Your savory breakfast links:
- First of all… welcome! 🙂 [Rink]
- Recaps and other assorted musings on last night’s loss from Vogs, Caps video (Laviolette, locker room, recap), Bolts, NHL, AP, WaPo, NBCSW, THN, NoVa Caps, RMNB, and Raw Charge.
- They’re not mathematically out of the playoffs just yet, but the Caps know they have a razor-thin margin for error to make the cut. Of course, that was before dropping a 5-1 game to a Tampa team with nothing to play for. So… [NBCSW]
- Soooo…. yeah. They could be out of it by this weekend. Hooray! [THN]
- Since being reassigned to Hershey back in November, Connor McMichael has been playing some great hockey. [NoVa Caps]
- The Caps are getting a sneak peek at what the blueline could look like next season. [NBCSW]
- The key to that blueline may be Rasmus Sandin, who continues to thrive (for the most part) since arriving in DC. [NoVa Caps]
- A few leftovers from Wednesday night’s shootout loss to the Isles. [S&S, RMNB]
- Finally, happy 70th birthday to Gord Lane and happy 63rd to Jim McTaggart.
Test
So… where do I go to set up an account for commenting? Do I need to have a WordPress account?
Test.
Great looking site
Love the new look. And thanks for making it easy to find you!
where am I?
Hello! Enjoy the new blog smell while it lasts!
Now I’m replying to myself with WordPress account… testing
Also, I see that we can “not rec” comments as well as rec them. Will be interesting to see how that goes…
Interested in how long it is till a comment gets into double digit negatives.
In the legacy comment system, there was the ability to use the z key to find newly posted comments. Amongst other keyboard shortcuts. Anyone know what the keyboard shortcuts are for WordPress comments?
Still kicking the tires on the commenting system. My comments seem to be showing up, but I’m getting the same loopback issues others are describing when I try to log in via WordPress or my username/password. Doesn’t quite feel like I’m signed in as a result. Anyone able to offer any advice?
…ok, new comments appear to be showing up in yellow. I guess I’m good?
Testing things out. Having the same loopback problems with WordPress login as others have noted.
Hello! I tried to make “Yinzer” my screen name, but somehow was thwarted…
ChrisCaps? Is that you? I don’t recognize that screen name from SBN Japer’s.
No, I really am Redlineblue, a lapsed poster and devout reader. Nice to meet Yinz!
Nice to meet you as well, Redlineblue.
🙂
Testing . . . testing.
Not DOOMED™!
So how are we all feeling about the commenting platform so far? Would you guys want some sort of GIF library plugin? Anything else we can look into for future upgrades? Let us know ????
A Gif Library would be much appreciated. Maybe also a plug in for like sarcasm or boldness.
Seconded on a gif library because I’m lazy and we all seem to like similar gifs.
Also would like to see listed outside each story the total comments number as well the number of new comments since last viewed.
I like that new posts are yellow but do I have to click on each one to show that I’ve read it? I must admit that I miss the old style of being able to “z” through posts but I quickly got use to the more recent tab “read all” on the separate articles.
Finally I miss the poster log in and avatar box at the top right of the page. I always knew when I was properly logged in. Here it seems the log in and subscribe are within the article at the top of comments. And I’m still not sure if I’m properly logged in and linked to my WordPress account. But hey my posts are showing up with my avatar so….! ????♀️
I appreciate that I can edit without a timer.
I am NOT complaining! In fact I am profoundly grateful that there is a new JapersRink. I had prepared myself for a break. And goodness knows all of you deserve time from your devotion to the Rink over the years.
I hope this goes smoothly and also that you all get the break you need as well.
I truly love coming to the Rink for my Caps devotion/obsession/despair/joy.
Oh definitely not reading it as complaints! I appreciate the feedback. We’re working on the comments on the front page, not sure if we’re able to do that yet but are checking. And noted the rest ????
Also I just learned by accident that you don’t have to click, I think just the mouse moving over them turns them to “read” – still an extra step, so I’ll see what’s out there in terms of keyboard shortcuts.
Testing out the new comment system…
???? ???? ???? ????
Not only fresh ice, a whole new Rink! Looks nice. Glad to see familiar names and continuing discussions.
Testing, testing.
Also to say that Nicolaj Ehlers could be a potential top-six target. Rick Bowness is giving him so little ice time he must be growing disgruntled. And the 2018-ish WPG Jets contender has fallen apart and might need to be retooled or rebuilt soon.
The site looks cool as hell. I love it.
The Caps are also doing their best to be as new as possible for next season. There’s an outside chance they get into 6% chance at Bedard territory (and solid chance at getting Michkov if a top 2 pick doesn’t happen).
Exciting times are ahead. Like they’ve never been.
A strong finish by Vancouver, St. Louis and Detroit and continued stumbles by the Caps could get us there. I think we were in the #4 slot when we got Ovi, so who knows.
Yeah. Right now we’re at .507 pts% with STL and DET. VAN is at .500 with games in hand.
That would be a really good spot to get a player for the future.
Everything is great, but I do miss the ability to link to GIFs. Is that coming or is it there and I just don’t see it?
It’s the attachment button when you are typing a comment. Dunno about Links but you can post images.
Thanks. Good to know.
Just trying to see if I can post a comment
Mentioned it in the game thread last night but there were a number of Caps red jerseys in the flow of people heading to Amelia Center last night. Makes me happy when I see Caps fans represent at other arenas.
Also makes me happy to see hockey being so popular in non traditional hockey markets. The Bolts are the hottest team in this area right now. Tons of fans wearing blue and white jerseys. Reminds me of Washington when Rock the Red pushed the Caps and hockey to the forefront of popular sports in the DC area.
Huge thank you to the Rink team for getting this site up so fast! Y’all rock!
I’m so happy to be reading all of you lovely Rink posters again. ???? I wish I had something useful to say this morning but I don’t. Twas’ a bad game last night but I take solace in the upcoming draft. Maybe a miracle will happen and the Caps get a lottery pick.
Last night was pretty bad; hard to watch. A top 10 pick would be really nice.
Congrats on new site (a nice bday present today for me)!
Happy Birthday!!!!
Thank you, Yinzer!!
Happy Birthday!!
Big thank you to the person or person’s who did the work to make the general look of the site bear a strong resemblance to the former site. Quite comforting.
Different URL same Rink. Glad to be here.
Very clever to change the website location just to make sure I won’t find ya. But you won’t get rid of me that easily.
we’re stealthy that way ????
Question: if the Capitals do not renew Peter Laviolette’s contract, does that mean the entire coaching staff goes?
That’s the hope.
All but Blaine somehow someway
Well, this morning our draft picks (from two different sites) are 1) still Colby Barlow and, 2) Eduard Sale, plucky 6’1” RW from the Czech Republic.
I do not like change
You were going to say you LOVE it, right?? ????
https://youtu.be/k3gDDDkkle4
I love that I can be here. Problem is I am still trying to figure it out lol
I have no idea how to even make an account. I think I’m still technically a “guest”
Am I a dummy or is it just that acct registration isn’t set up yet (aside from using a wordpress login) ?
You are not a dummy!! We’re just still figuring out the commenting. First priority was to make sure it works, period, then we’ll sort out having an actual registration… hopefully. ????
Unfortunately I needed the site to go live first before I could see how some of this works, so… learning on the fly, woo!
No worries! No rush! this is amazing. I can’t believe how fast it’s all set up!
Agreed.
Okay so I will stop trying to log into my ancient wordpress account. I think I’m logged in JR now.
It’s great to be here. If anyone who has been able to create an account without continual loop-backs to WordPress create-an-account, please post. It will help some, like me, who are a bit ‘challenged.’
Or maybe there is no need to create an account? idk!
Thanks – I have no suggestions either but it’s nice not feeling like I’m the only one 😉
Hi Dan. I’m good with this ‘provisional’ login in the meantime.
For those who are seeing posts but not sure – it’s just ‘Post Comment’ ‘Username’ and ‘email’ and then you’re in for the session.
How did you get your avatar set up. I need my red balloon. That is if I can find the original photograph on my laptop.
Can you share the avatar steps?
When I finally got back into my old WordPress account I went to the account section to set up my profile. From there I simply dragged my championship photo from the desktop (where it’s been since the banner unveiling) into the avatar box.
I’m on a mac laptop (been a mac user since the late 80s so I always try dragging stuff first). It worked once I managed to get the two sites linked. I ended up having to change my password. Sounds quick but I went in circles a number of times.
I somehow lost the link to WordPress and had to re-suscribed. I’m just going to leave it alone now while the kinks are worked out. And try posting and reading.
The avatar is just my normal Google (Gmail) avatar. I created the wordpress account with my Google login, and am (I think) signed into THIS page via WordPress, so I guess that’s how I got my avatar to show up.
I had an ancient wordpress account which took me time to figure out, but aside from the avatar showing up I’m not sure if I’m otherwise linked. It doesn’t recognize my CYG even though I’m in WordPress with my CYG profile. I decided to stop fussing with it and just go with the flow. I want to comment here, not blog at WordPress. I feel like an old dog chasing it’s tale.
There were a lot of loop-backs for me, too. So I finally just set up a WordPress account, then entered my user name and email into the comment box and that seems to work. The image I used on the WordPress account is showing up here so I guess it is linked even though I kept getting the loop-backs. I am sure this will all smooth out as we all figure things out together.
We are so appreciative of how patient y’all have been so far, and thanks for helping each other out! In a few months this place will be a well-oiled machine ????
Bad game last night. We skipped the third. But at least we’re within the eleven worst teams now, better spot for improving a draft spot.
Miracle I seem to be linked to my WordPress acct but it takes time for my avatar to show up. Still looking for my red balloon but a 2018 championship pic taken by me while at that first game of new season when they unveiled the banner always works. Bad sentence construction I know–eh!
Testing testing testing
I always feel my age when I try to navigate new sites including signing up.
I feel old because I don’t like change. This is new.
Love the new site, but I must be dumb over here trying to log in. Setup a WordPress account but cant sign in in the comment box, oh well. At least we have a shiny new site to enjoy.
This is not surprising, I don’t think, but the Japers Rink team has really done an amazing job putting the new site together so quickly. Well done folks!
Bear with us, folks, we are still working out bugs on the commenting but now they should go through automatically… it’s an adventure!
Interesting, trying to post a couple different ways.
Love the new site!
Wonder if they are going to get McMichael some games.
Probably not.
The Bears are in second place in their Division and forth in the AHL having already clinched a playoff spot. McMichael is fifth on the team in points, fourth in goals and would probably get much more out of his continued development seeing the campaign through the AHL playoffs than he would getting sub-10 minutes a night in the NHL he would probably get coming back up now.
He has 75 regular season NHL games and struggled with some of the assignments which is why he was sent down to the AHL in order to gain experience and confidence to better prepare him for the next call-up. The Caps aren’t that desperate for a call up that they should interfere with his current success down in Hershey and take away the greater responsibility he’s growing into down there as that team enters their playoffs.
At this point, I’d want to have McMichael, Laps, VI, and even LuJo and others down there getting the playoff experience at the AHL level moreso than I’d want to see them taking reps for the sake of taking reps at the tail end of what might otherwise be a meaningless NHL season since there’s still a lot that will change about them between now and next camp when they’ll get another NHL level look.
Does this work? First?
A fresh new blog… very nice.
Shiny new blog…. cool!
While not perfect and shallow if injured, I am pretty okay with the team’s blue line going in to next year.
Up front is another story. Feel like we need 2-3 pieces yet, some combo of speed and finish the current crew is missing.
Question is, from where?
Shallow as heck. Half of them are over 30, and the other half are (more or less) not even 23 yet?
Next year the over 30’s forwards will be something like
Ovechkin, immortal.
Oshie 37
Backy 36
Dowd 33
Kuzy 31
Wilson 30
Guys like Craig and Sheary aren’t going to be re-signed, same with Haglin and Brown, and Eller and MoJo are already gone, etc. That leaves:
Centers, 3 of 4 are over 30
Top six players: 4 of 6 are over 30 (only since kuzy and backy won’t both skate in the top six at the same time)
On the other end, let’s call it the under 25 forwards with NHL experience are
Protas 23
McMicahel 23
Laps 21
after that there’s Pilon 25 who’s an UFA and a bunch of real young kids that haven’t seen the NHL yet.
It’s two things that are problematic in my view:
a lot of cap space caught up on a couple of over 30 players who are not out-performing their contacts anymore, but are also not easily movable for a number of reasons including their contracts and larger franchise impact. there’s six forwards over 5M and one could probably argue only Ovi was close to earning his paycheck’s value this season.
the mediocrity of too many guys who are within the prime age and experience window, that when low risk also becomes low reward end up not providing enough of that combined added value to push the team forward. Individually, they aren’t bad bets but when they all are only performing to their contracts it creates a larger drag on the team’s depth and thus success. Strome might be the one consistently over his value player in this group
Even if it is Carlson, Jensen and TVR over 30 and then Rasmus, Fev and AA currently 23 that’s not aweful. The rear-guard game is no longer a heavy hitting, crease clearing type of game and the over 30 guys are smooth skaters with decent outlet passing skills that benefit a team that doesn’t have a lot of breakout speed to be able to still transition the puck up ice quickly. TVR and Jensen are both on very movable contracts, where if they also had to slide down the lineup, even to 7D if that becomes necessary, they’re not dead weight. After them it’s Iorio and Lujo both under 25 which doesn’t provide a lot of depth, but depth D are also more prevalent than some of the other positions the Caps have to fill and the Caps have a strong track record at identifying other team’s under utilized D to converting them into successful players here so I’m less worried about the D than I am the forwards
It’s probably not coming from Smith or Sheary, Brown or Haglin as they are all UFA and probably not targets for retention.
It’s probably not coming at center with Strome, Kuzy, Backstrom and Dowd down the middle right now. Backstrom could have a set-back opening the opportunity for a replacement top-nine center to bring some speed and firepower as a short term replacement like what Strome was this season. The depth pieces, including Protas, McMichael and Laps don’t feel ready to supplant Kuzy or Backy even if neither of them are performing up to the expectations. It’s also unlikely, although possible in the right circumstances, that either Kuzy or Strome could move to wing in the top-six opening a position at center, or that Kuzy could be dealt opening a position at center up. However it is highly improbably that both Kuzy AND Backstrom would both no longer be at center next year, it feels like a one-or-the-other scenario.
It’s more likely to come at wing, as there is technically a top-six winger position open. Ovechkin is not going anywhere. 40+ goal scorers are rare, there’s only 9 so far this season, and even if Ovi were to only score into 30’s for future seasons, they aren’t super common either with only 42 so far this season at 30+ goals, so Ovi, as always will be the primary firepower. After that it’s Wilson and Oshie and … and that’s the big question. Who’s that forth wing in the top six? It’s especially important if there’s a real interest in managing Oshie’s minutes because you cannot even think of moving him down onto the third line without being sure that the top six has another scoring threat on it. I’m not sure that Mantha, Protas, NAK or Milano are that strong as a scoring winger for them to fill the open spot with Oshie up there and I’m almost positive they aren’t enough to push Oshie down the lineup. I also don’t see anyone down in Hershey ready to step up into a top-six scoring winger spot yet either, especially since the push has so far been to keep both McMichael and Laps at center so far. Therefore a qualified scorer almost has to come from outside the organization. Preferably it would be targeting one of those 30-goal scorers, or fringe guys who could have the capability to break into a 30 goal season, so it can take some substantial pressure off of having to depend too heavily on Ovi plus depth scoring (which, because of injuries, has cost the Caps dearly at times this season). Who that top six scoring winger target is and how they come in, a UFA, via a trade, I don’t know enough about who might be available, etc. speculate. But the first priority would seem to be get a qualified scorer on the books to fill out the open wing in the top-six and not hope that some combination of Mantha, Protas, NAK, Milano, Kuzy, McMichael, etc figures out how to put the puck in the net with consistency.
Well, based on BMac’s past comments about pursuing a ‘top-6 forward’ in the offseason, it’s clear that he doesn’t see Mantha as part of the solution. I don’t know whether Connor Brown is, either. (I have to look at highlights from the early games, even though that isn’t a good sample size).
A top-6 will likely have to arrive via trade…involving Kuznetsov.
If the assumption is having to move Kuzy in order to obtain a top-six forward, then it’s filling one hole while opening another gigantic one up. Kuzy’s replacement either comes in to become the fourth winger with Ovi, Wilson and Oshie which leaves an important middle six center position exposed, or replaces Kuzy to become a top-six center with Strome and still leaves that fourth wing open. Brown is 30 and his highest Points (43) and Goals (21) seasons are now several years behind him, so while he seemed like a good temporary solution to Wilson being out for a half season he’s likely not the solution for a full time top-six winger moving forward if the need is scoring depth to take the pressure off Ovi being the primary firepower. My thoughts on the others are above. It would take a true “hockey trade,” which are traditionally difficult to come by, or a massive multiteam deal with several moving parts, to see Kuzy leave and not create new problems in order to try and solve an existing one. If there was more dependable depth at center, maybe I’d feel different, but after Strome and Dowd it gets real dicey real quick and doesn’t leave a lot of room for error, injury, or anything else.
Do you see Protas as ‘not dependable depth’ as a Center?
And would a new coach place better faith in a McMichael or a Lapierre if they were in Washington full-time?
The Caps will have to move salary anyway if they are serious about improving the team. They currently have less than 7,5M$ of cap space for next season, and they still need to sign Fehervary and Alexyev. If they don’t trade anyone, it means that they are bringing back the same team next season, that doesn’t sound like what GMBM wants.
There’s a guy out in Vancouver that could fit that bill and I’m not talking JT Miller.
You mean Boeser
Good question.
In the AHL, we have Lapierre and McMichael, two kids with good potential, but I don’t think either one of them will be big points producer in the NHL next season.
In the UFA market, it’s pretty bare also. Most upcoming free agent forwards are either too old or not productive enough. Bunting is probably the most interesting player, so that’s saying a lot. Maybe Athanasiou could interest the Caps.
The taboo RFA market is more interesting (Bratt, DeBrincat, Meier, Zegras, Dubois, Terry, Vilardi, Maccelli, Caufield, etc.) but I highly doubt this is the path that we will take.
If GMBM wants to boost his offense, it most likely will have to be via trades. Boeser? JT Miller? Schmatlz?
Yeah, improving the offense won’t be easy, can’t wait to see what GMBM will do about it!
Well, this is new
Ah, that new blog smell…
Smells like used hockey gloves, Slim Jim’s, and lung darts