Saturday Caps Clips: Seven Straight

In the post game Kokenview, did Hendy really refer to Holtby as a “kickstand”? Either there’s an expression for great goaltending that I’ve never heard or the kid has more of a “locker room presence” than has been mentioned before.

One great thing about the Arnott pickup IMO is that he leads by explanation and by constantly talking to the players. Ovi, on the other hand, likes to lead by example. The way he plays and how many goals he scores or how many hits he has in a game.
I think after last year’s disappointments and the pressure of leading his team to the Cup this year, Ovi really felt the pressure, the burden of being the one guy everyone looks to for leadership. And it clearly took a toll on his game. He himself needed someone to talk to this season, but there really wasn’t anyone. Until Arnott came along.

I don’t want to hype the guy up or anything, but this team really needed an experienced and talented veteran presence. I think they have that now. And Ovi, as well as the rest of the team, will be that much better for it. #Winning!!

Nice to hockey coverage back at the Washington Times and for those of you on twitter, Steve Whyno is almost as prolific as Corey. Welcome aboard, Steve.

I approach the new guys in a trade with an open mind, so last season I wasn’t down on Corvo when he first arrived. But he definitely lost me before the playoffs. He never seemed happy to be here and in his interviews he came across as an outsider, as an observer of the team. It was something about him and his dissatisfaction with his role (because for example I loved Walker and his cheerful willingness).

These three guys this year, especially Arnott, know that they have a golden opportunity and that it’s up to them as much as it is up to the rest of the team to make this season’s playoffs mean something. I don’t know whether Arnott will really make a difference with Semin (at least he has an experienced center now) and with bringing accountability into the leadership style of this team.

But I sure applaud Arnott for his effort. Both on and off the ice. And frankly I applaud Ovi for listening hard to him and learning all he can about leading.

Oh and many thanks for the great clips. Great way to start the day.

DeMichiel tweeted that his ECHL rights were traded to Elmira. Any further news on that?

Braden Holtby is turning the Caps’ two-headed monster between the pipes into a three-headed (and one-groined?) beast. [CI (Wang)]

Quick — name your favorite “three headed monster” in sports history.

I personally go with the Chicago Bulls trio of centers in the 90s — “what’s seven feet tall and can commit 18 fouls?”

Should Brooks Orpik have to face the music? Of course not. But then again, neither should David Steckel have had to. [Peter Blogdra]

I couldn’t disagree more strongly. There are few players in the league I think need to face the music than Brooks Orpik.

Of course, I believe he should face the music for all the bullshit stickwork that he constantly performs on people’s hands. No need to face the music for a point shot gone astray.

From Vog’s gamer, about Canes Asst Coach Tom Rowe:

Rowe was the Caps’ third-round (37th overall) pick in the draft

And then I suddenly realized why old time drafts had, like, 500 rounds. Each round was shorter. (Duh) 37th overall, that’s a second round pick these days, and a very good one. The league needed all those rounds in the draft because there were fewer teams, but they were drafting about the same number of players.

Well, that solves one minor mystery for me that should have been no mystery at all. “The Case Of The Excessive Number Of Rounds”

OK, quick — which of these gentlemen played goal for Hershey last night?

Dan Olesevich
Nolan Schaefer
Norm Defelice

Posted this on the recap, but I thought I should bring it over here since it seemed more appropriate here…(sorry to those who already did read this)

You know, we are 7 straight wins since the TD. Around that time, I recall there was a discussion about the reasons for goal scoring being down for the year. I felt that it was due to secondary scoring. Aside from Semin, no one else has been scoring goals to help relieve some of the defensive pressure on the top line.

Now that Arnott and Sturm have come over, its changed the dynamics of the top 3 lines and scoring has improved. As a result, defenses now have to pay attention to Semin, Arnott, and Laich. MoJo, Fehr, Chimmer, (and now Hendy) have scored some cleanup goals as well. Having Wideman fire some shots from the blue line is helpful too.

I believe that this has relieved the defensive pressure for the top line to some degree and you see AO having a point scoring streak now. Everyone’s giving props to AO for leading which is good, but I think equal props need to go to the secondary scoring.

Lets hope the Blackhawks pay a visit to John Boehner’s office and end up getting hammered off scotch with him all day.

Doughty on being hit into a stanchion last night:

“I’m fine. Obviously I was back out there again, so I’m fine. I just got it right on the nose again. There was a little bit of blood, but nothing drastic. I didn’t see the turnbuckle there. I kind of had my head down, making the play, and I ran right into it. But I’m fine, and he obviously didn’t mean to do it. … I missed a couple shifts, just to come in here [the locker room] and make sure I was symptom-free, but everything was fine.”

[Emphasis mine]

But I thought all NHL players knew at all times where the stanchions were in the arenas. A player may be familiar with a rink, but it’s extremely difficult to keep track of that many things at that pace during a game.

Link

All nine d-men and all three goalies are skating this morning, per Sky K

cmasisak22 So there are about 2000 ppl at the #Caps practice facility today if you count both rinks. Not a bad hockey Saturday at all, I guess.

Nope, not a hockey town.

Holy moly, NHL issues in The Atlantic. Wasn’t this somewhere on DGB’s Suspension Flowchart?

Apparently, per the twitterati, Holtby’s got the start tomorrow.

So I tried to watch the Milbury preview, but it was unwatchable. Clearly someone poured turpentine or something on his cornflakes. He had no interest in being there and offered zero insight. He was excited by neither the Caps nor the ’Hawks. NBC needs someone else, if they are trying to generate interest in the game.

They must just show Tiffany Simons the whole time.

Okay, hopping offline now to make something happen in my day before heading to RMNB’s party. I’ll be in my AO All-Star if anyone wants to say hi. That goes for the regulars here and the lurkers.

The last party they had was a really great time. Cheap beer and Caps on a seven-game roll. Good times!

BB’s post-practice interview, courtesy of the new guy:

http://www.cinchcast.com/swhyno/186825

From Katie Carrera:

“Before he left KCI, Holtby was sitting in the stands watching Blackhawks practice doing some scouting of his own.”

One of the comments on the Whyno’s intro:

If you provide half the service Corey did, you shouldn’t have any problem topping the other beat writers. In fact, your biggest competition is probably the Rink. Good luck and welcome back.

Are you competing?

More on Neuvirth’s eye injury.

Michal Neuvirth said his vision is back to normal after a piece of metal from his mask entered his eye during the first period of Monday’s game in Tampa. He played the remainder of that first period with vision out of only one eye, he said, but that the training staff was able to remove the debris in the intermission.

Alright, I’m sneaking back in. I was lookin’ back through my files and found this video from the Canes-Caps game almost exactly one year ago today:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oh-FxKjWw8I

I thought this was an interesting comment on Canes Country:

I envied the Caps’ speed and size. It seemed as though just about everybody they had could immediately get right on any Canes’ player who entered the zone or received a pass anywhere from the deep corners to the blue line. I wish the Canes had Alzner and Carlson. Johannson can fly, not to mention Semin and Ovechkin. The Canes had zero room to operate. The Caps could make room against the Canes’ D with sheer speed. Caps often knocked the Canes’ smaller players flat. This was a tough, tough matchup for the Canes and with a couple of bounces going the other way, they could have won.

We seem to get in some penalty trouble when we play against them and they are very opportunistic.

I wonder why that could be…

Ugh. Turned on the Penguins/Canadiens (yahoo), and of course it’s the PIT feed. I think I’d rather listen to it in French than deal with those two a**es again.

today’s playoff seedings:

Philly vs. NY Rangers
Washington vs. Buffalo
Boston vs. Montreal
Pittsburgh vs. Tampa

Vancouver vs. Calgary
Detroit vs. Phoenix
San Jose vs. Los Angeles
Dallas vs. Chicago

I’m watching the NHLN replay of CBJ and LAK and the CBJ announcers just said Boll colors his ’stache with mascara. Hilarious.

Looking at the MTL-PIT boxscore, but not watching on TV. Looks like a snoozefest.

Pens with 4 SOG. Habs with 9 SOG.

1-0 Habs through 1. Plekanec with the marker.

3-0 Habs. MAF pulled.

Cooke starts shit. Won’t drop gloves. Rupp cleans up. Looks like 2 men in the box for each team.

Definitely enjoying the silence in Consol.

From Corey at nhl.com, a story on Arnott:

“Jason for years has been a tremendous two-way player in the League and a guy I know from playing against has been very tough to play against,” Laich said. “For myself personally, my centerman goes from 5-foot-9 to 6-foot-5 overnight. ….”

Brent Dead to Me Johnson?

Just because he’s a penguin? :) aww booo. We still like Johnny!

And now I’m going to eat with Arnott and my friends….was good day!see u tom at the game!

Great stuff right now on WFED Caps Talk: BB chatting up with Kevin “Killer” Kaminski about the old days.