Friday Caps Clips: Sabres @ Capitals Game Day

Patrick Lalime shades the back of Chris Bourque’s neck from the piercing rays of the goal lamp as it is inevitably going to be lit only moment slater.

I see you plan to raise your kid correctly. Indoctrinating him in Capitalism from the get go.

Yup. Onesies, mini-jersies, hats. Just picked up a tassel hat before Monday’s game.

TONS of stuff. And an even wider selection at Kettler.

they make itty bitty baby winter hats, too. Might be helpful for your soon-to-be winter baby.

If Brouwer doesn’t score a point in October because he’s still rehabbing injury, or it’s a fitting-in process…whatever. I don’t care. He’s here for May and June.

Gotta be last year’s Ovi… so squishy.

Probably a mad king.

I’m so glad I’m not the only one bugged by that. If you reign in horses that just makes you a horse king…no?

Nonono, you’re misunderstanding. He wants to be a leader on the team. He’s trying to figure out how to to manage that reign given the high risk game style.

Hard to say, since Doughty’s deal buys out more RFA years than Green’s next one will. I’d think it certainly helps set the ceiling, but a lot could depend on the new CBA as well.

That story published yesterday. I think it’s pretty easy to tell whether or not you missed it in the Clips.

This is long as hell, so my comments may trickle in. I just don’t see enough nuance in the article, in particular with this paragraph:

But what about the player who is carrying the puck with his head down, another oft-cited example intended to show how impossibly complicated it is to ban headshots? In years past, the best way to move the puck forward was believed to be for a player to do it himself, stickhandling up the ice. Having his head down with his eyes focused on the puck was considered an advantage to him. It was only fair, then, that a defender have his own advantage and, unseen by the puck-carrier, be able to blast him. Now the best way to advance the puck is seen to be by passing, so a player with his head down is at a disadvantage already and doesn’t require further punishment. He can be easily stopped with no more than incidental contact. In such cases, a crushing hit to the head (e.g., Stevens on Lindros) is nothing less than an attempt to injure. The common explanations — “Because he deserved it” or “Because I can” — are not good enough in this age of concussions and dementia.

First, why does passing change the equation on having your head down? And second, even if we agree that it does, Lindros was carrying the puck up ice, the example of the old school style that justified the advantage for a D to blast a F. I’ve watched that hit literally at least 100 times. It doesn’t look like blatant head targeting to me. I’m sure Stevens could have gone out of his way to make sure he missed Lindros’ head, but I’m also sure that Lindros skating erect and looking forward doesn’t have his head in the contact zone (of course, he probably sees it coming and dodges, but even if he doesn’t, he just leaves his chest exposed, not his chin).

It’s a lot of words for something that’s been said and something that people know. My main complaints are that a) I don’t think this gets written if it’s not Sid, and b) he forces examples into his conclusion when they may not be apt (the fighters, and ignoring the fact that the hit on Sid was accidental; what rule change would have changed that play?).

King-Beagle-Hendricks is the J.O.B Squad Line.

“On Our Backs Since Birth”

It’s an odd signing given the time and the player but it’s hardly an albatross. If this re-signing happened back before FA frenzy I may have had a different opinion either due to the money or the lack of “why the hell is he being resigned a week before the season?” but I’m hard pressed to see any reason to be truly upset by it. Agitated, miffed, sure.

“The Caps have bigger issues” is a bit of a cop-out. Of course they do. But that doesn’t mean that the littler issues shouldn’t be analyzed and potentially criticized. It doesn’t take long before a few slightly bad contracts turn into a real problem. It cost them Chris Bourque two years ago (which obviously didn’t hurt much… but y’never know), might have cost them Bill Guerin… it may be death by a million paper cuts, but that doesn’t mean each cut should be disregarded.

Leonhardt was only invited to the alumni game so they could get all the playoff swag down from the top shelves.

Always thought those “Washington Capitals – 2011 Stanley Cup Champion” tee-shirts ended up in Ghana or Honduras.

…and using the term “run” is a bit of a stretch.

eh. I can’t get too worked up about it. It’s a giveaway.

Doug Wilson agrees with you, according to the interview he did with FTF recently.

In practice I think it comes down to what the team already has, so it’ll differ. If you were starting a team from scratch, I think most people would probably go with a C. Even after Crosby, I bet the first few picks would be Cs, and maybe AO.

I’d like to look at whether teams suffer more when their 1C or 1D go down with injury.

My answer would be yes.

Having a guy like Chara, Suter/Weber, Lidstrom and potentially Doughty is every bit as important as having Crosby, Sedin, Toews and potentially the Nuge.

Wingers are way, way down the list though. Ovechkin, in my opinion, is the only guy I’d want to say is a franchise winger unless you consider Malkin to be a winger. Anyone else isn’t nearly as important to invest in so heavily compared to a center or blueliner.

Hell, I’d say goalies are too. Even after what happened last year with Thomas — is it so hard to say Rask wouldn’t have been very comparable?

Look, it wasn’t just Edmonton who screwed up. Larrsen went fourth overall! You can almost forgive the Oilers, but the Avs and Panthers… well, it’s more than foolish.

Numbers on helmets vs. on the front of jerseys is definitely the lesser of two evils (which is exactly how Wysh worded it the other day, I think).

Not sure how this helps anyone other than broadcasters calling the games. Has there really been a problem with ref’s penalizing the wrong guy because he couldn’t see their number?

Even if I don’t necessarily agree with the punishment for this specific hit (which I think might be a touch severe), this new discipline process sure is a breath of fresh air. Those who think he’s heavy-handed have to at least appreciate that he’s applying a logic, and consistently.

I don’t like it, but, given what Shanahan has done so far I can’t complain. The guy is legitimately looking out for players. I want to see his reasoning, of course.

I asked the question on Teh Twitterz, but figured it might be good for discussion here – who do you think will be the first Cap to feel Shanny’s wrath (i.e. get suspended – no need to dig up the Knuble YouTube)?

They need someone to be Doug Weight to Brian Rolston’s Bill Guerin.

Well VAN just used PTOs to get to the vet limit? I think NYI only signed him to actually play. It’s a very young team, I think they just want more bodies and some experience.

you have to imagine it being said with that thick Canadian accept and the Death Stare for the full effect.

That is why I am very interested in seeing the Shanahan video. It will set the precedence on if players are their brother’s keeper or not. I can see both sides, and I’m definitely on the “not suspension worthy” side but I can clearly see that hits to the head are going to be punished even if there is some shared blame.

I chew his brand of gum.

I’d read more into the fact that this is the last pre-season game, MP isn’t playing, and he’s “not losing his roster spot.” If he doesn’t lose it now, doesn’t that mean he’s going to be on the opening night roster?

Glad we let him pursue and NHL job.

I assume this is to send him to Milwaukee?

Sweet.

holy moly, where on earth did Muffins learn how to do that?!

Must have put some Tabasco in the muffin mix that morning.

Ken Linseman is offended