This is a good write-up on last night’s game.
To be frank, our youngest and first year players are our best players right now.
It is odd to see our core players being so unproductive.
Vancouver scores on a power play chance. We don’t. One goal differential.
A star player on Vancouver buries a breakaway opportunity on a bad turn over by us. We have the same opportunity but we don’t score on our breakaway chance. Two goal differential. End game.
We have a lot of work to do. The difference between success and failure is small. We need to bury our chances against all teams but truly take advantage of those chances against great competition.
We have many injuries to overcome. Our lines seemed jumbled. Our power play is unproductive and is manned by our best players. Our power play is contributing to our woes across the board. 8% conversion of late. No productivity from our star players.
More injuries.
With many games on the road coming up.
Time to bear down. Come together.
Took my daughters to their first Caps game vs. Vancouver, what a great time! Their chants of ‘Caps Be Awesome’ started catching on throughout our section by the 3rd, just too bad they couldn’t pull out the game. They haven’t taken off their new Caps jerseys for days. Thank you Ted for developing a great product, hope you can do the same w/ the Wizards. I do hope the boys are ‘pacing themselves’, it does seem like they are being out hustled a bit but if that means playoff success then that’s just fine w/ me.
Think you could you buy the Redskins too??
That Vancouver game / defeat sucked .
I can hear the stereotypical 1980′s Don Cherry saying how the euro’s are soft and the Caps have no killer instinct .
P.S.
Great goaltending Varly
I have been a hockey player and Caps fan for close to 30 years. I firmly believe this team has all the tools to win the Cup NOW. When the team is MOTIVATED they can steam roll any team in the league.
I admire and appreciate what Bruce Boudreau did with the team when he took over. However it is clear that he is not capable of motivating this team. Under his leadership I’m afraid the team will never make it past the 2nd round in the post season. I understand being loyal to a great man, but he has lost the team. In addition he is uncapable of making in game changes to match other coaches strategies. The organization could shake things up with a meaningless trade, but the root of the problem is behind the bench, not sitting on it.
Ted,
This is only tenuously related to your most recent post, and I imagine that it’s probably kind of silly to address it to you since you probably won’t read this, but there’s something that I’ve been wanting to comment on for a while. I just find it kind of hilarious that for the first seven years of your ownership when the Caps were either underachieving-or flat out terrible-you were relatively invisible, but within the last few years since the Caps have once again become relevant, you’ve become much more of a presence, even having the audacity to write a book about how incredibly happy and successful you are. I’m not trying to sound gloomy, nor am I trying to say that the Caps are more important than they actually are: It is just a game, and as frustrating as they can be to watch, it really doesn’t matter if they win or lose. But, that said, you look pretty ridiculous, especially now when everyone in the Caps’ fan base, except for yourself, can see these glaring shortcomings, and you scramble to put a positive twist on everything. They’re “pacing themselves”? The difference in that game was just one isolated instance in which the Canucks buried their chance and the Caps didn’t? Surely you must realize how absurd these claims are. I really enjoy going to games, but considering the fact that the prices continue to rise (in spite of the fact that the Caps have accomplished nothing), it’s become much harder to afford it. Meanwhile, the team has clearly stagnated and you seem to be doing all you can to delay making any serious changes. If you’re not going to take proactive steps to make the team better, the least you could do is lower ticket prices so at least the fans don’t have pay extravagant amounts to be disappointed.
Enough already from all the “experts.” So this team is struggling for it’s identity right now, live with it. You want a team that survives the Playoffs and makes a Cup run? Here it starts and we as fans need to adapt to it. Cups are not won by high powered offenses, this is not football; nor are they won by defense only. Cups are won by players making smart decisions at crucial points in the game. Caps fans have been spoiled the last few years, with the splendor and theatrics of the goal; but this is how games of hockey are played and won.
The season is still young, the halfway point isn’t even reached. Give the coaches, players and management a break. Time will tell how this all plays out and with the game of hockey, there are no certainties. This is a town of instant gratification and fickle sports fans. Trust the people in charge to know what they are doing. Just keep rooting as fans and let the sports writers do the arm-chairing.
Capitals Forever. Forever Capitals.
With the talent on this team, for the owerplay to be THIS pathetic for so long is simply UNACCEPTABLE.
I guess this is the hangover from that Winter Classic Stanley Cup win. Champagne = success. And two whole points.
God-I don’t want to come off as Chutzpadik,but I think its time for you to order eye exams for the boys.It couldn’t hurt.
Not sure where to start. What has happened to the Caps is truly almost unbelievable. It goes back to last year Ted before the series against the Habs…..there was just something wrong and we found out what that wrong was after being up on Montreal 3 games to 1. The team has no, and I mean ZERO chemistry so you either have a problem in the dressing room or the players have stopped listening/playing for Boudreau.
I would start with:
1. Sit Ovie……….I love the guy but he DESPERATELY needs a reality check…….Backstrom, Semin & Green to follow!
2. Bring in a professional motivator.
3. If this doesn’t work and the losses continue it has to be “bye-bye” Bruce and “Hello” someone that they will play for (I hate even thinking about that). If the best team in the NHL can’t see what they are doing to Boudreau then maybe they want him gone?
We don’t have to win every game but we have to play like we want to win every game.
This team is imploding. Everyone can see it, but apparently not you. Are you pacing yourself, or just having bad luck? you don’t seem to know. However, even the casual fan can see what’s going on. What will actually spur you to some action?
Ted, the Hockey Night in Canada guys are already making fun of your post here – showing part of it on national TV. They left out the part about your praise for our hard working young players and that there are injuries. It looks to them that your comment of the “lines seem jumbled” can be an indication of unrest with how the team is being coached – which you said a few days ago is not on your radar. Yes the season is long, there will be injuries, we have better penalty killing and goals against is down but this team right now is missing any “fire” except for those young guys like Johansson. The veteran guys keep doing the same predictable things especially on the powerplay. Last night Vancouver established their game against the Caps – last year the Caps always established their game but this year they are being reactive to early and not proactive. If this team doesn’t get some sort of edge soon they will not have confidence to do anything good come April….
I agree with Buck on his post. I would let Alex and Nick sit out a few games and tell the rest of the team that spots are open on the top lines for the taking. Send the message to Hershey as well. This team has so much talent from top to bottom but lacks drive and desire. Saying they want to win and doing it are two diff things. I see sooo much standing around waiting for pucks and getting beaten to the pucks I can puke. Jason C. hussles his butt off to every puck so do guys like Beagle. So let them play. Also I would not let Ovi or Backie or Semin and in some cases Green on a single PP until they change the way they play.
Last year these guys never stopped moving their feet till the last two games of the playoffs. This year they dont look in shape one bit and they stand around all the time. We look slower then ever and were one of the youngest teams. I like BB as a person but I think we need a coach more like Pitt has. How can we expect our team to hussle and be in shape and motivated when our coach doesnt live by that motto? In all sports winning is a business and a way of life. Just looking at the way Pitt or the Redwings behave and teams like the Pats and Colts are thats the winning way of life. We rely on our talent and have no dissapline. Hence all the bad penalties and turnovers and constant lack of playing the coaches system. BB knows what they need to do and he is right (except for his stuborness with the PP) but if he cant get the guys to do it we need someone who can.
Just noticed — nobody uses their name or picture here (other than Ted, who puts his money and name where his mouth is).
Uh, you played the BEST team in the NHL right now and lost 3-2.
I’m not a Vancouver fan (in fact, I’m a Red Wings fan, but I’m not whining), but give some credit where credit is due. That’s sport. That’s hockey.
Be patient.
How would you like to be the San Jose Sharks right now?
Or Los Angeles Kings?
Come April, maybe the Caps, not the Canucks, will be the best team in hockey. A lot of teams would like to have your talent.
A lot of folks would like to have George McPhee as GM.
The season is seven months long.
Give it time.
And you’re going to miss Nate Ewell. Big time.
I say this with much respect for what you have done to make this an elite franchise: “The regular season does matter!”
Please make the necessary adjustments..
Ted-
With a couple of exceptions, the team has been playing uninspired hockey pretty much since the beginning of the season. Has Bruce lost them?
The only problem with this team is the power play.
1- Get Ovie OFF the point and get him fighting to screen the goalie in front. His pp shifts are way too long. Who determines his ice time…him or the coaches?
2- Carlson and Green on the points. They can both shoot, move the puck and keep the play in the zone.
3- Bodies/traffic/chaos in front of the goalie. Nobody except 21 and 22 are willing to get dirty down low. That has to change.
My two cents.
I’ve said it before and i’ll say it again,something or someone needs to be changed before April or it’ll be one and done again,if they even get that far.You didn’t except the boys playing like this when Hanlon was here.Why except it now?
I think the lack of shots taken last night was a huge reminder that we are not capitalizing on turnovers. We need to play ALL 3 periods to win and we aren’t doing that. We ahve a lot of promise in our younger players, and they are showing it, but without the leadership and the full potential playing of our veteran players they will not get as far. Not only do we have the best team ever on paper, we have the skills to create a dynasty of winning in Washington much like the Devils and Rangers had in the early 90′s. I think that we just need to get healthy, play to our ability, and make a strong showing at each and every game, that we want the cup, need the cup and deserve the cup!Sellouts, or no sellouts, everyone wants the same thing…Owners, Players, Coaches and Fans… We want the CUP!
Mr Leonsis.
After years of not watching hockey, last year’s hockey @ the Olympics and seeing that it wasn’t just about the fighting (blaming sports clips), started watching the Capitals. Have become a serious “tv watching” Caps fan. Especially enjoy watching the game (win or lose) when the team plays with heart. The Winter Classic was awesome. Enjoy hearing about your interaction with the fans. That was another incentive to become a Caps fan.
Am an avid sports fan (non-basketball-sorry), and tired of the Redskins daily soap opera, Capitals hockey is the only local sports team I’m following.
Thank you.
thought you said the other day the players were “pacing themselves,” and you’d be happy with just “making the playoffs.” Talk about lowering expectations. You don’t think your players didn’t see that? When they want to be, they’re the best team in the league. But that’s really rare these days. They truly do not seem that interested in a 100% effort until its too late, and here we are in another losing streak. How long will this one go? 8? 12, like the Bruins experienced after they won the Winter Classic last year? Need some drastic action, Ted, and I don’t mean firing anyone — maybe sitting some of these highly unproductive stars for a few games and bringing up some of your talented and passionate players from Hershey, if the salary cap and CBA permit it. This team has proven in the past that it can win without Alex. Let him eat Nachos from the press box for a game or two. With Nicky and Semin.
I was there. It’s a different world when the enforcer (Hendricks) is scoring and the men assigned to rack up the goals are silent. Johansson is no surprise, I believe he will be continue to be a centerpiece of this team heading towards the end of the season – he is certainly not stuck in the rut. Beagle as well. There is no advantage in our Power Play, which is fundamentally wrong on any level of hockey. The December losing skid is behind us, but we are still not looking like a team that can go past the first round. Actually heard the booing last night. What a difference a season makes. All this and I remain confident that the sleeping giant will wake…but we can’t wait much longer. Go Caps.
Ted-
Thanks for the chance to write.
Your management ignored what was so painfully obvious after our “latest” playoff collapse.
Either you want the Cup, or you don’t. If you want it, tell your GM to grab it. If you don’t, keep counting your money after each sellout.
Use the assets you have, Semin included, to get the players this team needs.