Read this article. I couldn’t have said it better myself. Injuries do take their toll for any and all teams in the NHL.
Like it or not.
And luck does take it toll, too. We hit three posts this weekend. One of those shots goes in and we have another standings point, too.
And we still are in first place in the East so it is what it is.
Onward and chill. :-) Go Caps!
Tags: Hockey, Ted Leonsis, Ted's Take, Washington Capitals
The worst part about reading that article is realizing what an albatross the Nylander situation is when it comes to call-ups and the salary cap. I hope for everyone’s sake that the end is near, and that Nylander finds a place to play and that the Capitals can finally free up that $4+ million in cap space. I’m sure it would make GM McPhee’s life easier when it comes to juggling LTIR and salary cap space.
Not for nothing, but you’re not in first in the East anymore.
Of course it’s November, so it’s ridiculous to discuss anyway. Then again, the Caps will always feel inferior to Pittsburgh until they can win when it matters, and THAT’S not in November either.
PLEASE everyone listen to Ted….CHILL, we will make the playoffs, and thats when the season begins. Till then, enjoy watching the highs and lows of the regular season. Nothing matters till April. All this hand wringing now only gives you ulcers. Watch as Varly develops into what we have been lacking, a money goalie. Varly has played his butt off thes last few games, and he will only get better as the mental part of the game comes to him, so enjoy HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL….except Penguin fans
Tell the guys to hang in there. It’s been a really hard month, but I know they can do it.
i agree there’s no reason to freak out, but even when healthy this team was losing games in this EXACT fashion. the bottom line is that the way this Caps team is currently constructed (particularly on D), they will not win a cup. Too many 5/6/7 defenseman and not enough top-4 caliber players. It is what it is right now, but changes will have to be made eventually if you want to realize the ultimate goal, Ted. It’s Stanley Cup or bust until this city gets one….and this team is not going to win a Cup the way it is put together right now.
There is no mental toughness out there. How do you blow a 2 goal lead to Ottawa in the last 20 minutes when they didn’t even want to be on the ice the first 40? MENTAL TOUGHNESS. this team has none right now.
Probably not the best to tell people to “chill” when they have lost 4 of 5 and have blown leads in all of them (2 of them were 2 goal leads too).
Ted,
I have never posted on here (so I don’t think I consider myself ‘a few folks who comment on My Blog’, but when I read the caption in the Post that you wanted Caps Fans to chill.. well.. I take issue with that.. With all due respect, if we were losing because of injuries and not mental breakdowns, then yes, injuries would be a legitimate excuse and a much easier pill to swallow. The judgement lapses that are costing us the games are not being made by our young guys who are here from Hershey (of which are here because of injuries), but by the ‘veterans’. So please, at the very least.. call a spade a spade. To the point of where we are in the standings.. at this rate, because of the mental breakdowns/laziness- pick one, we wont be at the top for very long! Will you continue to have that attitude as we slip down the standings? Let’s remember, EVERY team in the NHL has a compressed schedule and EVERY team will suffer from injuries. The BETTER teams will fight through all of that and will find ways to win. THAT is what this is all about.
Onward CAPS!! Win or lose I am cheering for you
Ted:
I am a displaced Washingtonian now living in Gatlinburg/Knoxville TN area. I worked for the Caps when they first came into the league doing public relations stints (after dinner speaking engagements, ticket promotions and sales, etc.). I helped introduce the DC area to hockey. My background goes back to the old R I Reds who played in the AHL. I lived in RI before taking up roots in DC. I did promotional work for the Reds back in the days that I lived up north. My experience with the Caps was when Lew Strudler was your PR man and the team had the likes of Robert Picard, Dennis Maruk, Mike Gardner, Bernie Wolfe, Ivan Labre, etc playing for us. I also worked as an off ice official for the ECHL when the Chesepeake Ice Breakers played in Upper Marlboro and also traveled with the team and worked the press box doing charting and spotting during the teams away games. I worked very close with Chris Nyland who was then the coach of the Icebreakers.
I have many years of watching hockey and staying close to the Caps. I subscribe to NHL center ice and never miss one of your games. I love what you have done for the team and your commitment to bringing a prennial winner to the DC area is admirable. When I was with the team we could never crack the front page of the sports sections because of the presents of the Redskins. You have changed that!!
I would like to offer some on my insights and hope that you will find my comments acceptable. First and foremost I agree that injuries have caused our setbacks over the past few weeks and every team hits this bump in the road every year (hopefully only one time per year). That said I think that we have a couple of issues that need to be addressed.
1). I think that Alex Semin, while a superior player (when he isn’t hurt) is to soft and his playing time every year so notes this liability. I question his durability and the numerous times out of the line up for injury overall hurts the club. He also is the receipent of stupid penalties that hurt our overall team effort and costs us games.
2). We really need another Donald Brasher. I am not an advocate of fighting and as a matter of fact detest it. However, we do have to protect our stars and we need that kind of presence to be on the team. Expecting Bradley to go out and get blooded up to protect the Alex O’s and S’s is not the answer.
3). I have been watching Green and can’t help but notice the number of stupid mistakes he is making in the defensive end. It sometimes looks like he just doesn’t have his “head in the game”. Don’t have any answer for this because his upside potential far exceeds his down side bone head plays.
4) Bruce B was a great addition to this team. He is a wonderful coach and it is obvious he knows the game and really cares about his players, ownership/management and the city of DC as a whole.
5). The development of the minor league system is a tribute to your ability to build an NHL powerhouse for the long haul. You, McPhee and Bruce B have done a great job in “putting the puzzle together.”
I am sorry for the long email but I wanted to provide you with my background in the sport of ice hockey. I hope my insights can be a positive tool in helping you and your management staff evaluations going forward. Thank-you for your time and all you have done to bring championship ice hockey to the nations capital.
Sincerely,
Doug Cunha
I agree that this team is not capable of winnig a cup as it currently exists. Defensively the Caps are too soft. The only D-man that plays the game hard is Erskine.
I am a “Bruce” fan but I get tired of hearing how the team plays “too cute”. What you doing about that Bruce? I read that Ovie loves Bruce because he knows the game and does not say anything to him about offense, only defense. Somebody better start talking to Semin and Green about playing with passion and intelligence. I think Bruce’s paternal relationship with these players is clouding his better judgement.
I have also heard GMGM say that the Captitals don’t need a dedicated tough guy. He used the Red Wings as an example. First off, The Caps are not the Wings and the Red Wings went out and got Brad May for toughness and by all indications, it is working for them.
Ovie was hurt in a scrum started by a no name with the Blue Jackets. The scrum was finished off by Jared Boll coming in and having his way with Ovechkin. Why? No fear of reprisal, that’s why! I am shocked that it has taken a team this long to go after Ovechkin. We need to protect our top players.
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