GDT: Capitals vs. Panthers. 7:30pm. BB&T Center. 4.6.2013

[marcel snapshot]

Fuggin clown Panther broadcasters - "Gudbranson finishes his check", my arse. Erat passes the puck, the puck is on the D guy's stick at the blue line, and then Gudbranson gives him a completely unnecessary and impermissble hit in the back of the numbers.

I've grown to loathe the term "finishing your check," since it's too often a hockey dinosaur's way of justifying a hit that's way too late. Gudbranson there did not even begin to initiate contact on Erat until after the puck left Erat's stick and the contact doesn't take place until it's on the D guy's stick. Hitting guys who have long ago released the puck is not hockey -- since there is no puck to separate the player from -- and it's not "finishing your check."

 

[marcel snapshot]

And another thing - the Kitty Cats carnival barkers say "Gudbranson has to play that way." Seriously, Gudbranson has to hit unsuspecting players from behind near the boards in a manner that any 12 year old knows is against the rules. If that's how he has to play, sit him down.

Apparently, not the 1st time he's plowed someone into the boards from behind either - did the same thing to Malkin a little while back.

 

[g00n]

You can only finish a check that you already started. 44 didn't start his check until the puck was long gone. There was no legit check there, just a blatant boarding on a player who had passed and turned from the puck/play. 44 even had the opportunity to try a poke check and take another stride before making the hit, all after the puck was gone.

I'm not surprised 44 has done this before. He knew exactly what he was doing, making that beeline as fast as possible straight to the boards when better defensive positioning would've had him shadowing Erat maybe a little closer to the goal line. He was intent on driving him into the boards no matter what Erat did.

 

[IceManCat]

And another thing - the Kitty Cats carnival barkers say "Gudbranson has to play that way." Seriously, Gudbranson has to hit unsuspecting players from behind near the boards in a manner that any 12 year old knows is against the rules. If that's how he has to play, sit him down.

Apparently, not the 1st time he's plowed someone into the boards from behind either - did the same thing to Malkin a little while back.

 

[mrwarden]

do you guys remember like 3 weeks ago when someone called Ovechkin a bust?

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

do you guys remember like 3 weeks ago when someone called Ovechkin a bust?

Yeah, and GMGM should trade him or buy him out before the draft so we can rebuild. He's lost it; he's washed up and there's no way the Caps can compete with his contract.

 

[Carlzner]

do you guys remember like 3 weeks ago when someone called Ovechkin a bust?

I'm pretty sure I remember someone on these boards saying that, yeah.

 

[Halpysback*]

do you guys remember like 3 weeks ago when someone called Ovechkin a bust?

Do you remember the first three weeks of the season when the contingent of people on this board who didn't think he was done and want to trade him for scraps was like me and two more people?

 

[Vladiator16*]

Yeah... fans and what have you done for me lately attitudes. The guy singlehandedly put this franchise back on the map, couple of subpar seasons (by his standards) and he is a bust, but again i believe majority of the posters on HF boards are teenagers...

 

[BiPolar Caps]

OH MY! Fans being fickle. Why I never . . .

 

[Ajax1995]

do you guys remember like 3 weeks ago when someone called Ovechkin a bust?

Yeah remember when the reason Ovechkin had been so below par for so long was because his teammates weren't good enough, or Leonsis had been a hard liner during the CBA negotiations, or the organization itself was a joke so why should he try, or any of the number of reasons that would still be the case yet he is now getting it done?

So why do we think things have changed so much for the good for Ovechkin? He clearly IMO is a lot more comfortable playing on the right that he was earlier in the season but I have to think it is moe than that. Confidence is definitely another reason though.

 

[caps4cup]

Yeah remember when the reason Ovechkin had been so below par for so long was because his teammates weren't good enough, or Leonsis had been a hard liner during the CBA negotiations, or the organization itself was a joke so why should he try, or any of the number of reasons that would still be the case yet he is now getting it done?

So why do we think things have changed so much for the good for Ovechkin? He clearly IMO is a lot more comfortable playing on the right that he was earlier in the season but I have to think it is moe than that. Confidence is definitely another reason though.

I'd say definitely confidence. Last night when he was going between the legs and stuff showed me he had alot of confidence. Also, he's not rushing plays. On breakouts he doesn't force passes, he either skates it himself or waits and makes a nice pads. And in the offensive zone, something that always bugged me was when he'd get the puck and just spin and throw it at the net. He's not doing that anymore. He's keeping possession and making nice plays. That's huge for both he and his linemates, as it greatly increases their puck possession time.

Overall he just looks like he knows he's the **** again. He's not fumbling pucks or randomly falling and he just looks so much more relaxed and looks like he's having alot more fun.

Great to see!

 

[ChibiPooky]

Eh, he's still randomly falling. Less though

 

[BrooklynCapsFan]

Yeah remember when the reason Ovechkin had been so below par for so long was because his teammates weren't good enough, or Leonsis had been a hard liner during the CBA negotiations, or the organization itself was a joke so why should he try, or any of the number of reasons that would still be the case yet he is now getting it done?

So why do we think things have changed so much for the good for Ovechkin? He clearly IMO is a lot more comfortable playing on the right that he was earlier in the season but I have to think it is moe than that. Confidence is definitely another reason though.

It's a pretty fascinating situation. I hope he's back for good and we get some kind of clue about what was going on when he's retired.

Despite the absurd dismissals that this is just a blip dismissed via "what have you done lately", his past two seasons were ridiculous. His production was at just about half capacity and his impact on the ice was a fraction of what it was in prior years/right now. I can't think of an analogue in the sports world given his peak/age.

As to your post, I haven't a clue what's different. I see the confidence but I don't know where it came from, why it's back, and why it just vanished for two years. My best guess is to remember that he's just 28 years old and maybe he's just grown as a professional. Sometimes work sucks and when it does you have a choice between sulking and trying to make it better.

 

[ChibiPooky]

It's a pretty fascinating situation. I hope he's back for good and we get some kind of clue about what was going on when he's retired.

Despite the absurd dismissals that this is just a blip dismissed via "what have you done lately", his past two seasons were ridiculous. His production was at just about half capacity and his impact on the ice was a fraction of what it was in prior years/right now. I can't think of an analogue in the sports world given his peak/age.

As to your post, I haven't a clue what's different. I see the confidence but I don't know where it came from, why it's back, and why it just vanished for two years. My best guess is to remember that he's just 28 years old and maybe he's just grown as a professional. Sometimes work sucks and when it does you have a choice between sulking and trying to make it better.

"He grew up" is actually a real, legitimate theory here, and if it's the correct one, I wouldn't be surprised to see one of those Yzerman-esque transformations like he had for a few weeks after becoming captain, where he was the best player on the team on both sides of the ice.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

Do you remember the first three weeks of the season when the contingent of people on this board who didn't think he was done and want to trade him for scraps was like me and two more people?

I was a part of that group. Alex Ovechkin is Washington Capitals Hockey, for better or for worse.

New position, new coach (making it three coaches in two seasons), no training camp, injuries to Backstrom, MoJo, and Laich; people wondered why he and the Caps struggled?

I want a game on NBCSN ASAP and I want Ovie to drop a hatty so I get to watch Mike Milbury struggle through saying that OV is the best player in the NHL right now.

 

[Capitlols]

Missed the game, why didn't anyone stand up for Erat?

 

[Ovechkins Wodka]

Missed the game, why didn't anyone stand up for Erat?

Dude was thrown out.

wont get a chance until next season

 

[Liberati0n*]

I was all for trading Ovechkin, and I'm also as happy as anyone about his recent play. "What have you done for me lately," yeah, but the guy looked pretty ****ed. It was reasonable to think he wouldn't find his old form again as a Capital. He still needs to sustain this for a while longer before he's officially "back," but I think Oates deserves a ton of credit. A lot of what he's done seems simple, but it's worked perfectly so far.

 

[sunnydaycrash]

I was all for trading Ovechkin, and I'm also as happy as anyone about his recent play. "What have you done for me lately," yeah, but the guy looked pretty ****ed. It was reasonable to think he wouldn't find his old form again as a Capital. He still needs to sustain this for a while longer before he's officially "back," but I think Oates deserves a ton of credit. A lot of what he's done seems simple, but it's worked perfectly so far.

I just think Oates just let him be himself unlike McPhee and BB caving into media pressure to switch to a defensive system, then Hunter playing an extremely stringent defensive system slashing his ice time to 16 min a game, then you also have to account for a new system and the switch to right wing.....AND he should've been playing with Nicky right away. A lot of factors that can easily be attributed to his stats taking a hit. I watched a few games of the Pens/Caps playoff series and Ovy is being Ovy, waiting for the puck to come to him in his own zone.
I'm sure the BB defensive years and the Hunter years affected him mentally, but.....systematically, it totally had an affect on his production.

 

[Foy]

As far as playing with Nicky right away, we don't know how injured Backstrom was coming back from Russia. He had a nasty injury and for a brief period we were all worried it was another concussion before we found out it was his neck. Lord knows how long that was lingering.

 

[msrulo]

I just think Oates just let him be himself unlike McPhee and BB caving into media pressure to switch to a defensive system, then Hunter playing an extremely stringent defensive system slashing his ice time to 16 min a game, then you also have to account for a new system and the switch to right wing.....AND he should've been playing with Nicky right away. A lot of factors that can easily be attributed to his stats taking a hit. I watched a few games of the Pens/Caps playoff series and Ovy is being Ovy, waiting for the puck to come to him in his own zone.
I'm sure the BB defensive years and the Hunter years affected him mentally, but.....systematically, it totally had an affect on his production.

hunter killed everyone's production with his 1 goal game mentality

 

[Ovechkins Wodka]

As far as playing with Nicky right away, we don't know how injured Backstrom was coming back from Russia. He had a nasty injury and for a brief period we were all worried it was another concussion before we found out it was his neck. Lord knows how long that was lingering.

My theory is for Ovie to learn RW he had to be taken away from Nick. Playing with Nick would send Ovie back into old bad habits and not be albe to learn how to play on the right side. After 20 some games of playing on the right with Ribs and showing he has learned RW, Oates gave him Nick back to play with.

 

[MaximusT]

hunter killed everyone's production with his 1 goal game mentality

While I give Hunter props for nearly getting to the conf. finals (and if it weren't for Wards high stick, then it would've been a sure thing) , but that system was absolutely dreadful.
At times it felt like he thought he was coaching the Coyotes. Playing shell defense from the 2nd period on to protect 1-0 or 2-1 leads....horrible.
Makes sense for teams like Phoenix or Nashville but not when you have a former 65 goal scorer, whom you choose to limit to 13 minutes a game LOL...JOKE.

 

[msrulo]

While I give Hunter props for nearly getting to the conf. finals (and if it weren't for Wards high stick, then it would've been a sure thing) , but that system was absolutely dreadful.
At times it felt like he thought he was coaching the Coyotes. Playing shell defense from the 2nd period on to protect 1-0 or 2-1 leads....horrible.
Makes sense for teams like Phoenix or Nashville but not when you have a former 65 goal scorer, whom you choose to limit to 13 minutes a game LOL...JOKE.

Exactly. People blamed the team and Ovechkin himself for lack of production. In reality though it was the system that Hunter brought in. You need your offensive guns to play their role like they are payed to do. Yes, Hunter almost brought us to the conference finals... But I would think that the Devils system would of utterly exposed us. It's good that McPhee took notice. I have high hopes for this team if we make the playoffs.