Tuesday Caps Clips: Caps @ Preds Game Day

It’s a nice article, though I think it’s dangerous to assume that he’s a Proven Playoff Rockstar because he scored four goals against the Canucks.

Have you seen Fleischmann’s numbers this year? 15 points in 16 games.

regular season? according to Pittsburgh those don’t even count as games!

I’m not sure what Chimera has, other than speed, that tops Knuble’s skills here. “Decent passing skills”? Hmm.

I hear Alex Kovalev is available…

I say 8-90-28, 21-19-20, 25-15-42, 26-85-50, feed that top line soft minutes, never play the fourth, and see what happens in the short-term.

If Ovechkin really needs another playmaker on his line, then he’s most definitely not worth his contract.

Let’s not get carried away here. I’m just talking about putting Ovechkin in the best position to succeed and maximizing his potential. The coach has to balance the lines to be effective for most, if not all, of a 60 minute game. The GM has to balance the payroll, etc. Ceteris Paribus, I think Ovechkin would benefit from having another playmaker on his line to make his line a truly elite line again, not just a very good one (which is all it was last season). Maybe the team wins more games if Ovechkin’s line is just very good.

Let’s look at it two ways. Would you say Rick Nash is not worth his contract because he doesn’t get 40 goals a season? Does it matter he’s had complete crap on the Jackets roster for most of his career? He really hasn’t had a #1 center to work with, much less a respectable second line. He’s hardly maximizing his output there.

On the other hand, the great lines have three players that work well together. Besides Ovie-Backis-Kozlov/Knuble, let’s take a look at some recent great lines.

Naslund-Morrison-Bertuzzi
A truly great line, Naslund was the primary shooter, but also an excellent passer. Bertuzzin could put the puck in the net, too, but his main assets were his size for controlling the play down low and forechecking and his hands, as he was a better passer than shooter. Morrison was the defensive conscience, but with excellent playmaking skills and just enough scoring touch to take attention off the other two when necessary.

Selanne-Rucchin-Kariya
Obviously a donut line (no center), but Rucchin made it work. Selanne and Kariya were both double threats, neither are overly large or physical, and both could just as easily pass as shoot (and did). Rucchin was the defensive conscience and physical presence and put up some decent numbers of his own, but was nowhere near that type of scoring threat without the other two.

It takes 3 to make it work effectively over a long period, and the third guy is usually not an all-star but a guy who complements the others well and has enough skill to be part of the play.

The Caps have Ovechkin and Backstrom, both elite talents. Ovechkin is a big, bruising forward with good passing ability, but he is most effective when he is not handling the puck and hiding in traffic when defenders key on him entering the zone. Backstrom is a slick playmaker with excellent puck control in the corners and has mastered the Forsberg counter-hit. He is not overly fast, but is adept at handling the puck in traffic and getting the puck to Ovechkin. An ideal complimentary player for these two is a player that is good in the corners so Ovechkin and Backstrom can play in space, which usually means a big guy. He doesn’t have to be a huge hitter (Ovechkin can do that), but needs to be good on the forecheck and has to be a good enough puckhandler to keep Ovechkin from carrying the puck too much when he enters the zone. He doesn’t have to be overly fast (Ovechkin’s speed is enough to push defenders back), but has to be able to keep up with Backstrom. He has to be able to pass and receive passes well, but also be able to hold onto the puck long enough to get the puck to another puck handler. He doesn’t need to be Ovi’s primary set-up guy, but has to have the hands and vision to get a puck through traffic and enough guts and skill to get shots through to keep the respect of the defense. He also needs to be mature enough to know not to pass to Ovie all the time, since he’s most dangerous without the puck, so that usually means a veteran. Backstrom can win faceoffs and play defense, but is best when he can focus more on offense.

Knuble isn’t super fast and is only getting older. He’s got the scoring pedigree and can get to the front of the net to keep Ovie from doing it, but Ovie does fine in front of the cage. Knuble is responsible defensively, he’s physical and good int he corners, and has decent hands. His weaknesses, besides speed, are his lack of a playmaker’s vision and ability to enter the zone with the puck on his stick.

Kozlov wasn’t super fast, but he had the speed to keep up with Backstrom. He was big and good in the corners, but not overly physical otherwise (no big deal, Ovie can hit) . He wasn’t especially good defensively, which was a major flaw. He shot a lot and had enough goals on his resume to get defenders’ attention. He could enter the zone with the puck on his stick, and he had the vision of a playmaker, though not an elite one.

The jury is still out on Brouwer, but he had glowing numbers in the AHL and has all of the physical and two-way elements to be another good winger for that line. He’s young and has good enough speed, but also has a Stanley CUp ring playing with Kane and Toews so won’t get starry eyes. He’s not a super-shooter or puck handler, which is something the Caps could really use on that line, but he’s decent enough there to be reasonably effective.

Semin has all the skills to be on that line, but not the physical presence in the corners or the defensive conscience. He also takes any scoring threat away from the second line, meaning there’s only one line to key on. Semin works there from time to time, but isn’t a permanent fix. He’s best as the primary focus of his own line.

I love the late starts, personally – esp Western road trips. The house is quiet, throw a log on the fire, grab a brew or single malt, and watch some hockey.

I don’t mind it, because it makes the c unified with the corners of the other letters. All of the other bottom right corners, the p and a specifically which the c seems to be based on have an upper pointing curve continuing. Look at the p vs the c. Nearly the same shape, except cut a little differently. And the finial makes the c seem like an actual letter, without it the c seems like an arrow or a symbol, not a single unit.

you can see that book in all of it’s dorky glory here! (aka, see Birdie change her hair 6 times in one season) I never posted the last several pages, though.