6 months ago
EmilyB
605 comments
0 recs |
Email
PrintComments
If it’s a toe drag in general…it works plenty of times for him, he just fails to execute it more now. Nothing wrong behind the idea, you just have to execute it better than the D defends it. Helps if you change up what you do AFTER it some as well.
Everything ends badly...otherwise it wouldn't end.
by Davethecapsfan on Nov 28, 2011 3:03 PM EST up reply actions
Also, one more question:
Does anyone remember the last time a coach was fired when his team was still in the top 8 in their conference?
Chicago in 2009-2010?
Pledge Drive 2011-2012: CARSON KOLZIG FOUNDATION! Season Pledge total--$403.25!
Holy Hand Grenade,s Batman!
F-in’ WOW. Guess I’m havin’ a WTF-sandwich for lunch!
Thanks, Gabby. Really.
Hellooooo, Dale “Bad MF” Hunter!
How will Ovechkin respond?
Lots can be said (and will be!) about this move, but the most important issue to me is how Ovie handles it. I want my hypothesis to be “well,” but sadly it’s not.
What if Ovechkin doesn’t turn it around under Dale? What the hell do we do then?
The keyboard is mightier.
just for clarification
Ovechkin “turning it around” can mean a lot of things. The most optimistic interpretation of that phrase is for him to revert to 50-goal scorer form, but seems unlikely. I’d be happy with more consistency on both ends of the ice, and dangerous on the power play once again.
The keyboard is mightier.
I’m sure GMGM has a plan B, not sure id there’s a plan B2 though
What doesnt kill you makes you stronger.
by BetterOffWith28 on Nov 28, 2011 11:57 AM EST up reply actions
Isn’t DH evidence that it’s not 2B?
I am a hockey fan first, and a Caps fan second.
by iwearstripes on Nov 28, 2011 1:47 PM EST up reply actions
Honestly, I’ve had enough of armadgeddon posts and stories about Ovechkin. What if, what if, what if.
I don’t dispute that he’s not producing as most would like or expect, but the guy isn’t dead and he’s only 26. As someone posted earlier, Yzerman didn’t earn his first cup until mid-30’s.
He’s not going anywhere any time soon. Let’s cut the guy some slack and let him work himself out of this with his new coach..
Nice guys finish first, but sometimes the season is awfully long.
Follow me on Twitter.
by STLSpidey on Nov 28, 2011 12:00 PM EST up reply actions 6 recs
let him work himself out of this with his new coach
You say that like it’s a given. How do you expect it to happen? Will he refocus defensively? Revert to his explosive goal-scoring ways?
The keyboard is mightier.
I have no idea how it will happen, but I’m willing to let him try – for several years.
Nice guys finish first, but sometimes the season is awfully long.
Follow me on Twitter.
Actually, I disagree, and I will be a hard ass here. Ovi is getting paid $9 million – let me repeat, nine million – dollars to produce. As such, he has no room for any latitude. If he doesn’t like his TOI, his line mates, his position on pp, etc., tough. Your job is to PLAY – and LEAD, as captain. If he costs another coach his job, then I say it is time to trade his ass. He needs to grow up now, and fast.
by Wilderthing on Nov 28, 2011 12:15 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Were you “grown up” at 26? Cut the guy some slack please.
However – that’s not the point. The fact is that he’s not going to be traded. Not anytime in the next 5 to 7 years. Period. Get over it.
Nice guys finish first, but sometimes the season is awfully long.
Follow me on Twitter.
by STLSpidey on Nov 28, 2011 12:18 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs
I’m 25 and I’m still a dick with a shitty job. I still do stupid shit. That’s not going to change in a year.
"Don't mind WM...he's an all-around jerk."
by Whiter Mage on Nov 28, 2011 12:19 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
A lot of us were grown up at 26
Just sayin’. Out of college 4 years, in a job for 2.5, married for 3…..a lot of people aren’t still kids at 26. They’re mature adults working in their chosen profession. As is Ovi.
"Complacency is your demise." - Kerry King
I think we’re comparing apples and oranges when we try to compare professional athletes to working people — the two are fundamentally different.
Caps fan since I started watching hockey in the USAir Arena days. Follow me on Twitter (most tweets are about the Caps) http://twitter.com/#!/AaronLerner14
by Aaron Lerner on Nov 28, 2011 12:25 PM EST up reply actions
Especially a very young guy who gets lionized and super rich practically overnight.
There's always more to learn about Hockey.
Let’s face it. He’s a star player, with a big ego and is used to getting his way. It used to be easy for him and now it’s not. I’m not saying he’s depressed, but i’m sure he’s frustrated. He’s a guy with great natural talent that’s been figured out to a point and he’s resistant to change and to the notion that he’s the one who has to change.
by Goaliemama on Nov 28, 2011 12:37 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs
Perspective here. The ‘grown up’ reference is not intended to be expanded to ‘life.’ Grown-up as an adult who plays a GAME. In that respect, he should be old enough to understand he is being paid an ungodly amount of money to play a game and more specifically, score goals and make points. So, if he isn’t scoring goals then he has to blame himself and figure out a way to do it. That is grown-up. Being 26, frankly, makes it worse because he has been off his game for over a year now so he should have it figured out by now.
by Wilderthing on Nov 28, 2011 12:46 PM EST up reply actions
If I was him, I’d be annoyed with his teammates production in the playoffs before all the rest of that stuff. He might have a Cup by now and BB might still have a job if they did.
Everything ends badly...otherwise it wouldn't end.
by Davethecapsfan on Nov 28, 2011 3:04 PM EST up reply actions
If he continues at his current pace for the rest of the season, I’d look at trading him while he still has value. I’m sure there are plenty of teams out there that’d be willing to bet, say, top line forward (Parise, Perry, Nash, etc) + prospect + 1st that they can turn him back into a 50 goal scorer. Probably not going to happen though. He’s still the face of the franchise, and guys like that don’t get traded unless it’s a business decision.
by Flash in the Pan on Nov 28, 2011 12:01 PM EST up reply actions
Probably not going to happen though
What doesnt kill you makes you stronger.
by BetterOffWith28 on Nov 28, 2011 12:02 PM EST up reply actions
That’s pretty much what I meant. No way Leonsis let’s him go, but if it were solely about wining a cup (as opposed to making money), this sort of move would make sense.
by Flash in the Pan on Nov 28, 2011 12:04 PM EST up reply actions
No it wouldn’t. Not now.
Nice guys finish first, but sometimes the season is awfully long.
Follow me on Twitter.
Supposing Ovie finishes this season at his current pace (30-34-64), you wouldn’t trade him for, say, Perry + Etem + 1st?
by Flash in the Pan on Nov 28, 2011 12:15 PM EST up reply actions
No. But the point that FD makes below (twice!) is more valid. The Caps’ won’t trade him.
What if Crosby has two down years in a row. Do the Penguins trade him? Same deal. No.
Nice guys finish first, but sometimes the season is awfully long.
Follow me on Twitter.
I’m not saying the Caps will trade him, I’m saying I would, because I don’t really give a shit about the name on the back of the jersey so long as we’re winning. I’d rather win a cup with a top line of Jagr-Crosby-Briere than keep losing with Ovechkin. I’m not at the point where I think he (or more specifically, his contract) hurts the teams chances yet, put if he continues his downwards spiral for the rest of the year, I just might get there.
by Flash in the Pan on Nov 28, 2011 12:21 PM EST up reply actions
Well, I’d like to make out with Elle McPherson, but it’s not going to happen, so I don’t spend a lot of time thinking about scenarios where it might.
Know what I mean?
Patron saint of quality footwear.
If Ovie hasn’t improved by the end of the season, I’d rather think about trading him than think about having a 60 point player making nearly 10M a year for the next 8 or so years.
by Flash in the Pan on Nov 28, 2011 12:35 PM EST up reply actions
No one will trade for a 60-point/$10MM player, though. No one.
The contract by its term and AAV ensures that AO will be here for the duration. That was part of the point of it when it was signed, as you’ll recall. There was all sorts of speculation that AO would go to Montreal or Toronto, that the Caps would relocate, and all that jazz.
The contract was a statement that AO wasn’t going anywhere for the next 12 years (or however long it was). That still holds true today.
Patron saint of quality footwear.
No one will trade for a 60-point/$10MM player, though. No one.
VINNIE TO THE HABZZ FOR GOMEZZ!!!
Unleash the Apathy.
by D'ohboy on Nov 28, 2011 12:57 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
I think a team that’s struggling financially and needs a star to bring back fans would do it. Columbus, maybe? Anaheim? To a team that needs to make the cap floor, that contract could actually be attractive. It doesn’t make as much sense for a team spending to the cap.
by Flash in the Pan on Nov 28, 2011 1:12 PM EST up reply actions
Never say never, there are too many assumptions. For instance, if GM is gone, then what? Were it to come to that, I’m sure one team out there wants him, come on.
It isn’t even anger-inducing. It does not seem to be worth that kind of emotional investment. It might not even be disappointing any more. It is expected.
-Peerless 5.6.2011
He’s obviously not going to be traded.
For me, I’m not even looking at the results so much as his work ethic. For his first few seasons, he was ALWAYS the hardest working player on the ice, every shift. Nowadays, that’s a rarity.
I’ll be watching for that motor again. I’m hopeful he can get it back. If he doesn’t, I will be filled with despair, because you can’t win when your best player just doesn’t give enough of a shit to work hard.
The keyboard is mightier.
When I look at him, I see a guy who’s failing for no discernible reason. He’s no longer being required to play in a defense first system. He has a great center playing well beside him. I couldn’t watch the Buffalo game, but in most of the other recent games it’s looked to me like he’s still putting out the effort, even late in losses (The Rags game in particular, where he scored late and kept going even after it was pretty much over). Either he was playing to get Boudreau fired, or there’s something seriously wrong with his game, which is not only not apparent to us, but not apparent to anyone in the organization either. Both options terrify me, and make me think that if nothing’s changed by the end of the season, that it might be in the team’s best interest to trade him before it get’s worse.
by Flash in the Pan on Nov 28, 2011 12:31 PM EST up reply actions
Ovechkin doesn’t have the creativity/arsenal of moves whatever you want to call it to keep defenders guessing. He does three things on the rush: take one step to the middle and try to shoot through the D, try to go between his legs to drive wide, or hit the breaks and look for the trailer.
I’d be interested to know how often Crosby (or the other goal scorers) score on the rush like we were used to seeing Ovi do. My gut feeling is that Crosby scores VERY few of his goals off the rush.
Caps fan since I started watching hockey in the USAir Arena days. Follow me on Twitter (most tweets are about the Caps) http://twitter.com/#!/AaronLerner14
by Aaron Lerner on Nov 28, 2011 12:36 PM EST up reply actions
Crosby is a center. I’d be interested to see how the other wingers score their goals.
Can we run the Steven Stamkos patented one-timer on the power play?
Point taken about position, but unless he’s skating with Geno he’s always been the primary puck carrier (at least my gut tells me).
Caps fan since I started watching hockey in the USAir Arena days. Follow me on Twitter (most tweets are about the Caps) http://twitter.com/#!/AaronLerner14
by Aaron Lerner on Nov 28, 2011 12:44 PM EST up reply actions
I don’t understand how defenses have totally figured out Ovie’s moves on the rush, but haven’t figured out that Stamkos scores 75% of his goals on one-times from the half-wall. Maybe he’s really good at making defenders lose forget about him, but you’d think they’d know he’s out there and do something to stop that shot.
by Flash in the Pan on Nov 28, 2011 12:45 PM EST up reply actions
they’ve really taken away a lot of Stamkos old space. he’s had to adjust.
Pledge Drive 2011-2012: CARSON KOLZIG FOUNDATION! Season Pledge total--$403.25!
Stamkos has only scored 1 goal this year from his one-timer, at least as of a week ago when they mentioned it on NHLN.
I think with Ovechkin, it’s not so much defenses suddenly figuring him out as he’s lost some of his athletic advantage and that allows guys like Weaver to keep up with him now, while they couldn’t when he was 23.
Red Line Station and @RedArmyLine, featuring coverage of the most frustrating team in the NHL
I believe in next year.
by red army line on Nov 28, 2011 1:43 PM EST up reply actions
I don’t think thats true. I still watch Ovechkin routinely toss people like ragdolls in the corner and exert his will controlling the puck along the boards. The physical aspect is still there.
Caps fan since I started watching hockey in the USAir Arena days. Follow me on Twitter (most tweets are about the Caps) http://twitter.com/#!/AaronLerner14
by Aaron Lerner on Nov 28, 2011 1:48 PM EST up reply actions
That’s different though. He’s lost a bit of the step he used to have. He’s giving defenders who he used to skate circles around a chance to recover and get a stick in the way of his shot.
I don’t have much tolerance for stupid. Or cheese on food that doesn’t need it. -duck
by twistedlogic on Nov 28, 2011 1:50 PM EST up reply actions
I never thought of him as a blazingly fast skater. He’s always had the speed to do what he needs to do. Plus I don’t think his shots get blocked because he gets caught up to, I think that his shots get blocked because defensemen know when/where they are coming from because of his predictability.
Caps fan since I started watching hockey in the USAir Arena days. Follow me on Twitter (most tweets are about the Caps) http://twitter.com/#!/AaronLerner14
by Aaron Lerner on Nov 28, 2011 1:52 PM EST up reply actions
Dude, his whole offensive game was predicated on being faster and stronger than the other guy, a lot faster and stronger. He’s still stronger….not so much on the faster any more.
Patron saint of quality footwear.
I think a large part of it was because of his shot as well — powerful, quick release, and coming through a defenseman’s legs as a screen. Other than in the Buffalo game, I don’t think he’s scored a single goal in that manner all season.
I may be wrong, but I don’t remember him scoring too many goals by simply blowing past people with speed — maybe muscling past them with good enough speed. But IMHO, his speed is still good enough.
Caps fan since I started watching hockey in the USAir Arena days. Follow me on Twitter (most tweets are about the Caps) http://twitter.com/#!/AaronLerner14
by Aaron Lerner on Nov 28, 2011 1:57 PM EST up reply actions
It’s just that if you gave him the puck in the defensive or neutral zone, his acceleration was so good that he’d lose backcheckers and force the D to give him a bit more room than they’d like to. Lose a tiny bit of that, and D can step up a tiny bit more and step in the shooting lane or poke the puck away.
I think Lidstrom recently said Ovechkin was just a physical specimen, and so hard to contain for that reason.
Red Line Station and @RedArmyLine, featuring coverage of the most frustrating team in the NHL
I believe in next year.
by red army line on Nov 28, 2011 2:03 PM EST up reply actions
Then the question becomes is it Ovechkin that has lost a step or the league adjusting. So many times when you see Ovi on a rush, hes got one, two, even three backcheckers on him. Its hard for me to believe that he’s lost so much that two and three guys can catch up to him.
In the end, perhaps its a combination of both Ovechkin losing a bit and the league adjusting alot. Although from my eye, Ovechkin this year, when hes playing hard, looks like the one I saw for most of his earlier years.
Caps fan since I started watching hockey in the USAir Arena days. Follow me on Twitter (most tweets are about the Caps) http://twitter.com/#!/AaronLerner14
by Aaron Lerner on Nov 28, 2011 2:06 PM EST up reply actions
It’s the highest level of hockey, and he’s playing the best defensive players. The margin is very thin.
I just can’t buy that the league took five whole years to figure out the most dangerous scoring threat.
Red Line Station and @RedArmyLine, featuring coverage of the most frustrating team in the NHL
I believe in next year.
by red army line on Nov 28, 2011 2:25 PM EST up reply actions
There is more than one way to skin a cat. Thats what ovi does, score off the rush and on PP for the most part. His game hasn’t really ever been puck possession and probably won’t be till he is old and forced into it. I just wish that when he is in full flight skating down the wing that there would be someone close to his equal(on the rush) closely trailing or on the opposite side in position to recieve the puck on the rush to create a scoring chance if the shot isn’t there for Ovi. I always question whether the backstrom ovi pairing is best due to this. It seems when ovi has the puck he leaves everyone behind, like backstrom and brouwer/knuble can’t catch up. The only time I see backstrom doing anything with ovi on the rush is when backstrom is the one taking the puck into the zone. If Ovi best on the rush then fashion your line for that. Say Ovi-MarJo-Semin or something of the like. Which reminds me, why aren’t they running the Ovi outlet/stretch pass as much as they use to?
His game hasn’t really ever been puck possession
Depends on how you define puck possession. His game has never been about cycling, but when he’s on the ice the Caps are outshooting the other team by a team-leading or near-team-leading margin (second to Backstrom, likely).
Red Line Station and @RedArmyLine, featuring coverage of the most frustrating team in the NHL
I believe in next year.
by red army line on Nov 28, 2011 1:44 PM EST up reply actions
I guess it depends how many of those shots are snapshots off the rush through the D, or shots from rebounds from said shots. And it also helps that stat to be out on the PP as much as he is. But yeah he doesn’t really cycle much. Once he gets free of the boards he tends to stand in the slot waiting for the biscuit.
I’m counting 5v5 only (and 6v5, too, I guess, using BtN, but he’s a leader in Corsi% from Timeonice as well, and TOI uses 5v5, 4v4, and 3v3).
Red Line Station and @RedArmyLine, featuring coverage of the most frustrating team in the NHL
I believe in next year.
by red army line on Nov 28, 2011 2:26 PM EST up reply actions
interesting stat. Do offensive zone starts bias it? I’m not to familiar with hockey stats.
And also, career or this year? Anyway, I don’t want to dispute it, but when I think puck possession I think of the prolonged cycling/forechecking you get when you watch the sedins line or when you watch detriot in general.
Yes, they do, but for the past couple of years AO has been right around 50-50 zone starts (offensive and defensive). Here’s a summary. Backstrom for the last two years has been a superior possession player, though, slightly.
Red Line Station and @RedArmyLine, featuring coverage of the most frustrating team in the NHL
I believe in next year.
by red army line on Nov 28, 2011 2:35 PM EST up reply actions
This doesn't matter
Ovie has made opportunities for himself despite defenders knowing exactly what he’s going to do. The problem: he doesn’t finish. He hasn’t had the focus to pick the open parts of the net or thread his shots through the defense. It’s not a matter of the opposition: he’s failing himself.
He’s lost explosiveness. They used to know what he was going to do, but they couldn’t stop it. Now they can. Hard living + aging + the toll from a physical style + not being in tip top shape = a lost step.
Patron saint of quality footwear.
by fat_daddyo on Nov 28, 2011 12:55 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
His shots are down, though. He’s getting a bunch blocked that he got off in years past. I think that’s what the numbers say, any way.
Patron saint of quality footwear.
by fat_daddyo on Nov 28, 2011 1:26 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
I say it’s focus. He’s not shooting in such a way that it doesn’t get blocked. It’s not that the D is doing anything special, he’s not doing his thing the way he did in the past.
He’s not attempting as many shots, either, though. A greater percentage of his shot attempts are missing the net or getting blocked, and Ovi’s not playing as much, but neither is enough to account for his wholesale decrease in shots.
Reporter: "What’s your Mom’s birthday?"
Tortorella: "I have no idea."
He is not going to be traded. He is not going to be traded. He is the face of the franchise. He can’t possibly get “value.” The Caps have made their bed with him. End of story.
Nice guys finish first, but sometimes the season is awfully long.
Follow me on Twitter.
by STLSpidey on Nov 28, 2011 12:02 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs
I’ll also add, to me Ovie is the sole reason Verizon is sold out every game.
What doesnt kill you makes you stronger.
by BetterOffWith28 on Nov 28, 2011 12:04 PM EST up reply actions
Well, not the sole reason, but the main reason.
What doesnt kill you makes you stronger.
by BetterOffWith28 on Nov 28, 2011 12:04 PM EST up reply actions
I wont say it’s changed, but I agree it is changing…
What doesnt kill you makes you stronger.
by BetterOffWith28 on Nov 28, 2011 12:09 PM EST up reply actions
However, patience among the season ticket holders is wearing thin…team has to have success or they will not renew at some point. Happened after the first TB series when they had Jagr, and it’ll happen again.
by OvechkinGR8 on Nov 28, 2011 12:06 PM EST up reply actions
and by “they” I mean Capitals obviously haha
by OvechkinGR8 on Nov 28, 2011 12:07 PM EST up reply actions
It’s wearing thin, eh? How do you know? Do you have data on STH selling their tickets? On non-renewals?
And it’s Ovechkin’s fault. Jeez. Cut the guy some slack.
Nice guys finish first, but sometimes the season is awfully long.
Follow me on Twitter.
The supply of tickets on the secondary market is up, and the demand has remained steady or dropped slightly. The prices you can get for a ticket are significantly lower than last year.
Unleash the Apathy.
As a STH that sells some of my tix on stubhub, that’s not my experience so I’m curious if you have data. My experience is that early season games (Oct -Nov) are tough to unload even for face value, except for a handful of opponents. Secondary market demand heats up as the weather cools off. But we’ll see.
How is it wearing thin? Maybe part of it is that the economy sucks and people who were spending thousands of dollars on season tickets are trying to make up the cost as a last ditch effort before giving up on being a season ticket holder entirely. It’s what I would do if I needed to cut costs short of not being a season ticket holder.
Verizon is sold out because the Caps win. There were plenty of empty seats from 05-07 when Ovechkin was amazing, but the team sucked.
Unleash the Apathy.
they didn’t really start selling out until March 08, well into the insane run. And 08-09, they were still giving STH a handful of free single game tickets. Wasn’t really until 2009 that people fully committed to the bandwagon. IMO, of course.
Glad I managed to get rid of my Ottawa tickets before all this went down. Can’t imagine trying to sell them this week. I’m probably still okay on selling the Leafs.
Pledge Drive 2011-2012: CARSON KOLZIG FOUNDATION! Season Pledge total--$403.25!
The Caps have hitched their wagon to AO’s star so securely that there is no possible way to trade him. They are bound together without a hope of changing it.
Period.
Patron saint of quality footwear.
So true. Better said than I. I urge those who are emotionally invested in trading Ovechkin to find another hobby. You will be sorely disappointed.
Nice guys finish first, but sometimes the season is awfully long.
Follow me on Twitter.
Besides all the face of the franchise stuff, no team is going to take on that cap hit for those years.
Caps fan since I started watching hockey in the USAir Arena days. Follow me on Twitter (most tweets are about the Caps) http://twitter.com/#!/AaronLerner14
by Aaron Lerner on Nov 28, 2011 12:15 PM EST up reply actions
What will I do with my Bruce Boudreau bobblehead?
I’m most interested to see two things:
1. The system Hunter puts in place
2. Changes in ice time/lines for various players.
When you figure this out, let me know, so I can properly dispose of my Jagr bobblehead.
Nice guys finish first, but sometimes the season is awfully long.
Follow me on Twitter.
The Jagr bobblehead shouldn’t get the same treatment as the Gabby one. Jagr’s deserves much, much, much worse
"I wear tinted visor not to trick other players, but so hot girls in stands don't see me looking at them" - Alex Ovechkin
The Jagr bobblehead should be strapped to a rocket and fired into the sun.
"You do that, you go to the box, you know. Two minutes, by yourself, you know and you feel shame" -Denis Lemieux
by leacha on Nov 28, 2011 1:09 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Hehe…I’ve still got my Jagr bobblehead.
I don’t have much tolerance for stupid. Or cheese on food that doesn’t need it. -duck
by twistedlogic on Nov 28, 2011 1:53 PM EST up reply actions
As do I. i think it’s in a drawer in my office.
Nice guys finish first, but sometimes the season is awfully long.
Follow me on Twitter.
Mine’s collecting dust on a shelf.
I don’t have much tolerance for stupid. Or cheese on food that doesn’t need it. -duck
by twistedlogic on Nov 28, 2011 2:14 PM EST up reply actions
give it an appropriate place, and remember that no one expected some bumbling jolly round man from the minors to have the successes he had.
Pledge Drive 2011-2012: CARSON KOLZIG FOUNDATION! Season Pledge total--$403.25!
Reward for dumbest caller to 106.7?
“We always get to the playoffs, and don’t have enough defensemen. Gentlemen, there is a man in the press box named Tom Poti…”
"Don't mind WM...he's an all-around jerk."
If that’s as dumb as you think they can get, you should keep listening. That actually sounds like something Chad Dukes would say.
I listen from time to time. They’re not that dumb.
"Don't mind WM...he's an all-around jerk."
by Whiter Mage on Nov 28, 2011 12:11 PM EST up reply actions
kind of quoting a host:
It was a while ago and I don’t remember the exact verbiage used but:
(When Jeff Schultz was coming back from injury) “They’re really looking forward to having Jeff Schultz in the lineup again, they’ve been lacking a hard hitting defenseman”
“jur-see-na, jir-jin-na, I have trouble with those stupid french names”
Dukes isn’t a sports guy. Doesn’t make him not dumb. Makes WJFK dumb for switching to an all-sports format.
"Don't mind WM...he's an all-around jerk."
by Whiter Mage on Nov 28, 2011 12:37 PM EST up reply actions
That wasn’t dukes, it was Kushner, a self proclaimed hockey guy.
I’m not saying they’re dumb either. My problem is that they act sport or even hockey smart and come off like morons. Ironically, the Sports Junkies seem to know very little about sports as well. I guess it’s not so ironic since “junky” implies that they’re just fans rather than analysts.
I normally like Wise for his laid back attitude but he tends to take an ANTI hockey approach. Rather than just not cover it or rarely talk about it, he actively antagonizes caps fans. Funny sometimes, frustrating most of the time.
antagonizing caps fans is a dc sports talk tradiition. perfected by mr’s Polley and Czaban…
I’m just in it for the Schadenfreude. -D'ohboy
by Alz in the family on Nov 28, 2011 1:23 PM EST up reply actions
Czaban and CJ from the wise show
have perfected the: I’m-too-good-to-be-here-but-I-have-nothing-without-this routine.
Anyone at practice today?
What doesnt kill you makes you stronger.
by BetterOffWith28 on Nov 28, 2011 12:00 PM EST reply actions
I know of someone who isn’t!
"Don't mind WM...he's an all-around jerk."
by Whiter Mage on Nov 28, 2011 12:01 PM EST up reply actions
Leone
Kolzig: "You know the old saying, you can’t fire 20 players. I think the players have got to take the responsibility for this one. …"
“"… As talented as the team is, to see what they’ve been doing for the past month or so is real disappointing. …"
"… Unfortunately, Bruce is the one that’s paying for it."
"My favorite fan base in D.C. Is United's. Period. The end." - Steinberg
Keep United in DC. A Fair Deal at RFK, and a Pathway to a Stadium for a team loyal to the city.
Kolzig defending Bruce? Never thought I’d see the day.
Pledge Drive 2011-2012: CARSON KOLZIG FOUNDATION! Season Pledge total--$403.25!
Joe B on 980 right now.
"The Caps fan doesn't say, 'is the glass half full' or 'is the glass half empty'. He wonders when the glass is going to spill."
What doesnt kill you makes you stronger.
by BetterOffWith28 on Nov 28, 2011 12:07 PM EST up reply actions
The Twitterati reporting that Ovi leads the Caps onto the ice to applause from the assembled fans at practice.
Well shit. Lines that kinda make sense? Beyond me. Knubs needs higher though.
"Don't mind WM...he's an all-around jerk."
by Whiter Mage on Nov 28, 2011 12:12 PM EST up reply actions
Looks like a “we’re just gonna play good hard hockey” approach, i.e., nothing fancy.
Patron saint of quality footwear.
Kind of doubt Dale knows the team well enough to start switching lines, though.
You tried your best and failed miserably. The lesson is "Never Try."
Truth.
"Don't mind WM...he's an all-around jerk."
by Whiter Mage on Nov 28, 2011 12:16 PM EST up reply actions
Disagree. If the discussions with Hunter have been ongoing for as long as GM indicated – at least a week now – Hunts has had ample time to look at film and start thinking about the lines.
If he wanted to make a statement with his line combos, he’s had time to think about it.
Patron saint of quality footwear.
It’s not a statement he can’t make in a week, though.
"Don't mind WM...he's an all-around jerk."
by Whiter Mage on Nov 28, 2011 12:18 PM EST up reply actions
That’s true, too.
I’m just saying that the line combos make me think he’s starting off with a simple message: let’s play hard. It’s weak gruel, to be honest, but I don’t have a whole lot to go on.
If he came out with 8 and 28 on the 4th line or something similar, I’d think he was coming in as a ball buster, for instance.
As you say, no reason he can’t play that or another card in the fullness of time.
Patron saint of quality footwear.
Yeah.
I just hope he doesn’t come in talking about using certain forwards in pairs.
"Don't mind WM...he's an all-around jerk."
by Whiter Mage on Nov 28, 2011 12:24 PM EST up reply actions
Boudreau was talking about it earlier in the year, how Backstrom and Ovechkin were a pair, and listed two or three other pairings during it. It was annoying as shit.
"Don't mind WM...he's an all-around jerk."
by Whiter Mage on Nov 28, 2011 12:38 PM EST up reply actions
.....
You perhaps knew me better as "Your Nation's Capital." Same great commentary, now with 100% more transparency!
by EmilyB on Nov 28, 2011 12:12 PM EST up reply actions 24 recs
History will be made.
What doesnt kill you makes you stronger.
by BetterOffWith28 on Nov 28, 2011 12:13 PM EST up reply actions
When does the “Hunter is fat” meme start?
Nice guys finish first, but sometimes the season is awfully long.
Follow me on Twitter.
After the camara ctahc him eating a hotdog with BBQ sauce
What doesnt kill you makes you stronger.
by BetterOffWith28 on Nov 28, 2011 12:15 PM EST up reply actions
Maybe he’s just wearing Bruce’s old track suit.
"Don't mind WM...he's an all-around jerk."
by Whiter Mage on Nov 28, 2011 12:17 PM EST up reply actions
I kinda get chills looking at this. No lie.
"Don't mind WM...he's an all-around jerk."
by Whiter Mage on Nov 28, 2011 12:14 PM EST up reply actions
“Why didn’t these fucks draft Tinordi? I groomed him for them. Fucking Fucks.”
"Don't mind WM...he's an all-around jerk."
by Whiter Mage on Nov 28, 2011 12:17 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs
Probably because by the time Tinordi is ready for NHL action the current window will have closed. That is not to say that it could be reopened/reconstituted with a similar core (8, 19, 52, etc.), but I think GMGM wanted to take another shot or two with this group of players, hence the Brouwer trade, before undertaking a bigger reconstruction.
Caps fan since I started watching hockey in the USAir Arena days. Follow me on Twitter (most tweets are about the Caps) http://twitter.com/#!/AaronLerner14
by Aaron Lerner on Nov 28, 2011 12:22 PM EST up reply actions
I know, nothing serious here.
"Don't mind WM...he's an all-around jerk."
by Whiter Mage on Nov 28, 2011 12:23 PM EST up reply actions
Ah. Missed that. Although I was disappointed they didn’t take Tinordi. I grew up watching the Calle Jo, Sylvan Cote, Joe Reekie, Mark Tinordi anchored defenses out at good ole USAIR arena. Now I’m curious as to who rounded out that group.
Caps fan since I started watching hockey in the USAir Arena days. Follow me on Twitter (most tweets are about the Caps) http://twitter.com/#!/AaronLerner14
by Aaron Lerner on Nov 28, 2011 12:28 PM EST up reply actions
Or Ken Klee if going back a couple seasons earlier perhaps.
by Rather Bengt on Nov 28, 2011 1:32 PM EST up reply actions
Ah yes, how could I forget those them. Especially Gonchar whom my family always ridiculed for being an absolutely pylon. I can honestly say that growing up, I was determined not to be the defensive liability that Gonchar was (although given that I never amounted to anything as a hockey player, maybe that wasn’t the best decision).
Caps fan since I started watching hockey in the USAir Arena days. Follow me on Twitter (most tweets are about the Caps) http://twitter.com/#!/AaronLerner14
by Aaron Lerner on Nov 28, 2011 1:35 PM EST up reply actions
is this one of those artsy fartsy pics or does the person taking it just not understand the whole “in focus” thing.
Wow. Haters gonna hate!
"Oh, so that's what you're gonna do."
by Rainbow, Kitty, Beer on Nov 28, 2011 12:48 PM EST up reply actions
that pic would make for a good avatar for you
Check out a new social network, Hockey Connect, a place for coaches, players, family and fans to share strategies and experiences.
Judging from his face, he thinks something is rotten in the state of Kettler.
"Oh, so that's what you're gonna do."
by Rainbow, Kitty, Beer on Nov 28, 2011 12:48 PM EST up reply actions
Hunter’s emergence onto the ice scoring an even bigger round of applause, plus cheers. Also, notable that the Caps apparently all hit the ice at once, which is not typical at practice.
I hate that this happened today… I’ve got finals to study for and a paper to write, but I keep finding myself coming back here to see new developments. Damn you Caps
by RossingtonCollins on Nov 28, 2011 12:09 PM EST reply actions
My one day off and I might as well be working.
"Don't mind WM...he's an all-around jerk."
by Whiter Mage on Nov 28, 2011 12:12 PM EST up reply actions
Props to the Caps
…for allowing Bruce to achieve his 200 win milestone
…and for taking over the DC airwaves on the day after a (rare) Redskins win.
Well done.
"You can want to get to April but when you get to April you may not like the answers you get, so you might as well enjoy the ride while it's going on." - Brian McNally on JRR, 8/29/2011
In Bruce's Defense (somewhat)
I think the “I don’t know how to teach toughness” comment is being misinterpreted. I don’t think it was meant to suggest that he doesn’t know/understand toughness. I think it was meant as a toughness isn’t something you teach, its something NHL players should have from the start.
Whats ridiculous is that BB was the 5th longest tenured coach currently in the NHL. What a brutal business for those men and their families. Here’s hoping he lands on his feet somewhere and has success (just not at the Caps expense!).
Caps fan since I started watching hockey in the USAir Arena days. Follow me on Twitter (most tweets are about the Caps) http://twitter.com/#!/AaronLerner14
Your interpretation was same as mine. I read it as an admission of defeat, in that he’d done everything he could but the players were no longer fighting for him, for each other, or at all. McPhee even said in the press conference that BB pushed every button he could push, but none of them were working anymore.
The keyboard is mightier.
The team had completely given up on him. Having played and watched hockey my whole life, I’ve never seen anything like the Buffalo and the Rangers game. The entire team was essentially skating in circles.
Caps fan since I started watching hockey in the USAir Arena days. Follow me on Twitter (most tweets are about the Caps) http://twitter.com/#!/AaronLerner14
by Aaron Lerner on Nov 28, 2011 12:24 PM EST up reply actions
The Atlanta game at the end of Hanlon’s tenure was largely the same.
The Pens under Therrien at the end were doing the same thing.
The ’Canes have looked similar under Maurice.
The end of a coaching tenure isn’t ever pretty.
Patron saint of quality footwear.
Ironic that the Canes lack of effort was one of the shining spots of the Caps’ season; that 5-1 win in Raleigh was one of the most complete games that Caps have played this year.
I think toughness can be taught. It doesn’t matter what line of work you’re in; you’ll face different degrees of adversity and part of being tough is learning to develop a more productive perspective instead of succumbing to the personal weaknesses everyone has. Some people might get too discouraged and have a hard time seeing the good things. Some people don’t take criticism very well because they misinterprete the tone or intent.
I hope to see Hunter in his first TV spot soon.
“If you don’t go to Joe Hadeed’s for your carpets then fuck you!”
"Don't mind WM...he's an all-around jerk."
by Whiter Mage on Nov 28, 2011 12:21 PM EST reply actions 19 recs
and if you exit another carpet store as a satisfied customer, you’d better watch your back
by j762 on Nov 28, 2011 12:23 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Indeed!
"Don't mind WM...he's an all-around jerk."
by Whiter Mage on Nov 28, 2011 12:23 PM EST up reply actions
“Fuck you Baltimore! If you’re dumb enough to buy a new car this weekend, they you’re a big enough schmuck to come to Big Bill Hell’s.”
Unleash the Apathy.
by D'ohboy on Nov 28, 2011 12:53 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
I want this to happen.
"Don't mind WM...he's an all-around jerk."
by Whiter Mage on Nov 28, 2011 12:55 PM EST up reply actions
To me, all these people complaining that Dale Hunter doesn’t have NHL coaching experience are missing the point. The problem with this team is not that they lack a brilliant strategist, it’s that a team that should be able to win 50 games with everyone’s arms tied behind their backs can’t be bothered to make a 60-minute effort.
This is a fast-paced game involving 12 men stuffed into a tiny rink covered in ice. Effort is more important than tactics in North American hockey.
Capitals goal scored by #22, Mike...
by KNUUUUUUUUUUBLE on Nov 28, 2011 12:23 PM EST via mobile reply actions
Hunter’s never had to motivate grown men/professionals as a coach though, either. As a captain, sure, but then he could lead by example. New ballgame for him and that’s why this is a risk.
I think being one of those “grown men/professionals” once upon a time might clue him in a bit on what best motivates them. Maybe a little less constant line shuffling, scapegoating, hanging stars out to dry by benching them at crucial times, and bag skates(?). TBH I can’t think of a quicker way to lose a locker room. You don’t treat “grown men/professionals” like children by putting them in timeout, you don’t humiliate your star player and you don’t question the teams toughness publicly. You stick up for them, you fight for them in the media, you make sure you have their backs when the chips are down(whether they are in the right or the wrong) and you’ll earn their respect. Constantly harping on about accountability is a double edged sword with a playoff record like BBs.
Motivating 16 yo boys/young men and 26 yo men is about the same. As the mother of both…same song a little different tune. The strategy is the same but you use different motivators. I’m not worried about Hunter in this respect.
That’s because a 26 year old young man wants the same things a 16 year old boy wants. Generally that’s, women, booze, and money, not necessarily in that order.
I am a hockey fan first, and a Caps fan second.
by iwearstripes on Nov 28, 2011 2:24 PM EST up reply actions
It doesn’t end at 26, friend.
It isn’t even anger-inducing. It does not seem to be worth that kind of emotional investment. It might not even be disappointing any more. It is expected.
-Peerless 5.6.2011
Eh… when I hit 25 the booze became somewhat less appealing.
I am a hockey fan first, and a Caps fan second.
by iwearstripes on Nov 28, 2011 4:23 PM EST up reply actions
For the regular season, sure, but in the postseason? Strategy becomes pretty important there. Boudreau wasn’t a great strategist, and he couldn’t figure out how to solve the Habs defense or the TB trap. Maybe he’ll surprise us, but I wonder if we get “figured out” again in the playoffs, if he’ll have the ingenuity to change the team on the fly and counter the other coach.
by Flash in the Pan on Nov 28, 2011 12:55 PM EST up reply actions
It’s not that he didn’t figure it out, it’s that he didn’t even bother trying. Trap = hard work + dump and chase = maybe you beat it. It’s about hard work ethic.
"Don't mind WM...he's an all-around jerk."
by Whiter Mage on Nov 28, 2011 12:57 PM EST up reply actions
Ehhh, the team knew what it had to do to beat Tampa. They just didn’t, I think. BB by no means maximized the team’s potential, except maybe in 07-08, but I don’t think he was the iceberg that sunk the ship in any playoff series (y’all know I’m firmly in the Halak’d camp for 2010).
Red Line Station and @RedArmyLine, featuring coverage of the most frustrating team in the NHL
I believe in next year.
by red army line on Nov 28, 2011 1:51 PM EST up reply actions
The problem with this team is not that they lack a brilliant strategist, it’s that a team that should be able to win 50 games with everyone’s arms tied behind their backs can’t be bothered to make a 60-minute effort.
I agree. I think it’s pretty unanimous that the team has been underperforming, not just to their potential but, let’s say, “median talent level.” At their median talent level they should be division leaders (though by Corsi suddenly the SE has three other good possession teams). Hunter should be able to get that, since I can’t imagine GMGM went out and got a well below average coach.
Though, strategy can help a lot, and I think a better system for breakouts and zone entries would help a lot. Seems like the D and F aren’t on the same page way too often.
Red Line Station and @RedArmyLine, featuring coverage of the most frustrating team in the NHL
I believe in next year.
by red army line on Nov 28, 2011 1:49 PM EST up reply actions
A conversation among some people I follow on Twitter made me think, in another way pro sports are nothing like your job or my job: Hunter and his team are now working on the KCI rink under a giant banner of…Hunter.
Of course that makes sense. It works, doesn’t it?
Signed
/Vladimir Lenin, Josef Stalin, and Mao Tse Tung.
Nice guys finish first, but sometimes the season is awfully long.
Follow me on Twitter.
Funny but they are really of the Glasnost and post Communist generation.
by capsyoungguns on Nov 28, 2011 12:37 PM EST up reply actions
wanna feel old? Orlov was born only 6 months before the Soviet Union finally collapsed.
Pledge Drive 2011-2012: CARSON KOLZIG FOUNDATION! Season Pledge total--$403.25!
I feel old when I have to put that I was born in West Germany on papers.
"Don't mind WM...he's an all-around jerk."
by Whiter Mage on Nov 28, 2011 12:41 PM EST up reply actions
I was at The Wall when they were tearing in down…I have two pieces on my bookshelves. My kids asked what it was, the Berlin Wall…???what’s that?
I guess the Bulin Wall is completely lost on them as well?
Comrades, leave me here a little, while as yet 't is early morn:
Leave me here, and when you want me, sound upon the bugle-horn
Sweet. I wish I went to a school where we got to study NHL goaltenders when I was a kid.
The Artist Formerly Known as CP2Devil.
Associate Editor at Five For Howling.
by Carl Putnam on Nov 28, 2011 12:47 PM EST up reply actions
I was in germany just months before the wall came down. I wish I had a piece.
There's always more to learn about Hockey.
Stuff like that can be amazing. My dad got a mosaic of a butterfly, the type of thing you’d make in summer camp, titled, “Made from the ashes of Berlin”, end of World War II. I’ve been meaning to get it framed in glass for years.
"The Caps fan doesn't say, 'is the glass half full' or 'is the glass half empty'. He wonders when the glass is going to spill."
the collapse of communism in Europe shaped so much about who I am. It’s a shame (although not the least be unexpected) that that history has been lost on the next generation.
Pledge Drive 2011-2012: CARSON KOLZIG FOUNDATION! Season Pledge total--$403.25!
That’s an amazing experience. I visited Moscow and Leningrad aka St. Petersburg when I was in 14 in the seventies. Very strict restrictions, limited photography, could only tale a single book with me, could not travel anywhere without the tour guide, and we were not allowed to interact with the population very much.
by capsyoungguns on Nov 28, 2011 12:51 PM EST up reply actions
My kids asked what it was, the Berlin Wall…???what’s that?
It’s where the Hoff performs, of course.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NxAd2sHtMf0
End OT.
Whew, do I ever. I was out of College and a working gal when Ovi was born.
by capsyoungguns on Nov 28, 2011 12:41 PM EST up reply actions
don’t look at when Stan Galiev was born…….his place of birth is definitely not “USSR”
Pledge Drive 2011-2012: CARSON KOLZIG FOUNDATION! Season Pledge total--$403.25!
Realized that which is why I said that it was funny. Just wanted to make the clarification.
by capsyoungguns on Nov 28, 2011 12:45 PM EST up reply actions
Oh, that’s right. Hunter’s giant picture hangs on the wall there. Hope that’s a kick in the pants. I think Hunter was a good choice…but no surprise to me. His name has been dropped a lot this season…even by GMGM…in reference to other things. He’s got many years of NHL & coaching experience…I’m not questioning this…for now.
“Do you know who I am?”
"Don't mind WM...he's an all-around jerk."
by Whiter Mage on Nov 28, 2011 12:39 PM EST up reply actions
Is that the new “[points to] Scoreboard.”?
"Oh, so that's what you're gonna do."
by Rainbow, Kitty, Beer on Nov 28, 2011 12:51 PM EST up reply actions
AdamKOL via Twitter
Dean Evason is running things at practice. Dale Hunter looks to be building a rapport with his new players.
He’s probably making Alex Semin build a penalty box by hand in the offensive zone.
by jopierce on Nov 28, 2011 12:38 PM EST up reply actions 6 recs
Nope. Dale brought his own…the Caps gave him the old penalty box from the old Caps Ctr. when he retired.
Maybe he’ll combine them to give Semin a penalty box luxury suite. Making him build one would be some behavioral conditioning. “You don’t like splinters? Don’t commit penalties!”
I was pondering how the coach I had for most of youth hockey would have handled a player taking tons of stick penalties. Semin would have some rather large balloons taped near the heel of his stick for an entire practice… or maybe an entire week of practice.
Shame + Muscle Memory = Progress.
I am a hockey fan first, and a Caps fan second.
by iwearstripes on Nov 28, 2011 2:04 PM EST up reply actions
Was at that game (boy I was young), and I remember laughing hysterically at it.
Caps fan since I started watching hockey in the USAir Arena days. Follow me on Twitter (most tweets are about the Caps) http://twitter.com/#!/AaronLerner14
by Aaron Lerner on Nov 28, 2011 12:47 PM EST up reply actions
Boswell’s recollection:
I remember Hunter as tough, a little crazy, a leader and I’ll never forget when the VCaps had their “night” fotr him in ’00 and gave him the penalty box from the old Capital Center!…
Off-ice, Hunter was always gentlemanly, considered a fine captain and a key to the Caps one Stanley Cup run. However, he sure has some unusual numbers associated with his career: Only NHL player with 1,000 points (1020) and 3,000 penalty minutes (3565) in 1407 games. Also the most playoff games (186) without a Stanley Cup win.
Pledge Drive 2011-2012: CARSON KOLZIG FOUNDATION! Season Pledge total--$403.25!
“Listen, I know you love the Verizon Center penalty box soooo much, but if you want to take it home with you, you’re gonna have to earn it!”
by discuit on Nov 28, 2011 12:47 PM EST via mobile up reply actions 2 recs
I remember the past 4 years fondly, good reason for BB to be wholly thanked and frankly lauded for what he was able to do with the Caps. Even with talent, playoffs are never assured for any team (even “Dream Teams”).
Fussing over player stat production seems a bit beside the point right now… we were poor, and it was reflected in many ways for all to see. Careers are careers, Novembers are Novembers.
Our last mid-season coaching change worked out pretty damn well. Cabinet still seems “stocked” to me.
The future is scary, but so is the team potential we have already witnessed. I dare say, this all feels natural.
by CapitalDominion on Nov 28, 2011 12:31 PM EST via mobile reply actions
@SkyKerstein twitpic: Hunter addresses team
by Aliceanna on Nov 28, 2011 12:46 PM EST reply actions 6 recs
Alice is just (“just” ha!) doing a great job of nabbing the highlights from Twitter for those of us who can’t be on Twitter because of work.
Pledge Drive 2011-2012: CARSON KOLZIG FOUNDATION! Season Pledge total--$403.25!
I wish I were! And nothing could have kept me away if I were in DC, but just posting bits from Twitter.
Much appreciated. I have got to get out to practice on Wednesday.
by capsyoungguns on Nov 28, 2011 1:03 PM EST up reply actions
“Men, first one to score a game-winning goal in overtime gets a free six pack of miller high-life on me, correct? No. You’re fucking wrong! We are the Washington Capitals. There are no Game 7s!!! We win. We win fast. We kill. Any questions?”
Everything sounds smarter in Tikkanesse....
Did you guys see the article on the Post Sports Bog today that had a shot of Hunter in the locker room crushing a postgame Budweiser?
God times have changed.
Caps fan since I started watching hockey in the USAir Arena days. Follow me on Twitter (most tweets are about the Caps) http://twitter.com/#!/AaronLerner14
by Aaron Lerner on Nov 28, 2011 12:55 PM EST up reply actions
I love when alums do those fen get-together and start telling stories. Invariably, it’s always Langway’s fault.
Pledge Drive 2011-2012: CARSON KOLZIG FOUNDATION! Season Pledge total--$403.25!
No game 7. Just kill. We go in. We kill.
Once you take the fisting element out, it's not romantic anymore.
by Steckel Me Elmo on Nov 28, 2011 2:15 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs
“Wow, Coach, you mean Iz can go HOW far back into my defensive zone….no…iz that legal?”
Everything sounds smarter in Tikkanesse....
by Bonzai!!! on Nov 28, 2011 12:49 PM EST up reply actions 4 recs
and by ‘we’ you mean the human race.
I’m just in it for the Schadenfreude. -D'ohboy
by Alz in the family on Nov 28, 2011 1:05 PM EST up reply actions
I’ve grieved the loss of the nicest coach in the NHL and now I’m just PO’ed. I had such high hopes for this season. Everything seemed to be on track, even if I had serious reservations about the Hamrlik signing. Now it’s just all off the rails and a big smoking mess. Someone help my get to acceptance.
Pledge Drive 2011-2012: CARSON KOLZIG FOUNDATION! Season Pledge total--$403.25!
More beers than normal at the game on Tuesday. I, on the other hand, may be somewhat completely sober for that game.
Comrades, leave me here a little, while as yet 't is early morn:
Leave me here, and when you want me, sound upon the bugle-horn
my hockey buddy works near me. We’re going to go toast BB tonight with a tallboy (and then switch to good beer)
Pledge Drive 2011-2012: CARSON KOLZIG FOUNDATION! Season Pledge total--$403.25!
cheap beer is good beer, though!
Comrades, leave me here a little, while as yet 't is early morn:
Leave me here, and when you want me, sound upon the bugle-horn
“I’m Dale Hunter, and if you’re gonna drink one shitty beer tonight, make it a Budweiser, or I’ll kill you.”
"Don't mind WM...he's an all-around jerk."
by Whiter Mage on Nov 28, 2011 12:58 PM EST up reply actions 4 recs
and you should have seen me on the phone trying to ask the guy at Pizza Paradiso if they have tallboys, without laughing. I failed.
Pledge Drive 2011-2012: CARSON KOLZIG FOUNDATION! Season Pledge total--$403.25!
Not sure I’ve heard of “sober” before….
I don’t have much tolerance for stupid. Or cheese on food that doesn’t need it. -duck
by twistedlogic on Nov 28, 2011 2:04 PM EST up reply actions
Things can’t look much worse than they did in Buffalo the other night. Also, while Hunter came back to coach, Jason Doig isn’t coming back to play.
The Artist Formerly Known as CP2Devil.
Associate Editor at Five For Howling.
by Carl Putnam on Nov 28, 2011 12:52 PM EST up reply actions
Hockey teams are like livers: no matter how much booze runs through them, they are resilient and will fight back. Talented ones will also start winning.
And BB’s dream has come true, he is rich, and he’ll be coaching in this league for years.
The keyboard is mightier.
Halpy’s like me: from here, left, came back! (he did it twice)
Pledge Drive 2011-2012: CARSON KOLZIG FOUNDATION! Season Pledge total--$403.25!
Perhaps you should go talk to a Pens fan saying the same thing in late 2008. Their team went to the Cup finals the year before and then they were in the tank when their coach got fired….
Just trying to capture the spirit of the thing...
by dcsportsfan1 on Nov 28, 2011 12:53 PM EST up reply actions
Or a Flyers fan in late 09 who’s team was out of the playoff race when their coach got canned…made it to the Cup finals.
Just trying to capture the spirit of the thing...
by dcsportsfan1 on Nov 28, 2011 12:54 PM EST up reply actions
Nice doesn’t win you cups. I don’t remember the last nice team that got one.
"Don't mind WM...he's an all-around jerk."
by Whiter Mage on Nov 28, 2011 12:54 PM EST up reply actions
I'd just like to see the conf. finals again. That would be a nice start.
"Complacency is your demise." - Kerry King
I have similar feelings. I’m still keeping the newspapers but my heart hasn’t been into actually cutting out the articles. Something had to give though, so I’m adopting a wait-and-see attitude. And I will keep both of my BB bobbleheads prominantly on my dresser as thanks for some great seasons. Seems like that winning streak was a million years ago now and not just a season and a half.
by capsyoungguns on Nov 28, 2011 1:00 PM EST up reply actions
It’s not even December.
Campaign Promises fantasy team: Hamrlik To Fall
by CapitalCentre on Nov 28, 2011 1:12 PM EST up reply actions
Every coach brings a certain set of skills that they can probably coach better than their peers. What, presumably, are those skills that Coach Hunter brings? Is it safe to say one of them is face-off wins? Is it also safe to say if one position benefits the most from this trade it’s the centermen for the Caps? Or does Hunter’s on-ice forte not translate to his coaching strengths?
Everything sounds smarter in Tikkanesse....
I understand all the excitement about Hunter, but as we should have learned with Ovimania, the problem with the team is not about individuals but with the TEAM. As we have seen the past month and in the MTL and Tampa play-offs, this team basically lays down. Bruce couldn’t fix it, despite being an excellent coach by any objective measurement. And Ovi the star captain has not been able to fix it; in fact, he has been the primary one laying down. One coach cannot affect a team-wide heart transplant, nor should he be expected to. If for some reason, Hunter can re-energize the team then fine. But, if not, it would be totally unfair for this group (and particularly captain Ovi) to have killed a second coach. If the team continues to linger, I suggest GMGM hire Paul Holmgren and let’s do some Richards-Carter surgery mid-season.
wait wait wait wait wait. Why on earth would GMGM hire Holmgren?!
Pledge Drive 2011-2012: CARSON KOLZIG FOUNDATION! Season Pledge total--$403.25!
I think someone forgot the “Go Flyerz”.
J.P.: You might be the king of all geeks here…
by Alz Well That Ends Well on Nov 28, 2011 1:41 PM EST up reply actions
BRUUUUUUUUUUCE!
My 2 cents:
Thank you to BB for what he did for the Capitals! I’m sorry that he had a bunch of spoiled, asshats for players, who collectively only have about 6 sets of balls.
I know BB has plenty of blame in this whole thing, and I knew that this had to happen, but I feel like the players are the bigger problem here. There should be enough professionalism and pride inside each of those men to, at the very least, play hard.
I wanted Boudreau to win here so much and I think he’s a good dude.
Good luck to him. I hope any year that the Capitals don’t win the cup, it’s his team winning it. (Unless he’s coaching Pit, Phi, NYR, NJ, MON, TB, DET or CAR)
I’m cool with the Hunter hire. I feel optimistic that he’s going to get it turned around.
My name is for the band Prong.
My Thoughts (re-posted)
(Sorry for the re-post, but I didn’t manage to get this up until most people had already decamped the old thread.)
As many of you know, I’ve been a pretty loud critic of Boudreau’s coaching as early as the 2007-2008 season. That team lacked structure, it didn’t go to the net with any kind of regularity, and it (predictably) lost to a less-talented, but more experienced team. The initial failure could be attributed to the inexperience of key players, or a roster still sprinkled with the leftovers of the rebuild. With time and some roster tweaks, it was a reasonable assumption that the team would progress and compete for the cup.
2008-2009 saw much the same results. The team performed well in the regular season, but it still lacked defensive structure or an ability to grind out games. The team had two glaring kryptonite-level weaknesses: the neutral zone trap and hard forechecking pressure. The trap denied the Caps the ability to score off the rush, and hard forechecking exposed the fact that Mike Green was their only reliable puck-moving defenseman. Predictably, a tight neutral zone checking scheme and great goaltending allowed the Rangers to push the Caps to the brink before Dan Bylsma’s pressure forechecking system finished the Caps off for good.
Still, we could look at the roster that offseason and see the holes. The Caps still lacked good defensemen outside of Green, and the forward corps was still populated with soft, oft-injured or inexperienced players. The acquisitions of Knuble and Brendan Morrison, combined with the eventual arrival of Karl Alzner were supposed to help matters.
The Alzner situation didn’t really resolve itself for another year, but Knuble and Morrison contributed to what was, in terms of regular season success, the best Caps team in history. Still, the team had the same flaws. Take away their ability to score on the rush and slow down their power play, and the Caps really couldn’t grind out victories – particularly with a mediocre penalty kill. The Canadiens exploited these flaws ruthlessly en route to a major first-round upset.
This was the point at which Boudreau more or less lost me. The first two years, I could see that the roster was still filled with some players who probably didn’t belong, and the "core" group was still young. This loss though – in a season where everything could have lined up for the Caps – was just brutal. Especially when another team with an inexperienced core stormed to a Cup victory.
Another off-season brought more roster improvements though. Alzner became a full-time player and was joined by Carlson. Finally, the Caps had some defensemen, other than Green, that could skate and move the puck. The trade of Fleischmann for Hannan reinforced the defense and ended the ludicrous "Flash as #2C" experiment.
Most importantly, however, Boudreau finally admitted that he needed to teach the team to play defense. He realized that he couldn’t let the opposition skate through neutral ice uninhibited. He figured out that he had to demand that his wings help out on defense and block shots, rather than flying the zone. At the time, he was hailed for making the adjustment, but to me it was too little and far too late. There wasn’t a team in the league that didn’t have some type of system designed to slow down the opposition through neutral ice – except for the Caps. There also wasn’t a team in the league that asked so little of its wings defensively – except for the Caps.
The Caps had been weak against trapping teams and heavy forechecking pressure for two years. They likewise had an inability to slow other teams down, which left their D exposed against forwards with a head of steam. Boudreau fixed one of these problems, but only after the prospect of being fired mid-season. The Caps’ roster improvement helped with their ability to handle pressure, but they still had a fundamental problem offensively: the team liked to score on the rush, or on the power play. Take away the rush’n attack (gratuitous NES reference) and stymie their power play and the team was eminently beatable.
Everyone knew this. And yet nothing changed. The Caps beat a massively outgunned Rangers squad before falling to a team that denied them the ability to rush the puck and managed to shut down what was a predictable and stationary power play. It was the Montreal game plan from 2009-2010, just better executed. Bruce received praise for implementing the trap (which is something his team should have had from day one), but he couldn’t teach the team how to play the kind of slow, grinding possession game that wins in the playoffs.
At this point, the issue largely boiled down to a binary choice: either Boudreau wasn’t designing the right game plans, or his players weren’t buying into them. McPhee’s offseason moves suggested that he believed it was the former, rather than the latter. He brought in new players – veteran "character" guys – who would help settle down the room and follow instructions. And yet. . . the team still looked atrocious. Any structure they picked up last year was lost. While they increased the frequency of their cycling, they still tried to score too often off the rush. After the initial novelty of Ovechkin moving from the point wore off, the power play went back to being predictable and mediocre.
Finally, the team just looked lost. Players didn’t seem as though they knew what they were supposed to do or where they were supposed to go. Sometimes they appeared to put forth effort, only to pull in the wrong direction. Combine this with visible rifts in the locker room and the obvious regression of several key players, and it was beyond time for Boudreau to go.
Ultimately, Bruce seemed to be a bit reactive as a coach. He improved the PK, but only after it was shown to be an Achilles’ Heel for several seasons. He eventually installed a trapping system, but only after the team’s offense dried up. He moved Ovie from the point, but only after that power play alignment had become stale and predictable. His "go-to" move was to play shake and bake with the lines in an almost-panicked fashion. (I think the season really took a turn for the worse after he demoted Knuble, benched Perreault, inserted Eakin and broke up Laich-Chimera-Ward.) It’s not surprising that a coach who seemed to scramble everything when the chips were down produced a team of players that panicked and played individualistic hockey whenever their backs were against the wall.
It’s sad, because he seems like a genuinely good person who probably deserved better. I think he’s actually a good coach who will probably take a lot from this experience and parlay it into a much more successful second tenure somewhere (my guess is Colorado). His arrival will forever be linked with the team’s rise to prominence, but it should also forever be linked with the team’s failure to live up to its promise. It’s possible that, over time, other names will come to be linked with that failure, but right now it’s hard to look at what this team failed to accomplish and how it has regressed and not feel that it was long past time for a change.
Unleash the Apathy.
by D'ohboy on Nov 28, 2011 1:01 PM EST reply actions 30 recs
For this post I need to get lunch and read it leisurely. Missed your tomes.
by capsyoungguns on Nov 28, 2011 1:05 PM EST up reply actions
The definitive closing statement from the prosecution. Rec’d.
"Oh, so that's what you're gonna do."
by Rainbow, Kitty, Beer on Nov 28, 2011 1:09 PM EST up reply actions
Guilty guilty guilty … nice post btw.
What doesnt kill you makes you stronger.
by BetterOffWith28 on Nov 28, 2011 1:27 PM EST up reply actions
At this point, the issue largely boiled down to a binary choice: either Boudreau wasn’t designing the right game plans, or his players weren’t buying into them. McPhee’s offseason moves suggested that he believed it was the former, rather than the latter.
The former/latter in this should be reversed.
Unleash the Apathy.
Glad you clarified that. I was confused.
Perfection denied! Seriously, thanks for the insight. I’m one of the newer fans who doesn’t have a connection with Hunter and tries to ramp up knowledge through sites like Japers. I really appreciate your analysis, even as I had hoped that Boudreau would be the one to fix things.
Waiting to bang my drum in parades for the Nats and Caps.
I wish I knew more about Hunter’s system in London. What I can tell you is that he’s got an impeccable reputation for professionalism and preparedness. London is generally considered the model CHL franchise.
Unleash the Apathy.
So are you positive on Hunter or do you go with the commenter below who regrets that they couldn’t have chosen from a larger coaching pool during last offseason?
Waiting to bang my drum in parades for the Nats and Caps.
I have a hard time believing that, if GMGM had an opportunity to hire “THE COACH,” this summer, he’d have passed it up.
I think the team could have had Muller or Hartley, or even Hitchcock had they so chose. I think they wanted Hunter from the beginning.
Unleash the Apathy.
I believe the team wanted Boudreau from the beginning. McPhee thought Boudreau might be able to take the team farther that he did.
Nice guys finish first, but sometimes the season is awfully long.
Follow me on Twitter.
Yep. From the presser.
We’ve talked consistently over 12 years; I was hoping that one day Dale would coach this team. Timing’s everything and the time is right now." Hunter only wanted to coach the Capitals — as head coach, according to McPhee
The post so nice I rec’d it twice.
Once you take the fisting element out, it's not romantic anymore.
by Steckel Me Elmo on Nov 28, 2011 2:17 PM EST up reply actions
@CapitalsDSP
#Caps first line working on 5-on-5 defense. D-zone draw and escaping own end. Hmm.
by Aliceanna on Nov 28, 2011 1:04 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
…having trouble doing so even after all defenders pulled.
Capitals goal scored by #22, Mike...
by KNUUUUUUUUUUBLE on Nov 28, 2011 1:14 PM EST up reply actions
next up, defensive practice while we’re on the PP
If you want to survive out here, you've got to know where your towel is.
by ns on Nov 28, 2011 1:19 PM EST up reply actions
What is this 5-on-5 defense you speak of?
Roman Hamrlik is so bad that I've forgotten how bad Jeff Schultz is.
by Alex Reed on Nov 28, 2011 1:17 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Another thought
The Caps just went from having a coach whose playing career was one of “talent unfulfilled” to having one whose playing career could best be described as “the maximization of talent through will.” It’ll be interesting to see if this has an impact on the ice.
Unleash the Apathy.
by D'ohboy on Nov 28, 2011 1:04 PM EST reply actions 14 recs
Nice.
I at least expect that the next time 52 gets run, someone is going to attack him immediately. A little more snarl, a team that’s harder to play against…that would be nice.
Patron saint of quality footwear.
O/U on how many games it takes for DH to add himself to the gameday roster? :)
I kid, I kid.
Mostly.
"Complacency is your demise." - Kerry King
per TEB, Woods and Evason will be retained
Pledge Drive 2011-2012: CARSON KOLZIG FOUNDATION! Season Pledge total--$403.25!
Just because...
Capitals goal scored by #22, Mike...
by KNUUUUUUUUUUBLE on Nov 28, 2011 1:07 PM EST reply actions 10 recs
Huntsie and the Flyers
I was really looking forward to hearing about something like Hunter and Bobby Clarke meeting in a hallway somewhere in the building and getting in a brawl.
In all seriousness, too bad a bit of the starch will be removed from the first Hunter-Flyers meeting on Dec. 13. Pronger out for a month with knee surgery.
Caps fan since I started watching hockey in the USAir Arena days. Follow me on Twitter (most tweets are about the Caps) http://twitter.com/#!/AaronLerner14
by Aaron Lerner on Nov 28, 2011 1:09 PM EST up reply actions
whoa, what?! Pronger out? knee surgery? beginning of the end?
Pledge Drive 2011-2012: CARSON KOLZIG FOUNDATION! Season Pledge total--$403.25!
Is that PBR? Gonna make JP’s shit list…
I’m just in it for the Schadenfreude. -D'ohboy
by Alz in the family on Nov 28, 2011 1:10 PM EST up reply actions
Either PBR or Budweiser. Can’t tell.
Caps fan since I started watching hockey in the USAir Arena days. Follow me on Twitter (most tweets are about the Caps) http://twitter.com/#!/AaronLerner14
by Aaron Lerner on Nov 28, 2011 1:10 PM EST up reply actions
I think it’s just a Diet Coke.
Capitals goal scored by #22, Mike...
by KNUUUUUUUUUUBLE on Nov 28, 2011 1:11 PM EST up reply actions
yeah, it’s just a diet coke
Comrades, leave me here a little, while as yet 't is early morn:
Leave me here, and when you want me, sound upon the bugle-horn
I refuse to believe that.
Caps fan since I started watching hockey in the USAir Arena days. Follow me on Twitter (most tweets are about the Caps) http://twitter.com/#!/AaronLerner14
by Aaron Lerner on Nov 28, 2011 1:16 PM EST up reply actions
No “X” back then…’Ludes
Check out a new social network, Hockey Connect, a place for coaches, players, family and fans to share strategies and experiences.
Since there's an empty PBR can on my coffee table from last night
I can tell you that they have no red vertical stripes on ’em.
More tweets on practice details
@AdamKOL
Dale Hunter dropping F-bombs. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
@SkyKerstein
#Caps doing penalty shots right now
@jackandersonIII
Coaches are taking penalty shots now. Vokoun stopped Hunter’s bid.
by Aliceanna on Nov 28, 2011 1:09 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
Great @TedStarkey pic of team taking penalty shots under 32 banner
by Aliceanna on Nov 28, 2011 1:10 PM EST reply actions 7 recs
Another shot from @cmasisak of the other team practicing at KCI today...
As Corey put it, Hunter is the 2nd shortest tenured coach in the NHL, and Hitchcock is the 3rd.
Hard to believe that Hunter is already passing people in terms of NHL tenure.
"Don't mind WM...he's an all-around jerk."
thank god for Carolina. they’re the gift that keeps giving
Pledge Drive 2011-2012: CARSON KOLZIG FOUNDATION! Season Pledge total--$403.25!
Make THEM skate under the Hunter banner.
You perhaps knew me better as "Your Nation's Capital." Same great commentary, now with 100% more transparency!
by EmilyB on Nov 28, 2011 1:37 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
from the presser:
in one of the more bizarre funny questions you’ll hear __but a good one because it set up an obvious great answer, was: Boudreau was a ’player’s coach.’ Will Dale be a ’player’s coach.‘“
“The players would probably say he was a ’player’s coach’ because they would be to scared to say anything else,’" said McPhee.
Pledge Drive 2011-2012: CARSON KOLZIG FOUNDATION! Season Pledge total--$403.25!
by RedBirdie on Nov 28, 2011 1:15 PM EST reply actions 5 recs
Good decision made too late, leaving limited options
Unless Dale Hunter would have been the team’s first choice for a coach had they been in the market last summer (or even in the summer of ‘10), then today’s news really burns me up. Let me explain.
For reasons others have noted in these threads, it’s been clear to many of us that BB wasn’t the right coach for this team any longer. By sticking with him until partway into the season, GMGM+Ted massively limited their options for a replacement. None of us knows whether Hunter will be any good or not. Presumably GMGM has a more grounded assessment, but unless Hunter would have been his top choice last summer — which seems incredibly unlikely — this is merely making lemonade from lemons… when you coulda had your choice of fruit had you made this decision back when you should have made it.
I write this because every time any franchise makes a big move like this, the analysis of it almost always confines itself to the circumstances of the moment, ignoring that especially in professional sports (but the same is true in most businesses as well), the circumstances of the moment were the direct product of the series of decisions, actions (and non-actions) taken by ownership in the preceding months and years.
And so, I’m left feeling pissed off that this talented roster is being turned over to a novice mid-season in what clearly feels like a desperation move. What exactly were GMGM & Ted expecting to see from BB? How could they have possibly been surprised by this season’s results. This team has been totally mediocre since their hot start to the season last year, yet they somehow expected BB would be able to change the team around? That’s poor decision making.
I’m pretty sure Hunter was the coach in waiting for a long time. I wouldn’t be surprised if, given GMGM’s comments about timing in the presser if he had gone to Hunter pre-BB but Hunter turned it down (no way to ever know that).
I also wouldn’t call Hunter a novice. He has however many years playing in the league and coached for 11 years in the OHL. The man knows the game and knows NHL players.
Caps fan since I started watching hockey in the USAir Arena days. Follow me on Twitter (most tweets are about the Caps) http://twitter.com/#!/AaronLerner14
by Aaron Lerner on Nov 28, 2011 1:18 PM EST up reply actions
I don’t think it’s unreasonable to think that GMGM had Hunter in mind after the playoff bust but decided to see how the Caps came out of the gate this year before pulling the trigger.
Capitals goal scored by #22, Mike...
by KNUUUUUUUUUUBLE on Nov 28, 2011 1:20 PM EST up reply actions
the circumstances of the moment were the direct product of the series of decisions, actions (and non-actions) taken by ownership in the preceding months and years.
I agree with this.
And so, I’m left feeling pissed off that this talented roster is being turned over to a novice mid-season in what clearly feels like a desperation move.
I’m not fully sure I agree with this. From everything GMGM has said, he envisioned Hunter as the long-term future of the franchise. Moreover, despite being an NHL novice, the guy has an eleven year tenure as one of the best coaches in junior hockey.
Unleash the Apathy.
So do you think Hunter was offered the job over the summer, turned it down, then was offered it again mid-season and accepted?
I don’t know, but it certainly sounds as though this wasn’t the first time he and GMGM talked.
Unleash the Apathy.
It definitely wasn’t. Do you think it’ll work out? Do you wish we had gotten Muller or Guy C instead?
Muller has all of three months of professional head coaching experience. I’m not really sure why people think he’s the “experienced” candidate here.
Unleash the Apathy.
Likely due to the optics of seeing him behind an NHL bench for a number of years as an assistant.
The Artist Formerly Known as CP2Devil.
Associate Editor at Five For Howling.
By all accounts a great assistant in MTL for 5 years (I think TSN or NHL.com called him one of the league’s best) and supposedly masterminded the plan that beat the Caps and Pens.
Red Line Station and @RedArmyLine, featuring coverage of the most frustrating team in the NHL
I believe in next year.
by red army line on Nov 28, 2011 1:56 PM EST up reply actions
“okay, guys, let’s just obstruct the hell out of them and hope the refs don’t call it because our D men are positively immobile. Halak, please stand of your head. Ok, thanks guys!”
Pledge Drive 2011-2012: CARSON KOLZIG FOUNDATION! Season Pledge total--$403.25!
by RedBirdie on Nov 28, 2011 2:00 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs
Whyno Tweet
Culled from BSH, hadn’t seen it repreated here so I thought I’d post it:
SWhyno Just got off phone with Peter Bondra, who said Hunter is "going to lead that team to play the way he played." Enjoy, #Caps fans.
Patron saint of quality footwear.
I’m already liking this.
I don’t have much tolerance for stupid. Or cheese on food that doesn’t need it. -duck
by twistedlogic on Nov 28, 2011 2:09 PM EST up reply actions
Evidently, Juice Boy was played today, and even Alex Semin participated. Hunter’s presser upcoming, streaming live on CSN Washington and 106.7
Gotta impress the new boss.
They’ll all play hard the first week. Nature of the beast. Real proof will be down the road.
The Artist Formerly Known as CP2Devil.
Associate Editor at Five For Howling.
I can see them having a bad game the first one out of the gate, sometimes you see that. But I agree that they’ll have a good week of hard working, and then we’ll see how things go.
Any sort of system that slows the other guys down in neutral – which basically never happened at any point this year – will be an improvement. Any sort of organized forecheck will be an improvement. Any sort of consistent backchecking would be an improvement.
Those kind of improvements ought to let a talented team win a bunch of games. But we’ll see.
Patron saint of quality footwear.
A consistent forecheck would be like a dream.
The Artist Formerly Known as CP2Devil.
Associate Editor at Five For Howling.
From the presser going on right now...
“We’re gonna be on the puck hard, forecheck hard.”
Capitals goal scored by #22, Mike...
by KNUUUUUUUUUUBLE on Nov 28, 2011 1:28 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
His entire emphasis is on being a really hard team to play against.
"Don't mind WM...he's an all-around jerk."
Fuck. Yeah.
Now we’re talking.
Talk is cheap, but it’s at least better talk than we’ve had the past couple months.
Patron saint of quality footwear.
by fat_daddyo on Nov 28, 2011 1:40 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Character
On to my second objection of the day, and one that I can anticipate won’t be popular.
We’ve elevated a guy to head coach who laid the dirtiest hit in franchise history. For a bunch of fans who (rightly) complain about guys like Matt Cooke, well, Hunter’s hit on Turgeon was way worse than anything I’ve ever seen Cooke do.
eh, get over it
Cross check and all call.
by bigonetimer on Nov 28, 2011 1:33 PM EST up reply actions 6 recs
Exactically.
Nice guys finish first, but sometimes the season is awfully long.
Follow me on Twitter.
Plus, we’re fans. Our job, like fans of other teams, is to point out when other people do bad things, and deny or diminish the bad deeds of our own.
I mean c’mon. Briere’s a dick, but hey c’mon now. Ovi started it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NxMJrQhGoSg
:)
I agree. I’ve had that on my mind all day but didn’t want to type it
"I wear tinted visor not to trick other players, but so hot girls in stands don't see me looking at them" - Alex Ovechkin
Soooo...
Don’t hire him then because of a hit he made 20 years ago?
Capitals goal scored by #22, Mike...
by KNUUUUUUUUUUBLE on Nov 28, 2011 1:34 PM EST up reply actions
Not buying the presumption that you don’t hire someone qualified to do a job for something they did 18 years ago.
Nice guys finish first, but sometimes the season is awfully long.
Follow me on Twitter.
And served their time for.
Capitals goal scored by #22, Mike...
by KNUUUUUUUUUUBLE on Nov 28, 2011 1:35 PM EST up reply actions
Not sure how you can describe the Turgeon hit as worse than the Cooke-Savard hit.
Beyond that, seems silly to use a guy’s actions as a player against him as a coach. Boudreau was a career minor leaguer, with immense talent, who could never put it together and stick in the NHL full-time. Despite that, he’s one of the best coaches of the last five years.
by coreymull on Nov 28, 2011 1:35 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Agreed. Hunter’s hit was classless to be sure, but it was more of a bad sportsmanship kind of hit rather than injure a guy for life kind of hit. Which is more than we can say for Cooke.
Capitals goal scored by #22, Mike...
by KNUUUUUUUUUUBLE on Nov 28, 2011 1:36 PM EST up reply actions
Nah, forget it. I won’t defend Hunter. But it certainly wasn’t worse than the Cooke-Savard hit.
Capitals goal scored by #22, Mike...
by KNUUUUUUUUUUBLE on Nov 28, 2011 1:44 PM EST up reply actions
Turgeon actually came back to play in the Wales Conference Finals vs Montreal where the Isles lost that year.
by Rather Bengt on Nov 28, 2011 4:08 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
So I suppose Mark Messier should never be allowed to be involved in the NHL, or Brendan Shanahan… Guys who played in that era all have rap sheets. His hit on Turgeon was bad and he was punshed for it. Not sure how valid or warranted the comparison is to Cooke.
Just trying to capture the spirit of the thing...
by dcsportsfan1 on Nov 28, 2011 1:35 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs
Stick ’em. Fuck ’em. Christ pop ’em.
Unleash the Apathy.
by D'ohboy on Nov 28, 2011 1:39 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
This was basically most of Pensburgh’s discussion.
Eh, it’s been 20 years. I dunno.
"Don't mind WM...he's an all-around jerk."
This will be the reaction in every city but Washington, which should tell people hereto have a little more humility about how biased fandom makes you. But humility doesn’t play well on internet messageboards.
I’m not suggesting Hunter should forever be condemned for that gawdawful moment, but there’s a lot of room in life between “not being forever condemned” and being made the leader of an NHL club.
GMGM paralyzed a guy, iirc.
Pledge Drive 2011-2012: CARSON KOLZIG FOUNDATION! Season Pledge total--$403.25!
Front office – check.
"Don't mind WM...he's an all-around jerk."
by Whiter Mage on Nov 28, 2011 1:43 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
GMGM looks over a job application…
Have you ever been convicted of a felony? [X] Yes [ ] No
“Good.”
"Oh, so that's what you're gonna do."
by Rainbow, Kitty, Beer on Nov 28, 2011 1:49 PM EST up reply actions
“Grand Theft?! Where in the hell did you put $500 worth of White Chocolate Raspberry Truffle??
Check out a new social network, Hockey Connect, a place for coaches, players, family and fans to share strategies and experiences.
I think Hunter’s less than clean reputation is a positive – especially concerning Ovie. I think Alex’s decline has been linked to his suspensions and the skewering that he received in the media. Hopefully Hunter help Ovie get his edginess back, tell the media to go f itself, and he can start creating fear and intimidation on the fore-check again. I haven’t seen Ovie blow up a wing receiving a breakout pass and then skate in one on one in a long time.
by sailchef1 on Nov 28, 2011 1:51 PM EST up reply actions 4 recs
Hunter’s hit on Turgeon was incredibly bad sportsmanship and no doubt a dirty hit. But I don’t see how that hit was way worse than anything Cooke has done. Cooke has already ended one player’s career and permanently affected his ability to lead a permanent life. Cooke is lucky he has killed anyone the way he’s gone after players’ heads. No comparison to Hunter losing his cool and hitting a player after the whistle.
Release the Mackan!
by Killer_Carlson on Nov 28, 2011 3:58 PM EST up reply actions
That is definitely much more in line with the type of hits Cooke has thrown. Hunter was a dirty bastard, no doubt about it.
Release the Mackan!
by Killer_Carlson on Nov 28, 2011 4:53 PM EST up reply actions
More from presser...
“What makes you think you can turn this arou nd?
(Asked why he thinks he can reach the team when Boudreau couldn’t) “Sometimes, you know the players hear your voice every day, and sometimes the players don’t execute as well as they should.”
(On his coaching style) “I’m a player’s coach, but also the players will know when I’m mad at them. … Mistakes, everyone makes mistakes out there, [if they] continue making mistakes then there’s repercussions.”
Watch out, Semin.
Capitals goal scored by #22, Mike...
by KNUUUUUUUUUUBLE on Nov 28, 2011 1:31 PM EST reply actions
Ignore the first quote, sorry.
Capitals goal scored by #22, Mike...
by KNUUUUUUUUUUBLE on Nov 28, 2011 1:32 PM EST up reply actions
This is easy.
There are physical mistakes and there are mental mistakes. I’d like to see Hunter focus on the mental mistakes a lot more than Boudreau appeared to do. Physical mistakes are going to happen. Mental mistakes shouldn’t.
Nice guys finish first, but sometimes the season is awfully long.
Follow me on Twitter.
My Thoughts
I’m torn on this one. One of my first memories of Boudreau came in early December of 2007. I had been in South Africa for the entirety of the season, and was in Botswana, Zimbabwe, and generally completely off the grid for the latter half of November and into early December of that year. I had known the Caps were struggling, but was figuring I’d look into it more when I returned stateside.
One of the first things I did upon my return was get a couple tickets to a Caps game to see them play the Habs. These were the days before I was aware of the Rink’s existence, however, so I did little more before that game other than quickly glance at the standings. I went to the game (there were maybe 10,000 people there, tons of them Habs fans) and looked behind the bench, and I turned to my girlfriend and said, “Something happened while I was gone, that’s not Hanlon (I then had to explain who Hanlon was).” I had no idea what to make of the man behind the bench. The Caps lost the game 5-2, or 5-3, (can’t remember), but the team was skating hard, moving the puck well, and exciting to watch. Particularly this young defender I had never seen play live before named Mike Green, who scored twice.
I went home and looked into it and found that Hanlon had indeed been fired around Thanksgiving and that this guy Boudreau was his replacement.
I watched with more than a little awe as Boudreau made this team more exciting to watch at any point I’d seen it other than the possible exception of the ’98 playoff run. It was a great time to be a Caps fan.
Like many of the posters here I grew frustrated with Boudreau and the playoff collapses. After last year I was disappointed to see that he would be returning but talked myself into giving him one more shot.
I am originally from the DC area but now live away. I was back, however, for the last week from last Saturday through yesterday. In that time the Capitals played 5 times. They went 2-3.The three they lost spoke much more about their play this season than the 2 they won. In those two 4-3 wins against the Old Jets and the New Jets they had a fair amount of puck-luck and bounces. I’m not saying they played poorly, but in my opinion they didn’t play particularly well either. But watching the other games you could almost sense when the Leafs, Rangers, Sabers, etc., had finally stomped the life out of them (NYR scoring the 4th goal shortly after they brought it back to 3-2, the Sabers scoring 27 seconds after Chimera’s penalty shot bringing it to 2-1), and the team appeared to quit in each of those games. Something about this team seemed broken, and I was not surprised to see this news today. It was, in fact, probably overdue.
That said I will always like Boudreau and am thankful for his time here. I had been kind of down on the Caps during the Jagr years and the Hanlon era. Finding myself attending fewer games. Boudreau helped bring me back. I’ll add that while I was in the DC area last week I attended two games: Monday and Wednesday’s games against the Old and New Jets. Those were wins 200 and 201 for Coach Boudreau, and unbeknownst to me at the time his last two as the head coach of the Capitals. I am grateful that I got to see those wins and I wish him the best of luck. So long Coach Boudreau, may the road rise to meet you, may the wind always be at your back and may there always be a Haagen Dazs at your local mall.
by BradleyFightingVehicle on Nov 28, 2011 1:32 PM EST reply actions 11 recs
Hunter's London Knight's Alumni in the NHL
Took a quick pass at it and this is what I came up with (did it based on years, may be missing a few names):
Dave Bolland
Michael Del Zotto
Dan Fritsche
Sam Gagner
Dan Girardi
Nazem Kadri
Chris Kelly
Sergei Kostitsyn
Mark Methot
Rick Nash
Denis Wideman
John Tavares
Rob Schremp
Kyle Quincey
Brandon Prust
Corey Perry
Caps fan since I started watching hockey in the USAir Arena days. Follow me on Twitter (most tweets are about the Caps) http://twitter.com/#!/AaronLerner14
by Aaron Lerner on Nov 28, 2011 1:34 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
Yeah I thought that he had played there for a year, but both Wikipedia AND a hockey Wiki don’t have him listed (which is how I compiled it).
Caps fan since I started watching hockey in the USAir Arena days. Follow me on Twitter (most tweets are about the Caps) http://twitter.com/#!/AaronLerner14
by Aaron Lerner on Nov 28, 2011 1:39 PM EST up reply actions
The man who made Rob Schremp who he is.
"Oh, so that's what you're gonna do."
by Rainbow, Kitty, Beer on Nov 28, 2011 1:37 PM EST up reply actions
Perhaps...
But I SERIOUSLY doubt that Hunter taught Schremp this stuff:
Caps fan since I started watching hockey in the USAir Arena days. Follow me on Twitter (most tweets are about the Caps) http://twitter.com/#!/AaronLerner14
by Aaron Lerner on Nov 28, 2011 1:40 PM EST up reply actions
Gah broken link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwovbIyPYJk
Caps fan since I started watching hockey in the USAir Arena days. Follow me on Twitter (most tweets are about the Caps) http://twitter.com/#!/AaronLerner14
by Aaron Lerner on Nov 28, 2011 1:40 PM EST up reply actions
Just making a little jokie joke.
"Oh, so that's what you're gonna do."
by Rainbow, Kitty, Beer on Nov 28, 2011 1:42 PM EST up reply actions
I know. I was just looking for a way to post that video, because its sick.
Caps fan since I started watching hockey in the USAir Arena days. Follow me on Twitter (most tweets are about the Caps) http://twitter.com/#!/AaronLerner14
by Aaron Lerner on Nov 28, 2011 1:44 PM EST up reply actions
Also missing: Patty Kane (who played on a line with Gagner and Kostitsyn, what a nightmare for opposing D)
Zac Rinaldo
Steve Mason
Caps fan since I started watching hockey in the USAir Arena days. Follow me on Twitter (most tweets are about the Caps) http://twitter.com/#!/AaronLerner14
by Aaron Lerner on Nov 28, 2011 1:43 PM EST up reply actions
Hunter believes in the speed game. Mentioned the backcheck specifically. Good to hear.
My name is for the band Prong.
Let's breathe for a moment or some months
We have a team of unfulfilled potential. An ex-coach still collecting things from his office. An emotional fan base, hard to restrain excitement about the promise of the new coach, ire towards the stars who seem unmotivated, etc. We are fired up. Are we prepared for some growing pains?
Let’s give 32 a chance to build relationships, introduce a system (with regards to tactics and discipline), make tweaks. Winning the division is an expectation but hardly still an incentive for the players. Perhaps the same goes for the conference or President’s trophy. We also know that playoff hockey is nothing like regular season hockey.
These facts known, my goal is to step back a bit and let this team come together. I did not believe in BB’s ability to put these players in a position to succeed in the playoffs. I’ll give Hunter (let’s not forget that coaching in the NHL is not the OHL) some time. I expect them to get into a comfortable playoff position playing a style that will serve them when it truly matters. I hope that will include solid goaltending, D-men who can clear their own zone, an offense with the reins off, and top notch effort above all else.
When this Cup is finally earned, it will be all the sweeter for those who suffered together in the process. Until then, Caps, I’m giving you a pass for the hope of a brighter tomorrow (read: Spring 2012). Get to work and make us proud.
Does Hunter still hold the record for most playoff games w/o winning the SC? If so, fitting choice! (ducks for cover)
He made it out of the second round. Baby steps.
Capitals goal scored by #22, Mike...
by KNUUUUUUUUUUBLE on Nov 28, 2011 1:42 PM EST up reply actions
He made it to the finals.
Nice guys finish first, but sometimes the season is awfully long.
Follow me on Twitter.
I’m going to guess any list of “most playoff games without SC victory” is littered with Capitals.
Pledge Drive 2011-2012: CARSON KOLZIG FOUNDATION! Season Pledge total--$403.25!
No way. Take off the hometown blinders. The Rags went more than 50 years b/t SC. Shit even the Red Wings went 40+ years before their now long run of excellence. The Caps have been long suffering, but less long suffering than the Leafs, the Kings, the Blues, the Canucks. What had it been for Boston before last year, 37 seasons?
ah, but the Caps have pretty consistently made the playoffs after the Langway acquisition (and minues that stretch in the mid-2000s). Anyone who played for the Caps for a while ended up with a ton of playoff games and no SC. Just as an example, the Red Wings were absolute shit for most of those 40 years they didn’t win a Cup. No playoff games for those guys.
this has got to be something we can look up on hockey reference, right?
Pledge Drive 2011-2012: CARSON KOLZIG FOUNDATION! Season Pledge total--$403.25!
According to this Sporcle quiz, the Caps have 6 of the top 22: Gartner (1), Oates (3), Ciccarelli (7), Poulin (13), Linden (17), and Gartner (21).
by Flash in the Pan on Nov 28, 2011 2:34 PM EST up reply actions
Assuming Sporcle is right (can’t find the data anywhere)…
Hunter had 2/3 of his playoff games with WAS.
But hard to call Oates a Cap when <20% of his playoff futility was with us — most was with DET, STL & BOS… to my point above.
Likewise Ciccarelli, who had 22% of his futility with us, hadlong stints with Minnesota and DET. Calling Ciccarelli a Cap kinda points to our rather weak history — he played less than 240 games here.
Dave Poulin had 13 of his 129 playoff games with us.
And now I’m tired of looking this stuff up, but worth pointing out that the facts are often against the frustrated claims of hometown fans. Only one team wins the SC in any given year. And a bunch of franchises, including ones older than ours, have never won it.
From Sports Illustrated - December 6, 1993 -- for those too young to remember
When Dale Hunter finally traded in his convict’s stripes for Washington Capital stars and stripes, he didn’t exactly look as if he had been scared straight. Last Friday night, after serving an unprecedented 21-game suspension, Hunter returned to the ice for the first time since April, and he acted very much like his old cutthroat self. He contributed to each of the Caps’ goals in a 4-4 draw with the Pittsburgh Penguins, mostly by stirring up the action in the Penguin crease. Heck, Hunter would probably have found a way to win the game if only he hadn’t spent 12 of the final 14 minutes right back in the penalty box, renewing old acquaintances. So much for the NHL’s Capital punishment.
To review the blotter: The 33-year-old Hunter was suspended last spring for hitting New York Islander Pierre Turgeon from behind in Game 6 of the Patrick Division semifinals. Turgeon had just scored the fifth straight Islander goal in the 5-3 series-clinching win when Hunter blindsided him, separating his shoulder and sidelining him for seven games. Hunter was sentenced to sit out the first 21 games of the ‘93 season (one quarter of the regular season) and to forfeit $150,000 (one quarter of his $600,000 salary). The severity of the punishment—the league’s longest suspension for an on-ice incident—was due not only to the damage Hunter did to Turgeon’s shoulder, but also to the black eye he administered to the NHL in this era when image is everything.
The ensuing six months were not easy for Hunter, who became the hunted. Hounded by reporters, he steadfastly refused to rehash the blindside check, saying only that he couldn’t wait to be paroled. The Cap center spent some of the summer at the family farm in Ontario, but even there he found little joy. In August, Hunter lost his mother, Bern ice, to cancer.
Without Hunter—who last year had career highs of 79 points and 59 assists—Washington opened this season with six defeats and was 10-11 upon his return. “Dale is the heart of this club, and with him back we expect a boost,” says Cap G.M. David Poile, “but we’re not calling him ‘Moses’ Hunter yet.”
Against Pittsburgh, Hunter played as if he were trying to squeeze those 21 missed games into one. He had two assists, one during his thunderous welcoming ovation, a mere 19 seconds into his first shift; he drew a penalty that led to a power-play goal; and he knocked over the Penguin goalie moments before the Caps’ fourth goal. Hunter also racked up 14 minutes in penalties, including a misconduct. None of the above stats are surprising for a man who in 13 years in the league has never failed to lead his team to the playoffs. Because of his brutish style on the ice, however, his critics are quick to mention that he is the alltime playoff leader in penalty minutes and is third overall in that category in NHL history.
“Dale’s not a monster,” Cap coach Terry Murray said after Friday’s game. “He’s a distracter. I challenge other coaches to look at what he did tonight and tell me they don’t want that kind of distraction.” Hunter’s value was underscored in his second game back, on Sunday. After he left in the first period with a sprained ligament in his left knee that will keep him off the ice for three to six weeks, the Caps fell to the New York Rangers 3-1. Hunter wasn’t happy to be sidelined again. On Friday, watching the final minutes of the game tick away, Hunter had said to old pal Bill Brooks, a prickly former cop who always mans the Caps’ penalty box, “Brookie, I’m so happy to be back, I don’t even mind being in here with you.”
Nice guys finish first, but sometimes the season is awfully long.
Follow me on Twitter.
by STLSpidey on Nov 28, 2011 1:41 PM EST reply actions 11 recs
Think about it. He contributed to each of the four goals and had a misconduct. Awesome.
Nice guys finish first, but sometimes the season is awfully long.
Follow me on Twitter.
Thanks for posting this. Rather educational for newbs like me.
Waiting to bang my drum in parades for the Nats and Caps.
He was a handful. He was a mortal lock to start a scrum every time he was out there. Face washing, stick across the throat, slash to the ankle…when he was on the ice, it was going to be chippy. He could play the game, too, though.
Patron saint of quality footwear.
Hunter is the only NHL player ever to score over 1,000 points and rack up over 3,000 penalty minutes. He was in a league of his own.
3,000 penalty minutes is 50 full games lost to penalty minutes over his career.
Nice guys finish first, but sometimes the season is awfully long.
Follow me on Twitter.
I heard Locker relay a story regarding his trade to the Caps. Before the first game Hunter came to him and told him, “You’re on my line. Every whistle, be ready. Get your stick up and your head on a swivel. Something will be happening.”
Not a goalie he wouldn’t run or a star he wouldn’t face wash – I remember particularly well when he got Ray Bourque right in the middle of the announcer’s soliloquy about what a Great Immortal Bourque was. Classic.
Patron saint of quality footwear.
Yep.
Honestly, it shouldn’t be rocket science. If the Caps play hard and have a recognizable system, they’ll be good.
Hunter might not be the best coach, but who knows. But he ought to be at least good enough for the moment. As for the playoffs, we’ll see when we get there.
Patron saint of quality footwear.
He could play the game, too, though.
And THIS is what sets Hunter apart from your everyday NHL goon like Cooke.
Caps fan since I started watching hockey in the USAir Arena days. Follow me on Twitter (most tweets are about the Caps) http://twitter.com/#!/AaronLerner14
by Aaron Lerner on Nov 28, 2011 1:54 PM EST up reply actions
Incorrect. Cooke can play the game as well when he wants to.
The Artist Formerly Known as CP2Devil.
Associate Editor at Five For Howling.
by Carl Putnam on Nov 28, 2011 1:56 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Not to the same level. Matt Cooke would never score the present day NHL equivalent of over 1,000 points in his career.
The 1,000 point club has around 75 players all-time. It takes elite-level talent to get into it. Cooke does not have that.
Caps fan since I started watching hockey in the USAir Arena days. Follow me on Twitter (most tweets are about the Caps) http://twitter.com/#!/AaronLerner14
by Aaron Lerner on Nov 28, 2011 1:59 PM EST up reply actions
You’re not putting Cooke in the same league as Hunter, are you?
Cooke’s most point production thus far was 42 points with the Canucks in 2002-2003 – that’s once in 10 full NHL seasons.
Hunter exceeded 42 points 13 times in 19 years.
Nice guys finish first, but sometimes the season is awfully long.
Follow me on Twitter.
We’d have to adjust for eras, of course. Hunter played a bunch during the run and gun times, when 40 goals was routine.
But yeah, Hunter was a better offensive player than Cooke. The point that Cooke can play stands, though.
Hunter isn’t, say, Parros or BizNasty or Koci, though.
Patron saint of quality footwear.
Hunter also played at the height of the trap
Pledge Drive 2011-2012: CARSON KOLZIG FOUNDATION! Season Pledge total--$403.25!
Oh god, don’t remind me of that. The 90’s Devils were the absolute worst to watch.
Caps fan since I started watching hockey in the USAir Arena days. Follow me on Twitter (most tweets are about the Caps) http://twitter.com/#!/AaronLerner14
by Aaron Lerner on Nov 28, 2011 2:08 PM EST up reply actions
Of course not. I was responding to his comment that Cooke is a goon.
The Artist Formerly Known as CP2Devil.
Associate Editor at Five For Howling.
I’m just really not a Matt Cooke fan. There is no place in hockey for the stuff that he pulled.
Caps fan since I started watching hockey in the USAir Arena days. Follow me on Twitter (most tweets are about the Caps) http://twitter.com/#!/AaronLerner14
by Aaron Lerner on Nov 28, 2011 2:09 PM EST up reply actions
He got suspended and he got the message. That’s enough for me, for now.
Patron saint of quality footwear.
Put it this way, I’m glad that he has cleaned up his act and I never root for guys to fail, but 20 games hasn’t made me a believer.
Caps fan since I started watching hockey in the USAir Arena days. Follow me on Twitter (most tweets are about the Caps) http://twitter.com/#!/AaronLerner14
by Aaron Lerner on Nov 28, 2011 2:13 PM EST up reply actions
Got it. I agree.
Nice guys finish first, but sometimes the season is awfully long.
Follow me on Twitter.
Wouldn’t call Cooke a goon. I’d say goon is more like DJ King, a guy who fights and only fights. Cooke will drop the gloves, but he’s no fighter.
Red Line Station and @RedArmyLine, featuring coverage of the most frustrating team in the NHL
I believe in next year.
by red army line on Nov 28, 2011 1:59 PM EST up reply actions
See in my book, DJ King is a fighter. Cooke, Pronger, and others are goons. Goons play dirty and take cheap shots. Fighters simply fight.
Caps fan since I started watching hockey in the USAir Arena days. Follow me on Twitter (most tweets are about the Caps) http://twitter.com/#!/AaronLerner14
by Aaron Lerner on Nov 28, 2011 2:01 PM EST up reply actions
Its hard for me not to consider someone who has thrown as many headshots as Cooke has anything other than a goon.
I see an agitator as a guy who will stick you in the nuts when the refs are turned, slash you in the back of the legs, hit you a step late, etc.
Caps fan since I started watching hockey in the USAir Arena days. Follow me on Twitter (most tweets are about the Caps) http://twitter.com/#!/AaronLerner14
by Aaron Lerner on Nov 28, 2011 2:10 PM EST up reply actions
For me, headshots cross the line — you can accomplish the same needling, annoying ends without seriously endangering someone.
Caps fan since I started watching hockey in the USAir Arena days. Follow me on Twitter (most tweets are about the Caps) http://twitter.com/#!/AaronLerner14
by Aaron Lerner on Nov 28, 2011 2:14 PM EST up reply actions
my response? Fuck Pittsburgh. they probably had it coming
;-)
Pledge Drive 2011-2012: CARSON KOLZIG FOUNDATION! Season Pledge total--$403.25!
God I love Dale Hunter.
Our fridge growing up had pictures of two players on it. Hunter was one of them.
Unleash the Apathy.
At least the motivations are clear. Did your Dad get to put pictures of Christie Brinkley and Cheryl Ladd on the fridge also?
Nice guys finish first, but sometimes the season is awfully long.
Follow me on Twitter.
Remember when SI used to write about hockey?
"You do that, you go to the box, you know. Two minutes, by yourself, you know and you feel shame" -Denis Lemieux
Sounds like Ovechkin could learn a thing or two about not letting suspensions bother him.
Red Line Station and @RedArmyLine, featuring coverage of the most frustrating team in the NHL
I believe in next year.
by red army line on Nov 28, 2011 2:00 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
I see Mike Halford over at PHT put up a post on recent junior coaches he made the leap. Not exactly a great list. I’d add another name I ran across today when checking out Canada’s WJC camp roster, Don Hay, Canada’s WJC coach. Considered one of the best junior coaches ever. He lasted one season in NHL. I’m not saying Hunter won’t be a good coach, but as I mentioned earlier, succeeding at junior level and in NHL are two different animals.
The Artist Formerly Known as CP2Devil.
Associate Editor at Five For Howling.
How many of those junior coaches had the NHL resume of Hunter though? Surely his experience at the NHL level counts for something?
Caps fan since I started watching hockey in the USAir Arena days. Follow me on Twitter (most tweets are about the Caps) http://twitter.com/#!/AaronLerner14
by Aaron Lerner on Nov 28, 2011 1:46 PM EST up reply actions
I think it helps, but only so much. It can help on the fringes with relationships with players and maybe helping develop team leadership. However, it’s likely not going to be the major reason he’s successful. His ability to adapt to working with adults is what is going to be.
The Artist Formerly Known as CP2Devil.
Associate Editor at Five For Howling.
Interesting Tidbit
From Sports Bog:
The exact trade was Clint Malarchuk and Hunter for Alan Haworth, left wing Gaetan Duchesne and a first-round draft pick that the Nordiques used to select Joe Sakic.
Caps fan since I started watching hockey in the USAir Arena days. Follow me on Twitter (most tweets are about the Caps) http://twitter.com/#!/AaronLerner14
Yes. Joe Sakic. Killer.
Nice guys finish first, but sometimes the season is awfully long.
Follow me on Twitter.
Yeah but that’s assuming that Dave Poile would have drafted him there anyways. Can you imagine how different the NHL would be if the Caps had drafted Sakic way back when?
Caps fan since I started watching hockey in the USAir Arena days. Follow me on Twitter (most tweets are about the Caps) http://twitter.com/#!/AaronLerner14
by Aaron Lerner on Nov 28, 2011 1:51 PM EST up reply actions
BTW, Stienz has a lovely “Bruce’s Top Ten moments” and a couple of heartfelt words up, for those of you who like to read that stuff.
As a final note, when he was trying to win hockey games and establish himself and talk about hockey, Boudreau would answer every dumb question I ever threw at him, often with spontaneous and perfect wit. It was always appreciated.
Pledge Drive 2011-2012: CARSON KOLZIG FOUNDATION! Season Pledge total--$403.25!
He must be feeling bereft — most of his go-to quotes gone from the Caps within a few months.
Campaign Promises fantasy team: Hamrlik To Fall
by CapitalCentre on Nov 28, 2011 2:00 PM EST up reply actions
SkyKerstein Sky Kerstein
#Caps Ovi when asked what needs to change “we just need to win the games, simple as that”
My, how sophisticated.
I keep thinking (hoping) that the relatively unsophisticated answers that Ovi uses to explain the team’s decline can be explained by some combination of risk aversion and language barrier, but, even in Russian and even pre-slump, he never has exhibited a particularly sophisticated understanding of the game of hockey.
It’s awfully concerning. He’ll need to become a more cerebral player as he gets older to be worth that $9m.
Ovi answers to the press have all been of the canned variety for some time now, maybe since the ‘10 Olympics disaster? It was telling what he said about Brad’s Semin comments were to the effect of “you speak up in the locker room, not in front of the press” .
"You can want to get to April but when you get to April you may not like the answers you get, so you might as well enjoy the ride while it's going on." - Brian McNally on JRR, 8/29/2011
OviEvery athlete’s answers to the press have all been of the canned variety for some time now,
Let’s be fair to the man. Let’s all go watch Bull Durham to remind ourselves how all athletes’ answers are canned.
Nice guys finish first, but sometimes the season is awfully long.
Follow me on Twitter.
and then Brooks Laich will throw us another curveball (most unexpected honest answer ever?)
Pledge Drive 2011-2012: CARSON KOLZIG FOUNDATION! Season Pledge total--$403.25!
But even the non-canned answers, before the Olympics and before the slump, and even those in the Russian language, don’t exactly exhibit a guy with a ton of hockey sense.
Put another way: you could imagine St. Louis or Crosby or Nick Lidstrom coaching a high-school hockey team. How about Ovechkin?
Yes, I can. In Russia.
A few summers ago, he sat in on a game in Russia and did play-by-play. Supposedly it was very thoughtful.
"You can want to get to April but when you get to April you may not like the answers you get, so you might as well enjoy the ride while it's going on." - Brian McNally on JRR, 8/29/2011
Gretzky wasn’t that great of a coach. There’s a difference between having the ability come so naturally to you that you cannot teach it.
Comrades, leave me here a little, while as yet 't is early morn:
Leave me here, and when you want me, sound upon the bugle-horn
and for most people who have something so difficult some so easily to them, they turn out to not be particularly great teachers/coaches.
Pledge Drive 2011-2012: CARSON KOLZIG FOUNDATION! Season Pledge total--$403.25!
Ted Williams did lead the expansion Nats to one of their better seasons, though.
Just sayin’. I thought Teddy Ballgame got tired of coaching rather than that he wasn’t good at it.
Waiting to bang my drum in parades for the Nats and Caps.
His interviews in Russian show a lot more thought than his quotes in English. I think it’s a language thing, at least partially.
"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 Nov 28, 2011 2:15 PM EST up reply actions
Ovi was mostlly canned “it is what it is,” but one thing he said that I liked was that while he didn’t think you can get tired of what a coach is saying, he said if there were problems, he wouldn’t tell the press “we talk about it in our own family and in our team” (he might have said “in our locker room” don’t recall exactly).
Stop talking Ovi and start playing
Riight. Cause hardly anyone’s swarming the guy for answers (to the same rote, inane questions) after every game/practice/press release/Crosby exploit. And if he declines to ‘talk’, it definitely won’t become a (rote, inane) story. Even if it did, what could help the team as much as a “Ovi haz no comment!!!1” cycle, dragged around the room until Milbury pops his Cherry?
....when the truth is if they knew anything about the game, they'd be in it.
--GMGM
Backstrom and Laich both blamed the players when asked about Boudreau’s firing.
Backstrom: “We can blame ourselves for not playing well enough.” (per @AdamKOL)
Laich: “Tough to see [Boudreau] take the fall for something that should be on the players” (per @ngreenberg)
Laich’s is a wee bit more pointed that Nickey’s, eh?
Pledge Drive 2011-2012: CARSON KOLZIG FOUNDATION! Season Pledge total--$403.25!
He’s just trying to suck up for the new boss.
"Oh, so that's what you're gonna do."
by Rainbow, Kitty, Beer on Nov 28, 2011 2:11 PM EST up reply actions
Laich via @cmasisak:
Laich said he wasn’t angry about the decision, but basically said it sucks that Boudreau is the fall guy for the players’ deficiencies.
and
#Caps Brooks Laich was also adamant that he felt Boudreau hadn’t “lost the room.”
Yes, but tell me something I don’t know and I call bullshit, respectively.
Patron saint of quality footwear.
Well, I could buy that Bruce hadn’t lost the room, but that they weren’t listening either.
You tried your best and failed miserably. The lesson is "Never Try."
No, Brooks is a literal guy. What he meant was that Bruce could actually still find the locker room.
Unleash the Apathy.
by D'ohboy on Nov 28, 2011 2:30 PM EST up reply actions 5 recs
Right, because efforts like the BUF and NYR games are completely indicative of a team in synch with the coach.
Patron saint of quality footwear.
Pretty sure that was just a joke…..
I don’t have much tolerance for stupid. Or cheese on food that doesn’t need it. -duck
by twistedlogic on Nov 28, 2011 2:51 PM EST up reply actions
"He's going to be all right."
Unleash the Apathy.
by D'ohboy on Nov 28, 2011 4:12 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs
Go back and find what they said after Hanlon was fired. Same quotes.
Nice guys finish first, but sometimes the season is awfully long.
Follow me on Twitter.
I would be willing to bet that across professional sports, you’ll find very few instances of players throwing the coach under the bus, especially post-firing.
Caps fan since I started watching hockey in the USAir Arena days. Follow me on Twitter (most tweets are about the Caps) http://twitter.com/#!/AaronLerner14
by Aaron Lerner on Nov 28, 2011 2:12 PM EST up reply actions
Some stuff will come out, but it will be in code, and not today. Most of it will be couched in terms of what they like about Hunter. Same shit happened with Hanlon. I can’t remember precisely but I think then it was mostly “we’re excited to use our creativity in the attack”, which was code for, " the last guy stifled the shit out of us and we hated it."
Something like that, anyway.
We’ll get some of that, and we’ll know how they felt about Bruce.
Patron saint of quality footwear.
by fat_daddyo on Nov 28, 2011 2:15 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs
just in case anyone is curious, here’s some comments from players when Hanlon was fired.
Pledge Drive 2011-2012: CARSON KOLZIG FOUNDATION! Season Pledge total--$403.25!
“Everyone’s really buying into the system and believing in each other. The guys are playing with a lot of energy right now,” said player X. “We’re really putting a lot of pressure on other teams in their zone and forcing turnovers.”
its just the same boilerplate tripe we get with any player interview. I honestly don’t see the point in asking any players anything in any sport for any reason anymore. You hardly ever get a candid answer. And if you do the media crucify the player for it. Its almost like they want the same shitty answers over and over.
by CCRubeus on Nov 28, 2011 2:17 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
@AdamKOL via twitter
John Carlson said he was one of the better players Hunter had during his season in London and he didn’t get a “free pass.”
Speaking of Twitter and JC74, Kevin Shattenkirk gave us this beauty:
hey @JohnCarlson74 which one of you guys turned off the hot water before you left the practice rink #coldshowersfortheBlues #notcoolman
Caps fan since I started watching hockey in the USAir Arena days. Follow me on Twitter (most tweets are about the Caps) http://twitter.com/#!/AaronLerner14
by Aaron Lerner on Nov 28, 2011 2:29 PM EST up reply actions
Heh, that’s pretty funny. Must be interesting for the Blues to witness all this, as they just went through it themselves a week or two ago. I hope someone gets Arnott’s thoughts, and that they’re interesting.
Good point about Arnott, I had completely forgotten he was with the Blues.
Caps fan since I started watching hockey in the USAir Arena days. Follow me on Twitter (most tweets are about the Caps) http://twitter.com/#!/AaronLerner14
by Aaron Lerner on Nov 28, 2011 2:33 PM EST up reply actions
One thing I’ll be interested to see – in junior hockey, you have players for four years and then they graduate (or two, etc). Given the opportunity to work with what in theory should be a stable roster, how does that change your approach, or does it change at all?
"The Caps fan doesn't say, 'is the glass half full' or 'is the glass half empty'. He wonders when the glass is going to spill."
More player responses
via @SWhyno
Matt Hendricks was most solemn #Caps player I talked to. Point blank, he said, the players didn’t get it done.
via @cmasisak
#Caps Brooks Laich was also very complimentary of the new coach. Called him “Mr. Hunter” a few times – that’s certainly a change.
via @AdamKOL
Backstrom: ""It was shocking, but I mean, I really don’t know what to say. It is what it is. We’ve got a new guy and I’m sure you guys know more about him than I do, but he has a lot of experience and he’s been playing in this league and he’s coaching in Canada, so hopefully, he can bring a lot to this team and teach us and help us."
Gawd, could Brooks be more Eddie Haskell – like?
"You can want to get to April but when you get to April you may not like the answers you get, so you might as well enjoy the ride while it's going on." - Brian McNally on JRR, 8/29/2011
by bagace on Nov 28, 2011 2:47 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs
Nick’s response makes it seem like the team was looking to BB for answers and he didn’t have any.
by Gin and Tonic on Nov 28, 2011 3:11 PM EST up reply actions
I haven’t read all these comments (I’m halfway through), but doesn’t it seem that the Caps need a player like Hunter as much as a coach?
That’s tomorrow’s announcement.
"My favorite fan base in D.C. Is United's. Period. The end." - Steinberg
Keep United in DC. A Fair Deal at RFK, and a Pathway to a Stadium for a team loyal to the city.
by Bald Pollack on Nov 28, 2011 2:28 PM EST up reply actions
Who do you think is the closest player to Dale Hunter in today’s NHL? I can’t really think of any players who rack up points and PIMs like Hunter did. Lucic maybe, although he’s not a center.
by Flash in the Pan on Nov 28, 2011 3:01 PM EST up reply actions
Despite the arguments above, I think it’s probably Cooke in today’s NHL. I don’t think Hunter was out to injure the way Cooke has in his career, but they’re similar in that Hunter was also a guy with some skill who would often cross the line. Or maybe an Avery type with way more skill and more respect for the game, in that Hunter was always starting shit after every whistle like Avery does (but would not pull some of Avery’s bush league antics).
It’s hard to rack up PIMs like Hunter did these days – even in the 90s a 10-minute misconduct was much more common than it is now (or so it seems). Same is true for points, to some extent.
I don’t see Lucic as being that comparable. Hunter wasn’t as big and strong as him. Hunter used to say that he held his stick up in the air when he’d get into scrums so that his teammates could find him among the bigger guys.
How does any of that impact his ability to coach a team?
"My favorite fan base in D.C. Is United's. Period. The end." - Steinberg
Keep United in DC. A Fair Deal at RFK, and a Pathway to a Stadium for a team loyal to the city.
by Bald Pollack on Nov 28, 2011 4:47 PM EST up reply actions
nice strawman. he may have all the coaching ability in the world.
doesn’t mean I want to root for the guy, or explain to my kids who he is.
Good on you then. Now let’s let the guy answer the question I asked, shall we?
"My favorite fan base in D.C. Is United's. Period. The end." - Steinberg
Keep United in DC. A Fair Deal at RFK, and a Pathway to a Stadium for a team loyal to the city.
by Bald Pollack on Nov 28, 2011 9:42 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
From Bob McK
The way I see it, only part of job Dale Hunter will struggle with is having to deal with media on a daily basis. Not his favorite thing.
If you go back to that OT winning goal video I posted as a fanshot a few months ago, they show the post game interview at the side of the ice with Hunter and yeah, he didn’t reallly like the cameras.
by Rather Bengt on Nov 28, 2011 2:45 PM EST up reply actions
Fresh ice: Third period thread right this way
You perhaps knew me better as "Your Nation's Capital." Same great commentary, now with 100% more transparency!
I honestly hope to see Bruce hired by Versus or NHL Network right away… he would be a fantastic studio guy, or even a color guy on a broadcast.
by DonnieKnutts on Nov 28, 2011 3:24 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
I like the previous comment about the CAPS need a Hunter-like player as opposed to a Hunter-like coach. Exactly. The issue has not been Boudreau but the lack of heart of current players. And I find it particularly infuriating that Laich is getting all this press for his reactions. Frankly, as with OVI, part of the reason why Bruce is gone is because Laich has not got it done either. I know this will offend a lot of posters and Brooks lovers but let’s face it, Brooks has been on this team for ALL of the playoff let-downs and the playoff losses over the past 5 years. Yeah, he is a hard working and versatile and all that…blah, blah. But, damn it, Brooks hasn’t got it done either and he certainly didn’t deserve that fat contract. He is a good guy and I like him but in terms of hockey, he deserves some of the blame and should not be the go-to guy for comments. Good for him for saying it was on the players, but as with Ovi, I am getting tired of you guys saying it isn’t the coach’s fault while you continue to float through playoff misses and coaches. Step it up, Brooks. Ok; have at me….
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Related FanPosts on Japers' Rink
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recent FanPosts
FanShots
Quick hits of video, photos, quotes, chats, links and lists that you find around the web.
Recent FanShots
The Vault
In Association With
Latest Puck Daddy - NHL from Yahoo! Sports
- Who are the Non-Smythe candidates for the Devils, Kings?
- End is near for Rick Nash, Blue Jackets as trade discussions set to resume
- Why the Devils and the Kings are evidence the Capitals shouldn’t trade Alex Ovechkin
- Eulogy: Remembering the 2011-12 New York Rangers
- Stanley Cup Final: 5 keys for New Jersey Devils and Los Angeles Kings
Latest stories and headlines from NHL.com
- Driven DeBoer delivers Devils back to NHL's elite
- Driven DeBoer, fired by Panthers, delivers Devils back to the land of elite in just one year
- Bruins acquire son of Hall of Famer Ray Bourque
- Bruins add a Bourque: Chris Bourque, son of Hall of Famer Ray Bourque, acquired from Capitals
- Shinnimin named CHL's Player of the Year
