Katie Carrera @kcarrera 40m
Oates said Oleksy wasn’t brought up to be a fighter, but to provide balance with a right-handed shot.
Oates also said Olesky was the most improved player he had seen when he was at Hershey earlier this season.
Katie reports Schultz and Hammer out for longer skates, so appears they will be healthy scratches and Brouwer not feeling well so he did not skate this morning.
Frankly that's pretty insulting to a city that is much different than it used to be. It's not much different than asking if Washington D.C. still has slave auctions.
If this team is serious about turning things around and getting into the playoffs, this is a game they need to earn points in. If you're relying on getting the vast majority of your points against SE teams and the like, you're not gettin' very far.
If Holtby plays well and the defense doesn't fold, they'll have a chance. Sounds like the playoff mantra, huh? Recent play gives me the dreaded hope, but the Bruins are machine-like in their efficiency and physicality at both ends. Not sure the Caps are up to the task but fingers crossed.
Is it really a focus on righty lefty on the correct side, or coach speak for we have no confidence in hammer, and shultz?
It has spanned several coaches now, even back to Bryan Murray, long before George got here. All our coaches seem to tow the right shot on right side company line, yet it seems few other teams have such strong a preference. Even Oates has made statements before coaching here, about being handedness aware. But it's like it's page one in the Capitals all time playbook.
Hammer had been in the doghouse for a full year, his days numbered. Olesky is here because our defense is soft as butter, and Green and Orlov are out.
They really do like proper handedness on D, its not a charade to **** can players. George just scratches indefinitely or waives the undesirables.
It has spanned several coaches now, even back to Bryan Murray, long before George got here. All our coaches seem to tow the right shot on right side company line, yet it seems few other teams have such strong a preference. Even Oates has made statements before coaching here, about being handedness aware. But it's like it's page one in the Capitals all time playbook.
Hammer had been in the doghouse for a full year, his days numbered. Olesky is here because our defense is soft as butter, and Green and Orlov are out.
They really do like proper handedness on D, its not a charade to **** can players. George just scratches indefinitely or waives the undesirables.
Thanks for the info! I've been watching Caps hockey before the 'limo incident'. Never paid attention to the lefty/righty issue on defense before.
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George McPhee....The Teflon GM. 15 years of failure and counting....
6 - Number of playoff series the Capitals have won since George McPhee took over as General Manager in 1997 (which makes him the third-longest-tenured GM in the League), three of which came in McPhee's first season on the job.
Remember that time when all the Caps' good players were out against Boston, but Matty Perreault decided to go beast mode? Hopefully something similar happens tonight.
Remember that time when all the Caps' good players were out against Boston, but Matty Perreault decided to go beast mode? Hopefully something similar happens tonight.
He had a hat trick + a helper in a 5-3 win if I'm remembering correctly. Matty P can play.
B's let up 2 goals in the 3rd to the hated Canadiens in a 4-3 loss on Sunday. I'm expecting them to come out angry and looking to paste us, especially after last year's play-off series.
We're certainly going to get punched in the mouth; will anyone actually punch back?
PRO's game against the Bruins was when Ovechkin was serving his suspension for his hit on Penguins Michalek. Remember PRO getting interviewed on the bench after the game and Ovie gave him a shaving cream pie in the face.
I know folks are generally still pessimistic about the season and rightfully so but the SE crown is definitely attainable .... especially with Cam Ward going down for 1-2 months.
I know folks are generally still pessimistic about the season and rightfully so but the SE crown is definitely attainable .... especially with Cam Ward going down for 1-2 months.
The Ward loss is overrated. ~.908 (?) goaltending isn't that hard to replace on the whole.
Now, it's attainable [in theory at least] because there are no good teams in the division. But Ward going down doesn't really change the dynamic.
The Ward loss is overrated. ~.908 (?) goaltending isn't that hard to replace on the whole.
Now, it's attainable [in theory at least] because there are no good teams in the division. But Ward going down doesn't really change the dynamic.
Except that instead of having a .908ish guy who's proven that he can take a heavy workload, now they have a .908ish replacement that hasn't seen full-time duty in a long time. Even if they platoon him, the other guy is not as good as Cam Ward.
There's also the "playing in front of the #1 gives the boys confidence" trust argument, but it's a harder sell.
Either way, they're not as good minus Cam Ward IMO. Enough to suddenly choke away the division? To the Caps? Who knows.
