Capital Ups and Downs: Week 27

I think JP needs to institute double arrow up and double arrow down for the playoffs to note extremely good or bad performances. Anyway, Carlson would get hte double arrow up.

I put defensive defensemen in the same category as offensive linemen: if you’re not calling out the guy’s name, he’s doing his job.

He’s been quietly effective….he’s not out there to score goals. He’s hitting at the right time, not making mistakes, and eating up minutes 5-on-5 and on the PK.

I’d go Gordo for BMo. If BMo can’t give you a regular shift for 60 minutes (as was the case Saturday night), you can’t dress him. Otherwise, I’d strongly consider Gordo for Stecks.

With the intent of speading time, giving rest, or you just want to see Gordo?

How about Gordon for BMo? Sadly I’m partially serious.

Brooks has a suppy of hero pants that new garage he has…

You leave Carlson’s pants alone. But yea, you’d think Brooks and Sasha’s poor performance is connected somehow, whether it’s one dragging the other down, or they are just getting frustrated by the trap and seeing less zone time and possession than they are used to. At the same time, Semin has had some good looks, and we could be looking at some “dashes” if 1 or 2 managed to find their way past Halak. In any case, they can play better…

clearly, that goofy shield is somehow blocking Brooksie’s superhero powers.

JC is American Hockey Hero, aka AHH74
BL is simply HH21. i think he needs to go back to the cage. the dany heatley mask is making him play like heater…

btw, didnt get a picture of it, but saw the worst jersey foul of all on saturday night. some woman sitting next to the f’in capstronaut defiled a perfectly good 74 jersey by putting a capstronaut nameplate on the back. bitch.

I thought they were the Supreme Leader of the Pressbox and Deputy Supreme Leader? “Mayor” seems a little beneath them.

although BB apparently took pity on Sloan and let him take warm-ups on Saturday.

Yes please, just don’t let your d-men pull a Boyle

Agreed – don’t know why Bruce changed the bottom six when they were superb in G1.

Yea, that line was tenacious. Maybe they were so aggressive that BB felt the need to spread it around to inspire the rest of the team. Hard to say. More and more I think that’s the key to really taking the upper hand in this series, just beat them down physically. It’s something we take for granted that we have the ability to do, because in general, we are a pretty soft team, in that we play soft. When in reality we can push other teams around when we want to, we have the size and strength. Throw in the fact that this MTL is actually soft all the way around - we need to be exploiting this. Make them feel pain.

If Varly is in, it’s because they think they have the best chance of winning with him. They’d play Theo if they thought that was the case with him. I don’t think contract status means shit right now.

There’s a nice article on From The Rink on this very matter

Halak didnt even flinch, Fehr’s goal was in and out of the net before Halak even acknowledged it.

I’d like to see Walker in the lineup, just not for Bradley, who is the position holder blocking Walker.

I want Walker in the lineup as well. His size won’t be a disadvantage and his tenacity will be a huge advantage. The problem is I just can’t determine who to sit. Flash should sit, but won’t. Can’t take Chimera out, wouldn’t take Bradley out because that’s a lateral move, you need at least one of Steckel/Gordon. So I just don’t see he fits.

School of Knuble.

Lookit Halak’s stick he’s trying to trip Knuble

Interference!!!1

I like, I guess.

Continuing… per Corey:

#Caps lines: 8-19-22, 14-18-28, 21-9-16, 25-39-10, scratches are the same (15, 24, 4, 89).

Wooot!

No Flash!

Yeah, and so Flash is going to win the battles in the corner and along the wall? That doesn’t seem to be his strong suit, and its only Montreal for gods sake. Is he going to be beating Carcillo in the corners as well? And Langkow?
I don’t see it, its not the regular season, put in Walker, make the 2nd line Semin-Belanger-Fehr, 3rd can be Laich-Morrison-Chimera, 4th is Walker-Steckel-Bradley.
Done.

Belanger will center Fleischmann and Semin

My fantasy:

Right now Bruce Boudreau has pulled Tomas aside. Told him to remember what it felt like to have thrombosis in the offseason. To be unable to play hockey for months — to miss the beginning of the season. To spend all that energy in the weight room getting stronger.

Now Bruce is telling Tomas to remember how it felt to came back. He was so strong that first month. He drove the net. He played with passion, desire. He was a force.

Bruce is telling Tomas that he needs to play that way tonight. That he’s playing on a line with no Knuble, no Laich. That he needs to be that net presence, that he needs to win the battles on the boards, that he needs to score the big goals. Like he did in November. Because Alex Semin is going to play Semin’s game, and Belanger will play his game, and that leaves the dirty work to Flash.

Hey, a guy can dream, can’t he?…

I think I heard you yell that. I always scream F-ing Poti. I try to be polite.

sitting in 117 i really can’t see how Poti deserves an up arrow from the past two games. I have never called out his name so much before and after the fight as I did in Game 2. His fight brings a down arrow up to neutral IMO.

Agree. His failed clear on the PK was hugely costly. Is still not that great. He fought Scott Gomez. Awesome. But we all noted how one of the collateral benefits of that fight was that Poti couldn’t participate in a third period PK. Doesn’t sound like a glowing endorsement of his play.

I felt it best to let the obvious remain obvious.

Sad Caps fans, too…

I hate talking about Green. Every good thing is countered by a bad thing. Frustrating argument.

I mentioned something, but last time I did I was pummeled for being a knowledge-less fan.

makes you wonder about his 2 game “rest” at the end of the season

The solution to goal-scoring droughts is always the same, isn’t it? Drive the net, get a dirty goal and then things will start to fall into place again. I think it’s going to have to be Laich or Knuble who breaks them out of the PP slump.

in fact, I blame NB’s face-off fall-off for OV not winning the Richard

Really? You don’t think Nick made up for that with some of his ridiculous assists? I’d be looking at the 10 missed games as the culprit instead of NB.

I blame NB’s face-off fall-off for OV not winning the Richard

Look at Nick’s post-Olympics face-offs in games AO played. I don’t see much of a drop-off there, do you?

He was rough in the offensive zone but in game 2 I can’t think of a single time he gave up a clean faceoff win though I am sure there were some. If you’re going to lose, at least make it an ugly win for the other guy.

I have no problem blaming Tom Poti.

Wait a sec. I just watched the game again, and Backstrom won the last offensive faceoff in regulation and generated a shot for Ovi. He may not win all of them, but it seems that when he does win them he is good about getting them on Ovi’s stick for shooting opportunities.

How about putting Carlson out there instead of Green? He has the magic touch right now.

Sure it’s legit to criticize our goaltending at this point in the series. Anyone can joint that pileon. I’m just not convinced that two of the other potential foes in our path, Philly and Pittsburgh are that much better. Looked like MAF let up another softie yesterday from the wings for Pitt.

Our goaltending is average. But at least we have two choices about who will be average. The bigger issue for us is special teams. We break even on special teams and there’s a lot less drama. The two missing PPs in the third were as much the issue as the goaltending Saturday night.

Team Fehr approves as long as Team Capitals makes it 2-1 in our favor.

Agreed – he’s played too tentatively. In fairness, so has his partner, which has to hurt 52’s willingness to take risks.

The only way that happens is if the Habs execute a bad change or if the Caps get a decent lead and the Habs switch to attack mode. Otherwise, Montreal is way too committed to clogging the neutral zone for a sticklandling rush to work out.

for greenie- less thinking, more skating…dont be afraid to chip and chase…

couple gallons of muscle milk might not hurt.

“It is only one game, but media members were quick to connect the dots between Game 2 and his sub-par performance during last year’s playoffs. Now, Green was some combination of sick and injured for most or all of last postseason, and a strong game tonight would help ease concerns.

‘Watch me tonight. That’s all I’ve got to say,’ Green said."

Fuckin’ a. (

Perhaps if caps’ O gets on the board a little earlier in this game, Green will be able to loosen up and play his game a little more true-to-form.

lets hope gomez 2010 = carcillo 2009

Just watched it myself. The moment for me was when I saw Carlson clearing the boards on the PK with Poti off the ice. Poti taking out Gomez is the gift that keeps on giving. What do folks think about Carlson on the PK?

If there isn’t anything new that means they’re still waiting for Scotty to invent transparent aluminum to hold all the money he’s going to get paid.

I’d up and dance a jig.

Not good enough. 27-year contract plz

Dangit, wrong thread.

With a (primary!) assist to Paul Holmgren. I can’t wait for PHI fans to realize just how robbed they were.

Caps Clips.