Monday Caps Clips: Historic Regular Season History
by J.P. on Apr 12, 2010 6:44 AM EDT
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Your savory breakfast links:
- Recaps and other assorted musings on yesterday's loss from us, the WaPo (blog, blog, blog, gamer), Vogs, Joe B., Ed Frankovic, Peerless, RMNB, StC, Capitals Coming, Capitals Outsider (and again), RtR, Hockey Mom, Examiner, Cap Centre, The Hockey Chronicles, Caps In Pictures and Stanley Cup of Chowder (B's).
- Date, times and TV for the first round are now set. See you Thursday. [FanPost, CI, Puck Daddy, (Ravings of a Rink Rebel has the Bears' first round sked as well)]
- Sorry, not buying the Game 1 starter being match-up dependent. [Dump n' Chase, CI]
- I'll be on Rink Side Radio around 9:00 tonight to preview the Caps/Habs series, so check it out.
- Caps/Habs: not exactly the most exciting first round series... we hope. [Puck Daddy]
- Predictions! [CBC]
- Our SB Nation partner Eyes On The Prize previews the series (and seriously, spend some time on the site and learn yourself some history). [EotP]
- Speaking of history, make sure you're up on the most important piece of Caps/Habs shared history. [Dump n' Chase (no, it's not a new post, but it's so money you should be sure to check it out again)]
- The Caps' monstrous offensive production on the season... a little bit lucky? [BtN]
- Ridiculous statement of the day: "every time I watch a Caps game there’s a soft goal or three that find their way past the former Hart winner." [THN]
- Playoff storylines worth watching. [Puck Daddy, CBC]
- Are the Caps ready to overtake the Pens? Let's not get ahead of ourselves, Ross. [Y!]
- A (small) sampling of experts think highly of the Caps and their captain. [CBC]
- Reflections on a remarkable regular season. [StC]
- Good on Larry Brooks for recognizing what a "breath of fresh air" the Caps are. [NYPost]
- Ten moments from Alex Ovechkin's amazing 2009-10. [Gunaxin]
- Need a new ringtone for the playoffs? [BluepointApps (h/t CG)]
- Slapshot goes heavy on the rouge. [Capitals Outsider]
- Play Rinkotology. Do it. [PensBlog]
- On a quick administrative note, now would seem to be a good time to remind all of our readers, new and old, that the "What We're Reading" sidebar (over there on the left on the front page and on the right on any interior page) is updated throughout the day, so check back often for the latest Caps news from all the important sources.
- Finally, happy 56th birthday to Antero Lehtonen, happy 58th birthday to Mike Bloom and happy 61st to Bob Girard.
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Congratulations to the Caps’ newest signee, Dustin Stevenson. The La Ronge Ice Wolves beat the Yorkton Terriers 3-2 in overtime and raised the Credit Union Cup. Dustin was chosen MVP for the tournament.
They receive an automatic berth in the RBC Cup tournament.
Now helping to keep an eye on all things Gr8 at Alex Ovetjkin.
Ah, the storied Credit Union Cup…
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
To bad they didn’t earn it. Only borrowed it.
For every action, there is an equal and opposite criticism.
by Rather Bengt on Apr 12, 2010 7:45 AM EDT up reply actions
I envision the FreeCreditReport.com band (in Renaissance gear) off camera to the right.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
The funny part? One of the local Ren/pirate bands did a takeoff on that ad. It’s on their album.
Hanlon's Razor: Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.
I am getting visions of Adam and the Ants now….Stand and Deliver!
For every action, there is an equal and opposite criticism.
by Rather Bengt on Apr 12, 2010 8:02 AM EDT up reply actions
Ah, playoffs.
On Friday, dammit.
On the Forecheck/Twitter/CLS
"What do you think this is? Major League Baseball?"- Shea Weber
No Kelly Cup for the Stingrays, drat. They lost 3-2 in overtime to the Cyclones.
Now helping to keep an eye on all things Gr8 at Alex Ovetjkin.
I was gonna ask you. Jeremy Smith FTW?
On the Forecheck/Twitter/CLS
"What do you think this is? Major League Baseball?"- Shea Weber
by Chris Burton on Apr 12, 2010 7:54 AM EDT up reply actions
Three Stars:
1. CIN – B. Ehgoetz – GWG with 3:45 left in OT
2. CIN – J. Smith – 32 saves
3. SC – D. Yeo – I wonder if he gets sent back up to Hershey for the Calder Run.
Now helping to keep an eye on all things Gr8 at Alex Ovetjkin.
I assume Bruess, Dubuc and Yeo and maybe Hauswirth will be called up to Hershey. I would say all 4 but just wondering how many black aces they want skating and where they feel Hauswirth is at this time compared to the other forward prospects. Godfrey played in the first game after missing several months due to a concussion and struggled and then didn’t play again so his status to keep skating/playing this season is unclear at this point.
- Bruess, Hauswirth, Godfrey, and Finley (injured) – Contracts with Capitals who were assigned to SC
- Yeo and Dubuc are the two Hershey contract players who were assigned to SC
Poor Godfrey. He’s has a dreadful time dealing with that concussion.
Now helping to keep an eye on all things Gr8 at Alex Ovetjkin.
That does suck for him on a personal level. But I was already over him as far as a prospect. I think the second round is a great time to pick up D, but GMGM doesn’t have the greatest track record there.
A pretty girl is like a violent crime.
I don’t think there are many, if any, that have much in the way of expectations for him as a prospect at this point, but fwiw, he’s only 22yo. Injuries have really hurt his development to date and based on watching him in camps, as well as in juniors, South Carolina and Hershey, he really needed the games played to even out his game and improve his decision-making.
In terms of this concussion, it did take him awhile to return from the concussion, but not sure where YNC’s comment above is from regarding the challenges other than the amount of time he was off?
That’s all I meant. That concussion was nasty.
Now helping to keep an eye on all things Gr8 at Alex Ovetjkin.
OT Hershey and South Carolina:
I’m also curious to see if any AHL team signs Tarkir to a PTO if help is needed on D given his play in the AHL the last 2 seasons. He was headed back to SC from Norfolk after Norfolk got eliminated and would have played for SC if they had won last night.
A disappointment to see the season end for the SC Stingrays in the first round, but it was a very good series with the Cincinnati Cyclones and congrats to the Cyclones for the series win.
Nice to have the coverage, but tough listening to the radio broadcast with those three OTs in a row and tonight with all the ups and downs in the OT on the PP and PK. job well done with the coverage by Joseph Z, Miller and the player guests. The Stingrays had plenty of chances to win it in the OT last night and from the sounds of it, Bruess had the best opportunities. Tough to lose with the Captain in the penalty box, but from all accounts it was a penalty and the ref wasn’t being shy about calling penalties in OT. Tough first round series, but a well played one after game 1.
Regarding Cail MacLean’s postgame radio comments last night, I was impressed by his composure and his taking the time to compliment his players and others in the organization including Joseph Z. for a job well done, as well as thanking listeners (fans and family) at what one knows must be a difficult time as a first year head coach. Congratulations on a successful rookie season as head coach.
Congratulations to the Stingrays players and Cail MacLean on the season they played beginning to end, especially with all the call-ups and injuries.
by sk84fun_dc on Apr 12, 2010 8:39 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
So are we both writing? You have an idea of how soon you want this done?
A pretty girl is like a violent crime.
I think everyone wins with this bet!
Follow me on Twitter!! I even say some relevant stuff sometimes
I wish I could quit you, Tyler Sloan! - Co-founder of the Tyler Sloan Fan Club
Except everyone that wanted AO to get 3 straight Harts and Richards. Or the people that never wanted Sid to win a Richard. Fucking thanks Islanders. I didn’t really hate you before, but now you are just a jerkwad organization.
A pretty girl is like a violent crime.
Seriously. Fuck the Isles and fuck Sid and fuck whoever assisted him. Now we both look bad :P
On the Forecheck/Twitter/CLS
"What do you think this is? Major League Baseball?"- Shea Weber
by Chris Burton on Apr 12, 2010 9:22 AM EDT up reply actions
Well yea, but this is the best alternative. Much better than Sid outright!
Follow me on Twitter!! I even say some relevant stuff sometimes
I wish I could quit you, Tyler Sloan! - Co-founder of the Tyler Sloan Fan Club
i definitely recall conversation with an old pens-fan friend where i told him, “too bad sid will never win either the calder or richard trophy.” i’m more upset with colin campbell than i am with the islanders.
by Natty Bumppo on Apr 12, 2010 10:29 AM EDT up reply actions
You can take a little bit of solace in the fact that Ovechkin scored 50 goals in just 72 games, while it took Crosby 81 games to score 51 goals and Stamkos 82 to score 51. Ovi has nothing to be ashamed of, IMO.
"He was the patron saint of quality footwear."
by Laich It Or Lump It on Apr 12, 2010 10:37 AM EDT up reply actions
This. Although I do hate having to eat my words, since I’ve been saying for years that “Crosby will never score 50 goals.” However, my assertion still stands that Crosby will never outscore Ovechkin in goals if Ovechkin is healthy. He barely managed to do so in 9 more games.
"Now wait a minute. This is just purely a social call. You know, just two adults getting a stew on, man."
by The Ghost of Bebop on Apr 12, 2010 10:41 AM EDT up reply actions
Stamkos, though, might be in the Richard conversation for years and years to come.
Hey let's go, today is going to be our night
by redlineblue on Apr 12, 2010 10:45 AM EDT up reply actions
No vitriol for Boston shutting down Ovie?
They were a bunch of spoilsports.
(Yes, I know about the avatar hounding - just pretend mine is invisible.)
AO shut down AO. He was terrible. If he had decided to play real hockey maybe he scores. That’s all on him.
A pretty girl is like a violent crime.
How do you really feel, F&B?
Every time the Swedish Swashbuckler scores a goal, an angel gets its wings.
by SeattleCapsFan on Apr 12, 2010 3:50 PM EDT up reply actions
I dunno, seemed to me Thomas robbed him at least twice in that game. The Caps played a pretty disinterested game but Thomas made some tough saves.
Maybe. But for the most part AO was leaving the zone way early and Nick was trying to force home run passes. When they attack as a unit they are much better. But they all saw it as a stat game and they played that way. I was not impressed with AO’s approach.
A pretty girl is like a violent crime.
That was the deal, right?
Fuck Sid, btw.
I don’t care, I might finish mine tonight. Take your time.
On the Forecheck/Twitter/CLS
"What do you think this is? Major League Baseball?"- Shea Weber
by Chris Burton on Apr 12, 2010 9:22 AM EDT up reply actions
I know the Caps are good, and it’s not like I’m really worried, but it does make one just a tad nervous when all the prognosticators are pretty much giving Montreal no chance at all, with one of the CBC guys calling for a sweep?
"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 know I’m fine with everyone picking Nashville to bow out really quick. Lets ya sneak up on ’em.
On the Forecheck/Twitter/CLS
"What do you think this is? Major League Baseball?"- Shea Weber
by Chris Burton on Apr 12, 2010 7:56 AM EDT up reply actions
Yeah what’s the deal with that. C’mon where’s that Canadian bias against the Caps?. How dare they pick the Caps to win versus a Canadian team!
Hehe
For every action, there is an equal and opposite criticism.
by Rather Bengt on Apr 12, 2010 8:00 AM EDT up reply actions
They’re setting up the “David vs. Goliath” narrative so when the Habs win two games they’ve pulled off a miracle.
In all seriousness, it’s hard to pick the Habs to win more than five games. If the Caps have any real trouble in this series, they’re not the team we think they are. That’s not to say it will be easy or that it couldn’t go six or seven, but this is as big a mismatch as you’ll find… on paper.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
I’m just worried about the special teams. Seems like a big discrepancy there in our PK vs. their PP.
It's all happening
Ron and Fez 11 to 3
by YvonLabresMoustache on Apr 12, 2010 8:04 AM EDT up reply actions
What he said. Washington really needs to stay out of the box.
/Captain Obvious’d
On the Forecheck/Twitter/CLS
"What do you think this is? Major League Baseball?"- Shea Weber
by Chris Burton on Apr 12, 2010 8:05 AM EDT up reply actions
The discrepancy is just as large at even strength, where we’ll be spending much more time.
Only YOU can prevent idiots from commenting!
by Knee high to a duck on Apr 12, 2010 8:07 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Yup (but obviously goals are scored at a much higher rate on the PP).
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
They’re also converting at 28% on the road, but its a little misleading because they’ve had the fewest road PP opps of any team in the league.
It's all happening
Ron and Fez 11 to 3
by YvonLabresMoustache on Apr 12, 2010 8:11 AM EDT up reply actions
So on the road, they’re the Tomas Fleischmann of the PP?
They're coming.
by Bald Pollack on Apr 12, 2010 8:15 AM EDT up reply actions
If they are the Tomas Fleischmann of anything then they are done in 4.
A pretty girl is like a violent crime.
by Rob Parker on Apr 12, 2010 9:23 AM EDT up reply actions 3 recs
That is totally unfair.
Blog: I Rock the Red
Twitter: @IRockTheRed
E-mail: irockthered {at} gmail {dot} com
If they are the Poti of anything it’ll be done in two.
They’ll get an allergic reaction and have to forfeit.
Follow me on Twitter!! I even say some relevant stuff sometimes
I wish I could quit you, Tyler Sloan! - Co-founder of the Tyler Sloan Fan Club
Could you imagine a team full of Flashes and Poti’s?
Yikes. 6 defensemen all dropping to their bellies at a dumped-n-chased puck.
4th Floor, is next, swimvare, undervare, Eric Fehr...
by JSchon on Apr 12, 2010 9:40 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
They would set a record for most failed clears.
Everyone wants to kill the king. But the prince, he just sails along telling all the ladies, "One day I'm gonna be king."
The creator and active cheerleader of the Brendan Morrison lobby.
ALI FAROKHMANESH!
What more can I say?
by Steck It Out on Apr 12, 2010 9:42 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Nightmare.
Follow me on Twitter!! I even say some relevant stuff sometimes
I wish I could quit you, Tyler Sloan! - Co-founder of the Tyler Sloan Fan Club
Just whining. I like Flash, and I’m never going to be able to change your mind so that you quit taking gratuitous potshots at him, so I’ll shut up.
Blog: I Rock the Red
Twitter: @IRockTheRed
E-mail: irockthered {at} gmail {dot} com
I think it’d mean more if it, y’know, continued.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Yeah. Continual improvement means nothing to F&B and D’oh? Are you joking me? Does anyone actually see continual improvement? I gave him his credit when he came out crashing the net early in the season and I said I was skeptical it would continue but I’d support him if it did. Well it didn’t. He’s still the same soft Flash that is just an above-average scorer and brings nothing else to the table. Don’t characterize this as though I just don’t like the guy and refuse to give him a fair shake.
A pretty girl is like a violent crime.
I’m just sensitive to claims that I make up my mind and don’t, you know, think about what is going on. I try to give credit when it’s due, even to guys that I don’t really like. But when you make claims like the one above it paints me as a guy that’s not even open to acknowledging that Flash can be good. I’ve acknowledged it and was pleasantly surprised when he played with stones. He just stopped doing that.
Last year everyone was so quick to defend Flash because of the pneumonia and they wanted to give him a chance to heal. Well he did, and he put on that muscle, and he came out crashing the net. And then he stopped. His season has looked almost exactly like last season, except with no pneumonia excuse. He’s not even close to being one of our best 3 offensive forwards. He may not even be top 5. Yet he gets away with bringing nothing else but finesse offense, something we already have in abundance. If and when he rounds out his game I’ll give him credit. I just hope it’s in another sweater. Sell high.
A pretty girl is like a violent crime.
My point was your comment:
If they are the Tomas Fleischmann of anything then they are done in 4.
is an unfair remark. Based upon what criteria do you make such a huge, sweeping generalization of a statement? I know very well your low opinion of Flash as “just another finesse goal scorer.” That just came across as unnecessarily snarky.
Blog: I Rock the Red
Twitter: @IRockTheRed
E-mail: irockthered {at} gmail {dot} com
by IRockTheRed on Apr 12, 2010 10:22 AM EDT up reply actions
And if it’s meant as snark for snark’s sake, and doesn’t add to the discussion, then I’m sure the off-topic police will be around to see you shortly… ;-)
Blog: I Rock the Red
Twitter: @IRockTheRed
E-mail: irockthered {at} gmail {dot} com
by IRockTheRed on Apr 12, 2010 10:24 AM EDT up reply actions
You’re just overly sensitive when it comes to Flash. Almost ridiculously so.
Follow me on Twitter!! I even say some relevant stuff sometimes
I wish I could quit you, Tyler Sloan! - Co-founder of the Tyler Sloan Fan Club
by Ovechwin on Apr 12, 2010 10:25 AM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
That’s why I usually don’t bother to say anything.
Blog: I Rock the Red
Twitter: @IRockTheRed
E-mail: irockthered {at} gmail {dot} com
by IRockTheRed on Apr 12, 2010 11:07 AM EDT up reply actions
Well it was building off of BP’s joke about Flash. I was just taking it a step further. There’s both truth and snark to it. I think Flash is the prototypical Non-Playoff performer. There’s not a single coach in any league that is getting his team ready for the playoffs saying “you see Flash, if you can bottle that game we’ll be fine.”
A pretty girl is like a violent crime.
by Rob Parker on Apr 12, 2010 10:25 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I certainly would have to agree that right now despite his scoring Flash is NOT on the list of guys I’d say are the top six forwards on the Caps.
My top 6 in order are: 8, 19, 28, 21, 22, and 9. After that I’d also place both 16 and 18 ahead of 14 though I’d be willing to concede on some points if yoy wanted to put that in an order of 14, 18/16 or 16/18, and I’d concede you could debate putting 14 ahead of 9 though I wouldn’t right now and i certainly wouldn’t put 14 ahead of any I’ve listed as the first 5.
by markbona-capsfan99 on Apr 12, 2010 11:58 AM EDT up reply actions
Continued improvement
2005-06
14 GP
0G
2A
-7
0.0 S%
2006-07
29 GP
4G
4A
-6
7.7 S%
2007-08
75 GP
10G
20A
-7
9.3 S%
2008-09
73 GP
19G
18A
-3
14.5 S%
2009-10
63 GP
23G
28A
+9
19.0 S%
OK, he had one season where he backslid in +/-. Elsewise, he is continuously improving on his numbers. I call that continued improvement.
Blog: I Rock the Red
Twitter: @IRockTheRed
E-mail: irockthered {at} gmail {dot} com
by IRockTheRed on Apr 12, 2010 10:19 AM EDT up reply actions
It’s the 08-09 to 09-10 that I’m not a huge fan of. This was his year to take a big step. And he didn’t. He had his “how do I play in the NHL years” and that’s fine. Most players go through that. But I think he’s topped out. His game didn’t really evolve this year. He is still streaky. And, as has been said so many times, he doesn’t bring anything else to the table.
I don’t particularly care much about his plus/minus either way.
And it looks like his shooting% has already started to come back to earth from his ridiculous 25% earlier in the season. I’m not convinced that he’s really that much better. You can work on a lot of different areas of your game to make yourself better, but shooting% isn’t generally one of them. Especially not for a guy like Flash. You increase your shooting% by crashing the net; that’s not how Flash has gotten most of his goals (though it is how he was scoring back in Nov/Dec when he had that incredibly high Shooting%…).
A pretty girl is like a violent crime.
Let’s take a look at ES GAON/60; shall we?
‘07-’08: 3.07
Backstrom was 2.54, AO 2.56 and Semin 3.27.
‘08-’09: 2.71
Backstrom was 2.47, AO 2.91 and Semin 2.28.
‘09-’10: 2.92
Backstrom was 2.28, AO 1.80 and Semin 2.29.
Flash is what he is, a scorer, and nothing else. That’s why he’s so frustrating, and that’s why if he was going to be sold, to borrow F&B’s comment it should be done high while a guy who can actually play defense and provide 20 goals can do that.
They're coming.
by Bald Pollack on Apr 12, 2010 10:36 AM EDT up reply actions
I’d love to argue with you, but obviously the numbers don’t lie. But defensive numbers/break-out years typically come after an offensive break-out year.
It’s kind of interesting to see the other players in that same 2.92 range this year though.
For the sake of a more relevant comparison/boredom, I took a look at Eric Fehr’s numbers (since he’s been scolded/sat for his defensive play) for the same period:
‘07-’08: 1.44
‘08-’09: 2.08
‘09-’10: 1.92
I took a look at the ES GAON/60 who finished worse than Flash, and admittedly there are some surprising names in there.
They're coming.
by Bald Pollack on Apr 12, 2010 10:58 AM EDT up reply actions
admittedly there are some surprising names in there
Surprising is an understatement for me. I know it’s a debate I’ll never win on here, but I continue to think that his defensive game will break-out next year. Seems that players who are pegged as snipers take a bit longer to pick up on defensive responsibilities.
Also, while Fehr and Flash are comparable for the Caps they have totally different styles….Flash is never going to be evolve into a Knuble, Laich-esque player which is what Fehr needs to do to be successful.
I’d argue that it has continued on a season-season basis. I’m not saying he’ll grow into a 40 goal scorer, but I don’t think him being around 25 goals/50 points every year is out of the question.
Obviously I’m a huge Flash proponent (gingers need to stick together), but I’d love to see a team offer him a stupid contract this summer for the draft picks.
Yeah, about 2.5 to 3 times more on the PP as opposed to ES, but teams are spending a lot more time on the PP + ES than they are on the PK.
Only YOU can prevent idiots from commenting!
by Knee high to a duck on Apr 12, 2010 9:13 AM EDT up reply actions
Fun fact: the Habs may be ranked 2nd in the NHL in PP% but they have the 7th worst power play in the League at home (go figure) at 16.9% – it’s balanced out by a crazy road PP % but as YLM pointed out, they don’t draw too many PPs on the road, either.
Just saying things are not as they seem, kids…their power play isn’t awful but I’m not sure it’s as scary as we want to make it. In fact after watching it operate against numerous other teams this year I KNOW it’s not as scary as we want to make it.
I know…there’s just other things that bother me too, namely, playing there is a nightmare, and Ghosts.
It's all happening
Ron and Fez 11 to 3
by YvonLabresMoustache on Apr 12, 2010 11:46 AM EDT up reply actions
That David vs Goliath might be a bit to literal…
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 Apr 12, 2010 8:05 AM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
I don’t want the Habs to win more than three, and preferably only one at most. They win four and the Caps go home.
/nitpick
Hanlon's Razor: Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.
by gotsparkly on Apr 12, 2010 8:06 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
In all seriousness, it’s hard to pick the Habs to win more than five games.
Jesus… no idea how that phrasing got onto the screen. I meant one game, i.e. the series going five. Off to get coffee for me…
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
I’m just hoping the Habs win one game, just so it will go to a 5th game back home cause we got tickets for game 5
My pocketbook politely disagrees. I’d be happy to sweep all rounds except the final — they can play the clinching game 5 at home, thankyouverymuch.
:-)
"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."
This morning on The Fan 590 (Toronto), Damien Cox picked the Caps in two. (-:
"It hit me on the pants. I had protection. It felt good. Why? I wanted to win."
Canadian exchange rate?
"Camaraderie, that's what the Washington Capitals are all about."
by CapitalCentre on Apr 12, 2010 9:36 AM EDT up reply actions
Game 1 starter, Theo for sure. But I wouldn’t be stunned if Varly played at the Bell Centre.
You had me at no problem.
If Theo plays both VC games well, there’s no reason to change goalies.
Now helping to keep an eye on all things Gr8 at Alex Ovetjkin.
This is my guess. Theo gets game 1, if that’s a win he gets game 2, but Varly starts game 3.
"Camaraderie, that's what the Washington Capitals are all about."
by CapitalCentre on Apr 12, 2010 9:11 AM EDT up reply actions
Varly
For some reason, I seem to be one of maybe two or three people who watched Varlamov in Montreal biting her fingernails every time the Habs knocked one off the post. That boy had unholy luck in that game. He makes me nervous.
Blog: I Rock the Red
Twitter: @IRockTheRed
E-mail: irockthered {at} gmail {dot} com
That was when MTL was #1 in the East though, right? Nowhere near that. They had good Kovalev then, for example.
Cидни Kросби: Александр Oвечкин, он твой папа теперь
Capitals Coming: for Capitals fans who can bear reading something less intelligent than a story at Japers' Rink
by red army line on Apr 12, 2010 5:04 PM EDT up reply actions
I see your point, and don’t entirely disagree, but if Theo can’t make it through the Bell Center then is he really capable of winning a Cup? If you’re going to win one you should be able to win anywhere.
A pretty girl is like a violent crime.
by Rob Parker on Apr 12, 2010 9:26 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Right. Champions are seldom chickenshit.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Very true. I think we’re just trying to guess what Bruce will do. I have so much more faith in Theo now than this time last year.
"Camaraderie, that's what the Washington Capitals are all about."
by CapitalCentre on Apr 12, 2010 9:38 AM EDT up reply actions
I think Theo should get games one and two no matter what. If we’re up 2-0, he gets game three. That’s my take.
by sixsevenfiftysix on Apr 12, 2010 7:50 PM EDT up reply actions
That’s how I think it should be handled as well. I would be pretty disappointed if Theo’s stellar play since January is not taken into account to the fullest just because we’re playing Montreal. He should be able to handle it. He’s gone through much worse this season.
Rink Rabbit & newest member of TySlo's fan club.
Oh Scott Burnside!!
2. Finding the charge: Having long ago sewn up the Atlantic Division crown, the Eastern Conference’s top seed and more recently the Presidents’ Trophy, it’s been a long time since the Capitals played in a meaningful game. Which begs the question: How long will it take for the Caps to get fully engaged in the playoffs?
It's all happening
Ron and Fez 11 to 3
by YvonLabresMoustache on Apr 12, 2010 8:06 AM EDT reply actions
Whoops :)
Hanlon's Razor: Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.
Not an isolated incident either.
Next Para:
We’re guessing not long if the attitudes of Boudreau and his players suggest anything. Boudreau takes exception to the idea his team has been coasting along for the past month or so. The former Jack Adams Award winner as coach of the year insisted this stretch run was different than last season, when the Caps were locked into the Atlantic lead early on and finished up against many teams that had been eliminated from the playoff races.
It's all happening
Ron and Fez 11 to 3
by YvonLabresMoustache on Apr 12, 2010 8:07 AM EDT up reply actions
The Caps are so good they win divisions they aern’t in.
I have to go. But if I find one single dog hair when I get back, I'll rub... sand... in your dead little eyes. I also need you to buy sand. I don't know if they grade it, but... coarse.
by Steckel Me Elmo on Apr 12, 2010 8:09 AM EDT up reply actions
“All your divisions are belong to us”?
by Elliotte on Apr 12, 2010 8:52 AM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
LeBrun is just as bad in Nashville’s preview. “Ugly ducklings of the NHL.”
On the Forecheck/Twitter/CLS
"What do you think this is? Major League Baseball?"- Shea Weber
by Chris Burton on Apr 12, 2010 8:11 AM EDT up reply actions
Nice. Real classy, right there.
Hanlon's Razor: Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.
I know. I may ignore ESPN this postseason.
On the Forecheck/Twitter/CLS
"What do you think this is? Major League Baseball?"- Shea Weber
by Chris Burton on Apr 12, 2010 8:13 AM EDT up reply actions
Darkside means ignoring them? Isn’t it the other way around?
by DrinkingPartner on Apr 12, 2010 10:04 AM EDT up reply actions
I think if the Western Final ends up as PHX/Nashvile someone at NBC’s head will explode.
It's all happening
Ron and Fez 11 to 3
by YvonLabresMoustache on Apr 12, 2010 8:12 AM EDT up reply actions
And Canada’s.
On the Forecheck/Twitter/CLS
"What do you think this is? Major League Baseball?"- Shea Weber
by Chris Burton on Apr 12, 2010 8:13 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
not mine though!
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 Apr 12, 2010 8:14 AM EDT up reply actions
I think I was reminded this weekend why I never watch the 2nd intermission panel on Hockey Night In Canada. Oof.
It's all happening
Ron and Fez 11 to 3
by YvonLabresMoustache on Apr 12, 2010 8:18 AM EDT up reply actions
Lebrun AND Milbury… It’s the “How not to” of hockey
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 Apr 12, 2010 8:21 AM EDT up reply actions
Throw in Healy’s insanity, and its pretty much the Three Stooges.
It's all happening
Ron and Fez 11 to 3
by YvonLabresMoustache on Apr 12, 2010 8:23 AM EDT up reply actions
Ugh Strachan. My dad worked with Strachan for years at The Globe and Mail and he’s just as much as a knob as he appears on TV.
For every action, there is an equal and opposite criticism.
by Rather Bengt on Apr 12, 2010 7:56 PM EDT up reply actions
he was surpizingly nice to new Jersey, though he thinks that Carcillo will do what Avery did to Brodeur 2 years ago. I’ll be the first to say that Carcillo is lucky that Clarkson probably isn’t going to fight him just because if that happens, Carcillo will need to eat through a straw
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 Apr 12, 2010 8:13 AM EDT up reply actions
Doesn’t he already have to eat through a straw?
On the Forecheck/Twitter/CLS
"What do you think this is? Major League Baseball?"- Shea Weber
by Chris Burton on Apr 12, 2010 8:16 AM EDT up reply actions
And a sippy cup.
I have to go. But if I find one single dog hair when I get back, I'll rub... sand... in your dead little eyes. I also need you to buy sand. I don't know if they grade it, but... coarse.
by Steckel Me Elmo on Apr 12, 2010 8:16 AM EDT up reply actions
No, he cooks everything on a fire Chris Pronger makes. Otherwise he eats his food raw
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 Apr 12, 2010 8:17 AM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
I kind of read that as a complement. A lot of people hear Nashville and hockey in the same sentence and automatically assume “sucks” would follow. Much like Colorado and Phoenix, nobody predicted Nashville to be a playoff team this season, and a lot of people thought they’d slide farther into the Western Conference basement along with their other small market brethren. I took “ugly duckling” to mean “misjudged” or “underestimated.”
Trivia question: of the last eight expansion teams that came into the NHL (Nashville, Atlanta, Columbus, Minnesota, Florida, Tampa Bay, San Jose, and Anaheim) how many have had three or more 100 point seasons? Answer: two – Nashville and San Jose.
GUTEN TAAAAAAAAAAAAG!
Yet he says Caps in five, right? (I read it a couple of hours ago.)
"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."
Its like that old Robin Williams bit…
“I’m not schizophrenic.”
“Yes you are!”
“Shut up!”
It's all happening
Ron and Fez 11 to 3
by YvonLabresMoustache on Apr 12, 2010 8:34 AM EDT up reply actions
It doesn't beg the question
It merely raises it, and it doesn’t even really raise it.
Obstreperously Avatarless
Petitio principii FTW.
If wishes were horses, we'd all be eating steak.
by Hang a Laingtern on Your Problems on Apr 12, 2010 7:43 PM EDT up reply actions
It truly appears that until the Caps and Boudreau win the cup, the conventional pundits and MSM won’t truly admit the new NHL is here and make the effort to understand the Caps are playing a different system then the rest of the league because it’s right for the times and works. Only then will they make an effort to:
1) Understand It (the Caps System)
2) Learn It and Truly Appreciate It
and 3) Give them the kudos they deserve -
If any fact illustrates that the new NHL is different than the past this season it’s that 11 teams finished with 100 points or more…. when was the last time that happened? Better yet what was the largest number ever previously?
by markbona-capsfan99 on Apr 12, 2010 8:35 AM EDT reply actions
They mentioned something yesterday about the Caps being the first non-Original Six team with over 120 points. If that’s true, that completely blows my mind.
It's all happening
Ron and Fez 11 to 3
by YvonLabresMoustache on Apr 12, 2010 8:37 AM EDT up reply actions
i'm not the biggest NBA fan, but..
reminds me of the d’antoni phoenix suns. but in the case of the suns, it wasn’t just the pundits. after a few early exits in the playoffs, even phoenix management decided they needed to switch to a more “conventional” playoff roster, bringing in shaq and trying to slow down the game.
by Natty Bumppo on Apr 12, 2010 10:54 AM EDT up reply actions
They got housed a couple of times by the Spurs and the Spurs’ half-court sets. I have to give Popovich and Duncan a lot of credit — less their interference, I think the Suns win at least one title with that group.
Only YOU can prevent idiots from commenting!
by Knee high to a duck on Apr 12, 2010 10:56 AM EDT up reply actions
But this is getting OT and emphatically not hockey. Meet you in the OT if you want to discuss further.
Only YOU can prevent idiots from commenting!
by Knee high to a duck on Apr 12, 2010 10:57 AM EDT up reply actions
If only someone would have brought up this analogy before. Wait a second…someone did.
"You ever use smelling salts, every time you type a bad blog?" Brooks Laich
nice. you two get the credit. it must have been bouncing around in the back of my memory.
by Natty Bumppo on Apr 12, 2010 8:12 PM EDT up reply actions
Huge thumbs down yesterday:
Clear 100’s section bias in give-aways. Jerseys off our backs went to just one seat outside of the 100’s.
Second, but maybe most importantly. Our team mascot is NOT A DAMN CARDINAL. Slapshot looks horrible. Red + stars on tail, OK… but head… This is DC. This is the capital of the nation. Bald eagle FTW.
Deadspin had an article a while ago about how a lot of those giveaways are “steered” by people who work inside the place to their own friends and families.
It's all happening
Ron and Fez 11 to 3
by YvonLabresMoustache on Apr 12, 2010 8:44 AM EDT up reply actions
I just figure it’s going to be more heavily weighted towards the people who pay the most for tickets. I guess that’s okay, but I’d like to think I had a chance to win something. Really, the past couple of years, the giveaways have been way fewer. Don’t know if it’s the recession, the success of the team (don’t need to be as generous), or both.
Frankly, in the end it wasn’t that big of a deal. I can buy a puck and get it signed (probably). The jersey would have been cool just for winning and getting to go to the ice, but, eh. Totally would have liked to win a TV, though.
"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."
and if anyone notices, the Chipotle stuff always goes to the 400’s, same for moving folks up to better seats.
Not saying everything’s equal, but they do spread stuff around
The move is supposed to be from the 400’s. The people next to us got it one game. They said it was okay, but the scoreboard actually obstructed a bit of the far view. Weird.
I’ve definitely seen Chipotle go to the lowers.
"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 have to be honest with you, I don’t really want to sit in the 100’s. I’ve gone down there for warmups and had tickets there once, and I have not had good experiences with the people who sit down there. I’d rather sit in the 400’s where I can watch the play develop and sit with cool and non-snotty people.
Although, winning something would be nice. Might be an argument for getting tickets in the 100 level for the final game next year.
Hanlon's Razor: Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.
I’m blissfully happy where I am. The people around us are great. The only downside is the broker tickets in the two top rows, but even then, it’s usually not bad. Or I’m just oblivious. Or both.
"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."
Totally would have liked to win a TV, though.
hah, I hardly call a 19 inch LCD a TV. Its more of a laptop screen than a TV :-)
Because now I can justify browsing and commenting during the work day with the argument that I am promoting my business.
by Sombrero Guy on Apr 12, 2010 10:52 AM EDT up reply actions
It’s great for a bedside television, or as a secondary screen. I agree that I wouldn’t want it as my only television, though.
That said, it beats the hell out of not having one, especially for a dorm dweller.
Only YOU can prevent idiots from commenting!
by Knee high to a duck on Apr 12, 2010 10:54 AM EDT up reply actions
not to brag, but...
…i won one of those TVs in 2006 (32 inch aquos) and it was pretttty sweet. also given a free jersey of my choice, had free dinner for four at the acela club, interviewed on the radio by kolbe, shown on the big screen, and got to meet my favorite capital in the locker room after the game. might have been my last chance to be a ridiculous fanboy. you know those internet sweepstakes that take 3 minutes to fill out? seriously, you should do them. i was pushed by debcapsfan, otherwise i wouldn’t have.
by Natty Bumppo on Apr 12, 2010 11:24 AM EDT up reply actions
Dude, you’re Michael Jenkins?
They're coming.
by Bald Pollack on Apr 12, 2010 11:41 AM EDT up reply actions
Haha, I was just thinking the same thing.
"Now wait a minute. This is just purely a social call. You know, just two adults getting a stew on, man."
by The Ghost of Bebop on Apr 12, 2010 11:41 AM EDT up reply actions
i immediately clicked the subject line to collapse the post (and i don’t blame anyone else that did). don’t feel like looking at myself all day. full dorky facebook album here for anyone that cares.
by Natty Bumppo on Apr 12, 2010 12:42 PM EDT up reply actions
Is that sweat on Ovie’s shirt, or did you spill a beer on him too?
by Cluster on Apr 12, 2010 4:15 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
I just figure it’s going to be more heavily weighted towards the people who pay the most for tickets.
Which is funny if you think about it. The rich people get all the free goodies.
Whenever they shoot burritos into the 100s I always think that those are the people that least need free food.
I like the Washington Capitals.
Does anyone attending a hockey game “NEED” free food?
I look to the future because that's where I'm going to spend the rest of my life.
Me, when I spend a week’s worth of grocery money on a ticket!
Every time the Swedish Swashbuckler scores a goal, an angel gets its wings.
by SeattleCapsFan on Apr 12, 2010 12:30 PM EDT up reply actions
I hear you. Last year, being a 422 season ticket holder, I had to go through that a lot. The parachutes would only go below the 400’s.
We booed our lungs out.
Everyone wants to kill the king. But the prince, he just sails along telling all the ladies, "One day I'm gonna be king."
The creator and active cheerleader of the Brendan Morrison lobby.
ALI FAROKHMANESH!
What more can I say?
by Steck It Out on Apr 12, 2010 9:38 AM EDT up reply actions
Even when the hit the 400’s, we’re so far up that we’re under a ceiling ledge, so we’ll never get them.
"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."
Yeah. It was pretty stupid that we rarely got any promos. I did get a t-shirt from the Red Rockers, though!
Everyone wants to kill the king. But the prince, he just sails along telling all the ladies, "One day I'm gonna be king."
The creator and active cheerleader of the Brendan Morrison lobby.
ALI FAROKHMANESH!
What more can I say?
by Steck It Out on Apr 12, 2010 9:43 AM EDT up reply actions
My first thought with the Slaphot pics was that he’s just dying his hair red like some of the players have been known to do. But I doubt Slapshot’s dye washes out!
I'm rockin' the red... shoes!
Probably a fresh head for that… ;-)
Blog: I Rock the Red
Twitter: @IRockTheRed
E-mail: irockthered {at} gmail {dot} com
by IRockTheRed on Apr 12, 2010 11:58 AM EDT up reply actions
from the 3rd CBC article
Selke Trophy (best defensive forward)
1. Pavel Datsyuk, Detroit (19)
2. Ryan Kesler, Vancouver (16)
3. Jordan Staal, Pittsburgh (11)
Others receiving votes: Jonathan Toews, Chicago (8); Patrice Bergeron, Boston (7); Mike Richards, Philadelphia (4); Brooks Laich, Washington (2); Brandon Sutter, Carolina (2); Henrik Zetterberg, Detroit (2); Mikko Koivu, Minnesota (1).
Brooks being on there made me laugh, but I’m surprised Nicky B didn’t get any love… small sample size, I suppose (“anonymous 12-member panel consisting of NHL general managers, assistant GMs, pro scouts and players”)
"In the past we developed individually, but now we're growing as a team and that's what is important." - Mike Green
Interesting that Brooksie gets a vote for the Selke when he’s been comparatively weak in the Plus/Minus department over the last 2 years. And none of our top 3 forwards in the Plus/Minus department get any love there, including Nicky B. (“But the Alexes don’t play defense.”)
Rocking the Red since 1975
Brandon Sutter? That’s got to be a joke. He’s been good as a kid but he’s nowhere near that class of player yet. And Toews should be ahead of J. Staal.
A pretty girl is like a violent crime.
So should Koivu.
Only YOU can prevent idiots from commenting!
by Knee high to a duck on Apr 12, 2010 9:32 AM EDT up reply actions
So should Richards and Zetterberg.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Eh. Richards had a down year, IMO. I don’t mind him slipping a little bit. I’m probably knocking him too much for PHI’s woes but I don’t think either he or Carter brought what they had last year.
Definitely overlooked Koivu and Hank though.
A pretty girl is like a violent crime.
Part of my problem with Staal is his faceoffs – he only won 44.4% of his SH draws, for example. That puts his team in a spot a bit too often for my liking.
Admittedly, I threw Richards out there based more on reputation than his numbers on the season.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Faceoffs will (and should) keep Staal from the Selke, but I think he deserves to be in the conversation. His GVT is through the roof.
"Don't matter who did what to who at this point. Fact is, we went to war and there ain't no turnin' back. I mean, s---, it's what war is, you know? Once you in it, you in it. If it's a lie, then we fight on that lie. But we gotta fight."
by Hooks Orpik on Apr 12, 2010 11:25 AM EDT up reply actions
In keeping with your “look who Team Canada left off, they can’t identify talent” theme, shouldn’t you be cheering for Staal to win the Selke?
:)
"Don't matter who did what to who at this point. Fact is, we went to war and there ain't no turnin' back. I mean, s---, it's what war is, you know? Once you in it, you in it. If it's a lie, then we fight on that lie. But we gotta fight."
by Hooks Orpik on Apr 12, 2010 11:39 AM EDT up reply actions
Trust me. I’d love to keep piling on Team Canada. But they picked at least one better Selke candidate than J-Staal. Now, if you want to convince me they took the wrong Staal I’m open to listening.
(Marc was roooooooooobbed.)
A pretty girl is like a violent crime.
by Rob Parker on Apr 12, 2010 11:42 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Completely agree. Laich plays defense he just ain’t great at it. Backstrom should be there instead.
4th Floor, is next, swimvare, undervare, Eric Fehr...
No i think Laich is pretty good defensively but not Selke – good. If anything his biggest trait is that he is pretty good at everything.
Bruce Boudreau when asked about Brooks Laich's return to the lineup, he said: "He just adds another dimension to our team. If it was puzzle, he just fits that thing. He completes us."
Exactly. I also wonder if his 2 points came from one second place vote (Caps person most likely) or two third place votes.
"In the past we developed individually, but now we're growing as a team and that's what is important." - Mike Green
by kellobellow on Apr 12, 2010 12:24 PM EDT up reply actions
I don’t see Laich as anything above average defensively unless it’s on the PK. His numbers are pretty good there, but 5on5, he’s just not that effective.
Only YOU can prevent idiots from commenting!
by Knee high to a duck on Apr 12, 2010 12:25 PM EDT up reply actions
Some Bäckström quotes from the Swedish media
About reaching 100 points
It feels really good of course, but I’m quite frankly more relieved than anything else.
When you get that close to breaking the barrier you want to do it.
I was getting pretty close and I’ve been thinking about it a lot actually. It’s a big deal over here and yeah I admit that it have affected me.
I didn’t think I would reach it but then our unit started to connect again and the points followed suit.
The Celebration
Me and my brother and a couple of friends from my hometown celebrated together. We went to Capital Grille for dinner and had a glas of champagne.. I kinda of though it was worth it.
The puck
Our equipment manager have the puck for now that’s probably for the best otherwise it would probably be gone by now, hehe.
About the season
I feel stronger and I have gradually put on some more muscle mass and that gives me the confidence to shoot more.
About reaching 100 points again, but from a different interview
I’m not gonna lie it feels incredible. If someone told me two years ago that I would reach one hundred points and that It would feel like this.. I would not believe them. I was so close and I really wanted it.. it’s a milestone after all. I guess sometimes individual stuff can feel good too.
What can I say I’m a JP fangirl. I will follow him into the darkest and filthiest of alleys, even the comment section at Puck Daddy.
by Malin A on Apr 12, 2010 8:54 AM EDT reply actions 10 recs
Nice pull as always IW.
They're coming.
by Bald Pollack on Apr 12, 2010 8:57 AM EDT up reply actions
So happy for Nicky! And a whole glass of champagne!
And yes, he’s put on some muscle mass this year. The media guide is woefully out of date.
Now helping to keep an eye on all things Gr8 at Alex Ovetjkin.
After re-reading the quotes:
I guess sometimes individual stuff can feel good too
Ovi’s never getting the puck again. :)
Now helping to keep an eye on all things Gr8 at Alex Ovetjkin.
by EmilyB on Apr 12, 2010 9:07 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Sure he is. He’s just going to have to steal it from an opponent more often.
Hanlon's Razor: Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.
Hey Nicky. Conn Smythe can be considered “individual stuff” and I bet it would feel pretty good.
Now helping to keep an eye on all things Gr8 at Alex Ovetjkin.
by EmilyB on Apr 12, 2010 9:14 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
He just let his guard down for a moment. I’m sure he’ll be back with his usual routine in no time.
You know; It’s not me I just play with good players, it’s the coach, the fans, the stick manufacture and the guy that sharpens my skates I’m just lucky.
What can I say I’m a JP fangirl. I will follow him into the darkest and filthiest of alleys, even the comment section at Puck Daddy.
Let Lars slip out for a moment, did he? Good.
Now helping to keep an eye on all things Gr8 at Alex Ovetjkin.
Our equipment manager have the puck for now that’s probably for the best otherwise it would probably be gone by now, hehe.
Meaning Ovie would take it?
DC Landing Strip - Waxed and Ready to Go
Meaning someone would. I heard a rumor they’re planning to split it in half…
Blog: I Rock the Red
Twitter: @IRockTheRed
E-mail: irockthered {at} gmail {dot} com
by IRockTheRed on Apr 12, 2010 11:34 AM EDT up reply actions
Maybe Ovi will let Nicky have this one since Ovi already has a few other 50 goal pucks.
I'm rockin' the red... shoes!
A half-puck in each of their trophy cases is so much cooler.
Now helping to keep an eye on all things Gr8 at Alex Ovetjkin.
especially since people will see that it’s half a puck and ask why. then you get to explain how you and this other superstar combined on one play to get one guy’s 50th goal and the other guy’s 100th point. Instant story-time piece.
Exactly.
Plus, Ovi has a history of sharing things. Doesn’t he have half a twonie somewhere?
Blog: I Rock the Red
Twitter: @IRockTheRed
E-mail: irockthered {at} gmail {dot} com
yeah, can’t remember who has the other half, but he wears it on a chain as a good luck charm.
Kung-fu Rink Rabbit
Donate to the Rink Pledge Drive for SAVES FOR KIDS! Ain’t nothing [crappy] about giving $5 so a stranger’s premature baby can have the time on a respirator they need.~Gould Old Days
Do they split it in half, like you’re cutting a pizza in half, so each player would have a 180 degree half circle or do they split it in half along the skinnier part of the puck, so each player would have the full pattern of the puck to look at, but the puck itself would be half as “thick”.
Because now I can justify browsing and commenting during the work day with the argument that I am promoting my business.
by Sombrero Guy on Apr 12, 2010 2:34 PM EDT up reply actions
I didn’t even consider you could split it that second way.. mind blown.
My ability to post is only surpassed by my ability to pinch pennies.
180 half circle please. More awesome in your trophy case.
Now helping to keep an eye on all things Gr8 at Alex Ovetjkin.
Maybe, or maybe he meant that he and Ovie would lose it if they took care of it themselves. The way he said it could be interpreted in either way and I didn’t want to put words in his mouth so therefore it became a bit vague.
What can I say I’m a JP fangirl. I will follow him into the darkest and filthiest of alleys, even the comment section at Puck Daddy.
I was at the Cap Grille after the game and I shook Nicky’s hand and congratulated him. Had no idea the rest of the table was his brother and friends, although it was a bunch of big pretty blonde dudes.
"Hockey is my life, wine is my passion." -- Igor Larionov
by Scott in Shaw on Apr 12, 2010 8:29 PM EDT up reply actions
Numbers are gaudy, especially since the Olympics, but every time I watch a Caps game there’s a soft goal or three that find their way past the former Hart winner.
everytime i read a THN.com column i see three or four facts find their way past the author.
such a stupid statement. every other comment about playoff goalies is based in some fact or an appropriately qualified opinion except this one. i guess he hasnt seen a caps game since oct/nov. [french word for shower] bag.
Just trying to capture the spirit of the thing...
Rinkotology
is awesome. The UI is beatiful, and the game is pretty well constructed… but I am suprised that they are still using a static payout structure. It seems to me they are either overexposing themselves with too many payouts (doubtful) or not paying out enough money (much more likely) to make the game palatable.
Why not make it like a poker tournament where a % of your entry goes to the host? I’m a disappointed they didn’t implement a payout structure like this, and I doubt I’ll play this time around, despite how much they claim to be paying out.
For the Olympic version they paid out approx 15-20% of the money they collected… seriously. That’s a pretty nice racket they’ve got going.
by Bushwood Bushwhacker on Apr 12, 2010 9:29 AM EDT reply actions
In The Pensblog’s rinkotology a blocked shot is worth as much as a +, or half as much as an assist? Not buying that as a legit scoring method.
Only YOU can prevent idiots from commenting!
by Knee high to a duck on Apr 12, 2010 9:32 AM EDT reply actions
SKATERS:
* Goals: 3 pts
* Assists: 2 pts
* Shots on goal: 0.3 pts
* Hits: 0.1 pts
* Blocked shots: 0.1 pts
* +/-: +0.5/-0.5
by Bushwood Bushwhacker on Apr 12, 2010 9:34 AM EDT up reply actions
Skater Scoring Categories:
Goals: 3pts): +1 or -1pts
-Assists: 2pts
-Shots on goal: 0.1pts
-Hits: 0.1pts -Blocked shots: 1pts -Plus/Minus(+/
From an exact copy/paste. What you posted would make a lot more sense, but I’m reading this as blocked shots being worth a full point.
Only YOU can prevent idiots from commenting!
by Knee high to a duck on Apr 12, 2010 9:35 AM EDT up reply actions
Stupid formatting.
More stupider poster for not using the preview button.
Only YOU can prevent idiots from commenting!
by Knee high to a duck on Apr 12, 2010 9:35 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Ahh gotcha, there is a “Rules” link on the Rinkotolgy main page, try that one. It has more rules too.
by Bushwood Bushwhacker on Apr 12, 2010 9:36 AM EDT up reply actions
So if you care what a football columnist thinks: Peter King’s thoughts
Devils over Flyers in seven, but they’ll be too beat up to go much further, I fear. In the finals, I like Chicago over Washington in a classic, wide-open series.
"Yes, but Rimmer Directive 271 states just as clearly, 'No chance you metal ba****d.'"
I have no idea if he actually knows anything about hockey, but the fact that a national football writer even has what appears to be a rational thought about it is impressive.
"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."
Per the Canadian Media guys I follow on Twitter:
Lawton and Tocchet out in Tampa. I’m interested to see who replaces those guys — is there anyone out there that has a record of developing prospects well? They’ve got a pair of bluechippers, another one on the way in the upcoming draft unless they completely botch it and a lot of project type guys in their farm system if HF’s ratings are to be believed.
Only YOU can prevent idiots from commenting!
by Knee high to a duck on Apr 12, 2010 9:39 AM EDT reply actions
Yzerman for GM. Book it.
Not sure on coach.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Yzerman? Really? He’d never leave Detroit/Hockey Canada, but that’s more my presumption than anything. Maybe Gainey?
They're coming.
by Bald Pollack on Apr 12, 2010 9:43 AM EDT up reply actions
Yzerman’s ready to take the helm and it ain’t happening in Detroit for a loooooooong time. It’s a good fit, IMO.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Why would Yzerman take that job? I’d assume he’d rather go somewhere he has something to work with, and I definitely feel like he’s being groomed for DET. You’d think Yzerman would go to a team that had at least one player capable of playing for Team Canada.
A pretty girl is like a violent crime.
You don’t think Stamkos is capable of playing for Team Canada, and, further, that Stamkos would be an incredibly good fit for Yzerman to mentor?
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
I’d thought Holland had been there forever. So I looked it up and he has, within the org, but has only been a GM for 13 years (only 10 years older than Y too, go figure). I dunno, it seems weird/wrong for him to consider leaving.
As far as coach goes, John Stevens ain’t doing anything (throws dart).
They're coming.
by Bald Pollack on Apr 12, 2010 9:53 AM EDT up reply actions
Holland’s made noises before that he’s going to retire soon-ish.
Kung-fu Rink Rabbit
Donate to the Rink Pledge Drive for SAVES FOR KIDS! Ain’t nothing [crappy] about giving $5 so a stranger’s premature baby can have the time on a respirator they need.~Gould Old Days
Heh. I said Stamkos was ready for Team Canada back in December and January. Guess I’m just not as smart as Steve Yzerman.
A pretty girl is like a violent crime.
Yeah, Stamkos and Green are teh suck.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Left off the highest scoring D and a Richard winner. I love it. Sure, Team Canada won so it’s harmless error, but that should at least demonstrate that Yzerman isn’t infallible and the team he picked just might not have been the best 20 Canadian hockey players.
A pretty girl is like a violent crime.
It was the right 20 players.
/Miracle’d
My ability to post is only surpassed by my ability to pinch pennies.
Yeah. They really needed to be meticulous in their planning. One small personnel mistake could have blown up the whole thing! If ever there was a management team with no margin for error, it was the 2010 Canadian Olympic selection team.
A pretty girl is like a violent crime.
by Rob Parker on Apr 12, 2010 10:17 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
If you win, it’s always the right players. Nothing to see here.
"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."
Kinda surprised about Tocchet getting the boot too, but then I remembered how badly they shit the bed down the stretch.
It's all happening
Ron and Fez 11 to 3
by YvonLabresMoustache on Apr 12, 2010 11:25 AM EDT up reply actions
I have a feeling the Flames will give Darryl Sutter the boot as GM and Stevie Y will take over that job.
For every action, there is an equal and opposite criticism.
by Rather Bengt on Apr 12, 2010 8:00 PM EDT up reply actions
JP Tweet
Won my keeper league for the third time in four years, thanks in large part to.. Sidney Crosby. Ugh. I feel so dirty.
like stock market analysts, shuoldn’t we require full disclosure of portfolio holdings from the esteemed editors and writers here at the rink?
kidding of course…congrats. who you keeping next year?
Just trying to capture the spirit of the thing...
We can keep up to five and I’ve got Crosby, Brodeur and Green locked in. Likely Iginla and Getzlaf joining them, but depending upon where Vokoun ends up, could be him.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
You think Marty and Iggy are still worth keeping? I don’t see either one as a dominating player anymore, but I suppose Marty is in a great situation with Lemaire’s system in front of him.
Only YOU can prevent idiots from commenting!
by Knee high to a duck on Apr 12, 2010 9:51 AM EDT up reply actions
It’s a 12-team League with 25-man rosters, so yeah, probably. But I agree that they’ve dropped off a bit.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Depends who Iggy gets traded to. Marty has another year or two of awesome regular season stats in him. Especially if Lemaire stays and they can re-sign Martin.
A pretty girl is like a violent crime.
Lots of Iggy-to-Boston rumors floating around.
Everyone wants to kill the king. But the prince, he just sails along telling all the ladies, "One day I'm gonna be king."
The creator and active cheerleader of the Brendan Morrison lobby.
ALI FAROKHMANESH!
What more can I say?
by Steck It Out on Apr 12, 2010 9:56 AM EDT up reply actions
That’s a dumb one. Won’t happen. Terrible fit for all involved. He’d have to go to a team that is younger and, more importantly, has cap space. I don’t think he’ll be traded, but it would be best for CGY. Ultimately Sutter needs to go, but that’s not happening.
A pretty girl is like a violent crime.
Iggy to Wash!!!
Not going to happen, but I managed it in nhl2010. Ovechkin – Backstrom – Ignila was monsterous after simming the entire season (aka I didn’t play a single game) with Ovi and Iggy both over 50 goals. ahh the possibility…./drool
but Iginla needs to get out of the Flames and do something!
Bruce Boudreau when asked about Brooks Laich's return to the lineup, he said: "He just adds another dimension to our team. If it was puzzle, he just fits that thing. He completes us."
If I could pick a RW to plug into our top line it would be Rick Nash.
"Now wait a minute. This is just purely a social call. You know, just two adults getting a stew on, man."
by The Ghost of Bebop on Apr 12, 2010 12:10 PM EDT up reply actions
You’d pick Brown over Nash? I like Brown, but that’s crazy talk.
"Now wait a minute. This is just purely a social call. You know, just two adults getting a stew on, man."
by The Ghost of Bebop on Apr 12, 2010 12:12 PM EDT up reply actions
He’d be an amazing complimentary player. I can’t see Nash and Ovie functioning on the same line.
My ability to post is only surpassed by my ability to pinch pennies.
I agree with this, they’re both big time puck carriers.
Brown is an ideal choice, Smyth is a good choice, anyone who can play exceptionally well along the walls with any kind of scoring touch.
Only YOU can prevent idiots from commenting!
by Knee high to a duck on Apr 12, 2010 12:17 PM EDT up reply actions
I know, and you know that I agree, but they both carry the puck a lot.
Only YOU can prevent idiots from commenting!
by Knee high to a duck on Apr 12, 2010 1:31 PM EDT up reply actions
Ok, I can buy that. A few years ago I would have agreed with you, but Nash and Ovie have both developed their passing games and drifted away from hogging the puck as much. Plus, that combination of size and skill is boner-inducing.
"Now wait a minute. This is just purely a social call. You know, just two adults getting a stew on, man."
by The Ghost of Bebop on Apr 12, 2010 12:17 PM EDT up reply actions
In the league? No salary ramifications?
That Patrick Kane guy ain’t too bad.
It's all happening
Ron and Fez 11 to 3
by YvonLabresMoustache on Apr 12, 2010 12:14 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah, I’m ignoring salary ramifications. Nash is my favorite RW in the league.
"Now wait a minute. This is just purely a social call. You know, just two adults getting a stew on, man."
by The Ghost of Bebop on Apr 12, 2010 12:16 PM EDT up reply actions
I thought that too initially, but Kane brings the same skill set and is about a thousand years younger.
It's all happening
Ron and Fez 11 to 3
by YvonLabresMoustache on Apr 12, 2010 12:19 PM EDT up reply actions
Unacceptable. Like a Skins fan drafting Cowboys (or redskins) for their fantasy teams. I’d rather lose without Crosby than win with him. ;-)
Hey, whatever helps you win your league.
Everyone wants to kill the king. But the prince, he just sails along telling all the ladies, "One day I'm gonna be king."
The creator and active cheerleader of the Brendan Morrison lobby.
ALI FAROKHMANESH!
What more can I say?
by Steck It Out on Apr 12, 2010 9:53 AM EDT up reply actions
Exactly, in it to win it.
Only YOU can prevent idiots from commenting!
by Knee high to a duck on Apr 12, 2010 9:58 AM EDT up reply actions
It helps me mitigate my feelings towards Sid – if he does well, at least I get some minimal benefit from it.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
eh, called a win win situation. bet/draft with your head, not with your heart…
Just trying to capture the spirit of the thing...
by dcsportsfan1 on Apr 12, 2010 9:55 AM EDT up reply actions
Something that caught my eye from the Storming the Crease article:
Set a club record for fewest penalty minutes in a season (940). The previous record was 951 in 1975-76.
Much has been made of the Capitals’ penalty killing woes this season, so it is encouraging to see that this year’s Caps were the most disciplined in franchise history by the raw numbers. With about 25% of PK situations allowing a goal, it is good to see that PIM total kept down. The Caps were the 9th least penalized team in the league. (Chris Burton, the Predators were the least penalized team in the league with only 8.7 PIM per game. Kudos to your boys.)
I noticed a couple interesting points while looking at the PIM breakdown. An unusual percentage of that PIM total is composed of misconducts and game misconducts. This year’s Caps took seven misconducts and five game misconducts, which accounts for 120 PIM of that total. That is the most amount of misconduct PIMs the Caps have taken in over a decade and perhaps longer (NHL.com only tracks PIM breakdowns back to the ‘97-’98 season). Also, according to the Penalty Tracker, there were 18 fights this season, which accounts for another 90 minutes of that PIM total. Excluding fights, misconducts, and game misconducts, for which a team is allowed to substitute in a replacement player, that leaves 730 PIM where the Caps were possibly shorthanded (an adjustment is needed for coincidental minors). That is about 8.9 PIM per game for non-substitutable penalties.
As far as team discipline goes, it is difficult to judge whether this year’s Caps were more or less disciplined than normal. On one hand, the PIM total was the lowest ever, and the Caps took less minors and majors overall. On the other hand, there were an unusually high number of misconducts, where a player is lost for ten minutes, and game misconducts, where a player is lost for the rest of the game. It is hard to say which has a greater negative impact on this team: normal penalties or misconducts. Ovechkin accounted for three of the five game misconducts. One would think losing Ovechkin for the latter portion of three games would have a fairly significant impact, but conversely the team has played surprisingly well in his absence. Players like Backstrom and Knuble were represented in the misconduct PIM count. It could also be argued that losing two of the team’s top five goal scorers for ten minutes intervals should have a negative impact of the game. It comes down to comparing the impact of killing a shorthanded situation against losing a player for a significant portion of the game. Considering the team’s depth at scoring to mitigate the impact of a misconduct penalty and poor penalty killing to aggravate the impact of a shorthanded situation, I am inclined to believe that minors and majors have a greater negative effect on this team. For that reason, I think this season’s low PIM total had a fairly substantial impact. Thoughts?
"He was the patron saint of quality footwear."
by Laich It Or Lump It on Apr 12, 2010 9:51 AM EDT reply actions 7 recs
Great job Laichitor. I completely agree. It sucks to lose a guy for 10 or a game, but as long as you don’t put these Caps SH they can overcome it. They have so much depth that at ES they are going to dominate almost anyone. I’m much more concerned about the non-matching 2s and 5s than I am about the 10s.
I’d also say that it’s much harder to get yourself thrown out of a game in the playoffs. AO can go back to hitting everything that moves and unless he actually tries to kill a guy I don’t know that the NHL would suspend him. Of course, I have no fucking clue what they’ll do but based on years in the past anything that could halfway be considered a “hockey play” gets the benefit of the doubt. AO’s transgressions always fit that bill. It’s not Chris Pronger using his elbow to try to give Holmstrom or McAmmond a lobotomy. If we can play 5 on 5, we should beat everyone.
A pretty girl is like a violent crime.
On the other hand, if Ovechkin or another one of our skill players does take a misconduct, it has a much more substantial impact on the game than it did in the regular season. In last year’s playoffs there were 44 misconducts and 7 game misconducts (10 of those misconducts were Chicago!). I’m not sure if those totals are low or high for the playoffs, but I hope the Caps lower those PIMs either way.
"He was the patron saint of quality footwear."
by Laich It Or Lump It on Apr 12, 2010 10:08 AM EDT up reply actions
Yeah that’s a surprising number of misconducts. I can’t figure out what was going on there. Maybe reflexive misconducts for late fights?
Caps definitely need to still be careful. We have depth, but we don’t need to tempt fate.
A pretty girl is like a violent crime.
I went back and checked previous playoffs back to before the lockout. The average number of misconducts seems to be between 20 and 30 (rough estimate). Throw out Chicago’s 10 and there were still a surprisingly high number of misconducts last season. Strange.
"He was the patron saint of quality footwear."
by Laich It Or Lump It on Apr 12, 2010 10:21 AM EDT up reply actions
That is strange. Good work though. I can’t really put my finger on why CHI had so many last year. I want to blame it on guys like Eager and Burrish but I don’t think it’s that easy.
A pretty girl is like a violent crime.
CHI had more than PHI last year? Or am I thinking of the year before when they boarded and fought everything that moved?
by DrinkingPartner on Apr 12, 2010 10:31 AM EDT up reply actions
Or was it last year when they…
I’m getting caffeine.
by DrinkingPartner on Apr 12, 2010 10:32 AM EDT up reply actions
Goddamn it!
Or was it the year before when they…
by DrinkingPartner on Apr 12, 2010 10:32 AM EDT up reply actions
Faaaaaaaail!
Follow me on Twitter!! I even say some relevant stuff sometimes
I wish I could quit you, Tyler Sloan! - Co-founder of the Tyler Sloan Fan Club
FWIW, per some BtN analysis, over the last three seasons in minutes (2007,2008,2009):
ES: 3851.9, 3876.1, 4016.2
SH: 577.6, 605.6, 508.6
PP: 550.8, 502.5, 479.8
Fewest minutes SH this year relative to previous two, though obviously this is skewed by the fact that doing poorly on the PK reduces the number of SH minutes. Just another reason I’d love to see a stat indicating how far into a PK goals were typically given up.
I guess if I have to, I could go in your stead, it’ll be rough but I think I could manage ;)
Follow me on Twitter!! I even say some relevant stuff sometimes
I wish I could quit you, Tyler Sloan! - Co-founder of the Tyler Sloan Fan Club
But I probably am interested in legit buying them. EIP
Follow me on Twitter!! I even say some relevant stuff sometimes
I wish I could quit you, Tyler Sloan! - Co-founder of the Tyler Sloan Fan Club
ECHL Playoff Bracket Question
Since the ECHL has only six pairs in the first round, how do round two and subsequent rounds work?
Blog: I Rock the Red
Twitter: @IRockTheRed
E-mail: irockthered {at} gmail {dot} com
The ECHL has uneven conferences in terms of number of teams and number of divisions. In the National Conference (i.e., the Western teams), out of the 2 division winner, the one with the better record received a bye in the first round. The teams that received the bye was Idaho. All first round series are best of five; all second round and later series are best of seven.
Thanks.
Blog: I Rock the Red
Twitter: @IRockTheRed
E-mail: irockthered {at} gmail {dot} com
by IRockTheRed on Apr 12, 2010 11:14 AM EDT up reply actions
So Idaho doesn’t show up in the brackets anywhere… really weird…
I’ve got:
Charlotte Checkers (3) – Toledo Walleye (1) —> Checkers advance
Reading Royals (2) – Kalamazoo Wings (2) —> Undecided
Elmira Jackals (2) – Florida Everblades (3) —> Everblades advance
South Carolina Stingrays (2) – Cincinnati Cyclones (3) —> Cyclones advance
Bakersfield Condors (2) – Victoria Salmon Kings (2) —> Undecided
Stockton Thunder (3) – Alaska Aces (1) —> Thunder advance
and then we have the Idaho Steelheads in there somewhere, and they didn’t have to play round 1, so they’ll be nice and rested for round 2. Right?
Blog: I Rock the Red
Twitter: @IRockTheRed
E-mail: irockthered {at} gmail {dot} com
by IRockTheRed on Apr 12, 2010 11:38 AM EDT up reply actions
There are/were 7 first round series, not six. American Conf: 4; National Conf. 3…Utah vs Las Vegas is missing from your list.
That helps...
Utah Grizzlies (2) – Las Vegas Wraglers (2) —> Undecided
Blog: I Rock the Red
Twitter: @IRockTheRed
E-mail: irockthered {at} gmail {dot} com
There is a hilarious column by Slava Malamud on SE site, based on his interviews after the game last Friday. I took the liberty to translate the part about Semin – should I post it here? Or is there a 24 hour waiting period for Tuvan?;-)
Awesome article. There’s so much more than the Semin quote. Slava calls the President’s trophy an umbrella stand!!!!
Now helping to keep an eye on all things Gr8 at Alex Ovetjkin.
I feel a little lost this morning, without the daily playoff match-ups to post.
Instead, get your internet butts over to the Saves for Kids and help me celebrate all the good we did. Hint: A lot!
As for this season, well……I’m not sure I have the words to describe how I feel right now. The Caps didn’t just give their fans a historically great season for the franchise, they gave us a historically great season in the history of hockey. I thought last year was awesome; this year, there just aren’t words. 16 wins, boys, just 16 more wins. Time to bust this out:
Kung-fu Rink Rabbit
Donate to the Rink Pledge Drive for SAVES FOR KIDS! Ain’t nothing [crappy] about giving $5 so a stranger’s premature baby can have the time on a respirator they need.~Gould Old Days
That song is too Red Wings. Even now when I hear it on the radio they’ve got me yelling out the “SOUTH DETROIT!” part.
It's all happening
Ron and Fez 11 to 3
by YvonLabresMoustache on Apr 12, 2010 11:29 AM EDT up reply actions
I was talking about this with D’ohboy yesterday. Do people in Detroit realize that he is leaving Detroit to go anywhere else. How is this something to be proud of?
A pretty girl is like a violent crime.
by Rob Parker on Apr 12, 2010 11:31 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
because leaving Detroit to go elsewhere is the life goal for Detroit natives?
Kung-fu Rink Rabbit
Donate to the Rink Pledge Drive for SAVES FOR KIDS! Ain’t nothing [crappy] about giving $5 so a stranger’s premature baby can have the time on a respirator they need.~Gould Old Days
by RedBirdie on Apr 12, 2010 11:37 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I think the real THN quote of the day from the goalie link is:
Brian Boucher Only playoff goalie with GAA under .900 and a losing record. Don’t be surprised to see Johan Backlund if he gets healthy.
If any goalie had a gaa under 1….i don’t even know where to start…and then to rank such a phenomenal goalie at 16th? wtf THN!?
Bruce Boudreau when asked about Brooks Laich's return to the lineup, he said: "He just adds another dimension to our team. If it was puzzle, he just fits that thing. He completes us."
Nicky the third star of the week.
"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."
Go Nicky!
Kung-fu Rink Rabbit
Donate to the Rink Pledge Drive for SAVES FOR KIDS! Ain’t nothing [crappy] about giving $5 so a stranger’s premature baby can have the time on a respirator they need.~Gould Old Days
What do you have to do as a team to go into the playoffs and not be harshly criticized, when you are a good team?
If you go in winning every single game, people complain about how the team is peaking too soon and how the momentum can’t possibly carry over..etc..etc…we’ve all read it.
If you go in losing or not playing “important” games, the complaints center around how the team needs to be playing well going into the playoffs and that there isn’t just an ON switch that can be activated.
I look to the future because that's where I'm going to spend the rest of my life.
In this sport, unless your key players have won it all before, your team will consistently be criticized in the press, while recent champions are known to “have what it takes”. It’s an oddity of the Stanley Cup Playoffs coverage.
Was anyone talking about how the NO Saints “don’t have what it takes” to win the Super Bowl last December/January?
You had me at no problem.
Hello Seattle
Seattle viewing party fanshot has been posted!
Every time the Swedish Swashbuckler scores a goal, an angel gets its wings.
by SeattleCapsFan on Apr 12, 2010 12:52 PM EDT reply actions
Learn something new
did not know this rule was in the books…
51.3 Match Penalty – If, in the judgment of the Referee, a goalkeeper uses his blocking glove to punch an opponent in the head or face in an attempt to or to deliberately injure an opponent, a match penalty must be assessed.
hard to determine TT intent yesterday, but he did use his blocking glove to hit chimmer in the face several times. i’m guessing in the moment thomas wanted to hurt chimera (perhaps envisioning it was rask he was hitting).
Just trying to capture the spirit of the thing...
Thanks for this.
I asked a question about this during the game yesterday, but no one knew the answer. I seem to recall a goalie getting tossed for this in the past few years.
I think that, to the letter of the law, Thomas should have been tossed – but the key phrase in what you’ve posted is “deliberately injure.” Very hard to determine intent, and match penalties in general are specifically for intent to injure.
Watching more games on Slingbox than anyone else!
i dont know about that. it certainly is more likely to cause an injury but not necessarily goes to intent. especially since chimmer was right in his grill at the time and TT didnt have a chance to shake it off…not that he should have in the first place though.
Just trying to capture the spirit of the thing...
by dcsportsfan1 on Apr 12, 2010 1:13 PM EDT up reply actions
Didn’t Chimera get pushed?
Blog: I Rock the Red
Twitter: @IRockTheRed
E-mail: irockthered {at} gmail {dot} com
I’m not saying that it is by NHL rules. I just know that you don’t punch with a blocker unless you are trying to do serious damage. There’s no innocent way to do it.
A pretty girl is like a violent crime.
i’ve never seen this enforced although, quite frankly i dont think i’ve seen a goalie hit a guy like that with his blocker. i think nate ewell tweeted about the rule last night but he left out the part of the intent to injure.
i though the double minor was appropriate and i also did not have an issue with the minor on chimera even though he appeared to be nudged into thomas. seeing how many times our goalie gets run i would like to see that enforced more consistently. will be interesting how that shakes out in the playoffs.
Just trying to capture the spirit of the thing...
by dcsportsfan1 on Apr 12, 2010 1:11 PM EDT up reply actions
Montreal is my least desired matchup from the bottom 4 teams (including the Rags, who missed out), due to the presence of Halak, Markov, Gill and their PP. Oh, well. If they can’t take 4 off of the Habs, then they’re not going to get past any of the upper echelon teams anyway.
I do think the series goes 6 or 7 games, though, which is a drag; I was envisioning a nice 5 game series against Boston or Philly.
Finally, let’s hope that at least one of NJD, BUF or PIT gets dumped this round.
"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 just thew up in my mouth a little bit reading that.
"the other day on sportscenter they said something along the lines of "the capitals score so much tiger woods is jealous" haha had me laughing hard while i was eating my cereal"
only a little?
Kung-fu Rink Rabbit
Donate to the Rink Pledge Drive for SAVES FOR KIDS! Ain’t nothing [crappy] about giving $5 so a stranger’s premature baby can have the time on a respirator they need.~Gould Old Days
Are you kidding? This is brilliant. Tell me you clicked the links that provide the examples.
Only YOU can prevent idiots from commenting!
by Knee high to a duck on Apr 12, 2010 1:44 PM EDT up reply actions
I loved the one by the Chicago guy about the Norris Race
And in my opinion Keith has been more of an impact player than Washington’s Mike Green, Los Angeles’ Drew Doughty and San Jose’s Dan Boyle.
Keith was plus-17 with 66 points going into Tuesday’s game against the Stars, averaging almost 27 minutes of ice time per night for the NHL’s fourth-best defensive team.
Green was plus-35 with 74 points, but 35 of those points came on the power play. And Washington is 17th in the league defensively.
In addition, Keith made the Canadian Olympic team and Green didn’t. That was Steve Yzerman’s evaluation.
It's all happening
Ron and Fez 11 to 3
by YvonLabresMoustache on Apr 12, 2010 1:47 PM EDT up reply actions
is that for real? Oh my. I feel like I need one of those I haz cheezeburger thingys. Logic: ur doing it WRONG!
Kung-fu Rink Rabbit
Donate to the Rink Pledge Drive for SAVES FOR KIDS! Ain’t nothing [crappy] about giving $5 so a stranger’s premature baby can have the time on a respirator they need.~Gould Old Days
by RedBirdie on Apr 12, 2010 1:49 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
It's all happening
Ron and Fez 11 to 3
by YvonLabresMoustache on Apr 12, 2010 2:00 PM EDT up reply actions
Maybe I’m a bit of a homer….
you think?! Jesus, and this guy is allowed to vote on the award?
Kung-fu Rink Rabbit
Donate to the Rink Pledge Drive for SAVES FOR KIDS! Ain’t nothing [crappy] about giving $5 so a stranger’s premature baby can have the time on a respirator they need.~Gould Old Days
I like how the fact that Green is a PP threat is construed as a negative.
My ability to post is only surpassed by my ability to pinch pennies.
well, there is the possibility that Green won’t score on the PP. Thus, he’s worthless and overrated.
Kung-fu Rink Rabbit
Donate to the Rink Pledge Drive for SAVES FOR KIDS! Ain’t nothing [crappy] about giving $5 so a stranger’s premature baby can have the time on a respirator they need.~Gould Old Days
If planes didn’t fly, they’d be boats.
My ability to post is only surpassed by my ability to pinch pennies.
The links are the key. The straight text is almost entirely complimentary toward the Staals. That was the rule, and I fulfilled it. I didn’t explicitly rip on any of them except for the faceoffs and since both CAR fans and PIT fans have done that as well I figure it’s fair game.
A pretty girl is like a violent crime.
Well, you didn’t explicitly rip on any of the ones that are in the NHL.
Of all our iniquities ignorance may be the worst
by Killer_Carlson on Apr 12, 2010 2:45 PM EDT up reply actions
It was already. Figuring out the way to embed the links without directly ripping on them was kinda fun. Facially I think I satisfied the bet. The links are what make it mine.
A pretty girl is like a violent crime.
what was the basis of the bet? I’ve been slacking on my gratuitous comment reading lately.
Because now I can justify browsing and commenting during the work day with the argument that I am promoting my business.
by Sombrero Guy on Apr 12, 2010 3:06 PM EDT up reply actions
If Stamkos won the Richard, he wins. If Stamkos lost, I win. If there is a tie, we both lose.
A pretty girl is like a violent crime.
Nice. And what is Chris’ penance?
Because now I can justify browsing and commenting during the work day with the argument that I am promoting my business.
by Sombrero Guy on Apr 12, 2010 3:15 PM EDT up reply actions
Except it isn’t fuckin’ true, Jordan!
On the Forecheck/Twitter/CLS
"What do you think this is? Major League Baseball?"- Shea Weber
by Chris Burton on Apr 12, 2010 3:56 PM EDT up reply actions
On the Forecheck/Twitter/CLS
"What do you think this is? Major League Baseball?"- Shea Weber
by Chris Burton on Apr 12, 2010 4:17 PM EDT up reply actions
it’s beautiful!
Kung-fu Rink Rabbit
Donate to the Rink Pledge Drive for SAVES FOR KIDS! Ain’t nothing [crappy] about giving $5 so a stranger’s premature baby can have the time on a respirator they need.~Gould Old Days
Via Capitals Insider:
I was informed late last night that Comcast SportsNet will carry all of the first round games because Versus is not exclusive in the first round.
Joe B and Locker FTW!
Caps Snaps - Washington Capitals Photography
Founder of the Eric Fehr Fan Club.
by cobracg on Apr 12, 2010 5:03 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
:: throws weagle-shaped confetti ::
Now helping to keep an eye on all things Gr8 at Alex Ovetjkin.
by EmilyB on Apr 12, 2010 5:06 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
We’re going to run out of that stuff.
Follow me on Twitter!! I even say some relevant stuff sometimes
I wish I could quit you, Tyler Sloan! - Co-founder of the Tyler Sloan Fan Club
Hooray! Can’t have enough weagle-shaped confetti. It flutters so nicely and makes the day festive.
Now helping to keep an eye on all things Gr8 at Alex Ovetjkin.
buy stock in whatever company makes weagle shaped confetti. they’ll be rolling in money if this spring goes according to plan! (I really really wish I could actually get some)
Kung-fu Rink Rabbit
Donate to the Rink Pledge Drive for SAVES FOR KIDS! Ain’t nothing [crappy] about giving $5 so a stranger’s premature baby can have the time on a respirator they need.~Gould Old Days
Potential For Goonage: 2. “Paging Maxim Lapierre(notes) … will Maxim Lapierre please pick up the white courtesy phone …” And let’s not discount the potential for Ovechkin to blow up one of the smurfs with an open-ice hit.
I lol when I read this but I just don’t see Ovi hitting one of their small guys. If anything, I think Ovi tends to hit guys that are either bigger than him or about his size.
Lobbies: Green, Carlson, Orlov
Brian Campbell would like a word with you…
Every time the Swedish Swashbuckler scores a goal, an angel gets its wings.
by SeattleCapsFan on Apr 12, 2010 5:26 PM EDT up reply actions
That was a shove, not a hit.
/work with me here
Now helping to keep an eye on all things Gr8 at Alex Ovetjkin.
My bad :)
Every time the Swedish Swashbuckler scores a goal, an angel gets its wings.
by SeattleCapsFan on Apr 12, 2010 5:49 PM EDT up reply actions
Habs Eyes on the Prize has tons of new stuff on the series. Well, 3 stories, but worth checking out, I suppose.
Power play comparison
Cидни Kросби: Александр Oвечкин, он твой папа теперь
Capitals Coming: for Capitals fans who can bear reading something less intelligent than a story at Japers' Rink
lets go pros and cons here, sorry for the delay
Forgive me for the failure to use advanced metrics, but today’s been brutal (testified by the major lack of comments).
Pros:
Offense:
- While not as smooth as Green, he’s fully capable of moving the puck up ice. This is best displayed when Suter is on another PP unit.
- Capable of scoring as many goals as Mike Green. I know he hasn’t done it, but only has 3 less this year on a much less offensively potent squad and hit 23 last year.
- While not quite the passer Green is, he’s no slouch. Check out the feed to Jason Arnott from Saturday.
- Elite level power play quarterback, mainly for one reason. Teams absolutely have to give up at least one defender (occasionally two) to stop him, or its over. Earlier in the year against Anaheim, no one covered him at the point. He was fed the puck four times in a row, hit the net every time, and the last one went in. Its an almost unguardable asset.
Defense:
- large enough (6’4, 234) and strong enough to impose his will on anyone in the league. There are few defensemen with the same combination of strength, size, and skill. Green is 30 pounds lighter and 3 inches shorter.
- Fantastic at clearing players out of the crease. Tomas Holmstrom stands little to no chance when Weber’s on the ice.
- Good ability to recover from mistakes. I’ll get to this in a moment, but when he does screw up, he can cover back quickly.
Cons:
- As mentioned, still shows a tendency to seek and destroy. Is a highlight reel hitter, but sometimes takes himself out of the play to do so. Needs to be remedied.
- Has a little trouble keeping the puck in the zone on back passes. He’s good for one or two ‘facepalm’ moments a game when there’s good power play momentum, forward chips the puck back for a one timer and it skips right over his stick.
- Gets angered…easily? You probably remember the fight with Andreas Lilja, and just last week, after Holmstrom repeatedly cross checked him in the neck area, Weber took a retaliatory penalty which was totally unnecessary. The Wings scored on the power play, and it really pissed me off because he needs to rein in those emotions in key situations.
All I got for now, gotta put a post together for OtF. We know the counterpoints for Green, and I’d take Weber every day for his leadership qualities, combination of assets, and a serious load of awesome (okay, so thats not a legit point, but hey).
On the Forecheck/Twitter/CLS
"What do you think this is? Major League Baseball?"- Shea Weber
by Chris Burton on Apr 12, 2010 6:09 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
My Rebuttal
That’s a strong analysis of Weber’s game, but it doesn’t exactly say why he’s better than Green. While we all know the counterpoints for Green, I’ll make the argument while clearly contrasting him with Weber.
Let’s start with offense. While Weber may be able to hang with Green in goal scoring (although three straight years leading Dmen in goal scoring says otherwise), Green is pretty far ahead of him everywhere else. Green is an elite skater so not only is he able to make great breakout passes, he’s able to skate the puck out of the zone and up the ice in a way that Weber can’t. There is a reason why he is commonly referred to by BB and fans as a one man breakout.
While Weber has the booming shot as a threat, Green’s passing makes him an duel PP threat in a way that Weber isn’t. Either you prevent the pass to the other players on the PP and Green racks up 30 goals (last year) or you prevent Green from getting his back door shot and he kills you with assists (this year). While Green does play in a system and on a team that helps his stats, the numbers from the past few years clearly show that Green is just more of a versatile offensive threat.
Defensively, I think Green is on par (or at least very close) with Weber. He doesn’t have the punishing hits in the corners that Weber does, but that’s because he often does need to. He beats the opposing forward in the race to the puck eliminating the need to make a big hit. When he is at his best defensively he is making tough plays look routine by out skating everyone else, getting to the puck and getting it out of the zone. With other lesser skaters these plays are the ones where you have hard fought puck battles and the D is forced to make a breakout play under pressure.
Weber’s size and physicality certainly make him more effective in front of the net, and in general his positioning and ability to not get caught running around is a little better. He also doesn’t get caught deep or turnover the puck as much as Green. However, these problems are just as much of an consequence of Green’s role on the team as a primary puck carrier and BB telling him to jump in offensively as they are results of his poor decision making. Despite that, Green has made great strides this year to improve his decision making and picking his spots to skate the puck out of the zone and jump up in the play.
For all the guff that Green takes his even GAON/60 numbers are better than Weber’s despite playing in a very offensive system in front of very inconsistent goaltending. And he has done this without having a partner (or anyone else on the defensive corps) as good as Suter. This year he has played more with Schultz, but as good as Schultz has been this year he is no Suter. Defense is about keeping the puck out of the net, and it doesn’t really matter how it gets done. Fact of the matter is, when Green is on the ice the other team does not score very much. If he continues his dedication to improving his defensive responsibility his upside is incredible.
Judging leadership is extremely difficult without being on the team, but I’ll grant you that Weber probably has more of those qualities than Green. Still, Green’s versatility on offense and underrated defense provide a better (and much more unique) package than Weber. Weber is the more prototypical defensive stud (booming shot and punishing physical play in the defensive zone), but Green’s one man breakout ability and his one of a kind offensive instincts are more difficult to replace.
Of all our iniquities ignorance may be the worst
by Killer_Carlson on Apr 12, 2010 9:15 PM EDT up reply actions 5 recs
Excellent post, rebuttal coming momentarily.
That’s a strong analysis of Weber’s game, but it doesn’t exactly say why he’s better than Green.
I know :). I didn’t have the time to go into all that right then.
On the Forecheck/Twitter/CLS
"What do you think this is? Major League Baseball?"- Shea Weber
by Chris Burton on Apr 12, 2010 9:18 PM EDT up reply actions
here...we...go
Let’s start with offense. While Weber may be able to hang with Green in goal scoring (although three straight years leading Dmen in goal scoring says otherwise), Green is pretty far ahead of him everywhere else. Green is an elite skater so not only is he able to make great breakout passes, he’s able to skate the puck out of the zone and up the ice in a way that Weber can’t. There is a reason why he is commonly referred to by BB and fans as a one man breakout.
I disagree with the extent of your premise here. I’ll preface by saying, though, that you watch Green much more than I do, and should be considered more reputable. I don’t think Green is ‘pretty far ahead’ of Weber by any stretch.
Weber is not required to do all the things that Green is because our defense isn’t a one man show. Suter is the better puck carrier and skater, so it only makes sense for him to take those tasks when they are paired together to enable Weber to get in good position for a one-timer. We’ve seen Weber on numerous occasions carry the puck out like an ace when Ryan isn’t on the ice, but like I said, there’s really no need. If Green and Weber were to say, swap places, I think you’d be surprised at his puck moving ability.
I’ll try and get some more later, but the crux of my counterpoint is this: while Green is more ‘versatile’ offensively, its a little misleading because Weber simply isn’t required to do all the same things. When you have a player like Suter (or even Hamhuis to a lesser extent) it enables your other guys to focus on the things they do the best, thus leading to better results. I can’t fathom if the Capitals had a Souray/Pronger type defenseman to pair with Green. Hot damn.
At any rate, all this conversation has me wondering if its Ryan Suter we should be hailing instead of 6.
On the Forecheck/Twitter/CLS
"What do you think this is? Major League Baseball?"- Shea Weber
by Chris Burton on Apr 12, 2010 9:41 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
Good stuff
I’d first like to say that despite the “pretty far ahead” comment I don’t think the difference between Green and Weber is large overall. I’d take Green over Weber, but they are both elite D and the difference is not very large. They are both two of the top young Dmen that will be competing for the Norris for the next decade.
While I watch Green more than you do, you also watch Weber more than I do, so it cuts both ways . Weber may have the ability to take on a larger offensive role, but the fact that Green is required to do everything offensively from the blueline makes it all the more impressive. This gets at what I hinted at with Weber only being one member of a very deep blueline. He may have all the skills to do what Green does, but you never know how people will react when given different roles. However, by that same token, as much as us Caps fans claim that Green could play a more shutdown role if he weren’t asked to constantly press the play offensively, we don’t know until he is actually asked to do so.
I love me some Ryan Suter, especially after the Olympics. The post-lockout game really rewards skating ability which makes me think that in the long term Suter may have a longer and more effective career. As both get older the decline in physical strength and what not may effect Weber more than Suter whose smarts and skating should help him remain very effective – sort of like the difference between how guys like Rob Blake and Rafalski have aged. All these guys are young, so if Suter develops his offensive game some more his peak could even be better than Weber’s.
Of all our iniquities ignorance may be the worst
by Killer_Carlson on Apr 12, 2010 10:02 PM EDT up reply actions
Excellent job, K_C.
However, these problems are just as much of an consequence of Green’s role on the team as a primary puck carrier and BB telling him to jump in offensively as they are results of his poor decision making.
People are going to get sick of me saying this, but this exactly describes the arguments against Brian Leetch in the ‘90s. NJD fans especially loved to rip on Leetch for being too aggressive in the offensive zone and hanging his partner out to dry. For obvious reasons, NJD fans simply can’t fathom a Dman leading rushes and aggressively holding the point or pinching down low. So they argued that it obviously had to be because Leetch couldn’t play D. The truth of the matter was that the Rags coaching staff explicitly told Leetch to play aggressive offensively. You can’t kill a guy for doing what his coach says to do.
I’d also add that while Green may be a liability because he gets out of position trying to create offense, Shea gets caught out of position looking for those huge hits. It’s more acceptable because hitting is a traditional job of a D whereas offense isn’t, but in my mind being out of position is being out of position. Whether it’s looking for a huge hit or looking to create a scoring chance, you’ve put your D partner in a tough position. The equation Trotz and BB have to make is whether it’s worth it to have a guy that is an occasional liability. Obviously with Weber and Green it’s worth it. Now a guy like Dion Phaneuf, who gets caught out of position looking for hits and offense, maybe it’s not so clearly worth it.
A pretty girl is like a violent crime.
by Rob Parker on Apr 13, 2010 2:16 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Darn pollen. I’ve got something in my eye again.
Now helping to keep an eye on all things Gr8 at Alex Ovetjkin.
Bryz at it again
Bryz talks goaltending, playoffs, and does a little singing in this video from last night.
"You ever use smelling salts, every time you type a bad blog?" Brooks Laich
by Carl Putnam on Apr 12, 2010 6:01 PM EDT reply actions 2 recs
Best interview in the NHL.
I have to go. But if I find one single dog hair when I get back, I'll rub... sand... in your dead little eyes. I also need you to buy sand. I don't know if they grade it, but... coarse.
by Steckel Me Elmo on Apr 13, 2010 2:24 AM EDT up reply actions
My favorite comment of the year. Hopefully the substance of it still holds true.
(I think it will.)
"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
back when an entire GDT ran fewer than 400 comments. My, how things have changed.
Now helping to keep an eye on all things Gr8 at Alex Ovetjkin.
I’m reading Rangers fans’ comments today at BB and they are quite depressing. They sound so frustrated and who can blame them. One of them even suggested that the Rangers should bring Jagr back. Subsequently, he got this hilarious response.
….I’ll pass. I think Jagr’s still got a big 8 implanted on his face after the Olympics.
by Caerid112 on Apr 12, 2010 2:03 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Lobbies: Green, Carlson, Orlov
by CapsFan2020 on Apr 12, 2010 8:21 PM EDT reply actions 6 recs
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