Friday Caps Clips
by J.P. on Jul 23, 2010 6:37 AM EDT
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Your savory breakfast links:
- Congrats to former Capital Kevin Hatcher, the team's all-time leading goal-scoring defenseman and three-time All-Star as a Cap, on being elected to the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame. [USA Hockey, USA Hockey, Capitals, Detroit Free Press, Puck Daddy, McNally (with notes on other topics as well)]
- Mike Knuble and David Steckel will be on hand in Pittsburgh on Tuesday for the Winter Classic presser (which you can watch at noon on NHL Network).
- George McPhee figures to keep life interesting. [NHL.com]
- Heading into 2010-11, Semyon Varlamov is on the hot seat... [NHL.com]
- ... while Karl Alzner and John Carlson are poised to have breakout seasons. [NHL.com]
- Looking back at the Caps' 2010 Draft. [Hockey's Future, which also looks at the Russians drafted League-wide]
- A sneak peek at Tomas Fleischmann's arbitration hearing (look for our mock arbitration post on Monday, btw). [Kings of Leonsis, Puck Daddy, Capitals News Network]
- The Caps help out some wounded warriors. [AP, Examiner, Caps365 (video)]
- Alexander Semin's agent discusses the Ilya Kovalchuk Saga (among other things). [SovSport via Google Translate]
- SneakerBall VII is coming up, and voting is now open. [SneakerBall]
- If you happen to be in Petrolia, Ontario next weekend, sounds like there's a party to be had. [Petrolia Topic]
- Mark French looks back on his championship season... [Bears Bites and Insights]
- ... as does Mathieu Perreault. [L'Express via Google Translate]
- The Bears are looking for anthem singers. [Bears]
- Finally, happy 41st birthday to both Dmitri Khristich and Andrew Cassels.
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Two players in their first five years in the league (all numbers are “per-82 game” equivalents)…
Player 1: 31-34-65, +13 (reg season)/18-33-51, +4 (playoffs)
Player 2: 18-23-41, -4 (reg season)/11-7-18, -11 (playoffs)
Change, regular season to playoffs:
Player 1: -13 (goals), -1 (assists), -14 (points, -9 (plus/minus)
Player 2: -7 (goals), -16 (assists), -23 (points), -7 (plus/minus)
Allowing for the differences in era (Khristich played his first five years in what was the end of the go-go era of the NHL in which he had a pair of 30+ goal seasons), is Tomas Flesichmann the “Dmitri Khristich” of his generation?…discuss
If you've read this far...seek help.
His playoff stats line up pretty well with Khristich’s regular season stats – is that because of the current team being that much better, because Flash got more playoff time, or because Flash is better than Khristich?
"Don't mind WM...he's an all-around jerk."
It looks to be the other way around. Khristich is Player 1, Flesichmann is Player 2. One thing that differentiates the two is that Khristich had a big season in his second year, then dropped off in each season thereafter (eventually traded to Los Angeles for his sixth season). Flesichmann has improved each year in the regular season (not so in the playoffs).
If you've read this far...seek help.
I always compared Khristich to Semin on this current incarnation of the Caps. Highly skilled, emotionless, lacking a bit up top, and a bad habit of disappearing during the playoffs. (Semin may have higher upside than DK, but we’ve yet to see it displayed when it counts.)
And some of Semin’s post-playoff loss comments this year remind me of the legendary comment Khristich allegedly made to Dale Hunter before before Game 7 of the 1995 Penguins series: “This is great, if we win we move on. If we lose, we play golf!”
Depending on what your definition of hotseat is, there are few more players and non-players that are on the seat for the Capitals.
Totally agree for Varlamov. He has to stay healthy and play 50+ games or the questions of his ability will not just linger but it will type cast him. Has all the talent but needs to stay on the ice, especially with Neuvirth and Holtby showing their potential in Hershey.
I’d add Alex Ovechkin. He has done everything for this franchise, everything, except for taking it to the level after the level. Playoff success baby. Great players need to have playoff success or you become just another Dominic Wilkins. There needs to be a deep playoff run this season.
Bruce Boudreau, big time hotseat, IMO. We’ve already talked about this but this put up or shut up time for BB. He needs to prove that he is capable of outcoaching and tweaking this team on the fly. ECF or more, maybe even SCF…
Mike Green, show up pal in the post-season. Not really regular season hotseat material but definitely post-season. John Carlson could claim his QB spot.
4th Floor, is next, swimvare, undervare, Eric Fehr...
I don’t know about adding Ovi to that. 5/5/10, +5 in seven games isn’t putting up? Hockey is never a one-man show no matter how hard we try to make it one. He’s done his bit (and then some), but he needs some help. I’d have to replace Ovechkin in your list with Alexander Semin. This is his year to put up or shut up in the postseason, as has previously been discussed ad nauseum. He’s making $6M this year, and this is his final year before going UFA. If he can’t put up in the postseason, I have a hard time seeing the Caps re-sign him next summer.
Otherwise, I agree with your list.
Hanlon's Razor: Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.
hotseat (i.e. risk of losing job/not being with the club next year):
BB
GMGM
Semin
Flash (assuming he’s with them this year)
Sloan (perhaps a foregone conclusion)
Brads
Poti
guy who fills the ketchup at VC
Just trying to capture the spirit of the thing...
by dcsportsfan1 on Jul 23, 2010 9:07 AM EDT up reply actions
Word on the street is that the ketchup-filling guy is gonna file for arbitration.
You perhaps knew me better as "Your Nation's Capital." Same great commentary, now with 100% more transparency!
I’d move GMGM down about 7 spots. No way Uncle Ted is getting rid of him.
GMGM gets another year or two with a new coach before that axe lands, IMO.
Choking since 1985.
hmmm. dunno about that. if he does not resolve the 2C issue and does not make any significant deadline deals and this team flames out in the playoffs, i think you have a tough argument to keep him. i like the job he’s done, but if that were to happen, it’s got to be buh bye.
Just trying to capture the spirit of the thing...
by dcsportsfan1 on Jul 23, 2010 3:14 PM EDT up reply actions
Nitpicking … I think you’re looking for “sneak peek”. There is no such thing as a mountain peak that sneaks up on you. /petpeeve
Hanlon's Razor: Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.
How dare you criticize the way I speek? I’ll teech you…
/pet peave
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
This moran thinks so...
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
by J.P. on Jul 23, 2010 12:35 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
happy birthday dmitri, third..second best cap number 8 ever.
Just trying to capture the spirit of the thing...
Steve Eminger weeps
Money don't make my world go round...i'm reaching out to a higher ground
Ron and Fez 11 to 3
by YvonLabresMoustache on Jul 23, 2010 9:09 AM EDT up reply actions
he can take solace as the second best 44 ever…
Just trying to capture the spirit of the thing...
by dcsportsfan1 on Jul 23, 2010 9:15 AM EDT up reply actions
Behind Igor Ulanov?
Money don't make my world go round...i'm reaching out to a higher ground
Ron and Fez 11 to 3
by YvonLabresMoustache on Jul 23, 2010 9:19 AM EDT up reply actions
And Richard Zednik!
Joe Finley to the Russians: "Como estas?"
by Steck It Out on Jul 23, 2010 9:20 AM EDT up reply actions
he’s definitly in the top three 44’s.
Just trying to capture the spirit of the thing...
by dcsportsfan1 on Jul 23, 2010 9:21 AM EDT up reply actions
And Richard Zednik, who apparently wore 8 in 1995-96
Money don't make my world go round...i'm reaching out to a higher ground
Ron and Fez 11 to 3
by YvonLabresMoustache on Jul 23, 2010 9:21 AM EDT up reply actions
No, third is right…. Murphy was a better player over all with the Caps to wear #8 along with Ovechkin….
Washington Capitals 2009-10 = Quebec Nordiques 1994-95
--- D'ohboy
by MikeL-Pivonka on Jul 23, 2010 9:33 AM EDT up reply actions
Why are they having this Winter Classic presser on a Tuesday in late July? The Caps are getting some flak because Ovie won’t be there. If I was being petty I’d also say that Malkin won’t be there, but I’m not petty so I won’t.
I would think it would make more sense in September, when all the players have returned for training camp. Unless I’m missing something.
You perhaps knew me better as "Your Nation's Capital." Same great commentary, now with 100% more transparency!
probably just trying to get a little press during a pretty slow time in the sports world. in a couple weeks it’ll be nfl training camps dominating the sports world.
were the caps going to show off the winter classic jersey’s then? i thought they were going to do it during the dev camp..
Just trying to capture the spirit of the thing...
by dcsportsfan1 on Jul 23, 2010 8:59 AM EDT up reply actions
No. As far as I know, the only thing being “unveiled” is the official NHL Winter Classic logo:
The teams will introduce their jerseys separately. The Caps will show off their new sweater at CapsCon, and I presume the Pens will do a special presentation at their new barn.
You perhaps knew me better as "Your Nation's Capital." Same great commentary, now with 100% more transparency!
That logo has already been unveiled...
If you've read this far...seek help.
by ThePeerless on Jul 23, 2010 9:15 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
oh, if i knew how to use photoshop i could do some damage with that picture….
Just trying to capture the spirit of the thing...
by dcsportsfan1 on Jul 23, 2010 9:16 AM EDT up reply actions
Ovi won’t be there because he’s accepting the Kharlamov trophy (for the 94th consecutive year) as Russia’s best hockey player.
Anyone who think he should instead be at some bullshit presser for a game that’s five months away and in another city needs to eat a fucking porcupine.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
by J.P. on Jul 23, 2010 9:13 AM EDT up reply actions 11 recs
ooh… let me fly across eight time zones and put up with three airports in each direction (assuming there are no direct Moscow-to-Pittwburgh flights) for a photo-op with a bunch of suits in the middle of the summer. Sign me up for that one!
If you've read this far...seek help.
Doubt it. I’d expect a flight into one of Philly, Baltimore, or Dulles.
Hanlon's Razor: Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.
Philly? B-more? Now therr-r-r-r-r-re’s a stop over worth making.
If you've read this far...seek help.
Philly Airport
Had my worst airport experience 2 weeks ago in Philly. Connecting from Athens→Philly→Baltimore and the 2 airline employees at the gate are just staring into space 15 minutes past our boarding time. They finally look out the window and freak out. They finally get on the PA and say (to the best of my memory): “umm, we can’t seem to get anyone on the line from the plane or maintenance crew, so we are not sure about the delay, but, uhh…the plane seems to be missing a tire, so, I imagine we are waiting on that…we have no ETA on when this will be fixed”.
Plus the AC was busted. It was a disgusting and infuriating connection. And then 2 thunderstorms rolled through and delayed the flight 3.5hours. Awesome.
If you want to survive out here, you've got to know where your towel is.
People who complain about this are being ridiculous. All the guys who are coming live within a 1-2 hour plane ride away at most – and I’m sure if Ovie didn’t live in Moscow (and wasn’t accepting yet another award commemorating his awesomeness) he’d be there.
You know what? All I care about is that he shows up at the game itself.
All I care about is that he and his teammates show up at thegame itselfplayoffs.
There we go.
And I thought Tom Soehn was a shitty coach.
by Bald Pollack on Jul 23, 2010 9:22 AM EDT up reply actions 3 recs
Well…yeah, that, too. Just limiting my focus to the game for which a press conference was inexplicably called in the middle of July :P
To be fair
They’re holding it at the end of July technically, but my reaction is the same as when I heard about it yesterday.
And I thought Tom Soehn was a shitty coach.
by Bald Pollack on Jul 23, 2010 9:27 AM EDT up reply actions 8 recs
Whatchoo rec’in’ ’bout, Willis?
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
I agree BP, who cares, no big deal and anyone who makes it differently is a moron.
"Game's the same. Just got more fierce."
by Hooks Orpik on Jul 23, 2010 10:28 AM EDT up reply actions
If there was an award for being the best Canadian player in the NHL being given on the same day as the presser, and Crosby had won it, where do you think he’d be?
Joe Finley to the Russians: "Como estas?"
by Steck It Out on Jul 23, 2010 9:22 AM EDT up reply actions
Unless it’s on the Late Show, of course.
Joe Finley to the Russians: "Como estas?"
by Steck It Out on Jul 23, 2010 9:36 AM EDT up reply actions
Is this like some sort of impossibility thought experiment? Crosby would be at the Canadian award ceremony congratulating Jonathan Toews.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
by Rob Parker on Jul 23, 2010 9:24 AM EDT up reply actions 10 recs
If we’re talkin’ 2009-10…then I’ll rec to that.
On the Forecheck: preaching the Predators' gospel to the unwashed masses.
by Chris Burton on Jul 23, 2010 9:26 AM EDT up reply actions
Trick question – they wouldn’t schedule the two events on the same day because they’d check to confirm Sid’s availability for each first.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
by J.P. on Jul 23, 2010 9:34 AM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
This can’t be made green enough. You want Ovechkin there? Don’t do it in July.
"It's always good to have vikings."
Proud member of the Oxford dictionary police.
I suspect that once the season starts, Ovechkin will do at least his share to market the game.
If you've read this far...seek help.
Hell, he does more than his fair share to market it after the season is over, too – remember all the appearances and promotions he did in May/June?
A born talent for marketing product...
If you've read this far...seek help.
by ThePeerless on Jul 23, 2010 9:28 AM EDT up reply actions 3 recs
but crosby was able to tear himself away from his summer of constantly working out with no alcohol, turkish yacht dancing, cavorting with super models in order to get prepared for the upcoming season. what a leader.
Just trying to capture the spirit of the thing...
by dcsportsfan1 on Jul 23, 2010 9:20 AM EDT up reply actions
So the HF look at the Russians drafted is only Russians from the KHL. Anyone have any reasons or guesses as to why? Galiev and Kabanov both don’t make that list, though they are 2 of the 4 most skilled Russians in the draft.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
HF is kinda hit or miss in the first place. That’s a weird one, though, because Galiev and Kabanov were taken before one or two of those guys on the list.
On the Forecheck: preaching the Predators' gospel to the unwashed masses.
by Chris Burton on Jul 23, 2010 9:13 AM EDT up reply actions
speaking of HF
and being hit or miss, they have Varlamov as Washington’s no. 1 prospect. That can’t be right, because Varly is past prospect stage. Who is it, then? JC?
On the Forecheck: preaching the Predators' gospel to the unwashed masses.
by Chris Burton on Jul 23, 2010 9:15 AM EDT up reply actions
They have a working definition of prospect, and he (Varly) fits it. Talk to ten people, get ten different definitions of the word.
But if you exclude him (perhaps even if you include him), I’d probably go with Carly if you’re talking about the prospect most likely to potentially be an All-Star.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
I’d have to disagree with that definition, then, because anyone who has spent the better part of two years in the NHL and has as many playoff wins as Varly can’t really be a prospect, imo.
Gotcha. From what I saw in the playoffs, I’d agree, just didn’t know exactly how high y’all are on Johansson and/or Alzner.
On the Forecheck: preaching the Predators' gospel to the unwashed masses.
by Chris Burton on Jul 23, 2010 9:19 AM EDT up reply actions
Yeah, I think their definition probably results in some anomolies, but recall that Varly was Calder-eligible this past season and still is just 22 with ~30 regular season and ~20 playoff games under his belt. I think the playoffs are what throw people here.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
That’s amazing. Didn’t realize he still had such relative little experience in the regular season.
On the Forecheck: preaching the Predators' gospel to the unwashed masses.
by Chris Burton on Jul 23, 2010 9:38 AM EDT up reply actions
Because he has spent so much time injured. In 08-09 he barely had any regular season experience at all and then last year he hurt his groin/knee/hip/whatever as soon as he took the Number 1 job and didn’t get healthy until basically the end of the season. He’s not a rookie and he’ll definitely come off the prospect list by the end of this season, but I don’t have a problem with him being on there now.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
I agree. I think Carlson has jumped the rest of the prospect class. I’d also put Alzner ahead of Varlamov and possibly Mackan as well.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
This has been beaten to death, I’m sure, but you’re not even sure Varlamov is the top G ‘prospect’ in the organization, right?
On the Forecheck: preaching the Predators' gospel to the unwashed masses.
by Chris Burton on Jul 23, 2010 9:21 AM EDT up reply actions
Correct. It remains to see how it plays out but I don’t think Varlamov is clearly ahead of Neuvirth in terms of long term projection. Right now Varlamov is the better player but he can’t stay healthy and plays a style of game that is prone to more injuries and NHL exploitation. Looking at NHL goalies of late, you don’t have to have the ridiculous high end athletic talent if you can play great positionally, and that’s how Neuvirth does it. Better positioning, health, and rebound control.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
Speaking of NHL goalies of late, did anyone else see VS’ top ten current goalies list? I’m a little late on it, but here it is if you didn’t. Discuss.
On the Forecheck: preaching the Predators' gospel to the unwashed masses.
by Chris Burton on Jul 23, 2010 9:36 AM EDT up reply actions
And yes, I know its Dater AND VS. Still, interesting topic.
On the Forecheck: preaching the Predators' gospel to the unwashed masses.
by Chris Burton on Jul 23, 2010 9:36 AM EDT up reply actions
Anderson is much too high, Brodeur is a couple spots too high, Vokoun is much too low, Hank is a couple spots too low. Jimmy Howard? Really? Does anyone fucking remember Steve Mason? How does a rookie goalie ever get on a top ten goalie list?
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
Once again, agreed on all points.
I’m a homer, yes, but one would think Pekka Rinne and his 15 shutouts in 104 games might deserve Jimmy Howard’s spot.
On the Forecheck: preaching the Predators' gospel to the unwashed masses.
by Chris Burton on Jul 23, 2010 9:41 AM EDT up reply actions
Or just look at the fact that he’s been good for 2 seasons. Last year Rinne wasn’t as good as Steve Mason, this year he’s not as good as Jimmy Howard. Nobody thinks to factor in that he is the only one of those three that has 2 good NHL seasons? I’m not positive I’d put Rinne in that 10 spot, but I can’t think of anyone I’d put in front of him either.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
As far as other options for the 10 spot, probably Rinne, Ward, Fleury, or maybe Halak.
As far as Mason/Rinne in 2008, well, its closer than you think:
SM: .916, 2.29, 10 SO
PR: .917, 2.35, 8 SO
Rinne should’ve been a Calder finalist.
On the Forecheck: preaching the Predators' gospel to the unwashed masses.
by Chris Burton on Jul 23, 2010 9:48 AM EDT up reply actions
I wasn’t saying I actually thought Mason was better than Rinne, just that it was the common narrative. This year Howard gets the hype. Meanwhile, if you look at 08-10 it’s clear Rinne is the best of the 3 as of now.
Ward, Fleury, and Halak are all average to slightly-above-average goalies IMO. If any of them crack the top 10 it’s because the vast majority of goalies are basically average and there isn’t a ton of top-10 talent in net.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
Ward and Fleury are the exact same guy. You can’t have one without the other.
Money don't make my world go round...i'm reaching out to a higher ground
Ron and Fez 11 to 3
by YvonLabresMoustache on Jul 23, 2010 9:52 AM EDT up reply actions
Ah, OK. My bad.
I agree, but all four of ’em are better than Howard, I think.
On the Forecheck: preaching the Predators' gospel to the unwashed masses.
by Chris Burton on Jul 23, 2010 9:52 AM EDT up reply actions
Carly had the game-winner for a gold medal and the game-winner for a Cup this year. Unbelievable.
You perhaps knew me better as "Your Nation's Capital." Same great commentary, now with 100% more transparency!
Although the Calder Cup winner excites me considerably less considering it was a first period goal in a 4-0 game. It’s still a nice claim and a great memory, but it’s not the same as sudden death for gold.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
I got home from the Caps/Habs game that night in just enough time to catch the end of the third period and the OT. I don’t think i’ve ever shouted louder or jumped around as much as I have for anything when Carlson scored that goal.
Money don't make my world go round...i'm reaching out to a higher ground
Ron and Fez 11 to 3
by YvonLabresMoustache on Jul 23, 2010 9:46 AM EDT up reply actions
Money don't make my world go round...i'm reaching out to a higher ground
Ron and Fez 11 to 3
by YvonLabresMoustache on Jul 23, 2010 9:49 AM EDT up reply actions
same here. I didn’t even realize who had scored it at first, only that the US had finally whipped Canada in Canada. All the jumping and screaming started anew when I saw it was Carlson.
#savethekittens!
Donation info for SAVES FOR KIDS 2010!! Make a difference.
I was watching at Bar Louie with a bunch of friends that had gone to the game that night
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 Jul 23, 2010 9:58 AM EDT up reply actions
They’re looking at the leagues out fo which they were drafted (as you allude to), not the nationality of the players. I’d assume that if they do a review of the QMJHLers taken, both would be on it.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Right, but then they shouldn’t call it a look at the “Russians drafted” it should be a look at the “KHLers drafted.” And while I haven’t gone through the entire draft list, I’m pretty sure there was at least one non-Russian drafted out of the KHL.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
I’m not positive I just thought there was a Finn or a Swede that had gone to the KHL, though that doesn’t make a ton of sense since they have great leagues at home.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
You could be right – I was just guessing, given how strong those Leagues back home are.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
From the What we’re Reading sidebar:
The last lockout pitted owners against players. I’m wondering if the next lockout will be owner-on-owner.
Whether it results in a lockout or not, I definitely think the biggest battle in the next CBA will be the owners v. the owners. The rise in the cap has shown two things; first, the players have no qualms stealing from each other. Second, the owners, as a whole, are in better financial shape than most probably anticipated or would have expected in this economy. The problem is that the financial pie is not even close to evenly distributed. If the league wants to be able to a) keep teams in the cities they are in or b) keep teams spending anything close to even amounts, then they need to increase the revenue sharing. That’s an owner v. owner battle. The players could care less how the owners spend their money. There will be player v. owner battles regarding closing the long term contract loophole, and whether or not to adjust the revenue percentage that goes to the players and the consequent escrow payment. But I think at the end of the day the most bitter battle will be amongst the owners trying to determine how to share league revenues.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
Ew
Washington Capitals 2009-10 = Quebec Nordiques 1994-95
--- D'ohboy
by MikeL-Pivonka on Jul 23, 2010 9:41 AM EDT up reply actions
30 Owners, One CBA!
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
by Rob Parker on Jul 23, 2010 9:42 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
This is the trend, and it WILL remain a problem, that is, if the small market teams ever want to compete for a Cup. The latest Cup contenders are all spending up to the cap, and even over (Chicago). And lots of teams cant spend that type of bread, so, can you say the CBA is successful? Sure, you can point to things like asset management and player development in optimizing player value in a system , but the fact remains you aren’t limiting mega salaries.
Wealthy teams are willing to exchange deleterious long-term effects of mega deals for short-term success/cap relief in the quest for a Cup. If that big deal doesnt work out, bury the fizzling player in the minors. Small-market teams need to make every dollar count but they must play the game to compete, it’s as simple as that.
I hate the salary cap – if it’s going to be owner vs owner, and it is, for all intents and purposes, then enforce revenue sharing. Sure, you run the risk of say, an owner of a perennial loser sitting back and collecting his revenue sharing checks and NOT investing that into the team.
But the CBA is not doing what it’s supposed to: enforcing parity.
by S h a g g y on Jul 23, 2010 10:58 AM EDT up reply actions
Well they can deal with owners of perennial losers collecting their revenue sharing checks and not investing the money into the team by raising the minimum salary floor.
by vtcapsfan99 on Jul 23, 2010 11:03 AM EDT up reply actions
Not sure how you draw some of these conclusions. The salary cap has resulted in more parity than there was before, so as far as that angle it is doing what it was supposed to. It’s not enforcing “cost certainty” but that’s on the owners.
I’m not sure why you hate the cap. The league would be more or less fucked without it and the Caps almost certainly benefit from having the salary cap. It’s nice that Ted can and will spend money, but if he had to compete with spending against PHI and NYR and the traditional big market teams it would be much harder to keep the team together.
They have provisions in the CBA that prevent the owners from collecting revenue checks and not investing in the team. For one, there’s a cap floor so they have to spend some money. For two, there are attendance requirements to continue to receive revenue sharing. They could tweak those if they felt it was necessary, but the concern you cite isn’t nearly the concern in hockey as it is in MLB and even the NFL.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
by Rob Parker on Jul 23, 2010 11:08 AM EDT up reply actions 4 recs
I dont see the parity you are talking about. The last 8 Cup contenders spent within 90% and in most cases almost right to the cap. That aint parity to me.
For one, the cap as it exists today isnt really a hard cap, as it as been allowed to increase dramatically since the current CBA was adopted. And the large market teams have spent with the assumption that the cap would continue to rise. There has been speculation that the league will request a rollback to $48 Million in the next CBA. That will completely screw the big spenders (Chicago, Vancouver, SJ, et al) as the league tries unsuccessfully to allow the smaller markets to compete by forcing the wealtheir teams to buy out contracts that cannot fit under the new cap.
Have you forgotten the 20% rollback the league mandated in ’05, and the union accepted? I am not sure you will see the union go along with that again.
It’s a goddamn mess, is what it is.
by S h a g g y on Jul 23, 2010 11:49 AM EDT up reply actions
I haven’t forgotten the rollback, but I have no idea why it’s relevant to this discussion.
As far as parity, CAR and ANA both won Cups despite being in small markets. PHI and MON both went to the ECF as 7/8 seeds. The difference between the top seeds and the 8 seeds isn’t that high. CAR simultaneously made pushes for the lottery and the playoffs. The difference in quality of play between isn’t as great as it used to be, or as in other sports. The NBA first round is just a formality, and MLB parity is a joke. The NFL has decent parity but it still has perennial bottom feeders and powerhouses. Of the 4, I’d say the NHL has the most parity. Sure, the best teams spend the most money, but how is that different from any other league? Unless you want to mandate that all teams spend the same that’s an unavoidable consequence. There are teams like WAS and MIN and LAK and SJS that wouldn’t be able to spend indefinitely to keep up with PHI and NYR, but when you put a cap in so that they know they can’t spend more than 59 million and nobody else can either it makes it more likely and possible for them to spend to that amount.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
by Rob Parker on Jul 23, 2010 11:59 AM EDT up reply actions 3 recs
Well said.
"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 Jul 23, 2010 12:06 PM EDT up reply actions
Right, parity in spending and parity in on-ice performance are different things (and frankly I think the league considers the former to only be a means towards achieving the latter). And while the salary cap may not have created an ideal amount of parity in spending, I don’t see how in the hell getting rid of the cap is going to create more parity. There is certainly great parity in spending now than there was pre-lockout, so saying that the salary cap has done nothing just because it hasn’t gone as far as you’d like doesn’t make much sense.
Release the Mackan!
by Killer_Carlson on Jul 23, 2010 12:34 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Great point about the spending being an ancillary consideration to the on-ice product. If NSH can keep a competitive team on the ice and make the playoffs I’m not sure the NHL cares how much they spend. The salary cap is going to help NSH keep Weber and Suter because NYR/PHI can’t throw a bagillion dollars at them. Further, while you can say that the best teams in the league spend close to the salary cap, that doesn’t support a conclusion that spending = success. I mentioned NSH as a team that spends well below the cap and still succeeds, but you can look at TOR and EDM who both got hit with bonus penalties and had the two worst records in the league.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
This is the point I make all the time. The cap can help teams stay competitive, but the major issue is always going to be club management.
"You ever use smelling salts, every time you type a bad blog?" Brooks Laich
by Carl Putnam on Jul 23, 2010 12:41 PM EDT up reply actions
And that goes beyond just the on-ice product. You look at the teams that are in financial difficulty and might have to move and all of them have horrible ownership/management/arena deals. None of the teams that have these difficulties can claim to have been run in a rational and competent manner.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
Eh, the Preds, even with the ownership shit, were run pretty rationally and competently in the front office.
On the Forecheck: preaching the Predators' gospel to the unwashed masses.
by Chris Burton on Jul 23, 2010 12:48 PM EDT up reply actions
But I don’t recall them ever being nearly as close to moving as Canada wanted them to be. The times they did get on rocky ground were when a) Boots got his corrupt ass involved and b) when Ballsillie went behind the scenes to rock the boat.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
Oh, okay. You’re right – even hamiltonpredators.com was ambitious, it was never that close. I knew that, the true diehards knew that, but the problem was a) the mainstream media and b) the anti-hockey faction among the locals. Both a) and b) were doing everything possible to shed a bad light on it.
On the Forecheck: preaching the Predators' gospel to the unwashed masses.
by Chris Burton on Jul 23, 2010 12:54 PM EDT up reply actions
In the NASH case the owners never changed the hockey operations part of things which has been run competently.
"You ever use smelling salts, every time you type a bad blog?" Brooks Laich
by Carl Putnam on Jul 23, 2010 12:55 PM EDT up reply actions
The NHL doesnt have parity because of the lockout, IMO. There havent been back to back Cup winners since the Red Wings in ’97 and ’98, well before the curent CBA.
My main point, though, is that it seems that no one expects league revenues to fall, which would be disastrous to the big market teams especially with these mega-deals locked in past the expiring CBA. It could drive a huge wedge between large and small market teams.
There is competitive balance: for now.
by S h a g g y on Jul 23, 2010 12:43 PM EDT up reply actions
Back to back Cup winners isn’t the only way, or even a particularly good way, to measure parity. Sure, DET was the only team to do it back to back, but you had a great gulf between the haves and have nots. Further, just because teams didn’t repeat doesn’t go far enough. COL, NJD, DET we almost perennial favorites to make their conference finals. DAL had a little run in there as well but there was a clear power structure.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
Seriously. Between 1995 and 2003 all but one Cup was won by DET, COL and NJD (with the odd one out going to DAL). And in the same time period DET, DAL and NJ all made it to but lost in the Cup Finals in years they didn’t win it all. Back to back winners or not, that ain’t parity.
Release the Mackan!
by Killer_Carlson on Jul 23, 2010 1:01 PM EDT up reply actions 5 recs
Here’s some follow up too: When one of those 4 teams didn’t make it to the Finals, the runner up more often than not got blown out. FLA, WAS, and PHI all got swept, and CAR lost in 5. The only two teams that were even able to make it a series against one of those 4 teams (ANA v. NJ and BUF v. DAL) rode a ridiculously hot goalie.
Release the Mackan!
by Killer_Carlson on Jul 23, 2010 1:07 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
So putting it all together, from 1995-2003 a total of 6 Stanley Cup finals games were won by teams not named DAL, NJD, DET, COL. Half of those wins were in one playoff series by ANA (with the Conn Smythe winning goalie) and zero Cups were won by anyone but those 4 teams.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
by Rob Parker on Jul 23, 2010 1:10 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
I dont see the parity you are talking about. The last 8 Cup contenders spent within 90% and in most cases almost right to the cap. That aint parity to me.
I don’t understand why the fact that teams spend to the cap means there isn’t parity. I mean, the payrolls of the highest teams would be higher and the gap between the haves and have-nots would be greater were it not for the cap.
The salary cap is one of the things that makes the NHL better than any other professional sports league in the US. Without it, you would have a situation like the Yankees, where they throw boatloads of money at every top free agent. With the cap and the floor, every team has to be within a certain range, which leads to much more parity than you would otherwise have. Consider that both Carolina and Tampa Bay have won Cups in the past decade. Neither is a big market team, but both fielded a strong team regardless. The cap is not perfect (given the loopholes we’ve seen recently) but it keeps the NHL exciting and makes it so there isn’t just a few major contenders.
I think you are ignoring the NFL in the comparison with other leagues. They also have a salary cap and floor, which leads to parity. The NFL seems to do a better job with revenue sharing, so a team can be in Green Bay and still be a serious competitor.
by vtcapsfan99 on Jul 23, 2010 12:09 PM EDT up reply actions
They can afford to revenue share easily due their TV contract.
"You ever use smelling salts, every time you type a bad blog?" Brooks Laich
by Carl Putnam on Jul 23, 2010 12:24 PM EDT up reply actions
And collectivizing the TV contract back when they did it was a stroke of genius by Rozelle.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
I read this book America’s Game about the NFL. It was actually fascinating to see how they grew. It’s amazing how they went from being nothing to the Goliath they are now. It’s hard to believe they might actually have a lockout next year.
by vtcapsfan99 on Jul 23, 2010 12:30 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah, looking at how much money everyone stands to lose makes it crazy that they might lockout. But at some point you have to recognize how entrenched the two sides are and it becomes almost a certainty. Both sides have huge problems with the current CBA so I think these next negotiations are going to be very messy. They may as well call in Daniel Plainview for this one.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
The change over in leadership at NFL and NFLPA has a lot do with it. Goddell and Smith see things very differently than their predecessors. I expect there to be a lockout. I also expect the players to cave by week 8.
"You ever use smelling salts, every time you type a bad blog?" Brooks Laich
by Carl Putnam on Jul 23, 2010 12:47 PM EDT up reply actions
I’m an NFL fan, so I don’t with ill on the league, but a simultaneous NFL/NBA lockout would be a huge boon for the NHL. Whether they would take advantage of it is another issue, but I’d love to see them get the opportunity.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
I’m all for it. The NBA situation makes little sense (both sides would do well to get a deal done), however the NFL has some serious issues on both sides to take care, so if it takes some labor unrest to do so I’m fine with it. I would expect there would be some help for the NHL. Of course, they could wind up in the same boat a year later and lose some of the gains.
"You ever use smelling salts, every time you type a bad blog?" Brooks Laich
by Carl Putnam on Jul 23, 2010 12:52 PM EDT up reply actions
I don’t pay much attention to the NBA, are they close to having a lockout in 2011-12? It would be great to see the NHL take advantage of the opportunity, but I have a feeling that sports fans and the media would just shift to college football and basketball.
by vtcapsfan99 on Jul 23, 2010 12:54 PM EDT up reply actions
Certainly college football would make some gains, but I suspect the NHL could make some as well. College games, while now played practically every day of the week, are still seen as mainly a Saturday sport. NHL would have the ability to make some noise on the other days of the week.
If you’ll recall during the NHL lockout, ESPN expanded their NCAA softball coverage and that worked great for both softball and the network.
"You ever use smelling salts, every time you type a bad blog?" Brooks Laich
The timing couldn’t be more perfect for the NHL, though. The Versus deal ends in June 2011, so if ESPN is thinking about saving it’s butt should the NBA strike in the fall……
"HISTORY DOESN’T MATTER!!! .... Who cares if it’s never been done? We aren’t those teams who failed before. We are in control of our own destiny, and we will make it happen our own way.." - A Gordon, June 2010
Problem for ESPN is that they already are chock full of programming fitting the NHL in could make for a bad marriage for both sides. NBA lockout would be a short term situation. Chances are NHL TV deal would be a multi season deal.
"You ever use smelling salts, every time you type a bad blog?" Brooks Laich
I’d most likely prefer neither. I’d love to see the NHL on another basic cable entity. Versus 5 years later still doesn’t have enough market penetration. My concern about ESPN is that the NHL would probably get very little promotion compared to their other properties. I’m not averase to an ESPN deal, but I’m not sold on it either.
"You ever use smelling salts, every time you type a bad blog?" Brooks Laich
Except that having an ESPN deal makes ESPN market it more. The attention ESPN gives to the NHL would undoubtedly go up if they had a stake in the success of the league.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
But ESPN never marketed it well when they had it.
I really believe — or maybe it’s just a hope I have — that ESPN will continue to become less relevant as sports-specific networks become more mature.
The NFL Network is great. The MLB Network is pretty good (considering it’s still pretty young). I can’t say anything about the NBA Network.
On the Fly is a great show on the NHL Network and they have a really great in-season schedule. (Off-season, not so much.)
Well the ESPN marketing complex has kicked into another gear since the NHL left, so it’s not like they treated the NHL any differently. It wasn’t until ESPN started showing NASCAR and the WNBA that I realized how much they crammed their content down our throats.
And at least ESPN had NHL 2Nite (or however they spelled it).
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
The attention ESPN gives to the NHL would undoubtedly go up if they had a stake in the success of the league.
I’m a little late to this discussion, but particularly after the effort they put into pubbing and airing the World Cup, this point is all the clearer.
And I thought Tom Soehn was a shitty coach.
by Bald Pollack on Jul 23, 2010 2:39 PM EDT up reply actions
Problem is NHL season isn’t in the summer. If the World Cup was held in December ESPN wouldn’t have promoted as they did.
"You ever use smelling salts, every time you type a bad blog?" Brooks Laich
And thus they’d likely take a bath on the investment, and we’re back to where we were before (without a regular, recurring visible TV presence).
And I thought Tom Soehn was a shitty coach.
by Bald Pollack on Jul 23, 2010 2:47 PM EDT up reply actions
Other than ESPN and Vs, what are the options out there?
FX? Spike? Honestly, I don’t know what else is available? Lifetime?
FX & Spike would be the likely ones. USA and Bravo are NBCU owned, so I don’t think those are possible. NBCU is going to prefer the NHL stays on Versus.
I’d love to see NHL on Lifetime. They’d promote the hell out of it and increase the female demo even further. You’d get a bunch of lame jokes at the announcement phase, but overall I think you’d do much better numbers wise than staying with Versus. I don’t see why Lifetime would do the deal on their end though. NHL would most likely bring their ratings numbers down.
"You ever use smelling salts, every time you type a bad blog?" Brooks Laich
Did you see the hockey soap opera from a few years ago that was on the Soap Opera Channel? It was CBC production and it focused on the #1 draft pick who was from middle-of-nowhere Saskatchewan and was an immediate star for the Toronto team and all the sleeping around and carousing of the guys and their wives.
I watched about 20 minutes of it because I’m that ridiculous.
Spike would either be awesome or terrible. It depends on if they approach it like Deadliest Warrior or Manswers.
"Don't mind WM...he's an all-around jerk."
by Whiter Mage on Jul 23, 2010 10:13 PM EDT up reply actions
As much as many have a distain for ESPN, they are the #1 sports network in the US, and, as F&B noted, if they’re showing it, they’ll market it, which will bring in more fans, more revenue, etc. Plus, so long as the NHL is tied with Versus and NBC, national hockey broadcasts will remain a hostage of Comcast and their evil plan to rule the world constant fights with other providers (DirecTV, Cox, etc.).
"HISTORY DOESN’T MATTER!!! .... Who cares if it’s never been done? We aren’t those teams who failed before. We are in control of our own destiny, and we will make it happen our own way.." - A Gordon, June 2010
The crazy thing is that the NFL worked their TV contract to still get paid in the event of a lockout, so the owners aren’t afraid to take that step. Interesting to see how it will all work out. Americans love their football and their fantasy football. The fans are not going to be happy with a lockout. College football should stand to gain. I wonder how much a NFL lockout would benefit the NBA and NHL. At least the local sports media should have a lot more time to pay attention to the Caps if the skins aren’t playing.
by vtcapsfan99 on Jul 23, 2010 12:47 PM EDT up reply actions
The NFL is an anomaly in sports, though. There is no local TV broadcasting (of real importance), there is only 16 games a year, and contracts for players are not guaranteed.
Compare the NHL to the NBA or MLB, but not the NFL.
by RCheli on Jul 23, 2010 12:31 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Regarding the upcoming discussions/battles, does anyone think ELCs will be lengthened, thus postponing RFA (and UFA) status?
(Yes, I know about the avatar hounding - just pretend mine is invisible.)
I doubt it. The union fought hard to get free agency earlier in the current CBA.
"You ever use smelling salts, every time you type a bad blog?" Brooks Laich
Agreed. The players won’t give that up easily. But given the fact that the second contracts have basically disappeared I could see the NHL trying to extend RFA one year just to try to balance the lost cost-certainty. It probably won’t be worth it though. They have bigger things to fight about and it will cost a lot to get the players to give that up.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
From the L’Express article comes this quote:
“The ball is in my camp,” found Perreault. "A position will be available: this will be my take. If I know a good camp and that I perform to expectations, there is logically a place in the team that waits for me. "
I don’t recall mngt saying this, so it might just be “his take.” But you gotta love his confidence.
Also, Emily – did you ever hear back about getting copies of the poster from his Tournoi des Essoufflés (google-translated as “the Tournament of Out of Breath”)?
"HISTORY DOESN’T MATTER!!! .... Who cares if it’s never been done? We aren’t those teams who failed before. We are in control of our own destiny, and we will make it happen our own way.." - A Gordon, June 2010
I think GMGM has publicly mentioned both MP and Mackan as taking a C spot, but even absent that it’s pretty clear just by looking at who we have signed that there will be a spot up for grabs. If he’s been paying attention at all I’m sure he’s seen the hype for Mackan, so hopefully he comes fully motivated and bulked up a little and we get to see a great battle in camp. I’d like to see BB, et. al. break up the training camp teams in a way that allows both MP and Mackan to play with a high skilled wing instead of table scraps.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
Yes, please. If, in theory, they’re getting a shot at 2C, they should play with 2L and 2R talent, not scrubs.
Eat, drink, and be merry! And then drink some more.
And if both make it, the 3C will get to play with Flash! Yet another “highly skilled wing” (just be ready to cover for him in the D-end).
Apologies if that had already been posted ’round these parts before.
"Game's the same. Just got more fierce."
by Hooks Orpik on Jul 23, 2010 11:36 AM EDT up reply actions
No prob – we could use another thousand comments on this slow July Friday.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
by J.P. on Jul 23, 2010 11:38 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Just so all those KHL scrubs know a real NHLer is here to take their jobs!
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
Wow, that stuff is awful…black and gold?? And what’s the little thing on his leg, a fly with a hockey stick? Who on EARTH would be seen in something so hideous? ;)
A conversation earlier this year…
Hello, may I help you?
“Uh, yeah. I got a message Mr. Shero want to see me. Is he in?”
Why yes… and you are…
“Bourque… Chris Bourque.”
One moment…. Mr. Shero, a Mr. Chet Burke is here to see you.
“That’s Bourque, ma’am…”
Uh, that’s Boork, Mr. Shero.
“Bourque… Bourque Bourque Bourque!”
Oh my, I did so love that Swedish Chef on that show with the puppets.
“Muppets, and it’s ‘Bourque Bourque Bourque’, not ‘bork bork bork.’”
You can go right in, Mr. Bork."
…
Chris, come in… sit down. Can I get you anything? Yoo-Hoo… Hi-C… Sunny Delight?
“no, Mr. Shero, I’m fine. What did you want to see me about?”
Well Chris, you know that being in the NHL means that sometimes players move around, just like you had to do when we picked you up on waivers a little while ago.
“And thanks, Mr. Shero. I really did like Primanti’s. I was getting sick of all that chocolate stuff. Chocolate this and chocolate that…”
Right, well, Chris, we are at one of those times when you have to move again.
“I’m sorry to hear that, Mr. Shero. I hope you are getting something good in return.”
Well, Chris, it’s not quite like that. You see, we put you on waivers, and you were claimed.
“Oh? By who?”
Well, let me put it this way… I hope you still like chocloate.
“sigh”
But I do have these lovely parting gifts of gently used hockey gloves and pants.
“Gently used?”
Yeah, well, they’re from your locker, and we don’t have any players up here in size, “Martin St. Louis.”
Gee… uh, thanks. I think.
If you've read this far...seek help.
by ThePeerless on Jul 23, 2010 12:21 PM EDT up reply actions 6 recs
I just love this piece;
Uh, that’s Boork, Mr. Shero.
"Bourque… Bourque Bourque Bourque!"
Oh my, I did so love that Swedish Chef on that show with the puppets…
Makes me laugh a bit, cause there is a former Team Sweden coach and nowdays somewhat diffuse hockeyexpert who make everykind of laughable statements in media, his name? Boork.
Y’know, I would have sworn that stuff was owned by the teams, not the players. Or at least that the pants were.
"I wake up in the middle night frustrated because we lost out in the first round and I want to see our players hoist the Stanley Cup." -Brooks Laich
by CapitalCentre on Jul 23, 2010 11:47 PM EDT up reply actions
Do any of the resident statheads want to give me a quick primer to understanding this table? Corsi, relative to quality of competition – how much significance should that have?
On the Forecheck: preaching the Predators' gospel to the unwashed masses.
I’ll let Knee High or another stathead address your first question, but I think it basically adjusts your Corsi numbers to reflect the quality of competition you face. As to your second, I’d say only very general significance. Qcomp stats are the least reliable ones, IMO, so anything that either purports to measure “quality of competition (or teammates)” or adjusts other stats for “quality of competition” is hiiiiiighly suspicious. Hiiiiiiiighly suspicious of Q(comp).
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
by Rob Parker on Jul 23, 2010 12:44 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
thanks
I figured any table with Ward, Legwand, and Smithson at the top was too good to be true.
On the Forecheck: preaching the Predators' gospel to the unwashed masses.
by Chris Burton on Jul 23, 2010 12:46 PM EDT up reply actions
It looks like Corsi Relative to Competition, but it’s actually Corsi Quality of Competition relative to the team in games which the player participated, as best I can tell. I’d link you to a definition, but I’ve not found a comprehensive one after some cursory searching.
So for example, in games which David Legwand played, the Preds were (pulling a number out of thin air) playing against teams with an average Corsi rating of 0.3. Legwand’s competition in those games had Relative Corsi ratings of ~ 4.7.
The Corsi QOC number works the same way the regular QOC number does, just by a weighted average of opponent’s Relative Corsi, based on ice-time.
I’m not 100% sure on the exact coordinate system for Corsi Rel QComp, but it works something like that. It’s a QComp measure, adjusted for the team, whereas the other two QComp measurements are on absolute scales.
Only YOU can prevent idiots from commenting!
by Knee high to a duck on Jul 23, 2010 3:36 PM EDT up reply actions
A friend just e-mailed me a bit of trivia — who had more career losses, Mike Liut or Boop (what we called Don Beaupre).
I guessed right (Beaupre — 277 to 271), but when I looked at their stats, I was just reminded how mediocre goaltending was in the 80s. Both had career save % under .890, both had career GAA nearing 3.50.
I don’t remember — were both of them stand up goaltenders?
Jay Mohr can just go eat a fucking porcupine:
http://twitter.com/jaymohr37/status/19352712650
You perhaps knew me better as "Your Nation's Capital." Same great commentary, now with 100% more transparency!
Out of all the sports, would you agree that baseball players are the biggest dicks and hockey players(not ovechkin) are usually the coolest?
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Greg Campbell [or insert other nice-but-bland player of choice] seems like a nice enough guy, but cool? He’s not exactly co-hosting all night parties in Vegas with JR.
#savethekittens!
Donation info for SAVES FOR KIDS 2010!! Make a difference.
Aw. Did Ovie not invite him to the party?
(Yes, I know about the avatar hounding - just pretend mine is invisible.)
Mohr’s response: http://twitter.com/jaymohr37/status/19366699560
Cuz he wouldn’t sign4 sick kids@ NHL awards. So get fucked @arcticrose28 @jaymohr37 dude?!?! What the fuck you gotta call out ovechkin for?
You perhaps knew me better as "Your Nation's Capital." Same great commentary, now with 100% more transparency!
I’m sure he read that on the internet, too.
In a vacuum, he might have a complaint. But I’m sure he has no idea how many events they want these guys to attend in a 24 hour period. Hey, you don’t attend my function? You’re an ass.
"It's always good to have vikings."
Proud member of the Oxford dictionary police.
by gfcaps fan on Jul 23, 2010 6:20 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
How about the fact Ovie flew that night to some Canadian city (I forget where) and played hockey with the kids. I remember reading that one kid was so excited he didn’t sleep the night before. Might be one of the highlights of their life for those kids, skating with Ovie. There’s only so much of Ovie to go around. Jay Mohr should know that. I suspect he has some other reason behind criticizing Ovie.
probably because Ovie figured out Jay Mohr is, in fact, a giant douche.
#savethekittens!
Donation info for SAVES FOR KIDS 2010!! Make a difference.
by RedBirdie on Jul 23, 2010 7:52 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
Ajax, Ontario, just East of Toronto.
Then back in the plane and off to Moscow, where he went directly to the BMW Gala in THOSE PANTS.
You perhaps knew me better as "Your Nation's Capital." Same great commentary, now with 100% more transparency!
Blah blah blah, I was in Pluto Nash, value my opinion.
Winterion Game Studios
Visit us online at : http://winterion.com
by winterion on Jul 23, 2010 5:12 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Isles part with Bill Jaffe, the first good commentator they’ve had in… my lifetime I think. Howie Rose blows, and if they team him with the Maven I’ll start rooting for that franchise to fail again. What a bunch of jokers in that organization.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
They seem pretty upset about it over at LHH.
Winterion Game Studios
Visit us online at : http://winterion.com
That’s rough. Why did they let him go? With JD gone Jaffe was easily the best color announcer in the NYC area (not that he had very stiff competition).
And good lord, I don’t even want to think about a Howie Rose/Stan Fishler combo.
Release the Mackan!
by Killer_Carlson on Jul 23, 2010 7:19 PM EDT up reply actions
You’re going to love the reason they let him go. He wasn’t positive enough. That’s right. He was fired for criticizing the team.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
Well they won’t have to worry about Fishler criticizing the team when he’s rambling on about the days of wearing onions on his belt and when nickels had pictures of bees on them.
Release the Mackan!
by Killer_Carlson on Jul 23, 2010 7:34 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
On my blog, I ranked the current uniforms of the 12 international teams from the Olympics. I’d like to know what you all think!
A Capital Wasteland - Blogging about you behind your back.
Lambert is an ass, but he’s completely right on this one:
And that’s why athletes are boring. They’re people, and they make jokes, and sometimes idiots find jokes offensive because they like having something over which they can get nice and upset. Then they try to get people in trouble.
Who wins out of all that, exactly?
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
Agreeing with Lambert makes me feel dirty.
I'm gonna pain you dearly Woodhouse, when I peel all your skin off with a flensing knife, sew it into Woodhouse pajamas, and then set those pajamas on fire.
by Steckel Me Elmo on Jul 23, 2010 8:39 PM EDT up reply actions
I don’t know that I can do it.
On the Forecheck: preaching the Predators' gospel to the unwashed masses.
by Chris Burton on Jul 23, 2010 9:32 PM EDT up reply actions
I know that some people look for an excuse to take offense over the stupidest things but I don’t think that was the case with Bissonnette’s tweet. Telling an immigrant to go back to his/her own country may sound funny to some people but that’s a pretty hateful comment. Did Bissonnette realize that when he was twitting it? Maybe, maybe not. Most likely, he was just trying to be funny and it’s obvious that he guy isn’t too bright but still. All I can say is that comments like that are pretty offensive to people like Chesnokov, me and immigrants in general. I wasn’t offended because I’m an idiot or looking for something to be upset about. That’s probably the worst thing you can tell an immigrant as far as I’m concerned and the tweet from Bissonnette was even more offensive because not only is he telling Kovalchuk to go back to his own country, he’s also calling him a communist. I don’t want to speak for every Russian immigrant out there but I do know that calling a Cuban immigrant a communist is quite offensive since , you know, we hate communism. To put it bluntly, that tweet is probably as offensive to us as it would be to an African American if someone told him/her, n***** go back to Africa. It’s not funny.
Lobbies: Green, Carlson, Orlov
Ok then. I guess we just have to disagree. I thought it was obviously a joke and most people should have known that. He wasn’t seriously telling Kovy to return to Russia. I can’t possibly agree that the word Communist is on the same level as dropping an N bomb. Your use of * seems to corroborate. Sorry if my relaying Lambert’s quote offended you, it wasn’t my intent.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
You didn’t offend me at all. I do realize that Bissonette was just joking around. I’m just trying to explain why even though comments like that sound funny to some people can also be very offensive to the people it is directed at.
I can’t possibly agree that the word Communist is on the same level as dropping an N bomb.
I can understand that but you’ve probably never lived in a Communist regime (e.g. the Cuban government controls, abuses both physically and psychologically, tortures, intimidates, discriminates, executes, and denies Cuban citizens of the most basic human rights, etc.) so calling someone a Communist/Commi is offensive because of what that word represents to people like me and why I feel comfortable saying that calling someone a Communist is just as offensive as calling someone the N word. I hope that makes sense.
Lobbies: Green, Carlson, Orlov
by CapsFan2020 on Jul 23, 2010 11:05 PM EDT up reply actions
It definitely makes sense. A favorite past time of mine is ripping on college kids that wear Che and/or CCCP gear.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
Please don’t even get me started on Che. I hope the asshole is rotting in hell.
Lobbies: Green, Carlson, Orlov
by CapsFan2020 on Jul 23, 2010 11:13 PM EDT up reply actions
Thanks for the explanation, as you said it’s hard for us to understand growing up as Americans. I wonder if the Russians feel the same way as Cubans about Communist references.
by vtcapsfan99 on Jul 23, 2010 11:08 PM EDT up reply actions
I honestly don’t know but if you read some of Chesnokov’s tweets in response to what Bissonette’ twitted about Kovy, you can tell he was pretty upset/frustrated by it also.
@PaulBizNasty just deleted his last tweet where he said “sory communist. back to the soviet.” That wasn’t nice.
@FightNightatJoe I found it stupid. No more.
@PaulBizNasty the “back to Soviet” was uncalled for.
@Notorious_JIM I don’t get upset with people like that player. I feel sorry for them.
@Hockeysteve54 @PuckCentral @HockeyJoePHT maybe he should have thought of that
charlesbrosky don’t get mad with the stupid
@Zinger17 yes. I think his agent/club decided he went too far.
@Goro87 the people of power who killed his feed didn’t think the joke was “little.” No?
@srosengr neh. I think it was Bryzgalov. He must have not taken the commie comment lightly
So, I can only imagine BizNasty approaching Bryzgalov with that t-shirt. Or better yet, the Yotes PR Director who is also Russian.
@blinkfink182 most would. Xenophobia is not really funny.
@blinkfink182 back to America, Yankee isn’t the same. It’s difficult to explain. But any immigrant knows what it’s like.
@blinkfink182 It’s like calling a German a Nazi.
Lobbies: Green, Carlson, Orlov
top ten centers
Dater/VS. ranks them.
Backstrom is…well, see for yourself and discuss.
On the Forecheck: preaching the Predators' gospel to the unwashed masses.
GoPens! will be quite pleased. Unfortunately, AD is an idiot. I’ve got Baxter above Richards, Koivu, Sedin, and Thornton. At least. Faceoffs… AO… yawn. Youngest guy on the list and already has a 100 point season. Pick your condiment because he’s going to eat those words.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
*
And Nick has 3 more playoff points in 6 fewer playoff games than Joe Thornton in the last 3 seasons (when JT was in his prime and Nick was getting used to NHL playoff hockey). 2 more playoff points in 6 fewer games than Henrik Sedin (giving Sedin the last 4 years because VAN missed the playoffs Nick’s rookie year). And Koivu is in the distance with 6 points in 11 career playoffs games. Dater can have his faceoff%. I’ll take post-season performance.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
I’ve got ‘em down as Sid, Nick, Toews, and everyone else, considering playoffs, versatility, and the like. So yeah, Dater’s a tool. But we discussed this just recently…
On the Forecheck: preaching the Predators' gospel to the unwashed masses.
by Chris Burton on Jul 23, 2010 9:58 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah no shock. I’m with your list but you have to keep Datsyuk there for now. He’ll drop off within a few years but I think he’s still got it. Malkin is in that group when he’s on his game but he’s by far the least consistent of those five.
And yeah, good day for Dater.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
Looking at the two lists again it looks like Dater just saw a lot more Wild because of the division. No chance the Wild’s Backstrom is better than Vokoun and no chance the Wild’s Koivu is better than Baxter. And obviously he’s judging Brodeur on 7 years ago.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
I’ve got Dats on the fringe, but there’s this one guy who just won Best Olympic Player, Olympic Gold, the Stanley Cup, and the Conn Smythe. He’s an ok kid.
On the Forecheck: preaching the Predators' gospel to the unwashed masses.
by Chris Burton on Jul 23, 2010 10:06 PM EDT up reply actions
Best Olympic Forward, we all know the Most Outstanding Player in the tournament was American.
Only YOU can prevent idiots from commenting!
by Knee high to a duck on Jul 23, 2010 10:07 PM EDT up reply actions
Ryan fucking Miller. Shit, man. To have one more go at that OT…
On the Forecheck: preaching the Predators' gospel to the unwashed masses.
by Chris Burton on Jul 23, 2010 10:08 PM EDT up reply actions
The front page of the Washington Post the next day had this photo of Ryan Miller with the most gut-wrenching haunted look on his face. On every single street corner, there’s Ryan Miller looking right through you, like he’s been to hell and back.
#savethekittens!
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And he basically did. For us. His tournament was awe inspiring.
On the Forecheck: preaching the Predators' gospel to the unwashed masses.
by Chris Burton on Jul 23, 2010 10:30 PM EDT up reply actions
Backstrom at #9? He should be top 3. Like many people who are ignorant of what Backstrom brings, Dater plays the Ovechkin card. Backstrom had 3 goals and 11 assists in the 10 games Ovie was out. So his points/game went up from 1.23 over the season to 1.4 when Ovie was out. Or, 1.21 with Ovie. In other words, he stepped up and performed better (including 1 of his 2 5-point games) when Ovie was out.
Well a healthy dose of FLA and other bottom feeders made the stats of Backstrom (and every other Cap) look good with AO out of the lineup. But yeah, Backstrom is nasty in his own right.
Release the Mackan!
by Killer_Carlson on Jul 23, 2010 9:53 PM EDT up reply actions
Backstrom is at his best against the Atlantic, not the SE. Against teams like Philly and Pittsburgh – playoff teams.
Yeah, but of the 10 games AO missed 4 of them were against FLA. And regardless of how they did against the rest of the SE, the Caps absolutely lit up FLA all season. If 40% of a sample of games are against a team where you are scoring 6 or 7 goals a game that is going to seriously inflate the stats for that sample.
Release the Mackan!
by Killer_Carlson on Jul 23, 2010 9:58 PM EDT up reply actions
5 of Backstroms 14 points when Ovie was out were against Philly though. However, he did do very well against Florida – 5 there as well. My point is, he was still putting up a lot of points without Ovie.
He did well without AO, but as you pointed out 5 of the 10 games were against teams that Backstrom and the rest of the Caps feasted on all season. In the other 5 games he didn’t do so hot but he was so good in the other 5 games that it inflates the per game average. This 10 game sample isn’t enough to draw any strong conclusions about how good Backstrom is without Ovechkin.
Release the Mackan!
by Killer_Carlson on Jul 23, 2010 10:23 PM EDT up reply actions
where’s that Backstrom-beats-Blackhawks gif? seems like the appropriate response :)
#savethekittens!
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I would agree with what you said, but the fact that Backstrom still had that many points without Ovechkin shows that he is good on his own, without Ovechkin’s help – which Dater questions. And I never said, or implied, that “5 of the 10 games were against teams that Backstrom and the rest of the Caps feasted on all season”. That is true of the 4 against Florida, but not the others. They had 2 against NJ, 1 against Philly, 1 against the Isles, 1 against Minnesota, and 1 against Carolina.
For the record, I didn’t discuss any of the games where Ovechkin was ejected – such as Chicago, where Backstrom had 3 points.
The Caps feasted on Philly all season as well. 3-0-1 with a 6-5 OT loss because Varlamov had a terrible game – the Caps exploited the Philly goaltending all year (23 goals in 4 games). So in half the games without AO against weak competition Backstrom did awesome, and in the other half against better teams he didn’t do as well.
I obviously think Backstrom is awesome with or without AO, I just don’t think focusing the 10 games AO was out (12 if you want to count the ejections) are the best way to make that argument, or are proof that Backstrom steps up his game with AO out of the lineup. I think it’s foolish to say Backstrom is only good because of AO, but I also think it’s not accurate to say that AO doesn’t help Backstrom’s point totals at all.
Release the Mackan!
by Killer_Carlson on Jul 23, 2010 10:55 PM EDT up reply actions
" I think it’s foolish to say Backstrom is only good because of AO, but I also think it’s not accurate to say that AO doesn’t help Backstrom’s point totals at all."
Totally agreed. My problem with Dater was that he was implying the first thing you said there.
Also, the only games without Ovie where Backstrom didn’t have a point were against NJ (both of those games) and Minnesota. Other than those games, he played well.
You jazzbos are overlooking the most obvious point. How about the Olympics when Nick had 6 points in 4 games with all new linemates and Henrik Sedin had 2 points even though he had his trusty brother at his side.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
by Rob Parker on Jul 23, 2010 11:07 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Good point, Nicky was awesome in the Olympics. His games always seemed to start at an obscene time in ET, so I’d DVR them and watch the next day, mostly only watching when he was on the ice.
October can’t get here soon enough!
by vtcapsfan99 on Jul 23, 2010 11:11 PM EDT up reply actions
Backstrom had 3 points against Carolina on November 30, when Ovie hurt his knee in the 1st in a knee-on-knee collision. So 20 of his 101 points were in essentially 12 games without Ovie.
Check the look in his eyes...
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I really don’t have a problem ranking Crosby, Datsyuk and Toews above Nick right now (speaking of next season only) and I wouldn’t blink if you put Zetterberg a slot above him either. Note that not-Crosby on that list have been offensive beasts recently (Toews only in the playoffs) and are all Selke-worthy players. I value their two-way games very highly, but I’d still rank Backstrom over Koivu. Also, as much as I hate Mike Richards, he’s a really excellent hockey player and I don’t balk at putting him on the list where he is. You just couldn’t talk me into trading Backstrom for him, even if they were the same age.
Only YOU can prevent idiots from commenting!
by Knee high to a duck on Jul 23, 2010 10:02 PM EDT up reply actions
All of this I can accept – but Koivu, Geno, and Jumbo all ahead of him? No thanks.
On the Forecheck: preaching the Predators' gospel to the unwashed masses.
by Chris Burton on Jul 23, 2010 10:07 PM EDT up reply actions
Richards was underwhelming this year. He’s good but I want to see how he rebounds. And doesn’t the fact that you wouldn’t trade Backstrom for Richards basically say it all? I know we are looking at “only one year” but Nick had a better year than almost all of those guys and has had a career year every year he’s played.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
He just needs to keep having career years for the rest of his contract.
I'm gonna pain you dearly Woodhouse, when I peel all your skin off with a flensing knife, sew it into Woodhouse pajamas, and then set those pajamas on fire.
by Steckel Me Elmo on Jul 23, 2010 10:16 PM EDT up reply actions
Poorly phrased on my part, I have Backstrom 4th on that list, Richards 5th, with the assumption that he’ll have a bounce-back year. Briere also got the lion’s share of the offensive zone starts, Richards was more likely to start in his own end because of the way he was used as a stopper.
Philly had a really bad shooting percentage year, I think we’ll see some higher point totals out of that team upcoming, even with Giroux emerging to take some ES time away.
Only YOU can prevent idiots from commenting!
by Knee high to a duck on Jul 24, 2010 8:35 AM EDT up reply actions
I think Backstrom should be as high as 4, perhaps, but I don’t think #9 is a great injustice if you’re ranking them for this year and not going forward in general (if that were the case, he should be #3 or 4). I will say this though – if I’m in a ten-team center draft and I get Backstrom at #9, I’m ecstatic.
I personally do not, but I believe the argument for Malkin pretty much starts and ends with “Conn Smythe! Art Ross!” and, as for Richards, “He’s so defensively responsible! He’s a leader!” I don’t think those are the greatest arguments over Nicky, but i can understand people making them and feeling that way. We’ve seen more of Nicky in action than most.
Hilarious amount of inconsistencies in the reasoning all across the board. Can’t say I’m surprised though, coming from a guy who thinks Jimmy Howard is a top-10 goalie in the NHL.
Release the Mackan!
by Killer_Carlson on Jul 23, 2010 9:51 PM EDT up reply actions
oh, Dater…..it’s been so long since I’ve had the opportunity to call you an ignorant fool. Thank you, thank you, for giving my that pleasure in July.
#savethekittens!
Donation info for SAVES FOR KIDS 2010!! Make a difference.
ohmigod, is that an actual Caps player update that doesn’t involve goofy pants or Scandinavians in desperate need of sunscreen?! In late July? sweet mercy, it is! TEB caught up with Captain Peanut Butter today. Becca will be thrilled to learn her car’s namesake has regained his vision.
Poti also said he’s been working out for the past eight weeks and has even been back on the ice, suiting up for a charity hockey game last week in Nantucket — wearing a visor, of course. In May, he said he plans to wear one for the remainder of his NHL career, and that commitment does not appear to have wavered.
#savethekittens!
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I’ve got Captain Peanut Butter pix for ya…in tomorrow’s Clips. The good news – he has a visor and he knows how to use it!
You perhaps knew me better as "Your Nation's Capital." Same great commentary, now with 100% more transparency!
he’s deathly allergic to everything. Somehow, peanut butter is the one we all ran with.
#savethekittens!
Donation info for SAVES FOR KIDS 2010!! Make a difference.
we’re a little strange with the nicknames sometimes. the later a night, the stranger it gets.
#savethekittens!
Donation info for SAVES FOR KIDS 2010!! Make a difference.
I imagine it comes from the fact that #3 has crazy allergies.
by mechanicsville on Jul 23, 2010 11:37 PM EDT up reply actions
aw, thanks, Em! You’re the best!
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Donation info for SAVES FOR KIDS 2010!! Make a difference.
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Southeast Standings
| GP | W | L | OTL | PT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Florida
|
53 | 25 | 17 | 11 | 61 |
|
Washington
|
54 | 28 | 21 | 5 | 61 |
|
Winnipeg
|
56 | 26 | 24 | 6 | 58 |
|
Tampa Bay
|
53 | 23 | 24 | 6 | 52 |
|
Carolina
|
55 | 20 | 25 | 10 | 50 |
(updated 2.10.2012 at 3:26 AM EST)
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