New Playoff Rules Suggested by Bruins

A source close to NHL has confirmed that several GMs have approached the board of governors about some mid-season rules adjustments. In particular, the Boston Bruins are advocating for the removal of sudden death overtimes in favor of immediately calling the game a tie foregoing the extra overtime sessions.

Peter Chiarelli, GM of the Bruins, is apparently defended this position saying that sudden death hockey is "bad for the game". Chiarelli points to the thrill of the long foregotten "kissing your sister" ending from regular season games and has taken it a step beyond by applying it to the playoffs. "It's a long-proven fact that overtimes are terrible for TV ratings and besides they're...er... boring. Yeah, they're boring."

When it was pointed out to Mr. Chiarelli that his team has a terrible overtime record and has gained more points than any other team in the league by playing for a tie with increasingly mundane and maddingly wearisome hockey, Chiarelli feigned a heart attack and actually stabbed himself in the thigh with a Bic pen. When pressed on the issue futher, Chiarelli mumbled something about how good Theo Epstein has it, then took out a crumpled picture of Tom Brady's supermodel girlfriend, gave a leering grin to the press corps, and turned the conference over to head coach Claude Julien.

The press conference lost most of its momentum at this point as Julien expoused the merits of "solid neutral zone gap control" and then fell asleep leaning against Zdeno Chara.

Julien woke up and quipped, "My goodness, did you see that second and third period against Buffalo over the weekend? We clogged up the neutral zone real good and even got off 6 shots. That's playoff hockey."

Caption: Claude Julien's reacts to

the prediction that his dynamic

Bruins will sweep the field with

an inspirational Stanley Cup

run for the ages.

A Little Lightning Love

I'm "fortunate" enough to get the real Lightning broadcast rather than the feed from Center Ice and was privy to the post-game report and interviews. The announcer interviewed a pretty exhausted but grinning Karri Ramo who said he was pretty happy about his 37 saves against Carolina. He said,"We had a rough one against Washington the other night, and now we've just helped them out. They're only one back of Carolina now".

I'm not sure if he was grinning because of this victory of if he was really trying to stick it to the Canes. Either way, I wanted to share.

Smokin' crack makes me feel good

Yes it's true I've been hitting the pipe again, but it's amazing how amazingly optimistic it will make you about the playoffs race. The Caps first line played great, creating more than enough chances to win that game outright by a couple of goals. However, the rest of the team was offensively invisible.

Notes:

• Before he seriously challenge for loose pucks, Fleischmann needs to gain 20 pounds of testicles.
  
• Semin needs to either shoot or pass when he gets the puck. He can't do both at the same time and showed again that he can do neither just as well as trying to do both which is, of course, bad. Make sense?
  
• Green is still suffering from a swollen helmet because he has been mentioned by a fourth grade blogger in the same paragraph with Bobby Orr. Earth to Green: You have done nothing other than surprise people with your speed and decent wrister. Keep your head out of your ass, make smart plays, and you'll be the man. When you go end to end and wail a blind pass into the slot with three opponent's sticks between you and Ovechkin, you're not the man: you're behind the play.
  
• Huet was a friggin' stud (have I mentioned that before?)
  
• Kozlov played superbly everywhere he went (including when he went top shelf for the winner)
  
• The third line was good at defense and marginal at generating some perimter brand offensive chances
  
• The fourth line was above average and almost cashed in a couple ugly ones on some feisty plays by Bradley
  
• Eminger is back to his scaringly mad ways. He was about a 1/2 second behind the play on offense and then again on (gulp) defense. Who is the answer back there? Erskine? Lepisto? Mama Ovechkin?

In summary, they played a good defensive game but need to generate more solid threats throughout the lineup to make a true run at the postseason.

Tonight I was treated to a night of hockey in a great out of town spot called the Maple Leaf Pub in Houston. I called ahead to make sure they had enough TVs to accomodate a lone(ly) Washington fan and was assured they would do me right.

Sean seated me in a prime spot at the horseshoe bar with my Caps on Comcast right across the way. I must have been a treat to the fans of the Pens, Bruins, and Wings on the other side as I twisted, gasped, and screamed at the silent TV above their heads.

Anyways, full props to Sean and his great bar. Good night for the Caps.

Three Home-at-Homes

I hope the 5-3 'come from behinder' on the Thrash becomes symbolic of the Caps season as a whole. It was an inspirational display of our young talent settling for nothing less than a victory. However, these last 6 games will require a more consistent effort than the 20 minutes of domination on displayed Friday. These 6 games are the definition of a stretch run. We play 3 teams twice and none of these games will be easy. No let's examine a thoroughly depressing set of circumstances and then tell me how big were those 3 points we handed the Bruins last week?

The teams above us that we are aiming to catch are the Flyers, the Bruins, and (if we're all smoking the same crack pipe) Carolina. The B's and Flyers have 2 more points than us and have a game at hand which means we need to win two more games than either of them to tie them in points. We have 6 games and they have 7. Looking at each of their division-loaded schedules, I can see a rosy-tinted best case scenario of one of them winning only 2 games. The Bruins play the Sabres twice while the Flyers play the Isles twice. Their other opponents all have better records and are in the playoffs. If one of them can only squeak out 4 more points, they will finish with 88 points. It could happen to one of them, right?

If you're still thinking we can win the Southeast, the Canes have a 5 point lead and are even with games played. They play the Caps twice, the Thrash, the Panthers, and two against the 'Ning. A realistic (and still rose-tinted) scenario for them is to assume they beat the Thrash and 'Ning and lose to the Panthers and Caps. That gives them 6 more points for a total of 93.

Therefore of the remaining 6 games, I figure the Caps NEED to win 4 to have an WAY OUTSIDE chance of slipping in accidentally by tying the B's or Flyers with 88. The chances of hitting 94 points to beat Carolina are as likely as a Don Cherry becoming Hillary Clinton's running mate. Therefore, let's look at these last three home-at-homes.

Carolina - We don't seem to know which injury to wish upon them next. As of 3/18, they have lost 287 games to injury including their #1 center Rod Brind'amour. They have lost Matt Cullen, Justin Williams, and Ray Whitney as well. Their defense, however, has been solid enough that they could afford the trade of Mike Commodore without missing a beat. Of their defense corps, only Tanabe has lost significant time due to a concussion. Some would argue that this injury in fact helps their team defense. I'm not going to touch that topic. Wait a sec... I think I just did.

Florida - Their team is similar in maturity to the Caps, plus they've lost 327 games to injury (so no whining about how the Caps have been decimated). You can look at the last two months of theirs as the mirror image of the Caps rise to the spotlight during December and January. Suddenly, they're playing 60 minutes and getting contributions from the young stars as well as some of their depth players. Their goaltending has been rock solid and as a whole they look very dangerous. Regardless of what time of the year we play the Panthers, the Caps cannot beat them. So now that they are playing well, are our chances any better? Umm...

Tampa Bay - They are playing the role of spoiler and playing to the wire of every game (unlike Atlanta who seems to mail it in for the majority of their games). They will be dangerous, especially in their own barn and the Caps cannot look past these games. I will attend the Caps in Tampa again as my presence last time seemed to will them along to a surprise victory when all the chips were down. If you believe that one...

I don't really have a conclusion other than, I don't plan on the Caps making the playoffs. I'm a believer in this team from a long-term standpoint but I'm a realist about the nature of the rest of the league right now. But please, please prove me wrong.

Refs Swallow...

the whistle. The Boston game was a ridiculous display of refs not giving the more talented team a greater number of power plays than the other team. It was like the Caps reached their quota of power plays, got their single goal on the 5-on-3, and were not allowed any more. The refs made up the calls and watched Boston catch up. After that, they were afraid to make any more calls. I have no problem with the defense-first style rope-a-dope but when you cannot execute a trap and interfere with the counterattack, you should be penalized. This style of play should be anathema to the NHL and therefore watched carefully. Gary, how 'bout a memo? Maybe a phone call to Stephen Walkom.

"Yo. Stevie. It's me, Betts. What the fuck was that?"

The Caps got the 2 points but the 1 point given to the B's was just as important. For those keeping score, that's 3 points given to Boston in the last week at the Caps' expense because of very "subjective" refereeing. Regardless, it will be interesting.

It's a Crap Game

I would have taken 30 cracks in the ribs with a pool cue or a thousand spiders simultaneously biting my nuts over losing the penguins game in THAT fashion. Aargh.

Whew. I'm done now complaining about the weekend. The games are in the past. I think Fedorov summed up the games best by reminding everybody that it's a game; an emotional game, but a game nonetheless. And if you look at the circumstances surrounding the games, I think the Capitals played very well in both. Boston was charged and ready for a fight to the end. They played hard and stuck around to the end waiting for the costly mistake. Then the Caps turn around less than 21 hours later and have to face a well-rested and tough Pens squad waiting for them in DC.

Huet played exceptionally. (I read somewhere that the Penguins only had 13 shots but we let in 2 goals for an .850 save% and therefore he played no better than Olie, but that's ludicrous considering that one goal was scored on a 2-on-1 and the other on powerplay rebound.) The Caps fired a multitude of point blank shots, crossbar ringers, and carried most of the play in both games, however, the could not score. This was a polar opposite to the 10-2 shellacking earlier in the week EVERYTHING went in. It was a law of averages and I wished (well after the fact, of course) that after we scored 5 against Boston we could have banked the next 5 by hitting more crossbars and posts. All the good ju-ju for the week was blown through Tim Thomas' disbelieving 1-through-7 holes on Tuesday night.

Another random observation is that the Caps sorely need a left-hand shot that can consistently score like Semin, Ovie, and Kozlov can from the right. Currently we have Laich, Fleischmann, Fedorov and Backstrom as our "legitimate" offensive theats from the left. Laich is becoming consistent for a goal every 3-4 games but the other 3 have ... umm, sucked? Is that the right word? I do believe it is.

If the Caps don't make the dance this year, I'll be dissappointed to be sure, but the world will not end. Hopefully they can come back to the rink, heed Sergei's "IT'S JUST A GAME" mantra and kick some ass from here out. This team was looking at a #1 overall pick just 4 months ago and is now playing above what anybody outside a few puck pundits and beltway believers thought was possible. Hopefully they can enjoy it.

Important Goalie Weekend - B's and Pen's

I must first by eating some crow about Olie's game in Buffalo. My first reaction was "Damn, Olie's the man and I feel bad for saying/writing bad things." However, once I dissected the game with the sound off at half speed, I realized I was incorrect.

He played really well. He was positionally strong and consistent. However, there were several rebounds right into the slot that made me scream for more lithium. Fortunately the Dmen collapsed and shuffled the juicy ones into the corners or up the boards. The Forechecker found out some pretty disturbing data that has confirmed group observations all year. And in case you're wondering, I didn't really watched the game a second time with the sound off at half speed. Had I done that, I would have gladly taken my wife's Baker Act recommendation.

All in all, it was a very good road game by the Caps but one that relied to heavy on the counter-attack and defensive positioning. I don't believe these games are our strongest suit but may have been what was needed for Kolzig to have a positive game against a team that has made him look less than stellar in the last couple of seasons.

This weekend, the goaltending will be front and center in the debate once again.

Game 1: On Saturday, we walk into the wolf den that is the TD Banknorth/Fleet/Shawmut Garden Thingie where there will surely be a call for a blood sacrifice as the game commences. I expect them to dress Terry O'Reilly, Chris Nilan, and the corpse of Eddie Shore. So you pose the question, "how do we handle what will surely be a full onslaught for 20-30 minutes to start the game?"

Answer: With an acrobatic netminder that will make the first save and absorb rebounds when things get hairy: Huet.


Game 2: On Sunday, the Caps will host the Pens in what will surely be an emotional, highly contested affair as egos and skill clash in a North American Hockey Schmooze Bowl. The team that takes this game will take momentum and will solidify themselves as the media darling of the week. The loser, on the other hand, will feel the scorn of the local press, national press, and fans, like spectators standing too close to the poo tossing monkeys at the zoo. So the question here is, "which goaltender gives us the best chance to take the Schmooze Bowl?"

Answer: Huet

If both games are "must wins" (as they all seem to be in March), the real question is, "Can Huet start both games?" If not, the secondary question becomes, "Which game is more important?"

A New Era Begins

I posed the question yesterday about the prevailing logic of giving Olaf the nod against the Leafs after such a strong showing from Toronto by the French Wall that is Cristobal . After sifting through the reams of responses that were posted.... (ahem.... crickets) I'VE looked into the crystal ball (crysto-ball?.. heh, heh, nevermind) and discerned Boudreau's thinking:

1. Don't disenfranchise the franchise man -- The message was "You're still important, Olie. We need you. You are our rock. We are nothing if you are not something." [sniff] I think I'm going to cry.


2. It's Toronto -- How many times have the Caps played the backup this year as the opposition sees the game as a chance to rest the #1? Did we take the Leafs too lightly? Does Semin take a hooking penalty every second time he makes a turnover?


3. Back-t0-back games -- A chance to rest after Friday's stellar performance and make Olie fight for playing time.

During last night's game, while the team lacked desperation for an appreciable amount of the game, Olie looked panicked throughout. On easy saves, he fumbled several into the air and would flail to knock them out of harm's way. If he was out of position, he was made frantic dives to get back into the net. At one point in the third after a puck had been deflected up and over his head, he threw his arms into the air while looking at a retreating defenseman as if to say:

"I don't know where it is."
"I'm not at fault here."
"You can't blame me if I get scored upon because you deflected it someplace I can't see it."

Olie made several key stops up close including a mini breakaway by Tucker and then an uptight stuff on Tlusty. However, when the Leafs scored some of the blame falls squarely on the goalie. The Antropov deflection was impossible to stop. The onus of deflections have to fall on the D for not clearing out. The second goal could have been stopped but wasn't. I'm not saying it was a soft goal, but Sundin's bullet was a rising shot over the glove hand and Olie was on his knees. The third goal was riddled with problems but the mishaps began with Olie shooting the puck hard into the boards. It ricocheted off Morrisonn into the slot. Green and Fedorov playing Keystone cops didn't help the recovery. I chalk 1.5 goals against to the D and 1. 5 to the goalie.

A more appropriate title to this post may be, "The End of an Era". Whatever the title, the message is the same: Olie is now the #2 in Washington. It's the coach's job to put the players on the ice that give his team the best chance to win the game. I just don't see Olie fitting the definition of "starting goaltender" any longer.

Melvis is Peter Forsberg

I've always thought that Melvin (the husky's whose face graces the top of the page) resembled Peter Forsberg so I thought I'd see how a morph between the two would look. Check it out.

Huet is the Man

I haven't written anything bad about Kolzig all year because I truly have always thought of him as an A#1 pro that is a positive in so many regards, but... crap, that game shows you what a timely save can do for your team. How many times this year have the Caps outplayed their opponents for 20-30 minutes and on the first good opportunity the other team gets they score? I can't tell you but I'd bet a decent chunk of a pot pie that it's more than 8 or 9 times.

Tonight, Huet shut the door when the game was still open and took home the win. I read on the WaPo board that BB will start Olie tomorrow and am very disappointed. Why?

Am I the only one that thinks that this is unnecessary? Is there a fear that Olie couldn't take being sat for two games in a row without blowing a fuse?