Not that any of you care and most anyone that reads this probably already know me but if you're happening upon this for some other reason I'm am the least interesting man in the world. If you've read this far I feel bad for you but if you want to learn some stuff and be midly entertained then I encourage you to continue on, but it will be a long read, and you'll probably learn to know more about me than I already do.
What can be said that hasn't already been said about me? Probably not much because I've been called every name in the book.
My name is David, I will turn 30 years old this year, and a die-hard homer for all the teams in the DMV (DC, Maryland, Virginia area for you outsiders). Growing up I was big in to sports, photography, and girls...years later and nothing has changed. I played Little League for two years and played a lot of pick-up basketball and football during my middle and high school days.
Over the years I've bounced from one sport to another as my favorite. From age 6 until about 13 I was mainly about baseball and the Orioles with the Caps, Redskins, and Bullets thrown in. College wise I was a Georgetown man because their games were always on TV. In the mid-90s I started getting more into basketball, collecting sports cards as more of a hobby, and started paying more attention to the Terps. By 2001 I was full blown on all sports, especially once I got DirecTV and internet..I know I lived a primitive life growing up...and football started to be my favorite with the Redskins just ahead of the Ravens but me predicting the Ravens winning the 2001 Super Bowl. In the past 5 years I've turned almost strictly puckhead and refuse to miss any Capitals game, no matter how bad the team may be playing at times and I've jumped on the Nats bandwagon in late 2009.
As a homer I always hold out optimism that the team will be better than most may think but I also know that our pro teams let down their fans year in and year out and the higher the expectations the worse they tend to do. I stick by them through and through though.
As mentioned I am in to collecting sports cards and other memorabilia and while I keep what I get from boxes, because I'm too stupid to sell and make a little cash..at the moment, I also collect certain players I am a fan of. I am a HUGE Juan Dixon fan...I mean its kinda insane really and was lucky enough to meet him at the DC Auto show when he was in his first tenure with the Wizards. In baseball Mike Mussina is far and away my favorite player in the modern era and I try to forget that he left for the Yankees. With him out I don't focus on any particular player but I do like Rick Ankiel, Michael Morse, and Danny Espinosa of the Nationals. In basketball I've always been a fan of the underdog that could get the most out of his limited talent or exceed expectations which is why Dixon, Jerome Williams and Trevor Booker are among my current favorites. In football Chris Cooley is my main guy, love him and had the pleasure of meeting him two years ago at the Collector's Showcase of America show in Chantilly, Virginia. I also have lots of love for my former Springbrook Blue Devil Shawn Springs. In hockey Peter Bondra will always be Mr. Capitals for me and man did I love that team growing up, always going to player signings as a kid and meeting so many great players. Now I'm more about Chris Bourque, David Steckel and Brooks Laich. I'm also a wrestling mark and am a fan of John Cena, met him and such a great guy, Mick Foley, met him too and also awesome, Shawm Michaels, met him but he didn't seem overly excited to be there, Trish Stratus and the Rock, which should make for an intersting Wrestelmania next weekend. So as you can tell I have some really shitty taste in players to like, support and follow.
Despite being a total homer I have had my moments of stupidity and at a short lived sinful couple years I actually rooted for the New York Yankees, now I just respect their history, the Duke Blue Devils, and Dallas Cowboys. That is totally out of my system, I am 18 years sober and have seen the light. THE TRUTH SHALL SET ME FREE!!!
Getting away from sports I'm like any other typical male outside of I'm not overly impressed by cars, in fact I don't have a license to drive and really have no desire to though I know I should. Probably a result from so many of my family members having been involved in accidents over the years.
Sorry got off track....I'm not a big movie buff but I do like comedies and I don't mean Will Ferrell and Steve Carell I mean movies that are actually funny and not stupid. Give me Rat Race over Old School or 40 Year Old Virgin any day...which is surprising given the type of humor and language I have been known to use. My favorite movie is Interestate 60..you probably haven't seen it let alone heard of it but its pretty sweet. I can watch pretty much any genre though I'm not a fan of horror, I can do thriller.
In music my taste is...well its bad...or so I'm told. You will hear just about anything on my iPod from Country to Hip-Hop, Rock to Celtic, and Top 40 to Swing. You won't however find Classical music anywhere. Give me some Lady Antebellum, Carrie Underwood, Kenny Chesney, Uncle Kracker, Nelly, Boyz II Men, Kelly Clarkson, Daughtry, Theory of a Deadman, Brantley Gilbert, Ludacris and a few others and I'm good to go.
My TV habits range across the board from some reality shows to sitcoms to dramas but usually I'm plugged in to ESPN (Around the Horn, PTI, games). I will watch the news occassionaly but mainly only for the local ports report and I will only get that from one person, Britt McHenry. I'm a huge fan of hers and more info about the young reporter that will soon be taking San Diego by storm will be up in the coming days/week.
Okay thats enough about what I like and if you've made it this far you may want to seek psychriatric help. As you can tell I like to have some fun and crack jokes, even if they're at my own expense. My sense of humor definitely gets me by because my looks won't get me out of much except for being a contestant on The Bachelorette...and no I'm not being hard on myself nor do I take myself seriously with the jokes. You just have to be willing to poke fun at yourself every once in a while. My humor is dry, witty and tends to be filled with sarcasm, which may not translate over the blog.
By day I work for the Recreation & Welfare Association at NIH where I am Mr. Do-It-All because if someone can't do something or figure it out they come to me...lucky me. *Disclaimer* This would be a good time to state that my postings, beliefs, etc etc that will appear in this blog in no way, shape or form should be associated with my place of work nor do they reflect their views...that should cover my ass right?* What I do though is I am the editor of our monthly Newsletter, co-organizer of our events for which we do over 30 per year, am responsible for selling tickets to local events and attracations around the DC area at a discount to the NIH community and a few smaller things. We also are responsible for assisting in the fundraising for the NIH Charities which consists of Special Love/Camp Fantastic, The Friends of the Clinical Center, and The Children's Inn at NIH. All three are very near and dear to me and I make it a mission to do give my all when I do one of our fundraising events which include a night at the circus every March and Film Festival in the Bethesda/Rockville area every August. We have a great group of people with these charities and our volunteers.
I firmly believe I am nothing without my family and close friends. My cousin Pam is one of my favorite people to hang out and joke around with. My best friend Julie is my heart and I care more about her and her kids than I do my own self. I'm loyal, opinionated, controversial at times, but I do anything for my family and those friends who I consider family. I tend to bend over backwards for others so much that I get walked all over and my kindness can be taken advantage of but I'll get my due some day.
So yeah if you're not in a coma you now know some stuff about me. Probably more than I should have told you but at least I didn't give up my mother's maiden name, the street I grew up on, my first pet's name or my social security number so I should have password security.
Oh right about the blog. Originally this was intended to be a blog about the Capitals since a few friends enjoyed hearing my comments regarding the team the past few seasons. Trying to be creative with some word play I chose to use (Brooks) Laich (pronounced Like) and how I planned to give my views Like It Is...as in telling it like it is..so no this isn't a blog regarding a disease called Laichitis...unless you get Brooksie fever. I plan to touch mainly on sports and the collecting hobby but I may venture into other things such as movies, music, TV shows, and charity awareness but will probably stay away from touchy subjects like politics, current events and religion.
I do thank you for reading my blog, hope you enjoy what you see, am open to replies (good and bad) as I can only improve with criticism. Anything hateful, derogatory, etc will be deleted.
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Saturday, March 24, 2012
What Should The Fans Expect of the Washington Nationals This Season?
When it comes to my local sports teams I am admittedly a total homer. Ever the pessimist regarding how they'll perform based on the history here in the DMV I try to stay optimistic as a team is assembled.
I have not paid much attention to the Nats in Spring Training but from what I gathered watching Britt McHenry do her 6pm sports cast on ABC 7 the team has not performed well of late and the manager and players are tired of losing. While currently sitting at 5-13 this spring fans have to hope this isn't a sign of things to expect from the team this season. Expectations are high, the stadium is usually bare and a slow start could lead to low attendance in a city that is looking to support a winning team, beyond the struggling Capitals and the Nats are expected to be that team.
Entering Spring Training all eyes were on one person, a kid named Bryce Harper. Harper has been branded as the next "Big Thing," a man-child, who is developed far beyond his years but still a little dense between the ears (being a fan of the Cowboys, Yankees, Lakers and I believe Blue Devils). The biggest question regarding him was would he make the team to start the season or be called up later on in the year. A calf injury, followed by slow production upon his return helped make the decision to send Bryce down to AAA-ball a bit easier. It also helps that he wasn't lights out against AA pitching and also by waiting to bring him up in June or later it allows the team to have him under contract for one extra year. One good sign this spring is that teammates say that he was soaking up the knowledge, listening to the vets, not being egotistical, and even said to the media its not about him, that there are many components than one man to the team. There is little doubt that Bryce will make an appearance later this year, barring injury, and when he does I expect the Nats to not only sell out every game the rest of the season but also have fans show up to the games so that their announced attendance of 30,000+ doesn't actually have 4,000 people sitting there watching the games with ghost seat fillers sitting next to them.
As for all things not Bryce Harper this team is in a perfect position to take the next step going forward. I for one believe the team overachieved last year by not finishing 10 games under .500. Despite not having the phenom Stephen Strasburg for most of the year because of Tommy John surgery, the pitching staff came along nicely, especially Jordan Zimmerman who was limited by an innings limit due to coming off of surgery. This year the team has Strasburg, on an innings limit, and Zimmerman, returning to the rotation, while adding young hurler Gio Gonzalez who could be a Cy Young candidate potential, and Edwin Jackson, a player that has been a bit of a nomad that was thought to be a top of the rotation talent that will be the team's number 4 starter. He can be effective but I'm not fully sold on him and he's having the worst spring training, statistically of his career. Hopefully it has more to do with the park, line-up or defense and not a prelude. The 5th starter is up for grabs between John Lannan, Chien-Ming Wang, and my personal choice, Ross Detwiler. Looking at the stats I'd say Detwiler has the edge but I think they'll look to make him more of a long reliever.
That brings me to the team's bullpen. Drew Storen, the closer, is expected to start the season on the disabled list, which is better than the "available to be traded" list that he was on at the trade deadline last year. I really like this kid's pitching and hope we sign him long term. The other main guy in the bullpen is Tyler Clippard, the Nats All-Star last season. Clipp has his moments where he's dominant out of the pen and then gets lit up for stretches but he's been the most consistent and most used reliever on the team and will be an important cog. With Storen out the closer's role is expected to be filled by Henry Rodriguez, who possess a fastball that can clock 100MPH, and Brad Lidge, he of the "I give up home runs to Albert Pujols and then get all messed up psychologically" ilk. I'm not a fan of the Lidge signing but he's a vet and hopefully a change of scenery will help him. Sean Burnett, Tom Gorzelanny, Cole Kimball, and Craig Stammen will all be looking at time in the bullpen throughout the year.
The Nationals every day line-up is possibly the best its ever been, and that's before the addition of Harper. The problem is that every the team goes through long stretches of strong pitching and little to no offense and then once they do start hitting the pitching lacks, the defense has been suspect during that time too. For now, Adam LaRoche and his bum shoulder will be the man at first. I say for now because I don't see him staying healthy or being productive enough to keep in the line-up. Not that we need an $8 million guy to sit on the bench but I'd rather have Chris Marrero. At second base is one of my favorite players on the team in Danny Espinosa. I fell in love with this guy when he hit two home runs in one game after he was called up in September of 2010. He's still young and has some pop and I expect this to be a career year for him, possibly even with an All-Star appearance. At shortstop is everyone's favorite punching bag on the team, Ian Desmond. He's not a great hitter, has a little pop, and can steal bases. There is one thing he does better than steal bases though and that's commit errors. He's committed 57 errors in the last two seasons though he did have 49 more chances he had 11 less errors. A lot of that improvement came from Desmond learning to not try and make a play/throw when he should just pocket the ball. This will continue to be an area the team looks to upgrade including in their minor leagues with Steve Lombardozzi. At third base is the team leader, Ryan Zimmerman. The team extended Zimmerman with the hopes that he'll be this team's Cal Ripken Jr but without the consecutive games streak. An injury of Zimmerman should be expected every year and every year I expect him to be a little better than the previous year. I expect that again this year with Jayson Werth hopefully having a better season. Behind the plate will be Wilson Ramos and Jesus Flores. They don't strike fear into many but they're good young catchers that will be pivotal for the improvement of the pitchers and they got to learn under future Hall of Famer Ivan Rodriguez the past two years.
In the outfield the team will have Jayson Werth in right. Werth got paid and then forgot how to hit last year. For the Nationals to reach their peak this year they can not have a repeat season and the fans, those who do show up, will have no trouble booing him like he were Kwame Brown or Andray Blatche. Left field belongs to Michael Morse, currently hampered by a back injury. I'm really hoping this isn't a long term thing for Beast Mode because last year he had the career year I was expecting and I hope he can continue with those numbers. He provides perfect protection in the line-up for Zimmerman and Werth. My fear is that this injury will last all season and depending on if he can play through it he may take over first base like last season, where I felt he did an above average job. In center will most likely be the platoon of Rick Ankiel and Roger Bernadina. Its a shame we can't combine these two guys. I have loved Ankiel's game since he burst onto the scene in St. Louis and took baseball by storm before having one of the craziest declines I've ever seen and it amazes me that now he can't hit the catcher from the pitcher's mound but he can do it perfectly without a hop from over 300 feet away. Besides Ankiel's rocket for an arm he also provides some power but he strikes out a bunch too. Bernadina gives you speed so again combine the two and you have a five tool prospect.
The bench looks sparse and I really only know of Mark DeRosa and he'll be spelling a lot of guys as a utility player/suber-sub.
What the season holds for the Nationals depends on which team shows up, the team that ended last season or the team that showed up in Spring Training. Expectations being high puts a lot of pressure on these guys. Strasburg was nearly untouchable when the games matter so here's hoping spring numbers mean very little, which most people believe that they do. The NL East is stronger this year than last year with Miami upgrading thanks to a winter shopping spree, the Mets have some players but I'm hoping they'll continue to implode, the Phillies are as lethal as ever with an amazing starting rotation, and probably the only one better than the Nationals in the East. The Braves seem to always a contender for at least the Wild Card and I wouldn't be surprised to see them be a pest again this season.
As for the Nats, if they click on all cylinders I say they go 92-70 and set themselves up for a shot at the Wild Card. If they don't get their act together but stay healthy this team should still be able to hang around the .500 mark. I have always felt that 2013 would be the season to expect them to make their move but the upgrades in pitching shows they want to do it now. History tells us that DC teams with high expectations never live up to them but last year's team, despite the lower expectations and the quitting of their manager maintained a light hearted atmosphere and went out there and just had fun. If they can continue to play that way and not press they should be just fine. A winning locker room is a happy locker room.
I have not paid much attention to the Nats in Spring Training but from what I gathered watching Britt McHenry do her 6pm sports cast on ABC 7 the team has not performed well of late and the manager and players are tired of losing. While currently sitting at 5-13 this spring fans have to hope this isn't a sign of things to expect from the team this season. Expectations are high, the stadium is usually bare and a slow start could lead to low attendance in a city that is looking to support a winning team, beyond the struggling Capitals and the Nats are expected to be that team.
Entering Spring Training all eyes were on one person, a kid named Bryce Harper. Harper has been branded as the next "Big Thing," a man-child, who is developed far beyond his years but still a little dense between the ears (being a fan of the Cowboys, Yankees, Lakers and I believe Blue Devils). The biggest question regarding him was would he make the team to start the season or be called up later on in the year. A calf injury, followed by slow production upon his return helped make the decision to send Bryce down to AAA-ball a bit easier. It also helps that he wasn't lights out against AA pitching and also by waiting to bring him up in June or later it allows the team to have him under contract for one extra year. One good sign this spring is that teammates say that he was soaking up the knowledge, listening to the vets, not being egotistical, and even said to the media its not about him, that there are many components than one man to the team. There is little doubt that Bryce will make an appearance later this year, barring injury, and when he does I expect the Nats to not only sell out every game the rest of the season but also have fans show up to the games so that their announced attendance of 30,000+ doesn't actually have 4,000 people sitting there watching the games with ghost seat fillers sitting next to them.
As for all things not Bryce Harper this team is in a perfect position to take the next step going forward. I for one believe the team overachieved last year by not finishing 10 games under .500. Despite not having the phenom Stephen Strasburg for most of the year because of Tommy John surgery, the pitching staff came along nicely, especially Jordan Zimmerman who was limited by an innings limit due to coming off of surgery. This year the team has Strasburg, on an innings limit, and Zimmerman, returning to the rotation, while adding young hurler Gio Gonzalez who could be a Cy Young candidate potential, and Edwin Jackson, a player that has been a bit of a nomad that was thought to be a top of the rotation talent that will be the team's number 4 starter. He can be effective but I'm not fully sold on him and he's having the worst spring training, statistically of his career. Hopefully it has more to do with the park, line-up or defense and not a prelude. The 5th starter is up for grabs between John Lannan, Chien-Ming Wang, and my personal choice, Ross Detwiler. Looking at the stats I'd say Detwiler has the edge but I think they'll look to make him more of a long reliever.
That brings me to the team's bullpen. Drew Storen, the closer, is expected to start the season on the disabled list, which is better than the "available to be traded" list that he was on at the trade deadline last year. I really like this kid's pitching and hope we sign him long term. The other main guy in the bullpen is Tyler Clippard, the Nats All-Star last season. Clipp has his moments where he's dominant out of the pen and then gets lit up for stretches but he's been the most consistent and most used reliever on the team and will be an important cog. With Storen out the closer's role is expected to be filled by Henry Rodriguez, who possess a fastball that can clock 100MPH, and Brad Lidge, he of the "I give up home runs to Albert Pujols and then get all messed up psychologically" ilk. I'm not a fan of the Lidge signing but he's a vet and hopefully a change of scenery will help him. Sean Burnett, Tom Gorzelanny, Cole Kimball, and Craig Stammen will all be looking at time in the bullpen throughout the year.
The Nationals every day line-up is possibly the best its ever been, and that's before the addition of Harper. The problem is that every the team goes through long stretches of strong pitching and little to no offense and then once they do start hitting the pitching lacks, the defense has been suspect during that time too. For now, Adam LaRoche and his bum shoulder will be the man at first. I say for now because I don't see him staying healthy or being productive enough to keep in the line-up. Not that we need an $8 million guy to sit on the bench but I'd rather have Chris Marrero. At second base is one of my favorite players on the team in Danny Espinosa. I fell in love with this guy when he hit two home runs in one game after he was called up in September of 2010. He's still young and has some pop and I expect this to be a career year for him, possibly even with an All-Star appearance. At shortstop is everyone's favorite punching bag on the team, Ian Desmond. He's not a great hitter, has a little pop, and can steal bases. There is one thing he does better than steal bases though and that's commit errors. He's committed 57 errors in the last two seasons though he did have 49 more chances he had 11 less errors. A lot of that improvement came from Desmond learning to not try and make a play/throw when he should just pocket the ball. This will continue to be an area the team looks to upgrade including in their minor leagues with Steve Lombardozzi. At third base is the team leader, Ryan Zimmerman. The team extended Zimmerman with the hopes that he'll be this team's Cal Ripken Jr but without the consecutive games streak. An injury of Zimmerman should be expected every year and every year I expect him to be a little better than the previous year. I expect that again this year with Jayson Werth hopefully having a better season. Behind the plate will be Wilson Ramos and Jesus Flores. They don't strike fear into many but they're good young catchers that will be pivotal for the improvement of the pitchers and they got to learn under future Hall of Famer Ivan Rodriguez the past two years.
In the outfield the team will have Jayson Werth in right. Werth got paid and then forgot how to hit last year. For the Nationals to reach their peak this year they can not have a repeat season and the fans, those who do show up, will have no trouble booing him like he were Kwame Brown or Andray Blatche. Left field belongs to Michael Morse, currently hampered by a back injury. I'm really hoping this isn't a long term thing for Beast Mode because last year he had the career year I was expecting and I hope he can continue with those numbers. He provides perfect protection in the line-up for Zimmerman and Werth. My fear is that this injury will last all season and depending on if he can play through it he may take over first base like last season, where I felt he did an above average job. In center will most likely be the platoon of Rick Ankiel and Roger Bernadina. Its a shame we can't combine these two guys. I have loved Ankiel's game since he burst onto the scene in St. Louis and took baseball by storm before having one of the craziest declines I've ever seen and it amazes me that now he can't hit the catcher from the pitcher's mound but he can do it perfectly without a hop from over 300 feet away. Besides Ankiel's rocket for an arm he also provides some power but he strikes out a bunch too. Bernadina gives you speed so again combine the two and you have a five tool prospect.
The bench looks sparse and I really only know of Mark DeRosa and he'll be spelling a lot of guys as a utility player/suber-sub.
What the season holds for the Nationals depends on which team shows up, the team that ended last season or the team that showed up in Spring Training. Expectations being high puts a lot of pressure on these guys. Strasburg was nearly untouchable when the games matter so here's hoping spring numbers mean very little, which most people believe that they do. The NL East is stronger this year than last year with Miami upgrading thanks to a winter shopping spree, the Mets have some players but I'm hoping they'll continue to implode, the Phillies are as lethal as ever with an amazing starting rotation, and probably the only one better than the Nationals in the East. The Braves seem to always a contender for at least the Wild Card and I wouldn't be surprised to see them be a pest again this season.
As for the Nats, if they click on all cylinders I say they go 92-70 and set themselves up for a shot at the Wild Card. If they don't get their act together but stay healthy this team should still be able to hang around the .500 mark. I have always felt that 2013 would be the season to expect them to make their move but the upgrades in pitching shows they want to do it now. History tells us that DC teams with high expectations never live up to them but last year's team, despite the lower expectations and the quitting of their manager maintained a light hearted atmosphere and went out there and just had fun. If they can continue to play that way and not press they should be just fine. A winning locker room is a happy locker room.
Thursday, March 22, 2012
This Blog Will Be Restructured
After some long consideration, some frustrations with writing..and the Capitals...I've decided I'm going to do my best to run this blog with updates more often but also Telling it Laich It Is about all sports while focusing mainly on sports in the DC area.
I would love for this to eventually lead to some sort of opportunities for me in the sports market but we'll see. I can hate writing after a while and obviously get off track many times over...I'd be so much better in radio, though it would also expose a lot of knowledge that I lack HA.
So here's to more thought, new opportunities and new chapters.
I won't deny that seeing Britt McHenry leaving the DC market for San Diego has lead me to think about the changes and confronting the challenges. She's more than just a pretty face, she's hard worker who is dedicated to her craft. Maybe I can get an interview to start off the change :)
I would love for this to eventually lead to some sort of opportunities for me in the sports market but we'll see. I can hate writing after a while and obviously get off track many times over...I'd be so much better in radio, though it would also expose a lot of knowledge that I lack HA.
So here's to more thought, new opportunities and new chapters.
I won't deny that seeing Britt McHenry leaving the DC market for San Diego has lead me to think about the changes and confronting the challenges. She's more than just a pretty face, she's hard worker who is dedicated to her craft. Maybe I can get an interview to start off the change :)
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Buy? Sell? Or Hold Tight...Where the Caps Need to Go
Man its been a rough few months to be a Capitals fan. I'll admit I overestimated how well we'd play this year and I did fear the Panthers would be good, not first place this late good but I don't think they expected that either.
With the NHL trade deadline approaching, a Capitals team that has displayed very little offense the past few weeks, and a playoff seed getting farther and farther away out of reach the team may finally have to look into doing a major overhaul. For 4 years I've said that last year would probably be the team's best shot at winning the Cup unless they somehow figured out how to keep their core group together as they entered their primes. Miraculously the team managed to do just that and I thought well the window has been left opened two more years.
Turns out the latch didn't hold and the window has fallen hard and cracked. First their is the coach, Boudreau, who listened to what everyone told him to do when coaching instead of doing what made him and the team successful. That appeared to lead to a sub-par performance on the ice and the exile of said coach off the ice. Boudreau wasn't unemployed long as the lowly Anaheim Ducks hired him and he's brought that team within striking distance of the playoffs. While the Caps are only 4-6 points out of being a 3rd seed or 8th seed and the Ducks are around 6-8 points out (all to the best of my knowledge without looking them up on my slow computer) the Ducks are trending upwards and gaining confidence while the Caps are trending downwards and losing players to injury.
Mike Green is in his second game back since a groin injury knocked him out earlier in the year and eventually required surgery. Nicky Backstrom has been out for almost two months since taking an intentional elbow to the jaw and could be out the season. Ovechkin is missing tonight's game with an undisclosed lower-body injury and Brooks Laich is dealing with a lingering knee injury.
That said it may be time for the Caps to give up on the season and tap into that potent minor league club they have. There are quite a few players that the Caps should look to deal, no matter how difficult it may be to say goodbye so that we can start fresh next year.
First we must start in goal. Tomas Vokoun has had his struggles and been pulled in two straight games after sub-par performances. Seeing as he's on a one-year deal the Caps could flip him to another team for some parts or picks in the future. Plus he's irritated me with how much he gives his teammates, mainly, D hell on the ice when the opposition scores. Breakdowns happen but if you want them to keep helping you shut up and stop the damn puck. Trading Vokoun also allows the team to put Michal Neuvirth back as the starting goalie that he expected to be when the team traded Varlamov. The team must decide if this kid is the future while also knowing they have Braden Holtby waiting in Hershey.
Now we have to look at the forwards:
Backstrom - Get back soon buddy. Untouchable both because of who he is and his injury.
Laich is staying! New contract and should be the team's Captain as he has been the voice of the team and true leader on and off the ice. Also if his knee injury is still bothering him they should just shelf him and call someone up (more later).
Ovie is staying, though I'm sure some fans wouldn't mind seeing him be gone with the way he's regressed. Ovie seemed to be getting back into the player we had been used to but has since slowed up again.
Brouwer is staying, I like what I have seen in him this year and think he's a good guy to have on the team. Mojo is staying, but probably would have been flipped if the team was buyers. They have to figure out how to build his confidence back up
MP85 is staying. The Keystone Light guy does his thing when he really gets a chance to play. While an upgrade would probably be fine he's a good 3rd/4th line wing.
Joelle - He's probably unmovable right now and honestly hasn't really been a blip on the radar the past few months. Kinda wish we had signed Bergenheim instead of him, like I wanted to do in the off-season.
Hendricks - Unmovable! Seriously if it wasn't bad enough that he hasn't been scoring like he did last year how about that even his fighting has been a bit unbearable to watch as he goes in to defend his teammates honor only to get pummeled.
Halpern - I think he could be shopped but that if he wants to stay they team will keep him here if only because he's going to want to go out as a Cap once his contract is done, in my opinion at least.
Knuble - I said a few weeks ago when he was benched he was gone. The team has since come out and said they have no intention of trading him. Knubes got royally screwed by both coaches this year unfortunately and has struggled all season. I'd prefer to see him accept a trade if only to see him have one last Cup run. If he doesn't want one then keep him and see if he'll be more of a mentor.
Sasha Fierce - Based on what some teams are getting in return for marginal players the team would be wise to test the waters on what Semin could bring. I'll hate to see him go and he's been the best point production Cap the past 10 games but he's got the most value too thanks to his one-year deal and insane skill and scoring ability. Best thing the team can do is trade him for either future help or a solid vet that we could use the next year or two and maybe try to bring him back as a free agent during the off-season. Toughest thing right now is Rick Nash and Jeff Carter are both being shopped. The good is Semin has the better contract, the bad is he could be a rental while the others are under team control longer...I wouldn't mind Nash a Cap though.
Chimera - The team's first half MVP has been a bit of a no-show the past two months it seems. He's fast and gritty and for that alone he needs to be kept around.
Aucoin/Beagle - They're here for the long haul. The team can't get much of anything for them and I doubt many teams would look to acquire them.
So if we do end up moving some of these wings and don't get anybody back that is necessarily ready to go I will plead once again for the Caps to call up Chris Bourque! Unless its a salary cap issue or the fear of losing him on waivers or of taking too much offense away from Hershey I see no reason as to why he can't be called back up. Eakin might be worth the call up too. The kid seemed a little overmatched in the pros but he's gonna learn and as long as the rally balloon gets brought out every game we should see a bunch of scoring. There was also talks of trading Eakin if we were buyers but that seems a bit unrealistic to me
On Defense the Caps have a few options but I'm not sure how much I'd like to see changed. The Caps D has struggled a bit but did well early after we brought in Johnson to coach the D.
Hamrlik - BYE!!! He's benched tonight, there is talk of him being shopped and maybe if we can eat some salary it will happen. He's shown his age and he's been my least favorite defenseman on the ice, note I said on the ice.
Greenie - Because of his injury history Green is a HUGE risk. When healthy this team clicks but when he's out boy have they struggled. Thanks to the injury Green's asking price should be lower than it would have been had he stayed healthy. Hopefully the Caps can keep him and sign him to a one year deal that is incentive laden and then can decide next year on whether to invest long term or flip him for more parts.
Wideman - There is talk that the free-agent to be could be shipped out by Monday. Wideman has been our best player all season, maybe second to Backstrom. As the team's All-Star rep and an offensive force he's good to have. He can play both ways but has been a liability defensively at times. His offense outweighs that for me though. I guess the Caps have to decide is he worth keeping around long term or is he willing to stay. If they think he'll leave and they'll get nothing for him he could be moved.
Schultz - I figured the Caps would move him after Bruce got canned but instead the slow-footed one just sat in the press box taking over the role of DJ King. He's played more of late and I still can't stand him. When on the ice he's my second least favorite Cap..and also when he's benched :P
Carlzner - Yes the guys have struggled this year and been on the ice for a lot of goals against but there is no way you break up these two in any fashion. Both players I'd like to see be lifelong Caps.
Erskine - Another guy that is under the DNP-CD statline, I really like the Lumberjack and the team should keep him...he may be slow but he fights better than Hendricks, even if he shouldn't because of concussion issues.
Orlov - Has not been the offensive dynamo I expected but I think that will come. He's been the most consistent defenseman it has seemed and he's a huge part of the team's future.
I still think the team's D is the one thing the team doesn't need to tweak too much they just need better instruction.
As for the rest of the organization...Hunter has not been the right guy and I've been less than impressed. He doesn't seem to show passion on the bench or get the team motivated. He's the opposite of how I remember him as a player and definitely the opposite of Bruce on the bench. I seriously doubt he'll get an extension and the team will be looking for a new coach next year...and maybe that's part of the team's issues. You have a coach on a one-year deal and if he's a bit of a lame duck coach then that could be part of the reason for lacking of urgency, that or the team is just used to things coming to them and that isn't happening this year.
GMGM is lucky that Leonsis is loyal (aka doesn't know shit about sports or the management aspect of it). While GMGM hasn't been terrible and has rebuilt the team what is on the ice this year is all on him. He's got some great looking prospects in the minors waiting to come up but the Caps, their fans, and the owner want to WIN NOW and the sand is quickly running out of the top of McPhee's hour glass.
With the NHL trade deadline approaching, a Capitals team that has displayed very little offense the past few weeks, and a playoff seed getting farther and farther away out of reach the team may finally have to look into doing a major overhaul. For 4 years I've said that last year would probably be the team's best shot at winning the Cup unless they somehow figured out how to keep their core group together as they entered their primes. Miraculously the team managed to do just that and I thought well the window has been left opened two more years.
Turns out the latch didn't hold and the window has fallen hard and cracked. First their is the coach, Boudreau, who listened to what everyone told him to do when coaching instead of doing what made him and the team successful. That appeared to lead to a sub-par performance on the ice and the exile of said coach off the ice. Boudreau wasn't unemployed long as the lowly Anaheim Ducks hired him and he's brought that team within striking distance of the playoffs. While the Caps are only 4-6 points out of being a 3rd seed or 8th seed and the Ducks are around 6-8 points out (all to the best of my knowledge without looking them up on my slow computer) the Ducks are trending upwards and gaining confidence while the Caps are trending downwards and losing players to injury.
Mike Green is in his second game back since a groin injury knocked him out earlier in the year and eventually required surgery. Nicky Backstrom has been out for almost two months since taking an intentional elbow to the jaw and could be out the season. Ovechkin is missing tonight's game with an undisclosed lower-body injury and Brooks Laich is dealing with a lingering knee injury.
That said it may be time for the Caps to give up on the season and tap into that potent minor league club they have. There are quite a few players that the Caps should look to deal, no matter how difficult it may be to say goodbye so that we can start fresh next year.
First we must start in goal. Tomas Vokoun has had his struggles and been pulled in two straight games after sub-par performances. Seeing as he's on a one-year deal the Caps could flip him to another team for some parts or picks in the future. Plus he's irritated me with how much he gives his teammates, mainly, D hell on the ice when the opposition scores. Breakdowns happen but if you want them to keep helping you shut up and stop the damn puck. Trading Vokoun also allows the team to put Michal Neuvirth back as the starting goalie that he expected to be when the team traded Varlamov. The team must decide if this kid is the future while also knowing they have Braden Holtby waiting in Hershey.
Now we have to look at the forwards:
Backstrom - Get back soon buddy. Untouchable both because of who he is and his injury.
Laich is staying! New contract and should be the team's Captain as he has been the voice of the team and true leader on and off the ice. Also if his knee injury is still bothering him they should just shelf him and call someone up (more later).
Ovie is staying, though I'm sure some fans wouldn't mind seeing him be gone with the way he's regressed. Ovie seemed to be getting back into the player we had been used to but has since slowed up again.
Brouwer is staying, I like what I have seen in him this year and think he's a good guy to have on the team. Mojo is staying, but probably would have been flipped if the team was buyers. They have to figure out how to build his confidence back up
MP85 is staying. The Keystone Light guy does his thing when he really gets a chance to play. While an upgrade would probably be fine he's a good 3rd/4th line wing.
Joelle - He's probably unmovable right now and honestly hasn't really been a blip on the radar the past few months. Kinda wish we had signed Bergenheim instead of him, like I wanted to do in the off-season.
Hendricks - Unmovable! Seriously if it wasn't bad enough that he hasn't been scoring like he did last year how about that even his fighting has been a bit unbearable to watch as he goes in to defend his teammates honor only to get pummeled.
Halpern - I think he could be shopped but that if he wants to stay they team will keep him here if only because he's going to want to go out as a Cap once his contract is done, in my opinion at least.
Knuble - I said a few weeks ago when he was benched he was gone. The team has since come out and said they have no intention of trading him. Knubes got royally screwed by both coaches this year unfortunately and has struggled all season. I'd prefer to see him accept a trade if only to see him have one last Cup run. If he doesn't want one then keep him and see if he'll be more of a mentor.
Sasha Fierce - Based on what some teams are getting in return for marginal players the team would be wise to test the waters on what Semin could bring. I'll hate to see him go and he's been the best point production Cap the past 10 games but he's got the most value too thanks to his one-year deal and insane skill and scoring ability. Best thing the team can do is trade him for either future help or a solid vet that we could use the next year or two and maybe try to bring him back as a free agent during the off-season. Toughest thing right now is Rick Nash and Jeff Carter are both being shopped. The good is Semin has the better contract, the bad is he could be a rental while the others are under team control longer...I wouldn't mind Nash a Cap though.
Chimera - The team's first half MVP has been a bit of a no-show the past two months it seems. He's fast and gritty and for that alone he needs to be kept around.
Aucoin/Beagle - They're here for the long haul. The team can't get much of anything for them and I doubt many teams would look to acquire them.
So if we do end up moving some of these wings and don't get anybody back that is necessarily ready to go I will plead once again for the Caps to call up Chris Bourque! Unless its a salary cap issue or the fear of losing him on waivers or of taking too much offense away from Hershey I see no reason as to why he can't be called back up. Eakin might be worth the call up too. The kid seemed a little overmatched in the pros but he's gonna learn and as long as the rally balloon gets brought out every game we should see a bunch of scoring. There was also talks of trading Eakin if we were buyers but that seems a bit unrealistic to me
On Defense the Caps have a few options but I'm not sure how much I'd like to see changed. The Caps D has struggled a bit but did well early after we brought in Johnson to coach the D.
Hamrlik - BYE!!! He's benched tonight, there is talk of him being shopped and maybe if we can eat some salary it will happen. He's shown his age and he's been my least favorite defenseman on the ice, note I said on the ice.
Greenie - Because of his injury history Green is a HUGE risk. When healthy this team clicks but when he's out boy have they struggled. Thanks to the injury Green's asking price should be lower than it would have been had he stayed healthy. Hopefully the Caps can keep him and sign him to a one year deal that is incentive laden and then can decide next year on whether to invest long term or flip him for more parts.
Wideman - There is talk that the free-agent to be could be shipped out by Monday. Wideman has been our best player all season, maybe second to Backstrom. As the team's All-Star rep and an offensive force he's good to have. He can play both ways but has been a liability defensively at times. His offense outweighs that for me though. I guess the Caps have to decide is he worth keeping around long term or is he willing to stay. If they think he'll leave and they'll get nothing for him he could be moved.
Schultz - I figured the Caps would move him after Bruce got canned but instead the slow-footed one just sat in the press box taking over the role of DJ King. He's played more of late and I still can't stand him. When on the ice he's my second least favorite Cap..and also when he's benched :P
Carlzner - Yes the guys have struggled this year and been on the ice for a lot of goals against but there is no way you break up these two in any fashion. Both players I'd like to see be lifelong Caps.
Erskine - Another guy that is under the DNP-CD statline, I really like the Lumberjack and the team should keep him...he may be slow but he fights better than Hendricks, even if he shouldn't because of concussion issues.
Orlov - Has not been the offensive dynamo I expected but I think that will come. He's been the most consistent defenseman it has seemed and he's a huge part of the team's future.
I still think the team's D is the one thing the team doesn't need to tweak too much they just need better instruction.
As for the rest of the organization...Hunter has not been the right guy and I've been less than impressed. He doesn't seem to show passion on the bench or get the team motivated. He's the opposite of how I remember him as a player and definitely the opposite of Bruce on the bench. I seriously doubt he'll get an extension and the team will be looking for a new coach next year...and maybe that's part of the team's issues. You have a coach on a one-year deal and if he's a bit of a lame duck coach then that could be part of the reason for lacking of urgency, that or the team is just used to things coming to them and that isn't happening this year.
GMGM is lucky that Leonsis is loyal (aka doesn't know shit about sports or the management aspect of it). While GMGM hasn't been terrible and has rebuilt the team what is on the ice this year is all on him. He's got some great looking prospects in the minors waiting to come up but the Caps, their fans, and the owner want to WIN NOW and the sand is quickly running out of the top of McPhee's hour glass.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Goodbye Bruce Boudreau...It's Time For A F***ING Adjustment
Since the Capitals got blown by a group of AHL players in Buffalo I have had a hollow feeling deep inside. That was by far the worst work ethic I have ever seen by this team since Glen Hanlon...right before his firing. In the locker room the players reiterated what the coach had been saying, they didn't work hard enough, they lacked confidence, they...it doesn't matter what else...they QUIT on their coach.
Last night as I went to bed I read that former Cap, now hockey analyst, Nick Kypreos had said that Boudreau would be gone within 24-48 hours and that Dale Hunter could be the next coach of the Washington Capitals. As I read through info that other reporters were writing, including that of Puck Daddy, I felt a little assured that Boudreau may once again survive the team's tailspin. What I did know what that if it was going to happen it would be done before the team's next game or after the team's homestand, because they would not give the Penguins the satisfaction of putting the nail in the proverbial coffin of Gabby's tenure in Washington.
Having met Boudreau a few times at Caps events I have always found him to be a jovial guy. He was more like you're crazy uncle, a goofball, who didn't really care how he came across. He has done so many commericals that just left you laughing...I wonder how long before they get pulled.
Four years ago Bruce Boudreau was hired at Thanksgiving. The Capitals were a terrible team at the time, wasting Ovechkin's talents while being bottom dwellers of the league. At the time of Bruce's hiring he had been the coach of the Caps minor league affiliate, Hersehy Bears. While die hard Caps fans, the whole handful at the time, and Bears fans, may have known who he was, no one else did. A ton of who is this Boudreau fellow articles would pop up in the days after his hiring. He wasn't a big name hire, not that the Caps were a team to do that anyways, but this was a city where the coaches are sometimes more well known than its players (Joe Gibbs, Wes Unseld, Doug Collins).
After Boudreau came in the team took off, so much so they made the playoffs, thought to be a long shot when he took the job. Boudreau and his wacky quotes, jokes and facial expressions endeared him to the DC media and the Caps fanbase; one that had been lost from the lockout, Jagr acquisition, and fire sale. He was a breath of fresh air to a city who has had a bunch of big name, big ego, no result coaches. Just last week Boudreau became the quickest coach to win 200 games in his NHL coaching career but that should have been reached weeks earlier.
Last season the Caps struggled leading up to the Winter Classic. Fans called for Boudreau to be fired at that time but the Caps stayed the course, got hot once the HBO cameras finished rolling, and took the top spot in the East again. Hell this is a team that just two years ago was the BEST team in all of the NHL during the regular season. Unfortunately when it got to the playoffs the team couldn't peform like it did during the season and quickly was taken out either in the first or second round, those most series went 7 games. Some losses came from bad calls and some came from the team failing to adjust.
Adjust - that is the term that will describe Boudreau's tenure in Washington. When he came in the team adjusted, scored and the team quickly became BIG TIME. The Ovechkin vs Crosby rivalry had quickly turned into a pure hatred between both the Caps and Penguins and the NHL decided to Capitalize on it. Two years ago when the Caps were ousted by the 8th seed Canadiens the team failed to adjust its playing style and was elminated in 7 games. At that time teams learned how to shut down Ovechkin and in turn the Capitals. Back to the drawing board next season and the Caps were to learn from their mistakes. After some early season struggles, and offensive struggles of Ovechkin and Backstrom the team adopted a defensive play style and learned to score and then clamp down and not try to not win at a fast paced game. It worked! The team got hot and back to the playoffs they went. This time to the second round where they were shut down by the 1-3-1 defense of Tampa Bay because the team failed to adjust throughout the series. The team came back this season and started a team best 7-0-0 but after they smoked the Red Wings something changed. Boudreau had shown he wasn't going to play favorites and that everyone, even the team's captain would be held accountable. That didn't sit well with Ovie, as he demonstrated on the bench, and while he said after the game that he should be and had said in pre-season he'd be fine with it it was obvious that actions do speak louder than words. Since the Caps played Detroit and have been in their free fall the Caps once again did something the they failed to do consistently under Boudreau. They didn't adjust. For consecutive games the team failed to get the puck out of the defensive zone which in turn lead to goals by the opposition. Add to it the team failing on the Power Play and allowing 4 shorthanded goals in the past week it was clear things weren't working.
Many games it seemed like certain players on the team had checked out, mainly the leaders, Ovechkin the Captain being the main one. Whether it be not shooting, not getting back on D, freelancing or giving up on the puck after he lost it in the offensive zone he just wasn't there. I thought after the Caps came back against Phoenix they had turned a corner, I was wrong.
At 8:15am this morning I got a text from Pam telling me Japer's Rink was reporting Boudreau had been fired and Hunter had been hired. Sure enough that was the case and I just felt bad for Bruce. He didn't deserve this. It would appear that he lost the team a while ago, or at least some of them, but if they aren't going to listen its easier to find one fall guy than 25. Maybe this will put coach out of his misery. He can now concentrate on the holidays, watching his kids grow up for the next few weeks or months, and getting Hagen Daas at 9am, rather than having to treat his players like they were kids...and honestly I think that remark by him is what lost the team, but he was correct. There is no doubt Boudreau will find another NHL head coaching job if he wants it. I hope he goes into doing some commentary for a bit, either for CSN Washington or ESPN or the NBC Sports Network or the NHL Network. I also hope he dishes some dirt on what went on behind the scenes and gives his honest take on certain players and how things were run. I'm not sure he will though because that could hamper his chances of getting another job in the NHL but man would it be fun.
Part of me hopes the Caps continue their freefall under former Cap and new coach Dale Hunter, but the Caps fan in me hopes the change in voice leads to a resurrgence. If it doesn't then its more proof that it was the players than the coach, though some will say that Hunter doesn't have any solid coaching experience outside of his 10 years in the OHL and the Caps just wanted to bring in a former player to help stabilize the fan base.
I love Dale Hunter, he was a hell of a player and one of the best Capitals in the team's history. Dale knows what its like to play with that "C" on his chest and how to rally his team. He's going to be able to teach Ovechkin that and he'll lay into his team much like he did his teammates back in the day. He's hard nosed and won't take any shit and I like that. Its a shame that it came to this though. When it comes down to the coach or the players though it'll be the coach 11 times out of 10.
Come next Tuesday I will be picking up the HBO 24/7 Caps vs Pens DVD just to relive some of Bruce's funniest moments. Again I want to thank Bruce for all he did for this team, the players, the fans, and the DMV area. You are once FUCKING good coach who didn't FUCKING deserve to go out the way you did. Its a shame you couldn't get a Cup in DC but I have little doubt if you stick to coaching that you should be able to.
Last night as I went to bed I read that former Cap, now hockey analyst, Nick Kypreos had said that Boudreau would be gone within 24-48 hours and that Dale Hunter could be the next coach of the Washington Capitals. As I read through info that other reporters were writing, including that of Puck Daddy, I felt a little assured that Boudreau may once again survive the team's tailspin. What I did know what that if it was going to happen it would be done before the team's next game or after the team's homestand, because they would not give the Penguins the satisfaction of putting the nail in the proverbial coffin of Gabby's tenure in Washington.
Having met Boudreau a few times at Caps events I have always found him to be a jovial guy. He was more like you're crazy uncle, a goofball, who didn't really care how he came across. He has done so many commericals that just left you laughing...I wonder how long before they get pulled.
Four years ago Bruce Boudreau was hired at Thanksgiving. The Capitals were a terrible team at the time, wasting Ovechkin's talents while being bottom dwellers of the league. At the time of Bruce's hiring he had been the coach of the Caps minor league affiliate, Hersehy Bears. While die hard Caps fans, the whole handful at the time, and Bears fans, may have known who he was, no one else did. A ton of who is this Boudreau fellow articles would pop up in the days after his hiring. He wasn't a big name hire, not that the Caps were a team to do that anyways, but this was a city where the coaches are sometimes more well known than its players (Joe Gibbs, Wes Unseld, Doug Collins).
After Boudreau came in the team took off, so much so they made the playoffs, thought to be a long shot when he took the job. Boudreau and his wacky quotes, jokes and facial expressions endeared him to the DC media and the Caps fanbase; one that had been lost from the lockout, Jagr acquisition, and fire sale. He was a breath of fresh air to a city who has had a bunch of big name, big ego, no result coaches. Just last week Boudreau became the quickest coach to win 200 games in his NHL coaching career but that should have been reached weeks earlier.
Last season the Caps struggled leading up to the Winter Classic. Fans called for Boudreau to be fired at that time but the Caps stayed the course, got hot once the HBO cameras finished rolling, and took the top spot in the East again. Hell this is a team that just two years ago was the BEST team in all of the NHL during the regular season. Unfortunately when it got to the playoffs the team couldn't peform like it did during the season and quickly was taken out either in the first or second round, those most series went 7 games. Some losses came from bad calls and some came from the team failing to adjust.
Adjust - that is the term that will describe Boudreau's tenure in Washington. When he came in the team adjusted, scored and the team quickly became BIG TIME. The Ovechkin vs Crosby rivalry had quickly turned into a pure hatred between both the Caps and Penguins and the NHL decided to Capitalize on it. Two years ago when the Caps were ousted by the 8th seed Canadiens the team failed to adjust its playing style and was elminated in 7 games. At that time teams learned how to shut down Ovechkin and in turn the Capitals. Back to the drawing board next season and the Caps were to learn from their mistakes. After some early season struggles, and offensive struggles of Ovechkin and Backstrom the team adopted a defensive play style and learned to score and then clamp down and not try to not win at a fast paced game. It worked! The team got hot and back to the playoffs they went. This time to the second round where they were shut down by the 1-3-1 defense of Tampa Bay because the team failed to adjust throughout the series. The team came back this season and started a team best 7-0-0 but after they smoked the Red Wings something changed. Boudreau had shown he wasn't going to play favorites and that everyone, even the team's captain would be held accountable. That didn't sit well with Ovie, as he demonstrated on the bench, and while he said after the game that he should be and had said in pre-season he'd be fine with it it was obvious that actions do speak louder than words. Since the Caps played Detroit and have been in their free fall the Caps once again did something the they failed to do consistently under Boudreau. They didn't adjust. For consecutive games the team failed to get the puck out of the defensive zone which in turn lead to goals by the opposition. Add to it the team failing on the Power Play and allowing 4 shorthanded goals in the past week it was clear things weren't working.
Many games it seemed like certain players on the team had checked out, mainly the leaders, Ovechkin the Captain being the main one. Whether it be not shooting, not getting back on D, freelancing or giving up on the puck after he lost it in the offensive zone he just wasn't there. I thought after the Caps came back against Phoenix they had turned a corner, I was wrong.
At 8:15am this morning I got a text from Pam telling me Japer's Rink was reporting Boudreau had been fired and Hunter had been hired. Sure enough that was the case and I just felt bad for Bruce. He didn't deserve this. It would appear that he lost the team a while ago, or at least some of them, but if they aren't going to listen its easier to find one fall guy than 25. Maybe this will put coach out of his misery. He can now concentrate on the holidays, watching his kids grow up for the next few weeks or months, and getting Hagen Daas at 9am, rather than having to treat his players like they were kids...and honestly I think that remark by him is what lost the team, but he was correct. There is no doubt Boudreau will find another NHL head coaching job if he wants it. I hope he goes into doing some commentary for a bit, either for CSN Washington or ESPN or the NBC Sports Network or the NHL Network. I also hope he dishes some dirt on what went on behind the scenes and gives his honest take on certain players and how things were run. I'm not sure he will though because that could hamper his chances of getting another job in the NHL but man would it be fun.
Part of me hopes the Caps continue their freefall under former Cap and new coach Dale Hunter, but the Caps fan in me hopes the change in voice leads to a resurrgence. If it doesn't then its more proof that it was the players than the coach, though some will say that Hunter doesn't have any solid coaching experience outside of his 10 years in the OHL and the Caps just wanted to bring in a former player to help stabilize the fan base.
I love Dale Hunter, he was a hell of a player and one of the best Capitals in the team's history. Dale knows what its like to play with that "C" on his chest and how to rally his team. He's going to be able to teach Ovechkin that and he'll lay into his team much like he did his teammates back in the day. He's hard nosed and won't take any shit and I like that. Its a shame that it came to this though. When it comes down to the coach or the players though it'll be the coach 11 times out of 10.
Come next Tuesday I will be picking up the HBO 24/7 Caps vs Pens DVD just to relive some of Bruce's funniest moments. Again I want to thank Bruce for all he did for this team, the players, the fans, and the DMV area. You are once FUCKING good coach who didn't FUCKING deserve to go out the way you did. Its a shame you couldn't get a Cup in DC but I have little doubt if you stick to coaching that you should be able to.
Saturday, November 19, 2011
If The Players Won't Drop the Gloves and Throw Punches Then I Will
No more Mr. Nice Caps Fan Blogger.
I haven't updated this in some time because I've just been left dumbstruck by how the team has played. Usually I want to give myself a day or two to sit on the team's performance before I even consider writing. I'm writing this with over 7 minutes remaining in the 2nd period of a current 4-1 deficit to the Maple Leafs.
Having attended the game against New Jersey last Saturday I can say the team was pathetic after the first period and the refs helped them with that by missing some very obvious penalties. This has been a huge thing for the past few games. The refs aren't THE reason a team loses but they can affect the outcome. Case in point the phantom trip call on Wideman in the NJ game, the diving calls on Semin when he's legitimately taken down but he has a reputation, the "missed" calls on trips/hooks/interference when refs are looking right at the play. Against Winnipeg Semin went down behind the net and no penalty got called on the Jets player but Semin did get one for giving the ref an earful. Tonight what should have been a hooking minor on the Leafs and a power play for the Caps was nullified because the ref felt that Semin's would need to sell the hook and chance injury by going feet first into the boards. Moments later the Leafs score.
Despite all this its not why the Caps are losing games by multiple goals. The goalies have been very sharp against the Caps but the Caps kill themselves game in and game out. Caps get Power Plays and then fail to set up or keep the puck in the zone. Failing to get shots off or take penalties early on killing any chance of success. Many are quick to point out that Mike Green is injured so the team doesn't have a major weapon offensively, a puck mover, a guy on the point...BIG FUCKING DEAL!!!! The team has had to win the past few years without Mike Green...they know how to play without him, they have a ton of veteran defensemen that can fill in. They have players in the minors that can be called up.
The Caps are missing two guys, Green (a big piece) and Beagle (easily replaceable). The Devils were missing Kovalchuk...fitting given the fight he and Green had last year, and the Leafs have 7 players out including their awesome starting goalie Reimer. Sad thing is the Caps had the stats against the Leafs backup and he struggled at home this year.
The team is lacking in fundamentals. This is not the same team we saw start the season 7-0-0. That team fucked up and managed to find win, to atone for their mistakes. Now they just bury themselves. Ovechkin continues to regress...everyone knows what he's going to do when he enters the zone and they stop zone in on him and he gives up the puck, if he doesn't lose it beforehand...wild idea Ovie...learn to ADAPT and try something NEW. I honestly think much of his problems Captain...take the C off of him.
The players keep saying that they want to be held accountable for their play but after they are they fail to respond. They aren't learning shit. Ovie sulks, Sasha Fierce continues to live in the penalty box and some others just don't step it up.
In the Winnipeg game the first two goals were scored because the team played like shit in their own zone. They couldn't get the puck out, that's been consistent most of the season, but they didn't even get it out of the corner and then Evander Kane put two past Neuvy. First goal tonight by Toronto came when Schultz tried a lazy pass that hit the coming Leafs player and lead to the score. The Caps continue to be nonchalant in their own zone with the puck as they get pressured and turn it over...quick Boudreau have them work on that in practice. I see it once, during the game, you have the fucking tapes for them to study.
Its not just the players or the injuries its also the coach. You can't have players play two games on the same line, switch it up during the game, and then change the lines in full after the second game trying to find chemistry. Do you know how you gain chemistry? You allow the same players to play on the same lines in practice and in games for weeks, not days at a time. You don't break up Carlson and Alzner, which is your top defensive pair! You don't put Knuble on the 4th line when he and the team are successful when he's on the 1st or 2nd line...and if you do and the team is sucking then you right that wrong and MOVE HIM THE FUCK BACK UP! Great the team is 8-0 with Mike Green...without him you're 2-7-1 after tonight.
The players need to have a players only meeting and call each other out. Just let it fly. Break something, hit something, put in work! Sure they haven't had the puck bouncing their way but they've also had opportunities and missed them. I can't count a handful of times the team has had an open net and either didn't have a player in position for a rebound or made one too many passes. Hell in the Winnipeg game they had a 2 on 0 breakaway and Laich shot it high and wide, celebrated thinking he scored and it lead to a goal the other way.
I don't want to say the sky is falling as its still mid November but losing can be contagious as can winning. Glen Hanlon lost his job around this time and Bruce took over. I don't want to see that happen again. I love Boudreau but it almost feels like he's losing the team, if not the captain. They say they love him, I think they do but sometimes it takes a different voice to get through to players. I'd prefer that voice to be from one of the players and not a new coach. Its time to stop playing like you're the best team in the league. Not only have you been exposed for not being the rest of the league is considerably better than last year. There is a ton of parity right now and the Panthers, Bolts are right there with this team, the Senators and Leafs who were expected to be bottom dwellers are there too and the Rangers and Bruins have brushed off slow starts and are each riding 7 game winning streaks...hey remember when we had that?
I now miss the Cardiac Caps that were taking years off my life, but winning, with those close games late in regulation...it really sucks losing years off your life in blowouts or because the team doesn't come close to giving the effort they should and one feels the need to yell at them through the TV from their recliner as if the players can hear them...maybe I want to be "that voice"
Mike Green PLEASE HURRY BACK but to the rest of the team..step it up and learn to win without him
I'll be at the game on Monday night and I expect a much better effort vs Phoenix and I expect GOAT, and many others to let the team have it if they're not
I haven't updated this in some time because I've just been left dumbstruck by how the team has played. Usually I want to give myself a day or two to sit on the team's performance before I even consider writing. I'm writing this with over 7 minutes remaining in the 2nd period of a current 4-1 deficit to the Maple Leafs.
Having attended the game against New Jersey last Saturday I can say the team was pathetic after the first period and the refs helped them with that by missing some very obvious penalties. This has been a huge thing for the past few games. The refs aren't THE reason a team loses but they can affect the outcome. Case in point the phantom trip call on Wideman in the NJ game, the diving calls on Semin when he's legitimately taken down but he has a reputation, the "missed" calls on trips/hooks/interference when refs are looking right at the play. Against Winnipeg Semin went down behind the net and no penalty got called on the Jets player but Semin did get one for giving the ref an earful. Tonight what should have been a hooking minor on the Leafs and a power play for the Caps was nullified because the ref felt that Semin's would need to sell the hook and chance injury by going feet first into the boards. Moments later the Leafs score.
Despite all this its not why the Caps are losing games by multiple goals. The goalies have been very sharp against the Caps but the Caps kill themselves game in and game out. Caps get Power Plays and then fail to set up or keep the puck in the zone. Failing to get shots off or take penalties early on killing any chance of success. Many are quick to point out that Mike Green is injured so the team doesn't have a major weapon offensively, a puck mover, a guy on the point...BIG FUCKING DEAL!!!! The team has had to win the past few years without Mike Green...they know how to play without him, they have a ton of veteran defensemen that can fill in. They have players in the minors that can be called up.
The Caps are missing two guys, Green (a big piece) and Beagle (easily replaceable). The Devils were missing Kovalchuk...fitting given the fight he and Green had last year, and the Leafs have 7 players out including their awesome starting goalie Reimer. Sad thing is the Caps had the stats against the Leafs backup and he struggled at home this year.
The team is lacking in fundamentals. This is not the same team we saw start the season 7-0-0. That team fucked up and managed to find win, to atone for their mistakes. Now they just bury themselves. Ovechkin continues to regress...everyone knows what he's going to do when he enters the zone and they stop zone in on him and he gives up the puck, if he doesn't lose it beforehand...wild idea Ovie...learn to ADAPT and try something NEW. I honestly think much of his problems Captain...take the C off of him.
The players keep saying that they want to be held accountable for their play but after they are they fail to respond. They aren't learning shit. Ovie sulks, Sasha Fierce continues to live in the penalty box and some others just don't step it up.
In the Winnipeg game the first two goals were scored because the team played like shit in their own zone. They couldn't get the puck out, that's been consistent most of the season, but they didn't even get it out of the corner and then Evander Kane put two past Neuvy. First goal tonight by Toronto came when Schultz tried a lazy pass that hit the coming Leafs player and lead to the score. The Caps continue to be nonchalant in their own zone with the puck as they get pressured and turn it over...quick Boudreau have them work on that in practice. I see it once, during the game, you have the fucking tapes for them to study.
Its not just the players or the injuries its also the coach. You can't have players play two games on the same line, switch it up during the game, and then change the lines in full after the second game trying to find chemistry. Do you know how you gain chemistry? You allow the same players to play on the same lines in practice and in games for weeks, not days at a time. You don't break up Carlson and Alzner, which is your top defensive pair! You don't put Knuble on the 4th line when he and the team are successful when he's on the 1st or 2nd line...and if you do and the team is sucking then you right that wrong and MOVE HIM THE FUCK BACK UP! Great the team is 8-0 with Mike Green...without him you're 2-7-1 after tonight.
The players need to have a players only meeting and call each other out. Just let it fly. Break something, hit something, put in work! Sure they haven't had the puck bouncing their way but they've also had opportunities and missed them. I can't count a handful of times the team has had an open net and either didn't have a player in position for a rebound or made one too many passes. Hell in the Winnipeg game they had a 2 on 0 breakaway and Laich shot it high and wide, celebrated thinking he scored and it lead to a goal the other way.
I don't want to say the sky is falling as its still mid November but losing can be contagious as can winning. Glen Hanlon lost his job around this time and Bruce took over. I don't want to see that happen again. I love Boudreau but it almost feels like he's losing the team, if not the captain. They say they love him, I think they do but sometimes it takes a different voice to get through to players. I'd prefer that voice to be from one of the players and not a new coach. Its time to stop playing like you're the best team in the league. Not only have you been exposed for not being the rest of the league is considerably better than last year. There is a ton of parity right now and the Panthers, Bolts are right there with this team, the Senators and Leafs who were expected to be bottom dwellers are there too and the Rangers and Bruins have brushed off slow starts and are each riding 7 game winning streaks...hey remember when we had that?
I now miss the Cardiac Caps that were taking years off my life, but winning, with those close games late in regulation...it really sucks losing years off your life in blowouts or because the team doesn't come close to giving the effort they should and one feels the need to yell at them through the TV from their recliner as if the players can hear them...maybe I want to be "that voice"
Mike Green PLEASE HURRY BACK but to the rest of the team..step it up and learn to win without him
I'll be at the game on Monday night and I expect a much better effort vs Phoenix and I expect GOAT, and many others to let the team have it if they're not
Thursday, November 3, 2011
The Controversy Heard Round the Rink Follows Up A Terrible Trip Out West
I couldn't bring myself to write about the the terrible trip to Canada until now. The loss to Edmonton was frustrating. They're a young team about a year or two away from taking the next step but Nikolai Khabibulin and some stupid ass play by the Caps cost them this game. After "The Bulin Wall" allowed a shot by Karl Alzner to get past him he just shut down the Caps, then again the Caps also shut down the Caps. Giving Edmonton a ton of power play chances, they scored on two of them, and not staying out of the box the first two periods allowed the Oilers to take the lead and the Caps were never able to get a consistent flow from their guys. In the third the Caps dominated in shots and came hard but couldn't put anything in the net. Add a terribly frustrating interference call against Alex Ovechkin late in the period when the team was really putting the pressure on and you have yourself a pretty tough 2-1 loss and the last unbeaten team in the NHL is no more. I must say I was not happy with Ovie's decision there when it happened. In some fairness to the team though the refs did a terrible job in officiating and called some iffy penalties against Washington while letting some slide for Edmonton.
Next game the Caps got behind the again thanks to two power play goals for Vancouver and held a 3-1 lead after 1. The Caps lucked out on their first goal as it hit Roberto Luongo up high, went over his head, off his back and into the net. After some shaky play, one of which was the decision to play the puck as it exited the trapezoid and having it shot off his skate and in and one rocket on the PP with 4 seconds left in the period, the normally reliable Tomas Vokun was pulled in favor of Michal Neuvirth who was getting his first action since the first game of the season due to a foot injury. Whether the move was made to punish Vokun or to inspire the team a message seemed to be sent. The Caps started the 2nd with a PPG from Alex Ovechkin, his second of the game, and a penalty shot goal by Mike Knuble which hit Luongo in the glove, trickled over, and ended up in the back of the net, it was that kind of game (season) for Luongo. The tie was short lived as Edler scored his second of the game, the Nucks had 3 players score 2 goals in the game...CRAZY! Mojo tied it up for the Caps with just over 2 minutes to go in the 2nd. Unfortunately for the Caps they used up all their mojo in the 2nd period as the Nucks scored two quick goals just over 6 minutes in and added a third later to end the game. 7-3 final...no stick taps in this game...TERRIBLE performance all around
After two days off to work on their problems the Caps hosted the Anaheim (Mighty) Ducks, sans Emilio Estevez. Vokun was given the start again and again the Caps struggled early on. The first period consisted of a fight with Matt Hendricks (is this seriously the teams second fight on the season?) and two goals by the Ducks left the Caps down 2-0. The first goal was a terrible miscommunication between Wideman and Hamrlik as The Hammer cut in front of the next while Wideman passed it behind and right to a Duck for a score. In the 2nd the Ducks added a goal by Teemu Selanne, his second of the game and third for four points on the evening to go up 3-0. On a side note did anyone else thing Selanne was washed up a few years ago? He's playing like he's in his prime again and not 41. Anyways after Joelle was able to put one home I honestly felt it breathed some life into the Caps. With around 5 minutes to go in the period there was a ton of shots blasted and players getting hit hard. After the Ducks took their chances in the Caps zone the puck was played down the ice but no Ducks were back. Jonas Hiller went to play the puck as it exited the trapezoid, oh that blasted thing, but he didn't want to take a penalty, and the Caps took advantage as Brooks Laich got the puck, shot it, had it blocked, got it back and kicked it to Wideman who put it behind Hiller as he scrambled to get back into position. In the third things got crazy. The Ducks got a power play when Corey Perry was tripped up by Vokun (he dove to sell it) and then netted the team's 4th goal.
The Caps had quite a few chances in the third to tie it at three but failed and on many a rush by Ovie he lost the puck as he tried to drag it past a defender. As has been the case since the Montreal series two years ago, it seems teams have figured out what Ovie is going to do...shit the fans know what Ovie is going to do...and he loses the puck, fires it wide or has it blocked. Late in the third the Caps cut the deficit to one when Troy Brouwer netted his first as a Cap . Brouwer ended up sitting for the final 2+ minutes of regulation after being driven into the boards and suffering what seemed to be a shoulder injury. In the final minute the Caps called a time out, pulled Vokun, and sent out 6 guys to try to tie it up. Normally at this time you'd see the Caps top 2 defensemen, and 4 forwards (Semin, Ovie, Backstrom and a grinder). Coach Boudreau decided to go with Chimmer, Laich and Joelle since they were playing the best on the night and his fourth forward was...Backstrom? Yup apparently Gabby had a guy feeling that Ovie didn't have it going on that game and benched him, which didn't sit well with Alex. With 42 seconds left though Backstrom netted the tying goal and sent the Caps to overtime. Ovie sat for about the first two minutes of overtime before getting on the ice. Sarge went down to the corner, threw the puck weakly towards the net, it ricocheted off of Ovie to Backstrom who netted the game winner. The games stick tap goes to Backy for a hell of a job leading the team to a comeback victory while Laich's line gets one too for getting the team back into the game.
After the game though all the talk has been about the benching of Ovie. I'll start off saying not only do I support Boudreau's decision to do it I also say its about damn time. I love Ovie but he's been a bit out of control at times and the team has allowed him and some of the other stars to get away with things but this year the coaches said things would be different. It didn't matter what your name was or how much money you made you had a chance to be punished. Last night was Ovie's night and hopefully it sent a message to him and the rest of the team. As I said Ovie was hot and he seemed to call coach a "fat fuck." So be it, chalk it up to frustration, or passion. I'd prefer Ovie get pissed and say something he may not mean or something he'll regret over just sitting their and taking it like it was no big deal. Last night Boudreau did something he should have done two years ago and that's discipline the team's biggest name because he wasn't playing well. Ovie needs to lead by example and there is little doubt in my mind the play from Vancouver had something to do with this decision too. Last night I believe Boudreau grew as a coach. Last night I believe the Caps grew as a team. I'm hoping last night Ovechkin also grew as a leader.
Next game the Caps got behind the again thanks to two power play goals for Vancouver and held a 3-1 lead after 1. The Caps lucked out on their first goal as it hit Roberto Luongo up high, went over his head, off his back and into the net. After some shaky play, one of which was the decision to play the puck as it exited the trapezoid and having it shot off his skate and in and one rocket on the PP with 4 seconds left in the period, the normally reliable Tomas Vokun was pulled in favor of Michal Neuvirth who was getting his first action since the first game of the season due to a foot injury. Whether the move was made to punish Vokun or to inspire the team a message seemed to be sent. The Caps started the 2nd with a PPG from Alex Ovechkin, his second of the game, and a penalty shot goal by Mike Knuble which hit Luongo in the glove, trickled over, and ended up in the back of the net, it was that kind of game (season) for Luongo. The tie was short lived as Edler scored his second of the game, the Nucks had 3 players score 2 goals in the game...CRAZY! Mojo tied it up for the Caps with just over 2 minutes to go in the 2nd. Unfortunately for the Caps they used up all their mojo in the 2nd period as the Nucks scored two quick goals just over 6 minutes in and added a third later to end the game. 7-3 final...no stick taps in this game...TERRIBLE performance all around
After two days off to work on their problems the Caps hosted the Anaheim (Mighty) Ducks, sans Emilio Estevez. Vokun was given the start again and again the Caps struggled early on. The first period consisted of a fight with Matt Hendricks (is this seriously the teams second fight on the season?) and two goals by the Ducks left the Caps down 2-0. The first goal was a terrible miscommunication between Wideman and Hamrlik as The Hammer cut in front of the next while Wideman passed it behind and right to a Duck for a score. In the 2nd the Ducks added a goal by Teemu Selanne, his second of the game and third for four points on the evening to go up 3-0. On a side note did anyone else thing Selanne was washed up a few years ago? He's playing like he's in his prime again and not 41. Anyways after Joelle was able to put one home I honestly felt it breathed some life into the Caps. With around 5 minutes to go in the period there was a ton of shots blasted and players getting hit hard. After the Ducks took their chances in the Caps zone the puck was played down the ice but no Ducks were back. Jonas Hiller went to play the puck as it exited the trapezoid, oh that blasted thing, but he didn't want to take a penalty, and the Caps took advantage as Brooks Laich got the puck, shot it, had it blocked, got it back and kicked it to Wideman who put it behind Hiller as he scrambled to get back into position. In the third things got crazy. The Ducks got a power play when Corey Perry was tripped up by Vokun (he dove to sell it) and then netted the team's 4th goal.
The Caps had quite a few chances in the third to tie it at three but failed and on many a rush by Ovie he lost the puck as he tried to drag it past a defender. As has been the case since the Montreal series two years ago, it seems teams have figured out what Ovie is going to do...shit the fans know what Ovie is going to do...and he loses the puck, fires it wide or has it blocked. Late in the third the Caps cut the deficit to one when Troy Brouwer netted his first as a Cap . Brouwer ended up sitting for the final 2+ minutes of regulation after being driven into the boards and suffering what seemed to be a shoulder injury. In the final minute the Caps called a time out, pulled Vokun, and sent out 6 guys to try to tie it up. Normally at this time you'd see the Caps top 2 defensemen, and 4 forwards (Semin, Ovie, Backstrom and a grinder). Coach Boudreau decided to go with Chimmer, Laich and Joelle since they were playing the best on the night and his fourth forward was...Backstrom? Yup apparently Gabby had a guy feeling that Ovie didn't have it going on that game and benched him, which didn't sit well with Alex. With 42 seconds left though Backstrom netted the tying goal and sent the Caps to overtime. Ovie sat for about the first two minutes of overtime before getting on the ice. Sarge went down to the corner, threw the puck weakly towards the net, it ricocheted off of Ovie to Backstrom who netted the game winner. The games stick tap goes to Backy for a hell of a job leading the team to a comeback victory while Laich's line gets one too for getting the team back into the game.
After the game though all the talk has been about the benching of Ovie. I'll start off saying not only do I support Boudreau's decision to do it I also say its about damn time. I love Ovie but he's been a bit out of control at times and the team has allowed him and some of the other stars to get away with things but this year the coaches said things would be different. It didn't matter what your name was or how much money you made you had a chance to be punished. Last night was Ovie's night and hopefully it sent a message to him and the rest of the team. As I said Ovie was hot and he seemed to call coach a "fat fuck." So be it, chalk it up to frustration, or passion. I'd prefer Ovie get pissed and say something he may not mean or something he'll regret over just sitting their and taking it like it was no big deal. Last night Boudreau did something he should have done two years ago and that's discipline the team's biggest name because he wasn't playing well. Ovie needs to lead by example and there is little doubt in my mind the play from Vancouver had something to do with this decision too. Last night I believe Boudreau grew as a coach. Last night I believe the Caps grew as a team. I'm hoping last night Ovechkin also grew as a leader.
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