Saturday Caps Clips

by EmilyB on Sep 10, 2011 12:34 PM EDT in Caps Clips

Dennis Wideman and Marcus Johansson of the Washington Capitals celebrate a goal by Johansson against the Philadelphia Flyers on March 22, 2011 in Philadelphia.

Your savory Saturday brunch links:

Alex Ovechkin addresses the comments of Matt Bradley and David Steckel. The Captain is not feeling the respect. [ESPN (Burnside), Alex Ovetjkin]
"I lost a lot of friends this summer." He is also feeling the weight of the tragedies back in Russia. [Globe & Mail (Blair)]
Speaking of which, Evgeny Kuznetsov and his Traktor Chelyabinsk teammates participated in a memorial ceremony. [HC Traktor]
More Ovi:
- He sat down (sans slouch) for another chat with Mike Vogel. [Caps365 video via Alex Ovetjkin]
- His time is money. [NBC Washington]
- Chicks dig the long puck. [Puck Daddy]
- Nice ride, Mr. Big. AO's latest ad for Cadbury. [RMNB]
- And, as always, it's good to be Alex Ovechkin. [Alex Ovetjkin]
Karl Alzner returned to Kettler ice with a new diet, a new workout regimen and a story of two herniated disks... [CI (Carrera)]
Then Dennis Wideman returned with a huge smile and a knee-to-hip scar on his thigh... [CI (Carrera)]
...plus he is excited that Tomas Vokoun will be his teammate once again... [CI (Carrera)]
...and here's a look at how Wideman's 2011-2012 season might go. [Rock the Red]
Hmm. #fancystats say that when Alexander Semin is producing, his penalties go down, and when he's struggling, the PIMs pile up. Go figure. [Red Line Station]
Step up or ship out ... Jeff Schultz. [Caps Examiner (Hoffman)]
Have we reached the end of the Trap Era in DC? [CSN Washington (Gormley)]
In which our colleagues at Mile High Hockey talk draft picks and Semyon Varlamov. [MHH]
Former Cap Steve Konowalchuk is settling into his new role as coach of the WHL's Seattle Thunderbirds and is wrestling with the role of fighting in hockey. [Seattle Times (Kelley)]
Mike Vogel looks back at the grimmest training camp opening day ever... [Dump-n-Chase]
...while Caps Director of Amateur Scouting Ross Mahoney reflects on the loss of two of the scouting brotherhood. [Regina Leader-Post (Vanstone)]
A reminder: Matt Hendricks and Jeff Schultz will be special guest captains at the INOVA Blood Donor Services charity hockey game today at Kettler. Puck drops at 4pm and EB & Cakes from the Junkies will be hosting. [Charity Hockey Classic]
Japers' Rink Radio hits the interwaves on Monday at 9pm. Pepper and Russell welcome Ed Tait of the Winnipeg Free Press to the studio. [JRR]
Finally, happy 29th birthday to Staffan Kronwall.

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Comments

Call me morbid, but I’d love a photo to accompany Carrera’s Wideman injury piece.

Terrifically juvenile.

by stemmer on Sep 10, 2011 12:40 PM EDT reply actions

I haven’t seen his, but every scar from that surgery I’ve seen in person (both on shins) is the sort of thing that makes your stomach turn. HUGE.

Caps fans aren’t on the ledge; they’ve already jumped, and are merely trying to drag others into a mournful descent with them..--Stienz

Pledge Drive 2010-2011: SO KIDS CAN!! Help build a playground

by RedBirdie on Sep 10, 2011 1:09 PM EDT up reply actions

I don’t follow hockey sportswriters closely, but the in the Globe & Mail piece by Jeff Blair I did appreciate the following:

The Capitals and Crosby’s Pittsburgh Penguins were featured in a critically acclaimed HBO 24/7 documentary leading up to the Winter Classic outdoor game in which David Steckel’s hit on Crosby planted the seeds of a season-ending concussion.

Maybe not a clear statement that the hit wasn’t intentional, but given the imbalance of statements against Steckel, “planted the seeds of a season-ending concussion” is about as even-handed as I’m going to hope for from the media.

In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.

by skyywise on Sep 10, 2011 1:00 PM EDT reply actions

Nicholas Costonika at Yahoo is the first writer I’ve seen plant some of the blame for the Steckel collision on Crosby. Bold highlights are mine.

First, on Jan. 1 in the Winter Classic, he curled into an opponent with his head turned as his opponent was skating up ice. He is listed at 5-foot-11. His opponent, David Steckel, then of the Washington Capitals, is 6-5. It was ruled incidental contact. Crosby played the rest of the game, then played Jan. 5 and took a hit from behind from the Lightning’s Victor Hedman(notes) near the end boards.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/news;ylt=AluuNH1J47VnVwXrWABKs1x7vLYF?slug=nc-cotsonikashane_doan_head_shots_090911

Don’t try to figure Sasha out. Just ride the wave.

by gfcaps fan on Sep 10, 2011 1:40 PM EDT up reply actions

about freaking time someone pointed out the obvious.

Caps fans aren’t on the ledge; they’ve already jumped, and are merely trying to drag others into a mournful descent with them..--Stienz

Pledge Drive 2010-2011: SO KIDS CAN!! Help build a playground

by RedBirdie on Sep 10, 2011 1:49 PM EDT up reply actions

Several players have supported Crosby, including the Tampa Bay Lightning’s Martin St. Louis(notes) and the New York Rangers’ Brad Richards(notes). Doan went out of his way to show respect for Crosby, but he disagreed.Crosby hasn’t played since taking two hits in quick succession. First, on Jan. 1

And Costonika is referring to Shane Doan’s opinion, so it’s not just a some Yahoo reporter…

Quand on change d'attitude ça change tout

by miseenjeu on Sep 10, 2011 1:55 PM EDT up reply actions

Different part of the article, but agreed. The part I pointed out is Costonika’s opinion. And I think it’s the second article this week where he said it; the first was probably after Crosby’s press conference. Yup, it’s here, basically the same sentence: http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/news?slug=nc-cotsonika-crosby_concussion_recovery_090711

Don’t try to figure Sasha out. Just ride the wave.

by gfcaps fan on Sep 10, 2011 2:09 PM EDT up reply actions

"planted the seeds of a season-ending concussion"

/headboard joke

"You just have a sense," Holland says. "The type of player you want, the type of situation you reference for your next game, you see it."

by Acer Jonesy's Laughker on Sep 10, 2011 2:16 PM EDT up reply actions

I just don’t care about it anymore.

"Don't mind WM...he's an all-around jerk."

by Whiter Mage on Sep 10, 2011 3:17 PM EDT up reply actions

....

Lokomotiv has decided not to play this season. The youth team (I assume that’s their MHL team?) will.

The patch all KHL teams will wear this season:

Caps fans aren’t on the ledge; they’ve already jumped, and are merely trying to drag others into a mournful descent with them..--Stienz

Pledge Drive 2010-2011: SO KIDS CAN!! Help build a playground

by RedBirdie on Sep 10, 2011 1:21 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs

Anyone wanting to read some sad updates on Varly in Yaroslavl, I posted them here on MHH.

by vtcapsfan99 on Sep 10, 2011 2:18 PM EDT up reply actions

Thank you so much. I read them.

Rocking the Red for teams on the banks of the Potomac and at the Gateway Arch and Singing the Blues about Hockey.

by CapsFan75 on Sep 10, 2011 2:31 PM EDT up reply actions

That story of Varly and other friends and relatives crying and waiting out in the rain with flowers for hours to see their friends one last time at the morgue was heartbreaking. I didn’t quote the whole story, they also talked to a few other former Yaroslavl players.

by vtcapsfan99 on Sep 10, 2011 2:42 PM EDT up reply actions

And his father had known several of the players as well. While I know the translations quotes aren’t perfect, they’re so heartbreaking to read.

Rocking the Red for teams on the banks of the Potomac and at the Gateway Arch and Singing the Blues about Hockey.

by CapsFan75 on Sep 10, 2011 4:10 PM EDT up reply actions

Yaroslavl is my home town, and it’s as much a hockey town as they can ever come. Every year I go and see hockey games when I visit home. These past few days have been just plain awful for all Yaroslavl residents. Frankly, I don’t know what to say, I’m not that good with words in these situations. It’s been a devastating tragedy for everyone in the city, as so many knew of the players and loved watching the team play, if not live in the arena, then on TV. And it’s not just young or mid-age people, it’s elder people as well, like my mother and father or my wife’s parents, who are all between 70 and 80 years of age. With the population just over 600,000, Yaroslavl still feels like a small town in regards to connections between residents, and it’s not difficult to find someone you know who knows someone on the team in person. This tragedy has touched everyone. It’s so unfair that these young men just ceased to exist in a flash. They had everything ahead of them. It’s so unfair that the team ceased to exist in a flash. And it was a real team that played as a whole, and lived as a whole spending time together in the city’s center. This shouldn’t have happened but it did. They will all be remembered.

by keshonok on Sep 10, 2011 9:03 PM EDT up reply actions 19 recs

Thanks for the insight brother.

"My favorite fan base in D.C. Is United's. Period. The end." - Steinberg

"This [job] would be so much easier if it wasn't for the fucking [customers]."

by Bald Pollack on Sep 10, 2011 9:07 PM EDT up reply actions

Rec’d

Capitals goal scored by #22, Mike...

by KNUUUUUUUUUUBLE on Sep 10, 2011 9:09 PM EDT up reply actions

Here I found an over two years old article about my mother-in-law who’s 73. The reporter there had placed me in Washington State which is not true as I live in DC area.
http://kp.ru/daily/24273/469077/

I can’t say enough about what she feels these days.

by keshonok on Sep 10, 2011 9:24 PM EDT up reply actions

Wow, bless you for this. Prayers for Yaroslavl.

That'll make your weagle wink!
The pants that bind us should be left behind us.

by boutros23 on Sep 10, 2011 11:36 PM EDT up reply actions

Finally, something other than re-runs.

@NHL: Need some hockey? #NHL Network US to broadcast Traverse City Prospects Tourney: Rangers vs. Blues tonight at 7pm et. #NYR #STLBlues

"You can want to get to April but when you get to April you may not like the answers you get, so you might as well enjoy the ride while it's going on." - Brian McNally on JRR, 8/29/2011

by bagace on Sep 10, 2011 2:29 PM EDT reply actions

Must. Have. Mr. Big. Bar.

by DonCaps819 on Sep 10, 2011 2:44 PM EDT reply actions

The Schultz article

epitomizes my thoughts on Schultz to a T. I thought for sure he’d be amongst the Caps that were going to be purged this off-season. Don’t see what management sees.

by 2up2down on Sep 10, 2011 2:49 PM EDT via mobile reply actions

They see a guy who is positionally pretty good and has been paired against top forwards in the past and done well, and chooses not to sacrifice his position for the sake of making a hit that gets mouthbreathers tight in the pants.

"My favorite fan base in D.C. Is United's. Period. The end." - Steinberg

"This [job] would be so much easier if it wasn't for the fucking [customers]."

by Bald Pollack on Sep 10, 2011 2:55 PM EDT up reply actions 12 recs

Hes done well against top forwards in the past?

News to me. He’s a glorified 3rd pair defensemen being asked to do more than he’s capable.

by 2up2down on Sep 10, 2011 3:08 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

Yeah, I don’t think he’s played top forwards like Carlzner has, but he’s been matched against guys like Malkin and Briere IIRC.

He’s been hurt something like 3 of the last 4 offseasons, so I cut him some slack. Yeah, last year he was 3rd pair, but he didn’t look too out of place on the top pair in 2009-2010.

Red Line Station and @RedArmyLine, featuring coverage of the most frustrating team in the NHL
I believe in next year.

by red army line on Sep 10, 2011 3:17 PM EDT up reply actions

He’s passable in the regular season, but his game doesn’t elevate in the playoffs, if anything it worsens.

by 2up2down on Sep 10, 2011 3:32 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

So basically he’s like the rest of the team and you are singling him out.

Obviously, this is all speculation.

by Rob Parker on Sep 10, 2011 3:35 PM EDT up reply actions 10 recs

F’real.

Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world

by J.P. on Sep 10, 2011 3:41 PM EDT up reply actions

Not trying to pin the blame solely on him. There’s plenty of blame to go around. I just don’t get the reasoning behind keeping a guy who has faltered when it matters and whose game hasn’t developed. Especially when there are cheaper alternatives available.

by 2up2down on Sep 10, 2011 3:55 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

So you don’t get the reasoning behind keeping anyone on this roster? I’m being serious, which guys doesn’t your criticism apply to?

And Schultz is pretty damn cheap. If you want to go bargain basement, sure you can find cheaper. Hell, you could have kept TSlo. But if you want a guy that is a really good third pair guy and an adequate second pair guy, that gives you good PK play, you’re going to pay at least what Schultz gets.

Obviously, this is all speculation.

by Rob Parker on Sep 10, 2011 4:40 PM EDT up reply actions

Im not saying it doesn’t apply to guys like Semin or Green. At the same time Semin and Green have shown flashes in the playoffs and are legitimate game changers. Their production is not easily replaceable. Cutting ties with Schultz is a lateral move at worst, especially with his role being diminished.

To address your second point Mike Weaver is a guy that’ll give you more than what Schultz would at less.

by 2up2down on Sep 10, 2011 5:46 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

Sure, you can cherry-pick examples of guys on better contracts than Schultz. But if you look at the broader market you have to expect to pay at least what Schultz makes to get his production.

Schultz isn’t a game changer, and he’s not paid like one. So even if Green and Semin and Backstrom and AO have all shown that they are much better players than Schultz, they’re all paid much more as well. If a guy doesn’t live up to his depth chart position or salary, then that’s all that matters.

Obviously, this is all speculation.

by Rob Parker on Sep 10, 2011 5:50 PM EDT up reply actions

Technically speaking he has been a top pair guy on the depth chart and id say he hasn’t lived up to it. Also hasn’t lived up to the contract he earned, but it is early. I think he’ll be ok in a 3rd pair role but again id rather have someone else their with that being the case.

We’re more than likely going to have to agree to disagree.

by 2up2down on Sep 10, 2011 6:11 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

So the year he was top pair on the depth chart how did he not live up to that?

Obviously, this is all speculation.

by Rob Parker on Sep 10, 2011 6:19 PM EDT up reply actions

So one year is sufficient?

by 2up2down on Sep 10, 2011 6:33 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

Well he only played top pair for one year, so if you are evaluating him in terms of how he has played as a top pair guy, I’d base it on that one year.

Obviously, this is all speculation.

by Rob Parker on Sep 10, 2011 6:35 PM EDT up reply actions

He was on the top pair the following year until Carlzner suceeded him.

by 2up2down on Sep 10, 2011 6:40 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

So for one month coming off mono. And he and Green actually looked pretty good on that top pair for October. So one season and one month, no embarassment, and a league leading plus/minus. Obviously plus/minus is flawed, but a huge positive at the very least indicates you kept your head above water.

Obviously, this is all speculation.

by Rob Parker on Sep 10, 2011 6:41 PM EDT up reply actions

2010-2011 5v5 TOI/60, per BtN:

Green 17.45
Carlson 17.10
Alzner 16.55
Schultz 16.52

In terms of ice time, there’s not much difference, looking at the season on the whole. Competition wise, Calzner obviously faced top lines (though Schultz-Green did, too, for the first ~15 games). Here’s a better TOI breakdown.

Red Line Station and @RedArmyLine, featuring coverage of the most frustrating team in the NHL
I believe in next year.

by red army line on Sep 10, 2011 7:12 PM EDT up reply actions

whose game hasn’t developed

That’s just flat wrong. Yes, he regressed last year. Badly. But he was on a nice trajectory, and there are legitimate factors which can, in part, explain that regression (namely his inability to train last season and the 25 pounds he lost being sick). I’d agree that this year’s big for him – I called him out in my “Hot Seat” post earlier in the week. And if he’s not better this year, well, we’ll jump off that bridge when we get to it.

But the scapegoating of and crapping on Jeff Schultz is crazy when there are plenty of better targets of whom more has been expected and from whom less has been delivered.

Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world

by J.P. on Sep 10, 2011 5:02 PM EDT up reply actions 5 recs

his game doesn’t elevate in the playoffs, if anything it worsens

Jeff Schultz played 160.7 minutes during the offseason this year. You’d have expected the opposition to score 9.4 goals during that time given regular season scoring rates, but the Rangers and Lightning only scored 6 while he was on the ice. That differential, 3.4 to the good, was best among Caps defensemen.

But sure, the lack of postseason success is his fault…

"Fais gros comme moi!" - Alex Ovechkin

by Gould Old Days on Sep 10, 2011 5:41 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

Very telling that Caps fans have begun equating “post-season” with “off-season.”

Obviously, this is all speculation.

by Rob Parker on Sep 10, 2011 5:52 PM EDT up reply actions 4 recs

derp

"Fais gros comme moi!" - Alex Ovechkin

by Gould Old Days on Sep 10, 2011 5:55 PM EDT up reply actions

Yes b/c I explicitly implicated Schultz for our teams failures. The statistics are post-hoc, you’d be remissed to think he was the best defensemen during the playoffs.

by 2up2down on Sep 10, 2011 5:56 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

You may have explicitly implicated him, but I explicitly exculpated him. So now he’s exculpated, and no longer implicated.

You’re mistaken — the statistics were compiled during game action. They aren’t post-hoc. They’re hoc. Which means “fact.” Which is what they are.

I’m certainly not remissed. For one thing, I never said he was the best Caps defenseman in the playoffs. I said that he was on the ice for fewer goals than one might have expected. An important job of a defenseman is to help prevent goals against. One good way to test whether he is doing his job is to see if goals were scored while he was on the ice. Not many were scored against the Caps while Schultz was on the ice. So he did his job. Unlike many of his teammates.

I’m sure you disagree. If you have any evidence to support anything you have to say, I’d be interested in seeing it. I’ll even put up with further butchering of both the English and Latin languages if you have anything interesting and new to say about the topic.

"Fais gros comme moi!" - Alex Ovechkin

by Gould Old Days on Sep 10, 2011 6:13 PM EDT up reply actions 4 recs

His quality of competition was 5th amongst Caps dmen in the regular season and playoffs.

by 2up2down on Sep 10, 2011 7:21 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

Which is trying to prove what? Seems to me he was used effectively then.

You’re the one pushing addition by subtraction here. Got anything that suggests the Caps would actually be better off without Schultz than with him? I don’t want Jeff Schultz on my top pairing, but I don’t want him gone either. 6th behind Green, Hamrlik, Carlson, Alzner, and Wideman, and ahead of John Erskine, seems like a pretty good place to me to have Jeff Schultz. It’s called depth. It helps teams win games.

"Fais gros comme moi!" - Alex Ovechkin

by Gould Old Days on Sep 10, 2011 7:28 PM EDT up reply actions

Use Corsi Rel QoC—it works better. Schultz was third in the regular season (you can’t count Wideman and Collins). He was last in the playoffs, but the samples are so small I don’t put any weight on that (look at the messed up RATINGs and Corsi Rels). As a general rule of thumb ~40 games is when Corsi Rel QoC seems to me like it really starts getting order of competition correct, but I still don’t really feel confident until 60 games.

Red Line Station and @RedArmyLine, featuring coverage of the most frustrating team in the NHL
I believe in next year.

by red army line on Sep 10, 2011 7:55 PM EDT up reply actions

Case in point: doesn’t it look here like Schultz was a good third in competition?

(warning: self-linkage)

Red Line Station and @RedArmyLine, featuring coverage of the most frustrating team in the NHL
I believe in next year.

by red army line on Sep 10, 2011 7:57 PM EDT up reply actions

The statistics are post-hoc

What about right in the middle of the postseason, when Schultz went through the entire Rangers series without being on ice for a goal against? If memory serves, that was ~115 mins, an NHL record for minutes without being on-ice for a GA to start the postseason.

Show us the numbers to tell us he’s that poor.

Red Line Station and @RedArmyLine, featuring coverage of the most frustrating team in the NHL
I believe in next year.

by red army line on Sep 10, 2011 6:13 PM EDT up reply actions

And, per the Caps, he set an NHL record (as in all-time) for most minutes played before being on the ice for a goal against in that Ranger series. So yeah.

Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world

by J.P. on Sep 10, 2011 7:51 PM EDT up reply actions

But did you see Dubinsky pwn him in 2009????

Release the Mackan!

by Killer_Carlson on Sep 10, 2011 7:57 PM EDT up reply actions

Start here and don’t be afraid to click on the other links in it.

"My favorite fan base in D.C. Is United's. Period. The end." - Steinberg

"This [job] would be so much easier if it wasn't for the fucking [customers]."

by Bald Pollack on Sep 10, 2011 3:30 PM EDT up reply actions

Thanks Birdie

Don’t try to figure Sasha out. Just ride the wave.

by gfcaps fan on Sep 10, 2011 3:13 PM EDT up reply actions 6 recs

_______

Soon the Championship with be ours, all ours!

by kingzman264 on Sep 10, 2011 5:32 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

I sit next to this dude…no facts can help.

by ralCapsFan on Sep 11, 2011 12:57 AM EDT up reply actions

Maybe they see the incredibly long shutout streak Schultz had to start the season. Maybe they see the way he racks up blocked shots by positioning himself properly. Maybe they see how he lets offensive minded dmen like Green or Wideman play their game while knowing they have a player backing them up.

My mind is all twisted like a peanut.

by timmyv38 on Sep 10, 2011 6:19 PM EDT up reply actions

Do you, like commas as, much as the, author of the article seems, too?

"Essentially, all models are wrong, but some are useful" George E.P. Box

I have $50 to Olie's autism charity or So Kids Can and a beer on the under for 50/57/107 as AO's final stat line for 2011-'12

by Knee high to a duck on Sep 10, 2011 11:11 PM EDT up reply actions

Not sure about that, but he does seem to like at least three periods like the rest of us do.

Red Line Station and @RedArmyLine, featuring coverage of the most frustrating team in the NHL
I believe in next year.

by red army line on Sep 10, 2011 11:38 PM EDT up reply actions

Is it me or is anyone else also tired of Ovi’s off ice merchandising exploits? Today it was wrist watches and Versace. Yesterday it was Bauer, Nike, CCM, etc. Tomorrow orange juice and Disneyland??? Who cares? Enough already; he is a multi, multi, multi-millionaire and I could care less how much more money he stands to make. Instead, I am ready to see if his shot is back on track, if he can out-finesse defensemen this year who seemed to have him figured out last year, whether he can kick Semin in the butt, etc. etc.
Sorry to be an old crank here, but I am ready for hockey!

by Wilderthing on Sep 10, 2011 3:13 PM EDT reply actions

Is it me or is anyone else also tired of Ovi’s off ice merchandising exploits?

It’s just you. Good question, though.

Japers' Rink: Hockey blogging from the most powerful city in the world

by J.P. on Sep 10, 2011 3:41 PM EDT up reply actions

It’s not like Ovi was the only NHL star attending that little Versace event. However, unlike Kesler, Stamkos, Kane, Giroux and so on, he does seem to be the only one wearing a teeshirt instead of suit.

I can’t wait for the season to begin either. But the first few weeks of September is the best time to get this kind of PR, NHL commercials, and other media blitzes out of the way. I consider it part of the process of being an NHL star.

As for his conditioning, I think he’s looking pretty good in those many celebrity photos. And like you I’m ready to see him hit the ice.

by capsyoungguns on Sep 10, 2011 4:08 PM EDT up reply actions

I am so glad you don’t run this blog. It’s comprehensiveness would suffer under your management.

(Yes, I know about the avatar hounding - just pretend mine is invisible.)

by oldemystix on Sep 10, 2011 6:33 PM EDT up reply actions

To put it in perspective. It’s part of the job, both for his individual endorsements and for the NHL itself. He can’t just blow off these commitments.

I finally read (and was touched by) the Globe and Mail piece by Blair:

NHL’s Player Tour continued through its midtown offices. For two days, the game’s best and in many cases its youngest are presented to the national media in New York for one-on-one sessions, and in Ovechkin’s case it comes painfully close on the heels of the crash of the chartered jet carrying the Yaroslavl Lokomotiv team of the Continental Hockey League.

"I lost a lot of friends this summer," Ovechkin said quietly. "I had a lot of situations this summer. This … this was just one of them. Anything can happen in this world. It just happens that those were friends, who do the same job I do. It’s a huge tragedy and loss but … you never know when and you never know how."

Thankfully:

Ovechkin could not have been clearer: seldom has he looked forward to returning to the ice as on the eve of this particular Washington Capitals training camp. "I always play hard," he said, "but this year … I think I need to play double hard."

by capsyoungguns on Sep 10, 2011 8:16 PM EDT up reply actions

I think OV was right to say Bradley crossed the line— in terms of a basic teammate ethic, even if its a former teammate. Even if he was right in his assessment— I think he made a decision to speak, and it was the wrong one… not to the media— he should have bitten his tongue. He can trash them all he wants in the FLA locker room, but not like that. Good for OV to say it, as a captain should.

(Sorry if you guys have already run this discussion into the ground)

by Tommy Williams on Sep 10, 2011 3:52 PM EDT reply actions

I totally agree. Good for Ovi. Although there was considerable discussion on this item at that time, I do not recall any major consensus. I could be wrong but I think most of the discussants seemed to think that not only was Bradley right about what he said but it was appropriate for him to say it because…I think the argument goes something like this…. “everybody knew it was correct and it was time someone said it” ….or something similar. (Please feel free to correct me if I am wrong.)
Anyway, I am with you. Brad should have said it to Ovi at the time (and, presumably, he did) and then shut up. Frankly, I think one of the interesting issues this year is whether Ovi will take the problem to heart and try to develop a little more team backbone.

by Wilderthing on Sep 10, 2011 5:28 PM EDT up reply actions

There were plenty of people that didn’t like Brads calling out Semin or AO publicly.

Obviously, this is all speculation.

by Rob Parker on Sep 10, 2011 5:52 PM EDT up reply actions

Yes, you are correct. I probably should not have attempted to summarize because there were many critics of Brad, as you suggest. On the other hand, many did support his accusations and, I inferred, thought the ends (calling out the heart of the team) justified the means. It also brought out the Semin bashers, which I always find disconcerting.

by Wilderthing on Sep 10, 2011 6:24 PM EDT up reply actions

Ovi’s comment was perfect – dispute the when and where of Brads’ comments and not dive into the content. No sense in getting into that.

by NateEwell on Sep 10, 2011 5:51 PM EDT up reply actions

Does that implicitly validate the substance?

Obviously, this is all speculation.

by Rob Parker on Sep 10, 2011 5:53 PM EDT up reply actions

Maybe to the attentive reader. But it answers the question and lets him move on from the topic.

by NateEwell on Sep 10, 2011 5:56 PM EDT up reply actions

True, and I didn’t mean to disagree that AO handled it the right way. He obviously can’t explicitly agree with Brads, he doesn’t want to just no-comment, and getting into a public media battle is never a good idea.

Obviously, this is all speculation.

by Rob Parker on Sep 10, 2011 6:02 PM EDT up reply actions

I agree. I think it hit the situation in the one last spot that it needed, to close it— that Brads should have kept it to himself. ‘Stupid’ is a fine word too, even if he would have like something more exact in English. The validity of the point is separate matter, and I bet OV does get fired by it.

But I think it was a good initiative to address it, have the final word and be accurate, and move on.

by Tommy Williams on Sep 10, 2011 6:08 PM EDT up reply actions

Indeed.

If you want to say something to the face, you have to say it to the face, but why have to say it to the media?

We still don’t know whether Brads spoke up directly to Semin in the locker room. Brads forgot to say.

by capsyoungguns on Sep 10, 2011 7:36 PM EDT up reply actions

Couldn’t we assume that Ovechkin would know if Brads called out Semin in the locker room?

Terrifically juvenile.

by stemmer on Sep 10, 2011 7:38 PM EDT up reply actions

No, that’s not what I meant, although I was going for a bit of snark as well.

I meant that Brads never said whether he spoke up and criticized Semin’s effort within the locker room. At a time when such a comment might make a difference.

At this point we can only guess at was actually said in the locker room. And that’s the only point that Ovi addresses: What is said in the locker room stays in the locker room. Especially by a player after he has left the team.

by capsyoungguns on Sep 10, 2011 7:51 PM EDT up reply actions

Gotcha. I assumed from Ovi’s comments that Bradley did not address this in-house, but perhaps I was reading too much into it.

Terrifically juvenile.

by stemmer on Sep 10, 2011 8:52 PM EDT up reply actions

I think Ovie should have stuck to the “we were asked not to discuss it” answer. The hoopla was dying off and this brought it back to the fore.

(Yes, I know about the avatar hounding - just pretend mine is invisible.)

by oldemystix on Sep 10, 2011 6:36 PM EDT up reply actions

I think there’s a wound-licking quality to that response… I think everyone—media, fans, organization, players— all believe there’s at least an element of truth to the comment. But in this comment OV hit his own nail on the head, took some ownership of the situation back, and some high ground too, and resolves it in our favor— he’ll be fired up by the substance, but spoke some truth of his own, with the final word.

by Tommy Williams on Sep 10, 2011 6:47 PM EDT up reply actions

I’m happy Brads said what he said (and Steckel too), and I’m happy that Ovechkin said what he said.

Ovi’s the team captain — he has to show loyalty to those still on the team. For all the hate Semin pulls around here, he was on the ice for 12 goals for and only 6 against in the playoffs. He scored 4 goals himself. I’m convinced that he can do better, but even at that rate he was one of the teams most important players. Anything the team can do to get him playing well is going to help them a lot.

Bradley’s comments may serve as motivation, but they’re not going to help the Caps unless Semin believes his team has his back. So departing players tossing bombs and the remaining players defending Semin seems like the perfect dynamic to me.

"Fais gros comme moi!" - Alex Ovechkin

by Gould Old Days on Sep 10, 2011 6:59 PM EDT up reply actions 3 recs