So what was the ice quality at MSG last night?
What did the players think about it?
Did it affect the play?
Why no articles on it? What gives?
Ted's Take
So what was the ice quality at MSG last night?
What did the players think about it?
Did it affect the play?
Why no articles on it? What gives?
Hmmm, looks like this post backfired. Shock.
Mr. Leonsis:
The ice at MSG the night after the Westminster Kennel Club was pretty bad the other night. In fact is was almost as bad as the ice normally has been at Verizon lately and that’s saying something. I really think both team’s management should talk to their landlords and get it improved right quickly before someone get’s hurt.
How about you what do you really think.
See how fast sarcasm can turn around? Of course my sarcastic comment wouldn’t be brought up in any possible negligence lawsuits as potential proof of callousness and aloof disregard for the health and well being of my players, especially those like Shoanne Morrisonn who went through contentious binding arbitration after last season.
I understand and can even see your point, but do you really think this was the best way or even a good way to make it?
I may be wrong, but I suspect that guys like Clark, Poti and Morrisson, who believe they have been injured due to the bad ice at Verizon, wouldn’t appreciate your sarcastic comment. You really need to start taking this seriously.
Haven’t you heard? Sean Avery will make the ice perfect at MSG every night too.
MSG has as many, if not more events, than the VC. The ice at the game was clearly brand new (they even said it was) and had been made less than 24 hours previously, so it was going to be bad (there’s no way it can harden properly in less than a week…)
There were a couple of occasions when it looked like there were major repairs going on, and at least one occasion when it was down to the paint, if not to the concrete.
There really was no need for MSG to melt it for the dog show, they could have put the carpet right over the ice…
Ted: notwithstanding your posts to the contrary, you don’t seem to be taking the ice situation seriously. Just wait until your 124 million dollar superstar gets hurt by catching a bad groove. Then you may finally get it.
It’s not news that MSG ice is horrible. It has been horrible since they opened the rink.
Ha! Nice…
The ice was pretty sloppy – but it doesn’t happen to often at MSG. You also generally expect the weather to cooperate with you in New York.
Ted – we love you – don’t take it personally!
The problem everyone has with VC is that it’s crystal clear that the VC ownership has no respect for the caps. The hatred we have for Abe Pollin dates so far back it’s become immortalized in our hearts and minds. Ever since he abandoned (still maintained ownership – but didn’t invest any money) the caps in the 80′s we’ve hated him. Do you think it’s a coincidence that the Wizards and Georgetown (his alma mater) get scheduling preference over the Caps?
The same issues exist at MSG. The Nicks and the Rangers share the same facility. However, there wasn’t the same blatant favorism for the Nicks in recent memory. The Rangers ownership has always fielded a competitive team. Mark Messier, The Great One, Pat LaFontaine, Robbie Ftorek, Jack McCartan, Bob Dill, Victor Desjardins, Clarance Abel, etc…
Until Abe Pollin is completely removed from the caps organization – there will continue to be people who float conspiracy theories and write stories about how he still has it out for the caps.
MSG has long been known as a bad ice arena. It is the most used building in the world, and is much older then Verizon Center. (Verizon is a high use building as well, and we see that.)
I can promise you the articles have been written about MSG.
One of our issues with the ice is that we are a team that plays a finesse high skill game style. Ice quality should be a benefit to us, so we hope for the best to help our team.
Is it me or did the Refs call just about EVERYTHING in the favor of the Rangers??
Ted, I was with you on this issue until this comment. As a longtime caps fan it would be nice to have an arena where the ice isn’t an issue that is talked about.
The reason we talk about the ice in the Phone Booth is that it is has, at least more frequently than we’d like, been a substandard playing surface. Others have tackled the topic of the ice itself, however, and that isn’t the issue that let me to comment here.
I take issue with the sarcastic and dismissive tone of this post. We Caps fans are taking issue with the ice because it’s something we feel needs to be taken care of, not because we feel some compulsion just to complain. Given some of the personalities I’ve seen on the internet surrounding the team I can see how you might think the latter is the case, but I think you should show Caps fans a bit more respect and not dismiss an issue many of us care about with a sarcastic and biting post.
The ice was not great at MSG, but there are a couple of serious differences between the ice at the Rangers and Caps home arenas:
1) The Westminster Dog Show was just there. If the Monster Trucks had been at Verizon the night before Saturday’s game, I think a little bit more slack would have been given.
2) Historically speaking, the ice hasn’t been that bad in NYC…especially compared to the Verizon Center. Combine that with the fact the temperature at MSG is much cooler than the Verizon Center ever is. I remember years ago when going to a hockey game meant wearing a light jacket or being a little bit chilly.
3) It’s the NYR, a team that has been struggling (to put it lightly) since the Caps played there last. Not to mention their team is not nearly as skilled as the Caps. Good ice is infinitely more important for a team as fast and skilled as the Caps. If this were the same Caps team that we watched during the beginning of the rebuild you wouldn’t hear any complaints. Why? Because they were a hard working, cycling, go to the net team. Not so much with today’s Caps of OV, Green, Semin, Backs and Flash (among others).
I know you care more than anyone else about this team…both from a fan’s view point and that of a businessman…so you have to see how it’s hurting the team.
The reason it has not been disused because it was great. The type of ring along with the staff is awesome. Ice @ verizon is soft(i’ve skate on it) that’s why all the players are getting groin injuries. If this keeps up it might cost us a chance @ the cup cause I think it will injury someone really bad. It’s amazing sometimes. With all this technology(send missiles with pin point accuracy we can’t seem to lay down a sheet of ice in the nations capital).
Pull your strings TED
Hey maybe because their player’s didn’t complain about it like Poti did. SLAM
Just a thought, Teddy-boy.
i was there last night and, honestly, i didn’t notice any problems w/the ice. did the players complain?
It was probably poor by most standards. I heard the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show was being held at MSG the night before, and a fresh sheet had to be laid down.
I can’t say though…I didn’t get a chance to play on it.
I for one won’t complain about things I know nothing about, but it concerns all of us (fans) when the players don’t seem happy with the ice conditions on some evenings.
I thought the ice was a little soft, and brittle. It wouldn’t hold a cold temperature very well, and melted quickly.
I finally gave up, and just drank the whiskey directly from the bottle.
Good question.
What does the ice crew at Verizon say about this situation? Has anyone bothered to ask them? What about this supposed “ice expert” in the NHL-the guy that planned the Winter Classic. What about consulting him and getting his expertise on the matter? I think having a panel of outsiders audit a couple of games and presenting a proposal to the media and the team would make sense. Let’s at least put it out there instead of all of us just guess what the problem is.
By the way, that was just a cheap shot question that was posed to you the other day at the VIP reception as you have already explained the complicated ice issue in various ways, numerous times. To your credit, you patiently did it again. You have incredible patience. Thanks for the reception! It was very nice and we really enjoyed it.
It sure looked like bad ice to me. Players muffing wrist shots several times and the puck seeming to bounce around a lot made me think MSG had ice problems last night.
Pingback: The ice at MSG: a response to Uncle Ted « the red skate
Well, Wade Redden didn’t come out and say it was an embarrassment to play on, so I’m guessing it’s okay.
It seemed pretty lousy at the beginning of the game, but I was watching it live and MSG’s seats give you no view of the corners. It seemed to get better, strangely, as the game went along. Or at least become less of an issue.