Tuesday Caps Clips: Run Through
by J.P. on Dec 27, 2011 6:39 AM EST
in Caps Clips
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PrintYour savory breakfast links:
- Recaps and other assorted musings on last night's loss from us, Caps365 video (Hunter, Caps players), Vogs, Capitals Voice (audio), NHL.com, WaPo (gamer), WashTimes (gamer), CSNW (blog), DCEx, Frankovic, SB Nation DC, KOL, Sick Unbelievable, DSP, hockey yelling, RtR and RMNB.
- Michal Neuvirth didn't last long, did he? [Dump 'n Chase, WashTimes]
- Get well soon, Mathieu Perreault, who spent the night in a Buffalo hospital for observation after nearly impaling himself. [WaPo, WashTimes]
- You can add Buffalo to the list of NHL cities that don't exactly love Dale Hunter. [Buffalo News, WashTimes]
- Tomas Vokoun finally got back in a game last night but probably still doesn't know why he had to wait so long. [WashTimes, with the netminder's thoughts on goalies getting run here]
- Maybe the Caps are just collectively insane. [KOL]
- Is it time to adjust our sights? [Sick, Unbelievable]
- Notes from Monday's practice in Hershey. [Patriot-News]
- Finally, today in WJC coverage:
- John Carlson has fond memories of his time crushing the dreams of many a Canadian. [WashTimes]
- Evgeny Kuznetsov is looking for a golden repeat. [Calgary Herald]
- A tourney preview from RMNB. [RMNB]
- Do some good - donate. [The Sleeping Giant]
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From Whyno:
Mathieu Perreault left Monday night’s game with 5:59 left in the third period after a scary collision with Buffalo Sabres defenseman Christian Ehrhoff in the corner. The hit appeared to push Perreault’s own stick into his midsection and he went down in pain.
“I think he lost his wind,” coach Dale Hunter said. “He went into the boards and [his] stick hit him in the tummy.”
First of all, “tummy.”
Secondly, a friend of a friend suffered a similar injury when we were playing lax in high school – essentially he was digging a ground ball and had his stick in the wrong place, hit a rock or something in the ground that didn’t give and… ruptured a testicle.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
I barely escaped a similar result while engaged in an indoor activity.
I don't always drink beer...
by Acer Jonesy's Laughker on Dec 27, 2011 8:04 AM EST up reply actions
I also had a friend do that playing lacrosse in highschool. The kid scored 3 more goals, went home and peed blood, then was in the hospital for a ruptured spleen. Let’s hope he just “lost his wind”.
"Neuvy was eating pucks for breakfast, lunch, and dinner."
by SeattleCapsFan on Dec 27, 2011 11:33 AM EST up reply actions
Good news, in case you hadn’t heard. Matty P. was reported to be on the same flight to DC at Katie C from the Post. And he was also at practice this morning and functioning normally.
Rocking the Red for teams on the banks of the Potomac and at the Gateway Arch and Singing the Blues about Hockey.
Insanity seems plausible at this point. Is this team progressing? If your answer is no, what should be done to fix it? Can it be fixed? When will it be time to admit to ourselves that the team is lost beyond retrieval this season, when they don’t make the playoffs or when they’re dead last in the division? Seriously.
"I couldn't bring myself to cheer for Pittsburgh. But since they won, I may as well use it."
--BB, 2009
I’ll believe this team won’t make the playoffs when they are mathematically eliminated or 20 points out in March.
Please, call me F&B.
So do you believe that the team is just readjusting to Dale Hunter’s system, and thus working out some kinks? If so, are they failing to do so or is this just part of the gradual process of readjustment? What sort of timeline to envision for this process? When, for lack of a better term, will they be “good” again if it is a question of readjustment, theoretically speaking?
"I couldn't bring myself to cheer for Pittsburgh. But since they won, I may as well use it."
--BB, 2009
by nogoodtrying on Dec 27, 2011 9:36 AM EST up reply actions
I don’t know. I just know they’ve been unsustainably bad, especially in net. They’ll start getting saves, they’ll start getting bounces. Their talent will get hot for a while and they’ll rack up points. Will that mean they are good again? Maybe not. I just still have a hard time seeing them miss the playoffs.
Please, call me F&B.
If I have time, since work will likely be slow all week, I’m going to try to take a look at the rest of the season’s match-ups and come up with a theoretical point placement for the East in March. I’m not going to factor in any #fancystats, just speculation on wins coupled with a margin of error. Suggestions?
"I couldn't bring myself to cheer for Pittsburgh. But since they won, I may as well use it."
--BB, 2009
by nogoodtrying on Dec 27, 2011 9:41 AM EST up reply actions
Barring improvement, the Caps will start entering a window of games wherein their potential playoff fate will rely on the collapse of teams ahead of them. With each passing week of ~.500 hockey, the Caps will increasingly rely on Ottawa, Toronto, Florida, NYR or NJD to collapse, and then hope that none of Winnipeg, Buffalo or Tampa Bay gets hot.
The Caps obviously should make the playoffs, but it’s far from the foregone conclusion it ought to have been.
Unleash the Apathy.
So what are the odds that Ottawa, Toronto, Florida, NYR or NJD will collapse? Ottawa, Florida, & Toronto are all doing much better than last year. It’s probably questionable that all three of those teams will sustain it through the second half of the year. Ottawa was expected to be in rebuild mode for this year; hence, the reason for them trading Mike Fisher for a 1st round pick last year. Florida was gaining points on shoot out losses and many of their players were doing unsustainably well.
The Devils — last year was a fluky bad year for them so a bounce back for this season was expected. The Rangers, from what I can remember, typically get off to a good start but do not usually sustain it throughout the year. The Jets, in their previous incarnation as the Thrashers were off to a pretty good start for last season (and the year before) but could not sustain that success for the entire year.
Rocking the Red for teams on the banks of the Potomac and at the Gateway Arch and Singing the Blues about Hockey.
Hamrlik’s penalty is something he can learn from going forward. These kinds of things happen to young players like Roman. It was just a rookie mistake from a rookie. I’m sure next year, when he’s developed further and gotten used to playing in the NHL, caps fans will have less to complain about in his game.
by Sjomin on Dec 27, 2011 7:59 AM EST reply actions 6 recs
LOL
"I couldn't bring myself to cheer for Pittsburgh. But since they won, I may as well use it."
--BB, 2009
by nogoodtrying on Dec 27, 2011 8:02 AM EST up reply actions
Maybe Karl can take him aside and reassure him, talk him through it.
You perhaps knew me better as "Your Nation's Capital." Same great commentary, now with 100% more transparency!
2011-12 5v5 Scoring chance percentage, 10-game moving average
It ain’t about the coach…..
"Shots aren't the important thing. Scoring chances are way more important than shots." - Bruce Boudreau
See my work in the Washington Post and on ESPN Insider.
Follow me on Twitter @ngreenberg
No, it isn’t. But it’s also not not about the coach – it’s not like they brought in Toe Blake to replace Bruce Boudreau. The possibility certainly exists that Dale Hunter isn’t a good NHL head coach.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
McPhee has a lot riding on DH32. How closely tied do you think his fate is to Hunter? If this team misses the playoffs, Hunter’s contract is not renewed and pieces start being shipped out, does McPhee stay?
I’ve said before that I think GMGM bet his job on Hunter, but who knows?
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Ted’s never fired a GM before, so we don’t really know how he’s evaluating the position.I beleive that as long as he believes GMGM is making the right moves, he’ll stay.
You tried your best and failed miserably. The lesson is "Never Try."
Firing a coach during the season and replacing him with someone who does worse seems to me, and probably to Ted, to be a bad move. Failure to make the playoffs or flopping again with a team bulit to compete now will not be acceptable to Ted, nor should it be.
Remember that Ted was clear that firing BB was GMGM’s call. I have little doubt that this is GMGM’s last stand.
Just trying to capture the spirit of the thing...
by dcsportsfan1 on Dec 27, 2011 8:45 AM EST up reply actions
Well, of course he said that. He’s made a big deal the last few years that he’s thrown away the stupid pills and leaves all of that to the GM. You could say the same thing when Hanlon was canned.
You tried your best and failed miserably. The lesson is "Never Try."
Sure he leaves all of it to the GM, as he should, but there are ways of responding to the coaching change without being as specific as he was. Here’s a excerpt from the post the day Hanlon was canned:
GM George McPhee said he made the decision late last night during a phone call with Owner Ted Leonsis and Team President Dick Patrick. He informed Hanlon early this morning and called Boudreau around 7 a.m.
Don’t recall any late night phone calls being referred to when BB was fired.
Just trying to capture the spirit of the thing...
by dcsportsfan1 on Dec 27, 2011 9:22 AM EST up reply actions
And what would those right moves be? I was as high on this roster as anyone coming into the season. It looked to have the right mix of veterans (Halpern, Hamrlik, Knuble), players in their prime (the Young Guns), and youngsters (Carlson, Alzner), plus a goalie with a sparkling pedigree.
And it has, to date, blown up in their face. Sports is funny that way. What looks good on paper means exactly nothing, because in the end you have real wins and real losses to judge outcomes. And the Caps are, at the moment, regressing from what might have been their high-point in 2009-2010.
Whatever “it” is that a GM has to be able to find the right mix, George McPhee has not found “it.” Meanwhile, Philly has passed the Caps by, the Rangers — a laughing stock in the league not that long ago — seem to have passed them by. Pittsburgh has their Cup and is playing quite well in the absence of their marquee player. All three teams have something the Caps lack in spades — they are balanced, they are very difficult to play against, and they seem to reflect the personality of their respective coaches. At the moment, the Caps have none of that..
Does this mean McPhee should go? If the Caps do not make the playoffs, I’d have to say yes. What other change could one make? Would leaving the choice of another coach to McPhee (assuming Hunter is not retained) be the direction to go?
If you've read this far...seek help.
by ThePeerless on Dec 27, 2011 9:26 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
It all looks good on paper, but it’s on paper right now. We didn’t anticipate doing as well as we did, but we did real well and hope it translates into a real good performance this year.
"Shots aren't the important thing. Scoring chances are way more important than shots." - Bruce Boudreau
See my work in the Washington Post and on ESPN Insider.
Follow me on Twitter @ngreenberg
Should the organization consider trading away 90% of the team before getting rid of GMGM?
"I couldn't bring myself to cheer for Pittsburgh. But since they won, I may as well use it."
--BB, 2009
by nogoodtrying on Dec 27, 2011 9:50 AM EST up reply actions
I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a team that was so much less than the sum of its parts in any sport.
If you've read this far...seek help.
The Philadelphia Eagles this year.
"I couldn't bring myself to cheer for Pittsburgh. But since they won, I may as well use it."
--BB, 2009
by nogoodtrying on Dec 27, 2011 9:57 AM EST up reply actions
The Eagles are probably a bad example, because so little of it was home-grown. It is more or less a kit, and not a lot of teams can assemble parts from other organizations and win, especially in the first year they are thrown together.
If you've read this far...seek help.
by ThePeerless on Dec 27, 2011 10:02 AM EST up reply actions
Eh, it happens. This year’s Eagles or Red Sox. Most Rangers teams of the last two decades. The USA hoops team that didn’t win gold. The Travelling Wilburys.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
You mean Bob Dylan’s talents are wasted on the 4th line?
by Twenty Seven Ninety on Dec 27, 2011 10:06 AM EST up reply actions
Jeff Lynne was the Roman Hamrlik of the Wilburys
by Rather Bengt on Dec 27, 2011 2:24 PM EST up reply actions
I bet a lot of these guys will excel in different environments. Collectively, this team’s spirit appears to be broken and arguably has been since the Montreal series.
This is something I’ve been thinking about. The confidence in an identity—the cardiac caps who could score at will discovered that BB’s aggressive system could be stymied. So they come into the next season with their mojo dented and go into a tailspin captured on national TV, and adjust their game to a trapping, defensive first style. But they couldn’t seem to find the transition into offense. Come playoffs they found that the trapping system was killed by a team that had a hybrid system that seemed to allow that team to score at will.
Confidence is the biggest thing lacking with this team I believe. I’m not convinced BB has developed an effective hybrid system. Hunter’s system is well-defined, but it’s very different from what BB had them doing. And the players haven’t stuck to it consistently.
IMO Hunter is the medicine this team needs right now. They need to reforge their identity out of his demanding system, meld the different players’ styles and skills, and out that should come the confidence and identity. It’s as if the players’ who grew up under BB are still struggling with the loss of their old personality. And the new players don’t know what they are suppose to be as a team.
I don’t know if the makeup of this team is right for Hunter, but I’m convinced part of the reason the team was failing under BB is that the makeup of the team was not right for BB.
Knuble: "I am what I am. I play well with good players."
On his milestone: "It's going to be like unwrapping a birthday present. Then the day after you're kind of like [sighs]....Now you just have to keep going."
by capsyoungguns on Dec 27, 2011 10:47 AM EST up reply actions
Confidence is tricky. It’s like experience – you can’t get it without it.
What does this team have to point to that it can draw confidence from? When have they really overcome anything of note that could provide them with a point of reference? When have they not failed when it has mattered?
This team has been and continues to be the most mentally fragile group I can remember seeing. They’re broken and it’s hard to see how the situation is going to be fixed.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
by J.P. on Dec 27, 2011 10:52 AM EST up reply actions 2 recs
This team has been and continues to be the most mentally fragile group I can remember seeing. They’re broken and it’s hard to see how the situation is going to be fixed.
Agreed per my post below. It’s a management challenge, like no other.
Nice guys finish first, but sometimes the season is awfully long.
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I agree. They are still broken. And with new parts that don’t seem to fit. What I am hoping is that they find confidence in the system if they play it well, with discipline. Start small—game by game confidence built out of experience. He can use the games as prime examples: See when we act like keystone cops running around in our own end you will get scored on—often. But when we play the system with focus and discipline, we can win.
I wish for a lot of things, starting with Hunter or another coach at the start of the season and a team built specifically for that coach’s system. But in the absence of that, I am hoping that Hunter gets this team to work as a unit. And out of that figure who they are.
He has been preaching to them that his system is the type that wins in the playoffs, and he talks all the time about work ethic, when it works and when it’s missing. And perhaps that’s why he’s been riding his stars so hard. He’s trying to retrain them.
Knuble: "I am what I am. I play well with good players."
On his milestone: "It's going to be like unwrapping a birthday present. Then the day after you're kind of like [sighs]....Now you just have to keep going."
by capsyoungguns on Dec 27, 2011 11:19 AM EST up reply actions
Knuble made an interesting point yesterday. Said that Hunter didn’t really care that much about goals like Boudreau did. Wants them to be a tough team to play against and have a lot of experience in 1 goal games so that they don’t get fazed by it.
Interesting and ties in with what I hear Laich say that Hunter talks about playoffs all the time. He always repeats this is how you have to play to win in the playoffs.
it makes sense. Learn how to play in tight games in the regular season instead of 6-4 type games so that when you get to the playoffs and there are 1-0 or 2-1 games you are used to it.
by Beakers Lab on Dec 27, 2011 11:47 AM EST up reply actions
Here is the exact quote from Knuble yesterday.
“Bruce was an offensive guy who really wanted to outscore teams and really cared about goals and Dale can care less,” said veteran Mike Knuble. “If you play a stingy defensive game and win 1-0 or 2-1, he’s comfortable playing in those games. He’s conditioning to play calm in those situations and not get antsy. If the game is going to finish 1-0, hopefully we’ve got the one.”
I guess this one way you can go about fixing the problems from the neck up.
Yeah that sounds better than how I originally read it. If you find yourself in the tight game situation, sure it helps to have experience dealing with it, I guess. Still not convinced that Hunter isn’t implementing a no-offense offense.
I see this as placing focus on a more well-rounded game, rather than placing a heavy emphasis on offense the way BB’s system did. Which is what everyone was calling for after the Montreal bust.
"Neuvy was eating pucks for breakfast, lunch, and dinner."
by SeattleCapsFan on Dec 27, 2011 12:57 PM EST up reply actions
True. Change their mindset through hard work. Goals will have to be earned and not necessarily easy to come by. Hunter’s been clear. He wants the offense to be generated out of the forecheck and cycling.
It’s hard to stay committed to that when the core of this team hasn’t been asked to do that reliably before. But it is a system built upon discipline and hard work, something we fans have all wanted. And since we’ve seen them do this under Hunter, we know they can. Semin checking. And taking fewer penalties. Ovi forechecking. The top lines cycling.
Knuble: "I am what I am. I play well with good players."
On his milestone: "It's going to be like unwrapping a birthday present. Then the day after you're kind of like [sighs]....Now you just have to keep going."
by capsyoungguns on Dec 27, 2011 12:03 PM EST up reply actions
It couldn’t make less sense. Goal differential correlates strongly with standings points. That quote makes it sound like Hunter is actively coaching the team to not have a high differential, to play coinflips, to lose. I can only hope the quote is wrong or out of context or something.
I interprete it (along with other statements I’ve read) as don’t go freestalling and attempt too many rush plays. Stay disciplined and stick with the system. If played right the system will generate the chances. I haven’t him say scoring off the rush is bad, just don’t make it a habit but seize the opportunity if it’s there. It’s not the cornerstone of his system.
Knuble: "I am what I am. I play well with good players."
On his milestone: "It's going to be like unwrapping a birthday present. Then the day after you're kind of like [sighs]....Now you just have to keep going."
by capsyoungguns on Dec 27, 2011 12:11 PM EST up reply actions
coinflips
Bingo.
Dale wants to give his team a 50% chance of winning every game. Bruce wanted to utilize the elite offensive talent he had to increase those odds.
Remember when Bruce switched to “the trap” last year and everyone was pissing and moaning about turning thoroughbreds into plowhorses? Where are those folks now? I guess when you’re a franchise legend, criticism all but disappears.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
hey now, I’ve been moaning about the trap, no matter who is running it and practically tearing my hair out over Hunter apparent inability to use players in the roles they’re best suited for.
team was all sorts of broken under Bruce in that last month, but I’m not confident at all that Hunter’s the guy that can fix this.
Pledge Drive 2011-2012: CARSON KOLZIG FOUNDATION! Season Pledge total--$718.07!
Last year the Caps had a nine-game winning streak and won eight of them by one-goal. Maybe they should have mastered this skill by now?
If you've read this far...seek help.
by ThePeerless on Dec 27, 2011 12:38 PM EST up reply actions
Except that, by all statistical accounts, consistently winning one-goal games is not a repeatable skill.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
and what, exactly,
Makes Dale Hunter an expert on winning in the NHL playoffs?
"Essentially, all models are wrong, but some are useful" George E.P. Box
I have $50 to Olie's autism charity or So Kids Can and a beer on the under for 50/57/107 as AO's final stat line for 2011-'12
And on Pekka Rinne's PK SV% dropping under .920 by the end of the '12 season
by Knee high to a duck on Dec 27, 2011 12:24 PM EST via iPhone app up reply actions
He’s been to a Cup Finals and won a good number of playoff series as a player. Plus, he’s watched a lot of hockey and talked to a lot of hockey people about hockey. And hockey. Hockey.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
So Dale Hunter knows that getting balls-hot goaltending is the way to get to the finals. Fair enough, of he can get ’98 Kolzig to suit up.
"Essentially, all models are wrong, but some are useful" George E.P. Box
I have $50 to Olie's autism charity or So Kids Can and a beer on the under for 50/57/107 as AO's final stat line for 2011-'12
And on Pekka Rinne's PK SV% dropping under .920 by the end of the '12 season
by Knee high to a duck on Dec 27, 2011 12:54 PM EST via iPhone app up reply actions
Or maybe “those who can’t do, teach.” But do you disagree with the fundamental premise of Hunter’s philosophy here, that goals are harder to come by in the playoffs, both in terms of volume and level of difficulty?
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
The number of goals thing is testable and I don’t have the data at hand. I buy harder to come by and I buy that in a consecutive series, being hard to play against matters more than it does in the regular season.
What I don’t buy is that this particular team should be worrying about how to play in the playoffs, so much as making the playoffs. They’re not a lock, and they haven’t demonstrated that they’re an elite team that will flip the switch and go into the playoffs on fire. They’ve dug themselves a deep hole, and they’re in real danger.
When you’re in danger of missing the playoffs, sitting Jeff Schultz for John Erskine is not the answer I’m looking for. I don’t care how truculent Erskine is, making the playoffs (and winning once you get there), is more about good players than anything else.
I have the same concerns about Mike Knuble’s usage, which is even more baffling, because he’s the quintessential playoff guy; the dude that goes to the boards hard and bangs in rebounds from the edge of the crease. You can’t bench Schultz for not playing a playoff style and then banish arguably the team’s most playoff-style player to 4th line minutes.
In short, I don’t necessarily disagree with the premise, but I definitely disagree with the methods and the urgency of the current situation.
"Essentially, all models are wrong, but some are useful" George E.P. Box
I have $50 to Olie's autism charity or So Kids Can and a beer on the under for 50/57/107 as AO's final stat line for 2011-'12
And on Pekka Rinne's PK SV% dropping under .920 by the end of the '12 season
by Knee high to a duck on Dec 27, 2011 1:34 PM EST via iPhone app up reply actions 3 recs
Yeah, agreed on all counts; I lamented the same Knuble quote earlier and noted that whether or not Dale’s philosophy better prepares a team for the playoffs doesn’t mean a damn thing if they don’t get there first.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Z fail or reading comp fail on my part, then.
I’m pretty alarmed with some of the decisions I’ve seen from HCDH, truth be told. I’m hoping we’re not going to find out whether he staked his job to Hunter, but I have this sinking feeling that we’ll find out sooner rather than later.
"Essentially, all models are wrong, but some are useful" George E.P. Box
I have $50 to Olie's autism charity or So Kids Can and a beer on the under for 50/57/107 as AO's final stat line for 2011-'12
And on Pekka Rinne's PK SV% dropping under .920 by the end of the '12 season
by Knee high to a duck on Dec 27, 2011 1:49 PM EST via iPhone app up reply actions
I actually think the umbrage I took with the Knuble quote was over email, but the bottom line is one I’ve gone to repeatedly lately, that being that Hunter’s desire to play 50/50 games isn’t exactly making the best use of the roster he’s got.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
I think this is where you and I disagree. I really don’t think this team is as good – even on paper – as we’d all like to think. When Ovechkin and Semin were elite scorers, this team had a scary roster. But they aren’t elite scorers anymore. Frankly, they haven’t been for about a season and a half. It’s not a fluke or a funk anymore.
I don’t think it’s coincidental that two coaches with different philosophies ended up taking the same approach with essentially the same roster.
This team needs to learn how to win close games because it doesn’t really have another option at this point. This team can’t go back to winning 5-4, because it just doesn’t have that kind of offensive talent anymore.
Unleash the Apathy.
by D'ohboy on Dec 27, 2011 4:16 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs
I’ll buy Semin not being an elite scorer anymore. I’m not willing to close the book on Ovechkin yet. Here’s why:
Shots/Gm under Boudreau: 3.59
Shots/Gm under Hunter: 4.33
Ovechkin is also averaging 5 shots a game over his last 10 games.
The sample size is small here, but it at least indicates that Ovechkin’s shots/game are inching back towards his career average, which will certainly help pump up his goal scoring numbers over the rest of the season.
Reporter: "What’s your Mom’s birthday?"
Tortorella: "I have no idea."
Let’s say, for the sake of argument, that Ovie can sustain a 4.5 shot per game average (which is being generous). Now let’s say that around 12% of his shots go in (slightly above his career average).
He’d score 45 goals in 82 games. I could live with that.
The problem is that he’s more likely to take around 4 shots per game (that might even be optimistic), and shoot closer to 10% (He has shot 8.7 and 9.2% the last two years).
Now he’s a 33 goal scorer. That’s not nearly so good, given his defensive deficiencies and salary cap hit.
Unleash the Apathy.
The Ovechkin of a few years ago is not walking through that door today. Not only have teams adjusted (took them a few years) but he’s simply not the same player he was 3 years ago.
There is no way they can go back to being that run-n-gun team of years past. It’s obvious that that style does not work for this team anymore.
Wow. No offense, but you must not watch a lot of sports
by DonnieKnutts on Dec 27, 2011 12:13 PM EST up reply actions
His best acquisition was Troy Brouwer. The guy is a winner. I wish we had a dozen more Brouwers on the lineup for the Caps.
Halpern is playing well. Kudos to GMGM.
Joel Ward, IMO, is a big disappointment. I thought he was a better player overall. I just ask myself how did he score those goals in the playoffs last year. He seems lost sometimes and commits too many mistakes in the defensive zone…Maybe he will get better, but he is a huge overpayment. And I don’t buy the motto that he came here just to perform well in the playoffs.
Hamrlik is done. Period.
The jury is still out regarding Vokoun IMO. He’s been bad, but at least his contract is cheap. And we know what he’s capable of if he gets hot. Let’s see what happens.
Beyond that, dumping Fehr and extending Chimera was a great move. Fehr is not playing well for WPG and Chimera is one of the best players on this team.
I don’t think we can judge Hunter yet.
by brazilianbeast on Dec 27, 2011 10:02 AM EST up reply actions
and just to be clear, I agree with your assesment that McPhee must go if the rebuild fails.
But IMO, he should be criticized a lot more for his decisions while building the roster (drafting) in the past than for the decisions he’s made this year.
by brazilianbeast on Dec 27, 2011 10:11 AM EST up reply actions
I don’t think we can really judge GMGM on Vokoun. That fell into his lap and we’d all be mad if GMGM doesn’t take that, just based on the player he’s been.
by hockeyman33 on Dec 27, 2011 11:12 AM EST up reply actions
I’d say very closely. If Hunter fails so does McPhee. I don’t see how he could survive another failure of that magnitude.
I tend to agree, but that’s the easy part. The hard part is defining “failure,” both in terms of what and when.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
The most disappointing thing to me was that BUF still continued to dominate in terms of gold-plated chances last night, even after they went up 4.
The only difference was that they hit the post – what, 4 or 5 times? – instead of the back of the net.
That game was pretty tough to distinguish from a 7- or 8 – 2 destruction.
I’m starting to get the feeling that this is going to be one of those seasons where everything is a struggle and the Caps are going to need to limp into the 7th or 8th seed in the last game or two.
I do think it doesn’t help that Hunter rides his better players so hard.
Patron saint of quality footwear.
The Caps are the very picture of mediocrity at this point.
8-5-2 against Eastern Conference playoff eligibles (lost at least once to every team except Ottawa)
2-3-0 against Western Conference playoff eligibles
7-7-0 against non-playoff eligibles
If you've read this far...seek help.
Luckily for them, the NHL loves and rewards mediocrity.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
But only if you get into overtime.
Reporter: "What’s your Mom’s birthday?"
Tortorella: "I have no idea."
Any league in which more than half of the teams qualify for the post-season rewards mediocrity, by definition.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Since the Caps are currently out of the post-season as of now, then they are somewhat less than mediocre. Sub-mediocre?
Just trying to capture the spirit of the thing...
by dcsportsfan1 on Dec 27, 2011 8:39 AM EST up reply actions
they are good at home, awful on the road. I would say you are correct, sir.
by brazilianbeast on Dec 27, 2011 8:45 AM EST up reply actions
Fair enough. How about “especially if you lose in overtime?”
Reporter: "What’s your Mom’s birthday?"
Tortorella: "I have no idea."
by Wheeler on Dec 27, 2011 9:23 AM EST via Android app up reply actions
Pretty good stuff from BSH:
http://www.broadstreethockey.com/2011/12/26/2661344/espn-forgets-we-will-not
"I couldn't bring myself to cheer for Pittsburgh. But since they won, I may as well use it."
--BB, 2009
by nogoodtrying on Dec 27, 2011 8:51 AM EST reply actions 4 recs
Puck Daddy follow-up.
http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/Disgrace-ESPN-SportsCenter-Year-in-Review-snubs?urn=nhl-wp20822&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
"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."
So Russia won their game 3-0, with no points from Kuznetsov. Grigorenko’s line made most of the offense. I watched most of the last two periods and saw endless end-to-end (to-end-to-end-to-end-to-end) action, very little cycling or D, and some super stellar goaltending from both ’tenders.
The Russian goalie in particular was superb, and Andrei Vasilevski’s draft stock rose quite a bit yesterday. He had a 40-goal shutout.
You perhaps knew me better as "Your Nation's Capital." Same great commentary, now with 100% more transparency!
40 saves, you mean? Heh.
"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."
And as for the team we all love and care about, Team USA was dominant. I didn’t see the third period, but the first two periods were great. Of course, they weren’t facing a real contender so it’s hard to read too much into the game, but I liked what I saw even outside the results. A big, fast team that played aggressively on the puck and was giving the D fits down the wing and in the corners. They need to tighten up some of their D zone coverage, especially around the net, but this looks like a team that will be able to compete with anybody.
Please, call me F&B.
It’s not OK to care about the team that has the one Caps prospect in the tourney on it?
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
I didn’t say that. Just have to add my homer USA take to it.
And I (personally!) don’t care how Russia does. I want Kuz to do well, but if Kuz scores 5 goals and Russia loses 6-5 every game I won’t lose any sleep over it.
Please, call me F&B.
Agreed. I just don’t get too wrapped up in the jingoism that flies around these tournaments. If you want to root for Russia, root for Russia. If you want to root for the U.S., by all means root for Uncle Sam. But this isn’t war – it’s ok to have rooting interests that don’t necessarily align with the nation that issued your passport.
Except for Canada. Screw them.
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by J.P. on Dec 27, 2011 9:29 AM EST up reply actions 3 recs
I root for the sweater (USA), then the pro sweater (Caps). And yes, screw Canada.
"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."
(Except Rather Bengt.)
Please, call me F&B.
by Rob Parker on Dec 27, 2011 9:32 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Exceptions for Caps fans, always.
"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."
If you want to root for Russia, you’re a goddamn traitor and a pinko commie and I’m gonna come over to your house and make you watch every goddamn John Wayne movie ever.
Unleash the Apathy.
by D'ohboy on Dec 27, 2011 4:19 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
I’d rather Russia win than Canada.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
by J.P. on Dec 27, 2011 8:19 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs
I’m a little interested in how Captain Kuznetsov leads his team. I didn’t really notice him on the ice all that much, though he was out on all special teams situations. SUI and RUS each played a pretty clean game so there weren’t many PP opportunities. All the goals were ES.
And speaking of the PP, DEN scored all three of its goals against on the PK. USA may have some work to do.
You perhaps knew me better as "Your Nation's Capital." Same great commentary, now with 100% more transparency!
DEN scored all 3 goals on the powerplay. Gah.
You perhaps knew me better as "Your Nation's Capital." Same great commentary, now with 100% more transparency!
As to the PK, some were speculating/hoping whether the Team USA coaches didn’t want to play their hand as it related to the PK; if not, definitely work to do, yes.
As to the opening games, as usual in the prelim. round, some lopsided games, but a concern for some teams are the injuries already putting some players out of the tournament. Of note, some teams left open slots on their rosters so they could fill based on injury needs.
I thought the PK stuff was a lot of communication type issues. I’m not too worried yet. Sometimes it takes some time for that kind of thing to get sorted out.
Please, call me F&B.
I thought the rules say you can only replace a goalie. Or are you saying that if you haven’t filled all your allowed slots you can add someone?
"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."
Yes, if you don’t fill the entire roster, you can add someone; you can’t replace an injured player if the named roster is maxed out.
Similar to how when the World Championships are played in the Spring, teams leave spots open so they can add NHL players eliminated after the first round of the playoffs.
I read that Sweden (maybe another team, too) has an extra slot, but never looked to confirm.
I watched the game for the same reason—for Kuznetsov, as Captain. And thoroughly enjoyed it because of their goalie who took everyone by surprise with his dominance. Most analysis that I’ve read had the Russians pegged at fourth because of inferior goaltending. Will be interesting to see if he can stay hot.
Knuble: "I am what I am. I play well with good players."
On his milestone: "It's going to be like unwrapping a birthday present. Then the day after you're kind of like [sighs]....Now you just have to keep going."
by capsyoungguns on Dec 27, 2011 9:54 AM EST up reply actions
Talk about calm. He was loose, relaxed, and in perfect position for every shot. But 40 saves was too many. Russia needs to play better D.
You perhaps knew me better as "Your Nation's Capital." Same great commentary, now with 100% more transparency!
Agree. He made some astounding saves but they had some luck too.
Knuble: "I am what I am. I play well with good players."
On his milestone: "It's going to be like unwrapping a birthday present. Then the day after you're kind of like [sighs]....Now you just have to keep going."
by capsyoungguns on Dec 27, 2011 10:04 AM EST up reply actions
Washington now has the eighth and 12th picks in the 2012 entry draft…the Colorado pick is the 12th pick.
If you've read this far...seek help.
In other why-NHL-teams-don’t-lend-their-kids-to-the-WJC news, the Ducks’ Devante Smith-Pelly is done for the tournament and for the next 4-6 weeks with a broken foot after he blocked a shot…
…and AGord got a little more ice time and an assist on the GWG last night.
You perhaps knew me better as "Your Nation's Capital." Same great commentary, now with 100% more transparency!
___
Not to undercut Becca’s fine recap of last night’s game, but those of you who don’t do the Twitter thing might have missed my pictorial recap of the match, so I’ll present it here:
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
by J.P. on Dec 27, 2011 9:26 AM EST reply actions 11 recs
Caught this on your twitter. Got beer in my nose snorting.
Knuble: "I am what I am. I play well with good players."
On his milestone: "It's going to be like unwrapping a birthday present. Then the day after you're kind of like [sighs]....Now you just have to keep going."
by capsyoungguns on Dec 27, 2011 9:47 AM EST up reply actions
Semin on the PK
Played 30 second SH last night. I’m gonna pretend that it means he might play more in the future and that it also means that Knuble will be back on the first line. Don’t wake me.
AO also had :26 of SH time last night.
You perhaps knew me better as "Your Nation's Capital." Same great commentary, now with 100% more transparency!
I noticed AO on the PK last night towards the end of the game when they were down two and killing Perreault’s charging penalty. I think Hunter put his big guns on the ice in the hopes of scoring a shortie.
Reporter: "What’s your Mom’s birthday?"
Tortorella: "I have no idea."
Yep, according to the shift charts linked in the recap, on the last penalty Laich and Halpern came out first, but then it was Semin with Backstrom, Ovi with MarJo, and Laich again with Chimmer. Clearly looking for a goal (or two).
by Twenty Seven Ninety on Dec 27, 2011 10:29 AM EST up reply actions
if you’re thinking about hockey on New Year’s Eve, this game looks like it will be loads of fun:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGxvB0vsR9M
You perhaps knew me better as "Your Nation's Capital." Same great commentary, now with 100% more transparency!
EPIC.
"I couldn't bring myself to cheer for Pittsburgh. But since they won, I may as well use it."
--BB, 2009
by nogoodtrying on Dec 27, 2011 9:58 AM EST up reply actions
Cute. But USA/Canada is NYE television once again this year.
"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."
Some plan to watch the ECHL on NYE, others Team USA Juniors. Anyone watching these guys?
"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
Not saying it’s time to have a full-on firesale just yet, but if this team hasn’t progressed by the time the trading deadline rolls around, don’t you have to consider moving all of the “non-core” assets? The Caps can still keep 8, 19, 21 Carlzner and Orlov but make everyone else available for prospects, picks and the like.
It would leave them with a stripped down core that they could rebuild around rather quickly if they play their cards right. I’m warming up to the idea.
Bingo. Shuffle the deck chairs all your want, if the boat itself ain’t sound structurally, it won’t matter much.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Well, what’s the core? Because if it’s Ovechkin and Backstrom this team is in trouble that it will not recover from.
It’s a boat of cards, baby. A boat of cards.
What do you think is happening to the team? ... The ship be sinking.
How far can it sink? ... Sky's the limit.
by Rainbow, Kitty, Beer on Dec 27, 2011 12:42 PM EST up reply actions
I’d say the main concern is too many poorly fitting players for Dale’s system, esp. on D. That’s where I see George making some moves to improve things in the short term.
Cross check and all call.
by bigonetimer on Dec 27, 2011 10:31 AM EST up reply actions
It’d be real tough to fix things that way. Much easier? Tweaking the system to fit the players.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
I agree to a point—a good coach will make his system fit with what he has in place, but half the D on this team—55, 4, 44 and 6—noticeably struggle with M2M coverage. I could see George moving 55, for example for another Dman who is fleeter afoot.
Cross check and all call.
by bigonetimer on Dec 27, 2011 10:35 AM EST up reply actions
That could happen. But one bottom-half D isn’t going to turn this around. DH clearly thinks highly of 6. 44 is on a big contract and has looked better (prior to the first ten seconds last night). They like 4’s truculence.
The biggest “acquisition” they could make is 52 getting healthy. Otherwise, not much is going to change.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
52 staying healthy would really help, too.
"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."
That it would. It’ll be interesting to see how he adjusts to Dale’s system and M2M coverage.
Cross check and all call.
by bigonetimer on Dec 27, 2011 10:50 AM EST up reply actions
I’m not sure I’m worried about that on it’s own. I love watching him skate. I was rummaging through some stuff yesterday and came across a disc with game 82 from April 2008. While I was throughly enjoying that happy day, I began to wonder if there’s something about his skating style that makes him so susceptible to hits that cause injuries. He’s certainly not slight of build, so that’s not the issue (no fat jokes, please, that’s got nothing to do with what I’m referring to).
"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."
We’re basically talking about Ovechkin then, right? There don’t seem to be any red flags with the rest I mentioned.
Yup. I’m not sure I’d have Orlov in my core yet but if you are trying to rebuild quick you don’t move him unless it’s for a huge bounty. I have no concerns with Alzner or Backstrom, and just low-to-moderate concerns with Carlson.
Please, call me F&B.
The Rangers are finding a way to make it work with Gaborik. If Ovie wants to freelance or loaf around in the D zone from time-to-time, it shouldn’t be this franchise-killing problem.
Ovie is scoring lately and the team still looks flat. Except for that one time in the third period against the Devils and that time against Nashville.
He’s scoring a bit more, yes. Enough that’s he’s now on what? . . . a 35-goal pace?
35-goal per season wingers who play terrible defense aren’t worth $9m/year.
I’ve seen AO flub too many curl-and-drags and shank too many one-timers to think he’s out of the woods yet.
I wonder if the team has ever thought to check his vision?
Unleash the Apathy.
I don’t think you’ll get much argument that Ovie is living up to his deal or even coming close. That’s likely going to be a bad contract for a long time.
My thing is, it seems like Ovie and Sasha are the only ones that we can pinpoint as “not fitting into the system” but someone like Gaborik can fit into a disciplined system well enough that the rest of the team doesn’t look like shit.
Yeah Ovie should round out his game, but the rest of the team should sack up and do their jobs. His coasting on D shouldn’t lead to team-wide mental breakdowns.
I don’t know about that. Ovi is the only one who seems to be sliding down the mountain, but it’s not like the others are really climbing either. They all seem to be lacking something upstairs that they really haven’t been taught.
You tried your best and failed miserably. The lesson is "Never Try."
Really? Like who? Backstrom leads the league in assists and is one of the team’s top goal scorers—right where he should be. Chimera is greatly performing above his potential. Laich is about where he normally is, maybe slightly above. Semin is a disappointment, but that’s not a big surprise. So other than Ovi and Semin, who else is sliding?
"I couldn't bring myself to cheer for Pittsburgh. But since they won, I may as well use it."
--BB, 2009
by nogoodtrying on Dec 27, 2011 10:51 AM EST up reply actions
*one of the league leaders in assists
"I couldn't bring myself to cheer for Pittsburgh. But since they won, I may as well use it."
--BB, 2009
by nogoodtrying on Dec 27, 2011 10:51 AM EST up reply actions
Backstrom I’m the least worried about, but I’m referring to their mental toughness/leadership/give a fuck level/what have you. They just seem to be missing something (not skill-wise) from even a couple of years ago.
You tried your best and failed miserably. The lesson is "Never Try."
Agreed...
"I couldn't bring myself to cheer for Pittsburgh. But since they won, I may as well use it."
--BB, 2009
by nogoodtrying on Dec 27, 2011 11:01 AM EST up reply actions
They traded Gretzky…
"I couldn't bring myself to cheer for Pittsburgh. But since they won, I may as well use it."
--BB, 2009
And have been rebuilding ever since. :/
You perhaps knew me better as "Your Nation's Capital." Same great commentary, now with 100% more transparency!
by EmilyB on Dec 27, 2011 10:37 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Not really. They won the Cup the very next year. And again in 1990. The rebuild started quite a few years after Gretzky was gone.
My comment was really more of an “anything can happen” kinda thing, anyway.
"I couldn't bring myself to cheer for Pittsburgh. But since they won, I may as well use it."
--BB, 2009
by nogoodtrying on Dec 27, 2011 10:46 AM EST up reply actions
Sorry, had a bandwagon fan moment. Hockey didn’t exist until 2005, remember?
You perhaps knew me better as "Your Nation's Capital." Same great commentary, now with 100% more transparency!
Haha of course!
"I couldn't bring myself to cheer for Pittsburgh. But since they won, I may as well use it."
--BB, 2009
by nogoodtrying on Dec 27, 2011 10:55 AM EST up reply actions
The only Cup won in Edmonton without Gretzky was 1990.
Gretzky was on the ’88 winning team; he won the Conn Smythe.
Word, thanks!
"I couldn't bring myself to cheer for Pittsburgh. But since they won, I may as well use it."
--BB, 2009
by nogoodtrying on Dec 27, 2011 10:58 AM EST up reply actions
Well, they had four cups in their pocket. If the Caps were to win 4 Cups, they could send Ovi to Hershey for all I care.
Gretz was traded for non-performance reasons.
Just trying to capture the spirit of the thing...
by dcsportsfan1 on Dec 27, 2011 10:38 AM EST up reply actions
I think Hendricks scored first, so Ward caught up to him. ;)
"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."
And both have more goals than Scott Gomez.
You perhaps knew me better as "Your Nation's Capital." Same great commentary, now with 100% more transparency!
Ouch! And how much does Scott Gomez make — besides too much?
Rocking the Red for teams on the banks of the Potomac and at the Gateway Arch and Singing the Blues about Hockey.
Most unfortunate jersey I’ve bought to date. Hendricks that is. Hopefully, he’ll prove me wrong.
"I couldn't bring myself to cheer for Pittsburgh. But since they won, I may as well use it."
--BB, 2009
by nogoodtrying on Dec 27, 2011 10:48 AM EST up reply actions
Man, the Caps were bad on line changes last night. At least three times I had that “you gotta be kidding me, you can’t change now” thought. All three times led to an unimpeded zone entry and a great chance. I think only one ended up in the net. A second ended up with a puck off the post and another required a tough save.
That has to be a brain cramp, right?
Patron saint of quality footwear.
One of the first things Brooks Laich said about the difference in playing under Hunter vs. Boudreau is, "They have a little bit different styles of coaching especially yesterday when we were matching lines we really had to be sharp on the bench. It’s something we’ll get used".
So yeah – bad line changes and too many men are unsurprising when the group isn’t particularly sharp.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
It is possible that we’ve got a group of very talented players with a dearth of hockey sense.
Nice guys finish first, but sometimes the season is awfully long.
Follow me on Twitter.
I don’t know that it’s hockey sense as much as focus. Maybe it’s a distinction without a difference. But so much in Hunter’s system is predicated on focus, and the slightest lapse can lead to total exposure. It just doesn’t seem that there’s much margin for error.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Three of the goals last night are cases in point.
First goal: line change when BUF had possession and control within 10 feet of the blue line, which led to an odd man.
Second goal: scrambled faceoff, three Caps watch while Ellis walks to the slot and uncorks a shot (although that save has got to be made, so bad on Neuvy, too). The inside D simply has to tie up a stick there or take the body, and the low F has to do the same.
Fourth goal: lost puck battle, two or three guys watch while someone (Roy?) walks into the slot and drops the puck to McNabb in prime real estate for an unimpeded shot.
I’m also starting to think Hunter’s system resembles Steve Spurrier’s: it works like a charm when you have the 5 most talented guys on the ice at any one time. But that’s just a guess and some sour grapes.
I do know the Caps can’t win while they give up chances like they did last night. And the goalies just have to be better.
Patron saint of quality footwear.
Probably worse on the road as they have to match lines on the fly. It’s also probably difficult because I’m sure this is the first time in their hockey lives they’ve been asked to change lines quickly…
Just trying to capture the spirit of the thing...
by dcsportsfan1 on Dec 27, 2011 11:02 AM EST up reply actions
I’d buy that comment a lot more if they hadn’t been a shit show on line changes under BB. Whether it’s TMM or ridiculous changes in OT, they’ve had their issues since before we were even talking about a new coach.
Please, call me F&B.
Very true. But just because they had trouble under BB doesn’t mean that the increased responsibilities don’t add to their difficulties there, does it?
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
No, it doesn’t. Just makes me wonder how much of it really is the system and how much of it is the attention/focus of the guys on the bench. I guess it’s an empirical question, so we’d have to look at how many line change failures they’ve had. TMM can be counted, not sure about plain old bad changes though.
Please, call me F&B.
TMM is sketchy, since it’s relatively infrequent and inconsistently called.
Even if you could count how many bad line changes they make, you’d need to have similar data from other teams to make any sort of analytical statement regarding the Caps’ changes. Lots of teams fuck up changes more than you’d think they should.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
If you are comparing them to the league-wide boners, yes. But if you just want to see if they got worse under Hunter than they were under BB then I don’t think you’d need the full league numbers.
Please, call me F&B.
Well that’s true. I guess we could look at whether the boners were bigger and/or more frequent under Boudreau. But that would require a lot of time spent looking at boners and, frankly, I’m not all that interested in it.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Interesting reading from you all this morning. Many folks that I’ve come to respect already talking draft picks, late season trades, coaching hiring mistakes, GM firing. The most sane comment so far, IMO, is from F&B who wrote:
I’ll believe this team won’t make the playoffs when they are mathematically eliminated or 20 points out in March.
That’s where I am. We’re aren’t in June, we’re in late December. We aren’t eliminated from the playoffs. We’re three points from 8th and 7 points from 1st in the SE, with two games in hand. This season has a long way to go. Because it’s late December and because you’ve already changed coaches, there is very little you can do. Even a trade will swap out probably no more than 3 players. You don’t have a bevy of players to call up from Hershey that are better than what we have. The primary addition is an unfortunately fragile defenseman with an injury curse, and I don’t mean Tom Poti.
You have, IMO, talent at all positions. Yes, you might be weak at 5/6 D, but, frankly, most teams are. You have two goalies that have shown brilliance in their past and have shown nothing to me that it’s permanently gone. The popular memes appear to be:
- It’s Ovechkin’s fault. – not a leader, same old moves, no heart, doesn’t play defense.
- It’s Semin’s fault — plays only when he wants. Takes dumb penalties, yadda, yadda, yadda.
- The team can’t play in Hunter’s new system. Not built for that.
- The lines are all wrong. Why isn’t 22 playing on the top line?
- Hamr is done, and it’s all his fault. Heck, Sean Collins would be better. (Ok – no one suggested 62 would be better than 44, yet.)
- Ward isn’t living up to expectations.
In the end, I think the entire problem with this team is above the shoulder pads. I think there is adjustment to Hunter, but I’m not convinced after 12 games that he is the problem. Firing the GM mid-season makes zero sense. My belief is that this team is underachieving for mental reasons. They are better than what we’re seeing, and that’s why we’re all upset.
If I were coach, I’d forego practice today for something entirely different. I’d take them to do something non-hockey. I would try to get them to relax, to have fun. My guess is that they are feeling the pressure.
My tune will change if they don’t make the playoffs. My tune will change at the trade deadline if they are out of contention. However, those times are different from mid-season December. Right now, I just don’t believe there is much that can be done with the make-up of the team. We have no choice but to see if they can play their way out of this funk.
Nice guys finish first, but sometimes the season is awfully long.
Follow me on Twitter.
by STLSpidey on Dec 27, 2011 10:55 AM EST reply actions 21 recs
I needed to be talked down off the ledge. Thanks for that. Seeing the boys lose like that time and time again, though. It’s morale breaking for both players and fans alike.
"I couldn't bring myself to cheer for Pittsburgh. But since they won, I may as well use it."
--BB, 2009
by nogoodtrying on Dec 27, 2011 10:59 AM EST up reply actions
Thanks for the rationality.
Knuble: "I am what I am. I play well with good players."
On his milestone: "It's going to be like unwrapping a birthday present. Then the day after you're kind of like [sighs]....Now you just have to keep going."
by capsyoungguns on Dec 27, 2011 11:23 AM EST up reply actions
Spidey, how long do you think this organization should wait for the core to just “figure it out”?
At some point, the young guns must be held accountable for their acts. This is not a slump. The guys lack confidence? Yes. But not only that, they lack other things too. They don’t have chemistry, they don’t have toughness, they don’t even fight for each other on the ice. Yesterday nobody even fought the guy that ran over our goalie. Our superstar got smashed on the boards and nobody answered or tried to at least intimidate the other guy.
I’m not saying you are wrong in your thoughts, but at some point you’ve got to make some big changes if they fail again. This roster was built to win now.
I’m really done with this passive approach.
And btw, I disagree with your assessment about the defense. If you analyze the eastern contenders’ defenses, you will see a big difference in quality comparing to ours. It’s not close. And with the caps offensive talent struggling as it is right now, it makes us look like an average team at best.
by brazilianbeast on Dec 27, 2011 12:04 PM EST up reply actions
As I wrote, I don’t think you can or should make decisions about the core right now. Those decisions come at the end of the season. You need to give the coach time, and you have the talent. I’m not ready to draw the conclusions you have about chemistry, toughness or camaraderie.
As for decision about the core – I assume you’re considering 8, 19, 27, 74, 30, 21, 90, 81 or something like that to be the core? Yeah – I don’t think you blow that up, period. You build around that. And you’ve got Kuznetsov coming next year, I hope.
And your comment on the defense? Where is the big difference in quality?
- NYR – Del Zotto, McDonagh, Girardi, Woywitka, Stralman – with Staal hurt?
- BOS – Chara, Corvo, Ference, Seidenberg, Boychuk?
- FLA – Campbell, Kulikov, Garrison, Weaver, Jovanovski?
- PHI — Timmonen, Carle, Meszaros, Coburn, Lilja – with Pronger hurt?
- WAS — Alzner, Carlson, Wideman, Orlov, Erskine – with Green hurt?
I don’t see that “big difference.”
Nice guys finish first, but sometimes the season is awfully long.
Follow me on Twitter.
by STLSpidey on Dec 27, 2011 12:36 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
I agree with you about waiting for the end of the season to make the big decisions, that’s why I don’t think it’s fair to make any judgements about Hunter’s job right now too.
But about the defenses, yes, I see a big difference. Florida is not in the elite group IMO. I was reffering to NYR, BOS, PHI and PIT.
Carlson, Alzner, Green and Erskine are ok in my books. Hamrlik, Wideman and Schultz not. Orlov should be ok going forward, but I don’t think you can put a lot of pressure on him right now, he’s still learning.
NYR, PHI, PIT and BOS have a more balanced group, with good puck movers and better defensive defenseman than us. They also have grit, wich outside Erskine, we really don’t, and that’s very useful come playoff time.
IMO, the Caps still need a big body that could play beside Green and handle big minutes. Guys are running over him too often without any response from us. Erskine can’t be that guy.
Schultz, Wideman and Hamrlik are all liabilities. Wideman is small and offers too much opportunities when he’s on the ice. Schultz is not only a slow skater, but he can’t react at the same speed as the offensive players develop the plays around him. Hamrlik has past his prime. I thought he would be useful as a 5th guy, but he isn’t.
by brazilianbeast on Dec 27, 2011 1:33 PM EST up reply actions
Always hope for the best, but waiting to see positive results is painful.
"One of the most difficult things everyone has to learn is that for your entire life you must keep fighting and adjusting if you hope to survive." -George Allen
by caps&skins on Dec 27, 2011 1:36 PM EST via Android app up reply actions
We’re aren’t in June, we’re in late December.
I hate to piss on the Optimism Parade, but you said similar things when this team came out of the gate with four unsatisfying wins. You said the same thing after a couple weeks of Hunter’s regime. Everyone always says, “well, it’s only (X) month…” Patterns are patterns – it doesn’t matter what month they occur in if the never seem to go away.
It’s very nearly January. The season is close to halfway over. The team has been the victim of some unsustainable bad luck, but they’re also displaying some truly disconcerting tendencies (lack of focus/effort being the primary one) that have been around for several years. In the past, this team papered over its deficiencies with offensive talent. That talent well is dried up. GMGM rolled the dice that a coaching change would snap some guys out of their funk. Well guess what? It doesn’t look like a funk. It looks like they just might not be very good anymore.
I’m not ready to write this season off just yet. The team could respond to Hunter’s coaching and mesh with his system. The power play could wake up. The goalies could play like league-average goalies.
Right now though, the biggest issue with this team is that its best players aren’t playing like its best players and what’s really frightening is that it looks as though its best players might just not be very good anymore.
Unleash the Apathy.
by D'ohboy on Dec 27, 2011 4:35 PM EST up reply actions 5 recs
Ups and Downs are up… and down.
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SkyKerstein Sky Kerstein
#Caps Green is on the ice for practice
Not before practice. For practice.
I don’t care if he doesn’t play in a game yet, this is a significant development. Let’s see if he lasts the entire session.
"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."
And lines as follows:
8-19-28, 90-15-20, 25-21-42, 26-85-22-83
Good to see meat and potatoes back together.
Nice guys finish first, but sometimes the season is awfully long.
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Not so good to see the anti-M&P trio together…
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by J.P. on Dec 27, 2011 11:06 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
I was going to comment on that, but I’m really at a loss right now. I think 8-19 should be together and I’d like to see 22 or 20 there. If neither of them fit for DH32, then I would support 25 as a foil.
Nice guys finish first, but sometimes the season is awfully long.
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Vodka and Caviar?
Just trying to capture the spirit of the thing...
by dcsportsfan1 on Dec 27, 2011 11:58 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
From @Ted Starkey – more for those on the precipice of giving up this season.
A little perspective this morning: last year on Dec. 26th, eventual SC Boston was 8th in East. Two years ago, Flyers were 13th.
Nice guys finish first, but sometimes the season is awfully long.
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by STLSpidey on Dec 27, 2011 11:14 AM EST reply actions 2 recs
A little perspective this morning: last year on Dec. 26th, eventual SC Boston was 8th in East.
They were also 18-11-4 with a goal-differential of +24, two points out of their Division lead with three games in hand.
Philly’s a decent analog, though – 17-18-2, -4 goal differential…
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Come to think of it, didn’t the Flyers finish 7th in the conference and have a ridiculous run, made possible by the overachieving 8th seeded Canadiens, who knocked out the Caps and Pens?
Nice guys finish first, but sometimes the season is awfully long.
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Indeed they did. So the Caps need the 7-slot and for someone else to David-vs-Goliath the B’s and Flyers/Pens.
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You know what? I don’t care what it takes. Any scenario works for me.
Maybe a hot Jacob Markstrom comes in to backstop the Cats to an EC matchup against the Caps. And, despite a valiant effort from Tomas Fleischmann, the Caps prevail in six.
Nice guys finish first, but sometimes the season is awfully long.
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by STLSpidey on Dec 27, 2011 11:33 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Good perspective. Thanks for the post. I recall Philly’s lousy start from 2 years ago and the fact they barely squeaked into the playoffs.
I was not aware that Boston was only 8th seed on Dec 26 last year. To be sure, Boston was certainly underachieving in the wins department. The main thing I remember for last year is that both the NJ Devils and Buffalo had gotten off to horrendous starts. The Devils, in fact, were looking about as bad as Columbus has looked this year. They also were having injury issues (Parise) and cap space issues as well. Buffalo was looking mighty bad but not as bad as the Devils. But Buffalo made a strong run at the end of the year (but could not advance past Philly since Miller wasn’t playing well consistently since his concussion). NJ did well at the end of the season but, in the end, could not overcome their horrendous start. I think the Caps are off to a better start than those two teams were last year.
That being said, their bad start is still troubling.
Rocking the Red for teams on the banks of the Potomac and at the Gateway Arch and Singing the Blues about Hockey.
More fodder for being anti-loser point. From Puck Daddy, Caps would be in 6th place, not 11th, the largest differential in the east. Funny how I didn’t think the Caps would benefit that much. Biggest beneficiary in the east today – New Jersey. Biggest beneficiary overall – San Jose.
"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."
I hate, hate, hate applying different scoring systems to current standings. Teams play games based on the incentives that exist – changing those post hoc is worthless, IMO.
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I understand, and it doesn’t change anything. Just that so many people seem to be campaigning for changes in the points scoring, and you can come up with different methods to do so. My feeling goes to the side of if you’re going to give a point for getting to OT, then the 3-2-1 system makes the most sense. And I’ve seen various analyses that show it wouldn’t have made that much difference in the standings. But it makes a three point game a real three points.
"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."
Yeah, I’ve been over this a gazillion times. My biggest beef is that not all games result in the same number of standings points, be it two or three. Fix that and everything else is gravy.
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Whyno just tweeted that Green is working on the PP in practice. Sounds like his recovery is going well.
Failure is always an option.
Saw that. Hard to believe he could be ready to go tomorrow.
"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’s the rush? Let’s give him a week or so more, no problem, nice to see him back practicing though.
No, that’s what I meant. It would be difficult to believe.
"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."
He said he wouldn’t play, barring a “minor miracle.”
Here’s hoping for “minor miracles.”
Nice guys finish first, but sometimes the season is awfully long.
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Not to inject theology into the mix, but if the lord decides he’s going to make Mike Green’s groin work, it won’t be a “minor” miracle.
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Tonight is the last night of Hanukkah. Could be a sign of miracles?
Nice guys finish first, but sometimes the season is awfully long.
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“His groin was only expected to hold up for one shift, but instead, he skated eight before it popped again!”
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by J.P. on Dec 27, 2011 12:44 PM EST up reply actions 3 recs
Yeah. Don’t like that analogy.
"His groin was only expected to hold up for one shift year, but instead, he skated eight before it popped again!"
That’s better.
Nice guys finish first, but sometimes the season is awfully long.
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Right religion, wrong holiday.
Nice guys finish first, but sometimes the season is awfully long.
Follow me on Twitter.
Yeah, I know. Just reflecting that we need a Passover-sized miracle to get 52 whole, healthy and back on the ice.
Patron saint of quality footwear.
Matzo Ball Soup has been known to work wonders.
Nice guys finish first, but sometimes the season is awfully long.
Follow me on Twitter.
So I was just able to watch the first two episodes of 24/7, and aside from my general thoughts on the show itself (so well done), and the teams themselves (dare I say I’m growing to hate them a little less?), one comment from Laviolette in Episode 1 struck me – especially after the non-showing of last night’s first period.
I can’t find the clip on Youtube anymore, so someone who’s got it on DVR might be able to transcribe the actual quote. But the gist was – “It doesn’t matter how much skill you have, if you lack the passion for the game, you’re not going to be successful.”
The boys came out last night looking like they were bored and tired of playing hockey. I was shocked at how fast and sharp the Sabres looked in comparison. I don’t know how to fix it, but somehow these guys need to rediscover their love for the game, and bring that passion to the ice come game time.
"Neuvy was eating pucks for breakfast, lunch, and dinner."
by SeattleCapsFan on Dec 27, 2011 11:57 AM EST reply actions 4 recs
kcarrera Katie Carrera
Mike Green on the groin strain: “I think I’m going to have to be cognizant of this for the rest of my career, probably.” #Caps
Obviously, he’s seeing Tom Poti in the rear-view mirror. Yikes.
"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."
Also, file that under “Things that make an agent of a FA-to-be facepalm.”
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Coach, too, methinks.
Opposing coach pre-game: “Make sure you hit Green in his right groin. Take him right out of the game.”
"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."
Eh, groins aren’t really that kind of injury. Being “cognizant” of a delicate groin is more about making sure it’s properly warmed up, stretched, limber, etc. Not like a re-built knee or shoulder that opponents can target.
"Neuvy was eating pucks for breakfast, lunch, and dinner."
by SeattleCapsFan on Dec 27, 2011 1:55 PM EST up reply actions
And say what you want about “The Code” in hockey, there’s a greater governing code here that binds all men.
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I’d buy that, except that the injury occurred on an unpenalized hit. It wasn’t from him hitting a rut in the ice.
"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."
worse, it looked like a deliberate attempt to injure
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Really? If anything, it looked like maybe the knee was targeted. I don’t think any man targets another man’s bait and tackle in that situation.
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I should have been more specific. It looked like Green knee was deliberately targeted, and they way Green shifted caused Carter to drive his knee into Green’s groin.
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Carter’s knee definitely came up into Green’s groin area (not the block-and-tackle, but near enough) and his foot was definitely off the ice at the time of the hit. People (including the referees, it seems) are hung up on “kneeing” being called only when it is a knee-on-knee hit; however, that is NOT the way the rule is worded.
50.1 Kneeing – Kneeing is the act of a player leading with his knee and in some cases extending his leg outwards to make contact with his opponent.
The rule says nothing of where the contact is to be made. That didn’t look accidental to me; it looked like Carter was trying to hit him with his knee. Kneeing – the act of leading with the knee – should be called for what it is, and on several replays, that was kneeing.
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Now, that I agree with. It was mostly likely 100% accidental, but so are a ton of concussions. I stand by my point of coaches telling players to target Green, but then how is that any different from before his injury?
"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."
Exactly. He always has been and will be a target for physical play.
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I’m not saying that getting hit won’t cause a groin injury, but the injury would come from a weird twist or pull that results from the hit, not the contact itself. In regards to the kind of groin injury Green has (and is worried about getting again), you can’t target for that injury specifically they way you can aim for the knee or shoulder or (god forbid) the head.
Coaches may say “He’s got a weak groin, play him hard and take him out of the game”. But really how is that type of Green-targeting different from what they’ve done in the past?
"Neuvy was eating pucks for breakfast, lunch, and dinner."
by SeattleCapsFan on Dec 27, 2011 2:15 PM EST up reply actions
(On the plus side… “cognizant”? Didn’t expect to see MG52 dropping that one in casual conversation.)
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Probably thinks it’s a 5-dollar word for “have a stripper massage it every night”.
Patron saint of quality footwear.
My guess is the doctor dropped it on him.
“Now, Mike, you’re going to have to be cognizant of this injury and take care to stretch well, etc.”
“I’m gonna have to be what?”
“Cognizant.”
“Um… yeah, ok.”
“You do know what that means, right?”
“Uh… sure. Doesn’t everyone?”
“You don’t, do you?”
“No.”
“It means mindful.”
“Little more help, doc…”
“Aware?”
“Gotcha.”
“Go get ’em, tiger.”
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by J.P. on Dec 27, 2011 1:12 PM EST up reply actions 6 recs
“Uh Mike, let me try and clarify. Remeber how much attention you paid to making sure your bitchin’ batchelor pad was painted the right color so that it would look super sweet on that stupid video?”
“Yeah, I really focused on making sure it was just the right shade of red so the girls got disoriented and couldn’t find the door. It also really matched my eyes.”
“Yeah, well if you were to pay 90% of the attention to your groin as you did to decorating your condo, that would be considered being cognizant.”
“Mmmkay”
Just trying to capture the spirit of the thing...
by dcsportsfan1 on Dec 27, 2011 2:13 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs
Locker let him borrow the word-of-the-day calendar
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I tweaked my groin at 16 and if I am not careful to stretch properly before any sort of activity I will have issues. So I don’t take that as a horrible thing so much as a “he’s aware of it and knows to take care of himself moving forward” thing.
by Beakers Lab on Dec 27, 2011 12:59 PM EST up reply actions
Since November 11 Cam Ward has as many goals as Marcus Johansson, Joel Ward (no relation) and Mike Knuble combined.
I just threw up in my mouth.
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Tell me about it. I have both Mojo and JWard on my fantasy team.
Nice guys finish first, but sometimes the season is awfully long.
Follow me on Twitter.
uhhh, I feel for ya.
I had Ovie during the slump.
by brazilianbeast on Dec 27, 2011 2:01 PM EST up reply actions
February, 2010 through present?
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by J.P. on Dec 27, 2011 2:02 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
hahaha…not so much. Just that period of games after the 7-0-0 start this year.
2010 I had Corey Perry!
by brazilianbeast on Dec 27, 2011 2:10 PM EST up reply actions
Small sample size. It’s only a month and a half and Cam Ward’s shooting percentage over that time frame is unsustainable. All is well.
by Kolzilla on Dec 27, 2011 2:24 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
geez the hits keep coming
The Nashville Predators will be without star defenseman and team captain Shea Weber indefinitely after the club announced Tuesday he has a concussion.
Weber, Gagne and Liles all announced with concussions (or concussion-like symptoms) today.
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Gagne has a significant history of them, hasn’t he?
"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."
just watched the hit on Weber, that’s a forearm/elbow he took
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Vi4r4PQFwC4
I’m not willing to make a judgement regarding whether or not that should have been suspended without seeing a better view.
Once you take the fisting element out, it's not romantic anymore.
by Steckel Me Elmo on Dec 27, 2011 3:52 PM EST up reply actions
any word if there’s a hearing? Not that I can tell much from that video
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okay, question answered, thanks!
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@Adam_KOL
Mike Green has played in just eight more regular season games than Sidney Crosby since the start of the 2010-11 season.
You perhaps knew me better as "Your Nation's Capital." Same great commentary, now with 100% more transparency!
Most important difference, perhaps, being that Green was ready to go for Game 1 of the playoffs.
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and Green’s not having a recurrence of concussion symptoms. so at least he has that going for him. I guess.
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Yeah, though for on-ice purposes only, I’m not sure that Green’s injury isn’t going to be as persistent/nagging/whatever or force him to miss fewer games.
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And that Green’s absence has not generated anywhere near the same amount of press coverage as Crosby’s…
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Of course, that’s why Crosby’s a center and Green’s a winger.
Geeks of All Nations, Compile!
by AMusingFool on Dec 27, 2011 4:22 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
I said “important” difference.
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by J.P. on Dec 27, 2011 2:51 PM EST up reply actions 3 recs
Yes, because only differences YOU think are important are important, right?
I have long been critical of the NHL media’s complete lack of attention to the injuries of players not named Sidney Crosby. Last season, I listed some twenty players also out with concussion, many of whom had been out longer than Crosby, and some of whom I had heard only that he was out, and nothing more. Whether a player is “as good as” someone else or not (and that is open to debate, given they do not play the same position) should be irrelevant if the NHL is serious about concussions. Granted, Greenie’s injury this year has been “a different soreness,” but he missed a number of games due to concussion last year, and I will argue that his absence to the Caps HAS been more important than Crosby’s absence to the Penguins. Why shouldn’t he be covered?
Why shouldn’t Marc Savard?
Why shouldn’t Chris Pronger?
How about Kris Letang?
To be fair, the media has been quiet this time around, and for that I’m grateful.
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I don’t think this is just an NHL thing. Every league has it’s stars and those stars get the preponderance of the media attention because they are stars. Perhaps not fair to you, but that’s the way sports leagues are and will likely always be.
Perhaps it’s worse in the NHL, given that it’s not on par with the NFL, MLB and NBA in terms of media saturation and fan penetration. Sidney Crosby, and Alex Ovechkin for that matter, are the most noteworthly players to those folks who don’t follow the NHL as closely as hockey fans. Therefore when Sid or Ovi do something or get hurt, etc, it will be news. Bigger news than if Kris Letang goes down.
I don’t think anyone is saying that Green going down isn’t as important to the Caps as Crosby is to the Pens. But you just aren’t going to get the same coverage of Mike Green, all-star defenseman/two time Norris finalist, as you are of Sidney Crosby, best player in the world/Cup winner/Gold medal game winner/Canadian hero. You just aren’t.
Just trying to capture the spirit of the thing...
by dcsportsfan1 on Dec 27, 2011 4:36 PM EST up reply actions
Yes, because only differences YOU think are important are important, right?
Jesus, where’d that come from? I was snarkily implying that media coverage is irrelevant in the grand scheme of things – didn’t mean to upset you.
But yeah, just go on carrying that double-barreled persecution/inferiority complex around with you – it’s what people find most charming about Caps fans.
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by J.P. on Dec 27, 2011 8:22 PM EST up reply actions 3 recs
I was going to accept the apology, until the second paragraph.
There’s a reason apart from not being able to log in very often from work that I hadn’t been posting regularly on here, and that is that I feel that I can’t say anything without feeling marginalized. If that’s a double-barreled persecution/inferiority complex, so be it. It’s my opinion, and I’m sticking to it. :-p
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beyond the initial “OMG! Crosby is sitting out!” at the beginning of December, the hockey media has been pretty quiet this time around. He’s been out nearly a month (has he been practicing?)
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There’s also the question of whether he was held out until the start of the playoffs due to cap issues preventing him from being activated rather than due to health reasons.
Right, so that 8 game differential quite possibly undercounts the games Green could have played… but then again, it’s highly likely Sid could have played before he did this season, too.
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Happy thought from the land of make believe (also known as “small-sample size island”):
The Captain has put up a point in 4 out of the last 5 games (3-1-4), with 24 SOG. That works out to about a 50 goal, 400 SOG season. Woo-Hoo!
Seriously though, maybe he’s finding his scoring back?
"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
Even if Cheese starts I think you’ve got a decent goalie back there. I’d be interested in Paquette, curious about Oreskovic, and I’d be semi-excited to see Stevenson.
"Don't mind WM...he's an all-around jerk."
Random former NHL player updates:
So reports are John Madden could end up with the Florida Panthers…been updates throughout the season that he is still skating and interested in playing.
And just read an article about circles, no not about a return to the NHL, but where he will play in the spring and rumors. link (easy to read if use google translate)
If they do sign Madden, I hope they put him on the same line as Pat Summerall. Those two had great teamwork and were a joy to watch.
by Rather Bengt on Dec 27, 2011 4:46 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs
McCreary is Right
If the crease were an alligator pit the skaters would stop on a dime rather than “unavoidably” running the goalie. Unfortunately the chances of getting goaltender interference called consistently is about as great as having officials call “diving” consistently. In the latter case the NHL is getting to resemble Serie A more every year.
Don't put your beer in the microwave, eh. It'll boil.- Bob McKenzie
If the crease were an alligator pit the skaters would stop on a dime rather than "unavoidably" running the goalie.
Or they’d grab a vine and swing over…
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by J.P. on Dec 28, 2011 6:44 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
I loved that game..
What doesnt kill you makes you stronger.
by BetterOffWith28 on Dec 28, 2011 6:40 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Even if they couldn’t stop I don’t think that is a good enough reason to plow the goalie. Skaters know where the crease is, it is their responsibility to not charge the crease in such a manner that they can’t stop themselves from going through the goalie.
Release the Mackan!
by Killer_Carlson on Dec 28, 2011 6:15 PM EST up reply actions
No game day thread?
What doesnt kill you makes you stronger.
by BetterOffWith28 on Dec 28, 2011 6:39 PM EST via mobile reply actions
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![Via Traktor Chelyabinsk's website, here's Evgeny Kuznetsov graciously accepting a handmade hat from some of his fans.
The Traktor fans were aware of the NA tradition of the hat trick,and in honor of his strong performance at World Juniors, they made him one of his very own:
"It is known that the ocean [overseas leagues - ed.] has a tradition: after the execution of a hat-trick fans throw on the ice caps. Hat-trick in a literal translation - "hat trick". Kuznetsov played in the World Cup just two such trick: in the group stage, he scored 3 goals in the gate the Latvian team, and in the semi-finals three times, struck the gate of Canada. These two points are noted."
More awesome pix at the link.](http://cdn3.sbnation.com/fan_shot_images/235874/kuzya20130112_small.jpg)
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