News Article: 2013-14 News & Notes

[CapitalsCupReality]

Didn't Katie tweet a few days ago confirming that Ovi, Backy, and Carlson all want Oates to stay?

Because Inmates running the asylum has worked so well in the past. It's beyond frustrating for this fan.

 

[txpd]

I believe so, and to that I say again, that's the EXACT reason why he should be fired, on top of his **** coaching abilities. NO MORE country club ******** atmosphere in Washington.

quite often after a coach that we all know had lost the team gets fired, the players all say they didn't want him fired, they wanted him to stay, that it was all on the players.

this is just basic media management.

who were the players that refused exit interviews?

 

[txpd]

I am not sure where to stick this link but I haven't seen any comment on it.

http://p.washingtontimes.com/news/2...s-major-challenge-finding-someone-w/?page=all

 

[BrooklynCapsFan]

I am not sure where to stick this link but I haven't seen any comment on it.

http://p.washingtontimes.com/news/2...s-major-challenge-finding-someone-w/?page=all

I really hate articles like that. It is so lazy to say that any of this mess is on Ovechkin.

McPhee isn't getting fired because of Ovechkin. He's not even getting fired for failing to build a system and team identity -which he hasn't. He is getting fired because he never even iced a finished team.

Ovechkin has been saddled with horrible teams and expected to win the Cup. Patrick Kane gets Keith, Seabrook and Hjalmerssssssson. Ovechkin gets Morrisonn, Schultz and Jurcina. Crosby gets Malkin and Neal. Ovechkin gets Johansson and Fehr.

Lazy, sloppy journalism.

 

[Capsman]

I really hate articles like that. It is so lazy to say that any of this mess is on Ovechkin.

McPhee isn't getting fired because of Ovechkin. He's not even getting fired for failing to build a system and team identity -which he hasn't. He is getting fired because he never even iced a finished team.

Ovechkin has been saddled with horrible teams and expected to win the Cup. Patrick Kane gets Keith, Seabrook and Hjalmerssssssson. Ovechkin gets Morrisonn, Schultz and Jurcina. Crosby gets Malkin and Neal. Ovechkin gets Johansson and Fehr.

Lazy, sloppy journalism.

Seriously? You pick the best from the other team and the worst from our team to make a point? OV has not been saddled with horrible teams. Backstrom, Green, Semin, and even Knuble were not chump change. Laich a few seasons ago was not chump change. I want McPhee gone too but let's be reasonable here.

 

[RandyHolt]

I heard Rissling had a good year. A bloodline pick to boot.

So what does George do, move him for a lowly 7th, versus re-signing him. Wait let me guess, he wasn't mobile enough. As if mobility has worked for us.

There is no reason to retain George at this point. Fishmah can be interim GM. Anybody but George. What's the risk for a new vision?

He lacks team building skills and thus should not be making any further decisions, even ones fans consider petty. I do not trust him to grade our prospects since he cannot even figure out how to build a team. This past year too the cake proof positive how clueless he has become.

 

[Calicaps]

Poile keeps coming back to the well, and why not? GMGM must look a lot like a pork chop to him at this point.

 

[usiel]

I heard Rissling had a good year. A bloodline pick to boot.

So what does George do, move him for a lowly 7th, versus re-signing him. Wait let me guess, he wasn't mobile enough. As if mobility has worked for us.

There is no reason to retain George at this point. Fishmah can be interim GM. Anybody but George. What's the risk for a new vision?

He lacks team building skills and thus should not be making any further decisions, even ones fans consider petty. I do not trust him to grade our prospects since he cannot even figure out how to build a team. This past year too the cake proof positive how clueless he has become.

So Rissling be traded is yet another black mark vs GMGM...regardless of my sentiment of GMGM needing to go this is a paper man argument.

 

[fedfed]

So Rissling be traded is yet another black mark vs GMGM...regardless of my sentiment of GMGM needing to go this is a paper man argument.

That's crazy talk. I think there was like 10% chance Rissling would ever become an NHL player. GMGM probably thought it was less, and he might be right.

Anyway, Rissling would be Erskine 2.0, which is, you know, not what I'd wanna see from our 3rd pairing D. I'd much rather take my chances with Djoos if that's what it came down to.

Also, Caps have a faster, more offensively competent version of Rissling in Tyler Lewington.

 

[RandyHolt]

The bigger problem is that George is still making decisions. You'd rather take your chance with another 7th rounder, which is basically a walk on. Fine

I would rather have a new GM actually start focusing on developing prospects versus stubbornly sticking to a failed vision. Why did he draft Rissling in the first place? Was it the name? No more diminutive puck movers available?

The discussion is not about Rissling. It's George. The paper is written on him.

 

[fedfed]

The bigger problem is that George is still making decisions. You'd rather take your chance with another 7th rounder, which is basically a walk on. Fine

I would rather have a new GM actually start focusing on developing prospects versus stubbornly sticking to a failed vision. Why did he draft Rissling in the first place? Was it the name? No more diminutive puck movers available?

The discussion is not about Rissling. It's George. The paper is written on him.

I just think you picked the wrong example to show George's incompetence.

Everyone has bad picks. Most 7th rounders don't make it to the NHL. The fact that GM's got that value back is actually good for him, he didn't just waste that 7th rounder.

Talking about diminutive puck-movers... watch the playoffs. Team that play fast have an advantage. Fast blueliners have an advantage. Last year, who was one of the best players on the Bruins team? Torey Krug, as dimunitive as they get. If you want the Caps blueline to contain six John Erskines, well... that won't get them far.

 

[fedfed]

I don't get the obsession with size. This year, two heaviest NHL teams (Caps and Jets, yes, Caps are the first) and two tallest (Jets and Sens) didn't make the playoffs. Meanwhile, the annual contenders Blackhawks are 29th in average weight. Pens are 25th and 26th in weight and height respectively.

I'd rather have smart, fast and hard-working team than big.

 

[trick9]

I don't get the obsession with size. This year, two heaviest NHL teams (Caps and Jets, yes, Caps are the first) and two tallest (Jets and Sens) didn't make the playoffs. Meanwhile, the annual contenders Blackhawks are 29th in average weight. Pens are 25th and 26th in weight and height respectively.

I'd rather have smart, fast and hard-working team than big.

In my opinion this team is built pretty badly because, as you said, they are the heaviest team in the league but yet their defense must be among the smallest. Erskine and Strachan are pretty much the only big D's there are and they are both AHL-quality. Carlson and Alzner have pretty good size while still being mobile and they aren't the issue. Same can be said about Orlov. But having behind them combination of Carrick, Schmidt, Wey, Brouillette, Hillen and Green is pretty worrying. If you want to build a heavy team then built it from the D in. I'm not saying none of those smaller D's should be in the line-up but right now there are no D's that can actually clear the crease. If you get into the playoffs with this kind of D it's bound to cause problems because every team in the league addresses it as a weakness and target your D's every single game. It has been a problem in the past for Green and i could imagine it would eventually turn out to be a problem for many of the others too.

 

[txpd]

The bigger problem is that George is still making decisions. You'd rather take your chance with another 7th rounder, which is basically a walk on. Fine

I would rather have a new GM actually start focusing on developing prospects versus stubbornly sticking to a failed vision. Why did he draft Rissling in the first place? Was it the name? No more diminutive puck movers available?

The discussion is not about Rissling. It's George. The paper is written on him.

a. nobody here knows the dynamics of the situation inside the capitals. did George make that decision? would that have always been a decision made by someone he supervises and would only sign off on? was that on a known list of business that needed to be taken care off that leonsis or Patrick are signing off on?

b. is this something you would rather see drop thru the cracks because McPhee has not been fired yet and/or a new gm had not been hired as yet?

the caps didn't extend halak for 5 years. they traded a player the organEYEzation apparently has decided to pass on.

would you suggest that if this rissling thing was time sensitive that if it has to happen this week that caps should decide right now on a gm so it can be done?

 

[txpd]

In my opinion this team is built pretty badly because, as you said, they are the heaviest team in the league but yet their defense must be among the smallest. Erskine and Strachan are pretty much the only big D's there are and they are both AHL-quality. Carlson and Alzner have pretty good size while still being mobile and they aren't the issue. Same can be said about Orlov. But having behind them combination of Carrick, Schmidt, Wey, Brouillette, Hillen and Green is pretty worrying. If you want to build a heavy team then built it from the D in. I'm not saying none of those smaller D's should be in the line-up but right now there are no D's that can actually clear the crease. If you get into the playoffs with this kind of D it's bound to cause problems because every team in the league addresses it as a weakness and target your D's every single game. It has been a problem in the past for Green and i could imagine it would eventually turn out to be a problem for many of the others too.

Wey is bigger than Orlov. Green is heavier than Orlov. The Caps defense is not really small or light weight. They are just not physical.

 

[fedfed]

Wey is bigger than Orlov. Green is heavier than Orlov. The Caps defense is not really small or light weight. They are just not physical.

Wey is pretty physical though. I can remember him laying out a few big hits this season, One, of course, led to that fight with Clune.

He just doesn't overplay that side of his game, taking reliable play over big hits (which is the right approach for that type of player).

IMO, Caps have five defensemen who are okay in their roles. It's one missing piece that ruins the whole picture, bumps the players from lower on the depth chart up, etc.

Alzner - Carlson
------- - Green
Orlov - Wey

Then they have a supporting crew of Carrick, Schmidt, Kundratek, which is not too bad either.

 

[txpd]

I meant that as an overall. the caps defense corp is not undersized. when green wants to he can deliver huge hits. he can be out muscled by bigger forwards, but they have to be big. Wey was listed on that list because, I guess, that someone thought he was small because he got knocked out in a fight.

there are others that think Carlson is small because he is a puck mover and Alzner small because he doesn't throw his weight around.

edit: I agree on the basics. the Caps need a solid veteran mid lineup defense first defenseman for the top 4. I disagree that Green fits in the role Oates had him playing at the cap hit he is making. I guess two things will be changing. Ov goes back to left wing and Green goes back to the power play. if Green doesn't return to the primary pp, he needs to be traded.

 

[strungout]

I'm not sure the average size of the St Louis blue line....but all their guys look so big and with long sticks on the ice compared to the Caps. It's rather depressing.

 

[BobRouse]

I'm starting to get thirsty for blood. Heads need to roll here soon.

On behalf of Caps fans I demand we get a sacrifice!!! At least a random guy on the medical staff! Comon' Ted!

 

[txpd]

I'm not sure the average size of the St Louis blue line....but all their guys look so big and with long sticks on the ice compared to the Caps. It's rather depressing.

actually, they only have two guys over 6ft. bouwmeester and pietrangelo. the rest are 5-11 and 6ft

 

[strungout]

actually, they only have two guys over 6ft. bouwmeester and pietrangelo. the rest are 5-11 and 6ft

They sure as **** play bigger on the ice. I love watching that group play.

 

[BrooklynCapsFan]

They sure as **** play bigger on the ice. I love watching that group play.

As a whole, they're the best defensive unit in the league and will be for years to come. And it took enormous balls to trade Johnson to build that group.

 

[txpd]

They sure as **** play bigger on the ice. I love watching that group play.

I think shattenkirk is carrick sized. one of the 6ft guys is 236lbs.

 

[Chokingdogs]

chief related story.....made me chuckle, and long for the days of pre-cindy hockey....

edit...i knew something wasnt right, whoever wrote the 90-93 timeline was a little off, that or the whole story is a nice fabrication. lol

http://www.broadstreethockey.com/201...y-punch-flyers

Jeremy Roenick was on WIP on Monday, and he told the story of when Craig Berube punched him in the face in the Flyers locker room. It all started at some point between 1990 and 1993, when Chief was a tough guy with the Flyers and Roenick was a young star with the Blackhawks, and it ended a decade later when both were in Philadelphia.Here's the story, as told by Roenick:
***
Back when I played for the Hawks, I ran Ron Hextall in the crease and Holmgren wasn't very happy with me. Sent Berube out to teach me a lesson.
So he chased me around for a period and he finally caught me in the third period and he challenged me to a fight, kind of grabbed me.
When a super star gets grabbed back then, everybody jumps in so it became a five-on-five melee. The referee grabs Craig's arms and kind of has him in an arm lock but my right arm is totally free. So I had this choice to make. Do I hit him -- you know, defenseless guy -- or do I not?
Well, being a young guy and this guys much bigger than me, I chose to slug him, and I spin him so hard.
For two or three years, every time we played the Flyers, every time I would jump on the ice, Craig would stand up on the bench and start yelling at one of his players to get off the ice because he wanted to get on the ice to chase me around. He would jump on the ice and chase me around and I would skate to the bench, and he would skate right to the bench and say "JR, I'm gonna *** catch you, I'm gonna beat the tar out of you, I'm gonna get you one of these days." He did it for like two or three years.
So fast forward to when I'm in Philly and they hire Chief to a minor league contract where he's gonna be player/coach. And the Phantoms locker room and the Flyers locker room, they're connected together. Chief obviously feels very comfortable because he's been part of the organization for a long time.
So he comes into the Flyers locker room where I'm getting ready and was just hangin out in the locker room and I go "Hey, Chief, what's goin' on?" and he goes "Hey JR, what's goin on-- BOOM." Just slugs me. Just cracks me. And I kinda went down on one knee and I get up and he goes "I told ya I'd get ya."
And believe it or not, we played golf later that day. With me, Boosh, Tocc and Chief.

 

[Hivemind]

I think shattenkirk is carrick sized. one of the 6ft guys is 236lbs.

Shattenkirk isn't big, but he's much bigger than Carrick. He's got 1-2" and about 20 lbs. on Carrick. Carrick can close the gap a bit as his frame fills out, though.