News Article: Carrera: Washington Capitals’ problems began long before their playoff streak ended

[Langway]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sport...c8ede6-c0f5-11e3-b195-dd0c1174052c_story.html

Dave Prior, who had worked with the Capitals either as a goaltending coach, scout or advisor since 1997 and helped draft Varlamov, Neuvirth, Holtby and Grubauer, was fired in August 2013 when he refused to endorse and implement changes to the style of play Oates wanted.

“Adam did not agree with how I coach, both in my methods and the content of what I coached,” Prior said from his home in Ontario. “My inflexibility was perceived as ignorance or stubbornness, but I perceive it as a much deeper knowledge of the position. . . . I have no regrets, I would do the same thing again because I stand up for what I believe in. I would gladly defend a goaltender and what I believe is the toughest way to play goal and lose my job over it than to pour gas on them or give them what I believe is bad advice.”...

While Oates declined to comment specifically on the difference of opinion with Prior, he made his case for the modifications.

“I’ve studied the position. I’ve met with a lot of people and studied the position. I’m a head coach of a team: My job is to know every position. I never played D but I know D, so I know goaltending,” Oates said. “We’re just trying to tap in more to their reflexes. . . . Every opportunity I give [Holtby] to make another save with his reflexes is a bonus. Now, it’s a process. There’s many nights that he reverts back because that’s his habits, but there’s things I think he needs to do to be better.”

Good job, good effort management "team." Easily a much bigger joke than the on-ice product.

Click to read more...

 

[Langway]

More gasoline:

According to multiple league sources, that can be attributed partly to what they describe as McPhee’s adversarial relationship with player agents, whose grievances include his refusal to communicate with them directly and limiting their postgame access to clients.

When a key free agent or a player with a no-trade clause — one who can name what teams he will play for — is available, the Capitals intentionally aren’t on the list, one NHL agent explained.

“It’s hostile,†another agent said. “Why would anyone encourage their client to play there when the organization intentionally makes it incredibly difficult to work with them?â€

I don't know how Dick Patrick can preside over this and survive. Terrible.

 

[Calicaps]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sport...c8ede6-c0f5-11e3-b195-dd0c1174052c_story.html

Good job, good effort management "team." Easily a much bigger joke than the on-ice product.

I'm sorry but getting rid of Oates and his underlings is not nearly enough. This culture of idiocy is all McPhee.

 

[Calicaps]

More gasoline:

I don't know how Dick Patrick can preside over this and survive. Terrible.

Your are correct. I said McPhee, but it goes higher.

Disgraceful. Should at least put to rest the notion that somehow the team's problems are Ovie's fault.

 

[g00n]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sport...c8ede6-c0f5-11e3-b195-dd0c1174052c_story.html

Good job, good effort management "team." Easily a much bigger joke than the on-ice product.

Hadn't seen that before. Wow.

This clown show can't scurry out of town fast enough.

 

[Serial_Derecho]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sport...c8ede6-c0f5-11e3-b195-dd0c1174052c_story.html

Good job, good effort management "team." Easily a much bigger joke than the on-ice product.

What a pompous ass Oates is.

 

[BobRouse]

Hadn't seen that before. Wow.

This clown show can't scurry out of town fast enough.

100%

Oates is beyond awful and I'm sure more stories will come out from the players when he gets fired

 

[BobRouse]

Teds decision is getting easier with every new article it seems

Patrick, GMGM and Oates are all gone. No doubt now

Wouldn't surprise me if Ted's people are releasing some of this stuff either

The timing is curious

 

[swimmer77]

Quote from above quote...........

I never played D but I know D, so I know goaltending,†Oates said.

What an idiotic statement. Adam........the ONLY thing you know is the PP with an elite player(s) like Ovie and/or Nick.

Do you need reminded of last year when you were asked about Erskine starting and you said that was Calle's decision. Now Erskine has a half dozen Bear Cubs playing ahead of him. So which is it - you do or don't make the decisions?

And Orlov..........remind me again the chain of events that occurred to get him into the lineup.

I'll give credit where it's due............Adam, you and Calle always looked very dapper behind the bench.

 

[Ovechkins Wodka]

he changed every players stick curve??

 

[usiel]

Very good WaPo article. Some meaty stuff in there.

 

[usiel]

The fact that Oates has turned into a train wreck must mean the GMGM is gone as well. Thats on him.

 

[g00n]

More gasoline:

I don't know how Dick Patrick can preside over this and survive. Terrible.

What a ****ing nightmare. And this:

“My job to score goals; that’s why I get paid,” Ovechkin said this week. “I didn’t get paid to put puck deep and create some other opportunities. As soon as I’m going to do that, you guys going to ask why I don’t score. It’s always going to be questions; there’s going to be remarks where I have to play better.”

Reminds me of the scene in Natural Born Killers...

"Once upon a time, a woman was picking up firewood. She came upon a poisonous snake frozen in the snow. She took the snake home and nursed it back to health. One day the snake bit her on the cheek. As she lay dying, she asked the snake, 'Why have you done this to me?' And the snake answered, 'Look, *****, you knew I was a snake'."

 

[Capitlols]

What a ****ing nightmare. And this:



Reminds me of the scene in Natural Born Killers...

"Once upon a time, a woman was picking up firewood. She came upon a poisonous snake frozen in the snow. She took the snake home and nursed it back to health. One day the snake bit her on the cheek. As she lay dying, she asked the snake, 'Why have you done this to me?' And the snake answered, 'Look, *****, you knew I was a snake'."

Wow I haven't heard that OV quote. It's Nail Yakupov-ish.

 

[Langway]

There's a whole lot of ugly in that article. Great piece. Carrera got some contacts I guess.

It's a sinking ship. Loose cannons everywhere finally being revealed for what they are.

 

[g00n]

I wonder how many players really changed their stick curves because Oates wanted them to? The article about it quotes Laich heavily and then Hillen a little bit. But that's it. Laich is a slobbering lapdog for every coach so of course he's gushing about it.

Somehow I doubt the rest of the team was as enthusiastic.

 

[ChibiPooky]

Must-read.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sport...c8ede6-c0f5-11e3-b195-dd0c1174052c_story.html

Way too much in here to quote, but you will find all of it interesting, exposing, and damning.

 

[Vabeachblue]

Shots Fired

 

[g00n]

It does deserve its own thread and should be read in full by every Caps fan, and hopefully TED. Best thing Katie has ever written (tho did she even mention the recent Halak debacle, or Orlov asking out?).

My relevant comments on it:

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showpost.php?p=83204717&postcount=615

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showpost.php?p=83205763&postcount=618

 

[BrooklynCapsFan]

This reminds me a lot of the piece the Post ran on Schoenfeld right after he and Poile got canned.

 

[Serial_Derecho]

One hell of an article from Katie. Easily one of the best I've seen from her (or anyone in local media) for years.

 

[EroCaps]

A number of things Oates and McPhee have done escape me in their lack of common sense. But this insight into Dave Pryor's firing has got to take the cake.

Wasn't it Pryor's coaching that was instrumental in Kolzig's play, his Vezina and therefore the Caps' only run to the Stanley Cup?

So they not only fire him, but replace him with the one person who should have valued his instruction-Kolzig-who apparently did not.

What? Is this ego or?..

How about realize that the goaltending hasn't been great because you evaluated your talent poorly and traded your best young netminder...

 

[Marshall]

One hell of an article from Katie. Easily one of the best I've seen from her (or anyone in local media) for years.

Agreed. No reporter has really taken on the organization like that since Dave Fay.

Long overdue.

 

[Calicaps]

A number of things Oates and McPhee have done escape me in their lack of common sense. But this insight into Dave Pryor's firing has got to take the cake.

Wasn't it Pryor's coaching that was instrumental in Kolzig's play, his Vezina and therefore the Caps' only run to the Stanley Cup?

So they not only fire him, but replace him with the one person who should have valued his instruction-Kolzig-who apparently did not.

What? Is this ego or?..

How about realize that the goaltending hasn't been great because you evaluated your talent poorly and traded your best young netminder...

Not gonna quote myself directly, but I've been saying all along.

Oates behaves like he knows some secret of hockey that has escaped everyone who ever came before.

And then there's George "If you knew hockey" McPhee.

Two like-minded egomaniacs. Blinded by their own arrogance.

 

[Ovechkin]

Come on in the dumpster fire is warm!