- At some point we have to wonder if Joel Ward is going to be benched in favor of Mike Knuble. Ward skated less than eight minutes last night, only two shifts in the third period (none in the last ten minutes). He was the only Cap skater without a shot attempt.
Argree..Free Knuble for Beantown..and a little hard time in Dale jail for the Warden.
I would sit Ward and Wideman, and start rotating the old cats in. Wideman hasnt done much on the PP, where I think he has to do his thing to warrant never being scratched. Too bad he isn't headed to Hollywood for his dirty blatant vicious deliberate boarding call last night.
Ward, well he has given full effort about 2 games this year. He could play like a tank but he plays like a saint. I would sit him but I have a feeling Dale can't for he is a good egg, and more George would look bad for sitting him. Hammer opened his yap and gave Dale an out to sit him.
That's how you can light a fire in a fat cat vet that has his payday. It worked on Sarge. Even Knuble when he got his game, was shot out of a cannon. It's worth a shot.
I would sit Ward and Wideman, and start rotating the old cats in. Wideman hasnt done much on the PP, where I think he has to do his thing to warrant never being scratched. Too bad he isn't headed to Hollywood for his dirty blatant vicious deliberate boarding call last night.
Ward, well he has given full effort about 2 games this year. He could play like a tank but he plays like a saint. I would sit him but I have a feeling Dale can't for he is a good egg, and more George would bad for sitting him. Hammer opened his yap and gave Dale an out to sit him.
That's how you can light a fire in a fat cat vet that has his payday. It worked on Sarge. Even Knuble when he got his game, was shot out of a cannon. It's worth a shot.
I think it's quite possible Hunter would play Erskine before Hamrlik. Reading the link below makes me feel that way. If you listen to the video part Alan May suggests it may be worth a try to bring Hamrlik back to partner with Green to see if that helps Green offensively. Amazingly he has not had a point forever. But Hunter will not be reminded I bet why Hamrlik was brought in.
Bolts beat our PK like a rented mule last night. Troubling.
PK is so very, very passive - we concede entry across the blue line, decline to attack the D when puck is at the points, refrain from collapsing when the puck goes low. Our PK strategy is - get in a box, and then stay there like a traffic cone, and let the PP move the puck around the perimeter uncontested and hope they eventually hit a cone or the goalie saves you.
It's like our guys are ordered not to be aggressive, for fear that if one guy attacks the puck, the other 3 don't have the quickness or the hockey sense (2 things we are short on) to know how to adjust to the situation.
All I know is that nobody else's PK is as passive as ours. To the contrary, every team in the league pressures the crap out of our points and the high forward, largely to great effect.
I was thinking about it the other day, we sure don't generate many chances for shorties. Like, none. I am calling it now, not a single SHG to close out the year. It starts with aggressiveness up top. Maybe losing Nick and Knuble are possible factors. Agreed Marcel, we dont threaten point men. And we sure as hell dont come close to clearing the crease, perhaps even more troubling. We need our G to stand on his head.
Our PP has fallen off a cliff. More troubling than a lame duck PK. At least we can refrain from taking penalties to minimize it, or the goalie can save us. Losing Nick just crushed it. I know everyone remembers seeing our PP come to life, crisp passing, actually scoring goals. Brouwer in front is all we have. More Orr Love please.
Maybe both we will be minimized since it seems penalties are few and far between right now.
I'll say dislike. And Florida is probably laughing at the Caps for taking him. Ideally needs to be on a third pairing and hidden defensively IMO. Why he's on the PK is beyond me. That's fixable IMO.
For example not including last night he was actually on ice for I believe 17 out of the last 24 goals scored against the Caps. He did good last night. Not on ice for any against although he was in the penalty box for one. So you still could say he's had his had in 18 out of the last 26.
Some observations from being at the game last night:
- Ovechkin a number of times when he carried the puck across the Bolts blue line, especially in the center area of the ice, TB would actually collapse 3 players on him. Someone needs to teach Ovechkin basic math and that TB's defensive posture against him afforded other Caps players ample room. But then that seems to be the problem when Ovie's on the ice, his teammates sometimes become spectators.
- Orlov had another strong game. But was really impressed with Alzner and his defensive work on "Rat Face" Stamkos. Alzner's play on Stamkos in the second period when Stamkos had a partial break away was outstanding.
- Perreault is high energy but that doesn't always equate to production or being in concert with his team mates. Last night he seemed to be running around like a chicken without a head. No rhyme or reason. Perreault's benefit to this team is when he's used in small doses.
- Wideman, slap shots from the blue line, that's his MO. Too many of his shots last night were telegraphed in that he allowed the Bolts players to get in to position to block the shots or he took the shots before the Caps could get a presence in front of the TB goalie, thus allowing for an easy save by their goalie.
- Joel Ward, I didn't get to watch that many Predators games last year so I don't know what GMGM saw in him. It appears that maybe his playoff performance last season is what made him attractive. Watching this guy play, he has no hockey sense or imagination. When he has the puck on his stick he doesn't know what to do with it and just skates until a defender takes the puck away from him. He's not fast and he does not look that strong and can be knocked off the puck rather easily. Another uimpressive performance by him last night.
- Next to Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay is my least favorite team. But I do enjoy watching Martin St. Louis play. Just to follow him on the ice when he's not even involved in play you get a real appreciation of how smart a hockey player he is along with being a very good skater.
A lot of interference by TB last night that went uncalled. Seems that this appears to be a trend in the NHL as they get closer to the playoffs the referees don't make as many of these calls as they do earlier in the season.
Overall nice to see the Caps win, but I still think the team is on life support right now.
A lot of interference by TB last night that went uncalled. Seems that this appears to be a trend in the NHL as they get closer to the playoffs the referees don't make as many of these calls as they do earlier in the season.
This is a absolute depressing and sickening trend that I've seen as I've been watching a lot of hockey other than that Capitals this year (NHL GamecenterLive). It has to be an unofficial NHL mandate for the officials. Interference has gone through the roof, IMO...especially off the puck carrier. If the NHL is going to continue this might as well increase the net size.
Hmmm, maybe the league "governor" deemed more interference = less concussions. Slow the speed of the players down.
Its fairly obvious to me why they are turning a blind eye. Back in the day the refs inadvertently or not protected the dmen. It was easiest example to see.
When a Green was about to get demolished, they would let a Hannan type just get a little piece of the incoming missile to slow them down a tad. No one that I know of every complained. They wanted a skating league, they got it, and all the most violent of collisions they didn't prepare for. Now there are other factors in play, including the hard plastic shells we call "pads". So here we are, the league scrambling to slow down play, and I sure as hell hope we counsel our players on it.
If that's true, and they aren't talking, that's terrible management by Dale. I have no problem with Dale scratching whoever he wants, but have a conversation with the guy for ****'s sake. Just have a conversation. It's not hard, and a little communication goes a long way. Give the guy something to work toward so he at least has some goals/hope, and will stay happy and motivated.
It was the same thing with Neuvy getting the first start of the season. I had no problem with the decision, but the lack of communication (from BB at the time) is inexcusable.
To me he is paying the price for dogging Dale about PIM's. I wonder if he regrets those comments.
Dale has to rotate 3 healthy bodies in and out of the lineup were he to try to keep all players happy, right? Is it better to have 3 real unhappy, or 6 unhappy on and off with every scratch. Certainly rotating like Bruce did before Montreal can be used an example. Too many changes "to keep guys fresh" may have indeed backfired. Changing / killing chemistry in lines and pairings, every damn game.
Depth is for injuries. Hammer came to a team with 5 young dmen, and its his own fault not to recognize we are in the middle of rebuilding our defense. George overpaid to get him, he should be happy he has a job.
I agree Dale could say something to him, but how needed is: we have 8 D and are you scratched until we need you. Hammer is not going to like what he hears no matter what it is. Maybe he should be a man and approach Dale and apologize for disrespecting the coach to the world.
Actions speak louder than words sometimes. It wasnt what he said to the media, it was talking to the media.
To me he is paying the price for dogging Dale about PIM's. I wonder if he regrets those comments.
Dale has to rotate 3 healthy bodies in and out of the lineup were he to try to keep all players happy, right? Is it better to have 3 real unhappy, or 6 unhappy on and off with every scratch. Certainly rotating like Bruce did before Montreal can be used an example. Too many changes "to keep guys fresh" may have indeed backfired. Changing / killing chemistry in lines and pairings, every damn game.
Depth is for injuries. Hammer came to a team with 5 young dmen, and its his own fault not to recognize we are in the middle of rebuilding our defense. George overpaid to get him, he should be happy he has a job.
I agree Dale could say something to him, but how needed is: we have 8 D and are you scratched until we need you. Hammer is not going to like what he hears no matter what it is. Maybe he should be a man and approach Dale and apologize for disrespecting the coach to the world.
Actions speak louder than words sometimes. It wasnt what he said to the media, it was talking to the media.
I disagree. Are you shocked?
IDK. Seems to be missing pieces to the whole story frankly.
From Hamrlik's POV though. Knuble was scratched and invited into Dale's office for an explanation. Hamrlik was not. Hunter blamed Hamrlik for taking a penalty. FACT: Dennis Wideman took a lazy penalty (hooking) in the NYR game quicker than Hamrlik did against Carolina. Joel Ward took a penalty against San Jose quicker than Hamrlik did against Carolina. Neither of those players was called out by his coach for the same thing. Hamrlik's penalty wasn't a lazy one. He smashed Skinner into the boards and his elbow came up - the kind of penalty you'd think Hunter would like. Wrong.
So........there are trade rumors swirling around Hamrlik, now he's scratched, there's no personal communication with the coach, he speaks broken English and is thrown to the media. What good was going to come of that?
I think it's poor management too and I've always felt you try to treat your employees as equally as possible. There was plenty of time for Hunter to avoid the situation and he didn't. But right now you have to wonder Hamrlik's frame of mind to play again if the coach still has not had a conversation with him.
What about Ovechkin being suspended for 3 games because of a penalty? What's going to happen to Green? What about Wideman's penalty that cost a goal last night?
I suspect George is pulling some of Dale's strings. Knuble, long storied career, here many years, obvious good guy (very important to George). Dale talks to him, a special one on one meeting. Hammer, newer kid on the block, stuck behind George's project, Sarge. Dale was probably led to believe Hammer would be moved. Is it normal for a coach to approach any player that may be traded and tell them, including a player only with a coach for 3 months? I have a feeling coaches don't tell players dick. Its the GM pulling the strings on all that, the players have to figure it out.
Dale is a noob, it cannot be on his resume to say he works well with older vets slowing and winding down their careers, scratched. We knew this when he was hired. So maybe he fumbled Hammer, he will be gone this summer. Where is the damage today, angry depth? Yonkman Eminger Nylander, it happens every year it seems. Even if Dale did sugarcoat the scratches, which LD would George let Dale sit? None.
What we didn't know was George would make zippy deadline moves. The music stopped, Dale now the bad guy, playing the 5 young D George covets so much, I don't think are on the table in trade talks for studs.
Yeah, a bit unfortunate predicament MG put him self and the team with that hit, even thou hit like that against him would most likely get nothing Green will get 2-3 games... Terrible timing... not a smart play...
Defenseless opponent. Washington Caps. Carelessness. Elbow deliberately to the head. Left his feet, yep 1 cm off the ice; Ovechkining. No penalty called. The need to squash Green in his tracks in his comeback from repeated injuries. Probably had him on the ShamDar for some of his previous hits.
Sham has to nip it in the bud. I will take the over. 3 games.
