Recap: Rangers 3, Capitals 2
by Kareem E. on Feb 12, 2012 3:37 PM EST
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To state that this was a big game for the Washington Capitals would be an understatement. The Caps entered the day two points behind the first-place Florida Panthers in the Southeast, sat in 9th place in the conference and were slated to face the conference-leading New York Rangers. There would be little chance the Rangers would lay an egg in front of a national audience at home, so for the Caps to pull out a win at MSG, they would need to play a hard-hitting, focused and complete game.
Whatever they tried didn't work. The Caps fought hard to keep up with the Rangers, but in the end were done in by defensive zone miscues and the inability to finish. Twice, the Caps missed wide-open nets and failed to make plays when they were there for the taking. It was the difference tonight, as the Rangers skated away with a 3-2 victory.
Ten more notes on the game:
- Overmatched is still the theme with these Capitals. When your best forward is Jason Chimera, when your defensemen still struggle with simple breakouts, when you routinely cannot make tape-to-tape passes, it is hard to win consistently win games in the NHL regardless of the level of effort. Today's game once again highlighted those core deficiencies.
- Rarely will you see Henrik Lundqvist let in a goal from beyond the circles. Today, he gave up two. Lest some believe his otherwise 24-save/0.923 SV% effort was exemplary, he was bailed out by several goalposts, quick whistles and the Caps inability to finish on wide open tap-ins. King Henrik wasn't especially sharp tonight, and the Caps didn't capitalize.
- Luck hasn't been kind to the Caps this regular season evidenced by the would-be goal Mathieu Perreault had taken away from him due to an early whistle during a first-period scrum in front of the net. If advanced stats geeks think the Caps were a 'lucky' team the past few regular seasons, this regular season has been a brutally quick regression back to the mean.
- On paper, it didn't look like Michal Neuvirth's effort was particularly good, making 25 of 28 stops for an 0.892 SV%, right about what you'd expect of him, but well below average NHL goalie production. It didn't help that the second goal was a borderline bad goal. However, in his defense he was a surprise starter (due to Tomas Vokoun's illness) and made some key stops to keep the game within reach. While not the type of masterful game this coin-flipping Caps team needs to win on a nightly basis, it's hard to peg Neuvy for this loss.
- Very rarely will you ever see Alex Semin as the "one" on a 2-on-1. But he actually played the situation very well, didn't overcommit to the shooter or other forward, and prevented the Rangers from scoring in the second.
- Surprisingly, it happened again in the third period, this time with Alex Ovechkin as the "one". This time there was no happy ending, and the Rangers abused the Captain to take a two-goal lead. Ovechkin appeared sluggish today, lacking physicality (1 hit) and playing a heavily perimeter game as he accumulated 5 SOG. Credit to Dan Girardi for playing a fine game against him. Ovi needs to step up.
- Left wing Jason Chimera really plays well against the Rangers. Tonight he was all over the ice creating chances (6 SOG), including setting up Alex Semin's goal with a beautiful streak up the right wing side, using his speed to pull the Rangers defenseman off of Alex Semin enough for Sasha to get a full wind-up on his laser past Lundqusit. Well done!
- On to defense...the Caps are still lost in their zone much too frequently. The Rangers first goal was scored on an easy tap-in off the stick of Ryan Callhaan. The NBC crew properly pointed out that both Roman Hamrlik and Dmitry Orlov shared blame. What they failed to mention was the culpability of Joel Ward, who ceded the boards to an on-rushing Carl Hagelin, who stole the break-out pass and started the sequence which led to the goal.
- Still, Ward's error doesn't take away from the fact that the Caps defensive pairing of Orlov-Hamrlik is a flat-out liability that must be upgraded. Both Rangers even-strength goals occurred with these two on the ice. If that wasn't enough, their CORSI was a collective -14. For comparison purposes, John Erskine and Dennis Wideman were +14 and Carlzner were +10.
- The Westminster Dog Show starts tomorrow at MSG, but Keith Aucoin kicked it off one day early when he missed a wide open net on a 2-on-1 early in the game. Finishing it would have changed the complexion of the game. (Troy Brouwer is a close second for his 1-foot tap-in miss.)
With the trade deadline two weeks away it's clear that this injury-riddled version of the Caps do not have the horses to make a splash in the playoffs. Unless Nick Backstrom and Mike Green return to full health - and Alex Ovechkin reverts to his old form - this team has no chance of channeling the 2010 Philadelphia Flyers and making a surprising run to the Stanley Cup Finals. So a decision looms for the franchise: seeing that they may not know the long-term fates of Backstrom or Green by February 27, should the Caps buy, sell or stand-pat at the trade deadline? It's a tough question, one that, undoubtedly, George McPhee never expected to have to deal with before the season started.
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As soon as Green gets back...
Trade Hamrlik
by Twisted Wrister on Feb 12, 2012 3:50 PM EST reply actions
who do you think will take him? I’m genuinely curious. Because what I see is and over-the-hill immobile d-man with another year on his contract.
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you forgot “and he falls down ALOT”…its contagious too, remember Carlson on the rangers third goal…how does that happen?
by Twisted Wrister on Feb 12, 2012 5:39 PM EST up reply actions
MSG ice is really shitty. Everyone was falling down.
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But Olczyk said the ice was fantastic!
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by Whiter Mage on Feb 13, 2012 12:29 AM EST up reply actions
Hamrlik is still better than McNeill or Kundratek, though, right?
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by red army line on Feb 12, 2012 4:29 PM EST up reply actions
I’d rather see Erskine or Shultz get a sweater every night over Hamrlik.
by David C. Rothman on Feb 12, 2012 4:30 PM EST up reply actions
Hamrlik was entirely responsible for the Caps’ puck possession on the first PK. Yes, he made a mistake, but he’s been solid of late.
I disagree. As nice as that PK was, he was poor tonight. He has mixed in occasional good play with his overall bad play. It’s improved since Hunter became coach, but he’s not close to being a viable top 4 (or even top 5) solution on defense. For the Caps or any team.
Interesting debate regarding whether to buy, sell or stand pat. My guess is they will not make any significant moves and instead will hope that Green and Backstrom return. Buying is essentially useless unless both return and stay healthy very quickly, since there isn’t enough available to cure what ails them.
by Kolzilla on Feb 12, 2012 3:54 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
That’s pretty much my take. There’s not a lot available, and the Caps don’t have much room. Not to mention that GMGM declaredd his moves done in the off-season. Now, I know GMGM never tips his hand, but i thilnk we should expect our biggest deadline acquisition to be the PMD & PPQB Mike Green, and, hopefully, the masterful 1st-line C Nicklas Backstrom.
by Aliceanna on Feb 12, 2012 4:07 PM EST via Android app up reply actions
If the Caps are going to be buyers they better move quickly, because if they continue with this current lot the gap between the Caps and 8th place/3rd place is going to continue widening in the next two weeks.
But…the problem with buying now is that the Caps would be negotiating from a position of weakness and overpaying. Not a very ideal situation. The Caps, in the short term, are likely in a lose-lose no matter what they do.
I don’t entirely buy this. On the one hand I agree that if they’re buying, they should strike more quickly than waiting. But the prospect of overpaying really depends on what’s at the other end of the line. I’d be thrilled to overpay a bit* for a 2C if he’s legit. The Caps need one irrespective of Nick’s return.
*in prospects/picks
Cross check and all call.
Honestly, I’m thinking selling Vokoun might not be a terrible idea. He’s been an absolute stud and any chance we’re going to have in the playoffs basically rides on him getting hot, but… Well, any chance we’re going to have in the playoffs rides on him getting hot. I don’t think this team in its current form is going to make a serious run, and I think our best-case scenario this year is for Vokoun to Halak the team through a couple of rounds before we ultimately go out in the conference finals or something.
But a stud, veteran goalie on an incredibly cheap contract could have major value to a serious contender (Detroit or Chicago, anyone?). If we could get a first rounder and/or a solid player/prospect for him, I’d seriously consider pulling the trigger if I was McPhee, especially given that we probably can’t afford to re-sign him next year.
by Murshawursha on Feb 12, 2012 4:41 PM EST up reply actions
I’m sure both Chicago and Detroit would be interested in Vokes if the Caps were to be sellers.
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Vokoun for Brendan Morrison! Problem Solved.
Warning: I started watching hockey in 2007. So, yeah.
by Laich Button on Feb 13, 2012 12:12 AM EST up reply actions
If you’re not a real threat to win it all, you may as well sell old guys or guys you don’t plan to resign. This team ain’t going to win squat and has less than even odds to even make the playoffs, so they SHOULD be sellers.
Of course they won’t be.
My how the mighty have fallen. Bummer.
That’s my thought. They should trade guys that they don’t plan on keeping – probably Semin, Knuble, Vokoun maybe a couple others.
Once you take the fisting element out, it's not romantic anymore.
by Steckel Me Elmo on Feb 12, 2012 4:54 PM EST up reply actions
I am very interested to see what GMGM does. But I really don’t see Semin getting traded. If GM can find a 25+ goal scorer that is a solid two way Center and trade Semin for him cool. I don’t see many around.
I don’t think it is the right move to trade Semin for more youth. That will be wasting Ovi’s and Beckstroms years. Players that are not ready to produce and be consistent now are not necessary. The young guys will need at best a season, but most likely few seasons to develop and be productive and consistent. I don’t think going younger is the right move for the caps.
Almost two full seasons is enough to judge that the new AO is a 30-50-80 player. And even by those metrics, he’s grossly underperforming this season.
Oddly enough, his last 21 games (roughly a quarter of a season) have been played on a 50-35-85 pace.
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by Davethecapsfan on Feb 12, 2012 11:49 PM EST up reply actions
I don’t see Semin in the Capitals plans next year, unless he is resigned for a very minimal amount. Better trade him and get something than let him go and get nothing. It’s not like Sasha will drag us to the Cup this year.
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If the caps don’t resign him, I agree you should trade him to get picks. But why would a team take the risk if they are not sure they can resign him, for a playoff run? Any contender have that kind of cap room?
This is probably the week that will determine if the Caps will be buyers or sellers at the deadline. If they don’t gain any ground on Florida during this week, between tomorrow and the road trip to Florida, they might seriously have to consider the prospect of being a seller.
My guess is that Green will be back in March and that Backstrom will not be back this season.
If sellers, the plan would probably be to unload most of the impending free agents. Except that we need Wideman for defense since he’s been our most productive person there. And what should we do about our goaltending situation for next year? I just wonder how Neuvy and Holtby both managed to regress so badly.
Rocking the Red for teams on the banks of the Potomac and at the Gateway Arch and Singing the Blues about Hockey.
Honestly, given Green’s health issues, I’d try to re-sign Wideman, and I’ve gone on record before as saying I’m not entirely opposed to shopping Green around unless he’s willing to take a fairly significant pay cut.
Regarding goalies, I still have faith that Neuvirth will return to form with a more consistent workload, but in a way it almost doesn’t matter. He’s what we got, and we need to go with it.
by Murshawursha on Feb 12, 2012 5:24 PM EST up reply actions
A healthy Green is probably the MVP of the Caps. I’d rank him higher than Backstrom even. Solid D, one man breakout. On the ice the whole time (cue the caveman).
We wouldn’t get anything close to what he’s worth in a trade. Keeping Green and hoping for the best seems like the only rational option. Unless you really don’t mind giving away an all-star.
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Agreed on all counts. Gotta at least give him a chance to get healthy, even if it doesn’t look likely that he can stay healthy.
Please, call me F&B.
A healthy Green is probably the MVP of the Caps
Well, that’s the trick, isn’t it? A Green who plays 35 games a season and goes on IR any time somebody sneezes on him is as valuable as Tom Poti (a waste of Ted’s money). So yes, I would put him on the block and see what kind of offers we got. Obviously I wouldn’t trade him away for pennies on the dollar, but I would at least test the waters and see what was out there.
Gotta at least give him a chance to get healthy, even if it doesn’t look likely that he can stay healthy.
I agree, but I think it needs to be on a short-term and marginally cheaper contract until he proves he can stay healthy.
by Murshawursha on Feb 12, 2012 6:48 PM EST up reply actions
“Testing the waters” is vague and nebulous. A GM should always be listening to offers, but I wouldn’t be out there trying to move Green. So I guess it depends on what you think he should be doing. Green has had a tough run with injuries, but that makes this a sell-low moment so the return won’t be what it should be. I also think Green can recover from the injuries he’s had. Lots of guys have recovered from each injury, none of them have been recurring on the same body part, right? Groin surgery this year, concussion last year, shoulder in ‘09. Obviously the track record is ugly, but it’d be a shame to move him now and then watch him put it together.
I also think what kind of contract he’s looking for should factor into this, and we obviously have no idea. At the very least these injuries should indicate he’s not going to get a huge raise. (*pending new CBA.)
Please, call me F&B.
I’m figuring Green will get a qualifying offer for one year, for a little teeny bit over his current contract.
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Is the team even allowed to offer him less? Because at this point that would qualify as an overpayment.
by Murshawursha on Feb 12, 2012 7:20 PM EST up reply actions
In order to get first right of refusal in a qualifying offer, it must be at least100%, since Green’s salary is above the league average.
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I’m not sure, but at best we’d end up paying 85% of the previous year. That’s as low as an arbitrator is allowed to go.
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Well, 4.4 is a little more reasonable I suppose.
by Murshawursha on Feb 12, 2012 7:44 PM EST up reply actions
Agreed. If there was any real market for Semin he’d be gone by now, and he’s the only guy that would really bring much back. Maybe try to move Vokoun if they tank the next couple weeks, but I doubt they are far enough out to justify that.
Please, call me F&B.
And moving Vokoun would signal “fuck it, we’re not making the playoffs”. Definitely not something you do too early.
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To me, it’s not so much a “Fuck it, we’re not making the playoffs,” as it is a “Fuck it, we’re not winning the Cup.” And frankly, at this point I have to say that anyone who thinks the Caps have a realistic shot at the Cup this season is deluding him or herself.
I think at this point, Vokoun is more valuable to the team in terms of the assets he would bring back to help us load up for next season than his ability to steal a round or two in the playoffs before we ultimately bow out short of the prize.
by Murshawursha on Feb 12, 2012 6:51 PM EST up reply actions
But he might waive it for a good chance to win the Cup.
Rocking the Red for teams on the banks of the Potomac and at the Gateway Arch and Singing the Blues about Hockey.
I see no reason why he wouldn’t waive it to win a Cup. That’s the reason he left Florida to go here. He just didn’t want to take a massive pay cut and then get traded to the Oilers.
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Don’t blame him. It would be even worse to get traded to Columbus. While the Oilers don’t look that great this year, they are acquiring many good young players.
Rocking the Red for teams on the banks of the Potomac and at the Gateway Arch and Singing the Blues about Hockey.
Well the good news, per se, is if GMGM is leaning towards selling, he doesn’t have to be in a rush. if he’s thinking about buying he probably needed to act yesterday.
I don't want to work, I want to hang on the blog all day.
by cainoo7x on Feb 12, 2012 10:55 PM EST via Android app up reply actions
But Hammers are one of the most useful tools to use to break things.
/badjoke
by Murshawursha on Feb 12, 2012 9:13 PM EST up reply actions
Or to use against nails. But we’ll only get to use that tool once (or maybe twice) next year when we play Columbus.
Rocking the Red for teams on the banks of the Potomac and at the Gateway Arch and Singing the Blues about Hockey.
Today was a tough loss for an already battered team. The good: Chimera, better overall team pressure in the neutral and offensive zones; team speed; forechecking; good energy from 4th line. Bad: still can’t control and get puck out of their d-zone; defensive communications; dubious defensive pair combinations; Ovi’s too-low visibility. The big point as noted by Kareem, though, is that we just aren’t a championship team without Nicky, Greenie and Ovi & Semin firing on at least half of their cylinders.
So, I say let the young guys – MarJo, Orlov, Matty, Brouwer, Eakin maybe – get as much experience and ice time as possible. Therefore, sell, if at possible: Semin, Hamr, Ward, one or two of our 4th liners (including 22), and Schultz if Dale, for some unknown reason, doesn’t play him.
Still think we need to keep 28…almost zero options without him…to Sasha’s credit, he is about the only Cap not shown pounding beers in the Casino Night Recaps…including Messr’s Green and Ovechkin…not so sure about the prudence of releasing this one when a team has lost 7 of 10…
Are you suggesting that we re-sign him at 6.7 per? If so, I vehemently disagree. Paying 6.7 million for the inconsistency we get from Semin is not a smart move going forward. He’s a liability more than he is an asset at this point. At least we aren’t hamstrung to him long term.
by JMurphyCSC on Feb 12, 2012 4:51 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
I doubt that Semin will get anywhere near 6 Million in salary next year. He’s still a contributing player but granted … his current salary is certainly more than he’s worh in the current market. But he’s not exactly a liability, necessarily.
But will admit Semin did have some beers at Casino Night.
Rocking the Red for teams on the banks of the Potomac and at the Gateway Arch and Singing the Blues about Hockey.
I wonder if Semin will be better next year for the Caps or whatever team if he tests the open market and finds he doesn’t command what he’s been accustomed to making.
I used to be a hockey player, but then I took an arrow in the knee
We’ll see. Earlier this year I was trying to figure out his market value, would look at some guys’ salaries, and get confused between the RFA and UFA values.
Would he be worth about what his old teammate Tomas Fleischmann is currently worth?
Rocking the Red for teams on the banks of the Potomac and at the Gateway Arch and Singing the Blues about Hockey.
Monetary value is always hard to put a price on as it come down to negotiating ultimately.
Presuming the Caps don’t want to pay what it takes to keep his rights, he goes out on for offers and gets a low offer. So then the Caps are free to then beat it to get his “scoring” back at a more reasonable price. Then it could go back and forth like that, GM walks away. But Semin takes GM’s final offer vs the other team’s higher offer. Lo and behold we get Semin back and he gets GM’s best offer.
But as for straight monetary value not considering various scenarios, there are probably a lot of people here better at calculating that than me.
I used to be a hockey player, but then I took an arrow in the knee
What does “pounding beers” two days ago have to do with the game today?
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by Bald Pollack on Feb 12, 2012 5:41 PM EST up reply actions
Should have had a 5-3 powerplay in there as well, but really 3 clanks off the post and a bad game by Hamrlik/Orlov was the difference.
Certainly wasn’t a good game for Hamrlik and Orlov. Orlov will be a very good player in the long run, I think, even if today was bad.
Rocking the Red for teams on the banks of the Potomac and at the Gateway Arch and Singing the Blues about Hockey.
I only saw the 3rd period.
But I saw a Caps team that played really well for much of the period and again had a few defensive breaks.
I saw a Caps team that should have scored two more goals. Like: here’s the puck, here’s the goal, put puck in goal = score.
I saw a Caps team that was the better team and shd have won the game.
I want to see again what the Rags D might have been doing to Brower’s arm and/or stick or body to see if that had an effect on his open-net miss. Even simply shoving him fwd on such a timing situation could have done it if the puck came in too close to his body.
I used to be a hockey player, but then I took an arrow in the knee
Whatever the Rangers might have been doing to Brouwer on that play, they were doing all game without getting called, including cross-checking MJ90 in the back into the net. The Caps played very well and could have overcome their mistakes, IMO, if they hadn’t also had to overcome the awful no calls. Not that the PP likely would have capitalized on those chances, but the point is, if that cross-check is called, maybe all the clutching and grabbing of Brouwer doesn’t happen.
Whatever chances the Caps had they couldn’t capitalize on; the ones they did, were snuffed out by early whistles. The officiating was unacceptably mediocre, but it wasn’t why they lost. Like the NBC call crew noted, the Caps weren’t crashing the net more often, so that’s probably why they weren’t gaining the upper hand as they should have.
Dammit, Jagr! Burn in Philly!
I think we beat ourselves more than the Rangers outmatched us. Orlov wasn’t sharp (maybe NBC is right about the cage, how a a full, clear faceshield instead?), and Hamrlik was MIA in his d-zone coverage at times. If the MSG ice doesn’t suck there’s no SH goal against. If we bury half our chances it’s a totally different game. If the refs don’t let the Rags get away with murder (MarJo crosschecked into the Ranger net…totally legal!!). Lot’s of if’s…but yeah. Both teams had long stretches in each other’s zones…
At least it was a hard-working loss as opposed to a lazy loss.
by David C. Rothman on Feb 12, 2012 4:17 PM EST reply actions
I disagree. Good teams become proactive and dictate the game, and while the Rangers I felt were more reactionary in previous years with the Caps the dictators, the roles were reversed. I definitely thought the Rangers controlled the pace of the game, at least, for most of the game.
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by red army line on Feb 12, 2012 4:32 PM EST up reply actions
And it seemed like the shifts the Caps did control in the Rags end had Beagle and Halpern and Hendricks on the ice. Not the guys you wanted dominating.
Late in the game AO was playing with Beagle and Hendricks. Demotion, promotions, or good ol’ fashioned double shifting?
Please, call me F&B.
Ovi’s last 3 shifts, excluding the last 50 seconds, he was on with Beagle and Hendricks. Probably a promotion for the other two, as Ovi’s ice time did not seem to be cut. Laich, Halpern, and Ward were pretty much benched for the last 10 minutes.
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No way Laich is even close to 100% right. I’d like to see him get healthy, but they don’t have a lot of flexibility to do that now, unlike prior years.
Please, call me F&B.
Agreed. When missing Baxter, Laich should be the go to Center. Props for him being a bamf and playing though pain though.
If only we had actually rested hurt players in prior years, when we actually had spare scorers. Those were the days…
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Disagree, the 2nd line played very well and created chances…even it wasn’t always in the form of sustained zone pressure. Great team passing/breakout for that first goal, then a good forecheck by Perreault led to the Carlson goal.
by David C. Rothman on Feb 12, 2012 8:31 PM EST up reply actions
They had a couple chances, but they were one and done a lot. Better than the first line but none of the lines set a high bar today. I thought Perreault was the best forward, and I think that’s a losing equation.
Please, call me F&B.
Really? I thought Chimera had another solid game and Semin had a goal…Perreault was held pointless, though factored into each goal. I’d like to see Chimera drive the puck in instead of settling for so many slappers. The 2nd line also spent very little time in their own zone. Again, it’s not a line that’s going to keep a team hemmed in with heavy forechecking, but the speed/skill on the line can burn other teams…and it did twice tonight.
by David C. Rothman on Feb 12, 2012 10:39 PM EST up reply actions
I thought Perreault was the only guy making a reliable pass all night and he was consistently maintaining puck control. He didn’t point, but he controlled the puck and made the breakout pass that started the rush up ice for the Semin goal and applied the pressure on the forecheck for the Carlson goal. Chimera was good, Semin had at least a good 40.
Please, call me F&B.
As the center, Perreault did his job very well, yes. I’m a Perreault fanboy so you’re preaching to the choir in regards to his performance. Why then, is it a “losing equation” when the center of the Caps’ most dangerous line all night is its best performer?
If just one of the other Caps’ lines chip in, we get at least a point out of this game.
by David C. Rothman on Feb 12, 2012 11:28 PM EST up reply actions
I don’t think Perreault is good enough at this point that he can be the best forward on the ice of a good team. It’s a sign of the lack of high end talent (or at least lack of performance of the high end talent). I don’t think anyone would pick Perreault to be the best Caps forward on the ice too often this year.
You could also say that if the PP didn’t give up a goal and got one of their own then the Caps win. Lots of what ifs, but that’s the kind of hockey they play now.
Please, call me F&B.
I agree that he shouldn’t be our best forward on the team (hello Mr. Ovechkin) but nothing wrong with him being the best player on the line he is centering.
That’s the kind of hockey most teams play. Run’n’gun ain’t happening again, brother, as fun as that was. The past 3 games remind me of the 2010-2011 season, when the Caps would often outplay or keep pace with their opponent but were not always rewarded with victories. I’m very comfortable with the overall way they’ve been playing…this amount of horrible luck is not sustainable.
by David C. Rothman on Feb 13, 2012 11:06 AM EST up reply actions
It’s very hard to see how this team makes the playoffs. They just get out worked to every puck. They are getting hemmed up in their own end for extended stretches and seem to always get beat to a loose puck. And it really starts with Ovie…so many images of him just gliding around the ice wait and watching. Did you see a single Ranger doing that? No…you didn’t.
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The Rangers got hemmed in just as much as we did by my eyes…and we won quite a few puck battles. That wasn’t what did us in.
by David C. Rothman on Feb 12, 2012 4:23 PM EST up reply actions
I got pissed when I saw Ovi actually Standing on the ice a couple of weeks ago.
So gliding doesn’t sound so bad to me, and it’s how he’s scored a lot of goals – waiting for the breakout pass.
But I will step aside on any such observation this particular game since I missed 2/3 of it
But the Rags primary job was too keep the Caps off the board for the part I watched, and the Caps beat that a lot, but there were notable periods of time where they did not too.
I used to be a hockey player, but then I took an arrow in the knee
I have a problem with people accusing Ovi of coasting and then loving his breakouts. To my eyes, it’s pretty much his job to hang around high while puck battles are happening to capitalize on anything coming his way. I don’t think he was as invisible or floaty as a lot of other commentators seem to think he was today.
As for the lack of hitting, I think that’s entirely due to this being an NBC game. Pierre & Co. successfully agitated for a suspension for him in the last NBC game where he did a lot of hitting. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that he dialed back his physicality both this game and last Sunday against Boston. We’re just lucky he hasn’t cut it out completely as he did after previous suspensions.
by Aliceanna on Feb 12, 2012 4:30 PM EST up reply actions 4 recs
That totally makes sense to me and considered that reading the comments.
the “narrative” of Ovi being a dirty player, his suspension, and the national coverage all could tend to cause someone to tone down the physical play
I used to be a hockey player, but then I took an arrow in the knee
I used to immediately launch into a defense of Ovechkin any time my Flyers fan friends accused him of dirty play, but after his last suspension I realized I really don’t care anymore. I want him to play his game as hard as he can, and if he occasionally crosses the line and gets suspended, I don’t care. I can totally accept him being labeled ‘dirty’ if it means he’s a game-changing force every time he hits the ice.
Play your game, Ovie. Fuck what anyone says about it.
by Murshawursha on Feb 12, 2012 4:46 PM EST up reply actions
I totally agree. He needs to rip ass every shift like he used to do. But, the issue being discussed is not how he does it but whether he has been doing it enough lately….
Sometimes it seems that Ovi can’t win no matter what he does. If he plays his normal hard charging self, he occasionally crosses the line and gets suspended. It’s been unfortunate that some of the plays have been on national TV. But when he gets suspended, it’s a little harder for him to be as motivated to play so hard charging since he realizes that being out with a suspension would not help the team either.
Rocking the Red for teams on the banks of the Potomac and at the Gateway Arch and Singing the Blues about Hockey.
Coaches
Dale: 32 games, .563 pts/g
BB with Caps: 22, .568
BB with ANA: 30, .550
Carlyle with ANA: 24, .375
For kicks:
Hanlon’s end with Caps: 21, .310
BB’s start with Caps: 61, .664
Small samples. Not adjusted for strenght of schedule.
Hiring a low level minor league coach with no higher level coaching experience is looking like just as bad a move as many predicted.
Lots of snake-eyes coming up this year for the caps. But really, this one sums it up. Change for the sake of change. I want my ‘process’ back Ted.
Regardless of whether Hunter was the right option for a replacement (an the jury is still out on that), Bruce was not going to be the guy to take this team to a cup. A coaching change had to happen, the only question is whether we picked the right replacement.
by Murshawursha on Feb 12, 2012 5:08 PM EST up reply actions
Seriously. Aside from the fact that Hunter was a former star on the Caps, he is probably a person with probably an exact opposite brain type as Boudreau. Hunter is an Introverted Thinker, likely an ISTP, which is the type most serious in competition and would kill their grandmother to win. I would guess Boudreau to be ENFJ, certainly an extrovert and a feeler who relies on emotionally motivating his players to win.
Rocking the Red for teams on the banks of the Potomac and at the Gateway Arch and Singing the Blues about Hockey.
With every game Nicky & Green miss, this season is lost. Probably the only sensible thing is to let Nicky heal, & plan for 2012-2013. Bring Green back only if he’s 100%, and plan to get some toughness in the lineup. Tired of watching guys get abused without payback (Most of our big guys don’t play like it).. Knuble needs to be shopped, as does Hamrlik, Schultz, and possibly Ward. We also need to find out who (if anyone) among MP85, Halpern, & Aucoin can play in this league, or IOW how many centers are we short?
by ShootTheBullets on Feb 12, 2012 5:13 PM EST reply actions
And get Ovi off the point, unless it’s a rotation during play.
He was completely undressed on the SH 2 on 1, which was the GWG.
by ShootTheBullets on Feb 12, 2012 5:16 PM EST up reply actions
“Toughness?” That is the first time in a while where that was a diagnosis of what is wrong. Frankly, I think that is a non-issue this year. Per the statistics, puck control, possession, absence of Nicky and Greenie, drop-off of production of Ovi & Semin, etc. are the problems. Don’t you remember when GMGM last year went after ‘grit’ last year by re-signing Laich, signing Ward & Hamr, etc.? What did that get us? In a nutshell, we need guys to control the puck and score. Period. Once we get those skills down, then we can smack guys around.
I didn't say that was the problem with the team, but...
Green needs some protection-badly, and so far this year only Chimmer & Hendricks, among the guys who can also play hockey (plus poor Jay Beagle), have shown they’ll exact payback when needed. Ward’s been a huge disappointment, especially his inability to win battles on the wall; at least he could stand up for the guys with skills.
by ShootTheBullets on Feb 12, 2012 5:29 PM EST up reply actions
I agree with that up to a point. As to Green needing protection, how many other star d-men need that? Who is protecting Weber, Lindstrom, Giardi, Keith, etc? Green can take care of himself; he just may need to learn to maneuver himself a little better. Ward’s a total waste of contract, yes; Chimmer’s been great; yes. As to Hendy, we all love him but I really don’t think he is feared by opposing teams. I would be happier if he scored a bit more, though.
One question: would Lidstrom get run like Green does? No, because the Red Wings have 4 or 5 guys who would decapitate you if you do.
by ShootTheBullets on Feb 12, 2012 5:50 PM EST up reply actions
They do? Honestly, aside from keeping your head up with Kronwall on the ice, I don’t see any Red Wings as that type. Lidstrom is just so good at not putting himself in vulnerable positions.
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by red army line on Feb 12, 2012 10:40 PM EST via Android app up reply actions
Lidstroms also quite exceptional (a good number of the Wings are) at interfering with guys just enough to not get called.
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Do you think Hunter more likely to do this sort of thing to protect Green than Bruce was?
by kingbonehead on Feb 12, 2012 11:34 PM EST up reply actions
Not particularly, no. Hunter seems even more old school nuts and bolts than BB was and this kind of protection scheme is not the kind of thing you saw much of in Hunter’s day. If teams did it, nobody was talking about it. There’s a reason EF found it noteworthy enough to comment on, right?
Please, call me F&B.
Wow.
@ovi8
Tough loss today..:( I miss my boy @backstrom19 at the ice..u guys should support him!
by Aliceanna on Feb 12, 2012 5:14 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
Awww. I was just going to post this.
"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."
What would he have us do, bring Nicky chicken soup?
by ShootTheBullets on Feb 12, 2012 5:19 PM EST up reply actions
I’m sure there would be plenty of volunteers. ;)
"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."
Shit, yeah… If that’s all it takes we’ll have him healed by Tuesday :P
by Murshawursha on Feb 12, 2012 5:25 PM EST up reply actions
Think he’s asking some of his 300,000+ followers on Twitter to follow Nicky (who only has a mere 21,000), but the chicken soup idea is good too.
"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
Yeah, I just figured that out (& followed) as well.
by ShootTheBullets on Feb 12, 2012 5:30 PM EST up reply actions
Send our most beautiful puck bunnies over to him, armed with chicken soup. And, should it be Swedish style chicken soup or Russian style chicken soup?
Rocking the Red for teams on the banks of the Potomac and at the Gateway Arch and Singing the Blues about Hockey.
“Swedish style” sounds like fun.
by Acer Jonesy's Laughker on Feb 12, 2012 5:45 PM EST up reply actions
Bit of a bromance going on in their tweets. It’s sweet.
"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 hysterical, especially when you realize they’re having a conversation on Twitter while sitting near each other on the train home.
"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
Their tweets are making me think of the song “The Way We Were”, sung by Barbra Streisand during the mid 70’s. And while that song runs through my head, I see an Ovi/Backstrom highlight real being played to that song.
I’ll admit my name association is weird. Streisand had dated Kris Kristofferson during (or soon after) that time frame. And the name Kristofferson makes me think of NIck’s brother. Guess Kris Kristofferson must have had Swedish heritage somehow.
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O. Tricking. T.
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by Bald Pollack on Feb 12, 2012 7:22 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Is this Ovie’s tweet I gather? If so, and not to be too snarky, then 3 points to make: 1) What does that say he thinks of his current centers doing their best in his absence and who never asked to be #1C? 2) Shouldn’t he be concentrating on his OWN game and stepping up his leadership in Nicky’s absence? 3) What does he mean, we ‘should’ support him? Who the hell doesn’t love Nicky and ‘support’ him?
I think you’re reading too much into it. Just a guy giving a shoutout to his injured buddy.
by Murshawursha on Feb 12, 2012 6:05 PM EST up reply actions
If Ovie does or says anything, it’s everyone’s job to read far too much into it. It must mean every possible negative thing possible.
Everything ends badly...otherwise it wouldn't end.
by Davethecapsfan on Feb 12, 2012 6:21 PM EST up reply actions
No, I don’t think that is fair at all. I already agreed that I might have over-interpreted this particular tweet. We all love Ovi. The point is that his production is down severely this year, and many have asked legitimate questions about his occasional lackadaisical attitude. No blame or accusations are being made. But, he is the face of the franchise and he is the captain. Getting two or three shots on goal a game, failing to get back on defense, not playing with 100% energy every shift, etc. are all open to comment. In fact, it is not ‘negative’ at all. It is very positive in that we have such high expectations.
He’s just being Ovi and saying “Hey guys, I miss my all-star center. Baxter is awesome”
He’s not dissing his current centers, because I’m sure they all know they are not true 1Cs like Nick.
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All true. But that doesn’t excuse the fact that these non-1Cs are outplaying AO on many nights.
Please, call me F&B.
Before the game, someone had posted the statistics on comparing the Rangers to the Caps. Both teams had about the same number of Goals Per Game Scored, a difference of one decimal place. The difference is in Goals against. I don’t know how much can be attributed to Lundqvist vs Vokoun/Neuvirth and how much can be attributed to the differences in defensemen. And the crazy thing is …. in the playoffs, the Caps were considered to be more “deep” in defensemen.
Rocking the Red for teams on the banks of the Potomac and at the Gateway Arch and Singing the Blues about Hockey.
Buying is delusional at this point. Sell if we get a good offer. Standing pat is the likely outcome (regardless of what GMGM wants to do). The team seems to be at the cusp of sliding into oblivion or limping into the playoffs . You have to believe that if we got a few breaks (Brouwer buries that puck, Aucoin makes the shot, waa waa) and put together a few wins, these guys would get some confidence back. If they were able to make the playoffs, I can see this crew doing a little damage with Vokun just ‘cause the old guys would get their dander up and maybe Ovie gets hot. Life was more fun when we didn’t have to hope for the latter.
I certainly don’t think this loss is Neuvy’s fault (an extremely small number of losses can be attributed to a single player, even a goalie), but I think he deserves a bit more blame. The second goal was terrible, and even though the other 2 goals were good plays I think he played them poorly.
On the first he bit hard and early banking on a shot, leaving him completely out of position when the puck was passed. Callahan took some time corralling the puck, which would have given Neuvirth time to get over if he hadn’t been on his knees.
On the third goal, while it was a 2 on 1, the pass covered a lot of distance which should have at least given Neuvirth time to cover along the ice (where the puck was shot) as he moved over. Instead of having his stick in position he had it trailing behind him. And that was a big save that the Caps really needed from him at that point in the game.
He never really looked comfortable making saves either, often reacting late, giving up rebounds or just looking scrambly in general. I don’t think he really looked any better than the D in front of him today.
Release the Mackan!
I had the same thoughts about Neuvy’s play today. I know it’s hard to start late notice, but he said Vokoun texted him in the morning that he wasn’t feeling well, so at least he knew it was a possibility. Not really sure what Neuvy needs to play better this season, maybe he’s just a goalie that needs to play more frequently to get into a grove, but I think we are seeing this season that he’s not the best backup goalie.
I think drawing any sort of conclusions about Neuvirth based on this season is very premature.
Release the Mackan!
by Killer_Carlson on Feb 12, 2012 11:26 PM EST up reply actions
I’ve never seen such a poor passing performance by an NHL team. That was absolutely horrendous.
Please, call me F&B.
Lots to consider after this loss. Foremost on many minds is the question of how to act at the trade deadline. The longer we go without any activity, the more opinions will waver. Win the next two, we should buy. Lose the next two, we should sell.
If we sell, that assumes we have assets to get some longer term value (picks, young/fringe players). I think we have some, value but not a lot:
- Vokoun is the most valuable asset. Second most valuable is Wideman. Both could bring something for the future.
- Schultz or Erskine have some value, with Schultz having more because he is younger.
- I can’t imagine the Capitals would get much for Halpern, Knuble or Hamrlik.
- If you sell, almost by definition you hold on to your younger/core players: 27, 74, 81 on D, 30, 60 in net, 8, 19, 90, 21, 85, 20, 50.
- That leaves you people like Hendricks or Chimera or Ward, all of whom are under contract and probably don’t bring back value.
- I don’t believe Green has any value coming off the injury.
- Semin is the x-factor. Would anyone really take him and give anyone in return?
If we buy, we can use help both on D and up the middle. Few can argue that. When you are buyers, however, you have to give to get. What are the Caps willing to give?
- Do they give up on one of their young D to get a 2C?
- Do they utilize one of their 2 picks?
- Do they ship out Wideman, once Green is back, for a 2C?
- Do they use Vokoun to get a 2C or D, and rely on Neuvy for the playoffs? (Yes, I’m mixing seller/buyer here.)
- Can they possibly package Schultz/Erskine with a forward (Ward/Hendricks/Beagle) for something of value? Not sure given the existing contracts. That four-year deal for Ward looms large.
These and other questions will be answered in the next few weeks. I’m not supportive of mortgaging the future by using any of our young D or young forwards in a trade. I also think it’s easy to overestimate the value of some of our chips. More likely, I expect to see a few side deals for picks, but nothing major. That’s my take right now.
Nice guys finish first, but sometimes the season is awfully long.
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With respect to Semin, we should hope LAK stays in the picture but can’t buy a goal. I think they are the most likely fit.
I don’t think one or two games in a row really changes things, at least not to me. The problems are so systemic at this point that two games either way isn’t going to move the needle. I think buying is out of the question barring a miracle turn around in their play, and not just the results in the standings. I definitely don’t support mortgaging the future. I either move the guys on expiring deals to try a quick tank/rebuild or just stand pat and hope Vokoun gets white hot and they start getting bounces.
Please, call me F&B.
Guys on expiring deals would mean Vokoun, Knuble, Halpern, Green, Semin, Wideman, Poti.
What do you think we can get for Poti?
Nice guys finish first, but sometimes the season is awfully long.
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A good laugh from 29 GMs in the league.
Please, call me F&B.
by Rob Parker on Feb 12, 2012 7:00 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
I might consider that value for the asset in question.
Nice guys finish first, but sometimes the season is awfully long.
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I hear you. That would be a good laugh. At least, we only have one more year of Poti’s contract to worry about. Unless there’s a lockout in which case we’re stuck with his contract for the first year post lockout.
Rocking the Red for teams on the banks of the Potomac and at the Gateway Arch and Singing the Blues about Hockey.
Unless, of course, GMGM is worried about having competition for his services if he hits free agency so he decides to lock him up for two more years this offseason.
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by cainoo7x on Feb 12, 2012 11:13 PM EST via Android app up reply actions
What would LA be willing to cough up for Semin? A first round pick? Jonathan Bernier?
Rocking the Red for teams on the banks of the Potomac and at the Gateway Arch and Singing the Blues about Hockey.
A first has to be the starting point in a deadline market. I doubt they move Bernier for a rental.
Please, call me F&B.
A first for Semin would be great. I’d do that in a heartbeat, especially to a borderline team, not a true cup potential team.
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Would the Blues be interested? For doing so well in the standings, the Blues are pretty offensively challenged.
Rocking the Red for teams on the banks of the Potomac and at the Gateway Arch and Singing the Blues about Hockey.
Unclear what they can do without an owner.
Nice guys finish first, but sometimes the season is awfully long.
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That’s true, but Semin doesn’t have a contract for next year, and they will likely get playoff revenue, so I don’t see that as a huge problem. It’s not like adding Carter or something.
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They have no owner to approve any spending. It’s a legit problem.
Nice guys finish first, but sometimes the season is awfully long.
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It is frustrating reading the “Almost sold, wait no, almost sold, oops, almost sold…” trend over at STL Game Time. Man, it must really suck to be a Coyotes fan.
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It would. And yet the Coyotes are in the playoff picture, stopping any plans of selling off assets. And Mike Smith is doing better in goal than Bryz did last year.
Rocking the Red for teams on the banks of the Potomac and at the Gateway Arch and Singing the Blues about Hockey.
I love that Bryz signing. Bryz is hilarious, and the Flyers massively overpaying a long term contract is always nice.
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Wonder if they’d overpay to take Vokoun at the deadline. All McPhee has to do is pretend to be David Poile and convince Holmgren that Vokoun still plays for the Predators.
by Murshawursha on Feb 12, 2012 9:16 PM EST up reply actions
Dave Tippett never ceases to impress me.
by RCheli on Feb 12, 2012 10:11 PM EST via Android app up reply actions
Losing Wideman would be a huge mistake. You think our PP is struggling now…I’d hate to see it without him. And sadly no, we can’t depend on Green staying healthy, so Wideman should stay.
by David C. Rothman on Feb 12, 2012 10:44 PM EST up reply actions
I agree at this point. Dude’s basically Mike Green lite. Not as good in his own zone, but he can QB a PP.
by Murshawursha on Feb 12, 2012 10:46 PM EST up reply actions
Don’t really think that the Caps need more 1st round picks; we’ve already got two for next year, so the Caps need to focus on strength down the middle that can materialize by the playoffs.
Dammit, Jagr! Burn in Philly!
by Penguin Hunter on Feb 12, 2012 8:15 PM EST up reply actions
And how do you trade for “strength down the middle”? If a team is trading an elite center, which is rare, they will probably only do it for at minimum, a basket of 1st round picks.
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That’s precisely the challenge. Folks want a “legit 2C” (whatever that is). If it’s so hard to come by, then we’ll have to give up an asset to get one.
By an asset – I mean all those players no one wants to trade: 27, 74, 81, 90, 30, 70, 20, 25, 21, etc.
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Agreed on the cost, but I think the list of people I wouldn’t trade for a 2C is significantly shorter than what you put up. 19, 27, 74 are the only 3 firmly on that list.
Please, call me F&B.
and presumably 8.
I hear you. But watch the outcry if/when it happens. I think too few people don’t think about the cost of that “true 2C.”
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Interesting you say ‘presumably.’ I think Rob’s list is about right. We really do need to make some significant changes. It may be premature, but I am almost ready to put 81 in the ‘firm’ category; he is really knocking my socks off with his potential. I wish I could throw in 90 too…but maybe that would be in a ‘would rather not but would’ category, i.e. less than firm.
8 isn’t on it. Without looking at the personnel, I start with “what positions are more valuable than 2C?” My answers are “1C, 1D, 1D.” Then you look at whether anyone else is so dominant at another position that they justify foregoing a 2C. 8 used to be. But he’s not as dominant and his cap hit isn’t justified by his production. Combine the two and you have a total package that is less valuable, IMO, than a bona fide contender-caliber 2C. It’s moot, though. He’s on Ted’s list and that’s all that matters here.
Orlov is opening eyes but I don’t see him jumping 27/74 on the depth chart and he still has a long way to go. He could end up on that list but today I don’t think he’s there.
Please, call me F&B.
So let’s talk about GMGM and Ted’s list. Who’s on it? and, for perspective, who is a 2C that might be gettable?
Grabovski?
Weiss?
Plekanec?
Ribiero?
Spezza?
Stastny?
Gagner?
Hudler?
Bozak?
This list appears very short and unimpressive.
Nice guys finish first, but sometimes the season is awfully long.
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Statsny is the only guy on that list I’d move anybody who is otherwise in future plans for. If SJS would talk about Marleau and/or Pavelski I’d be intrigued.
Please, call me F&B.
My point precisely.
Who am I missing as that legit 2C that one could realistically pry away without 27, 74 or 19?
Nice guys finish first, but sometimes the season is awfully long.
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Roy? Getzlaf? Jokinen? Koivu if ANA could get him to way?
…I bet Scott Gomez would be available for pennies on the dollar. And I hear he just scored a milestone goal.
/ducksandcovers
by Murshawursha on Feb 12, 2012 9:31 PM EST up reply actions
Derek Roy would be intriguing. But the guy hits stiff wind, and he gets hurt.
Nice guys finish first, but sometimes the season is awfully long.
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Is Brandon Dubinsky a legit 2C? I’m not sure NY would be willing to part with him, but I seem to recall seeing somewhere that he was underperforming and getting less ice time.
by Murshawursha on Feb 12, 2012 9:41 PM EST up reply actions
To me, looks like the Caps should look at less of a high-flying offensive guy (though that would be good) and look more at a tough, crash-the-net center. The unwillingness to go hard to the net is really what’s killing the Caps.
Dammit, Jagr! Burn in Philly!
by Penguin Hunter on Feb 12, 2012 10:25 PM EST up reply actions
Would take Grabovski. That’s just me.
Dammit, Jagr! Burn in Philly!
by Penguin Hunter on Feb 12, 2012 10:37 PM EST up reply actions
Nice analysis. I agree totally. It really breaks my heart to agree about Ovi but numbers don’t lie. Obviously, he is going nowhere, however. We can only hope his game picks up next year and GMGM can build around 19, 27, and 74 (oh, I so wish I could throw in another forward to these three but I can’t).
Like it or not, 8 is here to stay. He’s been the face of the franchise for 8 years, and losing him would be a serious blow to the team in terms of leadership. Add that to the undeniably consistent offensive production of 30 or more goals a season, and that would be essentially 86ing the team.
Dammit, Jagr! Burn in Philly!
by Penguin Hunter on Feb 12, 2012 10:15 PM EST up reply actions
losing him would be a serious blow to the team in terms of leadership.
Judging by the character this team has showed in recent years, I’m not so sure that would be a bad thing.
Once you take the fisting element out, it's not romantic anymore.
by Steckel Me Elmo on Feb 12, 2012 11:00 PM EST up reply actions
Right, because the Caps wouldn’t be allowed to use that $9.55 million in cap space to find 30+ goals and/or leadership.
Release the Mackan!
by Killer_Carlson on Feb 12, 2012 11:40 PM EST up reply actions
I’d probably have orlov up there. young, cost controlled dman with talent and good ceiling?
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by cainoo7x on Feb 12, 2012 11:18 PM EST via Android app up reply actions
I’ve been trying on Twitter to get Adrian Dater to admit he wouldn’t do the Varly trade again and he won’t answer. He’s a big man to dis on McPhee, though.
What an ass, but I knew that already.
Nice guys finish first, but sometimes the season is awfully long.
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Dater was all over twitter last night trolling his own team’s fans. That guy has some major issues. For example, the GWG in OT was a deflection off three players and he called it a floater and a bad goal allowed. When confronted with that bit of truth, he changed the subject. You aren’t going to get anything satisfactory out of him. I’m really glad that none of the Caps beat reporters act like him. The sad thing is he is all the Avs fans have for news. At least this season he and Mike Chambers are splitting the beat, but even when not covering the games like last night (he was doing some college hockey game) he was still trolling Avs fans.
Somehow, he also gets a platform on sports illustrated.com.
Nice guys finish first, but sometimes the season is awfully long.
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Don’t disillusion me. Please.
Nice guys finish first, but sometimes the season is awfully long.
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Screwjob
http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/8468/feb122012refsscrewcaps.jpg
The Caps played a lot better than they are getting credit for. If these three plays are called correctly, we have a completely different outcome today.
And they’re doing this without Backstrom or Green.
there were a lot, by this season’s standards, of penalties called in tonight’s Wings-Flyers game. Thing is, they’re stuff that is going uncalled in most other games. It’s baffling that the NHL doesn’t feel the need to have their officials call the things they’ve deemed penalties.
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Wow. Did you do one of these compilations for the Jets game? I’d love to see a freeze-frame of that first goal against.
by David C. Rothman on Feb 12, 2012 10:52 PM EST up reply actions
View from the rafters at MSG today
Sat in the last row at center ice. It’s fun being able to see the whole ice at once. See guys getting in (or out) of position.
Anyway, as has been said, tough loss. Some close calls. A frantic final few minutes. Some bad defense from 44-81. Tough SHG. PP was weak.
But then again: I thought this was the third straight game where the team as a whole gave good effort and seemed like they had some idea what they were doing out there.
Granted my standards might be low but I didn’t think the zone clearance was terrible. There was some good movement up the ice and some decent zone entry.
Carlson looks a lot better. Nice to see Semin contribute. Matty P was kind of MIA. Chimera continues to play well. Still waiting to see MarJo raise his game towards elite (or even mildly effective).
Oh well, on to play SJ.
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by smutsboy1 on Feb 12, 2012 9:22 PM EST via iPhone app reply actions
To tomorrow. May our Capitals survive the swim with the Sharks.
Dammit, Jagr! Burn in Philly!
by Penguin Hunter on Feb 12, 2012 10:29 PM EST reply actions
You lost me at hard fought. Caps had 2 days off and just laid an egg. If you finish checks on a team that played the night before good things happen. Checking was non existent and there were very slow/lazy line changes. I was sitting 10 rows behind the net fwiw.
"Marge, it takes two to lie. One to lie and one to listen." --Homer Simpson
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by Kevin Ewoldt on Feb 12, 2012 11:23 PM EST via mobile reply actions
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