Comments on: Our Coach Says It is a Good Point

By: Steve in Jersey

Steve in Jersey — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 19:22:01 +0000

The young call ups from Hershey played very well, we hit the posts a couple of times and at the end of the day, it was probably a fair result. To those who demand that we beat teams every time - when was the last time an NHL team garnered 164 points?

By: VAHockeyFan

VAHockeyFan — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 02:15:45 +0000

No offense, Ted, but so many other teams are having so many injuries that it really sounds like you are whining. I mean, look at Vancouver and Carolina! The Pens, only one point behind the Caps had all but one blueline starter gone for a while! The Caps can’t use this as an excuse for losing to a basement team. And the back-to-back games excuse is pretty lame too, especially when the back-to-back games are against some pretty low ranking teams. Seems to me that all teams have these same back-to-back situations. If the Caps are tired now, how are they going to last through a long playoff season? You all need to stop the excuses and jawing and just play.

By: Jason

Jason — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:42:47 +0000

“A good point”? The organization should be thanking their lucky stars that Bettman creates a third standings point to give to the losers when they survive regulation. If there wasn’t that third column in the standings, it would have counted as a loss… which it really should now that there HAS to be a winner and loser thanks to the shootout. What’s the purpose of differentiating that you lost in 60:00, or after that point?

It’s the Happy Meal you get when your Little League team loses. You have your cheeseburger and fries and feel good about that, but the fact remains you still lost.

The OTL point is an insult to anyone who can do basic math, and I’d love a chance to ask Bettman (or say, an NHL owner such as yourself) how it’s accounted for when the season starts with 2460 standings points available, yet last year, there were 2742 total awarded.

It’s even more of a joke that it results in a team with less wins than another making it into the playoffs, just look at last year’s results, Carolina had 43 wins, yet 41-win Boston made it into the playoffs only because they lost 12 games in OT compared to Carolina’s six. This is a fair way to determine standings? I’d love to see how you’d spin that if the Capitals were in the ‘07-’08 Canes shoes and missed out because of another team getting more of these “good points”.

By: Emily

Emily — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 19:44:27 +0000

Onward. Upward.

Go Caps.

By: Toni Trombecky

Toni Trombecky — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 18:15:20 +0000

Two years ago this week, we were in the same spot as Toronto is now. There are no bad teams in the NHL. We got a point despite the injuries, despite the schedule. And we still have 75% of the season ahead of us. Our boys do us proud and I love them. I don’t understand why people continue to berate them for not meeting an expectation of perfection. If perfection is the standard, then we all fail. They just happen to do it on tv and in front of 18277 fans. God love ‘em — I could never raech the level of mastery they have. If we continue to reflect mistakes back to them, that’s where the focus goes and that’s what will be created. Coach needs to find a tape of one of their stellar performances and show them what they have within. That’s how to help them bring it back.

By: Steve

Steve — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 18:06:42 +0000

Mr. Leonsis,

I take pride knowing the team didn’t give up, and pushed for the point. That counts, WE DID NOT GIVE UP! As long as we keep producing points and playing as a team, we will get those though points. GO CAPS!

By: Patricia

Patricia — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:35:50 +0000

Ted,
Thank you for voicing the concern that “[i]t is good to get so many players ice time in the NHL but we need to keep up the productivity…” Michael Nylander is available and could surely help at a time like this. It’s good there is depth available with the Hershey call-ups but in Nylander you have an NHL player who is available and can contribute. All said, purely as an ardent Capitals fan.
Thanks for sharing your “world” through this blog! You are a man for others in the Jesuit tradition.

By: BFN

BFN — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 15:46:41 +0000

I saw a stat a few days ago that said that 18% of the NHL (at the time that was written) was injured.

Every single team in the NHL is injured….enough with the injury posts.