Monday Caps Clips: Caps @ Coyotes Game Day
by J.P. on Feb 14, 2011 6:49 AM EST
in Caps Clips
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PrintYour savory breakfast links:
- Previews of tonight's with game against Phoenix from Vogs, NHL.com (Compton), WaPo (Carrera), Peerless, SB Nation DC, RtR and WC2010, and be sure to check out our SB Nation partner Five For Howling for more coverage from the other side of tonight's match-up.
- Notes and assorted whatnot from yesterday's practice. [Caps365 (video), Dump 'n Chase, CI (Carrera), CI (Carrera)]
- Remembering The Goal, because it's Phoenix tonight (and because it's been too long since you've seen it - admit it). [Caps365 video (from a couple of years back)]
- The power play still stinks. How is that even possible? [CI (Carrera)]
- The Caps are a team in transition (hopefully not from "very good" to "crap"). [PHT]
- Too many carrots, not enough sticks? [OFB]
- A look at the Caps' netminders and quality starts. [RLS (and recall our off-season look at the topic)]
- It's certainly (past?) time to start shopping. [RtR]
- The panic button has been pushed. [Caps 'Round the Clock]
- The Caps might be closer than you might think. [RLS]
- Per Jason Chimera, Alex Ovechkin stinks. [FanShot]
- Ovie Christ? (Well, it wouldn't be the first such reference.) [Puck Daddy]
- A tribute to Cody Eakin upon his return to Swift Current. [Shawn Mullin's Swift Current Broncos Blog]
- Finally, happy 36th birthday to Viktor Kozlov, happy 44th to Calle Johansson, and while it's not his birthday, here's hoping Chris Valentine has a nice day.
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Remind me to tune into the next Pens/Islanders game. Yeesh.
Mario is really upset at the lack of discipline.
“Hockey is a tough, physical game, and it always should be. But what happened Friday night on Long Island wasn’t hockey. It was a travesty,” Lemieux said. “It was painful to watch the game I love turn into a sideshow like that.”
“The NHL had a chance to send a clear and strong message that those kinds of actions are unacceptable and embarrassing to the sport. It failed,” he said. "We, as a league, must do a better job of protecting the integrity of the game and the safety of our players. We must make it clear that those kinds of actions will not be tolerated and will be met with meaningful disciplinary action.
“If the events relating to Friday night reflect the state of the league, I need to rethink whether I want to be a part of it.”
Ouch.
The Ying to John Feinstein's Yang.
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Ron and Fez 11 to 3
by YvonLabresMoustache on Feb 14, 2011 7:08 AM EST reply actions
I find it hilarious that he mentions player safety in anything, considering he signs a check twice a month for a guy who seemingly pisses on that concept with every shift.
"Here's what you do. First you go to Rotterdam, then you go to Amsterdam, then you get on the road to my city. It's a little place called I don't give a damn."
by Bald Pollack on Feb 14, 2011 7:33 AM EST up reply actions
Malkin? Orpik? Cooke?
Am I mad, that I should cherish that which bears but bitter fruit?
I will pluck it from my bosom, tho' my heart be at the root.
I’ll settle for the easy target (Cooke).
With every time he threatens to pull himself out of involvement, Mario’s becomes the Elaine to the NHL’s Puddy.
"Here's what you do. First you go to Rotterdam, then you go to Amsterdam, then you get on the road to my city. It's a little place called I don't give a damn."
by Bald Pollack on Feb 14, 2011 7:38 AM EST up reply actions
You’re right about that. And he did play with the NHL’s version of Ric Flair (Ulfie).
The Ying to John Feinstein's Yang.
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Ron and Fez 11 to 3
by YvonLabresMoustache on Feb 14, 2011 7:40 AM EST up reply actions
Flagged for the Flair insult!
"Here's what you do. First you go to Rotterdam, then you go to Amsterdam, then you get on the road to my city. It's a little place called I don't give a damn."
by Bald Pollack on Feb 14, 2011 7:42 AM EST up reply actions
....
So I can expect to see Will Ferrell play Ulfie in his biopic since he’s already based a character on Flair?
Rice is great if you're really hungry and want to eat two thousand of something.
by Rather Bengt on Feb 14, 2011 7:45 AM EST up reply actions
Nicely done.
"Here's what you do. First you go to Rotterdam, then you go to Amsterdam, then you get on the road to my city. It's a little place called I don't give a damn."
by Bald Pollack on Feb 14, 2011 7:49 AM EST up reply actions
Only if he can feel it….down in his plums.
The Ying to John Feinstein's Yang.
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Ron and Fez 11 to 3
by YvonLabresMoustache on Feb 14, 2011 7:49 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Now I will always think of the league speaking with that slow distinctive voice!
A danger to myself and others on the ice
by can't skate on Feb 14, 2011 9:01 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
I disagree with the sentiment here, primarily because Matt Cooke’s filth is spur-of-the-moment garbage, while the Isles clearly had every intention of turning Friday night into the WWF. It’s that premeditation that makes it so abhorrent, IMO (not to invoke Bertuzzi-on-Moore… but I just did), which isn’t to excuse Cooke, but to differentiate the two.
I think Mario’s right to speak out here, though I could do without the ridiculous hollow threat at the end.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
The Ying to John Feinstein's Yang.
Box Seats Blog
Ron and Fez 11 to 3
by YvonLabresMoustache on Feb 14, 2011 8:20 AM EST up reply actions
Little known fact: Wysh and I share a brain.
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
Are you the left half, or the right half?
The Ying to John Feinstein's Yang.
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Ron and Fez 11 to 3
by YvonLabresMoustache on Feb 14, 2011 8:21 AM EST up reply actions
The pouting at the end is the difference between a thoughtful complaint and petulant childish whining. I can excuse it (without approval) from a 23 year old player, but from a 45 year old businessman, not so much.
"It's always good to have vikings."
"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."
Two flowers from the same garden. The premeditative aspect of the Islanders’ attack on the Penguins is an insult to the game, but Cooke is a predator (he is not the only one, but he seems to be the poster boy at the moment). Every game presents opportunity, if not a plan. The Islanders took out their assault wholesale — all at once. Cooke and his ilk do it retail, on a game to game basis.
If you've read this far...seek help.
by ThePeerless on Feb 14, 2011 8:24 AM EST up reply actions 8 recs
Yeah, there’s overlap. But Matt Martin, for example, clearly had the idea to do what he did waaaaay before he dropped Talbot. Cooke doesn’t think to himself, “I’m going to have a chance to throw a knee out at Ovechkin at some point today, so when the opportunity presents itself, BOOM!”
… or does he?
Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world
I don’t suspect Cooke goes into any game with notes on who he might get by what means (and I use “Cooke” here as a generic term for that breed of player). It seems to me entirely opportunistic. If the opportunity presents itself, most players would avoid the iffy hit. Not “Cooke.” It is the difference between the unfortunate circumstance in which David Steckel could not entirely avoid Sidney Crosby circling into his path without looking, and Cooke keeping that shoulder/elbow out there and circling into the player when Marc Savard crossed his path.
If you've read this far...seek help.
That “Cooke” player does take advantage oi a questionable hit, but the NHL did take a stand on creating a new rule (making Richards/Booth and Cooke/Savard illegal) and said they would be vigilant on hits to the head.
The actions of the Isles players however, reduced the game into a circus. Gillies not only with an elbow to the head, but then punches a fallen opponent several times and continues to yell from right off the rink? Deplorable. Martin’s actions on Talbot were cowardly, Haley was running around literally fighting anyone in a Penguin jersey.
It was a total gongshow. Players that don’t even belong in the league reduced that game to something less than hockey. The league had a chance to make a statement — especially in light of the MTL/BOS game that also got out of hand — and I think it did fail to do so.
I’m not going to defend Cooke, and whether Lemieux’s message is weakened because he employs Cooke and neanderthal’s like Godard is up for debate. Cooke, as mentioned, is instinctual, and though he crosses the line (and deserves anything that happens to him) he’s never reduced a game to a sideshow like that. From top to bottom (starting with callups and the coach’s attitude) that’s what NYI did on Friday.
"Game's the same. Just got more fierce."
Players that don’t even belong in the league reduced that game to something less than hockey.
See, this I don’t buy…Gillies is a goon but he’s the same kind of goon as Godard, King, Orr and Boogaard. He serves a purpose, and we can debate about how important that purpose really is and whether it really adds to the game or not elsewhere, but he’s drawn an NHL paycheck for doing what he does best and that’s fight. Is what he did this weekend disgusting and worthy of punishment? Of course it is, and he got the book thrown at him. But it’s hardly indicative of what he’s been known for.
As for the other guys, maybe they were called up to goon it up and maybe they weren’t – I don’t know. What I do know is that the Isles are going through the same injury woes the Pens are (and have been all year) and apparently Bridgeport is, as well. It’s not like they have a Tavares clone down there or anything, who the hell else are they going to call up?
If anyone needs me, I'll be at Kettler.
Gillies is a goon but he’s the same kind of goon as Godard, King, Orr and Boogaard.
If you can’t see the difference in them, you haven’t watched enough of Gillies. Those other players (and most enforcers) fill a role and do a job, and they have some honor. Gillies starts at least one line brawl a year with cheap shots, sucker punches and is a vile player.
"Game's the same. Just got more fierce."
by Hooks Orpik on Feb 14, 2011 10:12 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Orr would NEVER do something cheap or vile.
I have planned my grand attacks; I will stand behind their backs. With my brand new battle-axe, they will taste my wrath. They will hear me say as the pavement whirls, "I hate California girls."
by Steckel Me Elmo on Feb 14, 2011 10:17 AM EST up reply actions
Exceptions to the rule. My point was Gillies, IMO, has more dirt and less ethics than your average enforcer. All of them are brutish and not model citizens though, so perhaps that is par for the course.
Most enforcers don’t start line brawls and rack up suspensions in just about every season though.
"Game's the same. Just got more fierce."
by Hooks Orpik on Feb 14, 2011 10:20 AM EST up reply actions
Whatever SME posted there is hardly an exception to the rule, I promise. Orr’s a dirty-ass player.
…and yeah, they do. Maybe not every season but it’s not like Gillies has played all that many seasons in his own right, so to say he does that “every season” is a bit hyperbolic.
If anyone needs me, I'll be at Kettler.
I’ll look it up when I have more time, but I know he started one last season with a sucker-punch on Robert Bortuzzo of WB/S.
Again, if you don’t think Gillies is a special breed of dirt bag, I’m going to stand by the assertion that you just haven’t actually seen him that much.
"Game's the same. Just got more fierce."
by Hooks Orpik on Feb 14, 2011 10:36 AM EST up reply actions
I haven’t and I’ll freely admit that – but I’m talking about at the NHL level, where line brawls aren’t a daily occurrence. Let’s not sit here and pretend that guys who start fights and pull dirty shit are anything but the norm in the AHL, or that his time up here has been spent starting that kind of thing. This is the first truly dirty, heinous thing I’ve heard of him doing in an NHL game.
If anyone needs me, I'll be at Kettler.
via @mirtle
Clarke MacArthur on Gillies: “The guy has no class.Every time we have played there, he stands there and yells the whole game.”
A lot of other stuff has floated out to support my point as well. Gillies is a stain.
"Game's the same. Just got more fierce."
To me it’s six of one, half a dozen of the other. Guys like Gillies get few chances to unleash their fury — they’re just not good enough to get a sweater on a nightly basis. And when it does happen, it’s a rare — perhaps even one-time — event (I doubt there will be much truculence in the next meeting of these clubs that I believe is in April). Gillies and his kind do their thing on a wholesale, “Costco” level — they pack a lot of violence into a single game. It makes for great (if revolting) theater and a lot of penalty minutes, but it is one game. Gillies isn’t getting many (if any) more chances to display his skills.
On the other hand, you have players with enough talent to play every night who do their thing at the retail level, picking off players one-by-one over a season’s worth of games.
Over the course of a season, I’m not sure which is worse, body count-wise. Like I said, six of one, half a dozen of the other.
If you've read this far...seek help.
by ThePeerless on Feb 14, 2011 11:02 AM EST up reply actions
Avery’s not your standard goon/enforcer/heavyweight. He’s much closer to a Cooke or Ruutu.
"Game's the same. Just got more fierce."
by Hooks Orpik on Feb 14, 2011 10:33 AM EST up reply actions
Not even them. He’s an agitator but he doesn’t tend to pull dirty stuff like Cooke or Ruutu. He’s just a pain in the ass, that’s all.
If anyone needs me, I'll be at Kettler.
Remember Avery nailing Juice with the butt of his stick on the icing play?
"When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro"
I do, and he got called for it and ended up putting his team shorthanded for 2 minutes late in the third in a playoff game against a team with the #2 power play in the NHL that year. He actually caused the Rangers to be shorthanded twice in the third with the Rangers holding a one goal lead.
John Tortorella noticed too, and scratched Avery from the next game to send him a message.
Washington Capitals 2009-10 = Quebec Nordiques 1994-95
--- D'ohboy
by MikeL-Pivonka on Feb 14, 2011 12:35 PM EST up reply actions
Avery dives a lot and runs his mouth, but he doesn’t throw a whole lot of questionable hits or weaponize his stick. The only really dirty stuff I’ve seen Avery do is a) suckerpunching Smid, and b) punching Varly with a gloved fist.
how about when he slammed Hendricks’ head into the ice and gave him that disgusting, colorful black eye showcased on HBO? I thought that was kinda dirty.
by vtcapsfan99 on Feb 14, 2011 10:49 AM EST up reply actions
You are kidding right? I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve seen him hit a goalie in the head with a stick after the play is dead. He takes cheap shots and no I wasn’t considering him an enforcer type.
sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast...
kidding about what? I was just providing another instance of a dirty play by Avery. I think he’s dirty, not as bad as Cooke, but no innocent either.
by vtcapsfan99 on Feb 14, 2011 11:07 AM EST up reply actions
Micheal Haley has 144 PIMs down in Bridgeport. Easily leads their team. He also has 22 points in 50 games, but it seems that he was called up to do little but goon it up.
I’m sure he wasn’t called up to score goals – although he did, worth noting in all of this is the Isles didn’t start gooning it up until they had a hefty lead and this might not have happened had the Pens managed to come to play.
But I heard from someone much more familiar with their AHL team and injury situation that Haley’s a legit player in the AHL and there weren’t many other options. So there’s that.
If anyone needs me, I'll be at Kettler.
Haley’s fights were consensual. Trying to pick apart that as something horrific is getting awfully pedantic.
Am I mad, that I should cherish that which bears but bitter fruit?
I will pluck it from my bosom, tho' my heart be at the root.
Exactly. He didn’t sucker punch anyone, he didn’t go after weaklings – every dance partner he had that night was more than willing to go.
If anyone needs me, I'll be at Kettler.
Yeah, nothing wrong with getting in 3 fights and fighting a goalie, when the game is already out of reach. Happens all the time.
(For the record, I do agree Haley’s the least offensive in the cast of clowns. But he still did more than his part to perform in one of the circus rings)
"Game's the same. Just got more fierce."
by Hooks Orpik on Feb 14, 2011 10:23 AM EST up reply actions
Name one unwilling participant in any of his fights.
Am I mad, that I should cherish that which bears but bitter fruit?
I will pluck it from my bosom, tho' my heart be at the root.
and again, look at the context of the game. Pittsburgh was inviting a rather physical game after the previous Islanders meeting.
Am I mad, that I should cherish that which bears but bitter fruit?
I will pluck it from my bosom, tho' my heart be at the root.
I never said I has a problem with a fight, my over-arching point was Haley ran around and devolved the action into a sideshow.
His actions, were outside of what you’d expect or want a hockey game to be.
A physical game is all well and fine, players fighting goalies and running around of control is a mess.
"Game's the same. Just got more fierce."
by Hooks Orpik on Feb 14, 2011 10:31 AM EST up reply actions
Johnny knew what he was doing when he came above the circles and was staring down Haley.
Am I mad, that I should cherish that which bears but bitter fruit?
I will pluck it from my bosom, tho' my heart be at the root.
It’s not like he was blocking Haley’s way to the penalty box.
Also, you don’t know if BJ was skating out there because Haley was running his mouth or not. Given the amount of chirping he was doing, that’s just as likely.
"Game's the same. Just got more fierce."
by Hooks Orpik on Feb 14, 2011 10:35 AM EST up reply actions
Just because someone is talking doesn’t mean you have to fight him. Johnson knew exactly what was about to go down.
Am I mad, that I should cherish that which bears but bitter fruit?
I will pluck it from my bosom, tho' my heart be at the root.
Of course. What’s failing to register with you is the total side-show Haley created.
It’s not normal or acceptable in the NHL to fight a player then wiggle free and then go challenge a goalie instead of skating off the ice.
Whether willing or not, that’s not within the normal course of action for an NHL player. Well, it shouldn’t be anyways, which is kind of the whole point.
"Game's the same. Just got more fierce."
by Hooks Orpik on Feb 14, 2011 10:40 AM EST up reply actions
And yet, if he really didn’t want to fight Haley, Johnson could have played keep-away, either skating towards his bench, the refs, or backing away behind his goal, he didn’t have to go up and meet him
LET'S GO CAPS!!!
Yeah, he could have backed down and ran for his life, but come on, really?
"Game's the same. Just got more fierce."
by Hooks Orpik on Feb 14, 2011 10:49 AM EST up reply actions
We clearly watched that unfold wearing completely different lenses. From where I was sitting, Haley was skating off the ice and then stopped and turned toward Johnson – he wasn’t talking but Johnny clearly was, and had come all the way out to do so. I’m sorry, I love Johnny but I’m tired of seeing all these "good for Godard, what a savior" bullshit comments. Johnny brought that on himself and knew what he was getting into, you can’t tell me he didn’t. He seemed perfectly willing to drop the gloves with Haley.
If anyone needs me, I'll be at Kettler.
You could be right, I didn’t watch a replay of it.
But what was the score, like 8-2 at that point? Haley hears a few words and he’s going to try and fight a goalie? Doesn’t serve a purpose.
I don’t blame (or herald) Godard for what he did. He simply did his job and what he had to do. No doubt any similar player in his role does the exact same thing. You can’t let a player fight your goalie.
"Game's the same. Just got more fierce."
by Hooks Orpik on Feb 14, 2011 10:52 AM EST up reply actions
He simply did his job and what he had to do.
But. . . sentiments like that can be used to excuse a lot of shitty behavior, including some of this debacle. Yeah, in this specific case, you don’t let a player fight your goalie. But “doing his job” really depends on what each player perceives his job to be, even if that means starting a line brawl.
If wishes were horses, we'd all be eating steak.
by Hang a Laingtern on Your Problems on Feb 14, 2011 10:57 AM EST up reply actions
Honestly, I hardly care at all about any of this. I just think it’s a pretty slippery slope when you start saying things are acceptable because “that’s his job.”
If wishes were horses, we'd all be eating steak.
by Hang a Laingtern on Your Problems on Feb 14, 2011 11:05 AM EST up reply actions
I’m not saying I condone players leaving the bench. They shouldn’t.
But given how crazy that game was, and all the attacks on Penguin players, it was necessary…This was the sequence where Tangradi was laying on the ice, probably the most frenzied moment of the game.
Godard did what he had to do, what he was supposed to do, and what he was expected to do. He deserves the 10 game suspension for his actions. At that point of the game, with injured players and everything out of control, I do not fault him for trying to protect his goaltender. That is Godard’s job and sole purpose of being in the lineup.
I don’t glorify his actions, but I think Godard did what needed to be done, considering that rare and wild situation. It might not be a reasonable stance for someone that didn’t watch that whole train wreck unfold though.
"Game's the same. Just got more fierce."
by Hooks Orpik on Feb 14, 2011 11:07 AM EST up reply actions
I watched the whole ‘train wreck unfold’ and I disagree that it was necessary or appropriate.
I’d say the same if it was the Capitals and a player left the bench, it does nothing to aid the situation simply adds to the train wreck and to the possibility of even more issues on the ice.
You’re absolutely right that it didn’t help and it definitely could have made things worse. It’s a miracle someone like Konopka didn’t clear the benches right there and it would have been a huge problem.
Given the circumstances, I don’t have a problem for what Godard did in standing up for a goaltender. If Haley got in a second fight against a skater and Godard still came out (which I don’t think he would have) than I would feel differently.
But again, I’m also accpeting of the punishment. Godard deserved the 10 games for his actions. Can’t have players doing what he did, I get that. But 99.9% of hockey games don’t unfold like this one, so I can live with what he did.
"Game's the same. Just got more fierce."
by Hooks Orpik on Feb 14, 2011 11:14 AM EST up reply actions
It was NECESSARY for Godard to leave the bench? He was supposed to, had to, and was expected to leave the bench? I disagree that it is ever necessary for a player to leave the bench. This is the attitude of the 70s, when the players found it “necessary” to run into the stands and punch out the fan who threw beer on them because “things were out of hand.” Why was it necessary for Godard, and not the trainer, coach, or any other player to come off the bench? If it gets to the point where Godard must come off the bench, then the Nassau County police should be on the ice first, and the entire league should suspend its operation. This is typical Old Man “we do what we gotta do” crap. Exactly what the Islanders were thinking when they drew up this game plan.
I could not disagree with you more, and this is from someone who watched the whole train wreck unfold.
That’s a totally reasonable opinion, Karl. I understand that I’m probably in the minority on this one, and that’s fine too.
I think we all know why it was Godard (and not, say Tyler Kennedy) that came off the bench. That’s his role, that’s his job to protect his teammates. That’s the reason he’s in the lineup
"Game's the same. Just got more fierce."
by Hooks Orpik on Feb 14, 2011 11:18 AM EST up reply actions
I disagree for the reason Karl W mentioned above "disagree that it is ever necessary for a player to leave the bench. "
In the thread of the “glass house”… I remember lots of conversation here that was along the lines of “Ovechkin should have fought himself” vs. “You can’t have the $10MM man fighting Nutjob McGee”. I don’t recall anyone looking for a 10 gamer for Brads though. Even before the Zapruder-esque “he was on the ice” determination.
"Inglewood Jack! Inglewood Jack!" - Coach Jules
by Alz Well That Ends Well on Feb 14, 2011 11:34 AM EST up reply actions
I didn’t either. But I also didn’t post “I want Brads getting a 10 game suspension.” Just noting that it is easier to make judgments when they’re not your colors on the ice. Not accusing you of doing it. If we were all as gallant as Lemieux, the world would be a better place.
/snark
"Inglewood Jack! Inglewood Jack!" - Coach Jules
by Alz Well That Ends Well on Feb 14, 2011 11:53 AM EST up reply actions
Key difference with Brads is that he left the bench legally on a line change—even if just barely.
Had he not done it legally he would absolutely had a ten game suspension like Goddard.
Wether or not a third player should intervene in a fight to protect a franchise player (Ovi) or a goalie (Johnny) is a different argument.
Hockey won’t hold still for a portrait. To gain a glimpse inside you join it in progress—just as the players do.
by capsyoungguns on Feb 14, 2011 2:26 PM EST up reply actions
99% of the time, I agree, don’t leave the bench.
But in that moment of that wild game— with one teammate out concussed on the ice, others in fights, and a minor league brawler is starting to fight with your goalie? If ever you have to go, I’d think that would be it.
But if you’re of the mindset that a player just can not, under any circumstances, come off the bench to fight, than obviously you’d disagree.
I don’t even know if my opinion is correct, I could be off-base. Still, I’m comfortable with what Godard did.
"Game's the same. Just got more fierce."
by Hooks Orpik on Feb 14, 2011 11:36 AM EST up reply actions
I know I was kind of shot down over the weekend when I said this, but maybe the Penguins should have reversed which goalies played in the back-to-back games. It’s not just Talbot they wanted revenge on, it was Johnny, too. DiPietro was an idiot for engaging in that fight, but the end result was that he’s out with a serious injury, and Johnson’s next game played was again against the Islanders.
"It's always good to have vikings."
"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’s ridiculous. The Pens played Fleury (their #1 goalie) against a strong LA team. They played their backup against the last place team.
Pittsburgh should be under no grounds to consider NYI’s feelings when the Pens are trying to chase down Philly. Strategic decisions are totally different.
And everything that happened (minus the BJ/Haley fight) would have gone on Friday no matter who the goalie was.
"Game's the same. Just got more fierce."
by Hooks Orpik on Feb 14, 2011 10:59 AM EST up reply actions
Then I guess they weren’t worried that someone would go after him. I’m not saying they didn’t play the right guy from a competitive perspective, and hindsight is always 20/20, but it’s just a thought.
"It's always good to have vikings."
"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’m not much of a fan of Haley’s hockey game from when he joined the Stingrays to his time in the AHL overall. However, he does do more than fight (and he does fight) at the minor league level. It was clear from when he played for SC that he would earn an AHL and/or an NHL contract soon after he turned pro and he did. Knowing the Bridgeport roster, he really was the most logical call-up at the time he was called up. Figren hasn’t been scoring of late and actually has fewer points I believe than Haley does. And I think Rakhshani, is hurt. As Becca noted, there weren’t a lot of options left down there.
If I’m not mistaken, Rob Schremp was a healthy scratch that game. NYI knew what they were doing and what they’d get from Haley.
"Game's the same. Just got more fierce."
by Hooks Orpik on Feb 14, 2011 10:28 AM EST up reply actions
I think he may have been, I didn’t know if he was banged up or not leading to the scratch. I’m not saying Haley wasn’t called up because he can fight, but I am saying he has contributed down in Bridgeport with more than just his fists.
I didn’t like seeing the Johnson Haley fight but from what I could see on the tv Johnson wasn’t saying no.
Schremp by the way, played in last night’s game and he also played on Thursday….Which seems to suggest he was healthy on Friday.
Given how NYI set their lineup, and the tempo and tone they got from management, despite what Haley did in the minors, I think it’s pretty clear from what he did as to why he played that game.
"Game's the same. Just got more fierce."
by Hooks Orpik on Feb 14, 2011 10:47 AM EST up reply actions
Look, you won’t find many people disagreeing with you on the fact that the Isles clearly wanted revenge and clearly went for brawn over skill (what little they had left). But while what Martin and Gillies did was abhorrent, but I think throwing Haley in there – as much as he may have added to the overall pugilistic atmosphere – is reaching.
If anyone needs me, I'll be at Kettler.
What’s the reach? Haley got into 3 fights and fought a goalie in a blowout game. He did his part to make it a farce. The Islanders played him in his 1st game of the season when they had a capable hockey player available.
I don’t find any of those statements to be a reach, or untrue. I don’t lump Haley in with those that got suspended, but it’s easy to see why Penguins management is unhappy he evaded discipline for his actions.
"Game's the same. Just got more fierce."
by Hooks Orpik on Feb 14, 2011 10:54 AM EST up reply actions
If running around looking for a fight were a suspendable act then Carcillo would play about 10 games a season. The Penguins can complain all they want about Haley, but with the NHL’s history of allowing line brawls (and the culture of “sending a message”) I don’t see how Haley could be suspended if the Penguins keep obliging him.
Release the Mackan!
by Killer_Carlson on Feb 14, 2011 11:49 AM EST up reply actions
The Islanders were the clear aggressors, but to be fair, the Penguins brought this on themsleves with the laughter and high fives on the bench after Johnson injured DiPietro. Even the most pacifistic team is going to see that and respond. Even Bob Errey admitted in the broadcast that maybe everyone, including himself, was laughing just a little too much during the previous game.
No one knew DiPietro was hurt at the time. They weren’t laughing the injury, they were amazed that A) Johnson got into a rare goalie fight and B) that he ended it so quickly. Players are human and emotions show.
They had much more to be angry about with Talbot/Comeau. Even that though shouldn’t justify Gillies elbowing Tangradi or Martin’s cowardly attack.
"Game's the same. Just got more fierce."
by Hooks Orpik on Feb 14, 2011 10:57 AM EST up reply actions
Never said it justified the Islanders response but in the NHL you reap what you sow and the Pens players made no attempt to hide how delighted they were that Johnnie took down DiPietro. In a league where the opposition gets upset if you celebrate a victory too enthusiastically (see:Malkin-Winter Classic), the Penguins had to know that their laughing at a fallen DiPietro was going to cause a major response.
yeah, it was a matter of pride. Even if they were up 100 goals the Islanders were going to be rather fiesty. Same thing that started the massive Ottawa/Philly brawl. Sometimes a team, no matter how bad they, isn’t worth poking fun at.
Am I mad, that I should cherish that which bears but bitter fruit?
I will pluck it from my bosom, tho' my heart be at the root.
I’m surprised no one talks about how Johnson hit DiPietro. It was a clear elbow – a cheap shot even – then fractured bones in his face.
Though it hasn’t been mentioned much, I’m sure that the NYI had talked about it.
I can resist anything, except temptation.
Do you believe it was intentional? I have seen the video which looks like it was more elbow, not fist but regardless of the angle, while the punch was intentional I don’t think the impact point was. He was just swinging.
I do think DiPietro was a bit surprised Johnson actually took a swing vs a more typical goalie hugfest/dance, but that’s just my opinion, as is the take above.
Agree completely on this. With all the goalie equipment, and the adrenalin of the moment, I don’t think Johnson intended to hit DiPietro with an elbow. And nothing in Johnson’s make-up suggests that he is out to injure another goalie.
We don’t know anything about Johnson’s make up more that what has been portrayed in limited interaction with fans and media. Who knows what was going through his mind at the time, and whether or not he’s a mean MF.
Most people would consider me to be a very nice guy who never gets in to any altercations with anyone. Once, however, some guy ripped off my necklace which was a graduation present from my father because his girlfriend bought be a drink. I took that drink and slammed it into the side of his head without even thinking about it.
Doesn’t mean I went and quit my job at Make-a-wish where I was working at the time.
I can resist anything, except temptation.
I read somewhere a quote from DiPi saying he was surprised at Johnny’s reach and didn’t think he would hit as hard as he did.
There's always more to learn about Hockey.
I don’t know how you could swing like that, and accidentally drill them with your elbow, so hard that you crack bones in someon’s skull.
I can resist anything, except temptation.
See above. DiPietro’s hanging on his sleeve.
Wearing the weagle is a way a’ life
by Gould Old Days on Feb 14, 2011 3:47 PM EST up reply actions
Watch the punch again — DiPietro is pretty clearly hanging onto Johnson’s sleeve. I think he affected the trajectory of the punch.
I’m not saying DiP is to blame, but I am saying that folks who don’t fight probably shouldn’t fight. Bad shit can happen.
Wearing the weagle is a way a’ life
by Gould Old Days on Feb 14, 2011 3:47 PM EST up reply actions
The image of Gillies at the door heckling an obivously hurt player was one of the more disturbing things I’ve seen in a long time. Did anyone on the Isles speak out about that or offer any limp wristed defense of those actions?
Mario did talk about protecting players, no doubt with Sid on his mind. But In a matter of a week Cooke made two dirty plays which, luckily, did not result in serious injury to the players he hit. That’s where his message gets a bit weak for me. How is the league going to control players when the team obviously can’t/won’t.
Just trying to capture the spirit of the thing...
by dcsportsfan1 on Feb 14, 2011 10:09 AM EST up reply actions
How long did Matt Cooke think about pasting Tyutin or lining up Savard? I’m not a lawyer, but premedition doesn’t have to occur hours or days before the act does it? He had his mind made up to nail Tyutin once he hit the top of the circles, numbers showing or not.
Just trying to capture the spirit of the thing...
by dcsportsfan1 on Feb 14, 2011 9:18 AM EST up reply actions
So do most forecheckers, right? (for most, given the legal chance, of course)
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by red army line on Feb 14, 2011 9:21 AM EST up reply actions
Well, some forecheckers might be thinking about getting the puck or anticipating a pass and going to get it. You know, trying to help the team score. Not that a well placed hit in the corner doen’t help, but there are other options.
Cooke, IMO, had one thought in mind and acted on it.
Just trying to capture the spirit of the thing...
by dcsportsfan1 on Feb 14, 2011 9:30 AM EST up reply actions
Earlier this year I suggested the only way to protect your own players is to respond in kind. Talbot concusses Comeau, Gillies puts his elbow through Tangradi’s head.
Campbell needs to step up enforcement against players like Cooke or will this be the norm?
Am I mad, that I should cherish that which bears but bitter fruit?
I will pluck it from my bosom, tho' my heart be at the root.
Or do away with the instigator penalty and the Cooke like players will face instant on ice justice.
"When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro"
What would happen if there were no instigator? Someone would challenge Cooke? What if he refuses to fight? Someone would simply punch him in the head a la Martin? If the later, the instigator clearly didn’t keep Martin from punching Talbot.
by kingbonehead on Feb 14, 2011 10:32 AM EST up reply actions
In most situations, people care about not losing the game, and a power play is a disincentive.
In most situations, people care about not being suspended.
Pens/Isles was not consistent with most situations.
Wearing the weagle is a way a’ life
by Gould Old Days on Feb 14, 2011 3:50 PM EST up reply actions
I don’t disagree with him speaking about it (we can all agree it was deplorable, but he’s got to stop getting all Maude Flanders about things.
"Here's what you do. First you go to Rotterdam, then you go to Amsterdam, then you get on the road to my city. It's a little place called I don't give a damn."
by Bald Pollack on Feb 14, 2011 8:25 AM EST up reply actions
The Ying to John Feinstein's Yang.
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Ron and Fez 11 to 3
by YvonLabresMoustache on Feb 14, 2011 8:31 AM EST up reply actions
Damn, I swung and missed badly on that.
"Here's what you do. First you go to Rotterdam, then you go to Amsterdam, then you get on the road to my city. It's a little place called I don't give a damn."
by Bald Pollack on Feb 14, 2011 8:31 AM EST up reply actions
Well, we’re talking wives of tertiary characters.. That’s got to be, like… Quaternary characters. Or something.
You had me at no problem.
Wouldn’t a tertiary character’s wife also be tertiary? Especially Helen Lovejoy, who’s been prominent in a lot of episodes.
The Ying to John Feinstein's Yang.
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Ron and Fez 11 to 3
by YvonLabresMoustache on Feb 14, 2011 11:06 AM EST up reply actions
The Ying to John Feinstein's Yang.
Box Seats Blog
Ron and Fez 11 to 3
by YvonLabresMoustache on Feb 14, 2011 8:32 AM EST up reply actions
I understand the sentiment, and Cooke does offer real hockey skills where a guy like Gillies seems to be a typical neanderthal on skates. However, they both demonstrate a lack of respect for their opponents and their actions result in bad headlines for the league. If Mario is concerned about the league he loves he should express concerns about how both of these guy’s (and others of similar ilk) actions do nothing but further a negative perception of the league.
Just trying to capture the spirit of the thing...
by dcsportsfan1 on Feb 14, 2011 8:47 AM EST up reply actions
Very true. Plus, while Gillies is a pure fighter and a goon, I’ve never seen him do something like what he did to Tangradi before….it really only takes once.
What I love is people saying Cooke shouldn’t be part of a counter-argument because he wasn’t involved in that game. First of all, he wasn’t involved in the game because he was suspended for a dirty hit; had he been there, I’m pretty sure he would have been involved in some way or another. And secondly, you can’t bitch about the NHL not protecting its players as a general statement and then say "oh, but OUR guy shouldn’t be in that equation because he’s our guy".
I agree with some of what Mario said. I think it’s good that an owner speaks out about a game – and actions by another team – that were nothing more than a mockery, and a dangerous one at that. But you lose a bit of your clout when you employ one guy whose job it is to agitate (and who so often crosses the line and shows no respect for other players and their safety) and one guy whose job it is to fight and only fight, when you have a team that leads the League in penalty minutes and in fighting majors, when this whole thing started because of a questionable hit on Comeau by one of your players, etc.
Frankly I find myself agreeing w/ Burnside today…it’s freaking me out.
If anyone needs me, I'll be at Kettler.
by Becca H on Feb 14, 2011 9:58 AM EST up reply actions 4 recs
Burnside’s missive is pretty damn impressive, and 90% of the time I think he’s an idiot.
"It's always good to have vikings."
"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."
John Shannon wrote this on twitter last night:
Message from one NHL Governor…“If Mario would like to change the game, maybe he should show up at the meetings.”
by Wheeler on Feb 14, 2011 10:17 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
The game was a travesty, but Mario whining about the NHL’s response to it is disingenuous. Keep your own house in order, Mario. The Isles certainly got the worse of the suspensions and fines when both teams were equally responsible for letting the train wreck continue like it did.
That is a solid article by Burnside. Respect where it’s due.
In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.
I disagree with the sentiment here, primarily because Matt Cooke’s filth is spur-of-the-moment garbage,
Not to start off the morning on a negative note, but I couldn’t disagree more with this statement. If Cooke had made dangerous hits once or twice, I could see your point but he’s got too long of a history of crossing over the line to think his actions are anything but premeditated. Plain and simple,Cooke is a predator and he’s a very good one. When he goes after Ovechkin’s knee or Savard’s head, he knows exactly what he’s doing. In fact, I feel comfortable arguing that he went on the ice with the intention of doing exactly what he did in those and other instances. And when Mario resigned him, he surely knew what he was getting. Is he more talented than those Islander goons? Of course, but that doesn’t give Lemieux the right to decry senseless violence when he employs a player who has willfully ended Savard’s career and seriously derailed Vinny Lecavalier’s.
by b.orr4 on Feb 14, 2011 9:16 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
I don’t agree. I think he just doesn’t know how to control himself. I honestly can’t imagine he actually premeditates hurting people—maybe slashing, committing himself to hitting the guy as hard as he can. If he actually premeditated he’d have been out of the league long ago, I think.
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by red army line on Feb 14, 2011 9:20 AM EST up reply actions
Red, I disagree with you that he doesn’t know how to control himself. Think back to 24/7 on HBO when they showed him going into the opposing team’s dressing room when they weren’t there and started messing with their equipment.
I forget if he just undid the skates or cut the laces, but that still sucks. And jamming gum down into the fingertips of the gloves specifically hard enough that it would take a lot of trouble to get it out…that was totally premeditated, and he enjoyed it. He clearly thought it was funny as hell.
Now you could say this was ‘just a practical joke’ but it really isn’t. It’s messing with people’s heads to throw them off their game. It’s taking joy in upsetting others. It’s bad sportsman conduct, and he’s a bully.
He is flat out mean.
There's always more to learn about Hockey.
He did all that stuff to Paul Bissonnette though, a former teammate and jokester himself. (Bissonnette, naturally, was happy with the attention he got).
It wasn’t like Cooke messed with Shane Doan’s stuff or tried to intimidate someone he didn’t know, it was a joke for an old friend.
They’re meatheads, so it looks mean spirited, but in reality, not so much.
"Game's the same. Just got more fierce."
I’m not appeased by the fact that Bissonnette apparently thought it was funny. The only thing the rest of the world saw was Cooke being an asshole, and the CONSOL management letting him into an opponent’s dressing room to be one. You know, maybe that wasn’t the right time to do that, with cameras following you around.
"It's always good to have vikings."
"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."
Pranks is pranks, I don’t really think it was that big a deal. Considering the jokes mentioned in The Game that the Habs did to one another, it pales in comparison.
"Here's what you do. First you go to Rotterdam, then you go to Amsterdam, then you get on the road to my city. It's a little place called I don't give a damn."
by Bald Pollack on Feb 14, 2011 10:17 AM EST up reply actions
If you’re not well versed in what goes in on in a hockey locker-room and don’t understand the general senses of humor that guys like Bissonnette and Cooke have, than I could see how it comes off like that.
If Cooke messes with Ekman-Larsson’s stuff or Yandle’s stuff then it’s out of bounds. But to toy around with his buddy? That’s in bounds. Hell, he was probably just paying Biss back.
"Game's the same. Just got more fierce."
by Hooks Orpik on Feb 14, 2011 10:18 AM EST up reply actions
Right. But that didn’t come through on 24/7, and that was my point.
"It's always good to have vikings."
"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."
For you it didn’t. But consider your perspective.
"Game's the same. Just got more fierce."
by Hooks Orpik on Feb 14, 2011 10:21 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Actually, consider this, the 24/7 wasn’t just for hockey fans. That was an HBO special with a long reach. It was designed to introduce hockey to a lot of non hockey people.
Me, I’m a new fan. I’ve been following the Caps since Bruce took over. I had no idea that Cooke was messing with a buddy. I was shocked and very turned off by what looked like a player getting access to another team’s locker room and causing trouble. I thought it was a premeditated attempt to throw people off their game.
How do you think other people who checked in to that show because the hockey fans in their life encouraged them to saw that?
There's always more to learn about Hockey.
Me, I’m a new fan. I’ve been following the Caps since Bruce took over. I had no idea that Cooke was messing with a buddy. I was shocked and very turned off by what looked like a player getting access to another team’s locker room and causing trouble. I thought it was a premeditated attempt to throw people off their game.
That’s neither the fault of the NHL, HBO or Matt Cooke.
I blame Schultz
by D'ohboy on Feb 14, 2011 10:31 AM EST up reply actions 2 recs
I also thought the scene was presented as light-hearted and in a joking manner. It didn’t have the time to give a whole lot of backstory for this little throw-away scene, but my initial reaction was that it was done in a way that the “average” viewer could follow.
"Game's the same. Just got more fierce."
by Hooks Orpik on Feb 14, 2011 10:34 AM EST up reply actions
Agreed. I have no idea how that could come off as anything other than light-hearted pranksterism. On the other hand, I’ve spent a decent portion of my life in locker rooms and similar places, so that kind of humor makes sense to me.
I blame Schultz
While Cooke’s prank on Biznasty’s equipment didn’t bother me, it did strike me as odd that they’d allow a player from the opposing side access to the other team’s locker room. That seemed to me a breech; game notes could have been written up on the board, player scratches could have been noted by the lack of equipment, etc.
"I would feed them lefts until I was pretty much tired of doing it." - Alan May, JRR, 10.16.2010
There was a throwaway line in 24/7 where they mentioned that they had been former teammates and I vaguely recall hearing the word “buddy”. I therefore chalked it up to more of player pranks and was not disturbed.
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by capsyoungguns on Feb 14, 2011 4:44 PM EST up reply actions
I’m thinking not only of myself, but anyone who wouldn’t be familiar with what goes on, and particularly anyone who wouldn’t know they were friends. Probably about 95% of those watching.
"It's always good to have vikings."
"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’s not the context I’m talking about.
Remember several of the Ovechkin hits—the mitigating factor was “well, AO lined the guy up to hit him” and something went wrong. I feel it’s similar with Cooke, except Cooke is trying to already make a questionable play in the first place, so when something goes wrong it goes really wrong.
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by red army line on Feb 14, 2011 9:52 AM EST up reply actions
Disagree. Sending Cooke out every night, you know he’s going to get right up to the line, and from time to time he’ll cross it. The fact that he’s able to otherwise hold his own during an NHL shift doesn’t give Mario standing to shake his finger at the rest of the League.
I see this as lobbying for the future.
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by fat_daddyo on Feb 14, 2011 9:21 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Here’s a nice rebuttal that HornGuy retweeted yesterday:
RT @JSportsnet Message from one NHL Governor…“If Mario would like to change the game, maybe he should show up at the meetings.”
(here’s the link: http://twitter.com/#!/dantencer/status/36907860008902656)
LET'S GO CAPS!!!
by Elliotte on Feb 14, 2011 8:01 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
That’s not Mario’s role in the organization. In year’s past he’s always been the alternative governor to Ken Sawyer. Sawyer is now retired, and I must admit do not know who the current Pens governor is off-hand. I assume it’s probably Pens President David Morehouse who’s more involved in day-to-day organizational functions than Lemieux is.
"Game's the same. Just got more fierce."
If he felt that strongly about changing the League and making it a place he’d want to play, he’d turn it into his role. He’s an owner, he has that power – and frankly I agree w/ whichever governor said that. It’s like people who don’t vote in general elections but love to complain about the crappy job the president/Congress is doing.
If you don’t like it, try to change it; if you won’t try to change it, shut the hell up. Don’t just keep threatening to take your ball and go home because you don’t like the way something goes down.
If anyone needs me, I'll be at Kettler.
by Becca H on Feb 14, 2011 10:01 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
If attending BOG meetings were the only way to affect change, then I would agree.
They’re not and I think Lemieux has done more behind the scenes work — even in conversation — that help change/improve the game than perhaps people realize.
I’d argue this statement alone will do more to put the ball in motion for adjusting the way the NHL approaches supplemental discipline than attending all the meetings in the world.
"Game's the same. Just got more fierce."
by Hooks Orpik on Feb 14, 2011 10:06 AM EST up reply actions
Maybe not the only way but it’s certainly a good one – and if it’s a means to an end and it’s one he hasn’t used, I question how dedicated he is to actually changing the game.
I also just wonder what exactly he thinks the NHL should have done differently here. This statement won’t put the ball in motion because all he does is point out a problem without offering a solution.
Did the NHL not suspend Martin and Gillies? Yes, Martin could have gotten more games for sure but 9 games for Gillies sounds about right to me. And say what you will about Haley but he didn’t take on anyone who wasn’t willing (and don’t get me started on his fight with Johnson, Johnny didn’t come all the way out to the circles to congratulate Haley on his fighting prowess…he knew what he was doing).
If anyone needs me, I'll be at Kettler.
by Becca H on Feb 14, 2011 10:11 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
This is what has me confused. What didn’t the league do after this game that they should have? They levied heavy suspensions on the players involved and they put a hefty fine on a cash-strapped franchise? Aside from suspending the GM (which never happens), what else should they have done?
by b.orr4 on Feb 14, 2011 10:12 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Aside from suspending the GM (which never happens)
Except when the GM is doing the punching…. (ahem, George…)
by kingbonehead on Feb 14, 2011 10:38 AM EST up reply actions
It’s like people who don’t vote in general elections but love to complain about the crappy job the president/Congress is doing.
Bullshit. If there was only one restaurant in town and it only served feces, would you eat there? Would you feel free to complain about the menu even if you didn’t participate?
by Rob Parker on Feb 14, 2011 4:53 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Sounds like a guy who’s been itching to cash out now that the new arena is done.
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Actually, there’s a lot of validity to this statement. Lemieux probably figures he’s done everything and more to save the Penguins and the value of the franchise is probably as high as it’s going to be. His statements could very well be those of a guy who’s just had his fill of the sport and wants to go live in the sun and play golf.
Putting aside the fact that Lemieux is concerned about player safety yet employs Matt Cooke, what else did he want the NHL to do? Gillies and Martin got more than just slaps on the wrist, particularly when you consider that they weren’t repeat offenders like a certain Penguin. A $100K fine for a team like the Islanders also is pretty stiff. If the NHL had done nothing or only issued token punishments I’d agree with Lemieux. But seems to me that when you put this punishment in the context of the NHL’s disciplinary system they reacted appropriately.
Release the Mackan!
by Killer_Carlson on Feb 14, 2011 9:42 AM EST up reply actions
What about fining the team’s Captain? Don’t know how the Isles thing went down, but clearly those guys were out for retribution. Do lunkheads like Gillies or Martin figure that out on their own or does the entire team talk about what needs to be done.
Fining a coach might do something, but what if it isn’t the coach who is encouraging such behaviour. To me, this goes to the locker room and leadership. I think if the Captains were on the hook for some of the teams behaviour then maybe they can throttle back guys like Gillies from doing what they are doing. Hearing it from a guy in the room vs. the coach might have a bigger impact.
Just trying to capture the spirit of the thing...
by dcsportsfan1 on Feb 14, 2011 9:46 AM EST up reply actions
I didn’t watch the game, and have only managed to read some of the fall out from it. I heard something about Dan Bylsma being in line for disciplinary action, but the thread on Pensburgh says he’s been absolved of any further action. What was it he did/was perceived to do that even started that talk? I totally missed it.
There's always more to learn about Hockey.
I believe it’s an automatic fine to the coach if a player leaves the bench, which Goddard did. Not sure if they enforced that fine or not. Either way, it’s not placing blame on Bylsma, just an automatic per the rules.
Just trying to capture the spirit of the thing...
by dcsportsfan1 on Feb 14, 2011 9:55 AM EST up reply actions
Yes, the announcers said the same thing: $10K fine for player leaving the bench, and that it was “Automatic.” Guess it really wasn’t.
"I would feed them lefts until I was pretty much tired of doing it." - Alan May, JRR, 10.16.2010
Automatic but subject to review by the League, if I recall the wording of the rule. Obviously the League waived the fine and suspension in this case.
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consider it more of an “automatically triggers a discpline review.” As opposed to leaving it up to Colin Campbell to determine what gets reviewed in the first place.
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I don’t think fining the captain makes any sense, especially since in this case the captain didn’t even play. But in general I highly doubt that this kind of thing is spurred by the captain without the blessing of the coach and organization. Plus, there are limits on how much you can fine a player – fine Doug Weight $2,500 for getting his team to enact revenge and the organization pays it and gives him kudos behind closed doors.
Fining the team $100K sends a much bigger message from the top to the bottom. Think Charles Wang is happy dishing out that money and isn’t going to tell his underlings to make sure he doesn’t have to do that again? Finally, the NHL would just be picking a major fight with the NHLPA if it started fining captains for the actions of their teammates. Should Crosby be fined for not getting Cooke to stop being a scumbag? How about if King decides to go try and tune up Cooke (in which Cooke certainly wouldn’t be a willing partner) in the next Caps-Pens game, should AO be fined?
Release the Mackan!
by Killer_Carlson on Feb 14, 2011 10:36 AM EST up reply actions
Well sure it hurts Wang, but we’re talking about preventing something like this from occurring on the ice, not penalizing it after the fact. Not sure if the players give a rat’s ass about whether their owner gets hit in the pocketbook (particularly a guy like Wang). They’ve got guaranteed contracts so if a guy like Cooke does this, he gonna get paid regardless.
If a Captain or a leader in the room knows he’s on the hook for the actions of his players, maybe he’s more likely to make sure that other player doesn’t pull stunts like this during the game. Particularly a young guy. A seasoned Captain on the bench might have been able to say, “hey, we’ve made our point, lets go out and play hard and really hurt them by hanging a 10 spot on em.” Then a guy like Gillies or Haley don’t take it upon themselves to mete out discipline after the fact.
Not talking about actions like Cooke. Talking about guys taking runs in games that are getting out of hand.
Just trying to capture the spirit of the thing...
by dcsportsfan1 on Feb 14, 2011 12:09 PM EST up reply actions
Players don’t care if Wang has to pay. But Wang does. And if Wang doesn’t want to pay more money he puts pressure on the GM and the coach to make sure it doesn’t happen again. And the players certainly care about what the GM and coach tell them. Moreso than what the captain tells them in most instances, I’d wager.
Why should guys like Cooke be any different? If captains are responsible for getting fighters to not seek retribution, why shouldn’t they be responsible for getting repeat offenders like Cooke to clean up their act. If captains have the power to stop players from doing things just by telling them to stop, why can’t a captain just tell Cooke or Carcillo or whoever “hey, what you are doing is dangerous and is hurting other players and the team. you have to change”? If captains don’t have this kind of control then punishing them makes no sense.
Release the Mackan!
by Killer_Carlson on Feb 14, 2011 12:20 PM EST up reply actions
Well sure it hurts Wang
Players don’t care if Wang has to pay
So that’s the reason Patrick Thoreson is now playing in Europe.
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by YvonLabresMoustache on Feb 14, 2011 12:22 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs
Yep.
Decided to take his ball and go home.
....when the truth is if they knew anything about the game, they'd be in it.
--GMGM
by redlineblue on Feb 14, 2011 12:23 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs
Syomin. It’s Syomin now, ’member?
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I think he’s petitioning the league to have the league change the spelling to “Jizz”.
You had me at no problem.
Professor Bradley did that a long time ago, and they listened to him, too, cuz he’s a professor.
by DrinkingPartner on Feb 14, 2011 1:17 PM EST up reply actions
He’s back.
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Hosted by Professor Lou Bloomfield, Ph.D. and special guest “Professor” Matt Bradley Professor Bloomfield is a physics professor at University of Virginia, and he will be returning to discuss the physics of the game. This season, back by popular demand, “Professor” Matt Bradley will help.
"I remembered when he said that and I kind of looked at him during the warm up and told myself that I got to shut these guys out tonight." - Michal Neuvirth, 02.06.11.
Either way you spell it, it still disappears for long periods of time.
"Here's what you do. First you go to Rotterdam, then you go to Amsterdam, then you get on the road to my city. It's a little place called I don't give a damn."
by Bald Pollack on Feb 14, 2011 1:19 PM EST up reply actions
I wonder if Varlamov felt bad for Semin, or if Varlamov just really wants his name pronounced correctly.
Am I mad, that I should cherish that which bears but bitter fruit?
I will pluck it from my bosom, tho' my heart be at the root.
Actually I read a Russian interview where Varly said Semin told him the importance of getting his name correctly spelled and he should make a big deal out of it until it was corrected. I imagine he didn’t want Varly to be known as Jizz Varlamov and everything that goes along with that.
When Dmitry Chesnokov was posting about the spelling change on Twitter, I asked him if Semin cared to get his name changed, but he didn’t respond.
The difference between this and Cooke is after the initial brawl and given the score, it was pretty clear the game was heading towards this type of outcome. The Captain could have had some impact in letting guys know that enough is enough.
I think Captains should have those conversations with Cooke and his ilk. But it’s a stretch to say they should be responsible for what can’t be anticipated. It wasn’t hard to anticipate what was going to happen in that game. You don’t think a captain getting up between the 1st and 2nd periods and telling guys to tone it down and play it straight wouldn’t have had an effect?
Just trying to capture the spirit of the thing...
by dcsportsfan1 on Feb 14, 2011 12:59 PM EST up reply actions
No more of an effect than a captain telling Cooke to tone it down. And it it can very easily be anticipated that Cooke will throw dirty hits. You may not know the exact time of the hit, but you know it’s coming.
A captain saying something will also have no more of an effect than a coach or GMGM saying the same thing. However, while neither of us know for sure, I imagine the guys who sign the paychecks and determine roster spots carry much more weight than captains in these issues. Weight can tell Gillies, Martin and Haley to calm down, but if they think that fighting is the only way the GM will keep them in the NHL then the captain’s words won’t mean much. I think you are overestimating the control captains have over their teammates relative to coaches, GMs, and owners.
Besides, this still doesn’t get at the issue that Weight wasn’t even playing in the game, the NHL can fine owners much much more money than they can fine captains, and the NHL would likely start a shit storm with the NHLPA if it got into the practice of fining one player for the acts of another.
Release the Mackan!
by Killer_Carlson on Feb 14, 2011 1:24 PM EST up reply actions
Steve Downie wasn’t a repeat offender (yet) when he tried to take Dean McAmmond’s head off. Still got 20 games. I kind of think that elbowing a guy in the head, and then punching him while he’s still woozy should get you into that sort of territory.
I think trying to matchup hits and compare suspensions handed down by the NHL is a fool’s errand, especially when the hits are almost 4 years apart and one is in the regular season and the other the preseason. Plus, whether you agree with it or not (I don’t), McAmmond was seriously injured and that played a role in the suspension. Tangredi may be too, but the NHL didn’t have the same amount of time to wait and make a call as they did with Downie. This is why I wrote:
in the context of the NHL’s disciplinary system
Given how lenient the NHL is with so many dirty plays I think a suspension north of 5 games is a pretty heavy punishment. I personally don’t think that what Gillies did is twice as bad as Cooke’s hit on Tyutin, but he got almost twice as many games despite Cooke’s repeat offender status (and that is an argument for Cooke getting a stiffer suspension, not reducing Gillies’).
Release the Mackan!
by Killer_Carlson on Feb 14, 2011 11:59 AM EST up reply actions
Just throwing something out here:
Colin Campbell’s words and additional punishments regarding this incident were quite harsh, yet if I recall, no additional punishments were given out for the Boston/Montreal game two days earlier, which featured 12 fighting majors, 182 PIMs, and a really ugly line brawl at the end. I know Campbell “excuses” himself from dealing with Boston games, but shouldn’t Boston have garnered some sort of punishment for sending out Thornton, Boychuck, Ferrence, and (Gregory) Campbell towards the end of the game? Julien at least had to know what would insue with that lineup.
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You’re looking for consistency from the NHL? Good luck! Now, if Boston had been playing Pittsburgh….
by b.orr4 on Feb 14, 2011 10:14 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
honestly, I didn’t see the Boston/Montreal to be that bad. It was “just” a line brawl. The Pens/Isles was a Martin sucker punch and a headhunter hit by Gillies on Tangradi as well as Godard going over the boards.
Line brawls are a part of hockey, everything with the Pens/Isles game was not part of hockey.
Am I mad, that I should cherish that which bears but bitter fruit?
I will pluck it from my bosom, tho' my heart be at the root.
Montreal did its fair share of provoking those brawls, so it’s a completely different situation. The fights weren’t the problem. The problem was that Martin and Gillies went after guys who clearly weren’t willing.
Release the Mackan!
by Killer_Carlson on Feb 14, 2011 10:37 AM EST up reply actions
Repeating myself here, but Campbell seems to deal with violations of “The Code” more harshly than with violations of the rule book.
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I can see why he might. Fighting in the NHL is controversial enough, but letting fighters go after unwilling combatants without serious punishment could give the NHL a serious black eye. They can always fall back on the “attempted hockey play” argument with other dirty plays (even if it is bullshit), but the NHL can’t really justify one guy jumping another guy.
Release the Mackan!
by Killer_Carlson on Feb 14, 2011 12:01 PM EST up reply actions
Getting lessons on integrity from that organization…that’s rich. I prefer leagues where teams don’t purposefully tank to acquire top talent.
Anyone have Recchi’s comment after he was told about Lemieux’s comment? I saw it on twitter last night, but can’t find it now.
From here:
“Good for (Lemieux). I’m glad he said it because the (NHL sanctions) weren’t strong enough. Not even close.”
If anyone needs me, I'll be at Kettler.
Matt Cooke may be the 800-pound gorilla on Lemeux’s roster, but that’s almost beside the point.
Pittsburgh leads the NHL in fighting majors, with 61. And some of those fights are clearly premeditated. Go to the Pens’ website, pull their box scores, and look at how early some of their knuckleheads are dropping the mitts. Heck, there was one game against Philly this season with two scraps before the game was 30 seconds in.
And while we’re on sucker punches, let’s talk about Jordan Staal’s match penalty against the Rangers earlier this month—for which, according to NHL.com, he did not get suspended.
For the owner of the team with the most fights in the League, and one of only four teams to have been assessed a match penalty, to turn around and boo-hoo about the game turning into a sideshow because discipline is lax…that’s just rich.
by Capital Spirit on Feb 14, 2011 1:03 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs
I think my favorite comment on Puck Daddy last night, in regards to the number of fighting meajors the Pens have gotten was something along the lines of “That doesn’t prove the Pens are dirty! Maybe they just play a lot of dirty teams that force them to fight!” 100% comdey gold.
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by YvonLabresMoustache on Feb 14, 2011 7:16 AM EST reply actions
After 50 games, teams’ personalities are pretty much what they are. There should be no expectations of changes on that score. Any big changes would have to stem from institutional changes — a change behind the bench, a game-changer blockbuster of a trade.
Even as Philly squeaked into the playoffs last year on a Gimmick, one should not forget that after Peter Laviolette had his shakedown cruise after taking over (they went 2-7-1 in his first ten games), they finished up 26-17-4 before going to the finals. And after the Penguins changed coaches in 2009 they went 18-3-4 to close the season before winning the Cup.
The Caps have 26 games to do something to break out of their funk. But what that something will be, after 56 games of sleepwalking through the schedule, doesn’t seem to be likely to come from anyone currently drawing a paycheck, player or coach.
They are what they are.
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Judging by the last match, we can fully expect [the] Washingtonians – the last time the team plays just awful! The “capital” huge problems in the defensive line and in attack. I’m just disappointed … Then the first round with a game they are unlikely to pass, so we are waiting in the team for at least Semyon Varlamov, and at best – two Alexandrov, Ovechkin and Semin.
That’s a quote from Sergei Grimaev, Russian hockey teevee commentator, talking about this year’s Russian World Championship team. He was speaking from Stockholm at the conclusion of the Russia-Czech Republic game.
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I watch Ovechkin, and what seems to me to be the case is this. He is a very talented player, but what fuels his game is emotion. He is among the more demonstrably emotional players in the league. But last season — the suspensions, the media perspective on him, the losses in the Olympics and playoffs — seem to have sucked that passion right out of him. It’s left him just another “good” player this season — tied for ninth in scoring, tied for 21st in goals. But he doesn’t occupy the penthouse of NHL talents this season. It isn’t quite “going through the motions,” but he cant seem to find a fourth or fifth gear. And that engine being absent has a ripple effect — Backstrom’s points will be down (and they are), Semin doesn’t follow Ovechkin’s lead (hasn’t had a goal since we were eating Thanksiving leftovers) — and teams just don’t seem to fear the Capitals’ offense much.
If you've read this far...seek help.
by ThePeerless on Feb 14, 2011 7:53 AM EST up reply actions 2 recs
This is exactly how I have viewed Ovi. He is a player who thrives on the “in the moment” kind of emotion.
I will add that because of the suspensions he’s very careful with how he hits. He’s cautiously physical. If a big opportunity presents itself such as with Subban he will take it. But he no longer careens around the ice. I think he was told by the league to tone it down and he has struggled with the right balance.
I also believe that he is deliberately not expending every ounce of energy on the ice with the idea of not wearing his body out too early in the season and this has led to his erratic play. I don’t mean saving himself for the playoffs but rather not playing every game as if it were the playoffs.
Now that we are in the final stretch I am hoping that he brings out that extra hitch in speed and plays his former 110% and jumpstarts the team. I have long felt that where Ovi goes so goes the team, that he is the driver of this bus. It’s time for the driver to put the pedal to the metal.
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by capsyoungguns on Feb 14, 2011 8:48 AM EST up reply actions
I agree on Ovechkin, but Backstrom has been bad (at times awful), too, and Backs has had only a fraction of the disappointment that AO has in the last year, relative to expectations. AO is usually the player who steps it up and has everyone else follow his lead, but that’s clearly not the case this year and nobody else has stepped up. It’s truly amazing how one-dimensional this team is offensively: what do other teams have to fear beyond our top 3?
by DrinkingPartner on Feb 14, 2011 9:11 AM EST up reply actions
This isn’t just me as a Sasha fan, but I did not understand sitting him at the end of the Kings game when it was his 2nd game back. Other than Ovi, I think Backs’ play this season has been the most disappointing and puzzling. I can’t chalk it up to injuries (that we know of), he’s missed no games, and while there have been a few decent games from him, most of them are woefully lacking. I would have sat Backs. I did not get to watch the game, so maybe part of sitting Laich and Sasha was emotion at the moment for BB with that final goal. If this season flames out, I sure hope we find them back to somewhere between 2009-10 and now next season. I’m just feeling quite pessimistic.
We can’t sit Backstrom under any circumstance. He’s our only legit scoring center. And although he hasn’t put points up this year like he did last year he’s had a lot more defensive responsibilities heaped upon him due to our lack of center depth. If you can get Backstrom more o-zone starts, his point production will go up. But we don’t have the personnel to do that.
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I know it’s unlikely, but I think it would do him some good to watch a game from the press box — he never has. If BB was serious about sending a message, it’s a lot stronger message sitting Ovi or Backs than picking the low-hanging fruit at the moment. By the time he sat Laich and Sasha, the game was over. It really could not have been any worse if he had sat Backs or Ovi. In this stinking season so far, I’d like to see it, just once.
Backstrom deserved a benching as much as anyone Saturday and with the team down 4-1 the game was out of reach. On the early 3rd period PP, for example, the point men for the Caps would dump the puck in and several times he was the closest Cap along the boards. He didn’t bother to even try and win the battle or make the D hear footsteps.
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Imma wondering is Semin’s benching was less about message-sending and more about #wonkygroin.
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Possibly partly, but BB did say he was trying to send a message and Sasha and Laich had just been on for that 4th goal. From the replay there was a lot more broken down on that than just them. From the paranoid department, everyone knows BB hates Sasha. I’m almost afraid to watch the game tonight. Hoping for mirages that turn out to be miracles in the desert.
That’s just it. No one really hears it. It’s whispered by those who think they have inside knowledge of how the coaching staff really feel about him and gets thrown out there as one of those truths because someone said it. You know, Sasha doesn’t care, he doesn’t try, his teammates don’t like him, and BB hates coaching him. It’s laughable and exaggerated. Hence, the word “paranoid.”
I imagine he might be frustrating to coach at times, but if I hated people who frustrated me, I’d hate my kids. So, bottom line, I was mostly joking.
You hear that – Seminrocks hates his kids.
That is messed up.
I can resist anything, except temptation.
Actually, I think Sasha fared worse during the Hanlon regime. There was at least one occasion when after a bad penalty, he was stapled to the bench for the third period and then healthy scratched for the next game as well.
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That’s possible. I don’t think Semin has played on the PK yet since since his return. His first game back, Boudreau said he was running out of steam by the third period. Also, Semin took his option this morning and didn’t skate. Perhaps BB didn’t want to overtax him. Or maybe he was being punished along with Laich. Who really knows with BB, especially involving Mr. Enigma.
When I look at Nicky’s poor performance I can’t help but recall that analysis at BTN, WOWI I think it is called, which made the point that Backstrom needed Ovi for his point production whereas Ovi when playing well made any line better. It was maybe a month before Nicky signed his contract, and they were arguing that he made better trade bait. I hope he proves that analysis wrong and finds his game too.
Hockey won’t hold still for a portrait. To gain a glimpse inside you join it in progress—just as the players do.
by capsyoungguns on Feb 14, 2011 9:47 AM EST up reply actions
It’s called WOWY and it was written by Tyler Dellows over at mc79hockey.
WOWY Ovechkin
Valuing Nicklas Bäckström
You are misremembering some crucial parts of the analyzes.
Your previous opinions of WOWY and Nicklas
I'm not much of a regular - I only work here.
Thanks. I commented off the top of my head earlier and so you have to forgive me if I misremembered the piece. I can’t recal what I wrote and I’m not sure I want to find out although I am pretty sure I was resistant to the analysis (Dellows is not my favorite so I don’t go to that site that often—he’s rather dismissive and arrogant).
Nor am I saying now that he was necessarily right. Nicky’s my favorite player and I would certainly like to see him return to form as much as Ovi. I am still happy with them as a ten year tandem and think the signing was the highpoint of the summer.
I am open-minded enough to change my opinions as I learn more about a subject. And though I haven’t re-read the Dellow’s analysis it certainly stayed with me as I’ve tried to understand more about the statistical nature of hockey. I’ve learned a lot since then. Although I can’t even begin to do that kind of analysis myself so I have to rely on others such as Knee High for interpretation.
Hockey won’t hold still for a portrait. To gain a glimpse inside you join it in progress—just as the players do.
by capsyoungguns on Feb 14, 2011 7:27 PM EST up reply actions
It’s still worth noting that even through the sleepwalking, they’ve had unsustainably bad luck and shooting percentages. A few more shots drop and people aren’t nearly as close to throwing in the towel.
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by J.P. on Feb 14, 2011 8:20 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
We’ve made the point before, but the key element here is the power play, and this is what is so confounding about the Caps’ performance this season. I get that the team is trying to tighten up their own end of the ice. That should have (and has had) an effect on penalty killing, to the good. And a more conservative approach at even strength will result in lower even strength goals (though the 5-on-5 ration certainly has plummeted this year).
The power play is a different animal. The relationship of a club playing tighter defense to its inability to produce with the man advantage isn’t clear. Playing tighter defense should not have had this kind of effect on the power play, so much so that the Caps are on a pace to score 32 fewer PP goals than they had last season. They are on a pace to score fewer power play goals (47) than four teams already have right now (VAN, CHI, SJS, TBL).
If you've read this far...seek help.
Florida’s PP was something like 7% through half the season. So unfortunately these bad spells can last. But we’ve also now seen that their true talent is much higher. Ditto for this team. They’ll figure it out…eventually.
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by red army line on Feb 14, 2011 8:40 AM EST up reply actions
It’s still really funny to me that so many beat to death how, “the regular season doesn’t matter”, “they don’t need to win the division, just get into the playoff’s” “individual accolades aren’t important”, “the second season is all that counts”..etc, etc, etc. and now..
The sky is falling, the panic buttons are being pressed, the Caps are being dismissed in some cases to even get in the playoffs and in others past round one. The booing totally pisses me off, I want better from the team for sure, I want to see good hockey, I want to see an effort put forth. No team plays a perfect 60 minutes every game, it’s an impossible idea, but yeah I want to see them put forth at least 35 minutes a game. The kicker to me is that it ‘seems’ like a lot of this started with the Habs last year. Didn’t the power play start faltering during that series?? Didn’t the scoring start drying up then too? Focus was on needing to be able to win close games, games by 1 or 2 goals back then. So what happened? What was changed in those games that started this?? I’ve been trying to figure it out for months, I don’t believe that the new defensive focus is what caused this. Anyone???
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Vogs:
Despite allowing four unanswered goals – three of them in the third period – against Los Angeles, the Caps have surrendered only 45 goals in their last 24 games.
Amazing.
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About GM , BB , and future of our team – my point of what i think . More and more questions coming up about what going on with Caps top players ? In my opinion its a lock of effort , discipline , dedication , to play for 60 minutes every game ; Caps don’t need to go to OT or SO , this is the way for losers only which let them to get a point in the standings . Caps are a better team , and if they continue to play like this – they will not going to reach the point to play and bring the highest trophy to Washington ! I honestly suspecting that best players on team playing with injuries , otherwise i cant explain why they suddenly became very average ,lost intensity , and if GM & BB ignoring it and steel forcing them to play with injuries – its very wrong , we all know that regular season mining nothing for teams with high expectations . We have so many good players in AHL Bears who will bee glad to replace the injured players until they healthy and ready to go for the playoffs , meanwhile the young kids from Hershey will do everything possible with a given to them chance to prove that they can do it on a regular bases – the whole organization and Caps FANS will win . Otherwise GM&BB got to go and the season is lost again !!!!!!! P.S . 9 days later i was correct with analysis i have made . The TIME is NOW – management made foolish & stupid decisions as always – extending Potty and Semin contracts and not even trying to address team`s problems , the coach couldn’t prove to people who forced him to change the team`s style of play ; THEY GOT TO GO , Team going on a road for 5 games , and the most points we can hope for is 5 and with 21 games left they looking for going to playoffs as 6 th seeded team in East which will provide them a chance to face Philadelphia as # 1 vs Caps # 8 , or Tampa # 2 vs Caps # 7 , or Boston # 3 vs Caps # 6 , or other vise ! LETS GET READY FOR NEXT YEAR !!!!! PERSONALLY – I WILL NOT BUY SEASON TICKETS FOR NEXT YEAR UNLESS RADICAL CHANGES MADE RIGHT NOW , CAPS FANS DESERVE A BETTER FATE !
You had me at “lock of effort.”
"We know the answers have to come from this room," Hendricks said. "They're in here."
by bigonetimer on Feb 14, 2011 8:12 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
I was personally sold on “steel forcing them to play with injuries”
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by YvonLabresMoustache on Feb 14, 2011 8:18 AM EST up reply actions
Mr. Leonsis, don’t forget your conference call at 8:15.
"Here's what you do. First you go to Rotterdam, then you go to Amsterdam, then you get on the road to my city. It's a little place called I don't give a damn."
by Bald Pollack on Feb 14, 2011 8:13 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
I dunno if he’ll make it, considering at that time he’ll be
mining nothing for teams with high expectations
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by YvonLabresMoustache on Feb 14, 2011 8:19 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Relax. This team looks terrible, but at worst it’s a middling team in the league, right? It scores as much as it gives up, so intuitively that should be ~15th (there are currently 15 teams with positive goal differentials, not including the Caps, and Tampa Bay is even).
I want to see more Andrew Gordon up with the big club. His underlying numbers suggest he was pretty effective in his nine games with Washington—he’s probably not that good, but I think that at least he’s earned another shot, and could feasibly be a good contributor for the playoffs. I wonder if there’s enough time to find him a roster spot and get a good look.
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by red army line on Feb 14, 2011 8:21 AM EST up reply actions
Maybe when A Gord is healthy again…
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Not good news as this tweet means Gordon didn’t make the trip to Norfolk…
AndrewGordon10
“When im used to having a house with 3 roomies in it, this place seems eerily quiet today. Tonights agenda: Caps game.”
Obviously, I prefer he returns when he’s healthy and he shouldn’t sit on the bus like he did last weekend if he’s not going to play, but I was hoping he was ready to return.
Yeah, me too. Maybe the bus ride to Providence wasn’t such a good idea if it’s his back that’s bothering him. Riding to Norfolk would be just as bad.
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"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 want to see more Andrew Gordon up with the big club.
I lieu of whom? Your assertion that the Caps really aren’t that bad is based on the idea that their PDO will eventually regress to the mean, so in that case, you’ve got to keep the guys around who are due for a regression: Knuble, Laich, and Chimera (to say nothing of those three players’ PK contributions).
So then you’re left sitting one of the following: Hendricks, Bradley, or Gordon (assuming BB won’t sit Ovie or Semin if they’re healthy). And then you’ve got Fehr coming back in around a week. I wouldn’t mind giving Gordo a seat, but given his faceoff abilities and PK contributions. . . Benching Hendricks at this point would send all sorts of wrong messages to the team – he’s one of a handful of guys who shows up every game and does what the coaches ask of him. Maybe you could sit Bradley, but it’s not as though he’s massively underperforming, either and he’s gotten in several scraps over the last couple weeks in a vain attempt to fire the team up.
A. Gordon isn’t going to fix what’s wrong with this team – there are only two guys who can do that. A. Ovechkin and G. McPhee.
I blame Schultz
by D'ohboy on Feb 14, 2011 8:36 AM EST up reply actions 2 recs
Your assertion that the Caps really aren’t that bad is based on the idea that their PDO will eventually regress to the mean
No, the Caps’ PDO is roughly normal. It’s 99.6%, per JLikens’ most recent count.
I wonder if there’s enough time to find him a roster spot and get a good look.
Obviously someone has to go. I don’t know who—ideally it’s subbing for someone on IR.
Honestly, I wonder what would happen if you sit Marjo, put Semin-Laich-Fehr on the 2nd line, and move Gordon to 3C. Marjo has been taking a lot of the offensive zone starts—he’s at 60%—and while he himself has decent rate stats, while he’s on the ice the Caps are outshot—outshot, not outFenwick’d or out-Corsi’d—by roughly 6 shots per 60. That’s easily worst on the team. That also means Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom have to start much more in the defensive zone than they have in the past.
For sake of comparison, David Steckel, the only Cap who trails Marjo in Corsi Rel, has much tougher zonestart (by 19%!), tougher competition, and lesser teammates, yet is only outshot by ~1 shot/60.
I love Marjo, but he and a couple of other Caps are being outmatched by their minutes. I can’t remember exactly how A. Gordon looked—I don’t think he looked all that out of place—and he looks good by Corsi, 50% by scoring chances, so I figure hey, worth a shot.
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by red army line on Feb 14, 2011 8:52 AM EST up reply actions
Rather…after the deadline there is no roster limit, right? Call him up then. (although I vaguely remember something about call-up limits post-deadline)
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by red army line on Feb 14, 2011 8:54 AM EST up reply actions
No, the Caps’ PDO is roughly normal. It’s 99.6%, per JLikens’ most recent count.
OK then, but you’ve repeatedly stated (and I agree) that the Caps’ team-wide shooting percentage is due for a regression and those three players (along with Ovechkin) are prime candidates to see their shooting % increase.
I blame Schultz
Alright, I should’ve figured. My bad.
Question to all: would you rather the team’s percentages at even strength stay the same, or have the shooting improve but goaltending get worse? I’m picking the way it is now. I’ll take my chances with the PP.
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by red army line on Feb 14, 2011 9:18 AM EST up reply actions
If this team can sustain its 5v5 play (maybe a few more goals for) and fix the PP, they’d be much, much better.
The problem is that the 5v5 and 4v5 defense depend a lot on seemingly “hot” goaltending from Varly. I’m not sure that’s going to continue.
If the goaltending regresses and the Caps’ shooting doesn’t improve . . . we’re looking at a potential non-playoff team.
I blame Schultz
You describe a team with a PDO of significantly less than 100 in your last statement, really. Those kinds of teams are always at risk of not making the playoffs.
IF they can keep the PDO at ~100, and IF they can start to get some goals on the PP, then they’ll win some games. As horrid as the PP has looked lately, though, I’m not so confident that it will shake out that way. I mean, they didn’t even get any shots against the Kings…
Patron saint of quality footwear.
You know what was amazing? Chicago had the 3rd worst team PDO last year, per Skinnyfish’s numbers. And they had the third best record.
My blog and Twitter, featuring coverage of the most frustrating team in the NHL
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If I reference a lot of stats, just assume I haven't seen anything to contradict or invalidate them.
by red army line on Feb 14, 2011 1:30 PM EST up reply actions
Absolutely elite shot suppressing team. Best shot differential in the NHL by a laughable margin and two standard deviations from the mean in their ratio of shots for/against. I don’t know if people realize how ridiculous that CHI team was at holding the puck. They may not have had the elite finishers that some other teams do, but damned if their 2nd, 3rd and 4th lines weren’t better than everyone else’s.
"Essentially, all models are wrong, but some are useful" George E.P. Box
by Knee high to a duck on Feb 14, 2011 5:27 PM EST up reply actions
I was thinking they should move Laich to center and have someone replace MP85 who can play wing. If the best candidate for that is Gordon then bring him up. The fact is Perreault is not playing at an NHL level right now. Maybe he’d benefit from a move to RW/LW himself.
The Kolzilla PR department has advised me to post a link to my work at Inside Hockey, so here it is.
www.Insidehockey.com
I have no idea what’s going on with Perreault. I just hope BB figures out when his bad games are happening pretty early on and gives him easy minutes then, since when he’s on, he’s on, and his aggregate Corsi numbers are close to best on the team as a result.
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If I reference a lot of stats, just assume I haven't seen anything to contradict or invalidate them.
by red army line on Feb 14, 2011 1:31 PM EST up reply actions
I’ve been wondering for a while now why Laich at C hasn’t been tried.
by mechanicsville on Feb 14, 2011 2:17 PM EST up reply actions
Not this season, IIRC. And seeing that they’re trying everything else…
by mechanicsville on Feb 14, 2011 5:22 PM EST up reply actions
“extending Potty”
Don’t you call him that in front of Becca.
"If they could figure out a way to channel my anger, they could solve the energy crisis."
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by Steck It Out on Feb 14, 2011 10:11 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
Game time tonight?
Does anyone know what time the game is supposed to start tonight? the caps website says 8, but ESPN says 9. Anyone know for sure?
Unleash the Fury
by hankthetank5503 on Feb 14, 2011 8:45 AM EST reply actions
8
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by YvonLabresMoustache on Feb 14, 2011 8:47 AM EST up reply actions
From the Versus website:
Tonight
Capitals at Coyotes, 8 ET
Post has the same time, FWIW
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So no Joe B tonight?
The problem with some people is that when they aren't drunk, they're sober. ---William Butler Yeats
Kinda weird, even for PST, to have a 5 pm game, huh?
by DrinkingPartner on Feb 14, 2011 9:14 AM EST up reply actions
Ah, makes more sense, then. They must be right on the edge of PST, then.
by DrinkingPartner on Feb 14, 2011 9:18 AM EST up reply actions
AZ doesn’t do daylight savings time, so they switch between mountain and pacific time. It’s their change to be on pseudo-national TV, so they’ll take a 6pm game.
Just trying to capture the spirit of the thing...
by dcsportsfan1 on Feb 14, 2011 9:21 AM EST up reply actions
8 o’clock… it was 9, but it was moved for Versus. The Coyotes were ok with moving the game to 8 so that people in the USA would realize there is a team called the Phoenix Coyotes playing in the NHL.
Washington Capitals 2009-10 = Quebec Nordiques 1994-95
--- D'ohboy
by MikeL-Pivonka on Feb 14, 2011 12:43 PM EST up reply actions
Too bad the people of Phoenix will still be at work or in traffic at that time.
"I remembered when he said that and I kind of looked at him during the warm up and told myself that I got to shut these guys out tonight." - Michal Neuvirth, 02.06.11.
Admittedly. Although some may get a few minutes off…
Washington Capitals 2009-10 = Quebec Nordiques 1994-95
--- D'ohboy
by MikeL-Pivonka on Feb 14, 2011 1:32 PM EST up reply actions
Kuznetsov
Saw this over the weekend. TSN blog about newly acquired Leaf prospect Gardiner. At the bottom, the writer previews TSN’s top 5 prospects which will include Kuznuts, along with Schenn, R. Johansen, Tarasenko and Gudbranson (no order given). Good company for our boy.
And Holtby made the top 20 for the 2008 class. Good for him.
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by capsyoungguns on Feb 14, 2011 9:38 AM EST up reply actions
It’ll be interesting to see if Kuznetsov plays on a line with Ovechkin/Semin at this year’s World Championships. (2% snark)
After last year’s Olympics, how does Bykov still have a job(ov)?
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by YvonLabresMoustache on Feb 14, 2011 10:35 AM EST up reply actions
Compromising photos of someone?
"It's always good to have vikings."
"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."
Usually it means that the photos are of someone with someone else, or worse someone with something else…
Washington Capitals 2009-10 = Quebec Nordiques 1994-95
--- D'ohboy
by MikeL-Pivonka on Feb 14, 2011 12:45 PM EST up reply actions
Patronage. Vlad Putin personally intervened when the Federation was ready to fire him. He does have a slightly shorter leash now, however.
You perhaps knew me better as "Your Nation's Capital." Same great commentary, now with 100% more transparency!
Patronage? Of course.
Russia needs its own Pendleton Act. Someone call Chester A. Arthurovich.
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by YvonLabresMoustache on Feb 14, 2011 10:44 AM EST up reply actions
Right now, Coach bykov says “nyet” to Kuz in the WC. He would like to have him but thinks that since Traktor didn’t make the playoffs and Kuz will be playing in the “youth” league, he won’t be adequately prepared for high-level int’l competition against men.
That being said, the kid did have 3 pts in three games.
You perhaps knew me better as "Your Nation's Capital." Same great commentary, now with 100% more transparency!
He would like to have him
Do you have a link for that? I’d love to read Bykov being all positive about something, I didn’t think he had it in him.
I'm not much of a regular - I only work here.
Not in so many words, no. But that was the feel I got from his statemnts.
You perhaps knew me better as "Your Nation's Capital." Same great commentary, now with 100% more transparency!
If you're doing ups & downs today, try this for the whole team
That isn’t Cupid’s arrow, either.
by Seminrocks on Feb 14, 2011 9:21 AM EST reply actions 1 recs
Brutal. But truth.
Hockey won’t hold still for a portrait. To gain a glimpse inside you join it in progress—just as the players do.
by capsyoungguns on Feb 14, 2011 9:35 AM EST up reply actions
Lewiston vs. Quebec Weekend
This is a little late, but oh well.
Over the weekend I went to both Lewiston-Quebec games (Lewiston lost 7-1 Fri, and lost 4-2 Sat). For now I’m just going to look at the drafted folks. It will also be brief since I have to go to class soon.
Friday night, Lewiston just looked terrible. Quebec was faster, bigger, and able to completely dictate the play of the game, as you’d expect when a team wins 7-1. There were a handful of players that stood out in the game to me. On Lewiston, Kabanov was the only one playing like he had any confidence and trying anything with the puck. The rest of the team was just trying stretch passes that were broken up or left a player in a 1-on-3 situation. Lewiston didn’t seem to have any response when Quebec was shutting down their game-plan (though I don’t watch enough to know what that is). On the other side, Champagne was clearly Quebec’s best F, and outclassed most other skaters, though not quite at a man among boys type level. Quebec’s goalie Domingue played solid in both games, and was pretty good positionally. However a couple things I noticed were that he likes to wander out of the net, yet is not the best stickhandler, was a little shaky on rebounds, and he’s got a bit of a temper (like his coach)!
The second game was a lot closer, as the score shows. The same players stood out as the best on the ice, however Chaput for Lewiston also showed some flashes of why he was drafted. The reffing very well might have screwed Lewiston out of this game, though Lewiston’s PP was looking terrible, and this perhaps was where losing Carrier hurt them the most. They couldn’t get much sustained time, and never seemed to have a coherent set up or PPQB (though Kabanov was the closest as far as I could tell). But Quebec got a couple of their goals on terrible penalty calls by the ref (I made sure to let him know I was none too pleased with his calls, in some creative manners). Quebec iced it at the end with an ENG. Overall this one was a good game, a little tarnished by the reffing, but the better team still one.
In between periods my friend and I were getting a beer and got to shake Patrick Roy’s hand which was pretty awesome. He also seems to have the ear of his players from what I could tell (albeit a very limited sampling), and he speaks both French and English to them.
And at the first intermission of the second game, the Lewiston scratches were supposed to be signing autographs, but unfortunately Carrier wasn’t there, even though he had a seat and was announced as being there, oh well.
I have planned my grand attacks; I will stand behind their backs. With my brand new battle-axe, they will taste my wrath. They will hear me say as the pavement whirls, "I hate California girls."
by Steckel Me Elmo on Feb 14, 2011 10:10 AM EST reply actions 5 recs
Awesome.
Lewiston’s 2nd behind Quebec in the East – it’s good to see, though, that Carrier is a pretty big part of their team.
And even more awesome that you got to shake Patrick Roy’s hand.
"If they could figure out a way to channel my anger, they could solve the energy crisis."
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by Steck It Out on Feb 14, 2011 10:14 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
Birthday Bio Heads Up
I will likely be doing a birthday bio on Calle Jo today —one of my all-time favourite Caps’ blueliners-but it likely won’t get posted until tonight. This little something called my job seems to hinder any progress on it during the day.
Rice is great if you're really hungry and want to eat two thousand of something.
oops script fail on my part…he is one’s of my all time fave Caps’ blueliners.
Rice is great if you're really hungry and want to eat two thousand of something.
by Rather Bengt on Feb 14, 2011 10:18 AM EST up reply actions
Geez, make up your mind. Is he or isn’t he?
The problem with some people is that when they aren't drunk, they're sober. ---William Butler Yeats
Guess you will have to read the bio to find out.
Rice is great if you're really hungry and want to eat two thousand of something.
by Rather Bengt on Feb 14, 2011 10:35 AM EST up reply actions
A shoutout to Mike Keane
One of my favourite, hard-working NHLers had his # retired on the weekend by the AHL Manitoba Moose. He won a Stanley Cup ring with three different clubs (MON, COL and DAL). Class guy and good gritty player. Congrats Mike.
Rice is great if you're really hungry and want to eat two thousand of something.
by Rather Bengt on Feb 14, 2011 10:45 AM EST reply actions 3 recs
He finally retired?
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by YvonLabresMoustache on Feb 14, 2011 10:49 AM EST up reply actions
The Moose released him last July I believe.
Rice is great if you're really hungry and want to eat two thousand of something.
by Rather Bengt on Feb 14, 2011 10:51 AM EST up reply actions
No prob D’oh. I knew you would appreciate it more than most. By the way mate, did you see the highlights to that crazy Portland-Spokane game on the weekend where the Winterhawks scored 5 goals in 1:59? Check here if you haven’t.
Rice is great if you're really hungry and want to eat two thousand of something.
by Rather Bengt on Feb 14, 2011 11:28 AM EST up reply actions
000
By the way, has anyone noticed a certain resemblance between Trevor Gillies and a certain officer from The Wire?
Separated at frickin’ birth, those two.
by Wheeler on Feb 14, 2011 10:55 AM EST reply actions 4 recs
Although his characters persona in the Wire was an exact opposite of Gillies pesona….maybe evil twin?
Blank this Blankburgh Team - AO
Not really… Colicchio was a hotheaded scumbag. Gillies is a hotheaded “fill-in-the-blank-depending-on-what-team-you-root-for”.
You had me at no problem.
meh…Colicchio was a brutal police in a brutal town…he did like knockin some heads….but he really didnt like Hamsterdam nor did he like associate with known criminals…I find him to be moral on many levels where I dont see that in Gilliies
Blank this Blankburgh Team - AO
I could go on for a while on this /OT topic… But Colicchio was repulsive. His signature moment was pulling a teacher head-first out of his car window just for politely asking Colicchio to move his cruiser a few inches to let traffic past, and then he refused to apologize afterwards.
And being someone who fervently believes in The Wire’s central message(the drug war is destructive, futile, and should be ended via drug legalization), I didn’t like his actions re: Hamsterdam. I don’t buy him as a good guy.
You had me at no problem.
I would agree, Ninjak. Colicchio was the unreformed brute and definitely did not show many redeeming qualities. He was the archetype of the perfect foot solider for doing police work the wrong way (old-fashioned and simple), in the view of the writers. /OT
"Game's the same. Just got more fierce."
by Hooks Orpik on Feb 14, 2011 11:28 AM EST up reply actions
Looking forward to Friedman’s 30 thoughts more than usual this morning and that’s saying something. In the meantime here is today’s Dreger Report.
when does 30 Thoughts usually go up?
btw, coming to beanpot?
Pledge Drive 2010-2011: SO KIDS CAN!! Help build a playground
re: Dreger report—Good to read why the Panthers released Grabner. I was wondering why they did after obtaining him in the Ballard trade. The kid has wheels. I have enjoyed watching him when I have this year.
Rice is great if you're really hungry and want to eat two thousand of something.
by Rather Bengt on Feb 14, 2011 11:46 AM EST up reply actions
From reports Grabner didn’t have a good camp, but given the roster, it was crazy at the time IMO that they waived him, looks even worse now. Then again, there were a number of decisions made by Florida this summer/camp/season which I don’t understand.
The waiver aspect confounds me. No one was willing to trade for him? Or Tallon really thought he would clear?
According to Toronto Sun hockey writer Steve Simmons, the Leafs were giving Grabner serious consideration when he was on waivers and eventually passed.
Rice is great if you're really hungry and want to eat two thousand of something.
by Rather Bengt on Feb 14, 2011 6:53 PM EST up reply actions
Who had number one priority on the waiver wire when Grabner was available. Were I GMGM I would have put in a claim, even if it was unlikely that another team lower wouldn’t claim him.
I have planned my grand attacks; I will stand behind their backs. With my brand new battle-axe, they will taste my wrath. They will hear me say as the pavement whirls, "I hate California girls."
by Steckel Me Elmo on Feb 14, 2011 7:41 PM EST up reply actions
PTO Merry-Go_Round in Hershey
jwaltonhockey
“Bears have released Andrew Carroll and Chris Blight from their PTO’s, and have signed Ryan Cruthers to a PTO this morning.”
McKenzie tweets that Forsberg is hanging it up. For realz.
TSNBobMcKenzie Peter Forsberg announcing his retirement from hockey today.
"It's always good to have vikings."
"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 read that item and was pretty surprised. He got to play his last few games in an AVs jersey before retiring.
Didn’t see any of the games, but I got the impression he wasn’t playing well. Or at least by his standards.
"It's always good to have vikings."
"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."
Not unless someone is hacking McKenzie’s twitter account.
TSNBobMcKenzie 2:30 MT news conference in Denver for Forsberg to announce his retirement from hockey.
"It's always good to have vikings."
"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 I didn’t even have to call you to tell you about it.
Just for the record this is the first time he retires in his career.
I'm not much of a regular - I only work here.
Any more details in the Swedish press?
Is he planning to play tonight in the home game before he stops playing in the NHL or were the 2 games it?
Sure sounds like he isn’t playing tonight, if so it’s too bad for Forsberg and for the fans.
http://blogs.denverpost.com/avs/2011/02/14/the-final-clues-to-forsbergs-end/6474/
(sorry, i know he’s a fav. sucks for both the avs and the league that he’s not feeling up for the rest of the season.)
by Natty Bumppo on Feb 14, 2011 11:58 AM EST up reply actions
i’ll be interested to hear if it’s a new injury or the same nagging ankle/feet issues. i kind of figured he’d sit every three or four games (hence the reason i was teasing you on saturday, d’oh), but after all the build-up and practicing with the team for an extended period, i’m really surprised he’s bowing out so soon.
by Natty Bumppo on Feb 14, 2011 12:06 PM EST up reply actions
I think it’s down in large part to the fact that the Avs are out of the playoffs right now. That team looks lost. I wonder if the organization said, “look Peter, this may be time for us to consider selling pieces off – do you want to look into a trade?” and he might’ve decided he didn’t want to.
I blame Schultz
that sounds plausible. but i’d guess that’s not the story we’ll hear at the press conference, even if it is how the events played out.
by Natty Bumppo on Feb 14, 2011 12:16 PM EST up reply actions
I doubt that is the issue as I believe that would have been a conversation that took place before he returned. He practiced with the team, signed, played 2 games. The team was already struggling as it is true that the Avs are playing poorly and that there are issues with all the injuries on that team.
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by YvonLabresMoustache on Feb 14, 2011 11:55 AM EST up reply actions 4 recs
Brilliant.
"Here's what you do. First you go to Rotterdam, then you go to Amsterdam, then you get on the road to my city. It's a little place called I don't give a damn."
by Bald Pollack on Feb 14, 2011 12:01 PM EST up reply actions
There is a huge difference of course. I can’t think of any other way I wish Foppa had handled things, given the nature and severity of his health issues. I can’t say the same for Favre…
Wearing the weagle is a way a’ life
by Gould Old Days on Feb 14, 2011 4:06 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
That’s unfortunate that it didn’t work out for him. Still one of my all-time favourites.
Rice is great if you're really hungry and want to eat two thousand of something.
by Rather Bengt on Feb 14, 2011 12:02 PM EST up reply actions
After seeing the Olympics, I wondered why he even bothered. I guess he saw Gill and thought “hey, he’s still skating in the NHL…..”
Am I mad, that I should cherish that which bears but bitter fruit?
I will pluck it from my bosom, tho' my heart be at the root.
Todd or Hal?
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by YvonLabresMoustache on Feb 14, 2011 12:15 PM EST up reply actions
All the enmity I had for Hall Gill went out the window when during an interview he was sort of bummed about not being able to skate over in time to celebrate with everyone else on the ice for an OT goal.
Am I mad, that I should cherish that which bears but bitter fruit?
I will pluck it from my bosom, tho' my heart be at the root.
Raise your hand if you’re actually surprised.
"[Weber] shoots like MacInnis, hits like Stevens." - Jeff Marek
by Chris Burton on Feb 14, 2011 2:49 PM EST up reply actions
I’m surprised it was so soon, but I’m glad he’s not stringing it out.
by DrinkingPartner on Feb 14, 2011 3:00 PM EST up reply actions
comparing john tavares and matt duchene
at this point in the season:
both with 21 goals.
both with 26 assists.
duchene ATOI 18:55, tavares ATOI 19:04.
duchene a minus-1, tavares a minus-21.
i don’t think the comparisons are going to stop any time soon. will be fun to watch over the next couple of seasons.
They had pretty similar stats last year too.
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by YvonLabresMoustache on Feb 14, 2011 12:16 PM EST up reply actions
indeed!
tavares: 24 goals, 30 assists, minus-15, ATOI 18:00.
duchene: 24 goals, 31 assists, plus-1, ATOI 17:44.
by Natty Bumppo on Feb 14, 2011 12:19 PM EST up reply actions
And yet Tavares had almost none of the pub Duchene got. Duchene’s team also made the playoffs, which is probably why.
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by YvonLabresMoustache on Feb 14, 2011 12:20 PM EST up reply actions
tavares also started like a bat out of hell, but then trailed off as the season wore down on him. duchene really established himself in the middle of the year. this year it’s been the opposite, with tavares starting slow and catching up to duchene’s early pace.
by Natty Bumppo on Feb 14, 2011 12:24 PM EST up reply actions
WOOO! Per Katie:
Eric Fehr is in a regular, white practice jersey this morning so he’s been cleared for contact.
If anyone needs me, I'll be at Kettler.
All systems are go, F-16 is cleared for take-off
John Carlson - Glory follows him.
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…insert the theme from Top Gun here…
Washington Capitals 2009-10 = Quebec Nordiques 1994-95
--- D'ohboy
by MikeL-Pivonka on Feb 14, 2011 12:47 PM EST up reply actions
How can you think with that music on?
The Artist Formerly Known as CP2Devil.
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by Carl Putnam on Feb 14, 2011 12:53 PM EST up reply actions
Iron Eagle.Get it right.
Iron Weagle. Get it right.
You perhaps knew me better as "Your Nation's Capital." Same great commentary, now with 100% more transparency!
by EmilyB on Feb 14, 2011 12:55 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs
Based on all the tweets in my feed it seems, the topic of morning skates on game day is back. Would someone please show me one study that show morning skates are helpful to performance? Do you run 3 miles 8 hours before running a marathon?
I really wish teams would just do away with them altogether except for scratches or guys coming off injury.
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by YvonLabresMoustache on Feb 14, 2011 12:37 PM EST up reply actions
Actually I think there are studies showing the opposite, that they can be bad…and I completely forgot today was a morning skate and not a practice :P I wouldn’t have been as up in arms about Ovi/Semin skipping it if I’d paid attention.
If anyone needs me, I'll be at Kettler.
I wouldn’t have been as up in arms about Ovi/Semin skipping it if I’d paid attention.
I wouldn’t be as up in arms about it if (more than a couple of times) they actually showed up to play in the game a few hours later.
"Here's what you do. First you go to Rotterdam, then you go to Amsterdam, then you get on the road to my city. It's a little place called I don't give a damn."
by Bald Pollack on Feb 14, 2011 1:22 PM EST up reply actions
There are plenty of studies showing that they sap energy from an athlete’s evening performance. But that is besides the point. Semin and Ovechkin not showing up — when everyone else dragged out of bed for the the purpose — looks bad to the public and has to look bad to their teammates as well.
and has to look bad to their teammates as well
Based on what? I haven’t heard one player on the Caps ever complain about players not showing up for morning skates. There’s a reason every team’s morning skates are optional and it’s because they make the ice available solely for players who feel the need to loosen up in the morning. There’s no practicing involved. It’s entirely individual preference whether to show up or not. Only around here does it become a referendum on Ovi’s qualifications to be captain.
I don’t think I’ve heard one player on the Caps ever complain about anything in connection with another player, so I wouldn’t expect one to blab to the media about a player not practicing. That doesn’t mean they don’t notice. I am thinking of my own experience competing at the college level as well as day-to-day experience in the workplace.
It looks bad from the outside when everyone but Ovechkin and Semin participate. There could easily be something else going on we don’t know about, but again, everyone else seemed to participate.
The Kolzilla PR department has advised me to post a link to my work at Inside Hockey, so here it is.
www.Insidehockey.com
As long as from the outside, it looks like the Caps outscored the other team during the game, I don’t give a damn how anything else looks from the outside.
Wearing the weagle is a way a’ life
by Gould Old Days on Feb 14, 2011 4:08 PM EST up reply actions
Neither do I. I figure the players only meeting should buy them at least 25 minutes of solid effort so if they don’t at least look competitive tonight then, well, Ovie’s gonna have to answer questions.
The Kolzilla PR department has advised me to post a link to my work at Inside Hockey, so here it is.
www.Insidehockey.com
I’m sure you know the history of it, but Phil Esposito has many times said that the purpose of the morning skate was to get the booze/hangover out of the players’ systems. It seems antiquated at this point, but we know how they love their habits.
Looking past the point of morning skates being superfluous (and lets not kid ourselves, the players probably don’t need them) – for any team in the NHL who’s struggling, does it not look bad for a captain to semi-regularly skip them? I’m not singling out Washington, because its done elsewhere, too. Legitimately wondering on this one.
"[Weber] shoots like MacInnis, hits like Stevens." - Jeff Marek
by Chris Burton on Feb 14, 2011 2:52 PM EST up reply actions
I don’t think he semi-regularly skips them. I think we hear about it when he does, which is about the only time this ever comes up (and I partly blame myself for freaking out about it on Twitter before I remembered it wasn’t practice, just a morning skate).
I honestly don’t know how many he skips and how many he attends. All I know is that his teammates don’t seem to mind when he doesn’t go, and I also know that I’ve been to several morning skates and he’s been at every one.
If anyone needs me, I'll be at Kettler.
does it not look bad for a captain to semi-regularly skip them? I’m not singling out Washington
My question was more directed towards captain protocol than it was Ovechkin policy.
"[Weber] shoots like MacInnis, hits like Stevens." - Jeff Marek
by Chris Burton on Feb 14, 2011 2:57 PM EST up reply actions
I think that 36 hours after a closed door players only meeting, for him to take his option today he’d better crap tiffany cufflinks tonight (and demand the same from the other 17 guys).
"Here's what you do. First you go to Rotterdam, then you go to Amsterdam, then you get on the road to my city. It's a little place called I don't give a damn."
by Bald Pollack on Feb 14, 2011 3:01 PM EST up reply actions
I definitely agree. I know that if the same happened in Nashville and Shea Weber decided to sleep in or whatever I’d be enraged.
"[Weber] shoots like MacInnis, hits like Stevens." - Jeff Marek
by Chris Burton on Feb 14, 2011 3:03 PM EST up reply actions
Yeah, but if he’s R&R-ing or whatever to better prepare him for the night’s game, what difference does it make? He’s a pro, like everyone else there. I don’t think it’s a big deal.
by DrinkingPartner on Feb 14, 2011 3:04 PM EST up reply actions
Well, like I said – if this was a practice I’d be more pissed off. And I also thought Ovi was one of the better players in that LA loss (bar low and all that, but still) so reflecting on it more and more I don’t mind. Add in the fact that Semin is still probably not 100%…yeah, I’m fine with it.
I do think it would have sent a good signal about hard work had Ovi taken the morning skate, for what it’s worth. I just don’t think it sends a BAD signal that he didn’t.
If anyone needs me, I'll be at Kettler.
I’d say it’s as much on the coach for letting them skip. “Maintenance days” should mean that they’re in yellow no-contact jerseys, unless they’ve specifically asked for a day off ahead of time.
by DrinkingPartner on Feb 14, 2011 3:07 PM EST up reply actions
And I probably wouldn’t be as annoyed with it if they hadn’t had that meeting post-Saturday. But after everyone in that room talking about whatever they talked about, seeing the guy who’s the leader (and will be for the foreseeable future) not out there with everyone else this morning? Bad optics to say the least.
"Here's what you do. First you go to Rotterdam, then you go to Amsterdam, then you get on the road to my city. It's a little place called I don't give a damn."
by Bald Pollack on Feb 14, 2011 3:08 PM EST up reply actions
Ehhhhhhh, even still, it’s just a morning skate. Like Becca said, it would speak much louder if it was practice. Morning skate seems to be the equivalent of meeting in the break room for morning donuts: some people do it, every day, and others just don’t. That’s all.
by DrinkingPartner on Feb 14, 2011 3:11 PM EST up reply actions
Yeah, but If it’s a morning donut meeting a day and a half after an “equivalent” mandatory employee one, what does it say when your team leader and his best friend who also works for the company (and was apparently discliplined for poor performance) don’t at least show up today and say hi?
I appreciate it’s more habitual than anything, and I understand that not much is to be gained by it physically, but there’s a symbolic perspective that I can’t get over. If they combine for another 3 SOG night tonight, the first game after a players-only meeting, there’s something to be said for their repeated skips.
"Here's what you do. First you go to Rotterdam, then you go to Amsterdam, then you get on the road to my city. It's a little place called I don't give a damn."
by Bald Pollack on Feb 14, 2011 3:20 PM EST up reply actions
I personally think it doesn’t mean anything. As we’ve seen from 24/7, even when they’re sick, they’re not calling out and staying home, they’re coming in and getting the doctor to look at them. It’s not like they’re literally missing from the scene.
But yeah, if they shit the bed again, I’d expect something to change.
by DrinkingPartner on Feb 14, 2011 3:25 PM EST up reply actions
Agreed. The Caps aren’t in a full-blown crisis, but a players-only meeting is indicative of significant problems. A captain has more responsibility than his peers and, if he isn’t seen as doing absolutely everything that he can, he sends a message to his teammates. Even if it just means showing up for an optional morning skate during which nothing actually gets done, the symbolism is meaningful to his teammates and not just to the world outside that unit. (I don’t think it would be much of an issue if motivation/some sort of psychological block didn’t play such a part in the current problems the Caps are facing.)
Got my user name back from the dingo...
the symbolism is meaningful to his teammates
Again, I really don’t think so. It means something to us, but I’d be surprised if they thought so.
by DrinkingPartner on Feb 14, 2011 3:46 PM EST up reply actions
Years ago after Mario got tossed for the Krygier skirmish in ’96, someone (I think it was Dave Fay) mentioned at the time that after he was tossed he was vocal in the room when the team came back during the intermissions, providing encouragement, fluids, whatever he could, and after the game he subsequently bought pizza for everyone.
I’ve got to think symbolic things like that resonate with who you go to battle with.
"Here's what you do. First you go to Rotterdam, then you go to Amsterdam, then you get on the road to my city. It's a little place called I don't give a damn."
by Bald Pollack on Feb 14, 2011 3:56 PM EST up reply actions
That was during a game, though. Totally different situation.
by DrinkingPartner on Feb 14, 2011 4:01 PM EST up reply actions
It’s still a gesture, you’re just getting a higher bounce off one than the other. Or should we not care about what goes on when they’re not playing?
"Here's what you do. First you go to Rotterdam, then you go to Amsterdam, then you get on the road to my city. It's a little place called I don't give a damn."
by Bald Pollack on Feb 14, 2011 5:02 PM EST up reply actions
I heard Mario also said in that epic OT game where he was tossed after the Krygier skirmish that if the Pens didn’t beat the Caps that he would have second thoughts about even playing in the NHL.
Rice is great if you're really hungry and want to eat two thousand of something.
by Rather Bengt on Feb 14, 2011 4:28 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Well placed amigo.
"Here's what you do. First you go to Rotterdam, then you go to Amsterdam, then you get on the road to my city. It's a little place called I don't give a damn."
by Bald Pollack on Feb 14, 2011 5:03 PM EST up reply actions
He may be skipping today’s morning skate, but I think we’re all forgetting that he was at Sunday’s Practice.
"I remembered when he said that and I kind of looked at him during the warm up and told myself that I got to shut these guys out tonight." - Michal Neuvirth, 02.06.11.
Love the laughing Ovi. Thanks.
Hockey won’t hold still for a portrait. To gain a glimpse inside you join it in progress—just as the players do.
by capsyoungguns on Feb 14, 2011 5:23 PM EST up reply actions
That pic really shows Ovie’s personality. When I saw that yesterday, I was thinking if only all those people who seem to hate Ovie for being arrogant etc saw him acting like that, they’d realize that he’s just having fun. It was nice that fun-loving side of him was visible in 24/7.
I couldn’t agree more. Happy Ovi makes me happy. And I gotta believe that a happy Ovi is a better playing Ovi.
Hockey won’t hold still for a portrait. To gain a glimpse inside you join it in progress—just as the players do.
by capsyoungguns on Feb 14, 2011 5:33 PM EST up reply actions
Bad optics for the media/fans? Or bad optics for the players?
This whole attending morning skate brouhaha strikes me like it’s more of a media/fan issue.
IMO it would affect team morale if the captain was at home/in his hotel room snoozing. And piss off his coach.
But when he’s not on the ice then it means he is elsewhere working on personal video or having his body worked on by the trainers. I’ve read, seen on 24/7, and heard others such as May discuss how BB likes to do a mandatory video analysis of the opposition first thing in the morning before a game. So the players are there—it’s just optional as to whether they are on the ice.
Hockey won’t hold still for a portrait. To gain a glimpse inside you join it in progress—just as the players do.
by capsyoungguns on Feb 14, 2011 5:31 PM EST up reply actions
Right. And the team captain and his best friend (who combined for 3 SOG Saturday afternoon) aren’t, after a players only meeting. But keep excusing it if it works for you.
"Here's what you do. First you go to Rotterdam, then you go to Amsterdam, then you get on the road to my city. It's a little place called I don't give a damn."
by Bald Pollack on Feb 14, 2011 8:41 PM EST up reply actions
No, I know – I’m just saying it only comes up in the media (and thus among fans) when he skips them.
I don’t follow other teams closely enough to know, but considering the fact that some teams don’t even do them I’d guess that, among the players, at least, they couldn’t give a damn.
If anyone needs me, I'll be at Kettler.
Right, but I think the thing for me is not so much the captain’s preparation, because you have to know they’ll be ready to play (well, you hope). I’d be more concerned with a negative influence. I mean, if he doesn’t have to show up, why should I?
"[Weber] shoots like MacInnis, hits like Stevens." - Jeff Marek
by Chris Burton on Feb 14, 2011 3:05 PM EST up reply actions
My CFO shows up around 10:30 most days. I still have to show up by 9. If I showed up at 10:30 and pointed to his empty office, it wouldn’t go over too well.
Point being, we all have different skill-sets and values. As a professional if you don’t do what you’re supposed to do, and perform how you’re supposed to, you’re not going to last very long.
"Game's the same. Just got more fierce."
I mean, if he doesn’t have to show up, why should I?
I don’t think they look at it that way. At this point in your career/maturity, you should be beyond that kind of childish pettiness. They should be there only if they feel that that will make them better. If not, then take the day to do something else to stay destressed so you can focus later.
by DrinkingPartner on Feb 14, 2011 3:09 PM EST up reply actions
Yup. And as others have pointed out, morning skate is hardly a time to go over drills or review systems, it’s really just a time for guys to get loose. If someone doesn’t think they need it, I doubt anyone else cares – for example, Knuble never used to take them (and actually I’m surprised that he does now). Poti’s skipped out on occasion. The goalies aren’t always there. It’s not exactly a strict session.
If anyone needs me, I'll be at Kettler.
For everyone who’s criticizing Ovi for not being at the morning skate, how do you know he wasn’t at the rink getting some work in on the exercise bike or a soak in the whirlpool or a therapeutic massage for the team therapist. I’m guessing the answer is you don’t. When someone finds out what he was doing, come back and then we can talk. Otherwise, you might just want hold off before you roast him for being a lousy captain.
by b.orr4 on Feb 14, 2011 3:41 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs
C’mon, man, I made it abundantly clear that isn’t what I was questioning.
"[Weber] shoots like MacInnis, hits like Stevens." - Jeff Marek
by Chris Burton on Feb 14, 2011 3:42 PM EST up reply actions
That wasn’t directed at you. Sorry if you got that impression. It was aimed at the fans in general who want to think the worst of him because he skips an optional warmup every now and then.
Ah, okay, my bad.
"[Weber] shoots like MacInnis, hits like Stevens." - Jeff Marek
by Chris Burton on Feb 14, 2011 3:47 PM EST up reply actions
Where is that (or his being a lousy captain) being said? All that’s being said that after a players-only meeting to see this happen looks bad, and one hopes that he and the people he plays with come out white hot tonight.
"Here's what you do. First you go to Rotterdam, then you go to Amsterdam, then you get on the road to my city. It's a little place called I don't give a damn."
by Bald Pollack on Feb 14, 2011 3:58 PM EST up reply actions
Consider the source and curse my name for introducing hearsay, but the Junkies were talking this morning about how one of them got a text Friday night from somebody at Bar Code (the club in DC that Semin apparently has a hand in) with an Ovie sighting, drink in hand, at 7pm (the night before the Kings nooner). Only passing along what was said…would I prefer him to not be there the night before a game? Sure, but by and large, I don’t care what the players do in their spare time as long as they are meeting their professional obligations otherwise.
If it is true, it may have been one drink, it may have been club soda, he may have gone home at 7:15, but like the morning skates, it’s a matter of perception.
That blew up on twitter for about 15 minutes Friday night….until someone realized that it was 7pm at a restaurant and not 2 am at a club. I assume it’s the “Junkie” that’s been constantly saying Ovi partied too much over the summer, hence he’s out of shape.
Just curious (and because I refuse to listen to that show), did anyone mention to him that even with his night-before-a-game rabble rousing, Ovi scored 66 seconds in?
"I remembered when he said that and I kind of looked at him during the warm up and told myself that I got to shut these guys out tonight." - Michal Neuvirth, 02.06.11.
Just curious (and because I refuse to listen to that show), did anyone mention to him that even with his night-before-a-game rabble rousing, Ovi scored 66 seconds in?
It was acknoweldged, as was that he didn’t do a whole lot else the rest of the game.
He looked better than his teammates. My guess is they tuned out after the Caps fell behind – I did, too, and I was there, but I also saw him doing good things right up until the end.
If anyone needs me, I'll be at Kettler.
I have no idea if OV is out of shape or not, but iirc, he’s 20 lbs. heavier than he was last year. That is significant, if you ask me. And, this is his worst year of his career.
I can resist anything, except temptation.
No he’s not heavier. He’s actually a pound or so lighter than last year.
Last season was when he came in with the weight gain and it didn’t affect his play. He was like a house of fire last season. It did however affect how much damage he could cause to other players after a hit, which dampened that fire post-Olympics/post Hawks game.
Hockey won’t hold still for a portrait. To gain a glimpse inside you join it in progress—just as the players do.
by capsyoungguns on Feb 14, 2011 5:50 PM EST up reply actions
Are we talking about Morning Skate again?
Damn, if that isn’t a whole lot of comments about something completely worthless. Come on people, it’s Morning Skate!
There’s a lot of shit going down these days that actually affects, you know, wins and losses and stuff. This team can’t score. They should probably work on that. Do they even put out goals for morning skate?
If anyone missed practice, I’d be up in arms? But morning skate? Come on people.
Wearing the weagle is a way a’ life
by Gould Old Days on Feb 14, 2011 4:15 PM EST up reply actions 8 recs
I’m sorry!! It’s MY FAULT, I take full blame…I made mention of it on Twitter because Vogs did and I forgot it was only a morning skate and was pissed Ovi and Semin skipped practice.
I go to the box, two minutes, by myself, you know and I feel shame…
If anyone needs me, I'll be at Kettler.
Think you might want to consider 4 minutes in the box. Pretty sure at least a couple commenters left from their keyboards bleeding.
by mechanicsville on Feb 14, 2011 5:30 PM EST up reply actions
I don’t know how the Caps do it, but Nashville’s morning skates look very much like regular practice, just 15 +/- minutes shorter.
"[Weber] shoots like MacInnis, hits like Stevens." - Jeff Marek
by Chris Burton on Feb 14, 2011 5:01 PM EST up reply actions
Bryzgalov arrives at practice this morning in giant goose egg stamped with the Capitals logo
In well-documented fashion, the Coyotes today performed their game-day ritual when playing vs teams having scoring difficulties.
"Instead of watching me all the time for what is wrong with me, maybe you need to watch yourself." Alex Ovechkin
by Icebat on Feb 14, 2011 12:46 PM EST reply actions 9 recs
Uh… yeah (Of course this gets a Rec)
Washington Capitals 2009-10 = Quebec Nordiques 1994-95
--- D'ohboy
by MikeL-Pivonka on Feb 14, 2011 12:48 PM EST up reply actions
Topical, while hopefully appeasing the scoring gods
What was that stat again? Ah, here it is:
Phoenix goalie Ilya Bryzgalov is 4-0 with a 0.98 GAA in his last four starts.
-Vogel
"Instead of watching me all the time for what is wrong with me, maybe you need to watch yourself." Alex Ovechkin
If it’s already a hot goalie, the Caps will tear him apart. If it’s a mediocre or worse goalie that’s in a slump, the Caps will make him look like Jesus walking on… frozen water.
Trade Deadline...2 weeks away...
Trade deadline: February 28th, Monday, 3pm (eastern)
Capitals draft picks:
- 2011: Caps own all their own picks except the second (2nd Traded to Carolina in Corvo deal last TDL)
- 2012: Currently have all picks
Capitals play 7 (1 home/6 road) more games before the deadline:
Mon Feb 14, 2011 at Coyotes
Wed Feb 16, 2011 at Ducks
Thu Feb 17, 2011 at Sharks
Sun Feb 20, 2011 at Sabres
Mon Feb 21, 2011 at Penguins
Fri Feb 2, 2011 vs Rangers
Sat Feb 26, 2011 at Islanders
Last game before the deadline at NYI; First game post-deadline is the next day at home against the NYI.
Tough stretch of games right there.
"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 Feb 14, 2011 12:55 PM EST up reply actions
Tough stretch. team bonding…Leading up to the trade deadline, etc.
Have they had the rookie dinner yet this season? I don’t recall any mention of it earlier in the season. If not, I assume they will have it on this trip…
I think these 3 will be paying: Carlson, Johansson, Perreault?
Neuvirth, Varlamov, Alzner all paid last year, IIRC
I saw something on Twitter that the whole team was out Saturday night at the W Scottsdale I think it was. I’ve stayed in the W in L.A. which has a huge club (very annoying for business travel with all the noise) so I’m assuming the W Scottsdale is similar. Later the same club promoter said NHL rookie nights were crazy, so that might of been their rookie night, same day as their closed door meeting.
In Bruce’s “What have you done for me lately” world:
VogsCaps: Michal Neuvirth gets the start for the #Caps tonight.
"I remembered when he said that and I kind of looked at him during the warm up and told myself that I got to shut these guys out tonight." - Michal Neuvirth, 02.06.11.
Every game Varlamov doesn’t play is a day he doesn’t get hurt.
Wearing the weagle is a way a’ life
by Gould Old Days on Feb 14, 2011 4:17 PM EST up reply actions
The only thing missing was the Screaming Buffalo, Clarence Swamptown, chasing Tyler Kennedy.
They were also missing Ross “Mad Dog” Madison, accompanied as always by his attorney, Sam “Small Print” Lyman.
The Ying to John Feinstein's Yang.
Box Seats Blog
Ron and Fez 11 to 3
by YvonLabresMoustache on Feb 14, 2011 2:00 PM EST up reply actions
Wow – Nashville didn’t have the best offer for Fisher. Looks like the Canes would’ve even further overpaid:
Don’t think, at the end of the day, Los Angeles was that close in the Mike Fisher sweepstakes. But Carolina sure was. It is believed the Hurricanes had the best offer for Fisher. The Senators did a solid, though, by sending their long-time centre where he wanted to go. Players will take notice of that.
"[Weber] shoots like MacInnis, hits like Stevens." - Jeff Marek
by Chris Burton on Feb 14, 2011 2:55 PM EST up reply actions
A lot of that probably had to do with sending Fisher out west so he wouldn’t be seen in Ottawa more than once a season. I think Carolina would have had to blow away Bryan Murray to get him to keep Fisher in the east.
He’s not married to one of the Merge Records crew. Nor are CAR over-equipped with the sort of tradeable assets that I can imagine OTT being interested in, if they’re truly in a rebuild mood.
Got my user name back from the dingo...
Laura Ballance must be distraught right now.
Rice is great if you're really hungry and want to eat two thousand of something.
by Rather Bengt on Feb 14, 2011 3:06 PM EST up reply actions
Carrie Underwood tops Arcade Fire in every single Merge-y dimension, to be sure.
Got my user name back from the dingo...
My university years will always hold a place in my heart for Superchunk.
Rice is great if you're really hungry and want to eat two thousand of something.
by Rather Bengt on Feb 14, 2011 3:23 PM EST up reply actions
How did Fisher look in his debut CB? Who are they lining him up?
Rice is great if you're really hungry and want to eat two thousand of something.
by Rather Bengt on Feb 14, 2011 3:08 PM EST up reply actions
Not to get too hyperbolic, but if that was hockey with Mike Fisher, then I’m falling in love with the game all over again. He played with Sergei Kostitsyn and Martin Erat, and that line did something…strange.
They consistently generated extended offensive possession. I’m not familiar with it either.
I was really surprised that Trotz played him 18:10, as much or more than the more ‘trusted’ forwards on the roster.
"[Weber] shoots like MacInnis, hits like Stevens." - Jeff Marek
by Chris Burton on Feb 14, 2011 3:12 PM EST up reply actions
I have always liked Fisher. And he seems to usually perform well against the Caps. It would be great to see him continue the good play for the Preds. The offensive boon would be awesome for them.
Rice is great if you're really hungry and want to eat two thousand of something.
by Rather Bengt on Feb 14, 2011 3:21 PM EST up reply actions
Players acquired in trade often look really good their first few games. The playoffs, of course, is the real test
Wearing the weagle is a way a’ life
by Gould Old Days on Feb 14, 2011 4:19 PM EST up reply actions
I’m trying to find a way to convince myself that this PHO game is winnable, but I just can’t.
I’m figuring this one ends of a 4-0 or 5-0 type of game.
Patron saint of quality footwear.
Don’t look now….
But New Jersey is only 4 points behind the Leafs. 8-1-1 in their last 10, have won 4 in a row. Won’t mean a thing, but considering where they were, it’s pretty impressive.
The Ying to John Feinstein's Yang.
Box Seats Blog
Ron and Fez 11 to 3
by YvonLabresMoustache on Feb 14, 2011 3:21 PM EST reply actions
Do you have an idea off hand what Lemaire’s record since he returned is?
Rice is great if you're really hungry and want to eat two thousand of something.
by Rather Bengt on Feb 14, 2011 3:22 PM EST up reply actions
Not a clue.
The Ying to John Feinstein's Yang.
Box Seats Blog
Ron and Fez 11 to 3
by YvonLabresMoustache on Feb 14, 2011 3:23 PM EST up reply actions
He took over on December 23rd, they were 9-22-2. Now they are 22-30-4, so that would be 13-8-2.
The Ying to John Feinstein's Yang.
Box Seats Blog
Ron and Fez 11 to 3
by YvonLabresMoustache on Feb 14, 2011 3:26 PM EST up reply actions
They dealt Langenbrunner on January 7.
The Ying to John Feinstein's Yang.
Box Seats Blog
Ron and Fez 11 to 3
by YvonLabresMoustache on Feb 14, 2011 3:27 PM EST up reply actions
Kovalchuk’s definitely upped his game during this streak.
Rice is great if you're really hungry and want to eat two thousand of something.
by Rather Bengt on Feb 14, 2011 3:28 PM EST up reply actions
I think (not sure) it’s 13-8-2.
"Here's what you do. First you go to Rotterdam, then you go to Amsterdam, then you get on the road to my city. It's a little place called I don't give a damn."
by Bald Pollack on Feb 14, 2011 3:25 PM EST up reply actions
Pens' Cooke gives Unity teen boost in struggle to walk
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/penguins/s_722744.html
You are a complicated man Mr. Cooke.
Also, Hilary Duff sounds like a bitch in the lone sentence she is mentioned in.
The problem with some people is that when they aren't drunk, they're sober. ---William Butler Yeats
Gee, a positive PR piece about Cooke comes out right as he’s once again in the spotlight for negative press. What a surprise.
"I remembered when he said that and I kind of looked at him during the warm up and told myself that I got to shut these guys out tonight." - Michal Neuvirth, 02.06.11.
Kris Versteeg traded to Philadelphia for a 3rd round pick.
And a first round pick.
"[Weber] shoots like MacInnis, hits like Stevens." - Jeff Marek
Come on man, you know better; Link?
I have planned my grand attacks; I will stand behind their backs. With my brand new battle-axe, they will taste my wrath. They will hear me say as the pavement whirls, "I hate California girls."
by Steckel Me Elmo on Feb 14, 2011 6:30 PM EST up reply actions
sorry, rushed it
"[Weber] shoots like MacInnis, hits like Stevens." - Jeff Marek
by Chris Burton on Feb 14, 2011 6:31 PM EST up reply actions
Good trade for Toronto.
I have planned my grand attacks; I will stand behind their backs. With my brand new battle-axe, they will taste my wrath. They will hear me say as the pavement whirls, "I hate California girls."
by Steckel Me Elmo on Feb 14, 2011 6:36 PM EST up reply actions
Good deal for the Leafs, even if what they originally wanted in return was Van Riemsdyk who the Flyers wouldn’t give up
Rice is great if you're really hungry and want to eat two thousand of something.
by Rather Bengt on Feb 14, 2011 6:55 PM EST up reply actions
damn, where’d Philly find the cap space?
Pledge Drive 2010-2011: SO KIDS CAN!! Help build a playground
O-Ver-Pay-Ment
clap clap clapclapclap
O-Ver-Pay-Ment
clap clap clapclapclap
To tell the truth, I think this is less about bringing Versteeg onto the Flyers than keeping him from the Pens. Still, it does make me worried about what a good center will cost…
Wearing the weagle is a way a’ life
by Gould Old Days on Feb 14, 2011 7:22 PM EST up reply actions
A good center with years left on his contract will definitely be pricey. But if the Caps go for a rental, I doubt it will be as much as the price for Versteeg/Fisher as they both have years left on their contracts.
I have planned my grand attacks; I will stand behind their backs. With my brand new battle-axe, they will taste my wrath. They will hear me say as the pavement whirls, "I hate California girls."
by Steckel Me Elmo on Feb 14, 2011 7:58 PM EST up reply actions
agreed. and versteeg’s deal is actually quite fair for his production. just $3.1M per season, this one and the next. the only reason this makes thing tight for philly is their ridiculous abundance of scoring forwards. it hurts their chances at re-signing leino next year, and it makes me wonder how zherdev and JvR fit in the rest of this season.
by Natty Bumppo on Feb 14, 2011 8:08 PM EST up reply actions
I don’t think Zherdev is in the plans.
I have planned my grand attacks; I will stand behind their backs. With my brand new battle-axe, they will taste my wrath. They will hear me say as the pavement whirls, "I hate California girls."
by Steckel Me Elmo on Feb 14, 2011 8:29 PM EST up reply actions
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