Saturday Caps Clips
by EmilyB on Jul 24, 2010 8:43 AM EDT
in Caps Clips
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PrintYour savory Saturday brunch links:
- CapsNation has received the long-awaited and happy news that defenseman Tom Poti reports he is fully healed from his gruesome eye injury and ready to get back on the ice. Let's extend a nice Rink welcome back to Tom and greetings to the newest member of Clan Poti - his son Tyler was born earlier this summer. Mazel tov! [Caps Insider]
- Did we say "ready to get back on the ice?" We meant "has already been back on the ice." He played in a charity tournament in Nantucket a couple weeks ago - and took his shiny new visor out for a test drive. Vroom vroom. [Pictures - Autographs, Auction Schwag, "The visor fits like this, see...", Introductions, Oh hai there Hal Gill, Potivisor 1, Potivisor 2]
- Just how important is Poti to these Caps anyway? [RMNB]
- We're still celebrating American defenseman Kevin Hatcher's ascension to the hallowed halls of the of US Hockey Hall of Fame - by taking a look at Canadian defenceman Mike Green's game. So. Is Mike Green the new Kevin Hatcher? [Jumping the Glass]
- And where on the ice do all Green's goals come from anyway? Let's rewind the DVR and take some notes. [JtG]
- Now on to forwards. Adrian Dater made a list of his top ten centers. He knows already that he's got Nicklas Backstrom in the wrong place on the list. But he's not quite sure why. [Versus]
- UHC Dynamo has a fever, and the only prescription is more Alex Ovechkin. [Pictures, Interview, Video (with translation)]
- The Forbes rankings of Russian stars with money and influence must've been determined before Ovi got his new gig. [Alex Ovetjkin]
- While we wait to see if prospect centerman Evgeny Kuznetsov can
buy his way out ofbe released from his contract with Traktor Chelyabinsk, you can read a bit about him. [The Hockey Chronicles] - Twelve goalies (including Semyon Varlamov and Michal Neuvirth) need to step it up this year. The other eighteen are presumably just fine. [Ducks Hockey News]
- Counting down the best international jerseys. [A Capital Wasteland]
- Two polls need your votes - SneakerBall [via CapsNewsNetwork] and Weagle [Icethetics]
- Yawnerrific story about how the Caps got their name. [Palm Beach Post]
- Vuvuzelas (and possibly Bill Guerin, judging by the picture) are officially banned by the KHL and soon to be banned at NHL games. But @TheHornGuy survives to Tu-Tu-Tu another day. [SovetskySport via GoogleTrans]
- Finally, happy 55th birthday, Mike Marson (with whom you really should be familiar - go to school, young'uns, here and here).
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I remember when the Caps drafted Marson (bones creaking). Not knowing much about hockey at the time, we thought it was an inspired choice for a new team in DC. Live and learn.
It’s all wrong, but it’s all right.
From the SovetskySport article:
One of the most respected fans Capitals – a bearded man named man-pipe.
[ early Sat morning TWSS ]
"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
by bagace on Jul 24, 2010 9:44 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Vroom Vroom Poti Starter!
by WolfPackof1 on Jul 24, 2010 10:24 AM EDT via mobile reply actions 4 recs
I didn’t think Dater’s centers list isn’t that far off. I think based on last year, Richards & Malkin could be moved down a bit. Sedin had a better year than Dats, so I’d move him to #2. As for Baks, I’m with Dater on FO issue. You can’t be in the top 5 until you win pucks at least 50% in the circle.
"You ever use smelling salts, every time you type a bad blog?" Brooks Laich
I think the FO issue is a valid point, but do you really think Mikko Koivu or Joe Thornton are really better than Baks?
The Caps had the most goals and the most wins in the League with Nick at under 50%. Also ridiculous +/- numbers. What happens when he brings his FO% up?
It surely will be fun to find out!
You perhaps knew me better as "Your Nation's Capital." Same great commentary, now with 100% more transparency!
by EmilyB on Jul 24, 2010 10:56 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I think the FO percentage combined with him playing with Ovi hurts him. He’s got the best winger to play with. It’s going to inflate his numbers.
I think within 2 years, as long as he gets better at draws, he’ll be top 3.
"You ever use smelling salts, every time you type a bad blog?" Brooks Laich
by Carl Putnam on Jul 24, 2010 11:00 AM EDT up reply actions
He’s got the best winger to play with. It’s going to inflate his numbers.
That’s an argument I’ve been hearing a lot recently, and it rubs me the wrong way. Sure Ovie helps his point totals a bit, but it’s not like Ovie is doing all the work either. It seems to me not many (at least outside of DC) can acknowledge that perhaps Ovie’s numbers may be sustained, or maybe even inflated, because of Nick’s presence as well. Overall, though, I have to agree that he can’t be top 5 without a better FO percentage.
It’s just a fact. As a Caps fan we should rejoice about it. Fact is they help each other. When grading guys you have to account for who they play with. Malkin gets upgraded because his wingers aren’t as good as most of the other guys on the list.
You put Baks on a line with Chris Kunitz instead of Ovi and you don’t think his numbers will drop?
"You ever use smelling salts, every time you type a bad blog?" Brooks Laich
by Carl Putnam on Jul 24, 2010 11:16 AM EDT up reply actions
Ten years of Baks-to-Ovi and Ovi-to-Baks. :: happy dance ::
You perhaps knew me better as "Your Nation's Capital." Same great commentary, now with 100% more transparency!
by EmilyB on Jul 24, 2010 11:18 AM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
Matt Bradley should be his other winger if he wants to raise his FO %. Japers looked (a year or so ago) about how wingers have a profound effect on a centers FO wins because they fight for the puck to claim possesion.
I think this showed why Steckel had finished in the top ten two years ago but I can’t find the article. Interesting though, does OV not fight for the faceoff as much because he’s shooting up the wing already?
OV always seems lined up to take the shot rather than possession. Knuble works his goalie blinder off though which certainly has helped Backstrom. You don’t see Backstrom lose a lot of faceoffs cleanly with Knuble around.
All the king's horses and all the king's men
Couldn't put Humpty together again
“goalie blinder”?
That is a truly spectacular euphemism.
by RPI93 on Jul 24, 2010 7:49 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I could argue Thornton is about even with Baks. Koivu is much harder to judge given the lack of talent around him. He’s better than Baks defensively, which is saying something because I think Baks defensive game is solid. He’s not as skilled, but better defense and better in the circle gives him a slight nod.
We can argue about moving a couple guys up or down, but to me you aren’t a top 5 center if you can’t win at least half your draws.
"You ever use smelling salts, every time you type a bad blog?" Brooks Laich
by Carl Putnam on Jul 24, 2010 10:57 AM EDT up reply actions
49.9% is basically half your draws. I also think draws are one of the most overrated aspects of the game.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
I’m a bigger fan of faceoffs. I prefer to control possession. Must be the soccer fan in me. Problem I have with Nick is he still losses draws too much during crucial times. It’s the one major flaw I see left in his game.
"You ever use smelling salts, every time you type a bad blog?" Brooks Laich
I agree that possession is important, I just don’t think a) that faceoffs are solely a product of the center (though the C is going to be the most important player regarding a FO) or b) are a huge factor in possession. In an offensive/defensive zone faceoff a win/loss means a potential scoring chance for/against immediately. But other than that, the game is so fast and the players are so skilled that who gets/retains possession is going to come down to factors not related to the FO.
It’s odd that you think Nick loses the key FOs. I had the opposite impression. It seemed to me that he knew how to buckle down and win the big draws late in games or when we needed a PP win. We’ve talked about how FOs are driven by the “give a shit” factor and I always thought Nick was able to dial it in and win a draw when he gave a shit.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
I didn’t see that in game 7 against the Habs. My recollection is he lost 2 keys faceoffs in that game. The faceoff losses late in that series colored my view on where I felt Baks was and what he needed to do to enter Crosby terriritory. Maybe I’m being overly critical, but its how I feel.
Wish I had that game 7 DVR’ed, so I could look back at the 3rd period of the game. Probably good for my own health/sanity that I don’t.
"You ever use smelling salts, every time you type a bad blog?" Brooks Laich
I don’t remember much of game 7 and I won’t ever watch it again. Nick may have lost 2 key faceoffs but c’mon. That series didn’t turn on faceoff performance. Nick winning either of those would be preferable, but was no guarantee that anything was going to happen.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
It turned on a PP which he was a part of as well. Obviously, I’d say Nick had less to do with that most of his teammates and his coaches, but it is part of the picture. My point was that his FO game didn’t elevate, heck it didn’t even stay the same in the playoffs, especially when the Caps needed it to. Who knows if one of those draws leads to a goal if he wins it? The fact is the Caps number one center was the last center I wanting taking a draw.
All along its been the weak point of his game. It’s gotten better every year, but its still not great.
"You ever use smelling salts, every time you type a bad blog?" Brooks Laich
Par for the course for young C’s. Gotta give MON a little credit for the way Nick performed on the dot. As we said above, they weren’t sending total schmucks out there. Ok, they were. But those schmucks could take a draw, that’s for sure.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
That’s why Gomez makes the big bucks.
"You ever use smelling salts, every time you type a bad blog?" Brooks Laich
Am I wrong in remembering Cammalleri played center at one point in his career? With the Kings, maybe?
On the Forecheck: preaching the Predators' gospel to the unwashed masses.
by Chris Burton on Jul 24, 2010 7:55 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah and maybe a little with CGY. I think he’s a better wing but he has played both positions.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
What I wouldn’t give for that guy.
On the Forecheck: preaching the Predators' gospel to the unwashed masses.
by Chris Burton on Jul 24, 2010 8:02 PM EDT up reply actions
Agreed. We just weren’t in a position to bid on him when he went FA, but I knew BB loved him.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
Yup. I could care less about his size; I’d trade a passel of defensive prospects, but obviously, he’s not leaving MTL. I think what this tells us is that Sutter is stupendously idiotic.
On the Forecheck: preaching the Predators' gospel to the unwashed masses.
by Chris Burton on Jul 24, 2010 8:08 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah Sutter is burying his reputation (not as a player) with this nonsense in CGY. Can’t say I’m heartbroken.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
I’m honestly not sure which is dumber – choosing Bouwmeester over Cammalleri, or re-signing Jokinen to center Iginla again.
On the Forecheck: preaching the Predators' gospel to the unwashed masses.
by Chris Burton on Jul 24, 2010 8:13 PM EDT up reply actions
Bouwmeester is a curse everywhere he goes! I’m sad for FLA that Martin didn’t trade him for assets when it was clear he was gone. I knew he’d get overpaid, so why not CGY?
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
Because Sutter had to dump Cammalleri to pick up Bouwmeester, thats why not. Dumbass.
The Hamhuis derby is going to end up like Bouw, I think. Can’t wait to watch him fail.
On the Forecheck: preaching the Predators' gospel to the unwashed masses.
by Chris Burton on Jul 24, 2010 8:19 PM EDT up reply actions
Haha. Right, I just don’t give a shit about CGY except for Iginla. I knew Sutter was an idiot and I knew Bowmaster was going to get overpaid.
Hamhuis isn’t overpaid the same way as JBo and he didn’t force a great player out of town so it won’t be as bad. He’s also not as hyped. You sure have changed your tune on Hamhuis right quick.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
I think Dan’s a good player and decent dude (well…), but he’s gone to the team I despise the most after Detroit, and he’s being immensely overhyped. They signed him with the idea of letting Ehrhoff and Salo go at the end of their deals. In two years, the top pair up there will be Ballard/Hamhuis. That ain’t gonna work.
So its not so much changing my tune as it is l just don’t want him to succeed.
On the Forecheck: preaching the Predators' gospel to the unwashed masses.
by Chris Burton on Jul 24, 2010 8:24 PM EDT up reply actions
Fair enough. I’m sure they’ll sign some reinforcements in that time, if they don’t develop them. I could see them re-signing Ehrhoff and maybe Edler makes that step they’ve been waiting on.
You hate VAN more than SJS or CHI? Damn, Burrows really did get under your skin.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
Not just Burrows. They’re a shitshow of retardation.
On the Forecheck: preaching the Predators' gospel to the unwashed masses.
by Chris Burton on Jul 24, 2010 8:30 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
It’s not like losing faceoffs killed the ability of the Caps to gain puck control. They dominated the play and the chances regardless of what happened in the circle. Could some extra faceoff wins potentially have led to scoring chances? Sure. But the Caps failed to finish on so many opportunities that it doesn’t really make sense to pick on the FO% as a reason for the loss.
Release the Mackan!
by Killer_Carlson on Jul 24, 2010 10:00 PM EDT up reply actions
but to me you aren’t a top 5 center if you can’t win at least half your draws.
That’s putting way too much weight on FO%, IMO. There are simply too many other duties for a center to draw that kind of hard line. If Backstrom had won 2 more faceoffs over the course of the entire season he’d be at 50.1%. Is 2 faceoffs really the difference between being a top 5 center and not being a top 5 center?
In 2006-07 Crosby had 120 pts and won the Art Ross, Hart and Pearson trophies, but he only won 49.8% of his faceoffs. I don’t think that last stat means he wasn’t a top 5 center given everything else he did.
Release the Mackan!
by Killer_Carlson on Jul 24, 2010 6:01 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Using Dater’s criteria (hard as they are to figure out), left wings would probably go…
Henrik Zetterberg
Daniel Sedin
Zach Parise
Alex Ovechkin
If you've read this far...seek help.
by ThePeerless on Jul 24, 2010 11:25 AM EDT up reply actions
Alex’s rating go down since he had Backstrom dishing to him. Give any of those other guys a decent centerman, and…
You perhaps knew me better as "Your Nation's Capital." Same great commentary, now with 100% more transparency!
You still have to take other linemates into account. Look at Chris Clark’s 30 goal year. You think that was Chris Clark’s immeasurable offensive talent that accounted for all those goals?
"You ever use smelling salts, every time you type a bad blog?" Brooks Laich
by Carl Putnam on Jul 24, 2010 11:37 AM EDT up reply actions
Whoooosh. ;-)
You perhaps knew me better as "Your Nation's Capital." Same great commentary, now with 100% more transparency!
by EmilyB on Jul 24, 2010 11:53 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Zetterberg…is a center, or has Filppula or Datsyuk?
Sedin has Sedin.
Parise has…Zajac, who is decent…
:P
Cидни Kросби: Александр Oвечкин, он твой папа теперь
матовая Клими, Михал нуивирт ваш папа теперь
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by red army line on Jul 25, 2010 3:00 AM EDT up reply actions
Dater’s list is lol-bad. Richards and Toews are waaaaay too high…Richards doesn’t belong on the list at all, and Toews is at borderline at-best. Thornton, Backstrom, and Getzlaf are way too low.
I’m waiting for knee high to chime on Getzlaf.
"You ever use smelling salts, every time you type a bad blog?" Brooks Laich
Heh, I’m wondering if that means he loves or hates him. Must be love because who could hate Getzlaf????
Knee high is definitely is a lover.
"You ever use smelling salts, every time you type a bad blog?" Brooks Laich
I’m a big fan of Getzlaf too but I don’t have him above Nick so my grudge with his placement takes a backseat.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
He’s an example of a guy who would probably put up bigger numbers if his played on a different team and with different expectations of his role.
"You ever use smelling salts, every time you type a bad blog?" Brooks Laich
Getzlaf? I dunno. He gets all the prime ice for ANA and has played with some astoundingly talented players all along the way.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
Yeah, not buying CP2’s theory on that one. Getzlaf gets Perry and Ryan, both damn good hockey players. Lots of other teams he could be on and not get that quality of wingers.
On the Forecheck: preaching the Predators' gospel to the unwashed masses.
by Chris Burton on Jul 24, 2010 7:50 PM EDT up reply actions
That’s ok no one buying what I’m selling today.
"You ever use smelling salts, every time you type a bad blog?" Brooks Laich
Nah, I’m seeing your points on the faceoffs – can’t count the amount of times Arnott couldn’t win a big offensive zone draw on a power play so we could set up our one play. I’m convinced that’s partially why we were eliminated. Marcel Goc was money on the dot but Trotz wouldn’t play him on the man advantage.
To point, I’m somewhere in the middle of you and F/B – I think they’re more important than he’s saying, but not enough to keep me from naming Backstrom the 2nd best center in the league today.
On the Forecheck: preaching the Predators' gospel to the unwashed masses.
by Chris Burton on Jul 24, 2010 7:58 PM EDT up reply actions
The thing is, a lost FO on a PP kills :15-:20. It’s not ideal, but if the guys you have out there can go set up in the zone and get going losing the draw isn’t fatal.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
Sure, I agree, but from my perspective, it was fatal, because we sucked balls at setting up the zone. Essentially, our power play goals went as follows 1) win draw 2) Hornqvist goes to net 3) draw back to Suter, over to Weber 4) one-timer, it either goes in or its tipped in by PH.
Seriously, nothing else worked.
On the Forecheck: preaching the Predators' gospel to the unwashed masses.
by Chris Burton on Jul 24, 2010 8:06 PM EDT up reply actions
Right, but that’s why I was saying FOs aren’t as important as everything else. Even if you guys win the FO you may bumble the puck away if the other team takes away Weber. Even if we lose the draw, we’re pretty good at getting the puck up the ice and setting up our PP (in the regular season). Playing hockey > winning FOs.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
OK, I gotcha. Definitely true – eliminate Weber, and it was even more toothless. Teams like San Jose, Chicago, and Washington had multiple ways of skinning that cat.
On the Forecheck: preaching the Predators' gospel to the unwashed masses.
by Chris Burton on Jul 24, 2010 8:14 PM EDT up reply actions
And just to tack on, the Toews goal in the Gold medal game came right after Team USA won a defensive zone draw. Toews and Richards hit them with an aggressive forecheck, a bad pass, puck turns over and Canada leads 1-0.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
That Toews/Richard unit was otherworldy, man.
On the Forecheck: preaching the Predators' gospel to the unwashed masses.
by Chris Burton on Jul 24, 2010 8:25 PM EDT up reply actions
Well he normally doesn’t have both Ryan and Perry because they play the same side. But he does always have Perry and he’s had a cast of other talented players go on that line. He was 2C when he won the Cup, and he had Prongermayer and Selanne on the PP with him until this last season (when he still had 2/3).
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
Hrm…I coulda sworn he gets both Perry and Ryan. Oh well.
On the Forecheck: preaching the Predators' gospel to the unwashed masses.
by Chris Burton on Jul 24, 2010 8:04 PM EDT up reply actions
It has happened but it’s like Crosby and Malkin playing on the same line.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
But now I’m looking at ANA and it says that Perry, Selanne, Ryan, and Lupul are all RW. That’s their top 4 Ws so something has to give and I’d bet they take turns playing out of position.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
That’s what I was thinking. I know for sure Nashville gets a helluva lot of Ryan/Getzlaf/Perry.
On the Forecheck: preaching the Predators' gospel to the unwashed masses.
by Chris Burton on Jul 24, 2010 8:09 PM EDT up reply actions
And it looks like you were right. Getzlaf took 43% of his ES shifts with Perry and Ryan this season. That’s the largest combo by far.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
Speaking of Ryan, they’re having a god-awful time getting him re-signed.
On the Forecheck: preaching the Predators' gospel to the unwashed masses.
by Chris Burton on Jul 24, 2010 8:12 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah, what a dick. I keep seeing that it’s the length of the deal and not the money. I also saw a quote where he says he realizes he can’t make more than Getzlaf so I don’t know the hold up. Maybe ANA wants to pay him a little less than Getzlaf but he wants the same money? Seems silly. But also, if it’s true he doesn’t want more than Getzlaf, what a great situation for ANA. That Getzlaf contract is already awesome, and if it can keep everyone else’s money down too then it’s gravy.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
What I’m hearing is that its all about term. They settled on price – the big 3 are all going to be paid the same. 5,325,000 cap hit IIRC. I don’t know what could be taking so long to decide length.
On the Forecheck: preaching the Predators' gospel to the unwashed masses.
by Chris Burton on Jul 24, 2010 8:16 PM EDT up reply actions
He wants to play until he’s 44.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
Heh. They do need to sign him longer than the other two, though, I’d assume. Their deals are up in two years, I think.
On the Forecheck: preaching the Predators' gospel to the unwashed masses.
by Chris Burton on Jul 24, 2010 8:25 PM EDT up reply actions
What’s your justification? If you’re going to tell me Toews and Richards don’t belong on the list, then you certainly can’t tell me that Koivu belongs on the list.
I don’t agree with you on Thornton – he’s hitting the steep part of the decline for forwards that happens at about age 32. He’s still an elite playmaker, but that won’t be true in a couple more years, perhaps as early as next season.
Here’s why Toews, Koivu and Richards all belong on the list or deserve consideration; they’re elite defensive players as well as very good offensive contributors. I wouldn’t trade Backstrom for any of them going forward – Toews has some offensive potential left to fill, but Baxter can be taught the defense that Toews has to some degree and Backstrom is a better offensive talent and is signed for longer. Toews also has a concussion on his record and that’s a concern going forward for a guy that does as much digging on the wall as he does. All of three of these guys are lethal penalty killers and shut down opponents in their own ends. That’s as valuable as scoring goals and those guys are the best at it on that list besides Datsyuk, who I assume you have no problem with including, even though he only scored 70 points last season.
Getzlaf is a physical beast, though, you can’t really teach his size and strength. He’s also really hard to play against, but I wish he’d cut down on the penalties some.
Only YOU can prevent idiots from commenting!
by Knee high to a duck on Jul 25, 2010 11:24 AM EDT up reply actions
CP2Devil, you contradict yourself. You say Backstrom can’t be top 5 due to FO%, yet he was better than Sedin – who you put as #2.
by timmyv38 on Jul 24, 2010 2:04 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
I know he tends to be a bit inconsistent in the circle, but I’m surprised he’s behind Baks. I wouldn’t be totally contradicting myself, as I still take into account the whole picture, but it would make me pause at ranking Sedin #2 behind Sid.
I’m off to find Sedin’s FO stats.
"You ever use smelling salts, every time you type a bad blog?" Brooks Laich
You were right timmyv38. Looking at Sedin’s numbers his game to game numbers were inconsistent as I expected, but the total was lower than I expected.
Interesting thing was once the playoffs hit Sedin’s numbers improved (only had one of twelve playoff games under 50%) and Nik’s were down. Obviously, they faced different competition and Henrik has a larger sample size, but the numbers are different. Nick was less than 48% in the last 3 games of Habs series including 37.5% in game 7. Those playoff stats jive with my overall impressions when it comes to the two players and faceoffs. Not sure what to make of it all.
"You ever use smelling salts, every time you type a bad blog?" Brooks Laich
to me you aren’t a top 5 center if you can’t win at least half your draws.
Sedin didn’t win half his draws.
Now, as to the playoffs. I haven’t looked at the numbers but I know MON has some very good FO men, and might be a very good FO team. It could be that LAK was the exact opposite, but I don’t know.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
Gomez obviously comes to mind for the Habs. However, Stoll & Handzus are no slouches.
"You ever use smelling salts, every time you type a bad blog?" Brooks Laich
Stoll is good but I got burned touting Handzus a month or so ago. I don’t remember the exact number but Handzus was dominated in the faceoff circle against VAN (frequently by Sedin, who wasn’t so hot in the regular season). The guy for MON I was thinking of was Plekanec. They used him in more of a shutdown role and he won more than 50% of his draws against Crosby in that series, IIRC. Dom Moore is no slouch either. So yeah, MON was able to roll 3 Cs that could win a draw.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
And here with have another issue. What do you look at more? What a guy does in postseason vs. regular season. We can slice stats for these top 10 best things 8 different ways.
I believe NIck has more secondary assists than Sedin and several others. We can have that argument. That always plays well in these parts. :-)
You weren’t wrong to tout Handzus. He is normally very reliable in the faceoff circle.
"You ever use smelling salts, every time you type a bad blog?" Brooks Laich
You’re right there are a million ways to look at it. And 999,995 of them are more important than FO%.
People just haven’t watched enough of Backstrom. They see the team and they see AO and they just assume he’s riding coattails. I was pissed when GoPens! brought up the Koivu v. Backstrom debate as though there was even a legitimate question, but clearly there are plenty of people that just don’t know. Koivu is very good, but he’s not Nick. Thornton is very good, but his best years are basically behind him (he may have 1-2 more) and he’s still not the complete player Nick is. Time will settle this one and I have no doubt how it will turn out.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
I don’t doubt it either. My point was the list is a moment in time. By the time Baks is 27-28 I fully expect him to be up there with Sid at the top of the center heap. No question that he’s already the MVP for his own team.
"You ever use smelling salts, every time you type a bad blog?" Brooks Laich
Now that’s a tall claim. I’m pretty sure there’s at least a question as to who the Caps’ MVP is.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
Ok, there might be a small question. Others who don’t follow the team would probably really have a question. However, given the team lack of center depth its Baks. Just look at what happened last season when he was out of the lineup vs when Ovi was.
"You ever use smelling salts, every time you type a bad blog?" Brooks Laich
That’s a small sample size and against teams we already dominated. Without AO NJD dominated us. I think there’s a difference between MVP and most irreplaceable player. I agree Nick is the most irreplaceable, but that’s because we don’t have any other Cs and we have a lot of scoring on the W. I just can’t say anyone but AO is the MVP of this team right now.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
To me MVP is most valuable for their specific team. To me that is Baks for caps last year.
Sure, if we are just talking who is the “best player” then Ovi wins. He’s the best winger in the league.
MVP does not equal best player to me. I know people have this argument all the time in all sports.
"You ever use smelling salts, every time you type a bad blog?" Brooks Laich
I hear you. It’s not a crazy argument. You could have made the same one about Green last year. I know there was a post here about it.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
Man, the dropoff from Green to the next best D is almost further than the C.
On the Forecheck: preaching the Predators' gospel to the unwashed masses.
by Chris Burton on Jul 24, 2010 9:12 PM EDT up reply actions
Right. RAHJC ftw.
On the Forecheck: preaching the Predators' gospel to the unwashed masses.
by Chris Burton on Jul 24, 2010 10:48 PM EDT up reply actions
There’s a question to it, yeah, but as an objective observe and as CP2 mentions, the drop off from W is nowhere near as steep as from C.
On the Forecheck: preaching the Predators' gospel to the unwashed masses.
by Chris Burton on Jul 24, 2010 7:52 PM EDT up reply actions
See above, I think that’s a different argument; one that is primarily exogenous in that it relates more to the rest of the team than it does to their individual merits.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
OK, but isn’t center the more valuable position to begin with?
On the Forecheck: preaching the Predators' gospel to the unwashed masses.
by Chris Burton on Jul 24, 2010 8:07 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah it is, but AO is not your typical player. If we are going with the depth-based MVP definition, AO is harder to replace than any C because the difference between AO and the 2nd best W is greater than the difference between the top Cs or top Ds.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
Well that’s certainly true. Can’t even think who I’d put after AO the gap is so large. Parise? I don’t know.
On the Forecheck: preaching the Predators' gospel to the unwashed masses.
by Chris Burton on Jul 24, 2010 8:12 PM EDT up reply actions
I guess Parise is as good a candidate as any other. There was a time when Nash and Kovalchuk would be front runners but I think both of them have come down a peg. Iginla is on the downswing. Kane? Just the fact that this is where we have to go to find the next best W is pretty indicative.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
Forgot about Nash, but Parise is close enough on offense and so much better defensively that I’m taking ZP9 every time.
But yeah. No one comes close to AO right now.
On the Forecheck: preaching the Predators' gospel to the unwashed masses.
by Chris Burton on Jul 24, 2010 8:18 PM EDT up reply actions
And it gets even more stark the farther you go. Not only is the 1C-to-2C gap bigger than the AO-to-2W gap, but the 1C-to-5C gap is much smaller than AO-to-5W, whoever it is.
Where do Heatley and Hossa fit?
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
Heatley doesn’t give enough of a shit on defense to make me consider him too high, so:
AO, ZP, RN, MH, IK/DH, Kane, Gaborik. Something like that? Hossa’s an amazing two way player, so I’m accounting for some of that.
On the Forecheck: preaching the Predators' gospel to the unwashed masses.
by Chris Burton on Jul 24, 2010 8:26 PM EDT up reply actions
Hossa is definitely a great two way player. I’m just not sure where to put him when you consider his age and injury history. He’s in that Joe Thornton area where he’s mostly through his prime and the performance you’ll get now isn’t the same as what he made his name on.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
I see your point, but I rank under the criteria of who am I taking to win the Stanley Cup in one year. And I’m not taking Kovalchuk, Heatley, or Gaborik before Hossa.
On the Forecheck: preaching the Predators' gospel to the unwashed masses.
by Chris Burton on Jul 24, 2010 8:32 PM EDT up reply actions
Agreed. Though I do think Heatley is a reliable big-game player. He just doesn’t have the all-around game of Hossa right now. In 2-3 years I think Heatley will definitely be better just because of age.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
He’s money for Canada, anyway. And who knows, in 2-3 years, we’ll be talking about Taylor Hall and who knows who else.
On the Forecheck: preaching the Predators' gospel to the unwashed masses.
by Chris Burton on Jul 24, 2010 8:38 PM EDT up reply actions
er
*we could be talking about
On the Forecheck: preaching the Predators' gospel to the unwashed masses.
by Chris Burton on Jul 24, 2010 8:38 PM EDT up reply actions
I’m of the opinion that you can’t rule a center out of the top 5 just because of faceoffs. Backstrom is just barely below 50%, and makes up for it with everything else he does. His puck control and passing are undoubtedly among the best in the NHL, and he has a great shot when he unleashes it. He is pretty much at the same place where Crosby was in 2008-9.
Your words that I was referring to were “You can’t be in the top 5 until you win pucks at least 50% in the circle.” That was what I meant by contradicting yourself. Sedin was 49.5% on faceoffs, Backstrom was 49.9%. I think they both belong in the top 5 if you’re looking at last season. If you’re looking in the future, I think Backs has to be rated higher than Sedin. If you’re looking based on past seasons, I don’t know if Sedin even makes this list. If you’re taking them all together, I think both easily make top 5.
I guess it depends on your frame of analysis. Are you only looking at the 2009-10 season? Are you looking at projecting towards the 2010-11 season? Or are you looking at it like a GM and asking which guy you’d draft if you had the chance? Sedin had a great season in 2009-10, no doubt. But I’m not sold on him being in the same class as Crosby/Datsyuk/Toews/Backstrom. I expect him to drop off next season, but even if he doesn’t I can’t ignore the fact that both Sedin and Koivu had their breakout seasons at ages 29 and 26, respectively. The rest of that list became elite players at a much younger age which, to me at least, indicates a higher quality player. I guess it’s outside the scope of the analysis, but does anyone have any doubt about how 27 year old Backstrom stacks up against 2009-10 Koivu/Sedin?
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
I think Dater meant at this moment in time. I agree that going forward Baks climbs up the list. I didn’t buy the guy’s jersey because I thought he was just a bit above average.
One could argue to move guys up and down the list based on different criteria as I did with my concern about FO’s. You could argue based on linemates, system’s the teams they play for employ, their age, goals vs assists, primary vs secondary assists, etc.
Maybe my thought that right now Baks is about number ten to six on the list is selling him short. I just can’t get bent out of shape about him being at number nine. Not like Dater is saying he sucks. he claiming is top ten at his position.
"You ever use smelling salts, every time you type a bad blog?" Brooks Laich
Hey Nicky’s come a long way. Would he even be on such a list in 2008-09?
I believe Nicky’s slowly gaining national attention across the league, but he’s still behind comparable players in terms of his recognition. As long as he’s paired with Ovi he’s never going to get the level of recognition he would if he were paired with inferior wingers. Somehow, however, I believe that Nicky, Ovi, and the Caps’ management aren’t too worried about it.
Isn’t this what happened with H. Sedin—he had his best year when his brother winger was out with an injury. So in essence H. Sedin proved he could play without Daniel.
Now I happen to believe that Nicky still has his best years ahead of him and that his skill is strong enough to bolster wingers not named Ovi. But it might take a long separation in their pairing and for Nicky to have a monster season before he is given his due—from statistical sites like btn and the oilers’ blogs to the mainstream media which hates to give up a well-tested narrative (I.e. Ovi carries Nicky statistically except when he’s up for individual awards—then his numbers are being artificially inflated by having such a superior center).
"I’m very happy to hear the news," Ovechkin said when he heard about Backstrom's longterm contract--"because he’s one of the top centers in the world, one of my best friends and we want to play together for a long time. He’s a guy who wants to stay in one place and be comfortable and win, just like me. We talk all the time about playing together, and we talked after the playoffs about how we can win in Washington."
by capsyoungguns on Jul 24, 2010 6:36 PM EDT up reply actions
Here is Neil Greenberg’s from RMNB take on the issue.
"You ever use smelling salts, every time you type a bad blog?" Brooks Laich
Nice—thanks. Great piece.
Personally I have no problem with him being in the middle of the pack. Compared to the other centers on the list, he’s the youngest (I think—better go check), so I expect him to improve, including his FO stats.
But if I hazard a guess, I don’t think he will ever get the correct degree of credit until he does it without Ovi. It’s not fair, but who said life was fair anyway. And I do expect them and the team to win the Cup—simply because Ovi is just too great of a player and he’s paired with an elite center for it not to happen.
I keep in mind Gretzky’s observation that it takes a painful loss(es) in order to learn how to win, wisdom he said he gained through personal experience. I think the Caps have had enough experiences with losing.
"I’m very happy to hear the news," Ovechkin said when he heard about Backstrom's longterm contract--"because he’s one of the top centers in the world, one of my best friends and we want to play together for a long time. He’s a guy who wants to stay in one place and be comfortable and win, just like me. We talk all the time about playing together, and we talked after the playoffs about how we can win in Washington."
by capsyoungguns on Jul 24, 2010 6:56 PM EDT up reply actions
Isn’t this what happened with H. Sedin—he had his best year when his brother winger was out with an injury. So in essence H. Sedin proved he could play without Daniel.
Not really. This was the first time the Sedin’s truly lived up to their elite billing, and it’s a big part of the reason I’m still skeptical about them. Previously Henrik’s season high in points was 82. Good numbers, but nowhere near that elite level. You could call this Sedin’s breakout year. We’ll see if it was a one-hit wonder or if he finally found that elite NHL game Brian Burke expected over a decade ago.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
And now I’m looking at the numbers comparing Nick to the Sedins and it’s very impressive. Nick’s rookie year was better than any of Henrik or Daniel’s first 4 seasons. Combined, Henrik and Daniel have one season where they put up more points than Nick’s second or third seasons. Of course, that was Henrik’s MVP season this year. Combined, Henrik and Daniel have one season where one of them scored more goals than Nick had this year (Daniel in 06-07). Daniel’s career high for assists was this year (56) and it was one more than Nick’s career low. Impressive how well he stacks up at such a young age.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
by Rob Parker on Jul 24, 2010 7:33 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I really haven’t watched enough of the Sedins to make a worthwhile argument for Henrik—i just pulled that recollection out of my brain, culled from reading others make that point, that he somehow validated his abilities by playing so well when his brother was injured. You’re right in that he had a monster year. He did seem quite in awe of the fact that he got the Hart over Ovi and Crosby.
However, I love your comparison of Backs’s development to the Sedins. Backs really is underrated outside of Capsland.
"I’m very happy to hear the news," Ovechkin said when he heard about Backstrom's longterm contract--"because he’s one of the top centers in the world, one of my best friends and we want to play together for a long time. He’s a guy who wants to stay in one place and be comfortable and win, just like me. We talk all the time about playing together, and we talked after the playoffs about how we can win in Washington."
by capsyoungguns on Jul 24, 2010 9:37 PM EDT up reply actions
Even “this moment in time” is a little ambiguous. Even acknowledging that Sedin had a better season than Baxter, and if you are willing to say that Koivu did too (which I don’t agree with) I’m not sure you can really say that either of those guys is “better” than Nick in that going into this season I’d pick Nick to be the best of the 3.
You’re right, he’s not saying Nick sucks, and top ten is an honor. It’s just tough to look at it as an honor when you see the guys ahead of him. I don’t know if you saw my comment last night, but Nick has more playoff points in the last 3 years than Thornton does, and Thornton has played 6 more games and is in his prime. I’d focus on that number a hell of a lot more than the FO%.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
Nick has more playoff points in the last 3 years than Thornton does, and Thornton has played 6 more games and is in his prime. I’d focus on that number a hell of a lot more than the FO%.
Thornton is definitely one of the guys I’d put behind NIck and Getzlaf. If he was ever going to get it done in the postseason this was the year and he still wasn’t impressive. In addition, both Baks and Getz are better defensively than him. I keep hoping for the light bulb to go on, but it looks like it never will.
I’m a big Koivu fan (just like I’m a big Baks fan). He put up good numbers without Gaborik and with a messy team situation.
"You ever use smelling salts, every time you type a bad blog?" Brooks Laich
Koivu had a very good year and yet only put up 71 points and it was a career high. Yeah, I know, there is a lot more to Koivu’s game and I was on the Koivu bandwagon before it was cool to be on the Koivu bandwagon. But there is simply no chance he is so much better defensively than Nick that he makes up the offensive gap.
The play that stands out to me to show how different Nick and Thornton are is the legendary play against the Rags where he stops Callahan’s shot and then goes down the ice and sets up a crucial Caps goal (with a secondary assist, mind you). That’s the kind of full-ice game the Bruins and Sharks never got from Thornton.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
No disagreement on Thornton. He’s not shown a willingness to put it on the line. That’s why the Bruins traded him in the first place. They didn’t believe he could lead them to a Cup. I don’t think any Caps fan or GMGM Nick can’t do so eventually.
"You ever use smelling salts, every time you type a bad blog?" Brooks Laich
I think BOS was impatient with Joe and they certainly didn’t get anything close to a fair return. But in his time in SJS he has shown an inability to adapt his game to post-season hockey. He still likes to play on the outside and I don’t think he’s nearly assertive enough. He plays his best games when he’s mad but he looks like he’s at regular season speed/intensity far too often.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
Brings up a thought—should GMGM maybe look into signing Thornton next offseason (he’s UFA IIRC)? On a short term deal, when for once in his career he’s not the primary scorer on a contender, still with good wingers, maybe, just maybe, he could be better.
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by red army line on Jul 25, 2010 3:07 AM EDT up reply actions
Thornton is a free agent after next year (a $7.2M cap hit), but at his age (32) when his contract is up, I would suspect he’d be looking for a five-year or so deal to take him to or near retirement. San Jose has some cap issues after next season ($39 million tied up in 10 players), but I suspect they’ll have or make room for Thornton.
If you've read this far...seek help.
Yeah he’s not going to sign a short term deal (especially not with a new CBA looming). And even if he was open to the idea, a discount for Joe still is going to be too expensive for us. I think SJS is going to give him a retirement contract and lock him up.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
http://washingtoncapitalslegends.blogspot.com/2009/06/kevin-hatcher.html
I came across this about Kevin Hatcher, and there were a few lines that made me think of Mike Green (Or at least some things said about Mike):
Regardless, he was never reputed to be as good in his own zone as he was in the other team’s. He seemed susceptible to making boneheaded, risky plays, overhandling the puck and hurting his team defensively. He did not always maximize his size, taking nights off. Outside of the 1992-93 season he just never really could put it all together and be one of the game’s truly dominant defenders.
There are a few other lines in that link that evoke thoughts of Greenie, but I’d have to agree with the first JtG article in that Mike is ultimately a better all-around defender than Kevin ever was.
The thing that jumps at me about the Mike Green / Kevin Hatcher comparison is that it mentions Hatcher’s 20 point jump with the departure of Scott Stevens. That’s a fair point, but it begs the question – what will Mike Green’s point production look like, particularly on the PP, with the arrival of JC74 full-time?
Hanlon's Razor: Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.
That’s a good question, but the bigger question may be, how much PP time will BB give Carlson while Greenie is still around? Boudreau was pretty committed to Green on the PP, even when it was struggling during the playoffs (even with Carlson’s presence).
by Capcrazy77 on Jul 24, 2010 11:12 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Green’s just gonna have to score sooner, when he sees that Coach has PP unit 2 teed up and ready to hop over the boards.
Either that or JC74 will score a bunch of ES goals just as the PP expires…
You perhaps knew me better as "Your Nation's Capital." Same great commentary, now with 100% more transparency!
when he sees that Coach has PP unit 2 teed up and ready to hop over the boards.
Caps have a 2nd PP unit?
"You ever use smelling salts, every time you type a bad blog?" Brooks Laich
by Carl Putnam on Jul 24, 2010 11:18 AM EDT up reply actions
They’ll have to. Can’t keep Carlson stapled to the bench.
You perhaps knew me better as "Your Nation's Capital." Same great commentary, now with 100% more transparency!
I agree. I just wish I had more faith in BB actually using his actual 2nd unit more. Letting Ovi & Green stay on the ice for 1:30 – 2:00 mins drives me bonkers.
"You ever use smelling salts, every time you type a bad blog?" Brooks Laich
by Carl Putnam on Jul 24, 2010 11:23 AM EDT up reply actions
I wish he had given Brendan Morrison more PP time. But I don’t think he’ll be able to overlook Carlson as easily.
You perhaps knew me better as "Your Nation's Capital." Same great commentary, now with 100% more transparency!
I think you are right about Carlson. If I recall correctly, JC74 was getting much more time in offensive situations, both PP and when Caps were down, as Habs series progressed. My only worry is if Green comes out hot out of the gate BB may stick to his old game plan.
"You ever use smelling salts, every time you type a bad blog?" Brooks Laich
by Carl Putnam on Jul 24, 2010 11:31 AM EDT up reply actions
Alex was starting to turn to and look for JC74 in the playoffs. A development I was pleased to see. This may work itself out organically.
:: crossing fingers ::
You perhaps knew me better as "Your Nation's Capital." Same great commentary, now with 100% more transparency!
It’s amazing how many things do, yes? I’m personally of the opinion that Poti / Carlson is a pretty damn good point combination on the 2nd PP unit. (And is it me or would a lot of teams have that combo on their first unit?)
Hanlon's Razor: Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.
And if Green comes out hot out of the gate, I’m all for that. But BB will need to recognize the “cooling off” signs sooner, and plan accordingly.
If Carlson relieves some of the pressure on Green to be “the guy”, that will benefit both of them and the team.
You perhaps knew me better as "Your Nation's Capital." Same great commentary, now with 100% more transparency!
Green’s top shelf wrister or Carlson’s cannon. Nice to have such decisions to make.
"You ever use smelling salts, every time you type a bad blog?" Brooks Laich
by Carl Putnam on Jul 24, 2010 11:41 AM EDT up reply actions
I’m hoping that JC74 will make himself impossible to ignore.
Hanlon's Razor: Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.
I think that has already happened. Just ask the folks past these gates.
"You ever use smelling salts, every time you type a bad blog?" Brooks Laich
by Carl Putnam on Jul 24, 2010 11:46 AM EDT up reply actions
By us, maybe. By BB? We shall see. BB’s pretty good at ignoring what he wants to ignore most of the time.
Hanlon's Razor: Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.
Flash’s TOI as exhibit A.
"You ever use smelling salts, every time you type a bad blog?" Brooks Laich
by Carl Putnam on Jul 24, 2010 11:56 AM EDT up reply actions
Why not? Someone’s gotta keep Fehr company.
Lockout talk makes me want to go out and choke an old lady - Elliotte Friedman
by Rob Parker on Jul 24, 2010 4:34 PM EDT up reply actions 6 recs
Nobody for the Caps has ever hip checked as well as Hatcher did for a couple of seasons til teams figured it out.
He had it all down: giving the puck carrier the outside and plenty of room to think they could beat him for a breakaway, then, a few long powerful back strides later and you got the squashed sandwich between Hatcher and the boards.
Way off the beam here, but why would the Caps, in their image of the day on their web site, feature their goaltender allowing a goal?
If you've read this far...seek help.
D’oh!
You perhaps knew me better as "Your Nation's Capital." Same great commentary, now with 100% more transparency!
Not only that but its from game 6 of the Habs series. UGH!
"You ever use smelling salts, every time you type a bad blog?" Brooks Laich
by Carl Putnam on Jul 24, 2010 11:34 AM EDT up reply actions
So horn guy is going to be grandfathered in I assume? Or is the horn he uses not considered a vuvuzela
All the king's horses and all the king's men
Couldn't put Humpty together again
I suspect he’ll be grandfathered in. Not too worried about that.
Hanlon's Razor: Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.
That’s good. I know the sound can be irritating, but it is certainly something phenomenal and good about the VC experience. Plus, he tries to get the crowd stirred…it isn’t the endless drone of a vuvuzela that totally kills any sort of volcano of cheering that can erupt.
All the king's horses and all the king's men
Couldn't put Humpty together again
http://www.sovsport.ru/gazeta/article-item/399055
Looks like Lysenkov thinks that The Horn Guy and Goat are the same person…
Yeah, I’m overjoyed Poti is fine. Yeah.
For all those interested, found a guy on ebay selling a game-worn Clarkie sweater, pre-captain days.
I have a blog too! www.scottyhockey.com
Let's Go Rangers!
You’ve made your views on Poti as a Ranger abundantly clear. It’s good to hear from you on his fortunate recovery from a scary injury. In the end, we’re all hockey fans, right?
by mechanicsville on Jul 24, 2010 4:30 PM EDT up reply actions
Everyone have a good blood donation experience? I much prefer Inova to RC.
Twitter!!!1
Reppin' Team Tyler yo.
the last two with Inova have been much better organized that the first one i went to with red cross. I had to leave well before Carlson got there though. Was hoping to get a puck autographed for the auction. Ah well.
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 24, 2010 6:36 PM EDT up reply actions
I had a great experience. It was organized much better than the Semin one. Plus I got to get a picture of Carly signing my teeshirt AND my bobblehead (I have an unhealthy fascination with the bobbleheads and won’t share them with my family—they have to get their own). It was nice having an uncrowded autograph line so I could say a few words of appreciation to Carlson, and he could respond. At the fan fest, Brooks looked exhausted by the time I got to him. Not a chatting moment.
"I’m very happy to hear the news," Ovechkin said when he heard about Backstrom's longterm contract--"because he’s one of the top centers in the world, one of my best friends and we want to play together for a long time. He’s a guy who wants to stay in one place and be comfortable and win, just like me. We talk all the time about playing together, and we talked after the playoffs about how we can win in Washington."
by capsyoungguns on Jul 24, 2010 6:41 PM EDT up reply actions
Signed up for October?
"It's always good to have vikings."
Proud member of the Oxford dictionary police.
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Southeast Standings
| GP | W | L | OTL | PT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Florida
|
50 | 24 | 15 | 11 | 59 |
|
Washington
|
51 | 27 | 20 | 4 | 58 |
|
Winnipeg
|
53 | 24 | 23 | 6 | 54 |
|
Tampa Bay
|
50 | 22 | 23 | 5 | 49 |
|
Carolina
|
53 | 19 | 25 | 9 | 47 |
(updated 2.4.2012 at 6:07 PM EST)
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