ah...Boudreau is over coaching. Its Boudreau's fault. LOL. Boudreau publically asked them to shoot the puck, get traffic and work for the rebounds. The result was that they continued to pass the puck. I think its more they are overplaying than it is Bruce is over coaching.
How did they score their only goal last night? Schultz of little offensive skill put a backhander toward the net from near the right point. Fedorov went to the front to create some traffic and redirected the not so hard shot into the net. Fedorov listened to the coach and was on it from the start.
Simple hockey
He puts Ovechkin on the PK.
Juggles lines every night.
Can't find the testicular fortitude to demote or bench Clark; who is not some long-tenured Captain, Caps legend, or high-skilled player but a fill-in "C" on a rebuilding team.
He's making changes that didn't need to be made.
They need to chill and make a few common sense adjustments as well as light a fire under the complacents and they'll be A-OK.
So far I've been right on the money. Scoreless in all games but one. Ovechkin is changing for worse this year, he got his money now so he is not hungry anymore. This offseason it was the laziest for him.
he's off to a slow start but it's not b/c of the reasons you stated...how has any of of what you said been the cause of Ovy not scoring? he's in shape, not starting the season off injured like during has 2nd year, and is dedicated to winning
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I don't want to leave the crowd, I just need some air
They have a far better defense with a HOF #1 and a deep, veteran offensive line-up?
The Caps didn't lose to Philly because Ovechkin didn't play defense in the playoffs.
At all.
Great teams win with players who play a great 2-way game. Ovechkin playing a 2-way game will help the Caps. It's not about Ovechkin, it's about the team winning.
Great teams win with players who play a great 2-way game. Ovechkin playing a 2-way game will help the Caps. It's not about Ovechkin, it's about the team winning.
I meant that I don't think Ovechkin's approach has really changed.
They've been talking about making him a "2-way player" for over 2 years now.
It scares me a bit.
It's what they did with/to Jagr and it's a big reason Ovechkin had a sophomore slump.
The time he's getting on the PK is unnecessary.
Boudreau, IMO, has had all summer to think about line combos and strategies and he's over-coaching them right now.
He needs to let Ovy and Co. do what they do and worry about the defense, goaltending and total lack of discipline they're demonstrating.
I'm a two team fan:Wings & Caps.
Out of respect to Cap's fans, I try hard not to compare.
But as to your post, I disagree. The "Grape Ape" is a natural leader. Taking on a 2-way game will influence the team to play in the same manner, much in the same way Datsyuk has on the Wings.
Since I'm usually at least a week ahead of the analysts, I predict that Locker & Joe will point out soon what to me is obvious: that AO's game is off slightly only because he's playing those extra minutes, in order to become the complete player that I predict he will be. The kid is the real deal.
One must be blind not to see that Ovechkin is having problems. His timing is off big time. He'll pick up eventually but he'll probably have a 35 goal season, his worst one yet in the NHL. Next off-season he should do a better job, otherwise he is no better than Yashin.
The results are what you predicted, but your premise is still ********. He's in great physical shape. He's just slumping.
He's also being covered more closely by opposing defenses. There have been no less than two players shadowing him. Once he gets used to it, he'll adapt and the opposition will have to come up with a new plan.
It might help too if lines didn't need to be shuffled like a deck of cards due to the early injuries.
There's a reason why he won the Hart and Zetterberg/Datsyuk didn't.
Ok that's a poor excuse for not becoming a better all around player. Yzerman was a scoring machine but what did he ever win? Nothing, he made himself into a selke caliber forward and the Wings started winning cups. If Ovechkin works at it, then I think he can make himself into a really good defensive player as well, which I think makes the caps a better team.
and why did the Wings win last year? In big part due to the fact that there three best players are all great two way players.
Ok that's a poor excuse for not becoming a better all around player. Yzerman was a scoring machine but what did he ever win? Nothing, he made himself into a selke caliber forward and the Wings started winning cups. If Ovechkin works at it, then I think he can make himself into a really good defensive player as well, which I think makes the caps a better team.
and why did the Wings win last year? In big part due to the fact that there three best players are all great two way players.
Ovechkin is already a good defensive player.
I don't know why we're having this discussion.
Datsyuk and Zetterberg don't have the offensive ability that Ovechkin does.
Crosby and Malkin aren't Selke noms and no one asks them to be.
In fact, teams win more often without their #1 forward being "Selke" caliber.
I'd rather Ovechkin be on his toes than on his heels.
Jagr, anyone? Gretzky? Lemieux?
They don't need to change anything with him.
If they try to make him something he doesn't need to be/isn't, it's going to blow up in their faces in spectacular fashion.
Ok that's a poor excuse for not becoming a better all around player. Yzerman was a scoring machine but what did he ever win? Nothing, he made himself into a selke caliber forward and the Wings started winning cups. If Ovechkin works at it, then I think he can make himself into a really good defensive player as well, which I think makes the caps a better team.
and why did the Wings win last year? In big part due to the fact that there three best players are all great two way players.
I hate the Yzerman example. Lets be clear about him. He was a 100 pt player from 87-88 til 92-93. That stopped when he was had significant injuries in the next two seasons. He never scored 40 goals again and was generally reduced to the 20s. His Selke season of 99-00 was his LAST decent season.
This was a player that had his 100pt ability taken from him. He did not voluntarily give it up. He made the best of what he had left. He is to be admired, but lets not take it too far.
Additionally, his final 100 pt season was his TENTH NHl season. It took him FIVE NHL seasons to have his first 100 pt season. Comparisons to Ovechkin are ridiculous.
Frankly the comparisons of the damaged and aging Yzerman becoming legend of a leader are closer to the current day Fedorov than the young Yzerman to the young Ovechkin.
I would still give this guy credit, his prediction seems kind of true right now. But I would still like to see him get 60 goals if he can just to prove Don Cherry wrong.
I would still give this guy credit, his prediction seems kind of true right now. But I would still like to see him get 60 goals if he can just to prove Don Cherry wrong.
Thank you.
Funny how on HFBOARDS everybody seems to be a hockey specialist but mainly they are not and more often than not they are wrong when it comes down to predictions. You tell them something valuable and they just try to shut you up.
The same thing happened when I posted on CBJ board my opinion that Zherdev wasn't going to be a great player for them before Zherdev joined them. Last offseason I said that the day is not so far when Malkin outscores Crosby.
Just go back and read some of these comments about Ovechkin being in the best shape of his life - just laughable.
