GDT: B's @ Caps, 12:30 PM EST, Phone Booth

[JenniferH]

For most of the year Ovechkin has been stuck on the WRONG SIDE of a line with two lazy Swedes, one of whom is where pucks go to die while the other is addicted to drive-by pokechecks and unnecessary saucer passes. Now his center is a guy who may not even be an AHL All Star and who hits his linemates with his body more than his passes.

The Caps top line has to be the worst in the league overall at even strength. He has no help out there, and his coach is a ****ing idiot.

Ovechkin has done what every coach has asked of him (with very little complaint all things considered) and most of it has been STUPID **** that is 100% the opposite of what shot him to the top of the league early in his career. It's a tragic waste.

I don't agree that Backstrom (or Mojo) for that matter is lazy, I think like Ovi they are doing what their (soarking) coach is telling them to do, but other than that, I agree with all of this. Ovi is doing what he's told to do.

I blame GMGM; I blame Oates and his utterly ineffectual, awful coaching staff. They may have been great players, but great coaching staff they most emphatically are not. It's not on the players, I'm at the point where I'm done pointing fingers at any of these players (especially the ones that we know are capable of greatness because we've seen them do great), I'm pointing the finger at Oates and his inept crew of towering coaching craptitude and figuring that whatever failures we're seeing on ice with the players is down to the grand coaching techniques from Oates and his brain trust.

 

[ChibiPooky]

Oh also:

First goal was on Carlson. Horrible read.

Oates is gawful, but Carlyle is even worse in terms of puck possession. Do not want. Personally, I'd like to see Ted burn the organization to the ground and start from scratch (everyone below Patrick, that is, since he's obviously there for life).

 

[Calicaps]

Oh also:

First goal was on Carlson. Horrible read.

Oates is gawful, but Carlyle is even worse in terms of puck possession. Do not want. Personally, I'd like to see Ted burn the organization to the ground and start from scratch (everyone below Patrick, that is, since he's obviously there for life).

Ditto. And the more I think of it, the more I think missing the playoffs is the best thing for this core roster for two reasons:

First, they've made it these last few years (and BB's first year) through a combo of late season heroics and the false comeptition of the Southleast. It's all created the impression that they're better than they are, but also that getting to the playoffs qualifies as a win of some kind, an end rather than a beginning. Missing would be a much-needed reality check and might help to break the illusion that you only have to play good hockey for a few weeks in March.

Second, and somewhat contradictorily, I don't think another humiliating first round flame out will do them, especially Ovie, anything but harm. They've endured a lot of losing when it counts, and Alex in particular suffers the constant critique of not being championship material. It's clear they aren't any kind of contenders this year so the playoffs promise the misery of failure without any real opportunity for success.

In sum, they could benefit from the lessons of missing the playoffs whereas making it and being once again not good enough will do nothing but possibly demoralize them.

/late-night musings...

 

[PuckBuddy]

Remember that time that a generational hockey talent in the prime of his career was playing on a line with Jay Beagle and Marcus Johansson? ...And Jason Chimera/Eric Fehr/Joel Ward was the only functional 5-on-5 scoring threat?

 

[JenniferH]

In sum, they could benefit from the lessons of missing the playoffs whereas making it and being once again not good enough will do nothing but possibly demoralize them.

/late-night musings...

I don't disagree with this. As much as I want to enjoy the possible fun of Capitals playoff hockey, you have a very valid point here. And honestly anything that could possibly lead to the departure of GMGM and Oates and his coaching staff of craptitude works for me.

 

[fsnoles98]

This organization is a train wreck. No one has a clue on what the other is doing. I would say the coaching is sound, but not the style for these type of players and absolutely NO EMOTION. Goaltending and defense are at a low standard and GMGM has no direction with this team. 2 years ago, I thought it was a "win now" mentality, now, who the hell knows.

Burn it down and build it back up.

 

[marcel snapshot]

Good post CCF. They need a cold bracing dose of reality - of just how far away from the promised land they are.

I would have thought the way that Boston absolutely mauled the Rangers in the 2nd round last year (after management once again played the bad luck/bad calls/opposing goalie too good card to explain away the Rangers loss) would have woken them up to just how NOT CLOSE to a quality team they were.

Obviously not - GMGM and Ted trying to publicly fool the fan base at the beginning of this year that a team with a defense corps/team defense level that is maybe slightly better than the Carolina Hurricanes could compete for the Cup is up there at Baghdad Bob level of delusion/misinformation.

And now they're stripped of the crutch that if they could just get the old goal-scoring Ovie back, they'll be fine. If this season is not a rebuke to that canard, then they belong in an insane asylum.

I'm not rooting for them to tank, but I am scoping out who my back-up rooting interests for the playoffs will be.

 

[KevinM]

Remember that time that a generational hockey talent in the prime of his career was playing on a line with Jay Beagle and Marcus Johansson? ...And Jason Chimera/Eric Fehr/Joel Ward was the only functional 5-on-5 scoring threat?

Yeah, but I'm glad all that is behind us now!

 

[Ralonzo]

Imagine my surprise when the clock radio went off this morning, and the sports report was "Even though they had a 3-goal lead, the Washington Capitals ended up losing to the Boston Bruins, 4-2"

 

[ChibiPooky]

Imagine my surprise when the clock radio went off this morning, and the sports report was "Even though they had a 3-goal lead, the Washington Capitals ended up losing to the Boston Bruins, 4-2"

The Bruins had a 3-goal lead.

 

[BobRouse]

This organization is a train wreck. No one has a clue on what the other is doing. I would say the coaching is sound, but not the style for these type of players and absolutely NO EMOTION. Goaltending and defense are at a low standard and GMGM has no direction with this team. 2 years ago, I thought it was a "win now" mentality, now, who the hell knows.

Burn it down and build it back up.

The lack of emotion is disturbing but as others have said...it goes along with the even keeled nature of Oates. Wilson was a tactical guy too (much like Oates) and they would rather have the team play on an intellectual level without emotion to cloud their thinking. Big mistake in my book.

I'd be ok with a rebuild but it doesn't have to be burnt down. We have plenty of good young players that could thrive under the proper guidance.