Saturday Caps Clips
by EmilyB on May 14, 2011 9:39 AM EDT
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Your savory Saturday brunch links:
- It is with profound shock and deep sorrow that we note the passing of Derek Boogaard. We extend our sympathies to his family, friends, fans, and teammates. [Blueshirt Banter, Hockey Wilderness]
- Maybe...
- Maybe it's a lack of urgency... [WashCapsExaminer (Hoffman)]
- Maybe it's a cultural thing... [OFB]
- Maybe Alexander Semin needs a change of position... [Rock the Red]
- ... or a change of scenery. Ditto Mike Green. [SB Nation DC, CRtC]
- But it's never too early to brag about your regular season record! Well, maybe. [SteinBog]
- Got a few other UFA's to check off the list. [Puckhead]
- Oh, Alex. [Alex Ovetjkin, RMNB, Moscow News]
- Related: The new boss of the players' union is making the rounds at Worlds. [IIHF]
- Also related: Today marks exactly 1,000 days until the opening ceremonies for the 2014 Olympics at Sochi. Tick tock. [RT]
- Hmm. The Caps' organizational depth seems to be settling in at right about their draft position. [HF]
- Meet a local kid who has the attention of the scouts. [USHL.com]
- Prospect playoff updates:
- Stanislav Galiev worked hard all night and had some great chances, but Gatineau's goaltending got the better of the Sea Dogs last night. Game Six is on Sunday.
- Cody Eakin and the Kootenay Ice put on a thrilling show in Portland, and with sixteen wins vs. only three losses, raised the Ed Chynoweth Cup as Western Hockey League Champions. In 19 playoff games, Cody had 11 goals and 16 assists for 27 points. He finished plus-9 on the series. Next stop is Mississauga Ontario and a berth in the Memorial Cup Tournament. [Buzzing the Net, WHL.ca (Photo Gallery)]
- Happy 43rd birthday to Steve Seftel.
- And finally, an administrative note - Sunday Clips are going on hiatus for the offseason, unless actual news is happening (draft, Dev Camp, etc.) We will have an open discussion thread, instead. Enjoy!
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Wow.
RIP Boogie Man
Say no to Prince Fielder in 2012.
by Knubles and Bits on May 14, 2011 9:43 AM EDT via mobile reply actions 2 recs
Emily — so glad you put together the fanpost on reaction to Derek Boogaard’s passing for Hockey Wilderness. I didn’t follow his career very closely, but it sounds like he was a guy with tremendous character, on and off the ice.
But I looked twice at the order of the bullets above on the clips this morning. Clearly “Maybe..it’s a lack of urgency” doesn’t refer to the Boogeyman. The timestamp on the fanpost is 3:15 am – maybe you felt a lot of urgency to offer some support at a devastating moment. I’m sure it’s greatly appreciated at HW.
Don’t make fun of my obsession over ketchup dispensers ever again! ;) Ted Leonsis
You are correct. I was working on Clips and listening to puck drop in Portland when the news hit about Derek. I sorta dropped Clips and started hanging with the Hockey Wilderness crew. So sad. Then I found myself collecting Boogaard links. (It’s sorta automatic for me)
Anyway, Clips would’ve started with the Maybe links (about the Caps) today but really, the shocking and sudden passing of an active player (only 28 years old!) takes precedence.
You perhaps knew me better as "Your Nation's Capital." Same great commentary, now with 100% more transparency!
Such a tragedy.
And any time a young athlete dies, I’m reminded of Sean Taylor’s death.
by wickedwitch on May 14, 2011 10:38 AM EDT up reply actions
Simply Tragic.
Once past the shock, the thought that crossed my mind was, given “no obvious sign of physical trauma” and the fact that he lost games this season to a concussion… well, I’m not jumping to any conclusions, but I will be very interested to see what the autopsy report concludes is the cause of death. If the cause is directly attributable to the concussion, it’ll be game-changing.
RIP.
In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.
Stanislav Galiev and the Saint John Sea Dogs did not have a good night. Galiev was 0-0-0 with 2 pim. That penalty was converted for Gatineau’s first goal of game. Galiev also had several turnovers in his own end as well. But those types of turnovers have been far less frequent since the Christmas break. Galiev was also without his regular centerman.
Winning is everything. The only ones who remember you when you come second are your wife and your dog.
Well I was listening to the broadcast and it seemed he had the puck a lot but couldn’t get it past the goalie. Thanks for the report of what really happened.
You perhaps knew me better as "Your Nation's Capital." Same great commentary, now with 100% more transparency!
He did have three very good chances. The team looked very tired all night as did Gatineau. Saint John is also down two of it’s top 6 forwards with injury. The linesman also had an effect of the game as a Sea Dog ( can’t remember which one) tried to send puck out of their zone, hit linesman skate and went back in D zone. Sea Dogs once again sent it up the other side and puck hit another linesman skate and back in the zone. This play showed how tired the boys were.
Winning is everything. The only ones who remember you when you come second are your wife and your dog.
Double overtime games will do that to ya, whether you are the winner or the loser. And that second OT period went nearly the entire 20 minutes.
I will say I listened to TWO hockey games last night – the Sea Dogs game and the Kootenay Ice game (only time all tournament I was happy the Ice were playing in Pacific time!)
The difference was night and day. The Dogs/’Piques came out flat and tentative, playing more “not to lose” than as if they were playing for a championship. But maybe they were just tired.
Whereas the Ice and the Winterhawks played balls-out from the first faceoff, and right up until the first early PDX goal, the Hawks were outplaying Cody’s team. But after that first goal, the Ice just shut it down and flat out dominated.
The Majors and Attack are on notice, and the Sea Dogs had best be paying attention.
You perhaps knew me better as "Your Nation's Capital." Same great commentary, now with 100% more transparency!
Center Zach Phillips was out last night with a shoulder injury. If this injury is long term, the Sea Dogs are in trouble. If they get to the Memorial Cup, that in itself will be an accomplishment.
Winning is everything. The only ones who remember you when you come second are your wife and your dog.
It’s never good when your top-line center goes down. The Sea Dogs have been ridiculously healthy this year – almost no injuries which is one reason for their stellar success. But they haven’t had much practice playing without key players.
I think they’ve got one more win in them this season. And that’s all they’ll need to advance.
You perhaps knew me better as "Your Nation's Capital." Same great commentary, now with 100% more transparency!
$5.25 million.
Can’t say the thought of Boudreau moving Semin to center, like Fleischmann, never crossed my mind.
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by red army line on May 14, 2011 10:09 AM EDT up reply actions
It never crossed my mind, but now it’s got me thinking…
You perhaps knew me better as "Your Nation's Capital." Same great commentary, now with 100% more transparency!
I think it would be a remarkable way to enhance the negative aspects of his game while hiding the positives.
An inconsistent center is a recipe for a whole lot of goals against.
Oh, and while we’re at it, I’d like the name of any hockey player who changed to a more difficult position at Semin’s age. If Semin was capable of playing center, we’d already know it.
Atta dinnin stick a who!
by Gould Old Days on May 14, 2011 10:21 AM EDT up reply actions
And given how BB doesn’t have confidence in his consistency how can you make that move? His FOs would be terrible on some games, his defensive play and HHT penalties would probably increase. All the things you said.
A kitten on fire, a baby in a blender, both sound as sweet as a playoff surrender.
Agreed. Semin at center is a pending disaster. He can’t take face-offs, lacks the intensity to play a consistent two-way game , has never demonstrated the ability to cover all 200 feet of the ice offensively and defensively (as required of a center), and, frankly, probably doesn’t have enough upstairs to play a position that is more cerebral than wing.
Keep him at wing.
“Like Fleischmann” sums up the case – against nicely. 28’s D shines on the PK, but penalty-killing has the drama required to hold our Snowflake’s attention. I see Semin getting pushed around on the dot, and embracing a center’s own-zone responsibility like a kid sitting down to a spinach breakfast. No, thanks.
....when the truth is if they knew anything about the game, they'd be in it.
--GMGM
by redlineblue on May 14, 2011 10:24 AM EDT up reply actions
Green
As the author of said Green/Semin article, I can say that the figure of $3.3 million is simply a typo and it is about $5.3 million as those who correctly fixed it. If anything, now there is even more money dedicated to one player that could be expendable. I guess now there’s a bigger problem with the salary situation, eh?
OK, so spend it. Give me $5.2 Million of value that exceeds Mike Green. Or is the theory just that the Caps will get better the more good players they dump
Atta dinnin stick a who!
by Gould Old Days on May 14, 2011 10:19 AM EDT up reply actions
I think an alternative solution for those who do not want to trade Green is to, more or less, make him earn his extension. I think re-signing Semin in January was a risky move and (injured or not) and it did not work out as he once again disappeared when the lights were on bright. Green played pretty well during the playoffs, especially considering his injury status. I think Green should not be re-signed, if he is, until next summer.
by Adam Vingan on May 14, 2011 10:23 AM EDT up reply actions
Semin was very good against NYR. I don’t think it’s a fair characterization to say he disappeared in the bright lights.
A kitten on fire, a baby in a blender, both sound as sweet as a playoff surrender.
Alex Semin was on the ice for more Caps goals during the playoffs than any other player. The guy generates a lot of offense. Which, last I checked, was really the Caps’ main problem in this year’s playoffs — their defense wasn’t too bad (though it certainly could improve), but they couldn’t score a damned goal.
Semin’s problem is that he generates a lot of offense inconsistently. Which would be a very nice asset if the Caps could put together a team around him that could generate even average offense on a consistent basis. Sadly, for all the stars and big names on this team, the Caps weren’t very good this season in that respect.
Atta dinnin stick a who!
by Gould Old Days on May 14, 2011 12:13 PM EDT up reply actions
To put it more simply, a consistent 40 goals spread out over the season is worth a hell of a lot more than 40 goals in 20 games with two tight clusters of “hot” and then lots of long stretches of “cold.”
But an inconsistent, clustered 40 goals is still 40 goals.
Atta dinnin stick a who!
by Gould Old Days on May 14, 2011 12:16 PM EDT up reply actions
I just don’t get calling for any player to be traded without discussing the potential return, unless you literally think that the cap space is more valuable than the player. I can kind of see it with Semin — at least I don’t think people who think 6.7 Million would be worth more than Alex Semin are crazy. (I think they’re wrong, but I understand where they’re coming from)
But Mike Green? You’d damned well be getting something very, very good in return for a 2-time Norris candidate RFA on that salary. Talking about getting rid of Green, without talking about how the Caps would actually improve in such a transaction, is crazy in my mind.
Atta dinnin stick a who!
by Gould Old Days on May 14, 2011 12:08 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I agree with both paragraphs. Semin is a potential addition by subtraction because you can do a lot with 6.7. You can’t do as much with 5.25 and given how most of the metrics I’ve seen show Green vastly out-performing 5.25 (or just looking at comparable players) I think it’d be near impossible to find a 5.25 player that would give us the same bang for the buck as Green. So you’d need a huge return to justify moving Green because the cap space alone isn’t going to make you better. (And to be clear, I don’t like the idea of giving Sasha away.)
A kitten on fire, a baby in a blender, both sound as sweet as a playoff surrender.
Trade talk
This is a great post, and it really underscores what is consistently missing from proponents of the " trade one of the young guns"thesis.
Trading a 40 goal scorer and/or a 2x Norris candidate and not getting back NHL players is untenable. I just don’t see how it makes the caps better. And the same people who make this argument also clamor about how the window is closing. If it’s already closing, how can the caps afford to take a step back by trading productive NHL players for prospects? And if the answer is gaining the opportunity to sign ufa’s, that’s a crap shoot.
My own opinion is that they are 3 players away. They need a couple of physical two way top 9 forwards. And they need a physical d who can still skate a bit—unlike Hannan and Schulz.
I think they have to sign Laich, he’s exactly the type of player they need more of to win on the playoffs. He probably should be playing center, which helps solve the 2c problem. If trading semin is necessary to get the room to sign Laich and add te two grittier forwards, I can see it. But it’s not a move to be made lightly.
by JPN888 on May 14, 2011 3:13 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Well if the window is closing, moving a Young Gun can extend the window. Think about what BOS got for Kessel. Even if we don’t get a lotto pick, getting 2 firsts would ultimately make us a better team, even if it delays our window a bit. And Semin is a much better player than Kessel.
If Laich is exactly what we need, why hasn’t he been demonstrating it? If he was carrying his weight even in the face of defeat, I’d agree with you. But he disappeared in our collapses. He did the same thing as almost the rest of the team. He’s expendable. Not saying I’d like to get rid of him, but I could live with it.
Why do you think he should be playing C? He hasn’t exactly shined when given the chance.
A kitten on fire, a baby in a blender, both sound as sweet as a playoff surrender.
Laich
Because arnott’s done, and it would be easier to find wingers than a c via trade and free agency.
Look-I don’t want to make put to be a better player than he is, but at least he takes the body and back checks. And moving him to the third line if majo can step up might get him more chances against lower quality competition.
by JPN888 on May 14, 2011 3:50 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
In the past season, the Caps relied heavily on two rookie defensemen (yes I know Alzner’s not a blah blah blah), a rookie second line center, and a rookie goalie (with two rookie backups, yes I know Varlamov’s not a blah blah blah).
I think when it comes to “windows,” the better question is “when will the Caps’ window open,” not “when will it close?”
As far as I’m concerned, the Caps haven’t iced a complete team in the playoffs yet since the lockout. That’s not to say that they shouldn’t have done better. But I think expectations are too high, and have been for a while.
Atta dinnin stick a who!
by Gould Old Days on May 14, 2011 3:48 PM EDT up reply actions 5 recs
Agree
I completely agree. Not enough depth on second an third lines. Probably missing a d. I don’t think the window is closing, was just pointing out that those who do are often hot on trading young guns for prospects that aren’t likely to help in said window.
by JPN888 on May 14, 2011 3:54 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Signing Green ASAP may be a good idea because I bet he puts up more than twice as many points next season. Then again, I’m sure his agent knows that, too.
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by red army line on May 14, 2011 12:42 PM EDT up reply actions
Well, if we could clone John Carlson 5 times…
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by red army line on May 14, 2011 10:23 AM EDT up reply actions
the idea would be to trade green for somebody...
of equal value, or close to it, who might be expected actually to perform like a good player in the playoffs. Green was bad in the playoffs for two years, and wasn’t exactly a positive this year either—tho maybe he was OK against the Rangers. The Caps need some tougher guys who actually LIKE to compete in the playoffs—compete hard.
but why would someone make that trade? Why give up a player that is close to Green’s ability but who performs in the playoffs for Green himself who doesn’t perform in the playoffs?
by kingbonehead on May 14, 2011 7:49 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Green was actually pretty damn good in the Rags series, the only player to record a point in all 5 games and solid overall. Doing what he needs to do in that series. Given he was hurt for the 2nd half of the Tampa series, I’m going to worry less about the first 2 games of that series after seeing what I saw against the Rags.
Him staying healthy is the major concern for me. If he can overcome that (aka stop getting beaned in the head with pucks, among other issues), I could see a very nice bounce back year for him coming up.
Everything ends badly...otherwise it wouldn't end.
by Davethecapsfan on May 15, 2011 1:35 AM EDT up reply actions
Is there? 18 players signed for $51 million, which leaves what, $11 million for 2-5 more? That’s easily feasible, especially when you’re looking for one high salary and the rest depth.
Green’s contract ends after next year, when Wideman is UFA, Carlson is RFA, Green is RFA, Sloan is UFA, Beagle is RFA, King is UFA, Semin is UFA, Knuble is UFA, and Chimera is UFA: 2012-2013 reads 8 players signed for $26 million, so the Caps need 12-15 more players at $25-30 million, and with the two main forwards signed. That’s okay.
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by red army line on May 14, 2011 10:22 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
The Caps have at least $8M left – more if the cap goes up – and only a few players left to sign. If they sign Alzner for Schultz-type money, that still leaves them almost $6M for only a few forwards. Get Sturm for around $2-2.5M, and I like the cap situation.
Matt Bradley: He has sensitive skin, no?
Isn’t Sturm eligible for performance bonuses? Maybe I’m getting mixed up, but I’m pretty sure one or more somewhat well known players is eligible.
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by red army line on May 14, 2011 1:44 PM EDT up reply actions
Sturm
What did you see that would make you want to re-sign Sturm? They need more guys who can cycle, play the corners and go tongue net.
Caps are a soft team. Need more grit.
by JPN888 on May 14, 2011 3:22 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Sturm’s like Chimera, but much smarter at both ends of the ice, I think. Given his injuries recently, I think he’ll come cheap, and he’s a guy who’s played on shutdown lines three of the last four years.
I don’t think the Caps need more gritty personnel, but they need to be smarter (and being smart entails cycling, playing corners, going to the net, staying the course when getting played physically, etc). I think once they’re smart enough, they’ll appear gritty enough. I think I’m done trying to find players to sign to set good examples—one or two signings or trades won’t do it.
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by red army line on May 14, 2011 3:28 PM EDT up reply actions
Sturm 2
Your comment on his intelligence is right. He also has hands, which chimera doesn’t have.
I also agree they don’t need chaperones. It’s great to say or the room, but you need to do it consistently on the ice. Arnott can’t do that anymore.
They need more physical players on the second and third lines. Hitting opens the ice for players like majo. The bergenheims, malones, and downies to balance with slightly more skilled majo, Laich, etc create chemistry needed for second third line production.
by JPN888 on May 14, 2011 3:42 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Sturm is an excellent defensive player. Sturm can play on my team anytime.
Atta dinnin stick a who!
by Gould Old Days on May 14, 2011 3:49 PM EDT up reply actions 6 recs
Preach it Gouldie.
To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism; to steal from many is research
by Rather Bengt on May 15, 2011 12:45 PM EDT up reply actions
He plays defense, he’s fast, he’s good at puck control/possession, and he has a good scoring touch – 20+ goals 7 of the 9 last seasons, with the 2 exceptions being seasons where he played fewer than 20 games. He’d be a solid 2nd/3rd line winger. I’d love to see a 2nd of Semin-Mackan-Sturm.
Matt Bradley: He has sensitive skin, no?
by timmyv38 on May 14, 2011 7:17 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I think it’s fair to question how much Sturm has left in the tank though. I’m on the fence about him because if he can’t contribute more offense than he did in his stint with the Caps, he isn’t worth bringing back.
by Kolzilla on May 14, 2011 8:02 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
You’re on the HHOF induction committee. Three years after Datsyuk retires, you voting yes or no? He’s been one of the top five players in the world since the lockout, and although he isn’t going to win any of the big individual awards he does have his Selkes and Byngs. I’m thinking no, but I hate that.
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I think he’s first ballot HOF but no an exemption guy.
A kitten on fire, a baby in a blender, both sound as sweet as a playoff surrender.
I get hung up on longevity, seems like all those Red Wings nowadays hit their top performance near their 30s. Anyway, I’ve felt that HOFers need to be both dominant at their peak and have quite a sustained peak. If Datsyuk can keep this up for another four years or so, I’ll change my stance, but I don’t know if he can, given his age and the state of the Red Wings right now. I don’t know what will happen once Lidstrom retires, and Rafalski will be fine soon, too.
On a related note, Kronwall was much better this year by the underlying numbers.
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by red army line on May 14, 2011 1:29 PM EDT up reply actions
That is, BR will be gone soon, probably.
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by red army line on May 14, 2011 1:30 PM EDT up reply actions
Rafalski had a monster year for offense according to GAETAN — he was on the ice for 100 Wings goals, and given his playing time you’d have expected only about 67 GFON.
Atta dinnin stick a who!
by Gould Old Days on May 14, 2011 3:04 PM EDT up reply actions
One thought about a preliminary team adjustment—you can calculate GAETAN at the team level, right? Maybe from there on-ice GAETAN minus off-ice GAETAN = relative GAETAN, or on-ice GAETAN minus team GAETAN = relative GAETAN.
I think his offense is fine, but he’s been looking outmatched to me for most of the season. Maybe part of that is his sub-900 on-ice save percentage, but Babcock was giving him pretty easy competition (which he played well against). Part of that was probably trying to get Kronwall the defensive minutes instead, but I have to think Rafalski won’t be able to hold up as a capable ES defenseman much longer.
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by red army line on May 14, 2011 3:11 PM EDT up reply actions
I’d be all for that kind of adjustment to GAETAN. If you have any suggestions for how to do it, let me know. Or feel free to just add columns to the google spreadsheet. It’s an “open source” stat.
It’s obviously hard to separate Rafalski and Lidstrom. Not sure I’d say Rafalski really is one of the best in the league, but he ain’t bad.
Atta dinnin stick a who!
by Gould Old Days on May 14, 2011 3:51 PM EDT up reply actions
First thing that came to mind is adding up the player totals for a certain team, then dividing, but 4on4 time might mess that up.
Maybe this works:
Add up TOI, GF, and GA totals for the players of a team (maybe subtract out the player’s TOI, GF, and GA, to get only off-ice data)
Calculate expected GF and GA, and deltas, then convert to rates
Multiply rate by player’s ratio of TOI (player TOI divided by team TOI for each manpower) and compare.
I can try this out in a few days.
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by red army line on May 14, 2011 3:58 PM EDT up reply actions
you can also use the team stats. Check the “averages” workbook in the google spreadsheet. That may have all the raw data you need.
Atta dinnin stick a who!
by Gould Old Days on May 14, 2011 4:00 PM EDT up reply actions
I’m pretty sure the Caps were ranked 4th in the HF organizational rankings earlier in the season. That’s a very far fall, but considering the “graduation” of Alzner, Carlson, Johansson, Neuvirth, and Varlamov, it’s probably warranted. I would say we still have 3 or 4 good bets to make the NHL though (Holtby, Orlov, Eakin, and Kutz)
Get me a tub of Häagen-Dazs because I'm depressed.
I completely agree…Semin certainly showed up for this year’s playoffs. He was very good in the Rangers series and certainly no worse than the average Capital, and probably better, against the Lightning. The collapse against the Lightning was a team effort. With the exception of game 1, they never seemed to come with the same urgency that they showed against the Rangers in game 5. In fact, with the exception of the Flyers series four years ago, I can point to multiple games where the Caps were flat and disinterested for large portions of games. These include game seven against the Rangers three years ago (completely outplayed for two periods and lucky to have won); game 5 against Montreal last year; and games 2-3 against the Lightning this year.
This team needs a major shakeup up and down the lineup. So who to trade between Semin and Green? Neither. Green is still too valuable and I don’t think that you would get anything close to fair value for Semin and his cap space. I would much prefer to see the coaching staff replaced (with the possible exception of Bob Woods). Here are my reasons for firing Boudreau:
1. He is a poor tactician (and motivator). Yes, the PK is better and the move to a more defensive style paid off (at least initially, although the maturation of Carlson and Alzner also played a role. But he PP has remained a disaster for over a year. He also routinely gets out-coached in the playoffs and doesn’t seem to be able to adjust within games or between games. Simply put, he is too methodical when the playoffs require more nimble-thinking.
2. The Caps need to be much more disciplined and consistently hardworking. I would be surprised if there is another team in league with as many too many men on the ice penalties. Also, the average shift length is way too long for a number of players and they seem to routinely decide how long they want to spend on the ice. These issues are more on the coach than the players in my mind.
3. I hate the constant line changes from game to game in the playoffs. It smacks of panic to me and I wonder if it doesn’t carry over to the players. One player that I think would benefit tremendously by having consistent linemates is Semin. He is a great passer and relies on finesse to create space for his shot…familiarity with his linemates is critical to him being effective.
4. I am also not a fan of Boudreau’s inconsistent dog house. He seems to pick a few guys and just ride them (Fehr, Semin) and give others a free pass (Laich, Ovie, Green, Backstrom [to an extent]). I don’t know what gets said behind closed doors, but Fehr is definitely one of Boudreau’s whipping boys in public. Frankly, how he can rag on Fehr for a poor clear and give Laich a pass for a turnover in the neutral zone where both leads to goals is puzzling. He definitely plays favorites and I think that this has a negative impact on the team.
by avatarless on May 14, 2011 2:05 PM EDT reply actions 3 recs
I agree with the general sentiment, but
These include game seven against the Rangers three years ago (completely outplayed for two periods and lucky to have won); game 5 against Montreal last year;
I’d say in each of those games, the first ten minutes vs rest of game is a pretty good division, which isn’t that much of a “large portion.”
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by red army line on May 14, 2011 2:11 PM EDT up reply actions
Favorites
I don’t have a strong opinion on BB, but I probably lean toward replacing him. The next coach will play favorites. They all do. Of all the arguments for getting rid of BB-this is the worst. I like Eric Fehr too, but the fact that he’s in the doghouse constantly is kind of irrelevant given how little he’s in the lineup.
by JPN888 on May 14, 2011 3:30 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
It’s possibly irrelevant in terms of production, but it’s relevant in demonstrating the way BB finds his favorites, and how he wants the team to play. Fehr is a less sexy player that has to do dirty work to succeed. He constantly was getting shafted for Flash, a softer and sexier player. BB continued to want to rely on flashy skill and not have players that may not have had highlight real talent, but were more likely to bring what the Caps are missing.
A kitten on fire, a baby in a blender, both sound as sweet as a playoff surrender.
Fehr
Definitely got the shaft. Do you think BB got religion at all relative to te type of players they need with trade of flash and adoption of d style?
by JPN888 on May 14, 2011 4:03 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I don’t agree. Favoritism is symptomatic of an overall managerial (i.e., coaching) lapse. I’m not necessarily in the “fire Boudreau” camp, but I don’t think you can dismiss weaknesses like this when one of the most crucial questions of our post-season flop is “why aren’t the Caps listening to him?”
As I watch Tampa trounce Boston 5-2 tonight, you know what I’m hearing about Guy Boucher? His players listen. They get it. They play the system to perfection and that can only mean that the leadership, starting with the coach, is working. I’ve never heard Boucher throw anyone under the bus (then again, haven’t seen Tampa lose many). He is circumspect, respectful of his players and opponent alike, and humble to an almost absurd degree.
If coaching is an overall package deal and leadership plays a crucial role, then BB is lacking. And that could well be a fire-able offense.
good points about bourdreau---but I would
trade green and get somebody who would probably contribute more in the playoffs.
So you would’ve been in the “trade A-Rod before the ’09 playoff heroics” camp? I’m sure there’s something about playing past late April that makes Mike Green perform poorly on the ice. Hmm… no, that doesn’t make any sense.
by cajuncook on May 14, 2011 6:27 PM EDT up reply actions 3 recs
This this this
The Caps need to be much more disciplined and consistently hardworking.
THIS.
They won’t win in the playoffs until this changes. Period.
And the first person in the chain of command (© Lt. Daniels) for this is Boudreau.
"By far the worst performers on the (Redskins) are in the front office." – Sally Jenkins
More great work from Eric at BSH. This time on special teams.
A kitten on fire, a baby in a blender, both sound as sweet as a playoff surrender.
Bad contracts are hurting the Caps
Poti, a 2 year extension — ridiculous
Backstrom, 10 years, $6.7M - too much term @ the price — better deal would have been $6.7M for 4 years – you can still leverage him as a RFA prior to his UFA years.
I think the 100 point year was an aberration.
Ovechkin – worth the money, but too long of term. Again, take him up to 26 and you still have some leverage as an RFA. Too much liability in length of term.
You’re entitled to your opinions, but there’s a reason they’re the ones giving out the contracts and we’re not.
Get me a tub of Häagen-Dazs because I'm depressed.
Poti- agreed
Backstrom- Absolutely not. It’s not a ridiculous number, he just had a down season last year. We had to lock him up long term, and you don’t want to risk that he goes to free agency and someone else takes him from us. You can’t lose undoubtedly elite players.
Ovechkin- Absolutely not. When you get one of the greatest players in the history of hockey, you lock them up for as long as you can.
If/When Green and Semin are signed long term, it might be a different argument, but it’s hard to challenge the legitimacy of the contracts for players who have proven to be elite.
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