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

[Monsterrain]

ah...the reason green is off the power play.

"“He’s an enigma,†Oates said. “I felt that in the course of the season people want that [offensive production] every night from him, and I’m trying to fight him back. ‘No, we just need you to be a solid player. The league is too good. You’re not going to score a goal every single night.’ It doesn’t work like that. I need him to be a consistent hockey player. The more we can get him to understand that will be good for us.â€

what makes green special is his offensive skill. oates doesn't want him to use it and when he cant get green to give it up and play his defensive system the way he wants it done, he takes him off the power play.

oddly green could play hunter's system just fine

Great post. Greenie is pretty much worthless if hes not on the pp and is restricted from jumping up in the rush. Dumb ass oates.

 

[Blades of Steel]

Dear god, this guy is a complete ****ing idiot. It's like he's intentionally trying to destroy the team. Why not ****ing play Holtby at wing too Oates? The league is too good, your not going to stop all the shots.

The sad thing is I've seen some fans defending this idiot.

 

[g00n]

I wonder if GMGM knew about all this meddling and apparent sabotage? If he did, and he didn't fire Oates, then he's either a complete moron himself for buying into obviously horrible ideas, or he just let this season fall to **** because he didn't care. He knew he was on the way out and this would be someone else's problem soon enough.

**** you, McPhee. Thanks for wasting a lot of peoples' time and money while phoning it in as your horror show circles the drain.

 

[Blades of Steel]

I shouldn't be, but I've never been so pissed off over a sport, this guy is a jackass. If he isn't fired I don't think I can watch any games, it's unbearable just knowing this inside ****.

 

[Langway]

McPhee had to know about the Prior stuff and reasoning behind it. Had to. Rather than brokering some level of understanding between the two parties and diffusing tension he deferred to his mini-dictator over a long-term organizational asset. McPhee and Oates are 100% made for each other. Both leave so much to be desired at their respective positions in terms of managing relationships and getting the most out of people.

 

[Koized]

All I know is that if Oates and GMGM aren't fired I'm not wasting my money on Center Ice next year. I hope season ticket holders do the same to force Ted to do something.

 

[g00n]

Oates is barking up the wrong tree with this group. He's focusing on minutiae, instruction, systems and individuals when the real problems are character, cohesiveness, maximization and motivation.

Laich talked about how committed the team was to play AS a team under Hunter. That's why they got farther than most other Caps teams under GMGM, not so much any set system or handedness or any of those little details Oates loves so much. When so many players talk about guys being sleepy and not doing what they're supposed to do and it being on them to execute, it's not just political media management, it's a bright red warning flag. The culture and attitudes need tweaking, not positioning or stick curves.

There could not be a worse fit for this roster than Oates.

 

[txpd]

Dear god, this guy is a complete ****ing idiot. It's like he's intentionally trying to destroy the team. Why not ****ing play Holtby at wing too Oates? The league is too good, your not going to stop all the shots.

actually, fear when Laich is healthy. Oates plays everyone out of position. Since Laich has played all 5 skater positions before Oates arrived, its only logical to assume that the next training camp would include Laich in the net.

 

[EroCaps]

Yeah I'm convinced McPhee is a horrible evaluator and manager of personalities. Not having one himself can't help.

 

[txpd]

I wonder if GMGM knew about all this meddling and apparent sabotage? If he did, and he didn't fire Oates, then he's either a complete moron himself for buying into obviously horrible ideas, or he just let this season fall to **** because he didn't care. He knew he was on the way out and this would be someone else's problem soon enough.

**** you, McPhee. Thanks for wasting a lot of peoples' time and money while phoning it in as your horror show circles the drain.

did McPhee know that Hunter didn't talk to players and any of the odd things he did? sure. Did he know about Oates messing with every player's stick curve? Maybe not, but I suspect so.

He certainly knew about Prior and Oates. He knew that because he had a long relationship with Prior and at Prior's request he hired Prior's best student as his replacement. He knew because Kolzig is probably the most well known stand up guy in his tenure as gm.

lets be honest. there is a very odd dynamic between McPhee and his recent coaches
McPhee clearly didn't like hunter hockey. He clearly has a coach in oates who tells him to take a hike. so....I am looking at Leonsis here

 

[RandyHolt]

Calling it, Kolzig as our next GM

 

[txpd]

Yeah I'm convinced McPhee is a horrible evaluator and manager of personalities. Not having one himself can't help.

by all appearances McPhee was a very popular teammate as a player and is well liked and respected as a gm. your cheap shot holds no water.

 

[txpd]

Calling it, Kolzig as our next GM

leonsis is not wang. interesting though that McPhee has a gag order on him from leonsis while oates is running is mouth

 

[Burakovsky95*]

So Oates destroyed all confidence Mike Green had in his offensive game? That's nice.

 

[Capsman]

did McPhee know that Hunter didn't talk to players and any of the odd things he did? sure. Did he know about Oates messing with every player's stick curve? Maybe not, but I suspect so.

He certainly knew about Prior and Oates. He knew that because he had a long relationship with Prior and at Prior's request he hired Prior's best student as his replacement. He knew because Kolzig is probably the most well known stand up guy in his tenure as gm.

lets be honest. there is a very odd dynamic between McPhee and his recent coaches
McPhee clearly didn't like hunter hockey. He clearly has a coach in oates who tells him to take a hike. so....I am looking at Leonsis here

As Oates should. No coach should be handed a player and told what line or what position to play the guy. If GMGM did not discuss this stuff with Oates before the trades/acquisitions, then he is truly an idiot undeserving of another GM job in the NHL. I doubt that is the case. Oates probably didn't know much about Erat or Penner, saw them in practice, and was less than enthralled. Figured they would at least have to prove their worth to get on a top line. And you know what, Erat was not very good even on the top lines and he hasn't been very good in Phoenix either. Who and what was traded should not be his concern as a coach.

Look, I am no fan of Oates' coaching, although I think people need to make up their mind about whether this team was talented enough to be a playoff team or not. I've heard so much about our gazillion warts, yet this team went 38-30-14 with 90 points and missed the playoffs by a couple points. That tells me he is no worse than mediocre. Some of the absolutely mind boggling decisions he made and his micromanagement were probably balanced by some positives. I'm guessing he will be a good coach some day with experience.

 

[FloridaCap]

ah...the reason green is off the power play.

"“He’s an enigma,” Oates said. “I felt that in the course of the season people want that [offensive production] every night from him, and I’m trying to fight him back. ‘No, we just need you to be a solid player. The league is too good. You’re not going to score a goal every single night.’ It doesn’t work like that. I need him to be a consistent hockey player. The more we can get him to understand that will be good for us.”

what makes green special is his offensive skill. oates doesn't want him to use it and when he cant get green to give it up and play his defensive system the way he wants it done, he takes him off the power play.

oddly green could play hunter's system just fine

Holy ****ing ****.

Why is Ovechkin held to a different standard then? I love Ovi, but he isn't an all around player... so why is he on the PP with this awesome logic?

**** Oates.

 

[txpd]

the team has 3 legit nhl defensemen. Green, Alzner and Carlson are quality top 4 defensemen but that's what they have. any one of the pile of defensemen they used for the 4-7 slots are fine for a 3rd pair role, but none are top 4 and using 3 of them in the same game is not a recipe for success. add a young goalie to that mix and its a recipe for the disaster we saw.

get a solid veteran defense first top 4 d. get a solid 3rd pair veteran to play with your choice of the caps solid young defense prospects including orlov, Schmidt, wey or carrick and the defense is fine. not dominant but good enough to support a playoff team.

the forwards could be marginally better as can the pk. quality coaching would do wonders there.

in nutshell that's what they need. fire McPhee and Oates and get a solid provider and a cup winning coach, Lavy, and it would be exciting to watch

 

[txpd]

Holy ****ing ****.

Why is Ovechkin held to a different standard then? I love Ovi, but he isn't an all around player... so why is he on the PP with this awesome logic?

**** Oates.

he is on the power play because oates doesn't want the circus firestorm that comes from Toronto and New York when he effectively benches the leading PP player in the league.

So, he makes him play with Jay Beagle. Ovechkin knows Beagle can't help him at all in the offensive zone. Oates is telling him to forget scoring and play defense. Its the same thing he was telling Green. We don't need you to create offense. Don't. play defense and leave it at that. If you skate with the puck we will give you a rookie partner to make you stay home.

 

[g00n]

As Oates should. No coach should be handed a player and told what line or what position to play the guy. If GMGM did not discuss this stuff with Oates before the trades/acquisitions, then he is truly an idiot undeserving of another GM job in the NHL. I doubt that is the case. Oates probably didn't know much about Erat or Penner, saw them in practice, and was less than enthralled. Figured they would at least have to prove their worth to get on a top line. And you know what, Erat was not very good even on the top lines and he hasn't been very good in Phoenix either. Who and what was traded should not be his concern as a coach.

Look, I am no fan of Oates' coaching, although I think people need to make up their mind about whether this team was talented enough to be a playoff team or not. I've heard so much about our gazillion warts, yet this team went 38-30-14 with 90 points and missed the playoffs by a couple points. That tells me he is no worse than mediocre. Some of the absolutely mind boggling decisions he made and his micromanagement were probably balanced by some positives. I'm guessing he will be a good coach some day with experience.

The record is propped up by loser points, a record number of shootouts and some meaningless wins after they were eliminated from playoff contention. "Well, they almost made the playoffs" is for rebuilding teams, not supposed multi-Cup dynasties as sold by the owner.

The situation we want involves a GM and coach who share a philosophy and can both act toward it independently if necessary. Ultimately the coach works for the GM, not the other way around. So a coach SHOULD be using the players he's given in the way the GM intends. That's how the chain of command works.

But Oates is a control freak. And GMGM is a fairly hands-off manager who fills seats in the stands to satisfy revenue goals by filling a roster to satisfy marketing plans...which start with making the playoffs and then "anything can happen".

Both are to blame, and both should be gone. It seems to be a bad fit and a dysfunctional relationship.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

by all appearances McPhee was a very popular teammate as a player and is well liked and respected as a gm. your cheap shot holds no water.

Apparently not a lot of respect from the agent community. Holds some water.

 

[FloridaCap]

he is on the power play because oates doesn't want the circus firestorm that comes from Toronto and New York when he effectively benches the leading PP player in the league.

So, he makes him play with Jay Beagle. Ovechkin knows Beagle can't help him at all in the offensive zone. Oates is telling him to forget scoring and play defense. Its the same thing he was telling Green. We don't need you to create offense. Don't. play defense and leave it at that. If you skate with the puck we will give you a rookie partner to make you stay home.

I wish Ovi had started to play like Beagle just to shove the **** in Oates's face.

Play hard in the dzone, get to center ice and dump it in. Don't even try to shoot.

After 5 games in a row with 0 SOG, he'd force the dbag's hand.

 

[txpd]

Apparently not a lot of respect from the agent community. Holds some water.

Ok. What does that have to do with the cheap shot that McPhee doesn't have a personality??

 

[Capsman]

The record is propped up by loser points, a record number of shootouts and some meaningless wins after they were eliminated from playoff contention. "Well, they almost made the playoffs" is for rebuilding teams, not supposed multi-Cup dynasties as sold by the owner.

The situation we want involves a GM and coach who share a philosophy and can both act toward it independently if necessary. Ultimately the coach works for the GM, not the other way around. So a coach SHOULD be using the players he's given in the way the GM intends. That's how the chain of command works.

But Oates is a control freak. And GMGM is a fairly hands-off manager who fills seats in the stands to satisfy revenue goals by filling a roster to satisfy marketing plans...which start with making the playoffs and then "anything can happen".

Both are to blame, and both should be gone. It seems to be a bad fit and a dysfunctional relationship.

I really don't get the loser point asterisk. How is that a "prop up"? Are you saying that they really should have been 38-44? That those 14 OT and shootout losses are no more valuable than losing 6-0 in regulation? They are who their point total says they are. A team that was in most games but couldn't get over the hump.

 

[g00n]

I really don't get the loser point asterisk. How is that a "prop up"? Are you saying that they really should have been 38-44? That those 14 OT and shootout losses are no more valuable than losing 6-0 in regulation? They are who their point total says they are. A team that was in most games but couldn't get over the hump.

Point total is relative to the system. Their ROW stunk for a reason. Marginal teams can squeak out a regulation tie (or choke away a lead) and still get a point enough to give the appearance that they're better than they are because of the way the system is set up.

Good teams win in regulation with much more frequency and don't rely on OT losses or shootouts, which don't mean jack in the playoffs.

People were trying to argue all those shootout points were just as good as regulation wins back in December...that this was still a top team in the East based on points.

How'd that work out?

 

[Chokingdogs]

I really don't get the loser point asterisk. How is that a "prop up"? Are you saying that they really should have been 38-44? That those 14 OT and shootout losses are no more valuable than losing 6-0 in regulation? They are who their point total says they are. A team that was in most games but couldn't get over the hump.

??

it's a sham. a team shouldnt be awarded anything positive for losing a game, regulation or OT, period. the caps (any team) getting points for losing games made this season a mirage.