Series Discussion: ECQF: (6) New York Rangers vs. (3) Washington Capitals: Pt. 2

CapitalsCupReality

It’s Go Time!!
Feb 27, 2002
64,388
19,091
LOL...Ovy turned tail and ran out of town pretty quickly. Not surprised. Just once I'd like to see these guys pretend they care so much that they don't run off to the worlds a day later to party it up....
 

CapitalsCupReality

It’s Go Time!!
Feb 27, 2002
64,388
19,091
Not my opinion. It's a fact that exit interviews are done individually.

Your Captain being the last one out the door doesn't matter at all. More than likely, the players only see each other in passing (if at all) during this stage.

You're reaching for something to bash one of the few guys that showed any fire last night.

At this point every single thing in this franchise deserves to be scrutinized. He showed fire last night, great. He gets paid to put the puck in the F'ing net. I'm not bashing Ovy, but Caps fans need to start holding everyone associated with this trainwreck of a franchise accountable.
 

DanTHEMan71

Registered User
Feb 23, 2010
437
87
What was he supposed to do? He did his year-end interview, which was a lengthy 15 mins long. They play the US on Thursday so he can't stay here and dick around. I'm glad that he still wants to play hockey. It's nice to see that he isn't completely deflated and doesn't want to just go home and sulk in defeat.
 

Halpysback*

Guest
What incentive is there for other players to step up if the captain and highest paid player can't even be criticized for scoring fewer goals than Arron Asham?

Except that's not what he's being criticized for here.

If players get their feelings hurt because he's leaving to go to worlds like pretty much everyone who gives a crap about their country does rather than observe some random mourning period conjured up by hf posters then they're too soft for pond hockey let alone playoff hockey.
 

Halpysback*

Guest
What was he supposed to do? He did his year-end interview, which was a lengthy 15 mins long. They play the US on Thursday so he can't stay here and dick around. I'm glad that he still wants to play hockey. It's nice to see that he isn't completely deflated and doesn't want to just go home and sulk in defeat.

He was supposed to commit harakiri to satisfy all the hardasses that don't take **** from anybody on this board, didn't you get the memo?
 

Halpysback*

Guest
LOL...Ovy turned tail and ran out of town pretty quickly. Not surprised. Just once I'd like to see these guys pretend they care so much that they don't run off to the worlds a day later to party it up....

At this point every single thing in this franchise deserves to be scrutinized. He showed fire last night, great. He gets paid to put the puck in the F'ing net. I'm not bashing Ovy, but Caps fans need to start holding everyone associated with this trainwreck of a franchise accountable.

:laugh::laugh::laugh:
 

Halpysback*

Guest
Me reaching? First out the door and never showing for optional skates haven't worked. So why not sweat the small stuff for a change.

For the teams I played on and coached Player Leadership sweating the small stuff has always mattered. I have never played pro sports, but I have a feeling more times than not teams that make out of the 1st round do as well.

And I am not an OV hater. Just feel if this team is ever going to succeed he needs to take his effort as Captain to the next level. And that goes beyond getting 13 hits and 1 SOG in a game 7.

Yet you're going for an angle that most Pittsburgh fans would consider a reach.

Bigger issues than Ovechkin having his exit interview at the time he had his exit interview.

1. John Erskine playing a top 4 role

2. Backstrom too busy doing geico commercials

3. Johansson too busy being paper soft

4. Jack Hillen playing a top 4 role at times.

5. Holtby getting lit up for 3 games including the last one where he really needed to step up.

But no, lets focus on Ovechkin's exit interviews of all things. Maybe we can look at his driving habits next.
 

Dream Big

Registered User
Jun 10, 2005
5,337
35
Axis Mundi
http://capitals.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=670702&navid=DL|WSH|home

Ovechkin will be making his ninth appearance in the World Championship, having tallied 44 points (26 goals, 18 assists) in 55 games. Ovechkin helped Russia win the gold medal in 2012, tallying two assists in the gold medal game vs. Slovakia. He helped Russia earn the silver medal in 2010 in Germany and led his country to a gold medal during the 2008 tournament in Canada. Ovechkin has appeared in three World Junior Championships (2003, 2004, 2005), the World Cup of Hockey (2004) and the 2006 and 2010 Winter Olympics.

My personal feeling is that he does not want to break his record of attending the Worlds. The camaraderie he feels playing on that team and him arriving late as a knight in shining armour plus getting all the props from the Russian high and mighty is more satisfying than grinding it out in North America for another series with no guarantee of a Stanley cup.

If attending the Worlds were not an option I wonder if he would score more goals instead of running around and hitting everything in sight. Someone a fan of another team and who had OV in his hockey pool all season so watches him closely asked why he was playing like that? "What the hell happened to him?"

OV makes a big show of effort but doesn't make a true effort of scoring which is his # 1 job. Hitting like a mac truck is not his #1 job. Does he lose focus? Is it intentional? I always thought Semin lost his ability to hit the net once it looked like he might miss worlds.
 
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NobodyBeatsTheWiz

Happy now?
Jun 26, 2004
23,413
1,964
The Burbs
At this point every single thing in this franchise deserves to be scrutinized. He showed fire last night, great. He gets paid to put the puck in the F'ing net. I'm not bashing Ovy, but Caps fans need to start holding everyone associated with this trainwreck of a franchise accountable.

There's a big difference between criticizing him for not scoring (legitimate) and criticizing him for doing his exit interview a day early (ridiculous).
 

Acallabeth

Heart ablaze
Jul 30, 2011
9,936
1,233
Moscow
If attending the Worlds were not an option I wonder if he would score more goals instead of running around and hitting everything in sight. Someone a fan of another team and who had OV in his hockey pool all season so watches him closely asked why he was playing like that? "What the hell happened to him?"

OV makes a big show of effort but doesn't make a true effort of scoring which is his # 1 job. Hitting like a mac truck is not his #1 job. Does he lose focus? Is it intentional? I always thought Semin lost his ability to hit the net once it looked like he might miss worlds.

BS, man.
 

DanTHEMan71

Registered User
Feb 23, 2010
437
87
http://capitals.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=670702&navid=DL|WSH|home



My personal feeling is that he does not want to break his record of attending the Worlds. The camaraderie he feels playing on that team and him arriving late as a knight in shining armour plus getting all the props from the Russian high and mighty is more satisfying than grinding it out in North America for another series with no guarantee of a Stanley cup.

If attending the Worlds were not an option I wonder if he would score more goals instead of running around and hitting everything in sight. Someone a fan of another team and who had OV in his hockey pool all season so watches him closely asked why he was playing like that? "What the hell happened to him?"

OV makes a big show of effort but doesn't make a true effort of scoring which is his # 1 job. Hitting like a mac truck is not his #1 job. Does he lose focus? Is it intentional? I always thought Semin lost his ability to hit the net once it looked like he might miss worlds.

It's not like he didn't try. He put up 30 shots over the series. It's kind of tough to score when your #1 center is playing poorly, you're facing the best goalie in the world, facing the least penalized team in the league, getting 1D pair matchups the whole time, and just getting no support overall from the 1st line or any line. Teams key in on OV exclusively because there's nobody else that's even close to being as threatening. Mentally OV realizes this and it's a detriment to him. He can't do it all by himself. He tried hard and exerted himself physically, what else can you ask for?

He never really gave up. Facing adversity he tried to carry it himself and just hit everything. His heart was in the right place. He was just frustrated with the lack of offensive support.

He wants to win. I bet OV didn't consider the Worlds until after the game.
 

Atlas

Registered User
Sep 7, 2004
3,355
1
I think the reality of the Caps futility—as an organization—has hit Ovie. He realizes that his career is being sacrificed. He knows, but won't say publicly, that Ted and George are losers.
 

amin723

Registered User
Mar 11, 2010
1,030
252
Goodyear, AZ
It's not like he didn't try. He put up 30 shots over the series. It's kind of tough to score when your #1 center is playing poorly, you're facing the best goalie in the world, facing the least penalized team in the league, getting 1D pair matchups the whole time, and just getting no support overall from the 1st line or any line. Teams key in on OV exclusively because there's nobody else that's even close to being as threatening. Mentally OV realizes this and it's a detriment to him. He can't do it all by himself. He tried hard and exerted himself physically, what else can you ask for?

He never really gave up. Facing adversity he tried to carry it himself and just hit everything. His heart was in the right place. He was just frustrated with the lack of offensive support.

He wants to win. I bet OV didn't consider the Worlds until after the game.

Exactly, everyone knew that in order to advance the Caps had to get production from their 2nd line. They flat out did not. Yet everyone wants Brouwer to be the captain or some crap like that. I think Ovechkin has a little bit too much Russian paranoia in him, and he lets things affect him mentally far too much. He's just a little emotionally unstable, high highs, low lows. The Rangers know that at this point, so they made sure they frustrated him more than anything else, because his attitude carries the Caps.
 

RandyHolt

Keep truckin'
Nov 3, 2006
34,639
6,800
Ovi's T Shirt in his exit interview seemed odd as the face of the franchise and captain.

Where the **** is the finish line?

What do you take that to mean, if anything. I doubt it was a random shirt he pulled out, even though that is what he said. Like he could say anything else.

I almost take it to me, get the me **** out of here, or, I am lost.
 

fedfed

@FedFedRMNB
Oct 28, 2010
4,143
0
Moscow City
I think CapitalsCupFantasy and his gang needs to set an official mourning period. It may change from year to year. Then he should send a memo to the Caps players.

What players are allowed to do during the mourning period:
- Feel shame
- Talk about how bad they played in the media
- And feel shame

What players are not allowed to do during the mourning period:
- Play hockey
- Talk to the media about anything else other than how bad they played
- Have fun of any kind
- Leave DC Area (with an exception for players who go to their farms to do hard job, run, train and feel shame, e.g. Laich)
 

Atlas

Registered User
Sep 7, 2004
3,355
1
Ovi's T Shirt in his exit interview seemed odd as the face of the franchise and captain.

Where the **** is the finish line?

What do you take that to mean, if anything. I doubt it was a random shirt he pulled out, even though that is what he said. Like he could say anything else.

I almost take it to me, get the me **** out of here, or, I am lost.



Yeah—I saw that and couldn't get the meaning. Maybe it just means, "Go! Go! Go!" without thinking of stopping. That's my guess. Or it could mean, "What's the point?"

In any case, I expect Ovie is even more sick of the choking dog Caps than I am.
 

RandyHolt

Keep truckin'
Nov 3, 2006
34,639
6,800
I feel like I have been running around like a chicken with my head cut off. Confused.

I understand getting out of work and throwing off the work clothes as a priority but he was still representing the team.

Small issue, but a bit of an odd visual to have of our leader to close out the year. Especially coupled with his comments, which I for one am ok with. I just wish Oates or McPhee went to battle after games 3 or 4 and not let it snowball to the point that it affected players and clearly our Captain, and thus the entire series. Oates and McFlee did nothing.

Calling out the league's ways to the media has worked before. I have seen it.
 

amin723

Registered User
Mar 11, 2010
1,030
252
Goodyear, AZ
clearly you guys are reading too much into his shirt selection...BUT if I had to guess at the meaning of the shirt...

1) Notice that the censored part of the shirt is in the shape of a line.
2) The words on the shirt seem to indicate a sense of exasperated 100% effort just hoping for the finish line
3) Normally when you approach a finish line in an all-out max effort sprint of some kind, this thought is the only one going through your head, and you even lose coherence to an extent.
4) The shirt is read down and through the censor bar.

SOOO my conclusion based on the above observations is that the shirt is kind of a play on the psyche of someone giving max effort in that at the same time they're wondering "Where the _____ is the finish line?" They have crossed ______ and therefore reached the finish line by giving 100% effort.

But at the end of the day, it's just a NIKE shirt.
 

Jacoby4HOF66

Pull my finger
Mar 13, 2009
30,522
7,726
Yes blame everything on ovi. The only guy to show up in game 7. You have no idea what the guys think of him as a leader so stop speculating that he's a bad one. Easy scape goat. Who cares what goes on after they are eliminated anyway.

If this team is going to succeed then other players need to step up.

Did I blame everything on OV? Don't think I did. He is the first out the door after an embarrassing loss and I am making note of it. That OV, and others in the organization, should start sweating the small stuff like exit interviews and optional skates to change the history of this franchise when the playoffs role around. And I don't appear to be the only one:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sport...b91b26-bcbc-11e2-97d4-a479289a31f9_story.html
 
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Jacoby4HOF66

Pull my finger
Mar 13, 2009
30,522
7,726
There's a big difference between criticizing him for not scoring (legitimate) and criticizing him for doing his exit interview a day early (ridiculous).

How the **** do you know criticizing when OV does his exit interview is ridiculous? How many NHL post season exit interviews have you done? Just curious.

There are a number of you stating on here what I and others bring up are "ridiculous" or "who cares", and a lot of you said the same thing after last years playoff exit, and the year before that, and the year before that. But when is enough, enough? Why not start questioning little things like exit interviews and why none of the "top 6" ever seem to show up for optional skates?

What is at the heart of a team like the Caps taking a 2-0 lead, and dominate 5vs5 play for long stretches, and then end the series with an embarrassing 5-0 loss on home ice in a Game #7. Bascially bending over and take it up the rear. Is it the owner? Is it the GM? Is it the Captain? What?

At this point every little nook and cranny needs to be examined. Nothing should be labeld "ridiculous" and no one who gives a **** should say "who cares".
 

Liberati0n*

Guest
I think CapitalsCupFantasy and his gang needs to set an official mourning period. It may change from year to year. Then he should send a memo to the Caps players.

What players are allowed to do during the mourning period:
- Feel shame
- Talk about how bad they played in the media
- And feel shame

What players are not allowed to do during the mourning period:
- Play hockey
- Talk to the media about anything else other than how bad they played
- Have fun of any kind
- Leave DC Area (with an exception for players who go to their farms to do hard job, run, train and feel shame, e.g. Laich)

Brah, if you don't want to hold the players accountable, maybe you can find another team's board that isn't so hard on its failed players so you'll feel better. Fan card revoked.
 

NobodyBeatsTheWiz

Happy now?
Jun 26, 2004
23,413
1,964
The Burbs
How the **** do you know criticizing when OV does his exit interview is ridiculous? How many NHL post season exit interviews have you done? Just curious.

There are a number of you stating on here what I and others bring up are "ridiculous" or "who cares", and a lot of you said the same thing after last years playoff exit, and the year before that, and the year before that. But when is enough, enough? Why not start questioning little things like exit interviews and why none of the "top 6" ever seem to show up for optional skates?

What is at the heart of a team like the Caps taking a 2-0 lead, and dominate 5vs5 play for long stretches, and then end the series with an embarrassing 5-0 loss on home ice in a Game #7. Bascially bending over and take it up the rear. Is it the owner? Is it the GM? Is it the Captain? What?

At this point every little nook and cranny needs to be examined. Nothing should be labeld "ridiculous" and no one who gives a **** should say "who cares".
Do you have any idea what exit interviews entail?

It's each player individually meeting with the coach and GM (and sometimes pro scouts) to discuss how the season went, what they're offseason plan is going to be, and what to look forward to next season. It's not a team bonding session. It's not something the players do together. The only reasons the players would even be at Kettler would be for the interview, press conferences, or to clean out their locker.

Why the **** would that make any difference if done a day early? It wasn't skipped, cancelled, or otherwise avoided. It was completed a day early so he could continue playing hockey.

I'm failing to see how completing the thing early to play more hockey has any bad influence, whatsoever, on the team.

It's just focusing on a little insignificant issue, while ignoring bigger, more relevant ones.
 

Acallabeth

Heart ablaze
Jul 30, 2011
9,936
1,233
Moscow
Brah, if you don't want to hold the players accountable, maybe you can find another team's board that isn't so hard on its failed players so you'll feel better. Fan card revoked.

So whether a player is accountable or not is now decided by when he does an interview after his season ended? I thought it maybe depends on playing well in the elimination game...
 

brs03

Coo coo ca cha!
Jun 2, 2008
12,066
0
Maryland
So whether a player is accountable or not is now decided by when he does an interview after his season ended? I thought it maybe depends on playing well in the elimination game...

No, it depends on how posters on a message board react to those things. Get with the program. :sarcasm:
 

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