It has been a while since my last post - just shy of a year and a half. A lot has happened since then as far as Caps and NHL news goes (and yes, if you read my last post - I was wrong - the Caps did make the playoffs in 2011-12 and even won the first round.....yeah Joel Ward!).
With the Reds beating the Dodgers and the Nats getting destroyed by Miami (thus putting DC 8 games back of the 2nd Wild Card spot) -- baseball season is effectively over in Washington. Normally, this would be when I turn my attention more sharply over to the Capitals. The start of hockey season traditionally brings great joy to me -- as does the thought of keeping track of the Caps day in and day out for 6 months + 1 or 2 rounds of the playoffs.
Of course, one year ago we were on the verge of a lockout that wiped out the first 34 games of the 2013 season. Gary Bettman and the owners milked their leverage and squeezed the NHLPA as hard as they could. The MBA in me understands this is how it is done in the real world. The fan in me wanted to stop being a fan.
Gary Bettman wound up making that decision easy for me last year. When the lockout ended, he merely needed to spend 30 seconds on social media to find a way to make it up to the fans. Just give the fans NHL Gamecenter for free during the 2013 season. Seems simple. Seems fair. I would argue that it was such a ridiculously easy out that Gary Bettman should have done it immediately following the lockout's end. No brainer. Right?
What did he do? As you know, NHL Gamecenter was $50 for the shortened season. As if that wasn't frustrating enough -- he cited business partners as the reason why NHL Gamecenter couldn't be free. He could have easily compensated the business partners for whatever revenue they lost. He chose to insult our intelligence.
Like I said, my decision was easy last year. No NHL Gamecenter for me. I simply didn't watch the Caps (ok, I watched the two NBC games -- both losses). I kept up a little via the internet. I might have caught an additional game here and there. And I caught snippets of that fabulous Game 7 against the Rangers.
In the aftermath of the playoff elimination, I heard George McPhee bitch about the Game 6 officiating, Alex Ovechkin bitch about the Game 6 officiating, Adam Oates say he could beat up John Tortorella, and I read Ted Leonsis' "Successful, But Short of Ultimate Goal" blog post from May 21, 2013.
I could write another blog post in response to Ted's blog post. Yes, he does say "I assure you our organization's daily commitment is keenly focused on winning the Stanley Cup". But, he also countered another playoff collapse with citing accomplishments such as: making the playoffs, the home sellout streak, the season ticket renewal rate, and the number of regular season home wins since 2007-2008. At best, he is sending mixed messages. I'll leave it at that....
Anyway, I promised myself I would move on from the Capitals' playoff disappointment and enjoy the summer. It's not like I don't have plenty of practice with this. Watch baseball, play golf, go to the beach, grill, do what you need to do to forget that Lucy pulled the football out from under you so that you feel comfortable lining up for another kick come October.
So here we are. October is coming. And I am faced with the one, key tactical decision that I have been putting off. Do I buy NHL Gamecenter this season?
Let me start by saying I don't have cable. It is just not worth it. I have the money. I see no value in it. Further, where I live -- NBCSN is not a basic-tier channel. The NHL Network isn't even offered.
Now, this season Gary Bettman has been kind enough to offer an "early bird" special that runs through Halloween. If I buy before then, I could pay the low, low price of $150.
But, consider this: I am locked into MLB.TV at $125 per season. An MLB season is 162 games. When factoring in the number of times the Nats are blacked out due to Sunday Night Baseball, FOX regional nights, and local blackouts when they play the team in my market -- there are still roughly 145 games available for me to watch.
That is a price of $0.86/game ($125/145 games). Granted, it didn't guarantee a playoff berth this year. And, I would say the FOX regional broadcasts are frustrating. But, all in all, it is a great deal. I am a satisfied customer.
Now, if you peruse the Capitals' TV schedule for 2013-2014 you will find that they are on NBCSN and the NHL Network a total of 24 times. Yup, 24 times. All 24 of those games are blacked out on NHL Gamecenter.
That means only 58 Caps games will be shown live on NHL Gamecenter this season. Hey, it's almost like another lockout!!!!
Your price per game for NHL Gamecenter this season is $2.59 ($150/58). That includes the $10 early bird discount. It also graciously ignores that a few more games will be blacked out because my local market is now a Metropolitan division market (BTW -- what a horrible name).
$2.59 vs. $0.86. Hmmmmmmm.....
I'm not here to debate the NHL Gamecenter blackout policy. I know it isn't going away. It would be nice, but as my idol George Carlin says, "We don't have time for rational solutions"...
I would point out, though, if the NHL thinks I'm going to get cable just so I can then get the NBCSN tier (remember, NBCSN isn't basic and I can't get the NHL Network) it is out of its mind.
True, it is not a new blackout policy. I put up with it in 2011-2012. I don't have an exact number, but the Caps were on Versus/NBCSN and the NHL Network a comparable number of times. The price of NHL Gamecenter was also similar. I had just finished grad school and was feeling giddy.
Now, I'm not so giddy. I can't really pinpoint what specifically is driving my frustration. Is it the lockout? Gary Bettman? The price of NHL Gamecenter? Its frustrating blackout policies? Ted Leonsis? George McPhee? Alex Ovechkin? Game 7 vs. the Rangers?
I don't know. There are just so many different things that are floating around it is hard to put my finger on the precise reason.
I do know this -- I'm not just some bandwagon fan. I am one or two seasons away from season #30. If I wanted to quit on the Caps due to playoff collapses, I would have done that a long time ago.
I do know that I feel as if the NHL/Caps are probably indifferent to how close to the edge they have pushed me. I don't think they realize how remarkable a feat it is to take a die-hard fan like myself and make him blase about hockey season (and in case Gary Bettman needs clarification -- it's not remarkable in a good way).
Will the Caps be good this season -- the team's first full season with Adam Oates as coach? Pardon the truncated analysis -- I think it will be same old, same old. They'll make the playoffs. Maybe they'll get out of the first round. That's as much as I expect out of these guys. That's the team's potential. Even with Mikhail Grabovski -- I see no reason for more optimism than a first round win. If they go further than that -- great -- but they certainly haven't earned any bold preseason predictions from me. They are guilty until proven innocent.
So - I've basically just crammed 18 months of thoughts into one blog post. I could have streamlined. I could have organized my thoughts. But, really, that's more effort than I'm willing to give the NHL or the Caps at this point.
Maybe the NHL will surprise me and eliminate their NHL Gamecenter blackout policy. Maybe they'll drop the price to $0.86/game (for a total charge of $50 for the season....58*$0.86.....and yes....the full 2013-2014 season....not the 2013 lockout shortened season).
But, likely, I'll go through the next 6 months without engaging much in the NHL. I've proven I can occupy my time. I can do without the NHL. The NHL can apparently do without me.
As Todd Bertuzzi once said (over and over), "It is what it is".....
Saturday, September 7, 2013
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
R.I.P. Rock the Red Era
You might still have some faith in these Caps. After all, there are still 5 games remaining in the regular season. The Caps are only 2 points out of 8th place. The Caps have the tiebreaker. And, because it's easy to do, you talk about Philadelphia's run to the Final in 2009-2010 after qualifying for the playoffs with their final regular season game victory over the Rangers. You never know, right?
Actually, yes we do. The Washington Capitals will not make the playoffs this season.
The jury is in on George McPhee. The jury is in on Alex Ovechkin. Dale Hunter didn't get it done. The jury is in on the rebuild. It is time to blow everything up and start over once again.
No longer can Ted Leonsis explain away another bed-shitting. Don't blame the learning curve. Don't you dare blame injuries. Don't blame the lack of home ice! Don't blame the sample size. The sample size is sufficient to draw these conclusions:
In the clutch, these Caps roll over and play dead. The "Rock the Red" Caps have abjectly failed.
In a way, it is only fitting that the Buffalo Sabres are the ones to put the final nail in this era's coffin. I remember when I was still in Alexandria, Virginia. It was April 2007. Glen Hanlon was still the coach. The Caps still had those ugly-ass black jerseys. They were about as close to the playoffs as Washington, DC is to Beijing (whereas now we're as close as DC is to Los Angeles, perhaps?).
That season, the Caps closed out the season at home vs. the Buffalo Sabres. The Sabres won the game 2-0 to clinch the President's Trophy. If you recall, that game is where this photo comes from:
The game was a sellout. But not one of those cute "Sea of Red" sellouts we have grown accustomed to (and are in danger of losing). It was one of those visiting fan aided sellouts that has plagued the majority of this franchise's history and very well could return next season if proper actions aren't taken.
You could hear lots of Sabres fans last night as Buffalo violated the Capitals 5 to 1. It wasn't ridiculous. It wasn't like Detroit's invasion during the 1998 Final. It wasn't like a Pittsburgh invasion. But, it was certainly noticeable.
It was a sign that a sizeable portion of the Caps' fanbase is ready to voice its frustration with the team in the form of not coming to games anymore. It is as if this team's atmosphere is about to come full circle.
Maybe the fans I reference are of the bandwagon/fairweather variety. Maybe a "real fan" might be sick and tired of the team shitting the bed, but still plans to come back for more poop. I probably fall into the latter category, but I also secretly wouldn't mind having another hobby at this point.
Regardless, it is time to waive the white flag with this group of Caps and make sweeping changes before it is too late.
When this era specifically began is hard to pinpoint. It obviously started on Bruce Boudreau's watch. Maybe it was his very first game in Philadelphia (that Backstrom OT winner off Ovechkin's flubbed pass).
Maybe it was when the Caps won 11 of their last 12 games to win the SE Division and qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 2003. Maybe it was specifically the final 3 home games, which were all sellouts in DC.
For me, it was Game 1 of the playoffs vs. Philadelphia that year. Without question, it is the loudest I have personally heard the Verizon Center. It was my first "red out". There were hardly any Flyers fans in attendance. Mike Green had his mohawk going on. They were giving out free mohawks in the concourse.
At 2nd intermission the Caps trailed the Flyers 4 to 2. A fellow Caps fan walked past one of the few Flyers fans in the concourse and told him to go back to Philadelphia. The Flyers fan responded by telling him to "look at the ******* scoreboard".
Well, two Mike Green goals and a feared broken Patrick Thoresen testicle later - the game was tied. I was thrilled the game was going to go to OT.
But it didn't. Alex Ovechkin stripped Lasse Kukkonen of the puck and roofed it past Martin Biron for one of his most epic glass leaps of his career. The Caps took a 1-0 series lead courtesy of this 5-4 win.
Sure, nobody wanted the Caps to lose the series. I was also at the series' Game 7 in which Joffrey Lupul scored the series clincher to end the Caps' magical season. Yes, it was sad.
But there was hope. There was excitement. The team was on the upswing.
Not anymore.
The Caps might have beaten the Rangers in Game 7 the following year. But, they did their best to piss that game away.
DC followed it up with a stinker in Game 7 vs. the Pittsburgh Penguins - losing at home 6 to 2. The Penguins went on to win the Stanley Cup, but this was just "strike one" against the Caps (giving them a pass against the Flyers the previous year).
Then Montreal happened. After the Caps won Game 3 - a Montreal columnist sarcastically suggested that the Habs tank game 4 to allow the Caps to take a 3-1 series lead. After all, the Caps had no idea how to handle such a playoff lead.
For many, that was the breaking point. But, George McPhee stayed the course until the 2011 trade deadline.
Well, you know the rest. The Caps got swept in Round 2 by the 'Ning last year and George McPhee opened up the wallet during the summer of 2011.
Boudreau is out, Hunter is in, and the Caps got spanked last night vs. the Sabres.
I've had enough. It is no longer a fluke. McPhee has been around since the '98 run and he has not come close to recreating that success (which arguably he inherited from David Poile).
He has had his chance and it is time to replace him. He is not a bad man. Maybe there was the Eric Belanger incident. Maybe he was quoted as saying about his critics: "If they knew anything about the game, they'd be in it".
And, well, there was that one time back in 1999 when he punched the head coach of the Chicago Blackhawks after a preseason game. I actually liked that. If I had $20,000 to spare I would have paid his fine.
But, all in all, George McPhee was a professional man of integrity who just didn't get the job done. It is time to replace him. He built it - the team didn't perform - time to move on and part ways.
With that, Dale Hunter will be a casualty of the new general manager. He was on a one year deal to begin with. Maybe he never had the right parts to do his system. But, he showed very few signs of being ready for an NHL coaching gig.
I imagine the new GM will recruit someone with NHL head coaching experience to lead the Caps - something the Caps haven't seen since Ron Wilson or Jim Schoenfeld. Yes, have another donut, indeed.
As for Alex Ovechkin. Well, he hasn't performed in the clutch. At minimum, he should be stripped of the captaincy.
This "lead by example" shit isn't working. The team needs an "alpha-captain" comfortable making the locker room speeches.
I wouldn't mind having him on the team if his cap hit weren't so damn high. If there is a trade to be made involving Ovechkin, the trigger must be pulled. It won't be more than a few seasons before he is officially untradeable and he becomes the next Wade Redden - finishing out his contract in the AHL.
No longer can he be considered "the face of the franchise". No longer can he be the marketing centerpiece of the Caps. No longer can he be a sacred cow.
Maybe there is a role for him on a Cup-winning Caps team. But, not the way we had hoped. Not what was promised.
So as the cliche goes, for many it is time to break out the golf clubs. For me, it is time to put on the Nats hat and watch 6 months of baseball.
Sure, I will watch the rest of the season. I will monitor the offseason changes (as there will be plenty). But, I am tired of bullshitting myself.
You can hide behind the fact that the Caps aren't mathematically eliminated from the playoffs yet. I won't.
Turn the lights out, the party is over.
Actually, yes we do. The Washington Capitals will not make the playoffs this season.
The jury is in on George McPhee. The jury is in on Alex Ovechkin. Dale Hunter didn't get it done. The jury is in on the rebuild. It is time to blow everything up and start over once again.
No longer can Ted Leonsis explain away another bed-shitting. Don't blame the learning curve. Don't you dare blame injuries. Don't blame the lack of home ice! Don't blame the sample size. The sample size is sufficient to draw these conclusions:
In the clutch, these Caps roll over and play dead. The "Rock the Red" Caps have abjectly failed.
In a way, it is only fitting that the Buffalo Sabres are the ones to put the final nail in this era's coffin. I remember when I was still in Alexandria, Virginia. It was April 2007. Glen Hanlon was still the coach. The Caps still had those ugly-ass black jerseys. They were about as close to the playoffs as Washington, DC is to Beijing (whereas now we're as close as DC is to Los Angeles, perhaps?).
That season, the Caps closed out the season at home vs. the Buffalo Sabres. The Sabres won the game 2-0 to clinch the President's Trophy. If you recall, that game is where this photo comes from:
The game was a sellout. But not one of those cute "Sea of Red" sellouts we have grown accustomed to (and are in danger of losing). It was one of those visiting fan aided sellouts that has plagued the majority of this franchise's history and very well could return next season if proper actions aren't taken.
You could hear lots of Sabres fans last night as Buffalo violated the Capitals 5 to 1. It wasn't ridiculous. It wasn't like Detroit's invasion during the 1998 Final. It wasn't like a Pittsburgh invasion. But, it was certainly noticeable.
It was a sign that a sizeable portion of the Caps' fanbase is ready to voice its frustration with the team in the form of not coming to games anymore. It is as if this team's atmosphere is about to come full circle.
Maybe the fans I reference are of the bandwagon/fairweather variety. Maybe a "real fan" might be sick and tired of the team shitting the bed, but still plans to come back for more poop. I probably fall into the latter category, but I also secretly wouldn't mind having another hobby at this point.
Regardless, it is time to waive the white flag with this group of Caps and make sweeping changes before it is too late.
When this era specifically began is hard to pinpoint. It obviously started on Bruce Boudreau's watch. Maybe it was his very first game in Philadelphia (that Backstrom OT winner off Ovechkin's flubbed pass).
Maybe it was when the Caps won 11 of their last 12 games to win the SE Division and qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 2003. Maybe it was specifically the final 3 home games, which were all sellouts in DC.
For me, it was Game 1 of the playoffs vs. Philadelphia that year. Without question, it is the loudest I have personally heard the Verizon Center. It was my first "red out". There were hardly any Flyers fans in attendance. Mike Green had his mohawk going on. They were giving out free mohawks in the concourse.
At 2nd intermission the Caps trailed the Flyers 4 to 2. A fellow Caps fan walked past one of the few Flyers fans in the concourse and told him to go back to Philadelphia. The Flyers fan responded by telling him to "look at the ******* scoreboard".
Well, two Mike Green goals and a feared broken Patrick Thoresen testicle later - the game was tied. I was thrilled the game was going to go to OT.
But it didn't. Alex Ovechkin stripped Lasse Kukkonen of the puck and roofed it past Martin Biron for one of his most epic glass leaps of his career. The Caps took a 1-0 series lead courtesy of this 5-4 win.
Sure, nobody wanted the Caps to lose the series. I was also at the series' Game 7 in which Joffrey Lupul scored the series clincher to end the Caps' magical season. Yes, it was sad.
But there was hope. There was excitement. The team was on the upswing.
Not anymore.
The Caps might have beaten the Rangers in Game 7 the following year. But, they did their best to piss that game away.
DC followed it up with a stinker in Game 7 vs. the Pittsburgh Penguins - losing at home 6 to 2. The Penguins went on to win the Stanley Cup, but this was just "strike one" against the Caps (giving them a pass against the Flyers the previous year).
Then Montreal happened. After the Caps won Game 3 - a Montreal columnist sarcastically suggested that the Habs tank game 4 to allow the Caps to take a 3-1 series lead. After all, the Caps had no idea how to handle such a playoff lead.
For many, that was the breaking point. But, George McPhee stayed the course until the 2011 trade deadline.
Well, you know the rest. The Caps got swept in Round 2 by the 'Ning last year and George McPhee opened up the wallet during the summer of 2011.
Boudreau is out, Hunter is in, and the Caps got spanked last night vs. the Sabres.
I've had enough. It is no longer a fluke. McPhee has been around since the '98 run and he has not come close to recreating that success (which arguably he inherited from David Poile).
He has had his chance and it is time to replace him. He is not a bad man. Maybe there was the Eric Belanger incident. Maybe he was quoted as saying about his critics: "If they knew anything about the game, they'd be in it".
And, well, there was that one time back in 1999 when he punched the head coach of the Chicago Blackhawks after a preseason game. I actually liked that. If I had $20,000 to spare I would have paid his fine.
But, all in all, George McPhee was a professional man of integrity who just didn't get the job done. It is time to replace him. He built it - the team didn't perform - time to move on and part ways.
With that, Dale Hunter will be a casualty of the new general manager. He was on a one year deal to begin with. Maybe he never had the right parts to do his system. But, he showed very few signs of being ready for an NHL coaching gig.
I imagine the new GM will recruit someone with NHL head coaching experience to lead the Caps - something the Caps haven't seen since Ron Wilson or Jim Schoenfeld. Yes, have another donut, indeed.
As for Alex Ovechkin. Well, he hasn't performed in the clutch. At minimum, he should be stripped of the captaincy.
This "lead by example" shit isn't working. The team needs an "alpha-captain" comfortable making the locker room speeches.
I wouldn't mind having him on the team if his cap hit weren't so damn high. If there is a trade to be made involving Ovechkin, the trigger must be pulled. It won't be more than a few seasons before he is officially untradeable and he becomes the next Wade Redden - finishing out his contract in the AHL.
No longer can he be considered "the face of the franchise". No longer can he be the marketing centerpiece of the Caps. No longer can he be a sacred cow.
Maybe there is a role for him on a Cup-winning Caps team. But, not the way we had hoped. Not what was promised.
So as the cliche goes, for many it is time to break out the golf clubs. For me, it is time to put on the Nats hat and watch 6 months of baseball.
Sure, I will watch the rest of the season. I will monitor the offseason changes (as there will be plenty). But, I am tired of bullshitting myself.
You can hide behind the fact that the Caps aren't mathematically eliminated from the playoffs yet. I won't.
Turn the lights out, the party is over.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Cyclones 3, Stingrays 2
When you are within driving distance of Columbus - you are also within driving distance of Cincinnati. On your average day, that is a completely meaningless tidbit for a Caps fan. But, unbeknownst to those who don't know it - Cincinnati is home to an ECHL team -- the Cyclones.
Tonight (and last night) the Caps' ECHL affiliate, the South Carolina Stingrays, were in the Nasty 'Nati to play the aforementioned Cyclones. So, for a weekend, the Queen City had a bit of relevance to the Caps organization. And while I did not attend Friday night's game -- I was at US Bank Arena tonight to see the 2nd game of the 2-game series.
On Friday night, the Stingrays dropped a 4-3 decision the Cyclones. So, tonight (Saturday) they were going for the split. Philipp Grubauer (4th round pick, 2010 NHL Draft, ECHL Goalie of the Month November + January) got the nod in net for South Carolina in both games. For what it's worth, I thought he played just fine tonight.
The Cyclones only had 17 shots tonight. Normally, when a goalie gives up 3 goals on 17 shots you could argue that is an inherently mediocre performance. But, I really don't think any of the Cincinnati goals could be pinned on Grubauer.
South Carolina, as a whole, struggled offensively and -- especially on the power play. The Stingrays were 1 for 7 overall on the PP tonight. The Cyclones took four minor penalties in the 1st period alone. Yet, Cincinnati led 2 to 1 at 1st intermission. Yikes!
The Stingrays opened the scoring via a 2-man advantage. While Cincinnati's Michael Pelech was in the box for a blatant hold -- Taylor Aronson (also of the Cyclones) took a sloppy delay of game penalty 14:16 into the 1st period. Just 21 seconds later, South Carolina's Mike Hamilton banged one in from very close range. But that 2-man advantage was the only time the Stingrays looked competent on the PP.
In fact, just 29 seconds after the Stingrays took a 1-0 lead, Cincinnati equalized with a 4 on 5 shorthanded tally. That goal - and all 3 of the Cyclones goals - happened at the far end of the arena from my seats. But, it just looked like shoddy defensive play in the Stingrays' zone that led to an inexcusable scoring chance for Cincinnati. In effect, Grubauer was hung out to dry.
I don't know if scoring a 5 on 3 goal only to give up a 4 on 5 goal is cause for post-game Herbies -- but it was sad to watch. With all the power plays that the Stingrays had in the first, I thought they'd head into the locker room up 2 to 0 or 3 to 0. But, towards the end of the first I thought they should be grateful to be tied at 1.
Of course, they didn't head into first intermission tied at 1. With just 28 seconds left in the first, Cincinnati's Maury Edwards blasted a slapshot from the point past Grubauer. In my opinion, absolutely nothing the goalie could do on the play. In fact, I thought the shot was deflected along the way. But, seemingly the official scorer thought otherwise. Not necessarily a defensive breakdown by South Carolina -- but obviously very bad form to give up a goal that late in the period.
From there I think the teams played an even, moderately exciting hockey game. There certainly weren't an abundance of scoring chances. If you like offense - the rest of the game was pretty disappointing. The one exception to that was the Stingrays' equalizer in the 2nd period.
Precisely 12 minutes into the middle stanza, South Carolina's David de Kastrozza found an opening in the high-slot and just roofed a nasty wrister past Cincinnati goalie Brad Fogal. Holy shit. Alex Semin would have been impressed. It was just a dirty shot. It was an isolated incident in a game with very few fireworks. But, give credit where it is due, that was, in my opinion, the most exciting moment of the game.
And, on the defensive side, South Carolina only allowed 3 shots in the 2nd period. Good for them. Again, though, with the ice tilted so much -- is only scoring 1 goal acceptable? I don't think so.
With the game tied at 2 heading into the 3rd period, it became a game that would be won by the team that wanted it more.
Or so I thought.
In reality, the game was won by the team that didn't screw up. More sloppy play from the Stingrays in their own end led to a fluke Cyclones goal 13+ minutes into the 3rd. Mathieu Aubin was credited with the goal for Cincinnati. It looked like he just deflected a stupid clearing attempt into the net. But, it was hard to see. Regardless of what happened, Philipp Grubauer was understandably caught off guard by this and had no time to react.
It was eerily similar to some of sloppy breakouts South Carolina had in the first period. But, this play resulted in a garbage goal that turned out to be the game winner. As awesome as David DeKastrozza's goal for the Stingrays was, Mathieu Aubin's was a steaming pile of shit. But, this isn't the X-games. You don't get style points for goals. They all get you one on the scoreboard.
So, South Carolina failed at its attempt to earn a weekend split. It might be a bit harsh to say they self-destructed. But, for a team that only allowed 17 shots -- they allowed 2 shitty goals and another goal with shitty timing. Their offense -- save of the DeKastrozza wrister -- was flaccid.
Add it all up, and you have a disappointing loss.
As far as some of the other Stingrays who have been at a Caps Development Camp -- I don't think any of them did anything that truly stood out to the naked eye in real-time.
Nick Tabisz, Dustin Stevenson, and Brett Flemming combined for 0 points and 0 PIM. Out of the three, I saw Dustin Stevenson on the ice the most. Seemingly, he had a fairly solid game. But, both he and Brett Flemming finished the game at -1. Nick Tabisz, who I didn't see do anything spectacular, was on the ice for DeKastrozza's goal and finished with a +1.
South Carolina, having played the most games of any team in the Eastern Conference, sits in 4th place. The Cyclones meanwhile are in 8th place -- trailing the Stingrays by 8 points. Of course -- only in the minors -- the Cyclones have a whopping 7 games in hand on the Stingrays (and have played the fewest games in the Eastern Conference).
And, so my attempt to convince you that I am an ECHL fan ends. It was nice to get a whiff of the Caps' "AA" team. But, I don't know how many Stingrays games I'll catch on internet radio. I am curious to see if any of these guys make the double-jump up to the big show. From what I've heard, Philipp Grubauer has the best shot.
A sample size of 1 can obviously only tell you so much. I could see the AHL time being a lock. Hopefully, with him being only 20, he's got plenty of time to get up to the NHL. Good luck to him!
Well, the Hershey Bears lost tonight as well. So, the farm teams didn't get it done. But, the Caps got a 3-0 win this afternoon and they'll be on NBC tomorrow against the Bruins.
Who would have thought with the way the Caps have been playing they'd be the bright spot in the organization? Funny how things work.
Good luck to the Stingrays the rest of the way. And may we see the Bears and Caps make deep runs this summer.
See you all tomorrow afternoon on the Twittersphere for the Caps/Bruins game........
Tonight (and last night) the Caps' ECHL affiliate, the South Carolina Stingrays, were in the Nasty 'Nati to play the aforementioned Cyclones. So, for a weekend, the Queen City had a bit of relevance to the Caps organization. And while I did not attend Friday night's game -- I was at US Bank Arena tonight to see the 2nd game of the 2-game series.
On Friday night, the Stingrays dropped a 4-3 decision the Cyclones. So, tonight (Saturday) they were going for the split. Philipp Grubauer (4th round pick, 2010 NHL Draft, ECHL Goalie of the Month November + January) got the nod in net for South Carolina in both games. For what it's worth, I thought he played just fine tonight.
The Cyclones only had 17 shots tonight. Normally, when a goalie gives up 3 goals on 17 shots you could argue that is an inherently mediocre performance. But, I really don't think any of the Cincinnati goals could be pinned on Grubauer.
South Carolina, as a whole, struggled offensively and -- especially on the power play. The Stingrays were 1 for 7 overall on the PP tonight. The Cyclones took four minor penalties in the 1st period alone. Yet, Cincinnati led 2 to 1 at 1st intermission. Yikes!
The Stingrays opened the scoring via a 2-man advantage. While Cincinnati's Michael Pelech was in the box for a blatant hold -- Taylor Aronson (also of the Cyclones) took a sloppy delay of game penalty 14:16 into the 1st period. Just 21 seconds later, South Carolina's Mike Hamilton banged one in from very close range. But that 2-man advantage was the only time the Stingrays looked competent on the PP.
In fact, just 29 seconds after the Stingrays took a 1-0 lead, Cincinnati equalized with a 4 on 5 shorthanded tally. That goal - and all 3 of the Cyclones goals - happened at the far end of the arena from my seats. But, it just looked like shoddy defensive play in the Stingrays' zone that led to an inexcusable scoring chance for Cincinnati. In effect, Grubauer was hung out to dry.
I don't know if scoring a 5 on 3 goal only to give up a 4 on 5 goal is cause for post-game Herbies -- but it was sad to watch. With all the power plays that the Stingrays had in the first, I thought they'd head into the locker room up 2 to 0 or 3 to 0. But, towards the end of the first I thought they should be grateful to be tied at 1.
Of course, they didn't head into first intermission tied at 1. With just 28 seconds left in the first, Cincinnati's Maury Edwards blasted a slapshot from the point past Grubauer. In my opinion, absolutely nothing the goalie could do on the play. In fact, I thought the shot was deflected along the way. But, seemingly the official scorer thought otherwise. Not necessarily a defensive breakdown by South Carolina -- but obviously very bad form to give up a goal that late in the period.
From there I think the teams played an even, moderately exciting hockey game. There certainly weren't an abundance of scoring chances. If you like offense - the rest of the game was pretty disappointing. The one exception to that was the Stingrays' equalizer in the 2nd period.
Precisely 12 minutes into the middle stanza, South Carolina's David de Kastrozza found an opening in the high-slot and just roofed a nasty wrister past Cincinnati goalie Brad Fogal. Holy shit. Alex Semin would have been impressed. It was just a dirty shot. It was an isolated incident in a game with very few fireworks. But, give credit where it is due, that was, in my opinion, the most exciting moment of the game.
And, on the defensive side, South Carolina only allowed 3 shots in the 2nd period. Good for them. Again, though, with the ice tilted so much -- is only scoring 1 goal acceptable? I don't think so.
With the game tied at 2 heading into the 3rd period, it became a game that would be won by the team that wanted it more.
Or so I thought.
In reality, the game was won by the team that didn't screw up. More sloppy play from the Stingrays in their own end led to a fluke Cyclones goal 13+ minutes into the 3rd. Mathieu Aubin was credited with the goal for Cincinnati. It looked like he just deflected a stupid clearing attempt into the net. But, it was hard to see. Regardless of what happened, Philipp Grubauer was understandably caught off guard by this and had no time to react.
It was eerily similar to some of sloppy breakouts South Carolina had in the first period. But, this play resulted in a garbage goal that turned out to be the game winner. As awesome as David DeKastrozza's goal for the Stingrays was, Mathieu Aubin's was a steaming pile of shit. But, this isn't the X-games. You don't get style points for goals. They all get you one on the scoreboard.
So, South Carolina failed at its attempt to earn a weekend split. It might be a bit harsh to say they self-destructed. But, for a team that only allowed 17 shots -- they allowed 2 shitty goals and another goal with shitty timing. Their offense -- save of the DeKastrozza wrister -- was flaccid.
Add it all up, and you have a disappointing loss.
As far as some of the other Stingrays who have been at a Caps Development Camp -- I don't think any of them did anything that truly stood out to the naked eye in real-time.
Nick Tabisz, Dustin Stevenson, and Brett Flemming combined for 0 points and 0 PIM. Out of the three, I saw Dustin Stevenson on the ice the most. Seemingly, he had a fairly solid game. But, both he and Brett Flemming finished the game at -1. Nick Tabisz, who I didn't see do anything spectacular, was on the ice for DeKastrozza's goal and finished with a +1.
South Carolina, having played the most games of any team in the Eastern Conference, sits in 4th place. The Cyclones meanwhile are in 8th place -- trailing the Stingrays by 8 points. Of course -- only in the minors -- the Cyclones have a whopping 7 games in hand on the Stingrays (and have played the fewest games in the Eastern Conference).
And, so my attempt to convince you that I am an ECHL fan ends. It was nice to get a whiff of the Caps' "AA" team. But, I don't know how many Stingrays games I'll catch on internet radio. I am curious to see if any of these guys make the double-jump up to the big show. From what I've heard, Philipp Grubauer has the best shot.
A sample size of 1 can obviously only tell you so much. I could see the AHL time being a lock. Hopefully, with him being only 20, he's got plenty of time to get up to the NHL. Good luck to him!
Well, the Hershey Bears lost tonight as well. So, the farm teams didn't get it done. But, the Caps got a 3-0 win this afternoon and they'll be on NBC tomorrow against the Bruins.
Who would have thought with the way the Caps have been playing they'd be the bright spot in the organization? Funny how things work.
Good luck to the Stingrays the rest of the way. And may we see the Bears and Caps make deep runs this summer.
See you all tomorrow afternoon on the Twittersphere for the Caps/Bruins game........
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Caps Mediocrity
The good news about last night is that I had to stay in either way. My early Saturday necessitated that. As such, I did not miss out on a hoppin' party or a date night to catch the Caps/'Canes game.
That's about the only good news that came out of the game. The roller coaster that is the Caps' 2011-2012 season continues. One game we look great. The next game we look like an ECHL team.
That got me thinking about whether or not the Caps' opponent plays into the Caps' performance. How are we against teams that are above .500? Below .500?
So, that's what I tracked. I went back and looked at the opposition's record coming into their game against the Caps. I also separated the Boudreau era from the Hunter era.
Long story short, Hunter has pretty much the same winning percentage as Boudreau - but Hunter has had easier opponents.
That's not to say that Boudreau hadn't lost the team or needed to go - but hopefully it is a friendly reminder that the Caps need pick it up several notches. The returns from Huntsy being the coach have been far from realized.
The Caps' overall record against above .500 teams isn't horrible (.500 on the nose), but it isn't stellar either. With the Caps backing into a low seed in the playoffs - it seems like getting bounced in Round 1 is the most likely outcome.
An artificially inflated #3 seed might buy the Caps a trip to the 2nd round. But, that's about all you can hope for right about now. Of course, this all assumes the Caps make the playoffs.
Last season, a 2nd round exit was cause for anger. If we are being truthful with ourselves, the way the team is playing - a 2nd round exit would be cause for celebration.
And in case you were wondering: the average win percentage of opponents entering a game with the Caps is .497 (simply add all 46 win %'s and divide by 46). So, if anything, we are getting off a little easy with our schedule thus far.
Plus, if you're a true math nerd and think simply averaging the win percentages is not the right way to do it - Caps opponents to-date combine for 516 W, 435 L, and 130 OTL. That would be a win percentage of .477 - even worse than the average......
Your move, Caps. I'm all for being pleasantly surprised..........
*Click on any image to enlarge it*
That's about the only good news that came out of the game. The roller coaster that is the Caps' 2011-2012 season continues. One game we look great. The next game we look like an ECHL team.
That got me thinking about whether or not the Caps' opponent plays into the Caps' performance. How are we against teams that are above .500? Below .500?
So, that's what I tracked. I went back and looked at the opposition's record coming into their game against the Caps. I also separated the Boudreau era from the Hunter era.
Long story short, Hunter has pretty much the same winning percentage as Boudreau - but Hunter has had easier opponents.
That's not to say that Boudreau hadn't lost the team or needed to go - but hopefully it is a friendly reminder that the Caps need pick it up several notches. The returns from Huntsy being the coach have been far from realized.
The Caps' overall record against above .500 teams isn't horrible (.500 on the nose), but it isn't stellar either. With the Caps backing into a low seed in the playoffs - it seems like getting bounced in Round 1 is the most likely outcome.
An artificially inflated #3 seed might buy the Caps a trip to the 2nd round. But, that's about all you can hope for right about now. Of course, this all assumes the Caps make the playoffs.
Last season, a 2nd round exit was cause for anger. If we are being truthful with ourselves, the way the team is playing - a 2nd round exit would be cause for celebration.
And in case you were wondering: the average win percentage of opponents entering a game with the Caps is .497 (simply add all 46 win %'s and divide by 46). So, if anything, we are getting off a little easy with our schedule thus far.
Plus, if you're a true math nerd and think simply averaging the win percentages is not the right way to do it - Caps opponents to-date combine for 516 W, 435 L, and 130 OTL. That would be a win percentage of .477 - even worse than the average......
Your move, Caps. I'm all for being pleasantly surprised..........
*Click on any image to enlarge it*
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Team $ Efficiency
As I type this, the Washington Capitals are playing the Pittsburgh Penguins. Due to the way NHL Gamecenter works, I will have to watch the game in a few hours. When games are on NBCSN or NHLN, the games are blacked out on NHL Gamecenter. If your cable provider offers NBCSN and NHLN, well, that really isn't that big of a deal. If you live where I live, it is an issue.
For instance, the Washington Capitals have the 11th-highest (as in worst) Payroll$/Pts82 total in the Eastern Conference. That is horribly inefficient.
In the meantime, I thought I'd take a look at each team's performance in the standings relative to their payroll. I did a few spreadsheets that look at the money each team has to pay per standings point. I then compare their rank in that category to their projected finish in the regular season (pure rank order, not accounting for division leaders getting the top 3 seeds).
When you get to the difference between the rankings of "Payroll $/Pts 82" and "Pts/82" you are getting a handle on whether or not a team is outperforming its (in)efficiency.
For instance, the Washington Capitals have the 11th-highest (as in worst) Payroll$/Pts82 total in the Eastern Conference. That is horribly inefficient.
The silver lining is, that given the Capitals are projected to finish 9th in the Eastern Conference, they have a +2 difference and are outperforming their payroll inefficiency.
Of course, they would still be playing golf by mid-April. But, what can you do? Hopefully Mr. DVR will have some good news for me in a few hours.
Standings are from NHL.com prior to the action on Wednesday night. So, the Caps/Pens game and the Devils/Oilers games are not included. Cap info is from Capgeek.
* You can click on any chart to enlarge it*
Eastern Conference:
Western Conference:
MoneyCaps: The (Almost) Halfway Point
With my apologies to Tomas Kundratek, who did not get called up in time for my super-special analysis, I present to you some ad-hoc number crunching.
In my attempt to become more data savvy, I thought I would get in some practice. As is the case with the book Moneyball, I thought it would be fun to link Caps' player salaries with their performance.
Hopefully there is a conversation to be had here (part fun, part serious). For this initial round, I merely took players' point totals and projected them out to 82 games. From there, I divided that number into their cap hit.
Obviously, this assumes they will be able to play somewhere in the ballpark of 82 games. One might cough and vomit when looking at Mike Green's generous point projections. You are free to do so. But, some common denominator was needed. And, in all seriousness, it does show his value -- or lack thereof -- when healthy (even if he never is and has no prayer of cracking 20 games this season!).
This data sticks to a player's offensive value. We'll get into other metrics later. Stats are from hockeydb. Cap info is from Capgeek. It is current as of January 10th, 2012.
Keep in mind, the higher the $ amount in the righthand column, the more expensive it is to the Caps to get a point from that player. As such, the lower the offensive value for that player.
I'll give you a hint: I don't like that Alex Ovechkin is the first name to pop up.......
*You can click on any chart to enlarge it*
Caps Forwards (10 games or more)
Defensemen (10 games or more)
Forwards and Defensemen Combined (10 games or more)
In my attempt to become more data savvy, I thought I would get in some practice. As is the case with the book Moneyball, I thought it would be fun to link Caps' player salaries with their performance.
Hopefully there is a conversation to be had here (part fun, part serious). For this initial round, I merely took players' point totals and projected them out to 82 games. From there, I divided that number into their cap hit.
Obviously, this assumes they will be able to play somewhere in the ballpark of 82 games. One might cough and vomit when looking at Mike Green's generous point projections. You are free to do so. But, some common denominator was needed. And, in all seriousness, it does show his value -- or lack thereof -- when healthy (even if he never is and has no prayer of cracking 20 games this season!).
This data sticks to a player's offensive value. We'll get into other metrics later. Stats are from hockeydb. Cap info is from Capgeek. It is current as of January 10th, 2012.
Keep in mind, the higher the $ amount in the righthand column, the more expensive it is to the Caps to get a point from that player. As such, the lower the offensive value for that player.
I'll give you a hint: I don't like that Alex Ovechkin is the first name to pop up.......
*You can click on any chart to enlarge it*
Caps Forwards (10 games or more)
Defensemen (10 games or more)
Forwards and Defensemen Combined (10 games or more)
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Getting on the Bus, the C-bus
Last night was a very special night indeed. Simply put, the Caps' Saturday night game vs. the Columbus Blue Jackets was within driving distance for me - so I was at Nationwide Arena cheering for (our) boys in red, white, and blue.
When I lived in DC I probably took my proximity to Verizon Center for granted. As life has taken me away from Washington over the last few years, it has become increasingly difficult to see the Caps live (especially because "away" means proximity to Western Conference teams the Caps visit 1x/season at most -- which does not guarantee a weekend game that is doable). Sure, sports bars and NHL Center Ice exist. But, make no mistake about it, hockey is a game to be seen in-person. And it is always better to see the Caps play hockey in-person.
Even if they only show up for 8 minutes of the game :)
Before we get to the game itself, let me say this. It was truly awesome to see how many Caps fans were in Columbus. I am horrible at estimating numbers. And, no, it was not anywhere near the Detroit invasion of the 1998 final. But, there is no way in hell Columbus sells out that game without all the red rockers in attendance. I met some of the dedicated Caps Road Crew members at R Bar before the game - who drove from DC. But, rest assured, they were far from the only Caps fans at Nationwide Arena last night.
Between all of the Caps fans roaming the Arena District and the presence of some chain restaurants I enjoyed in DC, but not in my current town (Ted's Montana Grill, Gordon Biersch, BD's) - it was a very welcomed dose of home on the road. I guess I should be thankful that the format taking effect next season guarantees a team will visit every other arena one time per season (much better than the current 'maybe, maybe not' policy).
So, anyway, aside from conjuring up feelings of nostalgia - the hockey game had a very important two points on the line.
The big difference in preparation for this game is that Columbus had Friday off after a Thursday win in Dallas. Washington was "fresh off the plane" after their Friday night home victory vs. Buffalo. And let's face it, Buffalo is in our conference and was 1 point behind us in the standings coming into Friday's game. They have spanked us twice this season. Columbus is in the other conference and is the NHL's worst team. So, while Columbus most likely viewed the Caps as a "statement game" and threw everything they had at us --- Washington probably viewed the game in Columbus as the only thing standing between them and New Year's Sex.
Of course, it shouldn't be that way. The Caps certainly have not been playing consistently enough to view games as afterthoughts. They certainly have not displayed that blue-collar work ethic enough to justify looking down on teams. And, as the Caps are still on the outside looking in of the playoff race, they certainly are in no position to piss away points in the standings.
So I will leave it to you to decide. Did they coast their way through the first 40 minutes of the game for no good reason? Or, were the Caps justifiably tired as they were playing their 3rd game in 4 nights and the back-end of a back-to-back set? Did they get cocky after big wins vs. the Rangers and Sabres? Or, was Columbus just that good on Saturday night?
Whatever you think, it is with mixed emotions that I announce the Washington Capitals that get spanked in games are gone. The Caps that we all know, love, and hate are officially back.
Yes, those Washington Capitals that give no indication whatsoever that they give a flying fuck about the game until the 3rd period. Those Washington Capitals who put together one 5 to 10 minute stretch of disgustingly awesome hockey and have that stretch carry them through the game. The Caps that watch their two Russian superstar snipers light up the scoreboard. The Caps that can snatch victory from the jaws of defeat like it ain't a 'thang.
Welcome back, Cardiac Caps.
God bless Columbus. It must be frustrating to be a Blue Jacket. They certainly owned the first two periods. They brought energy. They threw bodies around. They generated scoring chances. Derek Dorsett did an amazing job of agitating Alex Ovechkin (even goading AO into going to the penalty box at the same time as Dorsett - a trade the Blue Jackets are obviously willing to make).
I don't know who the hell John Moore is and I had no idea Samuel Pahlsson was still in the league. But, those were well earned goals by them. Both of them, btw, got their 2nd tally of the season with their goals last night.
At second intermission, I even tweeted that I thought the Caps had no chance of coming back. They looked dead and uninspired. It just wasn't their night.
And there's the rub. Just like that, it was their night and they played like the game was never in any doubt.
Ovechkin has the puck squirt over to him. Boom! 1-2. A few minutes later, Alexander Semin shows off the dirtiest wrist shot in the league. We're tied at 2. Not even a minute later and Dennis Wideman drills it past Steve Mason. We're up 3-2. A PPG by Ovechkin and this one is in the bag. 4-2 Caps. Ok, they had to kill a penalty after that. But, they did. And, they won.
Finally, three straight wins. The last time the Caps did that was the the final three games of their 7-0 start to the season.
With wins against NYR, BUF, and CBJ seemingly the Caps are starting to work their way out of their doldrums. But, where to? Maybe we've just gone from the Caps who weren't even going to make the playoffs back to the Caps who will make the playoffs only to crash out in early rounds.
But the thing is, if I had to pick between those two types of Caps (play like shit and not even make the playoffs vs. string together enough good hockey to get into the playoffs but most likely crash out early), the one I'd have is rather obvious. Because only one of those choices allows for the possibility of finally mastering the playoffs and winning the whole damn thing. You gotta be in it to win it, right?
Well, for many reasons personal and hockey related, I am more than happy to leave 2011 in the past. I look forward to 2012. And so should the Caps.
Because while both myself and the Caps struggled for most of 2011 - we enter 2012 with something we are more than happy to see again:
MOMENTUM!
Happy New Year. May you have an awesome 2012........
When I lived in DC I probably took my proximity to Verizon Center for granted. As life has taken me away from Washington over the last few years, it has become increasingly difficult to see the Caps live (especially because "away" means proximity to Western Conference teams the Caps visit 1x/season at most -- which does not guarantee a weekend game that is doable). Sure, sports bars and NHL Center Ice exist. But, make no mistake about it, hockey is a game to be seen in-person. And it is always better to see the Caps play hockey in-person.
Even if they only show up for 8 minutes of the game :)
Before we get to the game itself, let me say this. It was truly awesome to see how many Caps fans were in Columbus. I am horrible at estimating numbers. And, no, it was not anywhere near the Detroit invasion of the 1998 final. But, there is no way in hell Columbus sells out that game without all the red rockers in attendance. I met some of the dedicated Caps Road Crew members at R Bar before the game - who drove from DC. But, rest assured, they were far from the only Caps fans at Nationwide Arena last night.
Between all of the Caps fans roaming the Arena District and the presence of some chain restaurants I enjoyed in DC, but not in my current town (Ted's Montana Grill, Gordon Biersch, BD's) - it was a very welcomed dose of home on the road. I guess I should be thankful that the format taking effect next season guarantees a team will visit every other arena one time per season (much better than the current 'maybe, maybe not' policy).
So, anyway, aside from conjuring up feelings of nostalgia - the hockey game had a very important two points on the line.
The big difference in preparation for this game is that Columbus had Friday off after a Thursday win in Dallas. Washington was "fresh off the plane" after their Friday night home victory vs. Buffalo. And let's face it, Buffalo is in our conference and was 1 point behind us in the standings coming into Friday's game. They have spanked us twice this season. Columbus is in the other conference and is the NHL's worst team. So, while Columbus most likely viewed the Caps as a "statement game" and threw everything they had at us --- Washington probably viewed the game in Columbus as the only thing standing between them and New Year's Sex.
Of course, it shouldn't be that way. The Caps certainly have not been playing consistently enough to view games as afterthoughts. They certainly have not displayed that blue-collar work ethic enough to justify looking down on teams. And, as the Caps are still on the outside looking in of the playoff race, they certainly are in no position to piss away points in the standings.
So I will leave it to you to decide. Did they coast their way through the first 40 minutes of the game for no good reason? Or, were the Caps justifiably tired as they were playing their 3rd game in 4 nights and the back-end of a back-to-back set? Did they get cocky after big wins vs. the Rangers and Sabres? Or, was Columbus just that good on Saturday night?
Whatever you think, it is with mixed emotions that I announce the Washington Capitals that get spanked in games are gone. The Caps that we all know, love, and hate are officially back.
Yes, those Washington Capitals that give no indication whatsoever that they give a flying fuck about the game until the 3rd period. Those Washington Capitals who put together one 5 to 10 minute stretch of disgustingly awesome hockey and have that stretch carry them through the game. The Caps that watch their two Russian superstar snipers light up the scoreboard. The Caps that can snatch victory from the jaws of defeat like it ain't a 'thang.
Welcome back, Cardiac Caps.
God bless Columbus. It must be frustrating to be a Blue Jacket. They certainly owned the first two periods. They brought energy. They threw bodies around. They generated scoring chances. Derek Dorsett did an amazing job of agitating Alex Ovechkin (even goading AO into going to the penalty box at the same time as Dorsett - a trade the Blue Jackets are obviously willing to make).
I don't know who the hell John Moore is and I had no idea Samuel Pahlsson was still in the league. But, those were well earned goals by them. Both of them, btw, got their 2nd tally of the season with their goals last night.
At second intermission, I even tweeted that I thought the Caps had no chance of coming back. They looked dead and uninspired. It just wasn't their night.
And there's the rub. Just like that, it was their night and they played like the game was never in any doubt.
Ovechkin has the puck squirt over to him. Boom! 1-2. A few minutes later, Alexander Semin shows off the dirtiest wrist shot in the league. We're tied at 2. Not even a minute later and Dennis Wideman drills it past Steve Mason. We're up 3-2. A PPG by Ovechkin and this one is in the bag. 4-2 Caps. Ok, they had to kill a penalty after that. But, they did. And, they won.
Finally, three straight wins. The last time the Caps did that was the the final three games of their 7-0 start to the season.
With wins against NYR, BUF, and CBJ seemingly the Caps are starting to work their way out of their doldrums. But, where to? Maybe we've just gone from the Caps who weren't even going to make the playoffs back to the Caps who will make the playoffs only to crash out in early rounds.
But the thing is, if I had to pick between those two types of Caps (play like shit and not even make the playoffs vs. string together enough good hockey to get into the playoffs but most likely crash out early), the one I'd have is rather obvious. Because only one of those choices allows for the possibility of finally mastering the playoffs and winning the whole damn thing. You gotta be in it to win it, right?
Well, for many reasons personal and hockey related, I am more than happy to leave 2011 in the past. I look forward to 2012. And so should the Caps.
Because while both myself and the Caps struggled for most of 2011 - we enter 2012 with something we are more than happy to see again:
MOMENTUM!
Happy New Year. May you have an awesome 2012........
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Progress: Capitals 3, Senators 2 (OT)
Maybe my standards are just artificially low because the Caps have been going through a prolonged rough patch. However, while there is certainly more work to be done - it seems like the Caps have an extra bounce in their stride again. It looks like they have that energy and confidence they were lacking - at least there is a lot more of it there than any time of recent memory. It looks like game-by-game, Dale Hunter's system is starting to sink in. There are indeed signs of life from the boys in red.
While Neuvy looked relatively good given how he's been playing, I thought he should have had Ottawa's first goal. I also don't like the fact that the game went to OT. The Caps should have closed this out in regulation. But, obviously, if it's going to go to OT - it might as well end the way it did :). Our PP needs to get back on track if we are truly going to be an elite team - and right now it is just heinous. I thought given the amount of pressure we put on Craig Anderson - our ability to finish chances is still lacking. Of course, having chances to not convert on is a huge step forward from simply not having any scoring chances.
All that said, much, much better. Backstrom's goal was a sick wrister. Brouwer's goal came from a beautiful chain of passes (Ovi and Wideman get the assists). And, Brooks Laich's goal was just blazing speed from him as well as Jason Chimera. For a "defensive system", there was certainly a lot of offensive pressure and offensive beauty generated by the Caps. That alleviates a big concern of mine (which I address in my last post). The Caps had 35 shots on goal, many of them high quality. A little more confidence from their finishers - and this very well could have been a 4-1 or 5-2 decisive win. Good thing the Caps have a chance to pull that feat off vs. Ottawa on Wednesday in Ontario.......
The Caps also never trailed in this game. That only happened one time during the month of November (4-3 OT win vs. Winnipeg on 11/23/11 -- ok, they never trailed New Jersey at home on 11/12 until they lost the shootout -- call that what you want). The Caps only committed one penalty and it was in the first period (a very blatant slash by Jason Chimera on Daniel Alfredsson). Jeff Halpern was 7 for 8 from the faceoff dot. Only one Capital was a - in the +/- category (John Carlson, -1). Alex Ovechkin had a respectable 4 shots on goal, including one breakaway (Laich had 6 SOG and Chimera had 5). In addition to scoring the team's second goal, Troy Brouwer led the Caps with 6 hits.
Many other bloggers/analysts have pointed out the shorter shift lengths for the Caps - especially on the penalty kill. The penalty kill looked good (as did the Capitals' ability to not need many penalty kills). So, I guess the special teams area of improvement would be the dreaded power play.
Long story short - a shitload of progress tonight. The Caps still need to get back to work. They have still been playing poorly more often than they have played well.
But, they have something to build on and Huntsy has his first win as an NHL coach. Let's roll the dice and see what it gets us on Monday night - with the big tilt vs. the SE Division's leading team, the Washington Capitals alumni club of South Florida......I mean the Florida Panthers.
While Neuvy looked relatively good given how he's been playing, I thought he should have had Ottawa's first goal. I also don't like the fact that the game went to OT. The Caps should have closed this out in regulation. But, obviously, if it's going to go to OT - it might as well end the way it did :). Our PP needs to get back on track if we are truly going to be an elite team - and right now it is just heinous. I thought given the amount of pressure we put on Craig Anderson - our ability to finish chances is still lacking. Of course, having chances to not convert on is a huge step forward from simply not having any scoring chances.
All that said, much, much better. Backstrom's goal was a sick wrister. Brouwer's goal came from a beautiful chain of passes (Ovi and Wideman get the assists). And, Brooks Laich's goal was just blazing speed from him as well as Jason Chimera. For a "defensive system", there was certainly a lot of offensive pressure and offensive beauty generated by the Caps. That alleviates a big concern of mine (which I address in my last post). The Caps had 35 shots on goal, many of them high quality. A little more confidence from their finishers - and this very well could have been a 4-1 or 5-2 decisive win. Good thing the Caps have a chance to pull that feat off vs. Ottawa on Wednesday in Ontario.......
The Caps also never trailed in this game. That only happened one time during the month of November (4-3 OT win vs. Winnipeg on 11/23/11 -- ok, they never trailed New Jersey at home on 11/12 until they lost the shootout -- call that what you want). The Caps only committed one penalty and it was in the first period (a very blatant slash by Jason Chimera on Daniel Alfredsson). Jeff Halpern was 7 for 8 from the faceoff dot. Only one Capital was a - in the +/- category (John Carlson, -1). Alex Ovechkin had a respectable 4 shots on goal, including one breakaway (Laich had 6 SOG and Chimera had 5). In addition to scoring the team's second goal, Troy Brouwer led the Caps with 6 hits.
Many other bloggers/analysts have pointed out the shorter shift lengths for the Caps - especially on the penalty kill. The penalty kill looked good (as did the Capitals' ability to not need many penalty kills). So, I guess the special teams area of improvement would be the dreaded power play.
Long story short - a shitload of progress tonight. The Caps still need to get back to work. They have still been playing poorly more often than they have played well.
But, they have something to build on and Huntsy has his first win as an NHL coach. Let's roll the dice and see what it gets us on Monday night - with the big tilt vs. the SE Division's leading team, the Washington Capitals alumni club of South Florida......I mean the Florida Panthers.
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Patience (aka "Rebuilding the Rebuild")
Well, there certainly have been better days in Capsville. Of course, when being honest with oneself - those better days were never that much better. Nevertheless, things aren't going so well.
If the season were to end right this second - the Capitals would not make the playoffs. Granted, they are the #9 seed and have 1-game in hand on the #8 seed, the Ottawa Senators (with 58 games left to play in the season and only trailing by 1-standings point). But, they are on the outside looking in during a season in which the playoffs are supposed to be assumed.
The Caps are about to play said Ottawa Senators tonight in an attempt to get Dale Hunter his first win as the Caps' head coach. It would also snap a 4-game losing streak (the first two of which, cost Bruce Boudreau his job).
In fact, the Caps have lost 8 of the last 10 games and are unrecognizable from the big swinging dicks that started the season 7-0 and beat the Detroit Red Wings 7-1.
You could argue til the cows come home about when this started. George McPhee said he noticed stuff during training camp. Some people (namely, Mike Milbury, Canadians, and people who jerk off to Sidney Crosby (with a lot of overlap between those categories)) would lead you to believe the Ovechkin-era Caps have always been overrated.
Maybe the Montreal series should have been a red flag. Or the Tampa series. Or the way they got outplayed in Vancouver - or gave away the game on Long Island - or got throttled by Dallas. Maybe the wins against Pittsburgh and Tampa earlier this season were lucky. Maybe the Caps are fine and it is just a matter of getting Mike Green healthy again. Ok, scratch that last thought. The Caps are not fine.
If there is one thing that we can all agree upon, it is the Caps are NOT fine. Bruce Boudreau did magical things for this team from 2007 until this week (just not THE magical thing). But, George McPhee was spot-on when he said that Boudreau's tank was emptied.
The problem is - that really is all we know. Yeah, it was time for a change. But, to what? We've eliminated one variable, but must now focus on the rest of the variables.
Alex Ovechkin has 8 goals in 24 games. Alex Semin has 5 goals in 23 games. Ovechkin isn't even on pace for 30 goals. Semin isn't even on pace for 20 goals.
Meanwhile, Dale Hunter's strategy will focus on defense - which will, in theory, lead to more offense. It does not, however, focus on letting freewheeling Russian pimps be freewheeling Russian pimps.
It is hard to say how I feel about that. My gut instinct would be that you need to take the chains off Ovechkin and Semin - that Caps fans have bought a bunch of bullshit produced by Caps-haters (the BS being that Ovi and Semin are cancers).
But, the truth is, as much as I hate the stupid stereotype that Russians have bad attitudes (see, Detroit Red Wings and the "Russian Five") - I think Ovechkin and Semin have become predictable.
I think the league has figured out Ovechkin and Semin and while these two may care - I don't see them doing what is necessary to become less predictable.
We will see flashes of brilliance from Ovechkin and Semin - for sure. But, the frequency and brightness of these flashes will be reduced over time if things stay constant.
I don't care if they care. I care if they work at mixing up their skill-set.
Until they do, it kind of takes care of any plan that involves having the Caps become more run-and-gun. But, then, if the Caps are going to prioritize defense - will that leave room for Ovi and Semin?
I don't know if I buy the whole "defense leads to offense" strategy. If the goal is to win every game 2 to 1 or 1 to 0 - that's fine.
My only real vested interest is in seeing the Caps score at least 1 more goal than the other team 16 times during the playoffs. That leaves a lot of room for being boring - and that's ok.
But, as many have noted, the high-flying show is on hiatus. There will be no 5 to 1 victories in the near future - I do not believe. Dale Hunter might believe that, I do not.
Ovechkin and Semin will not have the chance to run-and-gun - even if they could still do it. And I don't know if Alex Ovechkin and Alex Semin will fit in with the high-flying show on hiatus.
That's not to say they will play horribly. But, they'll be very expensive pieces to the boring show. And, with the Caps at the salary cap - does that mean they will be dealt to free up some space?
That would not be terribly shocking for Semin - I think this is his last season as a Cap regardless - it's just a matter of whether or not he's dealt before the deadline. I don't see them re-signing him in the offseason.
Obviously, it would be huge news if Ovechkin is dealt. Mike Milbury and all of Canada would rejoice that they were right all along.
It would be a telltale sign that the once promising rebuild failed. We might not have to start from scratch - as we did with the Jagr firesale - but it would be equally discouraging.
I can't imagine the impact on the fanbase that trading Ovechkin would have. Attendance would certainly suffer. Die-hard fans would point to the number of times Ted Leonsis has asked for patience - only to then ask for more patience.
Frustration would boil over - even if it happened to be the right thing to do. Even if trading Oveckin simply meant the Caps were self-aware and on track to implement their defensive strategy - trading Ovechkin would be horrible.
Thankfully for Ovechkin and Semin, the entire team is playing like shit. So, it's hard to pin all of this on them. The goaltending has been shit and the defense has been shit too.
Jason Chimera is one of a few bright spots on this team. But, with everyone else needing a swift kick in the ass - Alex Ovechkin and Alex Semin must be given a chance to fit into Dale Hunter's system.
Dale Hunter must be given time to implement his strategy. Two 2 to 1 losses do not a bad coach make. The good news is that there is plenty of time to turn this around.
The problem is that I have no idea whether or not Dale Hunter's approach will work - or if the right pieces are there to make it work. I just know that Bruce Boudreau's approach stopped working.
I still want to believe in Alex Ovechkin. I still want to believe in Alex Semin. I still want to believe in the Caps. I want to believe in Dale Hunter as a coach in the NHL (and George McPhee and Ted Leonsis for that matter).
I just don't know if Ovechkin, Semin, and Hunter will co-exist on the Caps. And I don't know if the Caps will do what is necessary to align their strategy and their personnel.
Until then, without blaming a specific person, there could be more dysfunction and underachievement.......
If the season were to end right this second - the Capitals would not make the playoffs. Granted, they are the #9 seed and have 1-game in hand on the #8 seed, the Ottawa Senators (with 58 games left to play in the season and only trailing by 1-standings point). But, they are on the outside looking in during a season in which the playoffs are supposed to be assumed.
The Caps are about to play said Ottawa Senators tonight in an attempt to get Dale Hunter his first win as the Caps' head coach. It would also snap a 4-game losing streak (the first two of which, cost Bruce Boudreau his job).
In fact, the Caps have lost 8 of the last 10 games and are unrecognizable from the big swinging dicks that started the season 7-0 and beat the Detroit Red Wings 7-1.
You could argue til the cows come home about when this started. George McPhee said he noticed stuff during training camp. Some people (namely, Mike Milbury, Canadians, and people who jerk off to Sidney Crosby (with a lot of overlap between those categories)) would lead you to believe the Ovechkin-era Caps have always been overrated.
Maybe the Montreal series should have been a red flag. Or the Tampa series. Or the way they got outplayed in Vancouver - or gave away the game on Long Island - or got throttled by Dallas. Maybe the wins against Pittsburgh and Tampa earlier this season were lucky. Maybe the Caps are fine and it is just a matter of getting Mike Green healthy again. Ok, scratch that last thought. The Caps are not fine.
If there is one thing that we can all agree upon, it is the Caps are NOT fine. Bruce Boudreau did magical things for this team from 2007 until this week (just not THE magical thing). But, George McPhee was spot-on when he said that Boudreau's tank was emptied.
The problem is - that really is all we know. Yeah, it was time for a change. But, to what? We've eliminated one variable, but must now focus on the rest of the variables.
Alex Ovechkin has 8 goals in 24 games. Alex Semin has 5 goals in 23 games. Ovechkin isn't even on pace for 30 goals. Semin isn't even on pace for 20 goals.
Meanwhile, Dale Hunter's strategy will focus on defense - which will, in theory, lead to more offense. It does not, however, focus on letting freewheeling Russian pimps be freewheeling Russian pimps.
It is hard to say how I feel about that. My gut instinct would be that you need to take the chains off Ovechkin and Semin - that Caps fans have bought a bunch of bullshit produced by Caps-haters (the BS being that Ovi and Semin are cancers).
But, the truth is, as much as I hate the stupid stereotype that Russians have bad attitudes (see, Detroit Red Wings and the "Russian Five") - I think Ovechkin and Semin have become predictable.
I think the league has figured out Ovechkin and Semin and while these two may care - I don't see them doing what is necessary to become less predictable.
We will see flashes of brilliance from Ovechkin and Semin - for sure. But, the frequency and brightness of these flashes will be reduced over time if things stay constant.
I don't care if they care. I care if they work at mixing up their skill-set.
Until they do, it kind of takes care of any plan that involves having the Caps become more run-and-gun. But, then, if the Caps are going to prioritize defense - will that leave room for Ovi and Semin?
I don't know if I buy the whole "defense leads to offense" strategy. If the goal is to win every game 2 to 1 or 1 to 0 - that's fine.
My only real vested interest is in seeing the Caps score at least 1 more goal than the other team 16 times during the playoffs. That leaves a lot of room for being boring - and that's ok.
But, as many have noted, the high-flying show is on hiatus. There will be no 5 to 1 victories in the near future - I do not believe. Dale Hunter might believe that, I do not.
Ovechkin and Semin will not have the chance to run-and-gun - even if they could still do it. And I don't know if Alex Ovechkin and Alex Semin will fit in with the high-flying show on hiatus.
That's not to say they will play horribly. But, they'll be very expensive pieces to the boring show. And, with the Caps at the salary cap - does that mean they will be dealt to free up some space?
That would not be terribly shocking for Semin - I think this is his last season as a Cap regardless - it's just a matter of whether or not he's dealt before the deadline. I don't see them re-signing him in the offseason.
Obviously, it would be huge news if Ovechkin is dealt. Mike Milbury and all of Canada would rejoice that they were right all along.
It would be a telltale sign that the once promising rebuild failed. We might not have to start from scratch - as we did with the Jagr firesale - but it would be equally discouraging.
I can't imagine the impact on the fanbase that trading Ovechkin would have. Attendance would certainly suffer. Die-hard fans would point to the number of times Ted Leonsis has asked for patience - only to then ask for more patience.
Frustration would boil over - even if it happened to be the right thing to do. Even if trading Oveckin simply meant the Caps were self-aware and on track to implement their defensive strategy - trading Ovechkin would be horrible.
Thankfully for Ovechkin and Semin, the entire team is playing like shit. So, it's hard to pin all of this on them. The goaltending has been shit and the defense has been shit too.
Jason Chimera is one of a few bright spots on this team. But, with everyone else needing a swift kick in the ass - Alex Ovechkin and Alex Semin must be given a chance to fit into Dale Hunter's system.
Dale Hunter must be given time to implement his strategy. Two 2 to 1 losses do not a bad coach make. The good news is that there is plenty of time to turn this around.
The problem is that I have no idea whether or not Dale Hunter's approach will work - or if the right pieces are there to make it work. I just know that Bruce Boudreau's approach stopped working.
I still want to believe in Alex Ovechkin. I still want to believe in Alex Semin. I still want to believe in the Caps. I want to believe in Dale Hunter as a coach in the NHL (and George McPhee and Ted Leonsis for that matter).
I just don't know if Ovechkin, Semin, and Hunter will co-exist on the Caps. And I don't know if the Caps will do what is necessary to align their strategy and their personnel.
Until then, without blaming a specific person, there could be more dysfunction and underachievement.......
Back on the Saddle
It has been more than three months since my last post. Seemingly life has gotten in the way of hockey (and that is UNACCEPTABLE). My period of unemployment came to an end and I changed towns again - a recurring theme in my life since leaving DC in 2008. However, this time - there is no planned move on the horizon.
While having income again is a good thing (namely, because income can be used to purchase the NHL Center Ice package) - it leads to non-hockey responsibility. Getting to know a new town and a new corporation has been my focus. It's amazing that some companies expect you to talk about their primary line of business all day instead of hockey. The nerve!!!!!!
I have been able to watch Caps games, mind you. I've seen them all this season (7-0 seems like a decade ago!). However, when I've been watching them I've been doing so less critically than an aspiring blogger should. By the time I would get around to watching the game - my brain was interested in shutting off.
To be sure, if you want to make a living in this business - you have to do your research and look at the stats. You can't just say "Roman Hamrlik played like shit" (even though sometimes it is painfully obvious). You have to look at his +/-. You have to know +/- is a BS statistic. You have to look at Corsi numbers and analyze the even-strength chances Hamrlik has given up per 60-minutes. You should know his defensive pairings and which opponents he is matching up with.
Somewhere between my transition, a lack of confidence, not knowing what this blog's niche is, and the underrated beauty of just saying "Roman Hamrlik played like shit" without having to defend your position with stats - this blog fell off the map.
The truth is, I still don't know what this blog will be. I'd love to make a habit of regular interviews. I thought the Mike Fornes interview was an overwhelming success. Even as of last week, someone has found it on the net and commented on it.
But, that's the problem. It seems like that interview accomplished everything I wanted my blog to accomplish. It seems like there is nowhere to go but down.
Speaking with Mike Fornes encapsulated everything that following the Caps as a kid meant to me. Each subsequent post has seemed "a little off".
The truth is, I'm not Neil Greenberg. I'm not going to be the guy who adds to the "Moneypuck" discussion. And, I'm not anywhere near the superfan that JP over at Japers' Rink is (or anyone on that blog, for that matter).
But, something keeps me watching the Caps game in and game out - no matter where life takes me. And something gets me back on the laptop every now and then. I played when I was younger. I even officiated for a bit. There was also the idea that ran through my head, which was to be a hockey announcer.
I'd like to think I have something to add to the blogosphere. I'm not yet sure what that is, though. So, I keep plowing through the experimental stage of this blog - hoping it leads the blog to "the next level" (whatever that is!) - as opposed to having the blog fade into oblivion.
We will see. I don't know if I'm in this to clear my head, to get readers, or to somehow have my opinion validated as a "quasi-expert" (maybe all three????).
It's kind of like the answer to our burning question of burning questions: "Will the Caps ever win the Stanley Cup?" ----
Only time will tell.
While having income again is a good thing (namely, because income can be used to purchase the NHL Center Ice package) - it leads to non-hockey responsibility. Getting to know a new town and a new corporation has been my focus. It's amazing that some companies expect you to talk about their primary line of business all day instead of hockey. The nerve!!!!!!
I have been able to watch Caps games, mind you. I've seen them all this season (7-0 seems like a decade ago!). However, when I've been watching them I've been doing so less critically than an aspiring blogger should. By the time I would get around to watching the game - my brain was interested in shutting off.
To be sure, if you want to make a living in this business - you have to do your research and look at the stats. You can't just say "Roman Hamrlik played like shit" (even though sometimes it is painfully obvious). You have to look at his +/-. You have to know +/- is a BS statistic. You have to look at Corsi numbers and analyze the even-strength chances Hamrlik has given up per 60-minutes. You should know his defensive pairings and which opponents he is matching up with.
Somewhere between my transition, a lack of confidence, not knowing what this blog's niche is, and the underrated beauty of just saying "Roman Hamrlik played like shit" without having to defend your position with stats - this blog fell off the map.
The truth is, I still don't know what this blog will be. I'd love to make a habit of regular interviews. I thought the Mike Fornes interview was an overwhelming success. Even as of last week, someone has found it on the net and commented on it.
But, that's the problem. It seems like that interview accomplished everything I wanted my blog to accomplish. It seems like there is nowhere to go but down.
Speaking with Mike Fornes encapsulated everything that following the Caps as a kid meant to me. Each subsequent post has seemed "a little off".
The truth is, I'm not Neil Greenberg. I'm not going to be the guy who adds to the "Moneypuck" discussion. And, I'm not anywhere near the superfan that JP over at Japers' Rink is (or anyone on that blog, for that matter).
But, something keeps me watching the Caps game in and game out - no matter where life takes me. And something gets me back on the laptop every now and then. I played when I was younger. I even officiated for a bit. There was also the idea that ran through my head, which was to be a hockey announcer.
I'd like to think I have something to add to the blogosphere. I'm not yet sure what that is, though. So, I keep plowing through the experimental stage of this blog - hoping it leads the blog to "the next level" (whatever that is!) - as opposed to having the blog fade into oblivion.
We will see. I don't know if I'm in this to clear my head, to get readers, or to somehow have my opinion validated as a "quasi-expert" (maybe all three????).
It's kind of like the answer to our burning question of burning questions: "Will the Caps ever win the Stanley Cup?" ----
Only time will tell.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
The Hockey World Mourns.....Again
Ok......this is one tragic summer in the hockey world. First Derek Boogaard. Then Rick Rypien. Now Wade Belak. I say this with all sincerity....
WHAT THE FUCK?
It is incredibly tough to face the possibility that such a beautiful game - the same game that we all worship for its speed, toughness, athleticism, excitement, and FUN - the same game that helps us perpetually feel like a kid - could torment its players so much.
We must first acknowledge that it might all be a horrible coincidence. Derek Boogaard and Rick Rypien died from different causes. We do not know the official cause of Wade Belak's death.
There are, I'm sure, statisticians or economists or cultural anthropologists (or whoever) that can argue that these three tragic deaths had nothing (or very little) to do with their time on an ice rink.
Maybe the spike in deaths for hockey players 35 and under is in-line with the spike in deaths for the entire population of people 35 and under.....
Seriously, though, who cares?
The fact remains, all three were hockey players. All three were fighters. All three died this summer.
Even if it turns out to not be necessary, better safe than sorry. Now is as good a time as any to have a deep, introspective look at the lives of hockey players.
How widespread of a problem are painkillers? Are they over-prescribed? Do teammates pass them around to other teammates? Do players know not to mix them with alcohol?
How widespread of a problem is depression? Do players have access to counseling? Are they even aware how to spot depression in themselves? Is there a stigma about getting help for depression?
How widespread of a problem is retirement-related depression? Do players feel like they are abandoned by the NHL once their playing days are over? Can they find a "2nd life" and are they equipped for it?
What about fighting? Is there long-term damage to the brain? Does that impact a player's mental health? Do they simply develop a guilty conscience and depression regarding having to beat people up for a living?
What about alcoholism, drug abuse, spousal abuse, you name it?
I could go on and on and on. The point is, if I'm Gary Bettman or part of the NHL-brass, I'm making damn sure that behavioral health systems are updated, robust, made available to all players, and players know it.
And I wouldn't even stop at the NHL-level. I would go all the way down to juniors.
One could argue that if somebody grows up depressed, starting to get counseling when they hit the NHL is too late. The counseling needs to be made available from the beginning.
If it means supporting community-wide mental health programs (as opposed to just ones for hockey players) so be it.
If it means getting rid of fighting, then it means getting rid of fighting.
If it means partnering with Dr. Phil and Dr. Drew - then that's what it means.
If I'm Gary Bettman - this is priority #1. Whatever is #2 is a distant #2 at best.
Three lives is three too many. I'm sick of this shit. The game is too beautiful.
When I think of hobbies that will keep me engaged as a senior citizen - continuing to watch hockey games is at the top of the list.
Hockey is supposed to give people reasons to live, not reasons to die.
Gary Bettman and the NHL: Fix this shit. NOW.
WHAT THE FUCK?
It is incredibly tough to face the possibility that such a beautiful game - the same game that we all worship for its speed, toughness, athleticism, excitement, and FUN - the same game that helps us perpetually feel like a kid - could torment its players so much.
We must first acknowledge that it might all be a horrible coincidence. Derek Boogaard and Rick Rypien died from different causes. We do not know the official cause of Wade Belak's death.
There are, I'm sure, statisticians or economists or cultural anthropologists (or whoever) that can argue that these three tragic deaths had nothing (or very little) to do with their time on an ice rink.
Maybe the spike in deaths for hockey players 35 and under is in-line with the spike in deaths for the entire population of people 35 and under.....
Seriously, though, who cares?
The fact remains, all three were hockey players. All three were fighters. All three died this summer.
Even if it turns out to not be necessary, better safe than sorry. Now is as good a time as any to have a deep, introspective look at the lives of hockey players.
How widespread of a problem are painkillers? Are they over-prescribed? Do teammates pass them around to other teammates? Do players know not to mix them with alcohol?
How widespread of a problem is depression? Do players have access to counseling? Are they even aware how to spot depression in themselves? Is there a stigma about getting help for depression?
How widespread of a problem is retirement-related depression? Do players feel like they are abandoned by the NHL once their playing days are over? Can they find a "2nd life" and are they equipped for it?
What about fighting? Is there long-term damage to the brain? Does that impact a player's mental health? Do they simply develop a guilty conscience and depression regarding having to beat people up for a living?
What about alcoholism, drug abuse, spousal abuse, you name it?
I could go on and on and on. The point is, if I'm Gary Bettman or part of the NHL-brass, I'm making damn sure that behavioral health systems are updated, robust, made available to all players, and players know it.
And I wouldn't even stop at the NHL-level. I would go all the way down to juniors.
One could argue that if somebody grows up depressed, starting to get counseling when they hit the NHL is too late. The counseling needs to be made available from the beginning.
If it means supporting community-wide mental health programs (as opposed to just ones for hockey players) so be it.
If it means getting rid of fighting, then it means getting rid of fighting.
If it means partnering with Dr. Phil and Dr. Drew - then that's what it means.
If I'm Gary Bettman - this is priority #1. Whatever is #2 is a distant #2 at best.
Three lives is three too many. I'm sick of this shit. The game is too beautiful.
When I think of hobbies that will keep me engaged as a senior citizen - continuing to watch hockey games is at the top of the list.
Hockey is supposed to give people reasons to live, not reasons to die.
Gary Bettman and the NHL: Fix this shit. NOW.
The Journalism of Suicide
The Toronto Sun is reporting that recently retired NHL player Wade Belak took his own life. Like with WBAL and the recent death/suicide of former Orioles pitcher Mike Flanagan, there are multiple (but anonymous) sources cited by the media outlet.
Some have accused the media outlets in both Flanagan's and Belak's cases as being speculative. Maybe perhaps in the name of breaking a story, the media outlets were liberal in assessing the reliability of the sources.
After all, the sources were not named. Is this the coroner's right-hand-man? Or is this source someone who has simply watched every season of C.S.I.?
Further, there is no mention as to how these sources know it was a suicide. Can these sources articulate how to tell the difference between a real suicide and a homicide/staged suicide?
Maybe these sources do. Maybe they don't. The problem is that none of this information is presented by the media outlets.
We just know that there are sources and we are supposed to just have faith that these sources are credible.
I happen to have a degree in journalism. So, I still have faith that journalists know that being wrong about a cause of death will screw their careers big time. Thus, journalists try very hard not to be wrong about deaths.
I trust when they say "sources" that they have been properly verified and are not armchair coroners found in the local pub.
But I respect the fact that not everyone sees it that way. And I respect the fact that as it appears in the media publications, there is a lot left to be desired.
More information than "sources say" should be given on a subject matter like this.
Maybe even, journalists should simply wait until the official autopsy results are released. I don't think that will ever happen - but it is at least something to think about.
In the case of Mike Flanagan - his cause of death was later officially ruled a suicide. As for Wade Belak, I imagine the same will happen.
Most likely, the Toronto Sun's sources are close enough to the investigation to know what they are talking about. Most likely, there are no signs of a staged suicide and the sources can be confident of this.
But of course, I don't know for certain. All I can do is make my best guess.
Do Wade Belak's and Mike Flanagan's friends, family, and former teammates deserve more than that?
One could certainly argue that they do.........
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Part 2: Walton Gets the Call
This column will most likely be much shorter than my rant about Steve Kolbe. That is because I am filled with negativity as a human being and well, I don't have many mean things to say about John Walton. By all accounts he is a guy who worked his ass off in the AHL and did a great job with the Hershey Bears. So his call to the NHL is, if anything, long overdue. I do give myself the right to nitpick as I will shortly do. But I'm sure when John Walton got a call from Bruce Boudreau that he was now the Caps radio guy, he felt like Harold and Kumar did when they finally made it to White Castle (and NPH paid them back for messing up Harold's BMW). In fact, what would make this complete is if John Walton actually downed 50 cheeseburger sliders to celebrate his job with the Caps. He probably found a more profound way to celebrate, but such is life.....
Let's be clear: John Walton belongs in the NHL and he is undeniably an upgrade over Steve Kolbe. But I am still curious as to how his tenure in DC will go. Will he be regarded as a "good" NHL announcer or a "great" NHL announcer? His job should be safe either way because 1) Ted Leonsis doesn't seem interested in a widespread search for the position (sticking to his "build from within" strategy) and 2) John Walton blogs and tweets which I think in Ted Leonsis' mind is what got Walton the job. I personally still believe in the value of a "great" radio announcer (irrespective of their social media skills), but I have to admit that I am part of a dying breed - that from a revenue perspective "good" is good enough on the radio these days. It's a shame, but times change -- and social media is probably more important to an owner's brand than radio.
That said, let's see how Caps fans react to Walton's call (the bulk of the fan base, which probably has not listened to him in Hershey). I personally have listened to his calls in Hershey periodically. For a short while, I interned with another AHL team and cut highlights from Hershey broadcasts. But, I can't claim to be a Hershey die-hard. So it's not like I listened to him day-in and day-out. I do have my general impressions from his broadcasts.
1) Technically speaking, John Walton can describe the action 100x better than Steve Kolbe and is very good at an absolute level. This is probably his greatest strength - and a good one to have. I appreciate the fact that not once in my time listening to him have I said "How the hell did the puck get from point A to point B?". God willing I will have TV access to many of the Caps games this year, but when I need to listen to the radio I know I won't need a translator or feel like I'm missing out. John Walton keeps you focused on the in-game action.
2) He is honest. The one trend that has gone under the radar while owners worry about their announcers' social media skills - is that most owners view announcers as part of the PR department (see Redskins and Larry Michael). I've heard John Walton bluntly call out Hershey Bears players for sloppy play or soft goals allowed. That is what gets you my respect. This isn't a frickin' job interview. It's not your job as an announcer to sell tickets (well sometimes it is, but that's another story). If it's a team weakness, please don't spin it or minimize it - tell it like it is. My understanding of John Walton is he does exactly that.
I hope to God that John Walton doesn't compromise his point of view for the sake of Ted Leonsis or the organization. The Caps will never look as bad as the Redskins - so in a relative sense they aren't guilty as all hell. But make no mistake about it, the Caps prioritize having a strong PR arm. And say what you want to about Mike Vogel's writing ability, but from what I've seen he generally stays on the side of not being critical of the team. I never heard Steve Kolbe be as obnoxiously pro-team as Larry Michael, but I never heard Steve Kolbe call out the team either. John Walton will hopefully continue to tell it like it is. At least I'd respect that.
3) John Walton is seemingly more social than Steve Kolbe. This isn't about blogging or tweeting. This isn't a popularity contest or being a part of the cool kids club. But, it is about knowing the players and being able to share qualitative insights during the broadcast (not robotic stats). Stats play a role and can't be ignored, but I think John Walton will do a much better job of talking about a specific player's development in Hershey, their approach in practice, or anecdotes from the road. This should make the broadcast much more entertaining than a Kolbe broadcast.
4) On the downside, my opinion is that John Walton's voice is just "ok". It is a little gravelly to me. Again, I would take John Walton's voice over Steve Kolbe's any day of the week. But in an absolute sense, I wonder if Caps fans who are new to him will warm to him in this regard. There is a parallel between John Walton's voice and Chuck Kaiton's voice (Carolina Hurricanes) and Chuck Kaiton seems to have his die-hard fans. But that type of voice can go either way. So let's see if Caps fans say "John Walton's voice is better than Steve Kolbe's voice" or if they say "John Walton has a good voice".
5) I am unsure about John Walton's vocabulary - it might be a little too plain. Again, neutral is better than bad. It's not like the guy can't speak English. I'm just saying this might be a missed opportunity for differentiation. His signature call of "Good Morning, Good Afternoon, and Good Night" is again - just "ok" in my book. Not to beat a dead horse, but after years of Steve Kolbe - just "ok" is much preferred to "I wish I could stab my ears out". I don't want Bob Costas calling my games either, mind you. Not every game needs to remind you of the maudlin time your dad whisked you away on the New York subway to see the illustrious Mickey Mantle for your 7th birthday (hey, I tried!). But maybe John Walton could use a little more of that?
6) I also wonder if John Walton enjoyed a psychological lift from the Bears' performance. I mean, the Hershey Bears won 3 Calder Cups while John Walton announced for the team. Let's see if fans hold him in high regard with the Caps continually shitting the bed in the playoffs! I mean, I don't have the study in front of me, but there has to be some correlation between a team's performance and how announcers are viewed.
One announcer who pimps it out? Dave Jageler! Yes, the Nats are up-and-coming, but they still suck. Yet, Dave Jageler is the man! Let's see if John Walton can win over Caps fans despite the Caps underachieving in the playoffs**
**The Caps are of course free to make this a non-issue by winning the Stanley Cup, but I don't want to become the Chief Executive Officer of Fantasy-Land just yet......
Well, so it is. John Walton gets his call to the big leagues. Bravo to him. Do you know him better than me? Chime in! Like I said, I'm not a John Walton expert just yet - just sharing some general impressions.
Let's see if he's "good" or "great" at the NHL level. I'm pulling for him, though. It's been a long time since I've enjoyed listening to a Caps radio broadcast. I don't know what I'll do with myself this season!
Let's be clear: John Walton belongs in the NHL and he is undeniably an upgrade over Steve Kolbe. But I am still curious as to how his tenure in DC will go. Will he be regarded as a "good" NHL announcer or a "great" NHL announcer? His job should be safe either way because 1) Ted Leonsis doesn't seem interested in a widespread search for the position (sticking to his "build from within" strategy) and 2) John Walton blogs and tweets which I think in Ted Leonsis' mind is what got Walton the job. I personally still believe in the value of a "great" radio announcer (irrespective of their social media skills), but I have to admit that I am part of a dying breed - that from a revenue perspective "good" is good enough on the radio these days. It's a shame, but times change -- and social media is probably more important to an owner's brand than radio.
That said, let's see how Caps fans react to Walton's call (the bulk of the fan base, which probably has not listened to him in Hershey). I personally have listened to his calls in Hershey periodically. For a short while, I interned with another AHL team and cut highlights from Hershey broadcasts. But, I can't claim to be a Hershey die-hard. So it's not like I listened to him day-in and day-out. I do have my general impressions from his broadcasts.
1) Technically speaking, John Walton can describe the action 100x better than Steve Kolbe and is very good at an absolute level. This is probably his greatest strength - and a good one to have. I appreciate the fact that not once in my time listening to him have I said "How the hell did the puck get from point A to point B?". God willing I will have TV access to many of the Caps games this year, but when I need to listen to the radio I know I won't need a translator or feel like I'm missing out. John Walton keeps you focused on the in-game action.
2) He is honest. The one trend that has gone under the radar while owners worry about their announcers' social media skills - is that most owners view announcers as part of the PR department (see Redskins and Larry Michael). I've heard John Walton bluntly call out Hershey Bears players for sloppy play or soft goals allowed. That is what gets you my respect. This isn't a frickin' job interview. It's not your job as an announcer to sell tickets (well sometimes it is, but that's another story). If it's a team weakness, please don't spin it or minimize it - tell it like it is. My understanding of John Walton is he does exactly that.
I hope to God that John Walton doesn't compromise his point of view for the sake of Ted Leonsis or the organization. The Caps will never look as bad as the Redskins - so in a relative sense they aren't guilty as all hell. But make no mistake about it, the Caps prioritize having a strong PR arm. And say what you want to about Mike Vogel's writing ability, but from what I've seen he generally stays on the side of not being critical of the team. I never heard Steve Kolbe be as obnoxiously pro-team as Larry Michael, but I never heard Steve Kolbe call out the team either. John Walton will hopefully continue to tell it like it is. At least I'd respect that.
3) John Walton is seemingly more social than Steve Kolbe. This isn't about blogging or tweeting. This isn't a popularity contest or being a part of the cool kids club. But, it is about knowing the players and being able to share qualitative insights during the broadcast (not robotic stats). Stats play a role and can't be ignored, but I think John Walton will do a much better job of talking about a specific player's development in Hershey, their approach in practice, or anecdotes from the road. This should make the broadcast much more entertaining than a Kolbe broadcast.
4) On the downside, my opinion is that John Walton's voice is just "ok". It is a little gravelly to me. Again, I would take John Walton's voice over Steve Kolbe's any day of the week. But in an absolute sense, I wonder if Caps fans who are new to him will warm to him in this regard. There is a parallel between John Walton's voice and Chuck Kaiton's voice (Carolina Hurricanes) and Chuck Kaiton seems to have his die-hard fans. But that type of voice can go either way. So let's see if Caps fans say "John Walton's voice is better than Steve Kolbe's voice" or if they say "John Walton has a good voice".
5) I am unsure about John Walton's vocabulary - it might be a little too plain. Again, neutral is better than bad. It's not like the guy can't speak English. I'm just saying this might be a missed opportunity for differentiation. His signature call of "Good Morning, Good Afternoon, and Good Night" is again - just "ok" in my book. Not to beat a dead horse, but after years of Steve Kolbe - just "ok" is much preferred to "I wish I could stab my ears out". I don't want Bob Costas calling my games either, mind you. Not every game needs to remind you of the maudlin time your dad whisked you away on the New York subway to see the illustrious Mickey Mantle for your 7th birthday (hey, I tried!). But maybe John Walton could use a little more of that?
6) I also wonder if John Walton enjoyed a psychological lift from the Bears' performance. I mean, the Hershey Bears won 3 Calder Cups while John Walton announced for the team. Let's see if fans hold him in high regard with the Caps continually shitting the bed in the playoffs! I mean, I don't have the study in front of me, but there has to be some correlation between a team's performance and how announcers are viewed.
One announcer who pimps it out? Dave Jageler! Yes, the Nats are up-and-coming, but they still suck. Yet, Dave Jageler is the man! Let's see if John Walton can win over Caps fans despite the Caps underachieving in the playoffs**
**The Caps are of course free to make this a non-issue by winning the Stanley Cup, but I don't want to become the Chief Executive Officer of Fantasy-Land just yet......
Well, so it is. John Walton gets his call to the big leagues. Bravo to him. Do you know him better than me? Chime in! Like I said, I'm not a John Walton expert just yet - just sharing some general impressions.
Let's see if he's "good" or "great" at the NHL level. I'm pulling for him, though. It's been a long time since I've enjoyed listening to a Caps radio broadcast. I don't know what I'll do with myself this season!
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Part 1: Kolbe Gets Canned
I will try to be sensitive throughout this post. When someone loses a job, it is no laughing matter. Heck, right now I know firsthand what it is like to be unemployed. It is certainly not fun. So the goal of this column is not to kick Steve Kolbe while he is down. I imagine the man is a bit shell-shocked by what happened to him.
That being said, I've been waiting for his departure since well, 1997. I never was a fan of his. While he has steadily improved during his time in Washington - I'm of the opinion that his play-by-play skills merely went from God-awful to barely tolerable.
First, let's be clear: his voice is horrible. Even when he is just making his baseline call it is annoying. But then, when he gets excited or screams? It is ear splitting! And he seems to enjoy "burying the needle" as they say. That is never a good idea in the announcing world - and that gets raised to the 10th power when you have Kolbe's voice. So most memorable moments for the Caps over the past 13 or so seasons have been paired with grating radio calls. If you want an example - find his call from when the Caps beat the Rangers in 2009 playoffs (end of Game 7) - and that's an IMPROVED Kolbe......if you really want to punish your ears - go find his call of Joe Juneau's goal in 1998 vs. Buffalo.....
Second, he sounds rehearsed and canned. This has various implications. a) He uses an overabundance of statistics. Some of these are insightful, most of them just fill air time. Probably not his intention, but it came across like he was coasting through parts of the broadcast. He could cut back on the stats and be more conversational (home games) or provide more insight into game strategy (road games) to signal that he knows what is going on. Kolbe turned a strength (i.e., preparation) into a weakness (i.e., sounding rehearsed) and that hurt his credibility in my opinion. b) His signature phrases are delivered awkwardly - and frankly they suck (I'm sorry, but the "cat in the hat" is just moronic). Whether it is a one-off saying or a signature phrase, it has to be delivered with "oomph". When Kolbe wasn't "burying the needle" he was sounding robotic. There was never a solid in-between. c) he just wasn't funny or engaging. now this is a tough one because most sportscasters flood the broadcast with cheesy, douchy humor. You don't want to turn your broadcast into Sportscenter. And Kolbe should be applauded for not doing so. But, his broadcasts were too dry. Again, no sweetspot.
So, if his voice his horrible and he wasn't engaging - was he at least a good at keeping up with the play? Well, that brings me to my third critique of Steve Kolbe:
He was not good at "painting a picture" or describing the action. He often had trouble keeping up with the play (or, he was too busy unloading statistics). I remember one time in 2009 I was listening to a broadcast. I wish I could find the clip but you'll just have to take my word. He literally went from a Jose Theodore save (Caps goalie at the time) to a Washington Capitals goal. There was zero explanation as to how the puck went from one end of the ice to the other. And certainly, if you are watching the play develop you know not to spend too much time fawning over the save because you have to describe a potential goal-in-process. That's just bad all around. And you can't blame the speed of the game on that call. In general though, it seemed like Steve Kolbe was a "minimalist" when describing the action. He either couldn't keep up or didn't feel the need to describe what was going on. Maybe if what he said was interesting he could have gotten away with it. But really, he should have been better at, and done more of, in-game calling. He wasn't the TV guy, he was the radio guy. We needed more from him.
In Summary:
Bad voice, not engaging, not able to describe the play = time to go........
While I am totally in favor of Steve Kolbe being shown the door, that doesn't mean I'm not scratching my head at this decision - or that I don't wish him the best.
I mean, I've thought he's been bad from Day 1. But, the Caps seem to have loved him. The timing of his departure is arbitrary at best. They let him hit the 1,000 game milestone and then they can him? What possibly did he do to get fired? I mean for God's sake, there are enough social media wannabees clogging up Twitter's site (me included!). I know Ted Leonsis is all about social media, but if this is because Steve Kolbe didn't tweet then that's fucking stupid. That's one of the things I respected about Steve Kolbe. Steve recently joined Twitter - perhaps as an effort to save his job, but really he shouldn't have needed to do so. I don't need my play-by-play person to blog or tweet. I need him to call the fucking hockey game!!!! Is that asking too much? Business owners want hockey announcers to be versatile. Screw that! Play-by-play is a unique craft. If you're good at that, you're good enough for me. Augmenting your brand through social media only hides your deficiencies as an announcer.
Then there is the issue of how the Caps handled the job posting and notifying Steve Kolbe. I'll say this much, if you're going to fire someone - be an adult about it and fire them. That seemed like the plan all along. But what did the Caps do? They made Steve Kolbe apply to HIS OWN JOB that wouldn't be his job anymore rather than telling him from the beginning that he wasn't coming back. I'm sorry, that's fucking dick - whether they told him this week that John Walton got the job or sent him a text or didn't tell him anything. Don't tell me Steve Kolbe had a legitimate chance of keeping the job. The fix was in all along. You can't give the guy a proper sendoff? Tell him why he is being let go? Thank him for his years of service? I mean, for all we know Steve Kolbe would have done what you asked him to do. And if it's because he sucked then be an adult and tell him that! As an aside, if this has anything to do with HR policies - then you have the wrong HR policies in place!!! Really, someone in the Caps organization seemingly fucked this up big time......
I am torn as to whether or not to feel sorry for Steve Kolbe, though. On one hand - he did nothing to deserve a classless exit. Like I said at the very top of this post, he is probably shell-shocked. Valued employee one day. Piece of shit the next. Seemingly no real warning as to the change. Yeah, it sucks. And I truly do feel sorry for him. It makes me wonder if the Caps front-office is douchier than they are given credit for. Because this is a shitty way to treat people.
But it's still business. As I know from personal experience - whether you are told you didn't get the job from a classy HR professional (and why) or if you just get cut off from a company that woos you and eagerly interviews you but then ignores you - the fact remains that you didn't get the job - and that's really what sucks. Steve Kolbe got to experience his dream job - something many of us won't get to say. He got 1,000+ more games in the NHL than he deserved. And he got to the NHL without really hacking it out in the AHL (only some time in Portland). His time in Washington was a gift. No matter how shitty the exit, Steve Kolbe has no right to be anything other than thankful.
In closing, I'll throw this out: I recognize I've been hard on Steve Kolbe's abilities. By all accounts, people say he was a class act - a good guy. That should mean something. A lot of play-by-play guys are arrogant pieces of shit - pure assholes (yes, even the ones that sound humble on the air). If you knew them in real life, you'd be astonished and nauseous all at once. The fact that Steve Kolbe has other interests (archery, fishing, drums), lost so much weight, and was respected by his peers is beyond commendable. Character might not let you keep the job, but it still stands for something. Wherever he winds up, I wish him the best. He seems like an interesting guy - someone whose off-air demeanor should be emulated by a lot of people. Hopefully he lands on his feet and finds happiness in the next chapter in his life.
That being said, I've been waiting for his departure since well, 1997. I never was a fan of his. While he has steadily improved during his time in Washington - I'm of the opinion that his play-by-play skills merely went from God-awful to barely tolerable.
First, let's be clear: his voice is horrible. Even when he is just making his baseline call it is annoying. But then, when he gets excited or screams? It is ear splitting! And he seems to enjoy "burying the needle" as they say. That is never a good idea in the announcing world - and that gets raised to the 10th power when you have Kolbe's voice. So most memorable moments for the Caps over the past 13 or so seasons have been paired with grating radio calls. If you want an example - find his call from when the Caps beat the Rangers in 2009 playoffs (end of Game 7) - and that's an IMPROVED Kolbe......if you really want to punish your ears - go find his call of Joe Juneau's goal in 1998 vs. Buffalo.....
Second, he sounds rehearsed and canned. This has various implications. a) He uses an overabundance of statistics. Some of these are insightful, most of them just fill air time. Probably not his intention, but it came across like he was coasting through parts of the broadcast. He could cut back on the stats and be more conversational (home games) or provide more insight into game strategy (road games) to signal that he knows what is going on. Kolbe turned a strength (i.e., preparation) into a weakness (i.e., sounding rehearsed) and that hurt his credibility in my opinion. b) His signature phrases are delivered awkwardly - and frankly they suck (I'm sorry, but the "cat in the hat" is just moronic). Whether it is a one-off saying or a signature phrase, it has to be delivered with "oomph". When Kolbe wasn't "burying the needle" he was sounding robotic. There was never a solid in-between. c) he just wasn't funny or engaging. now this is a tough one because most sportscasters flood the broadcast with cheesy, douchy humor. You don't want to turn your broadcast into Sportscenter. And Kolbe should be applauded for not doing so. But, his broadcasts were too dry. Again, no sweetspot.
So, if his voice his horrible and he wasn't engaging - was he at least a good at keeping up with the play? Well, that brings me to my third critique of Steve Kolbe:
He was not good at "painting a picture" or describing the action. He often had trouble keeping up with the play (or, he was too busy unloading statistics). I remember one time in 2009 I was listening to a broadcast. I wish I could find the clip but you'll just have to take my word. He literally went from a Jose Theodore save (Caps goalie at the time) to a Washington Capitals goal. There was zero explanation as to how the puck went from one end of the ice to the other. And certainly, if you are watching the play develop you know not to spend too much time fawning over the save because you have to describe a potential goal-in-process. That's just bad all around. And you can't blame the speed of the game on that call. In general though, it seemed like Steve Kolbe was a "minimalist" when describing the action. He either couldn't keep up or didn't feel the need to describe what was going on. Maybe if what he said was interesting he could have gotten away with it. But really, he should have been better at, and done more of, in-game calling. He wasn't the TV guy, he was the radio guy. We needed more from him.
In Summary:
Bad voice, not engaging, not able to describe the play = time to go........
While I am totally in favor of Steve Kolbe being shown the door, that doesn't mean I'm not scratching my head at this decision - or that I don't wish him the best.
I mean, I've thought he's been bad from Day 1. But, the Caps seem to have loved him. The timing of his departure is arbitrary at best. They let him hit the 1,000 game milestone and then they can him? What possibly did he do to get fired? I mean for God's sake, there are enough social media wannabees clogging up Twitter's site (me included!). I know Ted Leonsis is all about social media, but if this is because Steve Kolbe didn't tweet then that's fucking stupid. That's one of the things I respected about Steve Kolbe. Steve recently joined Twitter - perhaps as an effort to save his job, but really he shouldn't have needed to do so. I don't need my play-by-play person to blog or tweet. I need him to call the fucking hockey game!!!! Is that asking too much? Business owners want hockey announcers to be versatile. Screw that! Play-by-play is a unique craft. If you're good at that, you're good enough for me. Augmenting your brand through social media only hides your deficiencies as an announcer.
Then there is the issue of how the Caps handled the job posting and notifying Steve Kolbe. I'll say this much, if you're going to fire someone - be an adult about it and fire them. That seemed like the plan all along. But what did the Caps do? They made Steve Kolbe apply to HIS OWN JOB that wouldn't be his job anymore rather than telling him from the beginning that he wasn't coming back. I'm sorry, that's fucking dick - whether they told him this week that John Walton got the job or sent him a text or didn't tell him anything. Don't tell me Steve Kolbe had a legitimate chance of keeping the job. The fix was in all along. You can't give the guy a proper sendoff? Tell him why he is being let go? Thank him for his years of service? I mean, for all we know Steve Kolbe would have done what you asked him to do. And if it's because he sucked then be an adult and tell him that! As an aside, if this has anything to do with HR policies - then you have the wrong HR policies in place!!! Really, someone in the Caps organization seemingly fucked this up big time......
I am torn as to whether or not to feel sorry for Steve Kolbe, though. On one hand - he did nothing to deserve a classless exit. Like I said at the very top of this post, he is probably shell-shocked. Valued employee one day. Piece of shit the next. Seemingly no real warning as to the change. Yeah, it sucks. And I truly do feel sorry for him. It makes me wonder if the Caps front-office is douchier than they are given credit for. Because this is a shitty way to treat people.
But it's still business. As I know from personal experience - whether you are told you didn't get the job from a classy HR professional (and why) or if you just get cut off from a company that woos you and eagerly interviews you but then ignores you - the fact remains that you didn't get the job - and that's really what sucks. Steve Kolbe got to experience his dream job - something many of us won't get to say. He got 1,000+ more games in the NHL than he deserved. And he got to the NHL without really hacking it out in the AHL (only some time in Portland). His time in Washington was a gift. No matter how shitty the exit, Steve Kolbe has no right to be anything other than thankful.
In closing, I'll throw this out: I recognize I've been hard on Steve Kolbe's abilities. By all accounts, people say he was a class act - a good guy. That should mean something. A lot of play-by-play guys are arrogant pieces of shit - pure assholes (yes, even the ones that sound humble on the air). If you knew them in real life, you'd be astonished and nauseous all at once. The fact that Steve Kolbe has other interests (archery, fishing, drums), lost so much weight, and was respected by his peers is beyond commendable. Character might not let you keep the job, but it still stands for something. Wherever he winds up, I wish him the best. He seems like an interesting guy - someone whose off-air demeanor should be emulated by a lot of people. Hopefully he lands on his feet and finds happiness in the next chapter in his life.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Brouwer Signs - Alzner Next - Then What?
As George McPhee continues his business process redesign of the Washington Capitals, another domino fell on Wednesday. RFA Troy Brouwer signed a 2-year deal with the Caps at $2.35M per year.
But there is no rest for the weary George McPhee. And there certainly is no end in sight for the over analyzing I am doing about the Caps' capology.
With Brouwer signed, Capgeek now has the Caps at a full 23-man roster. The wonderful site also says that the Caps are roughly $1.8M above the salary cap.
But Tom Poti is on the roster. And, again, he is all but LTIR'd. He has to be. So you take his $2.875M out of the equation and all of a sudden the Caps are about $1M under.
Of course, Karl Alzner still needs to be signed. If you look back to my last post, I have him pegged at the $2M to $2.3M range.
Now, I was a little high with my $3M guess for Brouwer. Hopefully, I am a little high on my Alzner assumption as well.
The point is this: any money given to Karl Alzner that exceeds $1M will put the Washington Capitals above the salary cap. And, in theory, once he is signed and Poti is LTIR'd, the Caps are at their "ideal roster".
So unless George McPhee signs Alzner for under $1M (highly doubtful) - someone needs to go. And is there anyone who can "go" and shed enough salary without significantly altering the quality of the roster?
I go through some of this in my last post, but if you get rid of a guy like Semin who has a large contract, you are significantly reducing the offensive talent.
And if you get rid of a less expensive guy like Chimera or Fehr (who aren't as talented as Semin) - you still have to replace them on the roster. So there is only a minor net cap savings in the end if you move one of these guys.
Further, it is one thing for George McPhee to get the Caps under the cap by the time the season rolls around.
But is it healthy to be right at the salary cap - or does there need to be a buffer (say, $5M) between the Caps' payroll and the salary cap in case they need to make a move during the season?
Only time will tell. But, I fear that if the Caps are just at the salary cap and then someone like Semin (if still on team), Ward, or Laich is proven unworthy of their contract - the Caps are up a creek without a paddle.
These guys become virtually untradeable. Only one of those three guys are on a short term contract. Can you seriously see the Caps burying Joel Ward (fresh off signing a 4-year deal) or Brooks Laich (6-year deal) in Hershey?
And if you bury Semin in Hershey for the season - then you've got to use a high draft pick to get some talent back. Because Semin may have issues, but you can't just drop his ass off the roster and have the Caps be the same team......
Anyway, we'll just wait and see what happens with Alzner and the subsequent fallout. But I have a feeling things could get very, very dicey once we know what Alzner is making this season.
Either the Caps will have to say goodbye to someone who they'd prefer not to - or they'll be right at the salary cap with little-to-no margin for error.
Who says that the summer isn't interesting?
But there is no rest for the weary George McPhee. And there certainly is no end in sight for the over analyzing I am doing about the Caps' capology.
With Brouwer signed, Capgeek now has the Caps at a full 23-man roster. The wonderful site also says that the Caps are roughly $1.8M above the salary cap.
But Tom Poti is on the roster. And, again, he is all but LTIR'd. He has to be. So you take his $2.875M out of the equation and all of a sudden the Caps are about $1M under.
Of course, Karl Alzner still needs to be signed. If you look back to my last post, I have him pegged at the $2M to $2.3M range.
Now, I was a little high with my $3M guess for Brouwer. Hopefully, I am a little high on my Alzner assumption as well.
The point is this: any money given to Karl Alzner that exceeds $1M will put the Washington Capitals above the salary cap. And, in theory, once he is signed and Poti is LTIR'd, the Caps are at their "ideal roster".
So unless George McPhee signs Alzner for under $1M (highly doubtful) - someone needs to go. And is there anyone who can "go" and shed enough salary without significantly altering the quality of the roster?
I go through some of this in my last post, but if you get rid of a guy like Semin who has a large contract, you are significantly reducing the offensive talent.
And if you get rid of a less expensive guy like Chimera or Fehr (who aren't as talented as Semin) - you still have to replace them on the roster. So there is only a minor net cap savings in the end if you move one of these guys.
Further, it is one thing for George McPhee to get the Caps under the cap by the time the season rolls around.
But is it healthy to be right at the salary cap - or does there need to be a buffer (say, $5M) between the Caps' payroll and the salary cap in case they need to make a move during the season?
Only time will tell. But, I fear that if the Caps are just at the salary cap and then someone like Semin (if still on team), Ward, or Laich is proven unworthy of their contract - the Caps are up a creek without a paddle.
These guys become virtually untradeable. Only one of those three guys are on a short term contract. Can you seriously see the Caps burying Joel Ward (fresh off signing a 4-year deal) or Brooks Laich (6-year deal) in Hershey?
And if you bury Semin in Hershey for the season - then you've got to use a high draft pick to get some talent back. Because Semin may have issues, but you can't just drop his ass off the roster and have the Caps be the same team......
Anyway, we'll just wait and see what happens with Alzner and the subsequent fallout. But I have a feeling things could get very, very dicey once we know what Alzner is making this season.
Either the Caps will have to say goodbye to someone who they'd prefer not to - or they'll be right at the salary cap with little-to-no margin for error.
Who says that the summer isn't interesting?
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Summer Thoughts
Yesterday was July 4th, our country's 235th birthday. And it was two months ago yesterday that the Caps' 2010-2011 season ended. The Lightning swept the Caps. Just as the Caps breezed through (kind of) the Rangers in 5 games and fans started to think that maybe this playoff season would be different - it wasn't.
So the Caps hit the golf course early (or "on-schedule" depending on your opinion) and the Boston Bruins did what we wanted to do. I personally think it would have been much more fun to read about Alex Ovechkin and Brooks Laich splitting a $100,000 bottle of Ace of Spades champagne, but whatever.
One thing is for certain: this isn't the summer of 2010. I don't think anybody will catch George McPhee saying "I don't want 5 off days to ruin our plan" this summer. As we all know, he has been quite busy thus far. Holy shit has he been busy.
And the consensus is (rightfully so) that George McPhee has done a helluva job thus far -- especially in net. But seemingly some fans have gotten carried away and are already beginning to mutter the "c-word" (no, not that one ladies). I meant "contender". Or maybe even "Cup".
As good of a job George McPhee has done thus far, it is wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy too early to start saying shit like "This is the year".
Has George McPhee pulled off some A+ moves this summer? Yes. Without question. Is the team better? Yes. Absolutely.
But are we going to dominate this year? I would argue that remains to be seen. Here are some concerns:
* When all is said-and-done this summer, the Capitals will most likely either be at-the-cap or barely below it. That leaves very little margin for error in George McPhee's moves. He will have a hard time addressing any problems uncovered during the regular season.
* While I like our top-7 defensemen very much (sub Alzner for Poti), it starts to get murky once you hit defenseman #8 (Sean Collins). One injury come playoff time and that could screw-up everything. See Dennis Wideman this past year. Just a gut feeling, but I get scared when I think about just having 6 of our 7 top d-men healthy. Something about being able to rest capable d-men on occasion makes me comfortable. Maybe this is a common concern among NHL teams, but it still applies to the Caps......
* Ultimately, what we are changing with our forwards is "character" and "leadership". That makes sense to some degree. And many would like to believe that is a damning indictment of just Alexander Semin. But Semin isn't the captain and he's not the coach. You get my drift?
* When we start publicly blabbing about what system we think will win us a Stanley Cup, we look amateurish and predictable. Honestly, when it comes to systems, I don't think we have a frickin' clue what we are doing. One minute we are offensive, the next minute we are defensive. Guess what? Neither worked.
* So that leaves our coach, Bruce Boudreau, and our top offensive talent of Alex Ovechkin, Nick Backstrom, and Alex Semin. There is still some disconnect there. God forbid, we have the wrong "top-talent". Or maybe the "top-talent" isn't being harnessed properly. This all needs to be figured out if we are going to have any shot at a Cup. And I think it is a little more complicated than trading Alex Semin. My biggest fear is that if it is the coach, we won't know until another catastrophic, early playoff exit. And if we don't get our coaching/top-talent/system situation figured out til next summer - that does us no good.
* Mike Knuble is old! And he had an o-k season last time around. While there is no long-term exposure to him, I don't know how productive he will be this season as a top-6 forward.
* The Brooks Laich deal and the Joel Ward deal could go either way. Only time will tell if these were savvy moves or if GMGM grossly overpaid for them. In many ways this depends on the coach/system/top-talent issue I talked about earlier. I like both Laich/Ward, but again, that only gets you so far......
* Tomas Vokoun is ultimatey unproven in the playoffs. While a helluva pickup, we really don't know if he has playoff "nerves of steel". I would like to think he does. We really just don't know.
Where we are and Where we are going:
* According to Capgeek, we have $544,872 of cap space with a roster of 22 people. We need to shift a couple people around and add a 23rd person to get a more accurate reading.
* Goaltending is fine - in many ways. But specifically, I mean that it is accurate on capgeek. Vokoun and Neuvirth are our guys.
* On D: Swap out Poti with Alzner. Add Sean Collins.
* The 23rd person on our team (for my calculations) will be defenseman #8, Sean Collins. Tom Poti is LTIR'd. I would argue we can re-sign Karl Alzner and add Sean Collins ($525,000) for the price of Tom Poti ($2.875M).
* So, on defense, while the people change a bit, generally speaking, we are talking no net change in cap space allotment.
* On O: Take out D.J. King and Jay Beagle. Add Troy Brouwer. And for now, add Mattias Sjogren.
* The 13th forward might wind up being Beagle or Cody Eakin. But, Sjogren has the highest salary ($900k) so I'll use him.
* Initial money available = $544,872 cap space + 637,500 King + 512,500 Beagle = $1,694,872
* Subracting 900k Sjogren = $794,872 available to sign Troy Brouwer
* That's obviously not going to happen. So, assuming $3M for Troy Brouwer, we'll be over the cap by $2.2M or so. Hopefully, Brouwer is signed for a little less than that? We shall see.....
Who gets shipped:
* Semin is most likely candidate. But you can't just trade him for picks. There goes the talent. You have to get some decent, immediate talent ($3M in salary) in return for Semin.
* Any salary picked up from incoming player will obviously eat at the cap savings. So, in a good trade, you are probably only saving 3.5M in cap space by trading Semin.
* Even if the Caps trade Semin, they'll still probably be "right at the cap" or ~$1M under it. Is that really where we want to be heading into the season?
* So then what? Trade Mike Green? Chimera? Fehr? Knuble? How close to the cap is McPhee willing to be during the regular season? At what point does it affect the quality of our current roster?
* And, of course, this all assumes Semin is tradeable. What if no team wants him? How the hell are we going to shed salary then?
* We shall see, but my point is that the Caps "cap situation" is a bit more dicey than I would have originally thought.
In summary:
I like what McPhee has done thus far. The moves have either made the team grittier or more talented. The team is better than when it got its ass-whooped by Tampa Bay in the 2nd round.
But, there is still some more juggling to do. And I would argue that it is the upcoming trade and juggling (not what has already been done) that will determine whether or not McPhee had a successful summer.
I am excited for the upcoming season. It is filled with lots of potential and promise. But then again, aren't they all at this time of year?
We'll see what happens. Get excited. But don't go planning any parades just yet. Long way to go......
So the Caps hit the golf course early (or "on-schedule" depending on your opinion) and the Boston Bruins did what we wanted to do. I personally think it would have been much more fun to read about Alex Ovechkin and Brooks Laich splitting a $100,000 bottle of Ace of Spades champagne, but whatever.
One thing is for certain: this isn't the summer of 2010. I don't think anybody will catch George McPhee saying "I don't want 5 off days to ruin our plan" this summer. As we all know, he has been quite busy thus far. Holy shit has he been busy.
And the consensus is (rightfully so) that George McPhee has done a helluva job thus far -- especially in net. But seemingly some fans have gotten carried away and are already beginning to mutter the "c-word" (no, not that one ladies). I meant "contender". Or maybe even "Cup".
As good of a job George McPhee has done thus far, it is wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy too early to start saying shit like "This is the year".
Has George McPhee pulled off some A+ moves this summer? Yes. Without question. Is the team better? Yes. Absolutely.
But are we going to dominate this year? I would argue that remains to be seen. Here are some concerns:
* When all is said-and-done this summer, the Capitals will most likely either be at-the-cap or barely below it. That leaves very little margin for error in George McPhee's moves. He will have a hard time addressing any problems uncovered during the regular season.
* While I like our top-7 defensemen very much (sub Alzner for Poti), it starts to get murky once you hit defenseman #8 (Sean Collins). One injury come playoff time and that could screw-up everything. See Dennis Wideman this past year. Just a gut feeling, but I get scared when I think about just having 6 of our 7 top d-men healthy. Something about being able to rest capable d-men on occasion makes me comfortable. Maybe this is a common concern among NHL teams, but it still applies to the Caps......
* Ultimately, what we are changing with our forwards is "character" and "leadership". That makes sense to some degree. And many would like to believe that is a damning indictment of just Alexander Semin. But Semin isn't the captain and he's not the coach. You get my drift?
* When we start publicly blabbing about what system we think will win us a Stanley Cup, we look amateurish and predictable. Honestly, when it comes to systems, I don't think we have a frickin' clue what we are doing. One minute we are offensive, the next minute we are defensive. Guess what? Neither worked.
* So that leaves our coach, Bruce Boudreau, and our top offensive talent of Alex Ovechkin, Nick Backstrom, and Alex Semin. There is still some disconnect there. God forbid, we have the wrong "top-talent". Or maybe the "top-talent" isn't being harnessed properly. This all needs to be figured out if we are going to have any shot at a Cup. And I think it is a little more complicated than trading Alex Semin. My biggest fear is that if it is the coach, we won't know until another catastrophic, early playoff exit. And if we don't get our coaching/top-talent/system situation figured out til next summer - that does us no good.
* Mike Knuble is old! And he had an o-k season last time around. While there is no long-term exposure to him, I don't know how productive he will be this season as a top-6 forward.
* The Brooks Laich deal and the Joel Ward deal could go either way. Only time will tell if these were savvy moves or if GMGM grossly overpaid for them. In many ways this depends on the coach/system/top-talent issue I talked about earlier. I like both Laich/Ward, but again, that only gets you so far......
* Tomas Vokoun is ultimatey unproven in the playoffs. While a helluva pickup, we really don't know if he has playoff "nerves of steel". I would like to think he does. We really just don't know.
Where we are and Where we are going:
* According to Capgeek, we have $544,872 of cap space with a roster of 22 people. We need to shift a couple people around and add a 23rd person to get a more accurate reading.
Goaltending and Defense:
* Goaltending is fine - in many ways. But specifically, I mean that it is accurate on capgeek. Vokoun and Neuvirth are our guys.
* On D: Swap out Poti with Alzner. Add Sean Collins.
* The 23rd person on our team (for my calculations) will be defenseman #8, Sean Collins. Tom Poti is LTIR'd. I would argue we can re-sign Karl Alzner and add Sean Collins ($525,000) for the price of Tom Poti ($2.875M).
* So, on defense, while the people change a bit, generally speaking, we are talking no net change in cap space allotment.
Offense:
* On O: Take out D.J. King and Jay Beagle. Add Troy Brouwer. And for now, add Mattias Sjogren.
* The 13th forward might wind up being Beagle or Cody Eakin. But, Sjogren has the highest salary ($900k) so I'll use him.
* Initial money available = $544,872 cap space + 637,500 King + 512,500 Beagle = $1,694,872
* Subracting 900k Sjogren = $794,872 available to sign Troy Brouwer
* That's obviously not going to happen. So, assuming $3M for Troy Brouwer, we'll be over the cap by $2.2M or so. Hopefully, Brouwer is signed for a little less than that? We shall see.....
Who gets shipped:
* Semin is most likely candidate. But you can't just trade him for picks. There goes the talent. You have to get some decent, immediate talent ($3M in salary) in return for Semin.
* Any salary picked up from incoming player will obviously eat at the cap savings. So, in a good trade, you are probably only saving 3.5M in cap space by trading Semin.
* Even if the Caps trade Semin, they'll still probably be "right at the cap" or ~$1M under it. Is that really where we want to be heading into the season?
* So then what? Trade Mike Green? Chimera? Fehr? Knuble? How close to the cap is McPhee willing to be during the regular season? At what point does it affect the quality of our current roster?
* And, of course, this all assumes Semin is tradeable. What if no team wants him? How the hell are we going to shed salary then?
* We shall see, but my point is that the Caps "cap situation" is a bit more dicey than I would have originally thought.
In summary:
I like what McPhee has done thus far. The moves have either made the team grittier or more talented. The team is better than when it got its ass-whooped by Tampa Bay in the 2nd round.
But, there is still some more juggling to do. And I would argue that it is the upcoming trade and juggling (not what has already been done) that will determine whether or not McPhee had a successful summer.
I am excited for the upcoming season. It is filled with lots of potential and promise. But then again, aren't they all at this time of year?
We'll see what happens. Get excited. But don't go planning any parades just yet. Long way to go......
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