We have some young players and this is their first playoff series. The crowd in Philly was loud and hostile and Mike is correct, it was all game long. All the Flyers did was show the greatest hit fight montages on the big screen and then try to run our players during the game. That is their game plan. We have to get back to our game plan. We have to catch our breath and get back to playing the style of hockey that brought us 94 points this season. This is a long playoff series. It’s time to regroup today.
We have some young players and this is their first playoff series. The crowd in Philly was loud and hostile and Mike is correct, it was all game long. All the Flyers did was show the greatest hit fight montages on the big screen and then try to run our players during the game. That is their game plan. We have to get back to our game plan. We have to catch our breath and get back to playing the style of hockey that brought us 94 points this season. This is a long playoff series. It’s time to regroup today. We are actually a bigger team and a stronger team than the Flyers. It seems we are caught now in between. Do we want to out skill them or play hit for hit with them? But that is their plan – to get into our heads – so we just need to have them worry about us and our game and not visa versa. I have to say that our crowd is as loud and as intimidating as their crowd. Game 4 is the pivotal game now. If we win on Thursday, the series is tied and we come back home. This experience is also terrific for our players. They are learning what it takes to compete in a playoff series against a very physical team. The playoffs are all about will and determination and not losing your cool. We didn’t react well last night but don’t stop believing.
PUT IN OLIE! I KNOW HES NOT THE THE END-ALL BE-ALL BUT THE NEXT TIME A FLYER RUNS THE GOAL THE RESULT WILL BE THERE HEAD BEING BASHED BY A PISSED OFF OLIE!!! AND THIS MAY TURN THE CAPS THINKING AROUND.
GO CAPS!!!
The key to our survival is really the power play. If we score on the power play, Philly can’t be as aggressive, otherwise they will end up in the penalty box and give up more goals. If we start scoring on the PP, that will open up the ice for OV and the rest of the guys. If we don’t score, Philly will just keep banging into us and not have to worry about giving up a goal. What Philly has gained from this is that they can run our goalie, even take a penalty or two as a result, and not have to pay the ultimate price of giving up a power play goal. If we score just 2 PP goals a game, that would open up the ice. Until we make them pay the price for taking penalties, there will be very little skating room on the ice for the Caps.
I was also in Philly on Tues with my friend, my brother, my wife, and my 2 year-old son. I will say this much, I wouldn’t have taken him if he were 3 or 4. Those classy Philly fans are the best. They chant A-hole at any call that goes against them or any Caps fan they see, F* Ovechkin, and play fight and hit videos. My wife was, of course, disgusted with the entire affair. It says something when your entire city is proud of its lack of class and boorish behavior. Thank goodness the Verizon Center and Capitals are a more family oriented environment. In the past, I have cursed this very thing, since it makes it so comfortable for opposing fans, but now I know for a fact that I prefer it our way. I think it’s karma that Philly hasn’t won a championship for so long. They get what they deserve.
Both teams are relatively new to the playoffs… each team has only one skater who has been to to the post season more than 6 times (Fedorov and Hatcher).
Remember, before game one, the total number of playoff games played by the starting goalies was….6, all by Huet. Biron got to watch several playoff games, but never got into one.
Be that as it may, the Caps are going to rebound tomorrow and get this series back to 2-2.
Give Olie a chance. The Caps can beat these guys, they just need to get their heads cleared. They haven’t had four bad games back to back for a while, so there’s hope for Game 4.
And Ted, next time, take Kornheiser along to be food taster. Losing you as an owner would be a complete and utter tragedy. The Wash Post, ESPN and Monday Night Football would all be vastly improved if he were to fall significantly ill.
“You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word: Victory — victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror,
victory, however long and hard the road may be; for without victory there is no survival.”
Sir Winston Churchill
That is all I have to say. Let’s Go CAPS. Dig deep and play hard. We believe. It’s the best of 7, not 4 or 5.
The Caps can beat them back. Frankly, I’d hate to be Gary Bettman today — the game last night with that level of thuggery on ice and off — is not the kind of hockey the NHL wants for its future. Mike Wise’s column today was spot on.
They can come back, and even if they don’t, it’s been a fun, wild ride this year and thank you, Ted L. and your organization.
We were owning them towards the end of the second and even quite a bit in the third. Poti and Erskine had a few really poor penalties and it collapsed any surge we had. Flyers fans were shocked how the Brash line cycled that baby unharmed.
WOW such panic on all these boards. Calm down people. The Caps are a young team tasting the playoffs for the first time. I seem to remember Sid the Kid in his first playoffs last year being SWEPT by the Sens, now look at him this year. While I want us to go far this year, the reality is that this year has been beyond successful. Next year we add Alzner to our defense core, WATCH OUT !!
Sadly i saw Ovie several times making a break from the defensive end too quickly…Its 20 men committed to DEFENSE or this series is over on Saturday. Everytime Huet was hit, no cap was there to help him out. The best TEAM is going to win, and right now, its not even close as to who the better TEAM is, and its not us…The Flyers have found the one thing to get us off our game, and have exploited it. The question is ,what is the one thing that will get them off of their game? Fighting back ? I doubt it. Running into their goalie? Maybe, but the refs are watching for this now, and we are likely to put ourselves at risk for more penalties. There is only one thing left. Switch up the lines to mess with their game plan. They have to be confronted with something that does not look right to them. They cant keep their same defense on all time if you split up Ovie and Backstrom. You got Fedorov for a reason, let him play with Ovie. Discover their one weakness and you will find the key to turning things around. Enough posts and crossbars have been hit to give us hope. They have barely ever played from behind .That would be a start. See if they stick to the plan when they are down 2-0.
Further to my earlier comment, I’ve played quite a bit of hockey myself. It’s easy to cruise around in circles looking for the puck – but it’s much harder to stop short, start hard and dig for the puck. I see the Flyers coming to the bench with more ice shavings on their skates than the Caps and that tells me something. Ice shavings = work.
Huet rocks, but we need some of Olie’s seasoned toughness in there on Thursday night.
Our Caps have come upon some very rough waters. We all applaud the job that Huet has done since becoming a Cap. But a lot of us feel that it’s time to make change in the net. Let’s not forget that Olie has playoff experience too, in fact he was our net minder the last time we made the run for the cup. Hopefully Bruce will make this change and our quest for the Cup will continue!!
God-zill-a! God-zill-a!
Let’s shake this team up & make some changes. Bruce needs to let Huet rest, he’s been looking tired & beaten. Let Olie take a few swings at those Flyers!
We are the Capitals.
We will prevail. It is what we do best.
Where is Joe Finley when you need him? If anything, this series has shown that we need to go out and get a punishing defenseman this off-season to punish and show the kids how to do it too. I don’t think Joe will be ready next year.
LET’S GO CAPS!!!
Kolzig, Kolzig, Kolzig!
We are about to see what this team is really all about and whether coach can make the smart decisions. Ollie is bigger and used to the rough stuff, while CH had defensemen in Montreal who protected him. If Bruce wants Coach of the Year he will make a goalie change for tomorrow. This is basic stuff and sadly the Caps have never made the tough choices when faced with a first round put away. This may be a best of 7 but tomorrow is the absolute key!
Intimidation is part of the game and no one has done it better historically than Philadelphia. Unfortunately, we are allowing them to do so again.
If A Ovechkin wants MVP, step up…if N Backstrom feels he should be rookie of the year show me tomorrow…if M Green deserved to be in the all-star game remind the NHL tomorrow. Right now, Donnie Brashear is the the go to guy. He deserves to start tomorrow.
No golf in April, no golf in May! I am not interested in next season. Show me something Thursday!
I’m pretty sure we are going to win this series and move on, but it would be less frustrating/nailbiting if we can get someone to defend the goalie or put in the goalie who can defend himself!! Why won’t BB play OLIE? Huet is terrific and earned the starts he’s gotten, but Olie is big and tough and can take these guys and, he has earned the right to play in the playoffs as well. Plus we who have been here for a good long while have earned seeing him in there! Even so, he has proven to be the teamplaying pro my son thinks he is.
I will get the weekend plan for next season when they become available in June, at least that is what I’m told by the staffer who keeps calling me! I’d love to get the full season tickets but I have a CAPS Kid Club member and we can’t manage the weeknight games!
I also think you are good at your job and I appreciate that.
Just wanted to let you know I took quite a bit of abuse in my Caps jersey during Game 3 at the Wachovia Center. I will be there again, cheering on the Capitals on Thursday. Let’s bounce back and win Game 4!!!
WHy has Ovechkni become a “Diver?” He is more skilled than that…It’s a shame!
First and foremost you need someone to bury that little weasel Daniel Briere. That garbage with your goalie needs to go bye-bye Ben Eager style. Then outskill them.
I was at the game and Ted is right. That organization is just pure violence. I never felt so threatened in my life and the things Flyers fans say to even our preteen fans was crude and sick. I cant describe enough how inhumane it was. I’ve been to allot of games in allot of buildings and the only word to describe last night was Disturbing.
I’ve been a Caps fan since 1974, and I hate the Flyers – but the last 2 games, they have played more like a team with a common committment to a goal than the Caps have. They certainly have less talent, but they are playing more like a team. Everyone in orange and black is finishing checks and digging hard for loose pucks. Some of the guys in red don’t seem to be as committed to the team. Brooks Laich is a great example of a guy who is doing the right thing. Some of the more “skilled” players need to follow his example. Teams win over individuals in the playoffs.
We might be a bigger team, but size has very little to do with grit, and willingness to pay the price. Last night was just plain embarrassing.
Ted, just wanted to tell you how much we Capitals fans love having you as an owner. You are a great guy, very personable, accessable, and a big fan which is great to see. Good luck with Philly and i look forward to y’all taking it to the next level.
It just seems like the Caps have gone soft and are intimidated for a variety of reasons. Maybe the tough stretch run to get into the playoffs has finally taken its toll. I hope I’m wrong. But, I’m a true believer.
I have re-upped for next season as a full STH, and I know the future is bright for our Caps.
They have come so far in a short amount of time this season. The best is ahead of us, win or lose this series.
I bet the Canes fans envy us!
LETS GO CAPS!