Caps '10-'11 Thread [Offseason Discussion]

[DarrellsMyHero28]

link

Ovechkin says Capitals are 'shocked' after sweep

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NOTES: After finishing the regular season with career lows of 32 goals and 85 points, Ovechkin said he'll consider changing his offseason regimen and switching back to a previous trainer. ...

Honestly, good to hear that.

Ovie's been putting on weight and every time I see pictures of him I feel like he doesn't look like he's in great shape.

[RichmondRedskin88]

haha, were you the one with the capitals mural?

Nah I had the John Wall Maynor combo(Wiz are my home team. Thunder because Maynor, a former Ram, plays there.)

[darklight1216]

I love this quote from HF

I couldn't help but notice a slight difference between being a fan and a player come handshake time. The amount of smiles and pleasantries exchanged really highlights how much less losing sucks when you get paid millions to do it. If, in some mad world, it were the opposing fanbases who lined up for a handshake after a playoff series, it'd be a damned bloodbath.

That is amusing.

---------- Post added May-5th-2011 at 07:49 PM ----------

It's good to know that there is at least one Cap who's effort is unquestionable. However, I'm not sure I agree with his decision. Here's what PHT has to say:

“I don’t want to say too much but it was way more serious than all you people were thinking,” Boudreau said. “There was a reason why he wasn’t practicing to save himself for the game. You know that when something’s wrong, something’s [really] wrong and he’s never going to be one of those guys that sits there and takes days off. He would take a practice off so he could play in the game.”

Ovechkin admitted to being hurt and intimated it could be more than one injury.

“I have a couple of injuries,” he said. “But it is what it is, I get hurt, everybody gets hurt.”

OK, so he admits that he was playing hurt … but that was just for the playoffs, right? One can only imagine how much Ovechkin could benefit from the time off he could get this summer if he said “No” to the invitation to play for Team Russia once again.

Unfortunately, pride and loyalty swept logic in this case. Despite admitting that he doesn’t really want to go, Ovechkin will make the baffling – perhaps downright ludicrous – decision to play in the World Championships for Russia once again.

“Yea, I talked to President Tretiak, he asked me if I’m going and I said yes,” he said.

“I don’t want to go there but I will. I want to play in the playoffs and win the Stanley Cup but the situation is the situation. I’m going to play for my country and try to win gold.”

Look, I understand the urge to honor one’s country, but how do the Capitals feel about their $9.5 million per year man risking further injury in that tournament?

http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/2011/05/05/alex-ovechkin-fought-through-knee-injury-will-continue-to-do-so-in-world-championships/

[iXiBrianiXi]

Link?

Twas on Twitter.

[DCSaints_fan]

McPhee's and Leonis's comments just confirmed what I've always suspected. We are Mickey Mouse organization, and our tolereance for failure is way, way too high.

Boudreau would not have have lasted this long in New Jersey, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, or even Tampa Bay. He would have been gone after last year at the earliest.

Our only hope is that we completely tank next year and somehow Ted changes his mind and we geet a housecleaning from the GM on down.

Expect more disappointment in the future, fellow Caps fans. The Redskins have more of a chance of winning a championship in the immediate future than the Caps.

[rdsknbill]

There's no way we trade Backstrom. Although he did disappear at the end of the season and the playoffs, he is still an incredible talent

OH! AND

JMU ALUM copied my sig.

[Heisenberg]

There's no way we trade Backstrom. Although he did disappear at the end of the season and the playoffs, he is still an incredible talent

OH! AND

JMU ALUM copied my sig.

Sorry dude, I'll remove it if you want.

I thought your sig summed up the playoffs quite well.

[royallypwned]

What are you guys talking about?

[Sticksboi05]

Honestly this weep rivals last year's choke the more I think about it. And I agree 100000%. They don't change, this proves we are a Mickey Mouse organization.

[Capt'n Obvious]

Honestly this weep rivals last year's choke the more I think about it. And I agree 100000%. They don't change, this proves we are a Mickey Mouse organization.

Out of curiosity, who would you like to see them hire? Just wondering. I would like to see a change as well, but I can't think of any perfect candidates for the job.

[DarrellsMyHero28]

"I expect him to be back. He's a good coach," McPhee said Thursday at the team's practice facility, where players came in for exit interviews. "Someone said he's not a 'playoff coach.' There's no difference between a 'playoff coach' and a 'regular-season coach.' You're either a good coach or you're not. He's a good coach."

:doh:

[desioreo87]

:doh:

That really is a very disheartening comment but all coaches get the dreaded vote of confidence before they get canned. So hopefully that is what this is.

[rdsknbill]

Sorry dude, I'll remove it if you want.

I thought your sig summed up the playoffs quite well.

It's all good. Just shows that great minds think alike

[HBnotBlades]

Out of curiosity' date=' who would you like to see them hire? Just wondering. I would like to see a change as well, but I can't think of any perfect candidates for the job.[/quote']

I'd like to see them bring in Craig MacTavish. He's a proven, professional head coach who brought an Oilers team that was almost completely devoid of talent to within a game of holding up the Cup. He had a tough run in Edmonton, but I can't really blame him, his rosters were awful. When he led the eighth seeded Oilers to the finals, he devised different and effective game plans for each series, using his talent as efficiently as possible. I think he could be a phenomenal head coach if he was able to lead a team with some talent on the roster (us).

Also, having your name on the cup four times and being the last player to play without a helmet commands some respect in the locker room.

---------- Post added May-6th-2011 at 09:52 AM ----------

That really is a very disheartening comment but all coaches get the dreaded vote of confidence before they get canned. So hopefully that is what this is.

Agreed with the bit about a vote of confidence be for he gets canned.

McPhee is very organized and meticulous, I highly doubt he says anything but good things about Boudreau before he is sure of the direction he is going to go with a replacement.

[SkinsHokieFan]

Quite a bit of fail today

Apparently on John Erskine's twitter there are videos of a bunch of the guys out partying last night. While its not a big deal they are out, hell I think half this board has met them somewhere in DC at 1 am before, its certainly will irk fans that they are having the time of their lives 1 night after being swept.

Here is the video

http://www.twitvid.com/VQH2T

And a fantastic Boswell article which crushes management. He essentially calls out Ted for being happy because VC sells out

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/capitals/capitals-still-need-to-add-some-bite/2011/05/05/AFLZcD2F_story.html

Good intentions, good results, then playoff mortification, year after year, followed by the same mantra: There’s nothing wrong. We were just unlucky or injured. Next year: our turn. Keep the sellouts coming.

So don’t expect much change. The Caps’ decency and patience have produced crowd-pleasing, winning teams. Damned if they aren’t going to try to win a Stanley Cup the same way. No matter how long it takes. Even if it kills ’em. And us.

[capcrunch98]

Honestly this weep rivals last year's choke the more I think about it. And I agree 100000%. They don't change, this proves we are a Mickey Mouse organization.

I think this year's sweep is worse than last year's choke. Last year, it was easier to say the Caps had a great team and they just ran into a Montreal squad who peaked at the right time and had a goalie who played out of his mind. When Montreal upset Pittsburgh in the next round, this belief was further validated. I commended managament last summer for not making major changes, and for keeping Boudreau even though it appeared he was clearly outcoached (honestly, there was no way they were going to fire Boudreau after the regular season we had).

But this year, everyone was supposed to have a chip on their shoulder and something to prove, and we kept hearing as nauseum about how they "learned from last year's collapse". Hell, we even developed a new style of play mid-season that was supposedly suited for the playoffs. And at the end of the day, we're stuck with the same results. We were completely handled and outworked by a team that everyone on the planet was picking us to beat.

I don't see this team doing anything special unless major changes are made. The past 3 postseasons have made it clear there is no way they could currently beat a team like Vancouver or Boston or San Jose or even Philly in a 7 game series. If this Caps team had drawn Montreal or Buffalo in the first round instead of the Rangers (who I believe were the worst team in the playoffs), there is a good chance they would have been upset. As I mentioned in another post, the current Caps are like Ottawa from the early 2000s: great regular season team, but not built for the postseason.

[rdsknbill]

I think this year's sweep is worse than last year's choke. Last year, it was easier to say the Caps had a great team and they just ran into a Montreal squad who peaked at the right time and had a goalie who played out of his mind. When Montreal upset Pittsburgh in the next round, this belief was further validated. I commended managament last summer for not making major changes, and for keeping Boudreau even though it appeared he was clearly outcoached (honestly, there was no way they were going to fire Boudreau after the regular season we had).

But this year, everyone was supposed to have a chip on their shoulder and something to prove, and we kept hearing as nauseum about how they "learned from last year's collapse". Hell, we even developed a new style of play mid-season that was supposedly suited for the playoffs. And at the end of the day, we're stuck with the same results. We were completely handled and outworked by a team that everyone on the planet was picking us to beat.

I don't see this team doing anything special unless major changes are made. The past 3 postseasons have made it clear there is no way they could currently beat a team like Vancouver or Boston or San Jose or even Philly in a 7 game series. If this Caps team had drawn Montreal or Buffalo in the first round instead of the Rangers (who I believe were the worst team in the playoffs), there is a good chance they would have been upset. As I mentioned in another post, the current Caps are like Ottawa from the early 2000s: great regular season team, but not built for the postseason.

Whoa! Some serious hockey knowledge there! Well done on this!

[Popeman38]

McPhee's and Leonis's comments just confirmed what I've always suspected. We are Mickey Mouse organization, and our tolereance for failure is way, way too high.

Boudreau would not have have lasted this long in New Jersey, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, or even Tampa Bay. He would have been gone after last year at the earliest.

Our only hope is that we completely tank next year and somehow Ted changes his mind and we geet a housecleaning from the GM on down.

Expect more disappointment in the future, fellow Caps fans. The Redskins have more of a chance of winning a championship in the immediate future than the Caps.

This is absolute insanity. The repeated, idiotic comments about how "real" organizations work is borderline insane. Pitt fired their Therrien after a SCF loss because they were out of the playoffs at the point in the season when he was fired. NJ fired MacLean after a 9-22-2 start. The Flyers fired Stevens after a 13-11-2 start to a season when they were expected to be a top 2 team in the East. The Lightning fired Tocchet after 2 seasons with a record of 53-69-26.

Boudreau has a record of 189-79-39. He has won 4 consecutive division championships. He has compiled 81, 108, 121, & 107 points. He has never had a season like the coaches you have mentioned. The Washington Capitals have been to 2 ECF and 1 SCF. IN HISTORY. To expect a coach to reach an ECF or SCF in his first 4 seasons behind the bench is unprecedented for this franchise. I understand the bitter pill that is Capitals playoff history. I was at Game 7 last year. I was at Games 1 & 2 of the NYR & Pens series in 2009. I was at games 1 & 2 of the Philly series. I was at game 6 in 2003 when a PP in 3OT let St Louis finish us off. I lived and died with the Caps losing to the Pens in the 90's, the Islanders in the 80's, getting swept by the Bruins in the ECF. I endured getting smoked by my Drill SGT (30 min to watch each game) in AIT to break curfew to watch the SCF sweep in 1998.

What we have established in the last 5 years is a team that everyone in the NHL has to account for each season. We are favorites in the East every year. When was the last time that happened you ask? NEVER. What we are going through as a fan base is what every modern fan base has to go through in order to become that team. 4 years may seem like an eternity now, but it really is not that long. We have to have patience. Ted has said that we are building a base that will allow us to compete for a Cup for YEARS, not once. There will be some growing pains along the way.........

---------- Post added May-6th-2011 at 10:39 AM ----------

As I mentioned in another post, the current Caps are like Ottawa from the early 2000s: great regular season team, but not built for the postseason.

You mean the Ottawa Senators? The Stanley Cup Finalists for 2006-07? How does a team that is not built for the postseason make the Finals?

The truth is, there is no magic formula to get to the SCF. Run-n-gun teams have made it. Teams with GREAT tenders have made it. Teams with great defense have made it. Teams with no tender have made it. Teams with ridiculous offensive talent have made it. Teams with no offense have made it. Teams with grinders have made it.

The Boston Bruins haven't been to a SCF since 1988. The New York Rangers haven't been since 1994. The Montreal Canadiens haven't been since 1993.

[Sticksboi05]

Popeman - He has been given more talent than any of the coaches you listed. Way way more.

[capcrunch98]

You mean the Ottawa Senators? The Stanley Cup Finalists for 2006-07? How does a team that is not built for the postseason make the Finals?

The truth is, there is no magic formula to get to the SCF. Run-n-gun teams have made it. Teams with GREAT tenders have made it. Teams with great defense have made it. Teams with no tender have made it. Teams with ridiculous offensive talent have made it. Teams with no offense have made it. Teams with grinders have made it.

The Boston Bruins haven't been to a SCF since 1988. The New York Rangers haven't been since 1994. The Montreal Canadiens haven't been since 1993.

Yes, I mean the Ottawa Senators, the team that had a ton of talent and were top ranked in the regular season every year before crashing and burning in the playoffs (sound familiar?). They eventually made the SCF (and lost), big deal. An aging, overachieving Caps team made the SCF in 1998; are going to tell me that Washington team was a legitimate contender? Ottawa had a great regular season team for about 10 years, went nowhere with it (except for one SCF appearance) and are now in a full-on rebuild. It's a path the Caps might follow if they continue to stand by and adhere to the staus quo.

For the record, I am not one of the fans who say "Cup or bust" every year. I do agree with you that it is often a crapshoot as to who makes the Finals each year. I do not believe Chicago and Philly were the two best teams in the league last season. But for the Caps to continually get bounced in the first or second round every season is clearly indicative of a problem that extends far beyond chance and lucky bounces and "hot goalies". I said at the beginning of the season that based on the expectations, the payroll, the talent level, and the redemption factor from the Montreal meltdown, that nothing short of a Conference Finals appearance should be deemed acceptable. In the end, the Caps only made it to the second round and got thoroughly embarrassed. And they would probably not even have achieved that had they not drawn the lowly Rangers in the first round.

[Heisenberg]

Maybe last April's devastating loss to the Canadiens was a fluke.

A bounce here, a call (or non-call) there, a shaky hand that never steadied and the Caps would have been on to Round 2 with little attention paid to how difficult it was to get there (much like this year).

That wasn't to be, of course, but after two consecutive seasons of progress (yes, even including the post-season) and a regular season that set franchise records left and right, the team and its coach deserved some benefit of the doubt that the Montreal series was an anomaly or, at the very least, a learning experience.

This spring, they demonstrated that it was neither. This spring, they demonstrated that this is a team that is fundamentally flawed, both literally and figuratively. This spring, they demonstrated that changes need to be made.

From the unnuanced 30,000-foot view, it would seem that the loss to the Lightning (and any struggles that came before it) can be explained in one of two ways: either Bruce Boudreau had the wrong message, or he had the right one and was incapable of getting his players to execute it. Whichever it was, it's ultimately a poor reflection upon the coach - being an effective communicator and motivator is every bit as important as being an effective tactician and strategist here.

http://www.japersrink.com/2011/5/6/2156955/on-boudreau

[btfoom]

This is absolute insanity. The repeated, idiotic comments about how "real" organizations work is borderline insane. Pitt fired their Therrien after a SCF loss because they were out of the playoffs at the point in the season when he was fired. NJ fired MacLean after a 9-22-2 start. The Flyers fired Stevens after a 13-11-2 start to a season when they were expected to be a top 2 team in the East. The Lightning fired Tocchet after 2 seasons with a record of 53-69-26.

Boudreau has a record of 189-79-39. He has won 4 consecutive division championships. He has compiled 81, 108, 121, & 107 points. He has never had a season like the coaches you have mentioned. The Washington Capitals have been to 2 ECF and 1 SCF. IN HISTORY. To expect a coach to reach an ECF or SCF in his first 4 seasons behind the bench is unprecedented for this franchise. I understand the bitter pill that is Capitals playoff history. I was at Game 7 last year. I was at Games 1 & 2 of the NYR & Pens series in 2009. I was at games 1 & 2 of the Philly series. I was at game 6 in 2003 when a PP in 3OT let St Louis finish us off. I lived and died with the Caps losing to the Pens in the 90's, the Islanders in the 80's, getting swept by the Bruins in the ECF. I endured getting smoked by my Drill SGT (30 min to watch each game) in AIT to break curfew to watch the SCF sweep in 1998.

What we have established in the last 5 years is a team that everyone in the NHL has to account for each season. We are favorites in the East every year. When was the last time that happened you ask? NEVER. What we are going through as a fan base is what every modern fan base has to go through in order to become that team. 4 years may seem like an eternity now, but it really is not that long. We have to have patience. Ted has said that we are building a base that will allow us to compete for a Cup for YEARS, not once. There will be some growing pains along the way.........

---------- Post added May-6th-2011 at 10:39 AM ----------

You mean the Ottawa Senators? The Stanley Cup Finalists for 2006-07? How does a team that is not built for the postseason make the Finals?

The truth is, there is no magic formula to get to the SCF. Run-n-gun teams have made it. Teams with GREAT tenders have made it. Teams with great defense have made it. Teams with no tender have made it. Teams with ridiculous offensive talent have made it. Teams with no offense have made it. Teams with grinders have made it.

The Boston Bruins haven't been to a SCF since 1988. The New York Rangers haven't been since 1994. The Montreal Canadiens haven't been since 1993.

Actually, to keep him would be insanity. You, believe it or not, answered exactly why BB needs to go. Yes, the Caps have won their division 4 years in a row. Great, all that gets you is a nice, red T-Shirt and a stupid banner to hang (you know, in the spot where Conference champions and Stanley Cup banners should hang). They are about as useful as the Mystics 'Team Attendance' banners.

The last two seasons, he's had the best regular season team and the second best regular season team, with both of them being the top team in the conference. Over the time that you gloat about his regular season record being 189-79-39, with 81, 108, 121, & 107 points, his post season record has been Out in First Round, Out in Second Round, Out in First Round, Out in Second Round. Do you see the pattern here? GMGM can go on and on about there being no difference between 'regular season coach' and 'playoff coach', but clearly BB can coach teams to great heights in the regular season, only to flame out in the playoffs.

In the NHL, there is only one goal for the top teams (yes, if you end up with over 100 points, you are a top team), and that is the Cup, period. I could even take losing in the SC finals, but losing the way they have the past 4 years is just sickening and it's not going to get better. BB has been out-coached is pretty much every playoff round, but in two (Rangers both times), his team has been SO much better than the Rags that the talent has overcome the opponents best efforts. Other fan bases don't watch their teams consistently do so well in the regular season and fail in the playoffs WITHOUT demanding (and getting) changes in the team. Right now, the Caps will continue to be near the top of their conference, but other teams (TB, Pitt w/healthy Malkin & Crosby, and even Phily if they get decent goaltending) will pass us very quickly if they just keep treading water.

The real truth is, yes, there is a secret to winning in the playoffs, and it's not a hot goalie, it's not having a scoring machine, and it's not having that one shut-down D-man. You need these things - at least you will go far with them, but in the end, it's the team that can make adjustments during a series and stay one step ahead of of the opposition that wins in the end. Unfortunately, BB is always a day late and a dollar short.

[Heisenberg]

I could have taken losing to the Lightning - they're a damn good team and I wouldn't be shocked if they advanced to the SCF.

The fact that they were SWEPT by the Lightning in the 2nd round is what tells me there is a fundamental problem with this team.

[Warhead36]

There is a big time difference between regular season and playoff coaches. In the regular season teams only spend a day, maybe two days to prepare for you and then move on. There is more of a pacing factor involved, teams aren't necessarily going to go all out to win that one game. On the other hand the playoffs you're facing the same team 4+ times within a span of 7-10 days. More time is spent in preparation, making tailor made game plans for the opponent, and making adjustments to said game plan. That is where BB struggles. He does a great job getting his team ready for the rigors of an 82 game season but he doesn't have the wits to go 1 on 1 with his opposing coach come playoff time. As a result, his teams completely fall apart.

[Bzapf]

You know who sucks? Karl Alzner sucks. Worst player on the Caps in both series. Why is everyone ignoring this? We still are in desperate need of a big D-man to compliment Carlson/Green. Alzner is not worthy of 1st line minutes. Maybe one day he will be that guy, but it doesn't appear to be anytime soon. To go into next year with Alzner in the 1st D-pairing is suicide.

I won't complain if BB is fired. However, the main reason we lost is our roster isn't put together the right way. Too much finesse. Not enough skilled grinders. There are tons of skilled grinders in the NHL. We have Brooks Laich, thats it. I guess you could say Knuble, but the guy is 38.

We need quality North American forwards. The Euro's aren't built for grind it out playoff hockey. It's not how they learned to play the game.

Also I'm sick of the day after every series ends, all we here about is how hurt everyone is. Everyone is hurt in the playoffs, if you can't overcome this than you shouldn't dress.I am talking about you Backstrom.