years from now is great," Steckel said. "They will be like, ‘Who was that guy?’ Then they’ll look at the stats and say, ‘Well, at least that guy was really good on face-offs.’"
Next week, the basketball games are early and way more important. It’s the Elite Eight, so basically whoever wins on Sunday goes to the Final Four.
Founding member of the Tyler Sloan Fan Club
okay so that is a cue for me to stay far far away from nbc
"Hey anyway I can get my name out there 30 years from now is great," Steckel said. "They will be like, ‘Who was that guy?’ Then they’ll look at the stats and say, ‘Well, at least that guy was really good on face-offs.’"
Don’t expect more Caps game anytime soon, unless it’s Caps/Pens. Really bad ratings last week for Was-Chi. You could argue it was because Ovi was thrown out, but NBC won’t bother looking that deep for a reason. TV networks are creatures of habit; they’ll continue to stick to the old standbys (Phi, Pen, Det, Bos) where they know they’ll get at least a good local rating.
"It hit me on the pants. I had protection. It felt good. Why? I wanted to win."
Did everyone notice them hyping the heck out of the Caps/Pens game on NHL Network this week? Don’t think NBC wishes all four of those games could be played on Sunday?
"The Caps fan doesn't say, 'is the glass half full' or 'is the glass half empty'. He wonders when the glass is going to spill."
i saw the commercial during the nbc game “last time they meet alex ovechkin scored a hat trick. how will gold medalist sidney crosby react”
"Hey anyway I can get my name out there 30 years from now is great," Steckel said. "They will be like, ‘Who was that guy?’ Then they’ll look at the stats and say, ‘Well, at least that guy was really good on face-offs.’"
hopefully, with tears of anguish
Kung-fu Rink Rabbit
Donate to the Rink Pledge Drive for SAVES FOR KIDS! Ain’t nothing [wrong] about giving $5 so a stranger’s premature baby can have the time on a respirator they need.~Gould Old Days
that was a dirty goal
~~~ R0cK D@ R3D ~~~
by Chaz-Capapalooza on Mar 21, 2010 2:47 PM EDT reply actions
We have more skill on our third line than either of these teams has on their first. Wow.
I should have saved my old signature. Oh well!
He’s too hit miss, and he hasn’t got skilled line mates. I wouldn’t take a healthy Gaborik over Semin, and Flash + Fehr + Any center is more skilled than Gaborik – Any two players the Rangers have.
I should have saved my old signature. Oh well!
Our second line as a whole is certainly better than Gaborik’s line. Gaborik is maybe slightly better than Semin, statlstically, on the offensive front. And has had a pretty bad history on the injury front in recent years.
The Rangers offense consists of Gaborik and …………… (Hear the silence here)
Rocking the Red since 1975
and Lundqvist, because according to the Rangers defense is the best offense…
That’s the impression I’ve been getting lately.
Cидни Kросби: Александр Oвечкин, он твой папа теперь
Capitals Coming: for Capitals fans no more intelligent than myself
by red army line on Mar 21, 2010 3:38 PM EDT up reply actions
i’d absolutely take fictionally healthy gaborik over semin. just as his fantasy owner, i can say “hit or miss” really doesn’t match the season he was putting up before the olympics (before his injury). it was points every single game, goals every other game for a long time there.
by Natty Bumppo on Mar 21, 2010 4:10 PM EDT up reply actions
This season’s been an exception to the rule. Also, doesn’t he make way more than Semin? I’d not take him at all.
I should have saved my old signature. Oh well!
Moneywise, I could buy it. But Gaborik when healthy is more consistently dynamic and faster than Semin (though I think Semin has the higher upside). Gaborik also has in fact scored 40 in a season, whereas Semin has not.
Cидни Kросби: Александр Oвечкин, он твой папа теперь
Capitals Coming: for Capitals fans no more intelligent than myself
by red army line on Mar 21, 2010 4:19 PM EDT up reply actions
I don’t think there is anyway Semin has the higher upside. Gaborik has the better shot and is a much better skater. Gaborik also strikes me a smarter hockey player but I haven’t watched him as much as Semin so maybe I just don’t see his bonehead plays.
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 21, 2010 4:32 PM EDT up reply actions
I just base this off of seeing Semin be better than Ovechkin at times. Gaborik more consistently hits say an A game and Gaborik’s troughs and crests are closer to his normal game, and while Semin has giant “amplitude” in his game I feel his crests are higher and given respective salaries maybe worth it too.
Sorry to go all mathematical there, just trying to draw an analogy.
Cидни Kросби: Александр Oвечкин, он твой папа теперь
Capitals Coming: for Capitals fans no more intelligent than myself
by red army line on Mar 21, 2010 4:48 PM EDT up reply actions
I understand the analogy, I’ve used it re: Shamo/Juice. But I just completely disagree. Semin can have amazing games, and has more skill than anyone, but he’s not as good a hockey player as Gaborik. If both stayed healthy for 82, I’d take Gaborik without a doubt.
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 21, 2010 5:04 PM EDT up reply actions
Right, the meaningful distinction is between skill, of which Semin has in as great a measure as anyone in the league, and playing hockey well, which Gaborik does better than almost everyone else. There aren’t five forwards in the NHL I would take ahead of a healthy Gaborik for 82 games and there’s only one winger.
Only YOU can prevent idiots from commenting!
by Knee high to a duck on Mar 21, 2010 5:06 PM EDT up reply actions
Gabby also was the only of the “elite” snipers at the Olympics who was able to score the elite-type goals. I was impressed.
Now helping to keep an eye on all things Gr8 at Alex Ovetjkin.
And he was nowhere near 100%.
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 21, 2010 5:33 PM EDT up reply actions
How is Gaborik defensively though? For all the shit we give Semin for the penalties he sometimes takes in spurts, he’s got to be near the top of the league in takeaways if they are recording those correctly at all. It’s hard for me to qualify each big goal scorer’s “shot” as being better than anyone else’s. We’ve all seen Semin’s wrister just make goalies look silly.
Also, Gaborik is the one guy who doesn’t win the “health” discussion with Semin. Gabs has been abnormally healthy for him this year to be honest. Semin both benefits from and suffers a little from playing with Ovie and Backstrom. He could take more shots and put up more numbers in my opinion.
by Davethecapsfan on Mar 21, 2010 6:24 PM EDT up reply actions
Gaborik probably isn’t as good defensively as Semin (when Semin is on his game) but I’m not sure. He spent most of his career in a defense-first system so he definitely knows how to play in his own end.
The reason I say Gaborik’s shot is better is because he gets it off quicker with less windup and is less predictable. Semin takes more time to uncork that wrister and it is going high glove 85% of the time, at least. Gaborik snipes all over the net and gets it off mid-stride from anywhere.
Both have health issues, but Gaborik doesn’t have the consistency issues. When he’s healthy, he produces. Period. Semin… sometimes when he’s healthy he may as well not be.
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 21, 2010 6:28 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I’ll grant you the consistency issue…the funny thing about Semin’s high glove aim is that 85% of the time when he actually hits the net it’s in. It’s a close discussion in my book…their numbers are very close over same number of games.
by Davethecapsfan on Mar 21, 2010 6:29 PM EDT up reply actions
I don’t think you’re right about Semin scoring 85% of the time he hits the net, and I know that it’s much less if you count all the shots he puts high. You can see more and more goalies cheating to the high glove with him now because it’s so obvious that’s where he wants to go with it. Sometimes he switches it up and goes high blocker, but how often do you see him whip it low on the ice, five hole, or just fire it to get it on net. He wants the gorgeous goal every time. When it works, it’s gorgeous, but how many scoring chances are shot wide?
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 21, 2010 6:31 PM EDT up reply actions
Oh no that’s my point…he seems to trim it too fine and miss the net an absolute ton. I rarely see the flashy glove save made on him when it’s on net though. He has the issue of fanning on the puck some trying to hit high glove so much that some of the ones that stay on net stay down just right into the body. When he’s actually hitting his spot you just see goalies shaking their heads in futility.
Who knows if he’ll ever live up to his full potential though.
by Davethecapsfan on Mar 21, 2010 6:34 PM EDT up reply actions
He won’t. He’s Alex Kovalev V2.0.
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 21, 2010 6:36 PM EDT up reply actions
One thing I think people don’t appreciate enough is that Semin might be the most key piece of our PP.
by Davethecapsfan on Mar 21, 2010 6:39 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah he is a huge part of it. I HATE when Flash replaces him on PP1. With as long as PP1 stays out there I’d rather see BB really stack the line. Maybe if there was an even (or more even) split between the units it makes sense, but giving Semin :25 seconds of PP time per PP makes no sense.
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 21, 2010 6:40 PM EDT up reply actions
It’s beyond reason why Flash is on the first unit. Green, Ovie, Lars, Semin should be locks, fill in Laich or Knuble as you will. Hell Fehr should get more PP time. If we call Semin inconsistent, Flash is a whole extra category.
by Davethecapsfan on Mar 21, 2010 6:43 PM EDT up reply actions
Agreed completely.
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 21, 2010 6:51 PM EDT up reply actions
right so when you factor salary it becomes closer. but this year’s gaborik was coming as close to earning that salary as anyone, and that was primarily because he was healthy for so long. i know knee high to a duck sent me an email where ESPN had him as a more highly rated fantasy player than AO ~40 games in (using their formula to determine value across all the ESPN categories). i’ll stand behind “fictionally healthy gaborik,” and if he played 82 games every year, i’d be willing to pay him the $7.5 to bring him to DC. he leads the team in goals and assists, and he can play huge minutes. he’ll just never stay healthy a full season.
by Natty Bumppo on Mar 21, 2010 4:24 PM EDT up reply actions
Throwing my hat in here. In the discussion of who could catch AO for the Richard and 50+ goals on the season, Gabby was my darkhorse (full disclosure, I whiffed spectacularly on a couple of the other guys with potential) because of that speed and that shot. He’s much harder to cover and account for without the puck than Semin is, he’s just injured somewhat more often.
All other things being equal, I’m taking Gaborik over Semin in a heartbeat. He and Henrik carried the Rangers to a position to fight for a playoff spot just about all by themselves this season.
Only YOU can prevent idiots from commenting!
by Knee high to a duck on Mar 21, 2010 4:41 PM EDT up reply actions
It’s amazing how sneaky Gaborik is without the puck. He doesn’t stand out the way that AO does, but all of sudden he has the puck and it’s in the net.
Of all our iniquities ignorance may be the worst
by Killer_Carlson on Mar 22, 2010 12:05 AM EDT up reply actions
then again, it’s new york and boston…I’d say the teams that match us depth-wise are pittsburgh and chicago
~~~ R0cK D@ R3D ~~~
by Chaz-Capapalooza on Mar 21, 2010 3:06 PM EDT up reply actions
We’re officially going to Barrie! Also, Canada is awesome.
If you pay peanuts, you get monkeys.
Founding member of the Tyler Sloan Fan Club
Wooo. Ovechwin, send me an email please.
Now helping to keep an eye on all things Gr8 at Alex Ovetjkin.
A user I came across on Pensburgh
87 owns 8
So apparently Pens’ fan-hatred of Ovie runs deep enough to commit a username. Interesting.
Cидни Kросби: Александр Oвечкин, он твой папа теперь
Capitals Coming: for Capitals fans no more intelligent than myself
umm. i know we have avatars devoted to sid and the pens. i assume there’s a “crosbysux” user out there somewhere.
by Natty Bumppo on Mar 21, 2010 4:15 PM EDT up reply actions
When I chose my username I wanted something I wouldn’t be embarrassed about later on and could keep for say, ten years, and I think I even failed at that. 87 owns 8 seems really high-risk to me in that regard, somewhat like “8 = No Cups” or something.
Cидни Kросби: Александр Oвечкин, он твой папа теперь
Capitals Coming: for Capitals fans no more intelligent than myself
by red army line on Mar 21, 2010 4:20 PM EDT up reply actions
no doubt. i wouldn’t want someone writing off my opinion before they even read my comment. depending on how much time is spent on SBN, those user name choices end up being a big deal.
speaking of which: earlier this year a google search for “Natty Bumppo” had my profile as the #2 overall result behind wikipedia. i felt the urge to write a letter of apology to james fenimore cooper’s relatives, or something. thank goodness it’s descended to the second page of results now.
by Natty Bumppo on Mar 21, 2010 4:31 PM EDT up reply actions
Heh, Google’s top two are both me.
Cидни Kросби: Александр Oвечкин, он твой папа теперь
Capitals Coming: for Capitals fans no more intelligent than myself
by red army line on Mar 21, 2010 4:50 PM EDT up reply actions
I’m pretty much the only thing that comes up when I search me
Remember- always dispose of mice responsibly.
Chowdah Chatter - an outlet for my random thoughts and such.
by crabchowdah on Mar 21, 2010 10:33 PM EDT up reply actions
Don't be so quick to judge
It could be short for “87 owns 8 pacifiers”.
Or maybe “87 is 8’s daddy” was already taken.
by PensAreYourDaddy on Mar 21, 2010 6:07 PM EDT up reply actions
Actually, yes, but he posts under “you’re-O-trash”, which makes no sense to me.
by PensAreYourDaddy on Mar 21, 2010 6:38 PM EDT up reply actions 7 recs
Wow. That is amazing. Well played.
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 21, 2010 6:39 PM EDT up reply actions
Official Ambassador for Nucks Misconduct.
Got Balls?
GO CANUCKS GO!
by missy on Mar 21, 2010 4:48 PM EDT reply actions 3 recs
here it is on youtube in case CBC is weirdly blocking their videos from viewers outside of Canada for some strange reason….
Official Ambassador for Nucks Misconduct.
Got Balls?
GO CANUCKS GO!
Prolly still pissed about the WJC. You’d think the Olympics would make them forget, but no…
Remember- always dispose of mice responsibly.
Chowdah Chatter - an outlet for my random thoughts and such.
by crabchowdah on Mar 21, 2010 10:35 PM EDT up reply actions
This is great stuff missy. Thanks so much. For all the people that are upset about how Cherry picks on AO, he sticks up for him plenty. His discussion about Iginla/AO fighting is particularly interesting to me. Gives credit to both for removing the visor, but says clearly that Iginla (and presumably AO) should not be fighting at all. Obviously there’s some stuff I disagree with (the Downie slew-foot didn’t injure anyone so it doesn’t matter, Boynton is “one of the best”) but it’s a good segment.
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 21, 2010 5:12 PM EDT up reply actions
yeah, it was a really good segment this week.
the fighting part was more about Iginla, although it could also be applied to Ovie.
of course, not everybody is going to agree with everything Grapes says, but we still have to appreciate a different view on things.
Official Ambassador for Nucks Misconduct.
Got Balls?
GO CANUCKS GO!
I agree completely with your last sentence. He knows what he’s talking about and he’s honest with his opinion. That’s why I can handle him more than hacks like Milbury who just spout bullshit and do things (IMO) for the reaction.
The fighting was definitely directed at Iginla, but I think the Park stuff made it clear that it applies to any star player. He wants the guys that score “two or three goals” to step in and do the fighting, not your studs. It would have been easy to take a shot at AO for not fighting but he didn’t. Good for him.
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 21, 2010 5:24 PM EDT up reply actions
Thanks for the link. I rarely listen to Coach’s Corner and only hear about the controversial stuff. Listened to the whole segment and pretty much agreed with Cherry except for the Downie slew foot. Got the feeling that it didn’t fit with his segment narrative so he just glossed over it Loved hearing him say directly that Ovi is no coward and that he drops his gloves and takes off his visor the way a respectful player should.
by capsyoungguns on Mar 21, 2010 5:44 PM EDT up reply actions
yay time to settle in for the bears game!
"Hey anyway I can get my name out there 30 years from now is great," Steckel said. "They will be like, ‘Who was that guy?’ Then they’ll look at the stats and say, ‘Well, at least that guy was really good on face-offs.’"
You watching it again?
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 21, 2010 5:24 PM EDT up reply actions
best player in the world. Drogba is still my favorite though
Bah-Ram-Ewe, Ovechkin will wreck you. Fear the Furious Fleece!
Another hat trick Sunday. I still can’t believe the Argentines gave Diego the keys to a sports car of a team, especially a front line of Messi & Tevez. He’s going to crash it spectacularly in South Africa. Much to the soccer world’s horror.
"You ever use smelling salts, every time you type a bad blog?" Brooks Laich
They’re not so strong defensively and that is going to be their downfall.
by Davethecapsfan on Mar 21, 2010 6:50 PM EDT up reply actions
Ronaldo destroys Messi. It’s easier to look good playing with the midfielders Messi has at Barca. Give Real time to settle in and Ronaldo a full season in La Liga and his numbers will be insane.
by Davethecapsfan on Mar 21, 2010 6:49 PM EDT up reply actions
He destroys Messi??? I don’t think so. Look Cristian is an elite guy, but Lionel is right there with him. Lionel is also more than 2 years younger. The kid was getting votes for footballer of the year when he was 21 years old.
"You ever use smelling salts, every time you type a bad blog?" Brooks Laich
The age thing isn’t so big a deal. Maybe destroys was a strong word, but I think Ronaldo is still clearly superior. Give Real a year to gel a little bit and that rivalry is going to be even more insane. Great for us to watch though so it will be win/win.
by Davethecapsfan on Mar 21, 2010 6:59 PM EDT up reply actions
Give Real time to settle in and Ronaldo a full season in La Liga and his numbers will be insane.
And yet their backline still sucks raw eggs until they hatch.
"I know I was the best CIA agent the CIA ever had, but I thought I told you honkies from the CIA that Black Dynamite was out of the game!"
by Bald Pollack on Mar 21, 2010 7:45 PM EDT up reply actions
gordon scored on the pp 1-0 bears
"Hey anyway I can get my name out there 30 years from now is great," Steckel said. "They will be like, ‘Who was that guy?’ Then they’ll look at the stats and say, ‘Well, at least that guy was really good on face-offs.’"
Woot! What is the AHL record for points?
How does Holtby look?
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 21, 2010 5:33 PM EDT up reply actions
i dunno about points i think 124 but wins in a season they said was 57. holtby looks good so far only had to face 6 so far
"Hey anyway I can get my name out there 30 years from now is great," Steckel said. "They will be like, ‘Who was that guy?’ Then they’ll look at the stats and say, ‘Well, at least that guy was really good on face-offs.’"
So HER needs 5 wins in the last 11 to set the record? I think they can do it.
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 21, 2010 5:38 PM EDT up reply actions
i think so too they are on a roll this season and they have the next 4 games at home as well and usually play well at home
"Hey anyway I can get my name out there 30 years from now is great," Steckel said. "They will be like, ‘Who was that guy?’ Then they’ll look at the stats and say, ‘Well, at least that guy was really good on face-offs.’"
From what I can tell that’s an understatement. They are flat out dominant at home.
Did they start this game slowly? Looks like ADK got the first 4 or 5 shots of the game.
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 21, 2010 5:46 PM EDT up reply actions
yeah they were out on the ice with some junior champions for 15 minutes before the game so i think they got a little cold
"Hey anyway I can get my name out there 30 years from now is great," Steckel said. "They will be like, ‘Who was that guy?’ Then they’ll look at the stats and say, ‘Well, at least that guy was really good on face-offs.’"
Yeah. They started slow, but the baby Flyers are gooning it up instead of playing smart hockey and keep giving the Bears power plays.
Hanlon's Razor: Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.
by gotsparkly on Mar 21, 2010 6:17 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I don’t get it. The baby Flyers are gooning it up? How can this be?
Now helping to keep an eye on all things Gr8 at Alex Ovetjkin.
shocking isn’t it i mean it isn’t like their parent club is the flyers. oh wait….
"Hey anyway I can get my name out there 30 years from now is great," Steckel said. "They will be like, ‘Who was that guy?’ Then they’ll look at the stats and say, ‘Well, at least that guy was really good on face-offs.’"
Hahaha seriously. Not surprised.
Hanlon's Razor: Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.
by gotsparkly on Mar 21, 2010 7:05 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Here’s why they were out so long: http://twitter.com/derekweikel/status/10838198373
Now helping to keep an eye on all things Gr8 at Alex Ovetjkin.
IOW even the baby baby caps are full of win.
Now helping to keep an eye on all things Gr8 at Alex Ovetjkin.
David Booth with a big goal to get FLA up a goal. Booth and Horton with the two goals today. You think things would have played out a little differently if those guys didn’t miss a huge amount of time?
/And Corey Stillman makes it 3-1 as I’m typing this. Great patience.
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 21, 2010 5:44 PM EDT reply actions
Absolutely, if the coach had the whole team working harder like they did when they played us, ATLEAST for the 30 minutes they stepped up against us, they would be in a sound play-off position at this point.
Horton and Booth are pretty much two huge pieces of that team. Tough to say how much effect they would have over the entire season, but they are good players. Bordering on great? maybe idk. Anyy offensive power + Vokoun = Wins
Bah-Ram-Ewe, Ovechkin will wreck you. Fear the Furious Fleece!
The missed Booth for half the season and Horton for about 1/5. That’s pretty tough when they are your top two offensive players. I could see them making a big turnaround next year (but I’ve been expecting them to break out for years now). If they stumble enough down the stretch to get a lotto pick they might end up being very good very soon.
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 21, 2010 6:14 PM EDT up reply actions
Unfortunately or fortunately; howver you want to look at it, I don’t think they are gonna slip up that much. Moving forward, they need to have a good offseason pickcing up a few free agents, keeping Vokoun, and maintaining the D-corps they have. If they do that, which wouldnt be that difficult at all, they will for sure break top 8, prolly take #2 in SE
Bah-Ram-Ewe, Ovechkin will wreck you. Fear the Furious Fleece!
They could play it like that, or they could try to just do a quick half-rebuild like PHI did a few years ago. An under-performing team gets a good pick and then rebounds next year. I’d like to see them succeed enough to stay in FLA; I don’t like to see franchises move. But then again, I don’t want them to be a real threat for us. They’re a few years away from that IMO.
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 21, 2010 6:24 PM EDT up reply actions
Booth and Horton are legit 2nd tier star guys. They need to improve their D but the numbers Vokoun puts up should scare us in the future.
by Davethecapsfan on Mar 21, 2010 6:25 PM EDT up reply actions
The half-rebuild would work, they just need to avoid becoming too desperate and signing ridiculous contracts. Staying in Florida would be good, but i feel like two teams in FLA is pushing it (even with the population base). It is tough to know when they may become a threat, this next off-season will probably lead us to their strength in the coming years
Do you think they should go for a superstar in the free agent market, or try to get more tier-2 talent to fill in the gaps?
Bah-Ram-Ewe, Ovechkin will wreck you. Fear the Furious Fleece!
I think they should try to clear contracts that aren’t part of the future, sign short-term gap contracts, and stock up on young talent. If they think they can win now, keep ‘Koun. If not, move him for a ransom. They don’t have to settle on that issue until the trade deadline though. Definitely do not need to be huge buyers in FA unless they are getting an absolute elite player and plan to build around him.
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 21, 2010 6:33 PM EDT up reply actions
And really, how often do guys like that come up in free agency that are going to A) be elite for long enough to build around and B) want to sign in FLA?
Only YOU can prevent idiots from commenting!
by Knee high to a duck on Mar 21, 2010 6:34 PM EDT up reply actions
this…if they move Vokoun they need to get a healthy bit of young prospects/picks for him. Maximize that value and don’t go for the one “elite” guy. Obviously it’s hard to not over-emphasize the importance of that “star” player and the impact one has on a team playing in a city that isn’t normally a hockey town. But I agree it would be hard to think one of those guys would want to play for FLA long term.
by Davethecapsfan on Mar 21, 2010 6:37 PM EDT up reply actions
Not all that often, but I don’t know that signing in FLA is a huge impediment. Great weather, great girls, great place to start a family. If you don’t want to be hounded every time you go out to eat, that’s another draw. I think the management has been the biggest problem with FLA. Not the location. If you have a trophy wife, and you ask “would you rather move to Metro-Miami or Edmonton?” what is the answer?
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 21, 2010 6:38 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah, but what indication is there that the management is getting better? Metro-Miami is great, yeah, but not too many guys want to play for a terrible team with a long history of management foulups. Jury is still out on the new GM and I’ll confess ignorance on whether or not they have a new ownership group.
In the same way that Miami works as a location, there’s almost too much going on down there in terms of nightlife. I don’t know of too many guys that think to themselves “Yeah, playing in front of 8,000 fans a night sounds great!”. Part of that is Sunrise is so far from anywhere and the other part is the plethora of options competing for the entertainment dollar.
Only YOU can prevent idiots from commenting!
by Knee high to a duck on Mar 21, 2010 6:43 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah, but what indication is there that the management is getting better?
Well, Jacques Martin is out and Sexton seems to be doing a solid job. But, no, there isn’t much indication. I think the ownership group is still the same. I’ll stand by Sexton, he’s done a good job with the mess Martin left him.
I don’t buy the “too many other options” thing. If they win, they’ll sell out. LA, NY, CHI, MON, TOR, VAN… all these cities have plenty of nightlife options to compete. When they win, they draw, when they don’t, they don’t.
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 21, 2010 6:54 PM EDT up reply actions
We’re another example of “win and draw”. Although we did rise to prominence during a perfect storm of the rest of the DC sports franchises declining to where they are now. But just watch the highlights from the PHX/CHI game the other night. That’s a franchise in trouble?
by Davethecapsfan on Mar 21, 2010 6:55 PM EDT up reply actions
I didn’t see the highlights. What are you referring to?
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 21, 2010 6:58 PM EDT up reply actions
I assume the sell out crowd and intensity of the game
Bah-Ram-Ewe, Ovechkin will wreck you. Fear the Furious Fleece!
That’s what it sounded like, but I didn’t see it.
They still need a stable ownership group committed to winning. The arena deal is terrible for them and it will hurt for a while. But if they win and play good hockey, I think they can succeed there.
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 21, 2010 7:01 PM EDT up reply actions
Personally I think there are too many warm weather cities with hockey teams in the league, but it’s a great scene to see that type of excitement in Arizona of all places for the game.
by Davethecapsfan on Mar 21, 2010 7:02 PM EDT up reply actions
Personally I think there are too many warm weather cities with hockey teams
One of my biggest pet peeves ever.
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 21, 2010 7:03 PM EDT up reply actions
People feeling that way? Or the idea itself?
by Davethecapsfan on Mar 21, 2010 7:04 PM EDT up reply actions
The idea. It’s an indoor sport everywhere. It’s stupid to limit it to cold weather cities. The NBA is a winter sport but we “allow” teams like BOS, TOR, CHI, MIL, MIN and formerly SEA and VAN to have teams. You couldn’t play outdoor basketball in any of those cities in the winter but nobody has a problem with it. Hell, in the NYC area you can’t play outdoor hockey more than once or twice a year. Climate is absolutely irrelevant.
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 21, 2010 7:08 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Well let’s see. The NBA season starts in October and goes until April and ends in June. So you tell me which season(s) the NBA plays in.
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 21, 2010 7:10 PM EDT up reply actions
I don’t get your point, then. I know what you’re trying to say, but that statement is fucking confusing.
Also, Basketball is in the Summer Olympics, and the last thing the NHL needs is more fucking influence from the NBA.
I should have saved my old signature. Oh well!
I’m not trying to make us like the NBA. I don’t even see how you could think I made that argument. I don’t see how my statement is all that confusing.
The NHL and NBA seasons run concurrently. If it makes no sense to have southern NHL teams, it makes equally no sense to have northern NBA teams. Nobody has a problem with climate controlled arenas for the NBA to exist in cities it otherwise couldn’t, so why is there a problem with the NHL doing it?
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 21, 2010 7:18 PM EDT up reply actions
I agree with you on that – I just think it’s dumb to call basketball a winter sport just because the NBA plays it’s schedule in the winter.
I should have saved my old signature. Oh well!
There you go. Because of the climate in America we are used to thinking of basketball as a year-round sport. But the NBA isn’t, and that was my point.
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 21, 2010 7:24 PM EDT up reply actions
Ice conditions v. just keeping a building heated are very different things. Even worse that most NHL teams share their arenas with other teams and often the venue is being used for some other show/concert night before a game.
by Davethecapsfan on Mar 21, 2010 7:22 PM EDT up reply actions
Ice conditions have very little do do with geography, at least in the North/South context.
Some cold weather cities have brutal ice (NYC) and some warm weather cities have great ice (Vegas, obviously with the caveat that they don’t pack 18K into the arena and keep it cold). I’m not convinced that ice quality is a sufficient argument to keep hockey from the south.
As you intimate at the end, arena scheduling is also a much bigger factor in ice quality than is Latitude.
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 21, 2010 7:26 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah I should have reversed that order in my thinking…it does apply in some cases that geography affects it but my point was more that it’s much easier to prepare an arena for an NBA game than an NHL game.
by Davethecapsfan on Mar 21, 2010 7:30 PM EDT up reply actions
I agree that climate shouldnt play too much of a factor in it. However, in warm weather places, hockey certainly does not have the roots it has in colder areas. A place like Buffalo or Boston has a culture of hockey in the high schools, in the colleges, a place like Phoeinx or Miami does not. IT CAN absolutely grow there, cause hockey is just awesome, but you can’t deny the fact that some areas have more hockey roots, and thus make an easier area for a franchise to start
Bah-Ram-Ewe, Ovechkin will wreck you. Fear the Furious Fleece!
However, in warm weather places, hockey certainly does not have the roots it has in colder areas.
And is that because of climate or history? If we keep following the climate argument those cities will NEVER have the history. It takes time to grow, and I don’t see why warm cities shouldn’t get that chance. LA and DAL already have some hockey culture developing and that’s in one generation.
And hockey roots isn’t the only factor in getting a franchise, otherwise Kamloops and Regina would have NHL teams.
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 21, 2010 7:14 PM EDT up reply actions
Maybe it’s not so much the climate, people just refer to the southern cities as “warm weather” spots because they don’t have as much of a hockey culture that has been a part of the youth sports scene or high school sports scene. When the teams are winning, it HAS worked in most of the cities. Jury’s out on lasting fanbases in some of those markets though.
by Davethecapsfan on Mar 21, 2010 7:19 PM EDT up reply actions
Not sure how well you know youth hockey, but its exploded in almost all of the places the NHL has expanded. I know in PHX its much bigger than it was when I first moved out here. PHX teams are placing in national tourneys. It’s gotten huge in Dallas from my understanding.
A relatively new team in a growing city is going to take several decades to truly take hold.
"You ever use smelling salts, every time you type a bad blog?" Brooks Laich
Even Vegas has a really high level youth program, and they don’t have the population or NHL franchise that lots of other cities have.
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 21, 2010 7:29 PM EDT up reply actions
Look at the rise of Dallas and CA youth hockey. The jury isn’t really out for me. In the next decade we are going to start to see a ton of great US prospects from CA and TX.
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 21, 2010 7:29 PM EDT up reply actions
Yup. They are starting to trickle in. A 16 year old from Vegas was also on the USA WJC team. He’ll be on the team the next couple years as well.
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 21, 2010 7:30 PM EDT up reply actions
Well, the climate dictates the history. An area with a climate that supports hockey are the places in which hockey has some of the deepest roots, they’ve been able to play hockey there long before any organization, and the game is alive in the high schools and colleges. A majority of areas with cold climates (cold enough to support hockey) usually have a rich hockey culture, the inverse is not true. LA is a good example. It took awhile for LA to really grow as a franchise, because hockey had no roots in the area. Once Gretzky came over, the area finally had some sort of substantial significance in the hockey world. Gretzky pretty much made the LA Kings who they are today.
Bah-Ram-Ewe, Ovechkin will wreck you. Fear the Furious Fleece!
Who made the Stars? Frankly, they’re a pretty solid organization without a Gretzky. Geography doesn’t dictate history, but it can dictate how long it takes history to develop. That’s like saying that the United States shouldn’t have Catholics because it’s not Italy.
I should have saved my old signature. Oh well!
And they, and Carolina seem to draw much more fans than say Atl or Fla no?
by Davethecapsfan on Mar 21, 2010 7:34 PM EDT up reply actions
So, you’re saying with good management and success on the ice, a team can be successful in a southern market?
I should have saved my old signature. Oh well!
I would hope given both of those factors a team could be successful anywhere :) but I guess some people will just never love hockey.
by Davethecapsfan on Mar 21, 2010 7:43 PM EDT up reply actions
Not really. CAR had horrible attendance this year even though they went to the ECF last year. Both cities are still fair-weather.
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 21, 2010 7:41 PM EDT up reply actions
Not at all, I am just saying that it is easier for a franchise to survive in an area with hockey roots.
I am not saying at all, that hockey can’t survive in an area with no history, it just takes longer for it to establish itself.
Geography DOES dictate history. the US doesnt have the same roots in Catholicism as Italy.
Bah-Ram-Ewe, Ovechkin will wreck you. Fear the Furious Fleece!
by kingzman264 on Mar 21, 2010 7:33 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
At one point hockey had no history it had to be established.
"You ever use smelling salts, every time you type a bad blog?" Brooks Laich
by CP2Devil on Mar 21, 2010 7:34 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
But it was easier to establish it in a warm area than a cold one?
Bah-Ram-Ewe, Ovechkin will wreck you. Fear the Furious Fleece!
Of course not. However, with the advent on indoor rinks and other technological developments in first world countries climate has much less of an impact than it did in the past.
Sports grow all the time in “non-traditional” places all over the world. Just look at basketball. Heck, look at soccer in this country over the last 40 years.
To not try to expand a sports reach just because it might not be easy or take some time makes no sense.
Funny that in today’s local paper there was an article on the growth of LAX here in the Valley.
"You ever use smelling salts, every time you type a bad blog?" Brooks Laich
In the United States, there’s reportedly 70 million Catholics.
In Italy, there’s reportedly 52.2 million.
If there’s a bigger market, if you can get into that market, which is easily possible, you can end up increasing the profit margin by an insane amount.
I should have saved my old signature. Oh well!
I love the Catholic analogy.
And time for an F&B teaching moment. No, DAL never had Gretzky. What they did have was a smart owner (no matter what North Stars fans will tell you). He immediately built 4(!) area rinks around Dallas and funded youth hockey programs. From day 1 they invested in making kids fans of the game. When the kids want to come, the parents have little choice. Call it “The McDonald’s playbook.” That’s, IMO, the single biggest reason Dallas hockey took off as fast as it did. Obviously the Cup was huge, but the lasting local support has more to do with the local investment than the single Cup.
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 21, 2010 7:33 PM EDT up reply actions
I have to go, but the lasting local support is always helped by hockey roots
Bah-Ram-Ewe, Ovechkin will wreck you. Fear the Furious Fleece!
Well some people would say ice conditions are an issue for those locales, but it’s more the lack of sticking with these teams once owners first buy into them. Too much of the time it’s like setting yourselves up for failure. As we’ve all been saying, if you win you will draw fans…but too often the teams aren’t winning, and most don’t consistently anymore anyways. Seeing 1/3 to 1/2 full arenas everywhere is not a good thing.
by Davethecapsfan on Mar 21, 2010 7:11 PM EDT up reply actions
Ice conditions suck at MSG, so lets contract the Rangers.
The population in the US has slowly migrated South. It’s reality. If the leagues don’t follow population trends they will eventually lose market share to other sports. It takes time to develop fans, like generations. It’s why they all realize they need to expand their brands globally now, even if it doesn’t mean putting a team outside NA.
"You ever use smelling salts, every time you type a bad blog?" Brooks Laich
The team’s success this year is the only reason the franchise won’t move next year, imo.
I think with new ownership reigning in, the arena deal (will hopefully) change, although i am not too familiar with how those deals work.
It will be interesting to see how they handle the situation. Right now they have very cheap tickets for a top flight team. If the team goes to the 2nd round, i can see all of their home games being sold out and a fan base manifesting. These play-offs are huge for PHX
Bah-Ram-Ewe, Ovechkin will wreck you. Fear the Furious Fleece!
Yeah, the place had that playoff feel to it and watching Bryz pump up the crowd after he sealed it in the shootout was pretty impressive. It would be absolutely huge if they were to win a round in the playoffs. Imagine if they overtake SJ for the division too?
by Davethecapsfan on Mar 21, 2010 7:01 PM EDT up reply actions
And all of which have downtown arenas with plenty of public transportation access (well, I don’t know about Staples, but the others do). It’s going to take a lot more winning to get folks to go out to Sunrise than it is in other cities you mentioned.
I’m reserving judgment on Sexton until I see a bit more. Getting a pick for JBo’s rights was a good move and Kulikov looks like a good pick, but we won’t know what the bottom of that draft looks like for a loooong time.
Only YOU can prevent idiots from commenting!
by Knee high to a duck on Mar 21, 2010 7:01 PM EDT up reply actions
Win and people will come. Yes, there are secondary issues and every market is slightly different, but winning is what brings in the people and the money.
People tend to forget the past. Except in old line cities that have had teams for generations, teams that don’t win or at least aren’t competitive always struggle. They don’t have the built in fanbases older teams have to be able to sustain losing runs.
Funny how Caps fans are having these discussions. At least, twice in my lifetime people all over North America were complaining about how the Caps should be moved.
"You ever use smelling salts, every time you type a bad blog?" Brooks Laich
My point isn’t that they should be moved, but rather that they have a higher threshold to reach to draw that packed house and electric crowd.
Chicago was playing in front of not so many fans not so long ago. It doesn’t get much more old line than an Original Six squad. They have talent and win, house is packed. Not disputing that point, just saying that if their arena was in, say, Joliet.
Only YOU can prevent idiots from commenting!
by Knee high to a duck on Mar 21, 2010 7:11 PM EDT up reply actions
To add to my point about winning, 75% of those people wearing Hawks shirts I saw last night weren’t at any of the Blackhawks games I’ve gone to in recent years. They went to the game because their team was in town and is winning.
Heck, even at the Caps game out here last year I noticed 3 times as many Caps fans as there had been at the Caps past games in PHX.
"You ever use smelling salts, every time you type a bad blog?" Brooks Laich
Wanted to say a little more vis-a-vis moving the ’Yotes.
Don’t do it. Having a hockey presence in one of the largest population centers in the US (especially if that team can go on a run, but irrespective) is going to help grow the game, especially if the team can help youth programs can take root. This isn’t a near-term revenue thing. I’m totally on board with expanding the game into markets where it isn’t traditional.
Moving them to Hamilton creates almost no new NHL fans, it just cannibalizes existing ones into new allegiances. Southern Ontario is as strong a hockey market as you can have. Maybe, maybe you can create an appreciable difference in ticket revenues, but it’s penny-wise, pound-foolish in my opinion. The key is to have competent organizations in those cities, not the mess that was the Phoenix Coyotes.
Only YOU can prevent idiots from commenting!
by Knee high to a duck on Mar 21, 2010 7:16 PM EDT up reply actions
Moving them to Hamilton creates almost no new NHL fans, it just cannibalizes existing ones into new allegiances.
There’s an article I’m now hunting for that pretty much explains this. Do you think the NHL wants more fans. To move the team to Hamilton doesn’t create any more fans.
I should have saved my old signature. Oh well!
Agreed, they just want to see more teams with successful bottom lines. Easier to overcome poor management and performance when you’re playing in a spot where the fans are going to go watch the game whether you’re winning or not.
by Davethecapsfan on Mar 21, 2010 7:20 PM EDT up reply actions
You mean like in Edmonton, oh wait…
"You ever use smelling salts, every time you type a bad blog?" Brooks Laich
Yeah. People forget how crappy the Canadian teams were doing before the lockout and new CBA. EDM, CGY, and OTT almost had to fold. And it wasn’t because the weather was too warm neither.
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 21, 2010 7:47 PM EDT up reply actions
ONce again we get back to the point of if you win people show up.
As for size of fanbases and how size helps weather downturns, like has been mentioned it takes decades to grow those fanbases.
Currently, the only rabid fanbase in PHX year in and year out is the Suns fanbase. It’s because the team has been here for over 4 deceds and has multiple genrations of fans.
My friends who grew up here are all Suns fans, however they almost all pull for non-AZ teams in the other 3 ML sports because when they grew up PHX didn’t have franchises in thos sports.
It’s their kids who are the ones who cheer for all the AZ franchises because they grew up with them.
"You ever use smelling salts, every time you type a bad blog?" Brooks Laich
And OTT almost went bankrupt in one of their best seasons ever. Not even winning AND cold weather was enough!
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 21, 2010 8:00 PM EDT up reply actions
Like I’ve said, I don’t want PHX moving. But I’d love an expansion team in Hamilton once the NHL straightens out the bad ownership situations that currently exist.
You might not create new fans, but you’ll serve more fans. It’s impossible to get Leafs tickets and there are lots of people who would love to. Putting a team in Hamilton immediately gives you another flag ship team that has solid financial support. It will help keep the cap high (something selfish Caps fans should yearn for) and provide a ton of league revenue.
Step 1: solve the current bad ownership/arena situations (ATL, FLA, TBL, NYI, PHX, NSH)
Step 2: expand to 32 teams. One in a US market, one in a Southern Ontario city.
Step 3: realign to 4 divisions of 8 teams.
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 21, 2010 7:22 PM EDT up reply actions
Step 1: solve the current bad ownership/arena situations (ATL, FLA, TBL, NYI, PHX, NSH)
Easier said than done, but yeah, that’s step one.
I have nothing against an expansion team in Hamilton for all the reasons that you pointed out. I’m just flatly against moving a team out of one of the largest metro areas in the US (with a population that’s growing quickly).
Only YOU can prevent idiots from commenting!
by Knee high to a duck on Mar 21, 2010 8:02 PM EDT up reply actions
Yup. You know I’m solidly against moving anyone unless they absolutely have to.
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 21, 2010 8:03 PM EDT up reply actions
That sounds like a good plan for them. I feel like we could GM a team pretty decently.
Vokoun is prolly their biggest trade asset, and could fetch them a tonnn from a team desperate for a goalie (PHI?) The only problem is that he is their team. Vokoun might as well be the face of that franchise at this point
Personally, I think they should try to pick up some young talent, keep Vokoun, try to sign most of the guys they have to contracts. Long term for the players that work well in their system, short term for players that are just attachments. Also, they should try to find a veteran player or two to sign to a short contract to help them along for a few years while their young corps learns
Bah-Ram-Ewe, Ovechkin will wreck you. Fear the Furious Fleece!
playoff match-ups
EAST
(p)Washington vs. Boston
Pittsburgh vs. Montreal
Buffalo vs. Ottawa
New Jersey vs. Philadelphia
WEST
Chicago vs. Detroit
San Jose vs. Colorado
Vancouver vs. Nashville
Phoenix vs. Los Angeles
Kung-fu Rink Rabbit
Donate to the Rink Pledge Drive for SAVES FOR KIDS! Ain’t nothing [wrong] about giving $5 so a stranger’s premature baby can have the time on a respirator they need.~Gould Old Days
by RedBirdie on Mar 21, 2010 6:04 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
C'moooooooooooooooooooooon ATL
I really want them in the first round and it’s looking more possible now. They have a home and home with CAR coming up so they could simultaneously make a huge push for 8th and put the nail in CAR’s coffin. You know I’d love that too much.
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 21, 2010 6:10 PM EDT up reply actions
Devils/Flyers in the first round makes me happy.
Now helping to keep an eye on all things Gr8 at Alex Ovetjkin.
It would, but the east is going to change a lot and I’m very underwhelmed by the match ups. PHI and OTT are already starting to show the weaknesses in net so I could see them limping in. If that’s the case I wouldn’t mind OTT, despite how well AV can play AO. A team on a slump with a bad goalie is meat for us. ATL would be hot going in if they make it, which is my only reservation about them. But they try to play Caps hockey, and just can’t do it as well as us. Sounds like a good match for us.
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 21, 2010 6:16 PM EDT up reply actions
I’ll take either BOS or ATL.
Hanlon's Razor: Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.
by gotsparkly on Mar 21, 2010 6:22 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I’d take anyone but CAR. That’s really the only team that I don’t want to play in the first round. Thankfully, they are getting stomped by BUF right now and won’t have much (if any) margin for error after today. Then the rest of their schedule is against teams tied with or ahead of them in the standings. No easy games. I’m confident they won’t make it. 9th in the East would put a smile on my face.
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 21, 2010 6:25 PM EDT up reply actions
With Boston winning today, I think it will be supremely hard for anyone but Atl to end up in that 8th spot other than Boston. Rags and Canes losing today really hurt.
by Davethecapsfan on Mar 21, 2010 6:26 PM EDT up reply actions
Yup. And everyone in the race was so happy to see BOS end that in regulation. Nobody wanted to see a 3 point game there.
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 21, 2010 6:28 PM EDT up reply actions
I’m not scared of NYR either, despite Gaborik. They gave us their best shot last year and failed. We are better, they aren’t. We won’t come in taking them as lightly as we did last time, I don’t think.
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 21, 2010 6:33 PM EDT up reply actions
Last year never should have been that close as it was. We just got ourselves behind the 8 ball and had to dig out.
by Davethecapsfan on Mar 21, 2010 6:37 PM EDT up reply actions
Exactly. But that’s also the big fear when you play an elite goalie. We give up the first game, and then all of a sudden Hank steals one and we are down 2-0. Shitty place to be. Great goalies give you little margin for error.
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 21, 2010 6:38 PM EDT up reply actions
I’ll be honest, this year I don’t fear the great goalie stealing a series from us. Not 4 games out of 7. Not that we’d have to worry about it against Boston or Atl.
by Davethecapsfan on Mar 21, 2010 6:41 PM EDT up reply actions
With the offense we’ve got this year, i think a hot goalie could only stay hot for a short period.
Most of the games we’ve lost against hot goalies were 1 goal decisions
Bah-Ram-Ewe, Ovechkin will wreck you. Fear the Furious Fleece!
The Knuble Effect on guys like Laich and Fehr (not to mention Knubs himself) give me far more confidence we’ll go to those dirty areas and put in the work to get an ugly goal or two to break down any goalie having a great night.
by Davethecapsfan on Mar 21, 2010 6:51 PM EDT up reply actions
Tuuka Rask is actually looking kinda good.
It’s really just a question of which team would we have an easier time with in 4 or 5 games, and which team would be better to play Pittsburgh
Bah-Ram-Ewe, Ovechkin will wreck you. Fear the Furious Fleece!
I’d like to see BOS get in a 7 game series with PIT. That would be fun to watch. Having Chara get some quality time with Crosby and Malkin couldn’t hurt in the long run.
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 21, 2010 6:22 PM EDT up reply actions
I would like to see Boston rough Pitt up a bit, but i couldn’t see it going to 7. However, I think they would give Pitt the biggest challenge relative to the other teams that could get a 7th seed. Unless, actually, the Senators just keep slumping and then pick it up come post-season, or Carolina somehow picks up the 7th seed.
Bah-Ram-Ewe, Ovechkin will wreck you. Fear the Furious Fleece!
MP makes it 2-0 on another pp. way to make up for taking a selfish penalty in the 1st
"Hey anyway I can get my name out there 30 years from now is great," Steckel said. "They will be like, ‘Who was that guy?’ Then they’ll look at the stats and say, ‘Well, at least that guy was really good on face-offs.’"
Thanks. What was the selfish PIM?
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 21, 2010 6:10 PM EDT up reply actions
retalitory slash after a phantom knocked off his helmet
"Hey anyway I can get my name out there 30 years from now is great," Steckel said. "They will be like, ‘Who was that guy?’ Then they’ll look at the stats and say, ‘Well, at least that guy was really good on face-offs.’"
how can you not <3 MP?? My roommate has seen all of about 3 capital games and he was her favorite and asks about him every now and then to see if he is still in the minors
"Hey anyway I can get my name out there 30 years from now is great," Steckel said. "They will be like, ‘Who was that guy?’ Then they’ll look at the stats and say, ‘Well, at least that guy was really good on face-offs.’"
Interesting to see Alzner getting some PP time the last few games. How’s he looked on the point?
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 21, 2010 6:18 PM EDT up reply actions
he looks solid needs to shoot more IMO.
"Hey anyway I can get my name out there 30 years from now is great," Steckel said. "They will be like, ‘Who was that guy?’ Then they’ll look at the stats and say, ‘Well, at least that guy was really good on face-offs.’"
Not a shock. He’s not an “offense first guy” but he can make smart plays. This is going to be a huge off-season for him.
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 21, 2010 6:22 PM EDT up reply actions
“needs to shoot more” = perfect for Caps’ PP.
Now helping to keep an eye on all things Gr8 at Alex Ovetjkin.
Wow, Mike Smith coming up with a huge save against Weiss with FLA on the PP. Could be big if TBL can rebound.
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 21, 2010 6:19 PM EDT reply actions
Holy crap, Alzner’s throwing punches.
Hanlon's Razor: Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.
by gotsparkly on Mar 21, 2010 6:27 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
did you see that hit?? I want to throw a punch
"Hey anyway I can get my name out there 30 years from now is great," Steckel said. "They will be like, ‘Who was that guy?’ Then they’ll look at the stats and say, ‘Well, at least that guy was really good on face-offs.’"
What happened? And were they gloved punches or a real fight?
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 21, 2010 6:29 PM EDT up reply actions
they didn’t show the scrum afterward. but the hit was from behind with the forearms into the back of the neck smushing alzner into the boards
"Hey anyway I can get my name out there 30 years from now is great," Steckel said. "They will be like, ‘Who was that guy?’ Then they’ll look at the stats and say, ‘Well, at least that guy was really good on face-offs.’"
Gloved. Dirty hit, elbow to the head – everyone on the ice except the goalies got involved.
Hanlon's Razor: Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.
by gotsparkly on Mar 21, 2010 6:32 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Oh hells no I don’t fault him a bit. I just didn’t expect sweet Alzner to do that.
Hanlon's Razor: Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.
by gotsparkly on Mar 21, 2010 6:34 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
He was boarded, a headshot. Five minute elbowing major puts Bears on a 5v3 for :52.
Hanlon's Razor: Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.
by gotsparkly on Mar 21, 2010 6:29 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Listening to Walton’s tirade, if it was that blatant, how come the guy didn’t get tossed?
"The Caps fan doesn't say, 'is the glass half full' or 'is the glass half empty'. He wonders when the glass is going to spill."
that is what frenchy was so livid about after the ref told him the call b/c it should have been.
"Hey anyway I can get my name out there 30 years from now is great," Steckel said. "They will be like, ‘Who was that guy?’ Then they’ll look at the stats and say, ‘Well, at least that guy was really good on face-offs.’"
He had a right to be.
Hanlon's Razor: Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.
by gotsparkly on Mar 21, 2010 7:17 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Who decides suspensions in the AHL?
(Yes, I know about the avatar hounding - just pretend mine is invisible.)
Gregory Campbell?
Remember- always dispose of mice responsibly.
Chowdah Chatter - an outlet for my random thoughts and such.
by crabchowdah on Mar 21, 2010 10:40 PM EDT up reply actions
stupid phantoms shg. holtby almost had that one
"Hey anyway I can get my name out there 30 years from now is great," Steckel said. "They will be like, ‘Who was that guy?’ Then they’ll look at the stats and say, ‘Well, at least that guy was really good on face-offs.’"
Ya. SH is the only way the Phantoms will score at all the rate they’re going.
Hanlon's Razor: Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.
by gotsparkly on Mar 21, 2010 6:38 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
CAR broadcast has the Calder Trophy coming down to Howard, Duchene, Myers. They pick Myers to win the award.
Buy or sell? I’m buying.
For the Hart they have it down to Miller, Bryzgalov, AO, and Crosby. Tripp picks Henrik Sedin after a lot of thought, Forslund picks Bryzgalov.
I’m selling on both. I think they just couldn’t bring themselves to vote for the division foe.
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 21, 2010 6:43 PM EDT reply actions
I’m buying Myers. Howard has been a big reason why Detroit is in the 8th seed currently, but let’s be honest, so is getting back all those guys that were injured. Unreal how much talent they had out sitting. Duchene has been great as well, but for Myers to come in as a young D man and contribute on the offensive side as much as he has as well is just too impressive to ignore. I don’t think it’s close.
I’d be more sold on Bryz than Sedin. It’s always trendy to pick the guy having a career year pushing a team to new heights but Vanc finished 3rd in the West last year…they’re not any better positioned in people’s minds for a Cup run either. I still think it’s Ovie or Sid, though.
by Davethecapsfan on Mar 21, 2010 6:48 PM EDT up reply actions
I’ll admit I’m pretty biased, but I hate when they give to the Hart to a goalie. It just seems like a waste of an award. They already have the Vezina. The 2 Harts for Hasek in the 90s could have gone to Mario and Jagr. This year it should be AO or Sid.
by PensAreYourDaddy on Mar 21, 2010 6:54 PM EDT up reply actions
I mostly agree. I think a goalie can win the Hart, but it has to be a ridiculous year. Blowing every other goalie out of the water and carrying a team that has no business being anywhere. But Miller, Bryz, and Rask are too close in the numbers for me to consider any of them a Hart winner. And if it’s down to AO or Sid, it’s AO no question.
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 21, 2010 6:57 PM EDT up reply actions
As much as I’d love to come up with a good argument for Sid vs OV, I really can’t. I think Sid is having a great year, given that he has become a much more potent goal scorer and assists are tough to come by when your wingers can’t find the net, but it’s tough to go against Ovechkin given the year both he and the Caps are having, even though I don’t really buy into the whole “he’s played fewer games, which makes his numbers better” argument. Even taking into account the Caps’ success when he is out of the line-up, he probably walks away with the hardware again this year.
by PensAreYourDaddy on Mar 21, 2010 7:11 PM EDT up reply actions
The team dynamic is a hard one to factor in. But if you went by certain commentators’/Pens fans’ opinions it would be “Caps won the East, so AO wins the Hart.” Obviously that’s a stupid argument. But you don’t even have to factor in AO’s missed games. He has more points and equal goals (and, SPOILER ALERT, he will win the Richard again) so that alone should win it. His per game averages are just even better. Sid is having a great year, and it’ll be interesting to see if he can continue that goal scoring pace and get back to his normal assist level. If he does, he’ll be even scarier. I’m not taking anything away from how he’s played this year, I just don’t see an objective argument that any skater has had a better year than AO.
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 21, 2010 7:17 PM EDT up reply actions
I’m not sure if you are suggesting that the team doesn’t factor in, but if so, then I don’t see too many guys on last place teams winning.
And I don’t disagree that OV probably wins the Richard, especially with the way Sid was nice and took some games off while Alex was taking his two-game vacation, but what if Sid does win the Richard? Does that earn him the Hart? Just wondering, since it kind of worked that way for OV last year.
by PensAreYourDaddy on Mar 21, 2010 7:25 PM EDT up reply actions
Not exactly, Ovechkin did still have a higher points per game than Malkin last year even though he lost the race for the Ross by 3 points. Winning the Richard wasn’t the only reason he won the Hart by any stretch. Maybe Backstrom continuing to climb the leaderboard will hurt Ovechkin’s chance like Malkin having Sid on his team did (or seemed to) last year.
by Davethecapsfan on Mar 21, 2010 7:28 PM EDT up reply actions
I don’t think there ever is just one reason a guy wins (except the year Gretz stole it from Mario just because he put hockey on the map in LA). But hypothetically, let’s say Sid narrows the points gap and takes the Richard, is it still going to come down to points per game?
by PensAreYourDaddy on Mar 21, 2010 7:33 PM EDT up reply actions
Depends how close on either race, I think it factors in. How can it not? Also the year your team is having has to factor in in my mind. I think the point F&B is trying to make is that it’s pretty much advantage AO in all those categories.
by Davethecapsfan on Mar 21, 2010 7:35 PM EDT up reply actions
Well AO had almost as many points as Malkin, and had a higher points-per-game. Crosby won’t (in all likelihood) be as close to Ovechkin. It’s also funny that Pens fans ripped on AO for being a puck hog and only scoring goals while Sid “made his teammates better.” If Sid wins the Richard it’ll be hysterical (from my position) to laugh at all the partisans reverse the arguments from the last few years about why their guy is better.
About the team thing I meant that it’s kind of silly to factor in the Caps being the best team because it cuts both ways. He has more support, but he’s still the best player on the best team. In 07-08 everyone said AO should win the Hart if the Caps made the playoffs. The way I saw it, he was the Hart winner even if they didn’t. He had 65 goals for Chrissakes. Whether or not he got the team support, he was the best player that year.
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 21, 2010 7:36 PM EDT up reply actions
A lot of arguments are going to have to be re-worked if the Caps fulfill their potential this year.
I’m actually really impressed with both guys and the way they’ve been able to improve their overall game this year. That’s what you expect from great players.
by PensAreYourDaddy on Mar 21, 2010 7:42 PM EDT up reply actions
Definitely agree on the final point. I think those two are the best in the game and 3rd place isn’t really close.
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 21, 2010 7:43 PM EDT up reply actions
THIS is the key point that will get overlooked by most fans on either side. Seeing both guys evolve their game to be better in other areas is just scary. They were already the best 2 in the game. Personally I can’t get a better scenario then Caps/Pens in the playoffs for the next 4-6 years.
by Davethecapsfan on Mar 21, 2010 7:46 PM EDT up reply actions
You said it. And as a resident of the greater DC metropolitan area, I look forward to as many closer-to-home playoff games as I can get, even if that means braving the “crazies” at VC ;-)
by PensAreYourDaddy on Mar 21, 2010 7:51 PM EDT up reply actions
Hopefully it can become an even rivalry though.
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 21, 2010 7:52 PM EDT up reply actions
At what point do you think it would? Let’s say we face them in the 2nd round or ECF this year and beat them. If we don’t go on to win the Cup after that is even the current version of Caps/Pens (AO/Sid) rivalry going to be “even”?
by Davethecapsfan on Mar 21, 2010 7:54 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah. If we can beat them in a playoff series then I think things change. The historical numbers won’t be the same, but the modern rivalry will have become balanced and will have erased that Caps Nation feeling that we just can’t beat the Pens. If we beat them this year, I think we win the Cup.
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 21, 2010 7:56 PM EDT up reply actions
I’d like to think so it’s the hump we need to get over…but I wouldn’t discount how tough a finals could be against certain teams out West.
by Davethecapsfan on Mar 21, 2010 7:58 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah, the West will be won by a solid team. It won’t be easy. But given the relative paths we should be less banged up. We also definitely have more depth than anyone else in the league. We could lose to a WC team, I just doubt it. There’s only 3 that scare me at all (SJS, CHI, DET) and it already looks like SJS is slumping, DET will probably make the playoffs and upset someone, but how much do they have left in the tank after the last two years, and CHI will be interesting to follow with the injuries and goaltending.
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 21, 2010 8:01 PM EDT up reply actions
It would be no minor miracle after playing full seasons the last 2 years for Detroit to pull it off again. I think this might affect the Pens as well to a lesser extent.
by Davethecapsfan on Mar 21, 2010 8:03 PM EDT up reply actions
Pens are younger so should be in better shape.
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 21, 2010 8:03 PM EDT up reply actions
The tough path was a huge factor in PIT beating DET last season. Getting pounded by the Ducks for seven games, Lidstrom taking a spear to the sac and Datsyuk trying to play on a broken foot definitely helped the Pens to the Cup. I’m going to say that series is far less likely to end in celebration at Primanti’s if those guys don’t get beaten to hell along the way.
Only YOU can prevent idiots from commenting!
by Knee high to a duck on Mar 21, 2010 8:04 PM EDT up reply actions
Just wondering, since it kind of worked that way for OV last year.
Couple of things wrong with that comparison:
Firstly, Ovie didn’t just win the Richard, he crushed everyone else. it wasn’t even close. That race was over at the beginning of March. He and Malkin were neck-and-neck in the points race and Ovechkin scored 21 more goals than Geno did. Whoever wins the Richard isn’t going to be 10 goals ahead of the nearest competitor and won’t be 21 goals ahead of the next closest Hart candidate.
In general, goals are more valuable than assists to a team. True goal scorers are rarer than a guy that can create plays at the highest level. Crosby impressed the hell out of me this season with his goal scoring and we know he can still make plays. Ovechkin was by far the best goal scorer, which gives him more weight than just points.
Secondly, Sid split consideration from Geno last season. Voters definitely looked at that team and said “yeah, Malkin has great numbers, but how great are they if he’s playing against the top pair like Sid is?”. Ovechkin should have split votes with Mike Green, but he’s chronically underappreciated and disrespected in the national media.
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by Knee high to a duck on Mar 21, 2010 7:37 PM EDT up reply actions
I don’t see how putting up higher numbers in fewer games isn’t an argument. His points per game right now are higher than anyone’s put up in the last 10 years (when you’re talking guys playing anything close to a full season at least). Sid does get a lot of consideration in my mind for having taken up that role of providing more of the actual goal scoring for Pitt this year. His wingers hasn’t changed that much really not sure why his assist totals are down so much. Bottom line the only guy I could accept winning it other than Ovie/Sid would be Bryz.
by Davethecapsfan on Mar 21, 2010 7:17 PM EDT up reply actions
If Hart is for dude most valuable to team, wouldn’t missing games actually hurt your chances rather than higher ppg make you look better?
by PensAreYourDaddy on Mar 21, 2010 7:21 PM EDT up reply actions
If it were actually voted that way, I would agree with you. But then a goalie would walk off with it just about every year.
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by Knee high to a duck on Mar 21, 2010 7:22 PM EDT up reply actions
And, if you look at the work Dirk Hoag did over at OTF this week, AO is still the most valuable player to his team. It’s ridiculous how great his year has been. Unfortunately the bad hits have overshadowed it.
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 21, 2010 7:23 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah, or GVT, or any number of other advanced stats. Not just the rate ones, either. If he’d been healthy/not suspended he’d be having the numbers post lockout by a mile.
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by Knee high to a duck on Mar 21, 2010 7:24 PM EDT up reply actions
Damn, here I am getting into a debate even though I agree about the eventual result, but i don’t see how you can say “what if he played all those games” when I can say “what if the games that he missed, he actually played but looked like he did coming out of the Olympic break?”.
by PensAreYourDaddy on Mar 21, 2010 7:28 PM EDT up reply actions
True. It’s hard to say how he would have played in those games. But that’s why people use the averages. Maybe he has a 5 goal game one of those nights. He has it in him, and the way FLA has played the Caps he damn well may have done it in one of the games he missed against them.
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 21, 2010 7:38 PM EDT up reply actions
I’m not saying that at all. Even with the games he’s missed, he’s still got the best stats, both rudimentary and advanced.
Only YOU can prevent idiots from commenting!
by Knee high to a duck on Mar 21, 2010 7:38 PM EDT up reply actions
I get what you meant, but it sounds like everyone is pretty sure that even if OV somehow lost out on both the points and goal race, he’s still win for higher points per game.
I just don’t think you can “go to the averages” for this. The award is for a season, not for the number of games a certain guy is able to play.
And that isn’t specific, or even necessarily related to, the OV vs Sid thing. Otherwise, I’d be pointing out the obvious that the Caps are something like 7-2 without OV. Now, is that because he isn’t all that important to the team, or because he has made the team that much better that they can get by without him? Probably the latter, but really it doesn’t matter.
by PensAreYourDaddy on Mar 21, 2010 7:49 PM EDT up reply actions
I agree that it’s about the full season of work, otherwise Gaborik would be nominated every year. But when a guy misses a handful of games and still matches the output of everyone else, I think that deserves notice.
Also, for the most part the Caps faced patsies without AO. That’s a big part of the reason their record is so good without him.
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 21, 2010 7:50 PM EDT up reply actions
(tongue firmly in cheek) some would say since we face a division full of patsies every year our overall team results are inflated as well ;)
by Davethecapsfan on Mar 21, 2010 7:52 PM EDT up reply actions
True enough. Good thing our record shows dominance against every division.
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 21, 2010 7:53 PM EDT up reply actions
No kidding. Would love to have you guys back in the old Patrick division again sometime.
I remember earlier in the year hoping to make the argument that OV’s stats were padded by such games, but what I found was that, at least at that time, his scoring was actually better outside the division. Oh well, I tried.
by PensAreYourDaddy on Mar 21, 2010 7:53 PM EDT up reply actions
I miss the old divisional rounds in the playoffs. Patrick division battles were awesome when I was a kid.
by Davethecapsfan on Mar 21, 2010 7:55 PM EDT up reply actions
No kidding. Would love to have you guys back in the old Patrick division again sometime.
The members of this site have spilled considerable pixels wishing for exactly this. We want the Patrick back as badly as you do.
Only YOU can prevent idiots from commenting!
by Knee high to a duck on Mar 21, 2010 7:56 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah. Give me great games over an easy schedule. I’d love to see the Rags, Flyers, and Pens all year long.
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 21, 2010 7:57 PM EDT up reply actions
Great games and some good old fashioned hatred. I just can’t hate any of our division mates (except the ‘Canes, but I know you’re on board with that) with the same vitriol that I have for the Flyers and Pens.
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by Knee high to a duck on Mar 21, 2010 7:59 PM EDT up reply actions
This will change over time. For younger folks who don’t have the history it may even happy faster than for us old timers.
"You ever use smelling salts, every time you type a bad blog?" Brooks Laich
You’re probably right. And KHtD is definitely right that I only hate the Canes in our division. And that doesn’t even have anything to do with on-ice stuff!
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 21, 2010 8:02 PM EDT up reply actions
Playoff history will always be a huge factor in who we “hate” the most. Nothing stings or feels better than playoff defeats or victories.
by Davethecapsfan on Mar 21, 2010 8:02 PM EDT up reply actions
I notice you don’t say New Jersey.
"Camaraderie, that's what the Washington Capitals are all about."
by CapitalCentre on Mar 21, 2010 8:06 PM EDT up reply actions
Did I forget to add them… musta slipped my mind.
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 21, 2010 8:08 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah, but look a little deeper there. Four of those wins are against Florida and they lost to the Devils twice.
If he loses the points and the goals race to the same guy I don’t see how he wins the Hart. Sid probably doesn’t catch him in points, though. Probably not even close.
Only YOU can prevent idiots from commenting!
by Knee high to a duck on Mar 21, 2010 7:52 PM EDT up reply actions
Right, and Sedin won’t catch him in goals. Ultimately, I’m confident he gets the Art Ross and Richard, in which case it’s not really a question.
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 21, 2010 7:53 PM EDT up reply actions
Don’t forget the plus/minus race, which he’s blowing up. I guarantee that gets some play as we come down to the wire.
Only YOU can prevent idiots from commenting!
by Knee high to a duck on Mar 21, 2010 7:55 PM EDT up reply actions
People will always hate on that stat but it IS valuable to some degree.
by Davethecapsfan on Mar 21, 2010 7:56 PM EDT up reply actions
The extremes are important, that’s about it. Lucky for AO (ok, not lucky) he’s at the good extreme.
But I hope hope hope hope hope that doesn’t mean some idiot votes for him to win the Selke.
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 21, 2010 7:58 PM EDT up reply actions
I don’t think that will happen…would be nice to see Backstrom get more votes for the Selke though.
by Davethecapsfan on Mar 21, 2010 7:59 PM EDT up reply actions
I tend to agree, except that his production has been down since the break. I expect he’ll go on a tear now, especially with that post-suspension anger built up.
Spirited debate guys. Unfortunately I have to run. Good night to all.
by PensAreYourDaddy on Mar 21, 2010 7:56 PM EDT up reply actions
8 points in 8 games just isn’t getting it done :)
by Davethecapsfan on Mar 21, 2010 7:57 PM EDT up reply actions
By his standards it actually isn’t, heh.
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by Knee high to a duck on Mar 21, 2010 7:58 PM EDT up reply actions
haha I know, but he’s the type who will have back to back 4 point nights and it’ll fix the average.
by Davethecapsfan on Mar 21, 2010 8:00 PM EDT up reply actions
Catch you later. And as DCF says, his numbers are still good, he just hasn’t had the huge breakout 10 points in 3 games that we are used to seeing occasionally.
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 21, 2010 7:58 PM EDT up reply actions
That’s a pretty soft argument in my mind, although it does get some weight based on numbers because guys who miss significant time and have it affect their production wouldn’t be up for consideration. The fact it hasn’t hurt his is actually a strong argument for Ovie in my mind. None of the MVP awards in any of the sports seem to follow that literal “most valuable to their team” language, because in a lot of cases it’s hard to really quantify. Sure Ovechkin and Crosby have teams that are stacked with other talent, but does anyone question the importance of having them out there vs. not?
by Davethecapsfan on Mar 21, 2010 7:27 PM EDT up reply actions
I wasn’t saying it as an argument against him winning, just that I don’t think missing the games is going to be a positive for him when voting time rolls around.
by PensAreYourDaddy on Mar 21, 2010 7:29 PM EDT up reply actions
Missing games never is…still outpacing everyone else number wise even while having missed those games is.
by Davethecapsfan on Mar 21, 2010 7:31 PM EDT up reply actions
The Caps have clearly been a stronger team than Pittsburgh this year, so the fact that Sid is even close in points and with a chance to lead in goals could work in his favor.
by PensAreYourDaddy on Mar 21, 2010 7:36 PM EDT up reply actions
On whether Ovi wins the Hart or not. Due to the suspensions, a lot of writers may not want to vote for him. But the anti-Ovi contingency would have to all vote for the same person for Ovi not to get it, as opposed to splitting their votes among different people, such as Ryan Miller, Crosby, Sedin, or anyone else.
Rocking the Red since 1975
I really don’t think Ovi’s going to get it because of the depth of the Caps roster, the suspensions, and the lack of separation in the points race. Frankly, I don’t mind that and I hope that just makes it sweeter if the Caps go farther than the Pens in the playoffs this year and get the Cup.
erskine has scored...now i can die in peace
There just hasn’t been a goalie that was THAT dominant in my mind to seriously award them the Hart as well since then. Very few even play that large chunk of the team’s games to get that extra consideration anymore as well. They always want to find some new flavor to throw into the discussion…Parise last year, Sedin this year. Unless one of them misses substantial time or has a really off year (hasn’t happened yet for either) it’s going to be Ovie or Sid for a few years still.
by Davethecapsfan on Mar 21, 2010 6:57 PM EDT up reply actions
I hate when they give to the Hart to a goalie.
I don’t understand this argument, although plenty of people agree with you — The Norris is only for a defenseman and the Selke is only for a forward, so why is doesn’t it bother anyone when a defenseman or forward wins the Hart? It’s for the “player judged best in the league” [emphasis added]. Some years, that’s going to be a goalie. Not often — there are proportionally fewer goalies than skaters — but sometimes.
"Camaraderie, that's what the Washington Capitals are all about."
by CapitalCentre on Mar 21, 2010 7:58 PM EDT up reply actions
I buy on Myers because no forward is lighting it up like recent winners did. Howard has good stats, but I don’t think he’s anywhere near what Mason did last year.
The Hart votes don’t even merit discussioin.
"The Caps fan doesn't say, 'is the glass half full' or 'is the glass half empty'. He wonders when the glass is going to spill."
darn 3-2 phantoms now
"Hey anyway I can get my name out there 30 years from now is great," Steckel said. "They will be like, ‘Who was that guy?’ Then they’ll look at the stats and say, ‘Well, at least that guy was really good on face-offs.’"
OOF. WTF happened? Bad goals or is HER just not skating?
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 21, 2010 7:23 PM EDT up reply actions
i blame the boys not skating. that may be my bias love of goalies but there have be hershey penalties and defensive lapses
"Hey anyway I can get my name out there 30 years from now is great," Steckel said. "They will be like, ‘Who was that guy?’ Then they’ll look at the stats and say, ‘Well, at least that guy was really good on face-offs.’"
also the phantoms are to hershey what tampa bay is to the caps. always gives them fits
"Hey anyway I can get my name out there 30 years from now is great," Steckel said. "They will be like, ‘Who was that guy?’ Then they’ll look at the stats and say, ‘Well, at least that guy was really good on face-offs.’"
Sound like bad reffing as much as a somewhat hot goalie.
"The Caps fan doesn't say, 'is the glass half full' or 'is the glass half empty'. He wonders when the glass is going to spill."
the bad reffing just started but the bears have been getting away with some stuff
"Hey anyway I can get my name out there 30 years from now is great," Steckel said. "They will be like, ‘Who was that guy?’ Then they’ll look at the stats and say, ‘Well, at least that guy was really good on face-offs.’"
But don’t you hate it that the team that gooned it up looks like will win the game? That sucks.
"The Caps fan doesn't say, 'is the glass half full' or 'is the glass half empty'. He wonders when the glass is going to spill."
Met two members from here last night...
Good people.
Good, fun people.
Willing to trade humour for cash, straight up.
Where at and do you remember who they are?
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 21, 2010 7:40 PM EDT up reply actions
dammit helmer! so much for the number 1 penalty kill. 4-3 phantoms with 2:40 left
"Hey anyway I can get my name out there 30 years from now is great," Steckel said. "They will be like, ‘Who was that guy?’ Then they’ll look at the stats and say, ‘Well, at least that guy was really good on face-offs.’"
this blows the home streak is over and the goonie phantoms won
"Hey anyway I can get my name out there 30 years from now is great," Steckel said. "They will be like, ‘Who was that guy?’ Then they’ll look at the stats and say, ‘Well, at least that guy was really good on face-offs.’"
Always annoying, but in the big picture HER is still doing ok.
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 21, 2010 7:45 PM EDT up reply actions
well ok is a slight understatment but they have all week of then another fri, sat, sun set all at home
"Hey anyway I can get my name out there 30 years from now is great," Steckel said. "They will be like, ‘Who was that guy?’ Then they’ll look at the stats and say, ‘Well, at least that guy was really good on face-offs.’"
How did Holtby look in goal? Or was it more the D that left him out to dry?
Rocking the Red since 1975
i think it was more the fault of the d. the team just didn’t seem to have any spark. while they didn’t use fatigue as a factor 4 games in 5 nights will drain the boys.
"Hey anyway I can get my name out there 30 years from now is great," Steckel said. "They will be like, ‘Who was that guy?’ Then they’ll look at the stats and say, ‘Well, at least that guy was really good on face-offs.’"
Some good results so far today. FLA beating TBL. BUF beating CAR. ATL up 2-0 on PHI. Could end up being a great day for Caps fans and we didn’t even take the ice!
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 21, 2010 7:45 PM EDT reply actions
I’m impressed with how Atlanta has come on. If they still make the playoffs and NJ flames out in the 1st or 2nd round how much do some of the talking heads do a 180 on their comments about Waddell.
by Davethecapsfan on Mar 21, 2010 7:48 PM EDT up reply actions
Not many, because they have a lot more than just this season to evaluate. That dude’s been a trainwreck for years and it baffles me that he’s still in place as the GM.
Only YOU can prevent idiots from commenting!
by Knee high to a duck on Mar 21, 2010 7:49 PM EDT up reply actions
Agreed, should have said just on how much he got (or didn’t get) in the Kovy deal.
by Davethecapsfan on Mar 21, 2010 7:50 PM EDT up reply actions
Agreed. I’d say more people start questioning Lou than praising Waddell. Then again, Lou has a ton of successful track record as well. I don’t think this trade is going to change either of their legacies. But, AGAIN, if Lou retires and leaves nothing for his successor I will definitely hold it against him.
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 21, 2010 7:52 PM EDT up reply actions
another ahl stat fail today apparently they said collins was on the ice for the phantoms 2nd goal but he was in the box for tripping…
"Hey anyway I can get my name out there 30 years from now is great," Steckel said. "They will be like, ‘Who was that guy?’ Then they’ll look at the stats and say, ‘Well, at least that guy was really good on face-offs.’"
Did Ron Hainsey get injured this year? How does he only have 5 goals on the season?
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 21, 2010 7:49 PM EDT reply actions
During the Tampa Bay game, second intermission I think, their announcers said "we just learned that Walker has a concussion" and they showed his fight with Konopka but I haven’t read that anywhere and TB reported yesterday that it was his knee so I don’t know what to think. Has anyone else heard about the concussion?
Lobbies: Green, Carlson, Orlov
That’s the first I’ve heard but I wouldn’t be surprised.
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 21, 2010 7:59 PM EDT up reply actions
I know that Joe B and Locker were theorizing during the game because they said he has a history of concussions (how many that is I have no idea). But they didn’t know anything, they were just guessing.
"The Caps fan doesn't say, 'is the glass half full' or 'is the glass half empty'. He wonders when the glass is going to spill."
The Tampa Bay announcers said it this afternoon though during the Tampa Bay game so either they heard wrong or we will hear about the concussion later on from TB or someone else.
Lobbies: Green, Carlson, Orlov
Unless Walker was treated by Tampa team doctors or a Tampa hospital, they don’t have a shred of knowledge what happened to him. It’s not like anything was released to the media by the team, not even the dreaded “upper/lower body injury”.
"The Caps fan doesn't say, 'is the glass half full' or 'is the glass half empty'. He wonders when the glass is going to spill."
I just looked at the scoreboard and Edmonton is up 2-0 over San Jose. And it’s Yahoo’s game tonight, so I’ve turned it on. Just in time for intermission.
"The Caps fan doesn't say, 'is the glass half full' or 'is the glass half empty'. He wonders when the glass is going to spill."
now 3-0 nabby getting hung out to dry IMO
"Hey anyway I can get my name out there 30 years from now is great," Steckel said. "They will be like, ‘Who was that guy?’ Then they’ll look at the stats and say, ‘Well, at least that guy was really good on face-offs.’"
Just ran into Varly
At Harry’s Tap Room in Clarendon. He was eating there with a date. Hard to miss, he was rockin’ an Olympic hat, bright red Russia t-shirt, and bright red sweatpants. I didn’t talk to him (didn’t want to interrupt his date), but hopefully whatever he ate at Harry’s will help him get his game back.
by BradleyFightingVehicle on Mar 21, 2010 8:44 PM EDT reply actions
Has he reunited with Dasha, the blond that was in his roller blading picture? And apparently at Casino Night?
Rocking the Red since 1975
He was with a blond, I’d have to see the picture to confirm or deny if that’s the one. (I remember it from the offseason but can’t find it offhand). Even if I do see the pic, however, I didn’t get a great look at her so I’m not 100% sure I could verify anyway.
by BradleyFightingVehicle on Mar 21, 2010 8:58 PM EDT up reply actions
You should’ve passed by an just dropped a “Keep on fightin Varly” or tidbit to boost his confidence
Bah-Ram-Ewe, Ovechkin will wreck you. Fear the Furious Fleece!
by kingzman264 on Mar 21, 2010 10:05 PM EDT up reply actions
z
Another point for the Yotes. Hope they can win it in OT. Sami looks good tonight.
"You ever use smelling salts, every time you type a bad blog?" Brooks Laich
Should we have kept Sami? Except we have no room for defensive prospects as it is. He was our designated scapegoat for a loss last year and never was brought back up from Hershey.
Rocking the Red since 1975
Nah. It was the right move to let him go. He would have started in HER and been behind Alzner, Carlson, and Sloan so he wouldn’t have gotten a real chance. Good for him. I don’t root against him at all.
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 21, 2010 11:17 PM EDT up reply actions
At least he’s in the other conference so we don’t have to worry about him too much.
Rocking the Red since 1975
I wouldn’t worry about him regardless.
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 21, 2010 11:19 PM EDT up reply actions
5 for 5 using the same exact shot. Vrbata scored using the same shot 3 games in a row as well. I guess if it ain’t broke…
"You ever use smelling salts, every time you type a bad blog?" Brooks Laich
hah srsly. they’re gonna have to learn a new move come play off time though
Bah-Ram-Ewe, Ovechkin will wreck you. Fear the Furious Fleece!
by kingzman264 on Mar 21, 2010 10:01 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah, no shootouts come the postseaon. :( I’m not worried about that though. That team is built for playoff hockey. Aggressive forecheck and physical on both ends of the ice. They cycle the puck and use the boards better than most teams I’ve seen this year.
"You ever use smelling salts, every time you type a bad blog?" Brooks Laich
I meant for like breakaways and in 5on5.
Oh definitely, they’ve got decent transition speed, cycle like you said, have guys that can break right through a defensive trap, have great scorers, a great blueline, the best goalie in the league, and Shane Doan. . .only problem is that they don’t have a ton of depth.
They will most likely get through the first round, they’ve got a good chance to get through the second, and might get to he SCF.
Bah-Ram-Ewe, Ovechkin will wreck you. Fear the Furious Fleece!
by kingzman264 on Mar 21, 2010 10:15 PM EDT up reply actions
I also like the Preds in the Playoffs, they’ve been playing a play-off style of hockey all year
Bah-Ram-Ewe, Ovechkin will wreck you. Fear the Furious Fleece!
by kingzman264 on Mar 21, 2010 10:16 PM EDT up reply actions
The Preds WILL make it past round one if their first round opponent is the fading Sharks.
Rocking the Red since 1975
hah, poor sharkies.
I am kinda hoping ChiTown takes the top position in the West, so PHX doesnt have to take on Detroit
Bah-Ram-Ewe, Ovechkin will wreck you. Fear the Furious Fleece!
by kingzman264 on Mar 22, 2010 12:16 AM EDT up reply actions
the Bryz fears noone and wouldn’t mind the status that the number one seed would offer.
erskine has scored...now i can die in peace
by souldrummer on Mar 22, 2010 12:18 AM EDT up reply actions
Depends on what you mean by depth. They traded for some on the blueline and got some more scoring with Stempniak & Wolski. If they do go deep I’ve heard rumors that Upshall could be back. If so, that would be huge. If you look at their roster maybe it doesn’t scare you, but they’ve been more than a sum of their parts all year. “The Pack” is truly what they have become. It’s different guys on different nights helping out.
I’m not even saying they will win a round. However, I will say whoever they play in the playoffs better bring their lunch pails.
"You ever use smelling salts, every time you type a bad blog?" Brooks Laich
I can’t wait for it. The West is going to be amazing this year. I don’t think SJS or CHI wins the West.
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 21, 2010 11:45 PM EDT up reply actions
If Upshall comes back, they will be pretty damn hard to beat.
By depth i mean that their talent pretty much stops at the 2nd line in the offense, their blue line is pretty sound though.
But maybe i am just spoiled with the 4 lines of scoring we have
Bah-Ram-Ewe, Ovechkin will wreck you. Fear the Furious Fleece!
by kingzman264 on Mar 22, 2010 12:18 AM EDT up reply actions
If Upshall comes back, they will be pretty damn hard to beat.
Scottie coming back would be huge. His energy alone, much less his skill is something any team would love to have. The rumor I saw last week was he could possibly be back if they went ‘deep’ in the playoffs.
But maybe i am just spoiled with the 4 lines of scoring we have
We are. I was thinking the same thing last night while watching the Hawks and Yotes. No 3rd lines with two 20 goal scorers.
"You ever use smelling salts, every time you type a bad blog?" Brooks Laich
Look out San Jose! You’re going down.
"The Caps fan doesn't say, 'is the glass half full' or 'is the glass half empty'. He wonders when the glass is going to spill."
down 4-0.
That is incredible
Bah-Ram-Ewe, Ovechkin will wreck you. Fear the Furious Fleece!
by kingzman264 on Mar 21, 2010 10:16 PM EDT up reply actions
Make that 5-0
"The Caps fan doesn't say, 'is the glass half full' or 'is the glass half empty'. He wonders when the glass is going to spill."
troublesome san jose is troublesome.
hopefully this implosion isnt too early. . .don’t want them bouncing back in the play-offs
Bah-Ram-Ewe, Ovechkin will wreck you. Fear the Furious Fleece!
by kingzman264 on Mar 21, 2010 10:20 PM EDT up reply actions
Teams who screw around before the playoffs do NOT have a good track record for winning the Stanley Cup. So that pretty much eliminates the Sharks.
Rocking the Red since 1975
They’ve stil got 10 games to turn it around
Bah-Ram-Ewe, Ovechkin will wreck you. Fear the Furious Fleece!
by kingzman264 on Mar 22, 2010 12:19 AM EDT up reply actions
Yes!
On an unrelated note, Nabby is TPA’s goalie. :)
Remember- always dispose of mice responsibly.
Chowdah Chatter - an outlet for my random thoughts and such.
by crabchowdah on Mar 21, 2010 10:45 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah and he’s not happy. He’s getting boned right now. Is TPA the SJS of the JRHL?
Killer_Carlson and Steckel Me Elmo are like brothers to me. And when I say brothers I don't mean like actual brothers. I mean it like how black people use it, which is more meaningful, I think.
by Fehr and Balanced on Mar 21, 2010 11:19 PM EDT up reply actions
Maybe the CSI of NBC, or the NCIS of the CBS
Bah-Ram-Ewe, Ovechkin will wreck you. Fear the Furious Fleece!
by kingzman264 on Mar 22, 2010 12:20 AM EDT up reply actions
God dammit. The Sharks are such chokers that they even suck in fantasy playoffs. Thank God there are only 3 goalie stats, but the rest of my team has to wake up as well.
Of all our iniquities ignorance may be the worst
by Killer_Carlson on Mar 22, 2010 12:45 AM EDT up reply actions
Just found out, USA wins gold in Sledge Hockey. Hurrah.
I should have saved my old signature. Oh well!
If this involves anything less than hockey with hammers, I’m going to be disappointed.
Only YOU can prevent idiots from commenting!
by Knee high to a duck on Mar 21, 2010 10:08 PM EDT up reply actions
Paralympic games, sir. Hockey on Sleds, basically, with super arm strength.
I should have saved my old signature. Oh well!
by Whiter Mage on Mar 21, 2010 10:09 PM EDT up reply actions
they are pretty incredible. My next door neighbor in Boston played. The guy had the biceps of an ox on bull shark steroids
Bah-Ram-Ewe, Ovechkin will wreck you. Fear the Furious Fleece!
by kingzman264 on Mar 21, 2010 10:11 PM EDT up reply actions
I saw a kid at the ice rink skating around on one of those
Remember- always dispose of mice responsibly.
Chowdah Chatter - an outlet for my random thoughts and such.
by crabchowdah on Mar 21, 2010 10:46 PM EDT up reply actions
Super arm strength is an understatement. I coach a Bantam team here in St. Louis and my kids went to a sled hockey tournament. They decided within minutes that there was no way they could do what these sled hockey players did.
They use custom sticks to propel themselves around the rink and then the sticks are used to shoot the puck. There’s no banging the sleds at all — that’s a penalty.
Watching more games on Slingbox than anyone else!
It’s probably kind of late to be commenting in the Sunday open thread, but I was wondering about something.
First, I don’t watch a lot of Caps games, and even when I do, I’m not necessarily paying real close attention. The impression that I get of them is that they have a tendency to fall behind, and then they are incredible at coming back to win games. Maybe this is totally off base, and it’s just a few times that I’ve seen this happen and it isn’t really a trend.
If it is actually a trend, then on the one hand it could definitely be a positive thing. The Caps have to be extremely confident in any situation, even if they are down a few goals. But looking ahead to the playoffs, is this something that worries you? Big comebacks in the postseason might be a little harder to come by as you run into hot goalies and teams tend to tighten up defensively. Or do you think it’s no big deal? Or am I completely wrong, and this doesn’t really happen all that often?
by PensAreYourDaddy on Mar 22, 2010 12:38 AM EDT reply actions
Caps depend on their overwhelming firepower to win games. They have 50 more goals then the next team and 80 more goals than they’ve allowed. Sometimes they fall behind and then score a bunch to win, sometimes they score a bunch first and the other team’s never in the game. Often they trade goals with the other team, and just come out on top in the end.
That said, if they run up against a hot goalie, or a team that figures them out defensively, yeah, that’ll be a problem. Not to speak for everyone, but yeah, that worries us. Same thing worries every fan of every team heading into the playoffs. You come up against a Patrick Roy and you’re screwed, no matter how good the regular season’s been.
Fortunately for us, I think we can win some of the games in which the other goalie lights on fire.
Bah-Ram-Ewe, Ovechkin will wreck you. Fear the Furious Fleece!
Could, but you really only need to lose one or two of those in a series before the ball starts rolling, Bruce puts the Care Bears together, everyone starts pressing too hard, d-men start pinching irresponsibly and then everything that worked in the regular season comes apart.
I’m not trying to be Debbie Downer, just been a Caps fan for long enough to know to expect the worst…
Oh yeah, like i said in the post below. As caps fans, i think we are anxious because we know that we have a few downfalls that come up at different times in the season. I think maybe our anxiety rests in that possibility of all of our downfalls coming together in 1 or 2 games.(Which happened last Play-Offs)
Whenever I get worried about the play-offs, I just think of how much better we are than last year. Think about it. . . think about it. . .yeah, we are SOOOO much better. Now, think about how much better all the other teams are? or in some cases, how much worse. Hopefully, some of your play-off worries have subsided
Bah-Ram-Ewe, Ovechkin will wreck you. Fear the Furious Fleece!
I will admit, the Caps have done it the right way. They’ve had back to back disappointing playoff finishes, but in both cases they seemed to learn from it and made themselves ready to take the next step. Of course, winning the President’s Trophy isn’t always the recipe for success in the postseason, but what are they going to do, lose games on purpose just to let a team from the West catch up? Besides, I’m sure you guys are looking forward to home ice advantage in the Cup Final, if they can make it that far.
by PensAreYourDaddy on Mar 22, 2010 1:19 AM EDT up reply actions
For sure, the Capitals have gotten better every year. That’s why i think its the Capital’s Cup to lose.
In the end though, teams like, your Penguins or the Devils still scare me. I don’t think the Devils would give us a hugee problem, but the possibility of their lines finally clicking completely, and Brodeur /wonderTwinFormOfBrickWall ‘ing scares meh. As for the Penguins. . .I don’t trust Malkin, Guerin, Crosby, and the group to turn over and give us any of the games easy. I light a candle in church for MAF turning porous in the post-season
Bah-Ram-Ewe, Ovechkin will wreck you. Fear the Furious Fleece!
Yes, I agree that no team wants to face a hot goalie, which is why as weak as the Rangers appear to be, maybe they wouldn’t be anyone’s first choice to face in the 1st round. I just meant that even a lukewarm goalie, or a team that can put the clamps down when they have to, the Caps wouldn’t necessarily want to go out and spot them a 2 or 3 goal lead. I just didn’t know if they get bored and like to make things interesting, or they sometimes forget to set the alarm clock. I’m probably just trying to find some chink in the armor.
by PensAreYourDaddy on Mar 22, 2010 1:14 AM EDT up reply actions
I’m probably just trying to find some chink in the armor.
Check out our penalty kill.
"You ever use smelling salts, every time you type a bad blog?" Brooks Laich
lol, he wishes.
PK has become quite sound the past few games
Bah-Ram-Ewe, Ovechkin will wreck you. Fear the Furious Fleece!
Then maybe the weakness will be overconfidence ;-)
by PensAreYourDaddy on Mar 22, 2010 1:24 AM EDT up reply actions
I’m not sold on a couple of games being a cure all. Way too small a sample size and the Panthers were a mess period. Canes went 1 for 3. TB going 0 for 4 looks good on paper. I didn’t see that game, so I can’t comment.
I think there will be plenty of confidence, but not overconfidence. The Pens are tough down the middle, forecheck well, MAF can be quite impressive when he wants to be, and Pens have Finals experience. Just not sure that will make up for a terrible PP and a blueline that is woefully inadequate.
"You ever use smelling salts, every time you type a bad blog?" Brooks Laich
Yeah, i could be happy about that, but without looking at the stats, you seem to do just fine against the Pens. Of course everybody does well killing the Pens PP. With the Caps, the “run around like 4 crazy guys” strategy works well against our guys because they don’t seem to make the quick decisions necessary when facing a somewhat aggressive PK.
by PensAreYourDaddy on Mar 22, 2010 1:23 AM EDT up reply actions
No, I think it is a safe conclusion to draw. In the beginning of the season, the team would start very strong, dominating the first period, continuing the momentum into the second, but dropping off and letting the opposition come back half way through the 2nd. At times, the Caps start out very flat, letting the team have their way with them for a good 20 minutes (sometimes even 40), which could’ve been seen in the Penguins game and in the Chicago game. I don’t know if it is just the team mentality, knowing they can play only 16 minutes of hockey and still win, or if they just take a bit to turn on the skills to play their heavy skill-dependent game.
For awhile it looked like the Caps either destroyed a team, or came back in dramatic fashion to win the game. Recently, we’ve dropped a few when we’ve run into stellar goalies.
As far as the postseason goes, most of us are worried that the downfalls we’ve seen every once and awhile in the year will come back all at the same time to haunt us.
The team’s confidence is what is going to push them over the top in alot of the Postseason games. No team is safe even with a 3 goal lead, a lead most teams can’t even put together. Honestly, i am biased, but any team playing their best game against the Capitals best game, the Capitals would win. Only problem is playing to that level
Bah-Ram-Ewe, Ovechkin will wreck you. Fear the Furious Fleece!
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Southeast Standings
| GP | W | L | OTL | PT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Washington
|
82 | 54 | 15 | 13 | 121 |
|
Atlanta
|
82 | 35 | 34 | 13 | 83 |
|
Carolina
|
82 | 35 | 37 | 10 | 80 |
|
Tampa Bay
|
82 | 34 | 36 | 12 | 80 |
|
Florida
|
82 | 32 | 37 | 13 | 77 |
(updated 4.12.2010 at 9:21 AM EDT)
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