Whew. And we're back. I'll tell you, there's nothing like a heartbreaking first round loss to the Flyers followed by a soon-to-be heartbreaking second round loss to the same damn team to almost make a girl lose her mojo, scrap it all and take up the NBA.
So...how 'bout those Wizards, huh? Huh?
Okay, no. I have no idea what's going on with the Wiz these days and honestly I couldn't care less, despite my desire to just turn the lights off on this hockey season and hide away until September. It hasn't gotten bad enough for me to turn to basketball, not yet at least; and I'm guessing since Dan Steinberg is still blogging furiously, the Wizards are still alive.
Bully for them.
Don't get me wrong - there is a lot to celebrate right now. Take the fact that the Caps weren't even supposed to make the postseason in the first place and yet ended up winning their division. Take the fact that they clawed their way back from a 3-1 series deficit and made it all the way to overtime in game 7 before succumbing to the Flyers. Take the fact that Ovechkin, Backstrom and Boudreau all find themselves up for major NHL awards - all of which are deserved.
Take the fact that waiting in the wings of an already young, talented club are young, talented prospects with names like Karl Alzner, Sami Lepisto, Andrew Gordon, Mathieu Perreault, and Semen Varlamov.
Yes, there is a lot of good in the world for Caps fans, and I, like all of you, would do well to remember that. Because as we sit on the verge of a potential Flyers-Penguins Conference Final...it's sometimes hard to believe there is any good in the world at all.
Despite the pain, there is still hockey going on - and some pretty exciting hockey for that matter. Sure, all four series are flying by and we could be seeing one of the shortest second rounds in recent memory. But don't let that fool you, none of these series (save for the Wings-Avs series, which admittedly I haven't watched much of) have been easy. There have been a lot of one-goal games, a lot of overtimes, a lot of clanking posts and reviewed goals and nail-biting final seconds. It's been a hard fought second round, as it should be.
Hey, if the Avs and Rangers remember how to play hockey for one night we've got ourselves a foursome of 3-1 series heading down the stretch. And doesn't the time seem ripe for a team to pull off the oh so rare feat of being down by that margin...and coming back to win it all? The way this postseason is going, it's not out of the realm of possibility.
Some thoughts so far:
- Montreal's problem isn't their goaltending or their lack of discipline at inopportune times or their inability to create traffic in front of Biron...it's all three. If that sounds eerily familiar to you, you're not alone.
- Every time Daniel Briere sneaks in from behind the net to score a goal a baby cries. Would someone just put a big bell around his neck already?
- The Rangers with Sean Avery have proved to be a tough if not quite tough enough foe for the Penguins. Without him? Tee time's at 8:30 tomorrow morning, boys.
- Marty Turco has worn the "choker" moniker, rather unfairly, for years now. Guess what - he's mad as hell and he's not going to take it anymore. He's the Cheap Seats favorite among all goalies named Marty, that's for sure.
- Is Colorado still playing?
- Steve Begin blocked a shot with his midsection last night and when he got to his feet and hobbled to the dressing room., he was booed. You stay classy, Philadelphia.
- Two games in a row now Patrick Marleau has picked off a cross-ice pass from Sergei Zubov, taken it down ice and scored a shorthanded goal. The Stars may be an infinitely better team with Zubov in the lineup, but I think everyone would agree he needs to stop trying that pass.
- Say what you want, but no coach does the wry "are you kidding me??" smile better than Guy Carbonneau.
- Where have you gone, Joe...Thornton?
- The Pens have the potential to do something no team has done in almost twenty years, and that is sweep the first two rounds. My question for you is this - since they came against a weak Senators team and an elderly Rangers team, does that make them more or less ready to face whoever survives the Habs-Flyers series?
- Speaking of which - irony comes in many shapes and colors, but right now it's wearing a hideous black and orange jersey. You have to think that after essentially throwing the last game of the year to draw the Sens in the first round over Philly, the last thing the Pens want to do is face the juggernaut Flyers in the Conference Finals. Should that happen...I will laugh.
Through my tears, of course.
Thursday, May 01, 2008
So Much to Say
Thursday, April 17, 2008
So Close
We're not talking about this game. It was a much better effort by the Caps and there were a couple of places where the game could have gone in either direction - but it's over. Done. All eyes have to face forward, because what lies ahead is bigger than what we leave behind in Philly tonight.
Caps fans, take heart.
18 times in NHL history a team has rallied after being down 3-1 in a series to win that series. It's not a huge number considering the NHL has had countless series in it's 100+ year history, but it's happened five times since 2000, four of which came in the quarterfinals. The most recent was the Montreal Canadiens, who rallied to beat the Bruins back in 2004. The Caps actually hold the dubious distinction of blowing 3-1 series leads three times, more than any other team.
They've only come back from a 3-1 deficit once.
Twenty years ago.
Against the Philadelphia Flyers.
...will history repeat itself? Who will be the Dale Hunter? Who will be the hero? It starts Saturday - wear your red, bring your voices, keep your spirits high.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Crushed By the Orange
I'm risking ruining my reputation as a (somewhat) level-headed, (kinda) even-keeled, unbiased (...ish) fan to make the following statement - but it needs to be said.
I hate the Flyers.
It's official. My unmitigated hatred for the orange and black is quickly returning to the level of contempt which at one time was only reserved for their Pennsylvania neighbors. I hate everything about them. I hate their retina-burning uniforms and their goonish history and their need to see blood spilled, from either team, every minute of every day.
Briere, Richards, Hartnell? No one here thinks you're cute, talented or tough. Biron? No one here thinks you're quirky. 'Vengeance Now'? More like 'Goons Forever'.
Yes, I'm mad. All Caps fans should be mad. This is not the series we were promised, not after the run this Caps team put together to get into the playoffs in the first place. You can make the claim that the Flyers got into the playoffs the same way, scrapping for points...but it wasn't the same way. The Flyers did not claw their way up from the league basement. In fact, at one point Philly was on top of the Atlantic Division and only fell after prolonged stretches of ineptitude throughout the season.
After the season we've had, after all the ups and downs, the coaching changes and goaltender changes and new faces and trades and signings and adjustments and standings climbing...we deserve something amazing, whether it's as a parting gift to cap off the season or just the beginning of a long postseason run.
If the Caps lose, they lose - this series was never supposed to be a home run. Give Philly credit, they've played a heck of a series so far, and no one expected a sweep by the Caps, an easy four games and a long rest. We're not playing Ottawa, after all (and a big ol' thanks to Pittsburgh again for that one). This series should be epic and tough.
If the Caps lose, though, they'd better go down swinging.
Tonight was better than Sunday. Of course it was better. But saying that tonight's performance was better than Sunday's is like saying Briere is taller on skates. True, but relative. Tonight the Caps should have come out flying; everything they've said in the last two days made us think they would. They were angry, they said. They were frustrated, they told us. They made mistakes and paid for it and that had to change, they swore. No one worked hard enough; everyone would have to work harder. That's what they said, and what we believed.
But it was the Flyers who took control early and even as the Caps mustered little flurries of energy and closed the gap the Flyers pulled further ahead. The Flyers ran over Huet time and time again without retribution, and then were pushed into him time and time again by hapless defenders who didn't know what else to do. The Caps continued to make ill-advised long passes resulting in turnovers, continued to sputter on the power play (despite finally getting one with the extra man), continued to look star-struck and stunned - as if they'd completely forgotten how to play hockey just because they were doing it after April 5.
It wasn't pretty. In fact, backdropped by the sea of happy orange it was downright ugly. And because of that they have to go back to the drawing board.
You want an easy scapegoat, take Erskine (please). Take Jurcina with his boneheaded turnover. Take Ovechkin, who has yet to show up with the presence we've become used to. But barring any of those, chalk this up to a good old-fashioned, all hands on deck team loss from start to finish.
If I'm the coach it may be time to think about putting in Olie for at least a game - not because Huet was bad, because once again he was one of the better performers out there (although I haven't seen a goal by goal breakdown so I could be wrong). It should be done because the guys need a wakeup call and Huet needs a rest. Poor Cristobal has had to take care of himself for three games now and has played 11 straight and the frustration is showing; rest him and put Zilla in to throw some punches, whack some ankles and yell at the boys. They need it. It's time.
And if I'm the coach it's DEFINITELY time to sit Erskine and put Eminger back in. Of course if Schultz reinjured himself that may be tricky but hell, no one said the playoffs were easy. Call up Lepisto or Boumedienne if that's what it takes. It's just mind-boggling that big #4 is still in there after taking dumb penalties and continuing to be on the ice staring blankly at Huet as the puck goes into the net. If he's in there to add toughness, great, but I haven't seen him do all that much to prove that he deserves a spot in the lineup just for that. Yank him. Free Steve Eminger. It's time.
And if I'm the coach...it's time to find a way to ignite this team, light a spark under their collective rear ends. This isn't playtime anymore and the team that once believed they couldn't lose has not only lost twice in a row but been outplayed for 8 of their first 9 playoff periods.
Being down 2-1 is doable; the series is far from over and the Caps can still salvage home ice advantage. Being down 3-1? You might as well call it a night, even with memories of 1988 fresh in our minds.
It's time for the average joes to become heroes...and the superstars to become superheroes. It's time for this team to show up.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Monday, July 02, 2007
Lost Players Find Homes
Day 1 of the "Free Agent Frenzy" has come and gone, and we've all had time to process the moves that were made or not made as the case may be around the NHL.
Some thoughts...
- Let's deal with the biggest issue on everyone's mind - no, we didn't sign Gomez or the gruesome twosome from Buffalo. Uh...did people actually think we were going to? The prices and length of term for those three guys who, I'm sorry, are grossly overrated, would have put the Caps in a financial and contractual bind and prevented them from moving forward with extensions for our youngsters in the coming years. They're good players, sure. Are they worth $6-7 million a year until the end of time? Absolutely not.
What's more, we all knew those were the kinds of dollars and contract lengths being tossed around for any one of those centers, and had we signed any of them there would have been cries of "overpaid!" coming from every corner of CapsNation. Now I'm well aware that I've repeated time and time again how much I love Chris Drury and wanted him here. But not for five years at just over $7 million a year, no thank you. And now that he's donning the hated blueshirt, my love and respect for him has just taken a serious hit. Sorry, Chris, but you can't be the heart and soul player for a team that has neither heart nor soul. Good luck with Satan Jagr...
- As always I took a spin around the Caps online world to get a feel for the verdict on yesterday's action, and while I was pretty impressed (and frankly surprised) with how positive many people seemed to be, to the rest of you I have to say one thing: quit your whining. Look around at the deals being made all day yesterday, huge dollar amounts flying left and right, lifetime contracts being doled out...then look at the fantastic job that GMGM did.
He got us a puck-moving defenseman who can, wait for it, quarterback the power play. He locked him up for four years at $3.5 million per year, maybe a tad overpaying but definitely low considering the market. Maybe not a number one defenseman, but still top four and all in all a good pickup. Then he went out and got a guy who has played with Ovechkin, who put up career numbers last year, who at just 30 is still in his prime, and who can fill the need for a skilled right winger. Price tag? Two years, $2.5 million. Voila.
That's filling two holes that needed to be filled with relatively little risk involved, particularly with Kozlov. If either doesn't work out, a 2 or 4 year deal is much easier to move than a 6-8 year contract...we know that all too well. So that's $6 million tied up in two pretty decent players, leaving tons of cash left over to go after one sexy center, whoever that may be...I know who I want.
- Back to the Poti deal - this is a guy that I actually wanted to see here the last time he was available and the more I think about it the better I feel about this signing. People are complaining that he's sometimes prone to defensive mistakes. Guess what? He wasn't brought in to be a Scott Stevens or even a Brendan Witt. He was brought in to do exactly what he does, play the point, boost the offense, and occasionally shut down the other team's scoring.
The organization has quite a few youngsters who will, in time, fill that stay at home d-man position. Jeff Schultz leaps immediately to mind, as does Shaone Morrisonn. Big bodies, young players who will grow into their role, and the only way to let them do that is to actually give them experience doing just that. It may continue to be a little bumpy along the way, but let's face it - how much worse could it really be? And in the meantime you get a guy with playoff experience, a guy who knows a few of his new teammates, a guy who can pick up some badly needed points on the power play...I say well done, McPhee.
- The Rangers are really bugging the crap out of me, I'll say it right now. It's not that I thought Drury or Gomez would come here because I honestly didn't, as I mentioned before. It's the sheer audacity they have in resuming the game I like to call "New York big bucks franchise tries to buy a championship" (See Steinbrenner, George.) Last season I found myself occasionally praising the team I loathed for getting away from all that crap and trying to build through the draft and acquisitions based more on character and ability than on name alone (around Jagr, sure, but still...) Flash forward to yesterday: they sign Drury and Gomez, the two biggest names of the UFA frenzy. They're going to lose Nylander, they just lost Ortmeyer...and they're back to square one. Of course, they still don't have any defense to back up their "firepower", so at least we can hang on to that lovely thought.
- What the hell are the Flyers doing? I'm no expert in the ways of building a winning team, but to me it doesn't seem wise to lock up a handful of second-tier players to huge long-term contracts the year after your worst season in franchise history. To me this looks like the desperate act of a franchise trying to quickly win back their fans. Newsflash to Snider and Holmgren: Philly fans are fickle. Sure, the trades and signings that got done yesterday may make the Flyers an infinitely better team...it could also blow up in their face. As a former division rival, am I the only one who is hoping it's the latter? If that makes me a bad person, I don't care. Too many long nights surrounded by fans in orange and black will make a person bitter.
(I will say that I do like the idea of Briere going somewhere I already hate - makes it easier to continue my own personal loathing of the evil little hobbit.)
- Winners of the first day: Colorado. Wow. Locking up Smyth and Hannan (who went for a lot less than I thought he would) augments what already was a pretty decent team...hey, any team that can make Andrew Brunette into a consistent scorer gets my vote. With Joe Sakic continuing to produce and lead in a way that only he can and now these two new additions, this Avs team is going to look pretty darn scary come the fall.
- Bizarre Award: Pittsburgh. They've already locked up their geriatric duo, Roberts and Recchi. So what's next? Go find a 35 year old defenseman whose best days are behind him to...to what? Increase the average age in the locker room? Okay, sure. Then they pick up Petr Sykora (you know, the "good" one), who has never really lived up to the hype that surrounds him. Just ask Devils fans. Throw in the addition of a new backup goalie after spending this year praising the hell out of Thibault's performance, and rightly so, and you've got one strange, strange day on the market for the Pens.
- The Caps really were the best team in the division at improving their roster after their moves yesterday. Granted, they had more work to do than the other four teams who all either made the playoffs or really sat just on the cusp at the end of last season, but still. No Cup winner out of the Southeast Division this season? What's that all about? Let's take a brief gander around the Southeast:
- Tampa: Signed Michel Ouellet to a two-year deal. Respectable point totals, but the guy couldn't score consistently on a line with Sidney Crosby. Please. I may not like Sid the Kid very much but I hear he's a pretty decent passer...
- Carolina: Agreed to a two-year deal with Jeff Hamilton. Again, I'll say...who?
- Atlanta: Signed Eric Perrin, formerly of the Bolts, to a two-year deal. Not necessarily a bad signing, just kind of...meh. Signed Todd White to a four-year deal. Again, not necessarily bad, just...meh. And they lost their silver bullet, Jon Sim, to free agency. Oops.
- Florida: Signed Richard Zednik (2 years), Brett McLean (3 years) and Radek Dvorak (2 years). I'm sorry, I do love him, but Zed? Suckers. The other two are space-fillers at best, and with Bertuzzi and Roberts departing at the deadline they have very little grit. Of course they did swing that Vokoun deal at the draft, which fills a very urgent need in net and signals the end of Eddie "the Balding Eagle" Belfour's reign of terror, so that's an upgrade.
So now we sit and wait for the rest of the UFAs to go their separate ways, with many eyes suddenly and bizarrely on the Michael Nylander situation but also focused on *shudder* Alexei Yashin. The Caps are still looking for a top line center and I'll bet GMGM has been very busy today trying to lock one up as soon as possible...stay tuned.
Update: Per Japers' Rink (and courtesy of an alert commenter) it looks like my Nylander dream, like so many of my Caps-related dreams, has come crashing back to earth with a resounding thud. A second radio station is claiming Nylander has signed a 4 year deal with the Oilers. No confirmation from TSN as yet, but this is twice now that we're hearing word out of Edmonton of a deal - three times and I say we move on to...*sigh*...Yashin. I guess. Sure.
