Turner Sports Desk

Is Alexander Semin is irreplaceable?

Wed, 27 Jun 2012 07:10:51 GMT

For some of us Caps fans who were around prior the Ovechkin era the wait for Alexander Semin to become the player envisioned and have been teased by is a long wait for a ship that never showed up.

Everyone agrees that Semin is a unique talent but he is also the longest tenured Cap and there are four things we know about Alexander Semin:

1. He is not a physical player

2. He is inconsistent

3. He takes a lot of penalties for someone who is not physical

4. More than one of his former teammates have questioned his desire to win

The Semin apologists will dismiss this as disgruntled former employees but as they say...if two people say you're drunk it's time to hand over the car keys.

Caps new Head Coach, Adam Oates is going to introduce an aggressive, physical style of hockey that Alexander Semin will likely struggle with. Semin will not hit you but he will hook you which is going to hurt his team more than help (proven fact). Despite all of the talk that Adam Oates is offensive minded people forget Oates created most of his offense in St. Louis, Boston and Washington by playing solid defense and capitalizing on mistakes or by forcing them. The players who will benefit most from Oates are the Centers. Nicklas Backstrom will get much better and Mike Ribeiro is sure to benefit from Oates experience as the master play-making center of his time. Oates wants two-way players that are allergic to laziness and Semin is going to have a problem with that. I say that not based on a guess but from YEARS of watching him play. I once drank the kool-aid of hoping Semin would get better...but I woke up.

Now to directly address the Myth that Semin is irreplaceable. In this particular case I'll pick a player and show you he is replaceable with just the numbers.

Bobby Ryan of the Anaheim Ducks requested a trade for various reasons. He is exactly the type of player the Caps need if they are going to be a more physical and aggressive team. Ryan is a good two-way player who can score goals, be physical and is not lazy.

Bobby Ryan Vs. Alexander Semin Comparison over the past four years:

Total Goals: Ryan 131 -- Semin 123

Total Assists: Ryan 118 -- Semin 148

Total Points : Ryan 249 -- Semin 271

Total Penalty Minutes (PIMS): Ryan 236 -- Semin 270

Semin has some good numbers but Ryan is right there with him in every stat except PIMs which Ryan should have a clear lead. As you can clearly see, even with all the unique talent Semin has the numbers suggest Ryan would be the better fit in a more physical and aggressive scheme. Ryan scores more goals and hurts his team less with penalties. The clincher is Ryan fights and defends his line mates while scoring 30+ goals a season and still takes less penalties than Semin.

I've always said that if Wayne Gretzky can be traded ANYONE can be traded and that applies to Semin. The Caps will most certainly survive and maybe thrive without him. If he stays at a greatly reduced salary I can live with that but I believe in order for the Caps to move forward mentally they need to chuck some players with the most baggage and Semin is dragging an awful lot of baggage with him. Unfortunately it outweighs all the promise he has teased us with for years.

The Ovechkin Factor

Sat, 16 Jun 2012 07:06:45 GMT

It is June 16th the NHL entry draft is only 6 days away and the Washington Capitals have no Head Coach. General Manager, George McPhee is saying what he is supposed to say in terms of stressing that his search is a deliberate one designed to get the absolute right guy.

Well any GM would say that but here are some things to bear in mind. Any Head Coach worth a damn will want some input into who the Caps draft especially since they have a couple of high picks. The Caps could also trade those picks for a veteran player that could have an immediate impact. What Coach worth his salt would not want to have a say in that? Yes we know McPhee has the final say but wouldn't McPhee turn to his coach at some point and ask...what do you think you need to get this team over the hump? That is why this delay in hiring a coach is odd especially for a playoff team loaded with talent. One would think coaches would be falling over themselves for this gig. They might be but from what I gather the Caps are not as popular a place to land as they might have been a few years ago. In fact, voices outside of Washington see this job as a fish bowl like Montreal.

I don't think we are asking the right question with regard to this situation. The question that needs asking is what role does Alexander Ovechkin play in the selection of the next Caps coach? Well the last two Caps Coaches may provide a clue as to why the Caps remain coachless now. Some of the Caps Coaching candidates may pick up a phone and call Bruce Boudreau or Dale Hunter to find out what that job is really like. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this organization from the front office to the locker room?

Bruce Boudreau might say that how you treat Alexander Ovechkin may determine how long your tenure is. Boudreau tried to light a fire under the entire team and his superstar by benching him and got hammered both by Ovechkin and the media. Ultimately Bruce lost the lockeroom because he became white noise even though Bruce orginally implemented a style of play that Ovechkin thrived in. Boudreau correctly came to the realization after a couple of playoff early exits that the aggressive offense first style of play would not earn the Caps a cup. His downfall started the moment he started moving away from that aggresive offensive style. Ovechkin and Semin's numbers dropped like a hot rock through snow and the rest is history.

Enter Dale Hunter who played the exact opposite style that Bruce Boudreau implemented. Hunter correctly focused on defensive responsibility and creating chances by being solid in your end of the ice first and foremost. Eventually Dale benched Ovechkin for significant portions of playoff games because Ovechkin proved himself more of a liability than an asset within the team's defensive scheme. When Dale benched Ovechkin all of the focus was on that situation. It is my personal opinion that this situation effected Dale's decision not to come back. Dale realized that everything he does with Ovi will be picked apart and scrutinized to the point where it will effect your coaching. In the end Dale decided it was not worth the drama.

Potential Coaches have to be asking themselves if they have a system Ovechkin is both willing and able to function within? Can they communicate with him, discipline him and teach him to play within their system? No one is asking Ovi to become a Selke Candidate but not being a consistent weak link on defense is a more than reasonable expectation.

It has been my experience that the truth lies somewhere between the polar opposite points of view. I write this knowing some will quickly dismiss it as Ovechkin hating (which is not true). I believe he was setup to fail by an organization that wanted to exploit his abilities to make more money and not to earn Stanley Cups.

I have been a Caps fan since the beginning and a hockey fan for even longer. I have seen great players come and go. In my opinion Ted Leonsis made the mistake of building his franchise around Ovechkin instead of building a franchise around time tested building blocks like an unwavering commitment to winning, accountability-responsibility throughout the entire organization and a commitment to the community. The Caps organization is built to sell tickets and merchandise but they are not built to earn Stanley Cups. If you don't believe me look at the organizational chart. The only hockey person in the organization is George McPhee and he has not won squat. Dick Patrick is the President and he hasn't won jack either. Meanwhile the New Jersey Devils organization has a guy like Larry Robinson who earned five Stanley Cups as a player and one as a coach acting as a defensive assistant. A guy like that should be the Caps Team President. Robinson has forgotten more about winning hockey than everyone in the Caps organization to include running laps around McPhee. The lack of hockey people that have actually earned a cup is why the Caps are looked at as a joke of a franchise outside of the Washington DC media bubble.

When Leonsis chose to build everything around one guy instead of time tested principles he gave Ovi a vote in who coaches this team. This is not fair to him and definitely not a situation that allows for any franchise level consistency in terms of winning. The scary thing is the Ovechkin era will come and go and if Leonsis does not change this franchise dramatically he will have absolutely nothing to show for it.

Ovechkin needs to lead from the front

Wed, 2 May 2012 11:00:39 GMT

Lost in all the talk about Capitals star winger Alexander Ovechkin's diminished ice time is the fact that the 3rd and 4th lines are shutting down the opponent's top lines while scoring critical goals themselves. While this is terrific news, the Caps need their Captain and best player to lead from the front.

Thus far Ovechkin has said all the media friendly things like "As long as we are winning I don't care about ice time" While that is nice to hear and may satisfy some, that is simply not enough to earn a Stanley Cup. The fact is if the Caps have any hope of being the last team standing when the smoke clears Alexander Ovechkin has to give his team more. He needs to learn how to play within the defensive concept and not be such a liability that Hunter's best option is to bench his best player.

I don't think people understand just how big a statement Dale Hunter is making. He is challenging his best player and team captain to be a leader not by scoring 3 goals a night but by not being a huge defensive liability. Folks you have to be either really, really bad or just don't care if the coach's best option is to bench his best player. I'm sure the Rangers don't mind this at all as it makes life easier for them. As the Captain of the team it is Ovechkin's responsibility to work harder, longer and show his teammates he cares enough about his team to learn where he needs to be defensively and what he needs to do. No one is asking him to become Frank Selke, but he has to give his team more than being ok with being benched.

The days of Ovechkin hanging out by the opponent's blue line waiting for the outlet pass while everyone else plays defense are over. In the playoffs that strategy makes him the weakest link on defense and easily exploitable. The film does not lie and Ovi looks lost at times on defense. Everyone loves his passion and energy but big hits are not enough. Defense is about skating, positioning, timing, stick work, patience, discipline, the occasional big hit and most important attitude.

Good defense creates quality scoring opportunities because good defense creates turnovers thus more offensive possessions. The tragic irony is Ovi's offensive numbers would exponentially increase if he played better defense. Ovechkin is such a fantastic player that if he put in the work to be halfway decent two-way player he would make his team light years better. These nail biting games we are forced to endure would be decided in our favor much earlier if only our Captain could be trusted on the ice by his coach.

This is a critical time for Ovechkin because we are going to learn how much he has matured. We are going to learn if he is truly willing to give all he can so that this team can win. In the playoffs quality scoring chances come three ways. A brutally consistent forecheck, positionally sound defense with forwards actively back checking or your opponent makes a mistake and gifts you an opportunity. The third and fourth line guys are proving that hard work and playing within the system works. Now the top two lines need to get with the plan and start to contributing more by rolling up their sleeves. The Captain has to lead his men. I've never seen a good leader lead from behind. Ovechkin has to set the example and put in the work otherwise the Caps will not go much further. If Ovechkin chooses not to do more then he is only a sniper which make him not worth the money they are paying. Leonsis is paying him to be a difference maker and you can't make much of a difference on the bench.

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Time for Ted Leonsis to make sweeping changes

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 01:26:47 GMT

The Washington Capitals are a hockey team in need of three things:

Hockey oriented front office people with a track record of Stanley Cup success that have a direction and a plan
Smart, tough Hockey players that don't fold like a bamboo tent during an F-5 Tornado
A Hockey Coach fluent in the basics of the game that is disciplined, smart and unflinching in his pursuit of excellence.

Hockey people in the front office:

Caps General Manager, George McPhee is a great guy and he's done the best he could to assemble a team capable of earning a Stanley Cup. The bottom line is he failed. He changed players, he changed coaches and the Caps always come up short. The high point was the Caps team that lost to the eventual Stanley Cup Champion Pens in a seven game series. Unfortunately for McPhee this team has regressed each year since.

When you look at the front office organizational structure of the Caps beyond McPhee their are no real hockey people. The Caps have an excellent business model, but they are simply not built to consistently compete for a Stanley Cup.

Ted Leonsis is a smart guy and he is still loved by Caps fans but he has to bring in some hockey people from teams that consistently compete/win like Detroit, Pittsburgh, Vancouver etc. to set this franchise on a path of winning. The Caps organization needs an identity beyond Ovechkin. They need to be known as a smart, tough hockey organization. Right now the only identity the Caps have is Ovechkin and that is neither fair to him nor the others within the Caps organization.

The team McPhee assembled this year was selected by many so called experts to be the last team standing with a Cup. The reality is they will be lucky to back into the playoffs. If they do not make it Caps fans should not be shy in asking for change from the highest levels down to the equipment guys. Somewhere in this organization lies a serious disconnect and it is the job of the owner to find it and fix it.

Hockey players:

The Caps have talent but they've shown they don't have hockey smarts or toughness. We can make excuses for them but hockey really boils down to two things. Are you smart enough to recognize what your opponents are doing and thwart them? Are you tough enough to execute your gameplan? The Caps have shown that in critical games they are going to find a way to fail. We've heard the excuses..."We ran into a hot goalie" or [insert guy here] is hurt. All are excuses. Championship teams find a way. Boston was a heavy underdog versus Vancouver with their hot goalie and awesome offensive prowess but they found a way. The Caps are excuse generators who will never find a way.

Failure is contagious and you have to get rid of players, coaches who are waiting for the other shoe to drop instead of making their own luck by preparing themselves both mentally and physically for victory.

The Caps need a system that is not based on the premise of a few talented guys scoring all the goals with everyone else in support. They need a system that empowers the entire team to score opportunistic goals based on air-tight defense.

The bottom line is the Caps need to abandon the talent only approach and find some smart, tough two way hockey players willing to sacrifice stats for team outcomes. If you have guys counting their goals while the team is losing they are a cancer and you have to get rid of them. Teams win...individuals lose.

The next Hockey Coach:

Bruce Boudreau saw the error in his ways after the Caps lost the Montreal playoff series and he tried to shift this team away from the aggressive offense style of play. His star players revolted which filtered down to the non-stars and eventually the entire team quit on him so he got fired. Enter Dale Hunter who wasted time trying to jump start Ovechkin as if his lack of production was the cause and not a symptom...meanwhile the Caps defense has more leaks than a submarine with a screen door hatch. Hunter drank the kool-aid of believing that the Caps fate rests on Ovechkin when the Caps fate actually rests on the concept and execution of TEAM DEFENSE. If you can protect your goalie and clear your zone quickly you will win more games than you lose. If your plan to earn a cup is based on the fortunes of one player you've already lost.

The next coach of the Washington Capitals needs to be a man with a time tested (winning) system that does not favor any players. The coach will be smart enough to alter to suit the strengths/weaknesses of his players when needed but disciplined enough not to allow any players to take advantage. The next coach needs to be a stickler for the details, hockey smarts and toughness. The next coach will set in place a defensive system that protects our goalies so they can develop confidence...(see Ken Hitchcock). He will emphasize the art of playing without the puck. He will show this team how positioning and skating can make the job of scoring/defending easier. In short, the new Caps coach should be a hockey #101 type of guy that sets a path towards winning with sound fundamentals and not the fluff of talent.

Ovechkin is a great player but he has a limited shelf-life. If the Caps want an organizational identity that outlasts Ovechkin they better bring in front office people committed to win. Winning is the only draw that is time tested. Stars rise and fade but winning organizations keep the house packed because they plug in players to keep the machine rolling.

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Myths vs reality about the Washington Caps

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 06:12:08 GMT

Myth #1 -- The Caps need a ton of talent to earn a Stanley Cup.

Truth -- Look at the Boston Bruins and their talent level last year. No one confused them with the Red Wings, Pens or Caps offensively. Boston played smart, gritty hockey and they never quit. Yes they had injuries to key players (Horton) but the next man stepped up and they were the last team standing with far less talent than the Washington Caps. If you require more proof just remember how the 8th seed Montreal Canadiens took the high flying Caps to the wood shed. They were not lucky as some clueless Caps homers suggest. They played smart team hockey and they never quit. If anything the Caps imploded when they faced a team that did not play afraid of the Caps overwhelming talent. Montreal knew that if you play hard, smart and tenacious team hockey you can beat anyone.

Myth #2 -- The Caps need a super goalie to earn a Stanley Cup.

Truth -- Vokoun and Neuvirth are more than enough to earn a Stanley Cup if the Caps play team hockey. An aggressive forecheck helps your goalie by keeping the puck at the other end of the ice. An aggressive back check helps your goalie by taking away time and space from your opponents thus limiting their scoring chances. The guys in front of the goalie have to be playing well as a team if you want your goalie to have any confidence.

No doubt that somewhere during your Stanley Cup run your goalie will have to steal a game or two. Team hockey allows your goalie to have the confidence he needs to do it when called upon. If you require proof look at Tim Thomas now with little confidence versus Tim Thomas at this time last year. The Boston defense was air tight allowing Thomas to play like a goalie who could steal games. He looks pretty ordinary now that Boston's team play has declined. Look at St. Louis now that they are playing good hockey in front of their goalies. Now they have two Stanley Cup capable goalies playing with confidence. If the Caps play better in front of their goalies then they can create their own super goalies by giving them confidence.

Myth #3 -- Alexander Ovechkin is a scorer so don't expect him to play defense.

Truth -- Ovechkin is a hockey player and the Captain of his team. If he truly wants to earn a Cup and be considered a great player/leader he needs to grow his game to include defense. Great leaders lead from the front and when Ovechkin's teammates see him putting forth the effort to get back on the back check they will follow. You cannot half-ass your way to a Stanley Cup. You gotta put in the work and your teammates are very aware of your abilities. Ovechkin needs to man-up and put the work in. Team hockey means sacrificing for the greater good. No one expects Ovechkin to become a Selke Candidate but he needs to set the level of expectation by leading from the front. FYI - If you are paying a guy $9.5 mil per season and he is not doing everything he can to become a better player and a leader you are paying $9.5 million for a sniper and you overpaid big-time. I would pay a guy like Mark Messier (in his prime) $9.5 million because not only was I getting a great hockey player but I was getting an unquestioned leader. That is what you should expect from the “face of your franchise”

Some are going to read this and say you are being too hard on Ovechkin. To them I say absolutely. Leadership is a tough job and not everyone is cut out for it. The Caps don't have time to wait for him to grow up and get it once all of his talent is gone. He either needs to man-up or get out.

Myth #4 -- The Caps need to go back to the wide open style of hockey in order to get back to prominence and a Stanley Cup.

Truth -- One way teams don't earn Stanley Cups. Can you name the last one that did? Yeah, it's been that long. Stop fooling yourself because the recent history of Stanley Cup winners have ranged from balanced to defensively oriented. Detroit is a good example of balance while Boston is a good example of defensively oriented. The Caps are much closer to the Detroit mold than the Boston mold but make no mistake the Caps can earn a Stanley Cup if they start playing like a team.

Myth #5 – The Caps playoff fate rests with a few talented individuals.

Truth – If your team is built in a way that allows this mentality to fester within your locker room then you failed before your journey began. Hockey is a team sport and teams earn Stanley Cups. No team is perfect but on a good team the players work together to accentuate the strengths while minimizing the negatives. Would the Caps be better off with a healthy Nicky Backstrom in the lineup? Of course, but is the season over because he is not here? Heck no. One man goes down but the next man steps up. That is the way things go in real life and that is the way they go in sports. I did not see Apple shut down because Steve Jobs passed on. The next man up took over and they are moving on with a purpose. The Caps have good players and if they start playing team hockey they can overcome anything as long as they stick together. If they play like a bunch of individuals they will hit the links again early.

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Lack of identity, leadership and cancerous players hurt Capitals

Mon, 5 Mar 2012 05:11:05 GMT

The big names are still there, the big time talent is still there so why are Washington Capitals out of the playoff picture and fading fast as March begins?

You don't have to know hockey to know what is happening with the Caps because the Caps don't have a hockey problem as much as they have a leadership and identity problem. Inconsistency of that magnitude usually begins in the front office and filters down. It has been my experience that crazy swings in performance from groups/teams usually mean someone within the group/team is not being held accountable. The others within the group/team see this player get away with murder and develop an apathetic attitude.

There must be a lot of things going on that Joe and Jane the fan are not privy to because the George McPhee cone of silence has proven quite effective over the years. What I have seen is one good coach run out of town because the star players on this team quit on him and the front office sided with the players. While that is not unusual I am wondering how the organization is going to justify this again with Hunter at the helm. I see those same star players that quit on Boudreau under-achieving for Dale Hunter. They are playing a bit better but clearly not well enough to make a significant difference in the win-loss column. Some choose to blame the Caps dismal results on injuries but everyone has injuries to key players and other teams are flat out getting it done.

Here is what I know. I know that Dale Hunter is one of the most fundamentally sound players and coaches I've ever seen. I know this because I watched him perform for decades. So how does a guy that lives and breathes hockey like Hunter put such an inept team on the ice? The short answer is I don't think it is Hunter at all. I think the Caps have a cancer in that locker room and the other players in the locker room have become apathetic. The players don't talk about it until they leave and when they do say something the Caps minions are quick to dismiss them as disgruntled former employees. My theory is if two people tell you you're drunk it's time to give up the keys. The other gorilla in the room that no one can ignore are the results. This team started the season with the goal of hoisting the Cup and right now they look like one of the worst teams in the league.

So what have we learned? The Capitals ownership and front office made the mistake of hedging their bet on superstar players instead of a time tested winning identity. A good example is the six time world champion Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers winning tradition is not about superstar players but more focused on a way of doing business. The Steelers hit hard, play hard, tackle hard and run hard so no matter who wears the jersey you know what they represent. Having a clear identity provides organizational consistency and stability. The Steelers will only hire tough coaches because that is who they are. They will only draft tough players because that fits what they do. What is the Caps identity? Inconsistency is an identity but not the one you want.

Besides inconsistency the Caps have no identity. They are not regarded as a smart team. They will never be confused for the hardest working team either. Talent is wasted if it does not come with results. The road to fixing this identity problem starts with Ted Leonsis deciding what his team identity will be. Next step is removing the cancerous players and creating an atmosphere in that locker room where everyone is held equally accountable but also equally empowered. Goal scoring and defense are a team effort and not reserved for superstars. The Caps could also use an on ice leader that actually knows what he is doing in terms of leading men through a very difficult season.

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Tough choices for George McPhee at the trade deadline

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 01:27:36 GMT

Washington Capitals General Manager George McPhee has plenty on his plate going into the trade deadline on Monday. Although his team just won two straight games as of today they remain one point outside of the playoff picture with a very tough schedule remaining.

Some would argue that being one point out is not so bad but that view does not take into account the expectations of this team going in to this season. The Caps were expected by many to be a legitimate Stanley Cup favorite this season. No one expected them to be outside of the playoffs going into March.

Prior to the season George McPhee was praised as the best GM in the league after a stellar draft and free agency period. He robbed Colorado in a trade for the oft-injured Semyon Varlamov and managed to get the best free agent goalie on the market in Tomas Vokoun for next to nothing salary wise. He picked up what he thought would be key players in Troy Brouwer, Roman Hamrlik and Joel Ward.

Given the lofty expectations this reality for McPhee is both crushing and potentially terminal. McPhee fired Bruce Boudreau who is now a Jack Adams candidate after turning around the Anaheim Mighty Ducks and getting them back into the playoff picture. Boudreau's success in Anaheim points a big finger back to the players in the Caps locker room particularly to the star players that chose to tune him out. Those players are still here and still under-achieving under new Coach Dale Hunter. At what point will McPhee or Leonsis address that problem because Hunter and Boudreau have not been able to solve it thus far.

So what should McPhee do? Should he gut this team (star players included) and start over? There is a lot of momentum in that direction because the return on investment on the "young guns" is not good and certainly does not justify the expenditure anymore. Should McPhee tweak it and hope they magically start playing better? It should be noted that McPhee has hired and fired four coaches already with no Stanley Cups to speak of so Caps Owner, Ted Leonsis will likely be looking at McPhee as the place to start an organizational reboot should these Caps not make the playoffs or get sent home early again. Self preservation is likely in McPhee's mind as he goes into Monday.

If McPhee sticks to his guns and keeps this team as-is they have to make it to at least the conference finals to justify him remaining as GM. If he tweaks it slightly the same standard applies. If he guts the team including some cancerous star players he is likely gone anyways in an organizational clean sweep. The Answers for the Caps are clearly not coming from the cast of characters currently in charge. If this team/McPhee fails then the answers need to come from outside the Washington Caps family. If you want to win you bring in people from consistently winning organizations. Detroit is a nice place to start in terms of seeking organizational reboot from team president on down.

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Caps mid season report card

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 08:20:39 GMT

As we approach the halfway point of the NHL season there has been some dramatic changes in Capitals Nation and judging by their play of late more big changes are coming.

Coaching - Is the team prepared to play and win every game? Is the team motivated, competitive, consistent and disciplined? Do they adjust well on the fly? Ultimately the coach is responsible for all of those aspects of the game. Since there was a coaching change it would be unfair to grade Hunter on a mess he did not create so this grade is split.

Bruce Boudreau: Grade F - Bruce became white noise and the effort on the ice reflected as much. Bruce lost the room and his hard skates after inexcusable losses were just not motivating anyone anymore. Everyone likes Bruce but in the end he just could not get it done.

Dale Hunter: Grade C - Dale has simplified things defensively which is a plus and those guys are playing much better. The problem that remains is the lazy fore check and back check efforts by his top six forwards as a group. Hunter got Ovechkin going but at what cost? Now no one else even appears interested in shooting the puck or going to the net. If Dale's big plan is to have Ovechkin not back check and hang around waiting for the outlet pass he may want to talk to Boudreau about how that plan worked in the playoffs (it didn't work). If is my sincere hope that Dale has a long term plan to correct the lazy, stupid hockey we are seeing. My guess is both he and McPhee have already determined that some of these guys must go. I cannot flunk Dale but I cannot give him anything higher than a C either. I am a little surprised that a Dale Hunter coached team is not going to the net and getting more dirty goals.

Forwards: Grade F - The Caps will go as far as the forwards take them and right now the top-six in particular are the jack of all trades but clearly the masters of none. They are talented but they do not fore or back check with any consistency or tenacity. They do not understand the benefits of positioning and they insist on the perfect shot instead putting shots on the net with traffic. It is truly unfortunate that some of the Caps forwards just don't get it. Watch them pass you to sleep during the powerplay and you will quickly understand that these guys are trying to eat crabs with a knife and a fork...good luck with that. Some forwards are playing old school hockey (Brooksie, Brouwer, Chimera, Knuble and others but they are overshadowed by the big names that are absolutely clueless on how to play consistent two way hockey.

The Great Scotty Bowman said that the measure of a good team is how hard and consistent they fore and back check. Since Scotty has forgotten more hockey than the entire Washington Capitals brain-trust I can only imagine what he would say over a cup of coffee and some film of this bunch. My guess is it would not be complimentary. What I admire about Scotty's teams loaded with talent is that they worked super hard. Guys like Fedorov, Yzerman back in the day and now Zetterberg and Datsuyk now are all hard workers. Ovechkin works hard...just not very smart and Semin will never be confused with a hard worker.

Defense: Grade C+ - Ever since Dale showed up the defensive play has improved. He has simplified things with better results. The problem is that the forward play (particularly the top six) is so pathetic that the defense and the goalies are often exposed. Wideman and Orlov join Carlson and Alzner as guys playing some good hockey. New defensive coach, Jim Johnson is making a real difference and hopefully the Caps can move some dead weight...Schultz, Hamrlik etc. Mike Green should be shut down for the rest of the year and just allowed to heal. He is an oft-injured RFA that no one is going to sign to an offer sheet so the Caps just need to let him heal and see what they have. I expect the Caps to be looking for defensemen that actually hit people (novel idea right?) and do not skate like they have a ship's anchors tied to each boot...cough Hamrlik. The Caps defense could use more speed and more physical guys that have no problem violently (but legally) separating opponents from the puck.

Goalies: Grade C+ - Confident goalies make confident plays. Shell shocked and exposed goalies get sun burn from the score siren being lit so often. The Caps goalies (both of them) have performed admirably under insane circumstances. The folks blaming everything on the goalies need to understand how hockey works. The five guys in front of the goalie get paid to limit access to the goalie. A team's confidence starts from the goalie and works it's way out to everyone else. If you make protecting your goalie a priority you will get better play. Protecting your goalie means fore checking to keep the puck at the other end of the ice. It means shooting to keep the opposing goalie on his heels. Protecting your goalie means back checking to limit the amount of shot opportunities the opponents get. Contrary to popular belief I think both Vokoun and Neuvirth have played well under horrible circumstances. They are playing goalie for a bi-polar hockey team that has no clue what it means to protect your goalie. Anyone think Tim Thomas isn't appreciative of the fact that his team will protect him at all costs? Tim makes big saves because he is very confident. He is very confident because his team protects him. Anyone think the Caps protect their goalies well enough for them to have any sustained confidence? Heck, this is the same team that is struggling to get shots.

Overall: grade D - The Caps have some BIG decisions to make leading up to and beyond the trade deadline. They have players that definitely need to go while others still need to buy in and play two-way hockey. On the strategy front force feeding the puck to Ovechkin is not the answer. Mike Green's return is not the answer nor is the return of Nicky Backstrom. The Caps as a team need to find a personality and stick to it. If they want to be a fast break hockey team they should be that. If they want to be the second coming of the trapping NJ Devils they should do that. Perhaps the true personality will take place once the Caps have the right personnel to become what Dale Hunter wants them to be. Stay tuned because the days leading up to February 27th's trade deadline will be interesting to put it mildly.

As Caps learn new system some new and old truths come to light

Sat, 10 Dec 2011 05:01:18 GMT

With a new coach comes a new system and a learning period. Lucky for the Caps they have enough time and games to get it together. That learning extends not just to the players but the coaches and GM as well. As this process plays out the following truths rise to the surface:

1. Some guys won't buy into the new system

2. Some guys won't fit the system

3. Some guys will do better than you expect

Dale Hunter's new style of play places an emphasis on aggressive forechecking, hitting, positioning and being solid in your own zone. In short, the Caps are going to play the type of hockey that actually wins or at least can beat more than just the NY Rangers in the playoffs.

Certain players are performing well and that continues. The Laich, Chimera and Ward line continues to play well because they are sticking to the basics and they hustle. Meanwhile the Caps two most talented players, Alexander's Ovechkin and Semin continue to struggle.

Ovechkin needs to focus on the basics and relax. He is clearly pressing and the more you press the more the simple things stump you. In hockey speak he is gripping the stick too tight. Alexander Semin is an entirely different story. Semin is a scorer that is not scoring. Unlike Ovechkin, who has a physical element to his game that helps the team even when he is not scoring, Semin has neither elite speed nor enough physicality in his game to create space for himself to make plays.

In fact Semin's game is predicated on time and space that he cannot create on his own or at least anymore. His favorite move to create space is his curl and drag but his opponents figured that out already thus it works far less. That is why former Capital Jason Arnott was such a good fit with Semin because his size-physicality and plain old hockey smarts created space for Semin. Without a consistent physical presence or super speedy player with veteran savvy Semin is $6.7 million dollars of wasted money.

Semin has shown an unwillingness to consistently get to the areas where goal scorers score goals. The other Semin issue is he is a penalty magnet. He uses his stick when he should be moving his feet and the penalty numbers over his career show a TREND and not an anomaly. Semin is proving he is not a good fit for this system/team all by himself. Many believe Semin will get hot all of a sudden and become a super scorer that erases his penalty mistakes by scoring tons of goals. Dream on folks.....dream on. His diminished numbers along with him looking like a fish out of water since Dale arrived is the basis for this conclusion. Semin wasn't producing under Boudreau when the scheme was built around him and Ovechkin. Ovi is adjusting..Semin is not. As I said before Semin is fool's gold because at some point you gotta call a spade a spade even though he is super talented. Talent without production is nothing...

As for the Caps overall don't be surprised if some changes are made. This team has issues with regard to the top two scoring lines not producing enough at regular strength and the power play not producing at all. The defense continues to look shaky as well.

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Hunter offers no quick fixes and that is a good thing

Sat, 3 Dec 2011 02:37:50 GMT

For those of you thinking that Dale Hunter would step in and magically cure the Caps of 4 years of bad habits welcome back to hockey reality. Last night's 2-1 loss to the St. Louis Blues was the first step with 59 steps/games remaining on a journey back to team hockey.

Here is a fact for your consumption. The 1998 Eastern Conference Champion Capitals (yes...the Caps experienced success before Ovechkin newbies) made it to the Stanley Cup finals with air-tight defense in their own zone and with timely-opportunistic offense. The 98 Caps had one pure goal scorer in Peter Bondra (52 goals) and Bondra played within the framework of the overall defense without being an offense-only liability. Bondra created opportunities for himself and others by buying into Ron Wilson's system and playing two-way hockey. Coach Ron Wilson had success because that Caps TEAM out worked, out hit and out hustled teams that were often more talented.

Fast forward to now and this Caps squad that is loaded with talent but they are far from a team. The first thing people say when you mention the Caps is the word talented. The problem is they are not combining the word talented with hard working. The Boston Bruins earned a Stanley Cup last year with no where near the talent the Caps have. Why? The simple answer was they proved to be the best team playing the best hockey when the playoffs rolled around. The Bruins had highs and lows last season but they got hot at the right time, played team hockey and endured the longest. They also beat a lot of teams with more talent than they had.

One of the most important lessons Dale Hunter must teach is showing his team how to play hockey without the puck. Hunter has to show them that you must win the little battles in the corners, behind the net and in the neutral zone in order to EARN scoring opportunities that win games. The previous regime proved to us time and time again that "cute hockey" simply does not work in the playoffs.

Dale's biggest job is showing Alexander Ovechkin and Alexander Semin that they can create offense for themselves and others by playing smart, two-way hockey. No one is asking them to become Selke winners but they can definitely play within the overall scheme and create chances for themselves and others. Peter Bondra scored a ton of goals in a highly defensive system so there is no reason Ovechkin and Semin cannot do the same if they buy in and commit to working hard consistently.

You can no longer run and gun your way to a Stanley Cup like Gretzky and Lemieux did so for those hoping the Caps will get back to that style of hockey your amateur is showing. The Caps under Bruce Boudreau proved that a ceiling existed for run and gun hockey. The moment someone takes away time and space the Caps looked like fish out of water. It is good for regular season wins, home ice in the playoffs, plenty of accolades and beating the New York Rangers in the first round of the playoffs but not much else.

As the Caps move forward with Hunter and his style of play we will see who is not fitting in. We will see who values their "numbers" more than wins and losses. We will also see who requests to seek life elsewhere. This style of hockey (winning hockey) requires hard work, discipline, patience and toughness. Some of the guys starting this journey will not be here at the end.

The same principles of patience and discipline goes for Caps fans who got spoiled on the Fool's gold that was Bruce Boudreau's tenure. Bruce won a lot of games and the style of hockey he coached was exciting for fans but the results speak volumes. I'll take winning the games that matter most over winning a bunch of games ten times out of ten and twice on Sunday. The ONLY goal is the Stanley Cup. Not making it to the second round, beating the Penguins or just getting to the finals. The ONLY goal is being the last team standing at Season's end. The real journey towards that goal started last night.

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Names the Capitals should consider for next bench boss

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 12:32:25 GMT

The Washington Capitals started off with a bang. Unfortunately that bang was followed by a monstrous thud. Bruce Boudreau appears to have no answers other than hard practices, healthy scratches to send bogus messages and juggling his lines. The Caps last two efforts show a team that has tuned out their coach.

Rumors are rampant that Dale Hunter, A beloved former Cap is first in line to replace Boudreau but his lack of coaching experience at the NHL level could place the Caps in a deep hole as he adjusts to hockey at the highest level. Here are four names Caps Owner, Ted Leonsis and General Manager, George McPhee should consider as they search for the Caps next bench boss.

Adam Oates - A seasoned assistant, a former Cap and a future hall of fame player. Adam Oates brings a thorough understanding of two way hockey to Washington. Adam Oates is an offensive genius and his numbers as a player are hard to ignore. Oates would definitely grab the attention of the highly paid but underwhelming Russians (Ovechkin and Semin) who cannot add consistency to their games. Oates currently serves as an Assistant Coach in New Jersey so his transition to bench boss would be easier than bringing up an OHL Coach like Dale Hunter.

Tony Granato - A proven Coach with an active winning percentage second only to Bruce Boudreau. Tony Granato was gritty two way player and he coaches the exact same way with excellent results to back it up. The other bonus of Granato is that pulling him out of arch rival Pittsburgh where he currently serves as an Assistant weakens one of our biggest foes plus provides us priceless intelligence on the inner workings of the Penguins. Granato is a heck of a coach and he would hold people accountable for their actions on and off the ice. The Caps could definitely use a guy like Granato.

Joe Mullen - Hall of Famer, two way hockey player and a master of the basics of the game. He's coached at the AHL level and clearly he has numbers no one can deny. He also brings the intangibles that the Caps need. Accountability, leadership and experience coaching on the NHL level. He is currently an assistant with the Philadelphia Flyers so stealing him may take something away from another conference foe. For those of you that remember Mullen he was a smart hockey player that always seemed to be in the right place at the right time.

Dale Hunter - The sentimental favorite of Old School Caps fans like myself. Other than Joe Juneau's goal to put the Caps in the Stanley Cup Finals, Dale Hunter scored the Franchise's 2nd biggest goal vs the Flyers in the playoffs. Hunter is smart, tough and rest assured everyone in that locker room will be held accountable no matter their salary. Although Hunter is not the most talented or savvy guy on this short list he brings the intangibles the Caps need. This Caps team needs a leader who is not afraid to do what he needs to do to get consistent performance from everyone. If a team takes on the personality of the coach then the Caps are in good hands with Hunter as bench boss.

When you replace a coach mid-season on a Stanley Cup capable team that Coach must be able to come in, assess quickly and hit the ground running with his plan to get back on track. For that reason alone I believe Oates, Granato and Mullen should be the front runners because they are already at the NHL Level. Hunter would have a steep learning curve which could hurt the Caps chances this year. If McPhee wanted Hunter he should have done it over the Summer. To place Hunter in now is not giving him the best opportunity to succeed.

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To earn a Stanley Cup Boudreau must go

Sun, 20 Nov 2011 02:24:48 GMT

The same guys making the same mistakes, the same guys playing one-way hockey combined with slow defensemen that refuse to violently separate the puck from opponents, unexplained focus lapses, zero discipline and zero accountability. Ladies and gentleman your Washington Capitals! Stop me if you've seen how this movie ends. Many thought George McPhee solved the Caps problems over the summer with his brilliant manipulation of the draft and free agency. No matter how many good players you bring in, if the coach is terminally flawed you will still fail.

Fast forward to right now when the Caps appear to be stuck on stupid and no one including Bruce Boudreau has any answers on how to fix it. In last night's 7-1 loss to the Maple Leafs, Bruce's face in the post game presser told me everything I needed to know. He is at his wit's end and he has lost that locker room. So is Bruce the only problem? Absolutely not...The Caps have an overall defensive scheme that is a massive failure. Forwards don't forecheck and rarely back check, Some of their defensemen are oxygen thieves and they look like the bad news bears in their own zone...but other than that Mrs. Lincoln how was the play?

For those of you saying it is too early to make changes, the obvious response is the Caps under Boudreau have been making the same mistakes and having the same problems since he arrived. Yes Boudreau won a lot of games (199) in fact but they don't give out Stanley Cups for regular season wins. The Caps are ultra talented and they can beat 90% of the teams in the NHL even in their flawed state. During Boudreau's tenure, the only time their problems came to the forefront is in the playoffs when the game changes. For those of you saying Mike Green's return will magically fix everything keep dreaming. Mike Green's return does not change the fact that Roman Hamrlik is slow, old and ineffective. It does not change the fact that Jeff Schultz could not keep a 4 year old girl out of the crease.

I've said since they got booted from the playoffs last season that in order for the Caps to earn a Stanley Cup, Bruce Boudreau has to show us something we've never seen from him before. A focus on the basics, a focus on discipline, accountability for everyone including his highly talented Russians and the ability to effectively adjust his game plan on the fly and not just juggle lines ad-infinitum. Has anyone seen those things from Boudreau yet? Anyone?

I know what you're thinking...If Bruce goes, who do you replace him with smarty pants? My answer is someone who is a stickler on the basics, discipline and accountability. I do not care if he is proven or not because a lot of young coaches getting more done with a lot less talent than Boudreau has. The new coach should be able to go to McPhee and request he remove dead weight players who are not buying in. The new coach may even need to remove the "C" from Ovechkin and offer it to a guy who is more mature and better equipped to lead men. The Caps need new energy and renewed purpose. That can only come with regime change.

Despite early season success Capitals fate still tied to the evolution of the Russians

Mon, 7 Nov 2011 04:41:19 GMT

Their numbers are down, Ovechkin was briefly benched and at times both appear to be a fish out of water. What is going on with the Caps talented Russians? Why do their amazing moves no longer work? Why are they no longer racking up the huge stats?

Some will call this crazy-talk because the Caps sit at 8-3, lead their division and are right there with the conference leaders. Ovechkin has 6 goals and 7 assists while Semin has 2 goals and 5 assists as of today. The Caps appear to be one of the leading contenders to come out of the east. So what is the problem and why should anyone be concerned?

Truth be told the Russians have a couple of issues. The first being the evolution of their games. Stevie Wonder can see that the Caps opponents have done their homework with regard to Ovechkin and Semin. They know their favorite moves, they know where they like to shoot the puck and they know the curl and drag is their favorite move to try and create space for themselves. The result of this homework is lower numbers for both and an increase in odd man rushes when the curl and drag fails.

As I watch Ovechkin play I think of Superman using only 10% of his powers. Ovechkin can be the greatest player that ever played the game but he is so busy focusing on only one aspect (scoring-offense) that by the time the lights finally come on his body will no longer be able to keep up with his mind. If he does not earn a Stanley Cup he will have a world of regret because he wasted so much talent. Like Michael Jordan, Ovechkin can dominate almost every aspect of his sport, but sadly Ovechkin chooses not to focus on the defensive side of hockey and it not only hurts him but the chances of the Caps to hoist that Cup. Now that teams have adjusted to his offensive game he is more often frustrated and reverts back to his Ovi vs. the other team tactics. That used to work before and now it creates odd man rushes the other way. Definitely bad.

In the most recent game I saw several times when the Caps gained the offensive zone and Ovechkin had various options but chose to shoot. Offensive opportunities are few and far between especially in the playoffs so when you get them you cannot waste them. Ovechkin needs to be a better team mate and look for the pass. I understand that it is hard to tell a sniper not to shoot but Ovechkin draws so much attention someone else is bound to have a better shot than he does.

Ovechkin's line mates are also guilty of watching him instead of filling lanes while going to the net for rebounds or that rare Ovechkin pass. I guess they are so used to Ovechkin doing it all by himself that they freeze. Lately he has not been so successful during his solo trips so perhaps it is time to go to the net with him for rebounds or a pass.

As I watch Semin play I think of a brain surgeon being asked to perform surgery in the middle of a hockey game. Semin is an excellent passer and a great sniper but he requires so much time and space in order to be effective that he is horrifically inconsistent. His windup for that wicked wrist shot is like an Achilles heel scenario. The good news is that he can pluck the wings off a fly with the accuracy of the shot but the bad news is that he rarely gets the shot off due to the time it takes for his windup. Even with the obvious flaws in his game he is still so talented that he puts up eye catching numbers. The bottom line with Semin is that until he decides to work harder/smarter he will remain inconsistent during the most critical moments of the Caps season. It also does not help that he has bouts of laziness which cause him to be a hooking penalty magnet further hurting his team.

Semin is a rare bird...a playmaker that is lazy. Playmakers can't be lazy because the team relies on them to create opportunities for themselves and their line mates. That is what Matt Bradley was trying to say. He took a ton of heat for it and later retracted his statement but their was plenty of truth in what he said. For $6.7 million dollars Semin can give the Caps a lot more than what he currently gives them. An effective playmaker is a good two way player. It is no surprise that Nicky Backstrom is having a big year because he is playing excellent two way hockey. There is no reason Semin can't be as consistent if he puts forth the effort. It certainly would not hurt him to quicken that windup on that wicked wrister. He may also want to ditch the curl and drag move because when it does not work he is prone to hooking penalties while trying to prevent the odd man rush he just created for the other team.

Given how talented the Russians are no one can blame Capitals Coach, Bruce Boudreau for adopting a strategy of "give the puck to both guys named Alex and get the heck out of their way". Bruce rode that strategy to great success but as we learned in the playoffs, earning a Stanley Cup requires a total team effort. The bottom line for Ovechkin and Semin is they have to evolve or go. No one denies the talent, but if they are not using it for the good of the team they are liabilities and not assets. The Caps made it to the Stanley Cup finals without players like Ovechkin and Semin before. They did it with excellent goal tending and excellent two way hockey. Gretzky's trade proved no one is un-movable and Caps fans need to stop thinking with their hearts and look at the bottom line.

Three questions Caps Nation should be asking

Thu, 15 Sep 2011 12:25:05 GMT

As Washington Capitals Nation prepares for another run at Lord Stanley's Cup there are some burning questions on the minds of Caps Nation. Caps fans have the most accessible and interactive owner in sports. With the Caps Convention coming up in less than two weeks the following questions need to be asked and deserve some honest answers:

1. How long of a leash does Bruce Boudreau have? Despite all of the signings General Manager, McPhee made over the summer the bottom line for the Caps is are they a smarter, tougher and more disciplined hockey team? The answer starts with the guy behind the bench. If Bruce does business as usual then the Caps will once again cruise through the regular season only to get ousted in the 1st or 2nd round. I believe that the guy that needs to show the most improvement is Bruce Boudreau. He has to drill the basics of hockey into the heads of his European players like hitting, going to the net and positioning. He has to treat all of his players the same and sit the talented ones when they are not getting it done. Bruce Boudreau has to show us something we have not seen before...discipline. He also needs to get better at in-game adjustments as the young Tampa coach embarrassed him in the last playoff series. The bottom line is it does not matter how many new players obtained. What ultimately makes the difference is how all of the players are utilized and that falls on Bruce Boudreau.

2. Is Alexander Ovechkin a leader? He has insane skills, determination and a drive to be the best but none of that means he is a good leader of grown men on a quest for the Cup. Can Ovechkin tell his buddies to put out or sit? Can he lead from the front and make himself and his buddies skate in optional practices? Can he call guys out when they are going through the motions? If Ovechkin wants a Cup as badly as he claims he needs to grow up. Leadership is lonely at times and you may lose friends in the process. Ovechkin is going to be watched closely this season and we need to see growth, maturity both on and off the ice.

3. What is the deal with Alexander Semin? - This summer we had two Caps (Matt Bradley and David Steckel) Call out Semin for being a chronic underachiever with a lackadaisical attitude. Of course many will dismiss these comments as disgruntled former employees but for those of us around for more than 5 minutes who know Bradley and "Stecks" they were not trouble makers or guys that were a problem then or now. These were guys in the room and on the ice with Semin with an educated opinion based on time spent. Not to mention Olaf Kolzig made mention of the same thing years ago. So when three people say you are drunk it is time to give up the keys to the car. With three well respected Caps all saying the same thing why are we paying this guy 6.7 million dollars? If he is that good lock him up. If he is year to year you can get three lesser talented but more helpful players for that money. For those of you that think Semin is irreplaceable their are plenty of teams with their name on the Cup that did not have a player like Semin. Boston proved you can win without any super star forwards.

One hundred million dollar man (version 2.0)

Tue, 30 Aug 2011 02:08:18 GMT

The first time he made this type of money he had no idea what was expected of him. The saying a fool and his money will soon part ways was applicable. Vick did not take his opportunity seriously and he lost it. I write this with full understanding that some will never be happy with the fact that Vick was allowed back into the NFL or even out of prison.

For those who know me, they would tell you my dog [Kodi] and I are inseparable. Those within my inner circle they know I cried uncontrollably for two days when my chow-chow princess was put to sleep due to health issues. I don't cry often but I love my dogs and treat them as family, not pets. I hate what Vick and others did to those dogs. So why am I rooting for Vick's success?

A few reasons:

Hate-anger and resentment only hurts the person carrying it
Vick is now an advocate for animal rights and doing far more via his money and notoriety than the people who are still so angry at him
The more Vick succeeds the more the cause of animal protection will be elevated in the public consciousness
I am neither willing nor able to sit in judgement of anyone for the rest of their life because that would make my glass house pretty big. Stone anyone?

So while I am happy for Michael Vick and his redemption as a man, a father and an athlete I am happier that the issue of dog fighting as well as the prevention of animal cruelty will have a 100 million dollar spokesperson. Vick did the crime, he did the time and he made it back against some serious odds. That is actually how our system is supposed to work right?

Vick 2.0 fully understands just how precious and rare NFL opportunities are. He also understands now that even a dog's life is considered precious. He had to explain what he did to his daughters which as a parent I know had to be tough. Thus far I have seen improvement in his work habits and his focus to perfect his craft instead of living on only one aspect of the game (running). He would have never understood any of this had he not lost it all. Mike Vick version 2.0 is going to do more for animals than many of the people with the fire torches and pitchforks calling for his head. I am a Redskins fan so there are at least two games I will not be rooting for Vick but the more he succeeds the more animals will be protected. I can live with that.

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Drama-less Redskins appear on upward track

Mon, 29 Aug 2011 02:47:30 GMT

Isn't it nice to be talking only football in Washington? Isn't it nice to not have players and coaches not fighting via the media. Ironically it is nice to have the biggest football story be football related like injuries and position battles.

The fact is the problem children are gone, competition is the order of the day and the Washington Redskins are actually getting better. The Shanahans are focused on finding the right guys for their system and through three preseason games I've seen a team that executes like they EXPECT to be better. These guys believe that if they do what the coaches say and compete they are not going to be at the bottom of the standings.

All of the NFL talking heads were down on the Redskins due to the QB situation and the fact that they let McNabb go without bringing in a big name replacement. What we have seen thus far in the preseason are two Quarterbacks who do run the offense at a quicker tempo than McNabb and they appear to have a better grasp of what Kyle Shanahan wants to do. I've even heard a few of the NFL talking heads give the Redskins credit for having faith in their guys instead of making another panic move to appease the media and fans with 3 minute attention spans. John Gruden, who knows a little bit about football brought up Rich Gannon and the fact that this veteran was written off by most of the NFL but sometimes QBs take longer to get it and to find the right fit. He was speaking of Rex Grossman who despite the nay-sayers looks like a good fit in this offense. John Beck is a journeyman as well who is only one year younger than Grossman. Maybe this is Beck's time to shine in an offense that appears to fit his skill sets. The fact is no matter who starts at QB they will be better by week eight than they will be at week one. That is called growth and healthy growth can be painful but ultimately it is a good thing.

A respected football coach told me that healthy teams grow while bad teams die of cancerous players/coaches as the season progresses. The Redskins appear to be in a growth mode. That does not mean things will be easy or they will win a ton a games. It does mean that they will learn and get better as they go no matter the results. Once you clear out the "drama-kings" in your locker room and bring in players who want to work, and get better the atmosphere is conducive to success.

As a Redskin fan of many, many, many years it is nice to see a healthy football team that is finally trending upward.

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Redskins vs Ravens: Match-ups to look for

Thu, 25 Aug 2011 03:34:28 GMT

Tonight's Redskins Ravens match up is the first game that both teams will actually game plan for. For many teams it is the only preseason game that will resemble a regular season game.

For those of you seeking proof of Redskin progress tonight is your night to see some signs against a very good football team. The following match-ups will give you some clues about progress.

Offense:

1. The Redskins offensive line vs. The Ravens front seven -- Any hope for the Redskins being a better and more competitive team resides with the guys up front. If the Redskins offensive line can give the QB's time enough to make plays while creating holes for runners against an excellent Ravens defensive front seven there may be some hope. Now that Casey Rag-doll is gone I am curious to see how the new Redskin starting center will deal with the best nose tackle on the planet in Haloti Ngata.

2. John Beck/Rex Grossman vs. Ed Reed -- Ed Reed is a safety that can make most QBs see ghosts. If Reed plays tonight it will be interesting to see if Redskin QBs can have success against the best free safety in the game.

3. Redskins receivers vs. Ravens secondary -- Now this is one area where the Redskins have a slight nod with the exception of the Ed Reed factor. The Ravens secondary is good but they can be had so it will be interesting to see if the Redskins can take advantage.

Defense:

1. The Redskins front seven vs. The Ravens rushing attack -- We are going to be able to measure the Redskins progress along the front seven because the Ravens are going to run the ball. While we believe the Redskin D-line is better we will learn how much better because they will get a heavy dose of run tonight. This is also a good test prior to the opener because the Giants will run it into the ground as well.

2. Ryan Kerrigan vs. Space -- Since this is the first game planned game for Kerrigan the Ravens will be well aware that Kerrigan is playing a new position. They would be foolish not to put him space to see how he reacts. Surely the Redskins want to see how he reacts as well.

3. The Redskin secondary vs The Ravens wide receivers -- The biggest threat is Anquan Boldin but Lee Evans is a guy with great speed and experience that can make a corner look stupid if they do not bring their "A" game. Redskin nation will get their first look at OJ Atogwe who is an upgrade at free safety but Laron Landry remains sidelined which hurts considering his replacements just aren't very good. The key to success for the Redskins tonight is pressure from the front seven. The more Flacco is pressured the better their chances.

Summary:

Tonight is more about how and why than the result. The Ravens fans seem to care more about this so called rivalry more than Skins fans. The Redskins need to get a lot better and the Ravens need two more Lombardi Trophies before this becomes a Rivalry of any consequence.

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Capital gains equal capital expectations

Thu, 25 Aug 2011 02:15:49 GMT

As if the Washington Capitals didn't already have a ton of pressure on them, hockey's premiere magazine, The Hockey News predicted the Caps will hoist Lord Stanley's Cup when the smoke clears. THN went on to mention how the Caps have fooled them before so they are on notice that this is their last shot "as-is". The article went on to mention that Bruce Boudreau needs to provide more structure noting what many in Caps nation have felt for some time that certain players freelance too much.

If Boudreau would like a lesson on how to deal with coaching on a hot seat all he needs to do is call his buddy Claude Julien in Boston who was probably on a magnesium laced hot-seat after Boston's flameout versus the Flyers in the season prior to this successful Cup run. What did Julien do? He doubled down on the basics of the game. He kept it simple, he maintained the discipline and he held everyone in that locker room to the same standard. It certainly did not hurt to have a white-hot goalie (Tim Thomas) but in the end his hot seat turned into a Stanley Cup because he stuck to the basics and held it together with discipline and accountability.

Boudreau has a problem when it comes to discipline and accountability. His star players appear to function on a different plan than his non-star players so the room has issues as Matt Bradley pointed out. Bruce also has a problem sitting stars that don't put out or make mistakes. He was quick to bench no-names but when Alexander Semin made mistake after mistake he stayed on the ice. That has to change if you want to build a rock solid team and have a 100% together locker room. Bruce needs to get back to the basics and become a hard @ss or the Caps will fall short again.

Ovechkin, Semin, Backstrom and Green all need to come to camp on a mission. They have got to man-up, show up and put out on a consistent basis. More importantly they have to be held accountable. Ovechkin has to step forward and earn that "C" on his chest by holding himself and his buddies accountable. He has to attend and skate at practices to lead from the front. He also has to force his Euro-buddies to attend and participate as well. The Caps fixes are so simple that a little tweaking here and there will make them worthy of a Stanley Run that actually ends with a Stanley Cup.

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Why the Redskins will challenge for the NFC East title

Thu, 25 Aug 2011 11:57:58 GMT

It should come as no surprise that Redskin media and fans are not drinking the 2-0 kool-aid just yet. They've been fooled too often by big signings, huge expectations followed by giant thuds.

If you are looking for the improvement in the Skins look at the improvement in execution, competition and effort. Granted the first two games have lacked a serious game plan, but what I see is a team in the 2nd year of a system that are playing with confidence. I also see competition at virtually every position which has been lacking in previous years. I believe the Redskins are a lot better than they were last year and more importantly, I think each of their division opponents has issues that make them vulnerable.

The Philadelphia Eagles - A lot of new faces coupled with the weight of crushing expectations have all of the signs of an implosion. Philly fans and media are merciless so the pressure will get to the Eagles much like it did with the superbowl hyped Cowboys the last couple of seasons. For those watching the Steelers exposed the fatal flaw in the Eagles in a meaningless preseason game a few days ago. They kept Vick in the pocket, made him become strictly a passer and he became ordinary looking real quick. Vick had an amazing year last year but that was one year. Philly has a loaded roster without a doubt but I'd be more afraid of them next year.

The Dallas Cowboys - The Cowboys will be a better team with Ryan as defensive coordinator, but they lack the players in the secondary to play a Ryan style of defense. They will also be better offensively in the 2nd year with Jason Garrett's full offense but due to salary cap issues the Cowboys could not make some necessary upgrades. The offensive line is still pretty bad in a division that prides itself on pressuring QBs. The Eagles, Giants and even the Redskins will bring lots of pressure this year so the question for Cowboys just like last year is can they keep Romo healthy? Ultimately the Cowboys will fall short due to their offensive line and their weak secondary.

The New York Giants - The Giants defensive line is insanely talented but their secondary equally sucky and now they are banged up. Usi Umenyiora ended his hold out but the bad feelings remain. Usi's situation filters through that Giant locker room because players are taking note of how a guy that has consistently produced at a high level is being treated by management. Not to mention Eli Manning is coming off a blah year. The Giants have both on and off the field issues which makes them vulnerable.

The Redskins have plenty of issues of their own but if they can get some early confidence via wins they can do some serious damage this year. If John Beck does not lose games and the Skins can execute better as they have shown they will surprise a lot of people including their division foes.

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Ex Capital, Matt Bradley confirms what many Caps fans felt

Fri, 19 Aug 2011 05:34:23 GMT

For those of you that know Matt Bradley you know he is not a evil, vindictive guy as some are painting him out to be. In fact the people using that brush fall into two categories. They either get a check signed by Ted Leonsis which forces them to defend the party line or they just don't want to believe what a guy who was in that locker room for years had to say because it interferes with their own personal reality.

For those of us that don't fall under those two categories Bradley confirms why the outcomes have never seemed to match the hope Caps fans build up annually. Bradley in a matter of fact way addressed the three biggest stumbling blocks to Caps playoff success.

Bruce Boudreau - Not disciplined enough and too reliant on the star players and his Hershey buddies even when they are the ones mailing it in and making mistakes.
Alexander Ovechkin - Not mature enough to be an effective leader on or off the ice.
Alexander Semin - Far too inconsistent and lackadaisical for $6.7 million dollars.

Despite the masterful job Caps GM, George McPhee did over the summer the Caps fate rests with Bruce Boudreau. This is something many Caps fans are not comfortable with. Bruce is a great guy and everyone (including me) is rooting for him to succeed but in the end you have to judge him by the results and what you've seen on the ice. Boudreau's teams are undisciplined, they are soft and they don't have an extra gear in the playoffs. Bruce has only beaten the New York Rangers in the playoffs so unless the Caps can somehow get the Rangers every round Bruce has a lot to prove. The Bruce defenders will say his record is very good (which I agree with) but I've watched two younger coaches catch up and pass Boudreau in Pittsburgh and in Tampa who are flat out getting it done. Bylsma got further with two of his best players out for most of the regular season and all of the playoffs. Tampa Coach, Boucher completely stoned the Caps in his rookie season so in my opinion Boudreau has a ton to prove despite his great record. In all of the Caps playoff series loses you can point to the following three culprits consistently:

Not going to the net - That is hockey 101..no excuses
Power play disappearance - A team this loaded should not be that bad in the playoffs
Lack of balanced physical hockey -- Tampa PWN'ed the Caps physically and especially in the corners and Boudreau had zero answers on a team full of big players. The Caps did not lack size to match Tampa...they lacked grit.

No matter how many Joel Wards or Troy Brouwers you bring in discipline and toughness starts behind the bench. If Boudreau does not demand physical, tough and smart two-way hockey the players won't give it to him.

If Alexander Ovechkin is as passionate about the game and about winning as he claims to be then the smart move for him is to hand that "C" over to a guy like Brooks Laich. Ovechkin is a great player but not all great players make for great leaders of men. I think we forget that Ovechkin is only 25 years old and his path has more upward mobility but it is clear to me that he is not yet ready to take on the full mantle of leadership. It is cool to wear the "C" but there is a lot more to it than just being the best player on the team. Leadership can be lonely because sometimes you have to call out your buddies [Cough.. Semin etc.] and challenge them to either put up or sit. Ovechkin is simply not mature enough to do that yet. He still wants to be liked so much that he is either afraid or unwilling to be a leader. If Ovechkin truly wants to win then the first place for Ovechkin to look is at himself. I've said this before but I think Ovechkin is a shark and you don't want to burden your shark with house keeping duties. His job is to hunt down and kill goalies and that is what he is best at. Leave the leadership to the guys who have shown it like Brooksie. Laich is a natural leader and I have zero doubt that he will do and say what needs to be said or done in that locker room.

Alexander Semin's challenge starts with consistency and showing his teammates he actually cares. Bradley was Semin's team mate for a long time so he has spent enough time with Semin to have an educated assessment of him. Semin's defenders always have excuses for him like he grew up in Siberia so he is ultra shy. My Drill Sergeant told me something that sticks with me to this day. The maximum effective range of excuses is always zero meters. For those of you that don't speak Army that means no matter how good the excuse...it is still just an excuse. Semin makes $6.7 million dollars and he is paid to be a consistent player so I do not care where he grew up or his personality type...he needs to be a consistent force on this team or he needs to be gone. The Semin "excuse-ologists" will point to his numbers which are impressive but those of us that know hockey is not baseball so numbers only tell part of the story point to the Boston Bruins who earned a cup minus a player like Semin. In fact they had no ultra talented players. What Boston had was a disciplined coach who did not waiver when times got tough, a hot goalie, a solid defense, a time tested game plan plus they had a bunch of gritty forwards that played smart, physical, two- way hockey. The Bruins proved that you do not need a shy, non-contact winger that gets a ton of hooking penalties but has a wicked wrist shot in order to earn a cup. I would add as a historical note that when the Caps made it to the Stanley Cup Finals they only had one ultra talented scoring threat in Peter Bondra. Semin is a nice to have but he is by no means a necessity.

The bottom line for the Caps is pretty simple. No matter how many new faces McPhee added during the Summer the real progress will come from the guys already here because the Caps are in desperate need of culture change. Ron Wilson did change the culture when he was coach and the Caps went to the Stanley Cup finals. Many of the players hated Ron Wilson but they also got further than any Caps team ever did. If Bruce is to survive this season he is going to have to become something he has yet to show us...he has to become a disciplinarian and he has to hold EVERYONE accountable. Even his Hershey buddies and Russian mega-stars.

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Why are the University of Miami student athletes going blameless?

Fri, 19 Aug 2011 03:02:04 GMT

Ever since convicted Ponzi schemer, Nevin Shapiro started dropping dimes on the University of Miami most of the television talking heads have looked right past the young adults that actually did wrong in a rush to point fingers at the coaches, staff and administrators. This just in...you cannot watch anyone 24 hours - 7 days a week so holding a program accountable for the actions of a young ADULT is insane to me. The key word in the last sentence in case you missed it was adult.

I hear so many sports talking heads saying these young adults were lured with money, gifts and other niceties and they had no choice but to do the wrong thing. Sorry, not buying that. I should not have to remind these professional apologists and enablers that as I type this their are college age young people in uniform all over the world making life and death decisions not just for themselves but for the fellow service members under their charge. How do I know? I was one of them. The military forces you to grow up a lot quicker and more importantly you are immediately introduced to the fact that you are both responsible and accountable for your actions regardless of the circumstances.

This myth that college aged student athletes cannot distinguish right from wrong even in the midst of temptation is bull. They go further to say that students on the lower socio-economic scale are more vulnerable. The biggest problem I have with that excuse is the fact that the military is full of people on the lower end of the socio-economic scale that are doing the right thing and wearing the big-boy/girl pants everyday. Most people would not believe the level of responsibility I had as a 19 year old squad leader in an infantry platoon. Most adults go their entire lives without that much responsibility, stress and pressure. I believe the people that perpetuate this myth are doing more harm to these young adults than good. I've seen first hand what motivated young people can do so I cannot take all the hand ringing and crazy talk I hear. Look at Notre Dame, Penn State and all of the US military Academies for that matter. They place a high premium on personal integrity, responsibility and accountability so you don't see melt downs like this from those institutions. I am not saying these institutions are perfect but you don't see the level of blatant craziness you've seen in Miami and USC. Why? Because they hold young adults accountable/responsible. A funny thing happens when you hold people accountable...they rise to the challenge. Imagine that!

As this story continues to evolve you will see/hear/read people calling for the resignation of school officials along with the death penalty for the school in terms of NCAA punishment. Meanwhile the young adults that made the piss-poor decisions will continue to make millions in the NBA and NFL respectively. That is truly a shame and the only way to fix this mess is to get back to basics. Hold young adults accountable for their actions. Start from scratch with the NCAA so that it actually works for the benefit of the student athlete and not for money. The NCAA looking out for the student athlete sounds like "I'm from the Government and I'm here to help"

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Trade Talk: Redskins and Bills talking Chris Cooley for Lee Evans

Fri, 12 Aug 2011 08:46:20 GMT

The Buffalo Bills are not so quietly looking to move the productive 8 year veteran wide receiver Lee Evans. Meanwhile the much anticipated emergence of Mackey Award winning tight end Fred Davis leaves the Redskins with two good tight ends which is one too many considering their lack of depth and talent at other positions.

Chris Cooley is super popular and a very good football player but from all accounts Fred Davis is finally living up to his 2nd round draft grade. He is a nightmare match up for slower linebackers and smaller safeties plus he gives the Redskins a vertical threat at TE position which is something both Shanahans love. Chris Cooley is a smart, tough and hard to tackle guy that finds holes but he will never be confused with a vertical threat. Cooley is super productive except in the red zone of late but he is still an upgrade over any of the TEs the Bills have on their roster.

The Redskins are in desperate need of a lot of things so a productive Lee Evans combined with Santana Moss would give the Redskins offense some much needed bite at the wide receiver position especially since it appears the Malcolm Kelly experiment is just about done.

The Buffalo Bills want to deal Evans but want a quality player in return. Cooley would quickly become a fan favorite in Buffalo due to his work ethic, production and his off the beaten path personality. As Fred Davis continues his rapid ascension Cooley will not be able to hold on to his job so why wouldn't the Redskins deal him now in order to fill a greater need with a very productive player in Evans? This could be a win-win for both parties.

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Grossman comments should raise the bar for Redskins

Thu, 11 Aug 2011 12:27:11 GMT

I can't believe all of the drama Rex Grossman caused by saying something A QB SHOULD SAY. He believes in his coaches, his teammates and the overall plan of attack so predicting a good season is not crazy talk. Many of the so-called football experts thought Tampa Bay Buccaneers Head Coach, Raheem Morris was crazy when he set a high bar for his team but no one thinks he is crazy now. What kind of competitor lowers the bar?

An incredible thing happens when you set a high bar and demand the best effort from a team...they try to obtain it and better themselves in process. So what was Rex supposed to say? I think we are better but since the know-it-all pundits predicted us to be the worst team in the league we're just gonna mail it in. Some would argue that he should have said nothing. The 1991 Skins could have said nothing because they knew they were good. This 2011 squad needs a spark. They need someone to step forward and lead so why not Grossman?

If Grossman is going to be the QB of this team the confidence on the field and on both sides of the ball starts with him. If he believes everyone else will believe. A guy with confidence makes plays. A guy waiting for the other shoe to drop doesn't. Someone needs to step forward and raise the bar for the Redskins so why not Grossman if he is going to be the #1 guy. If John Beck said it I'd follow him too although it is slightly more credible coming from Grossman who actually took his team to a superbowl.

The bottom line is this...Pundits need something to talk about and what Grossman said is only a big deal to people who get paid to make it a big deal. What he said should rally his team and I would expect nothing less from my quarterback.

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Redskins early free agent moves nothing but puzzling!

Thu, 28 Jul 2011 05:08:27 GMT

Question? Can Jabar Gaffney, Dante Stallworth or Brandon Stokely play offensive tackle, center or guard? Is it possible that the Shanahans have so vastly improved the current Redskins linemen that they know something we don't? Since the Shanahans had zero contact with these linemen I have a hard time believing these guys became the hogs over the summer.

As I watched Casey Rabach get rag-dolled on a regular basis, Kory Lictensteiger get beat like a drum along with the dismal failures of everyone the Skins attempted to plug in at right tackle one thing became crystal clear. The Redskins have a serious deficiency of starting talent and depth in pretty much every position along their line. Rookie left tackle Trent Williams was the lone exception when he was healthy. So that begs the question.Why is a team short on offensive lineman stockpiling journeymen wide receivers?

If Coach Shanahan is not going to address the offensive line this would certainly explain why he is not addressing the QB position. Why would he draft or trade for a franchise QB only to get him destroyed? Perhaps the John Beck and Rex Grossman tandem are a cheap experiment to see how much punishment two scrubs can take while Shanahan attempts to turn the lemon-offensive line into lemonade. Just think folks, the Redskins had extra months to come up with this plan and this is it? Wide receivers? really? Maybe they will load up on O-lineman later but the moves thus far don't inspire confidence of an impending turnaround.

Wasn't Shanahan supposed to be some kind of offensive genius? Perhaps he just happened to be coaching a phenomenal player in John Elway because Shanny hasn’t won anything of note since Elway retired. Just saying..

Boudreau, Caps must translate off-season success on to the ice

Mon, 4 Jul 2011 05:08:13 GMT

Washington Capitals General Manager George McPhee on paper has given his team the necessary pieces to be more competitive in the NHL playoffs. McPhee chucked some dead weight (Semyon Varlamov), brought in more physical players in Troy Brouwer, Joel Ward, Mattias Sojgren and Roman Hamrlik). He replaced departed checking line depth with former captain Jeff Halpern and added some serious goal-tending depth with the unbelievable acquisition of the best goalie on the UFA market in veteran Tomas Vokoun.

The accolades and compliments keep pouring in from all the NHL talking heads but sadly this is July not October or April for that matter and off season acquisitions mean nothing if they fail to get the Caps where they need to go. I wrote prior to the NHL draft that in order to keep his job George McPhee must have a very productive summer. It appears McPhee has upheld his part of that bargain and then some. This now places the burden of turning this retooled team into champions squarely on the shoulders of Capitals Head Coach, Bruce Boudreau. Capitals owner, Ted Leonsis stated that Boudreau's fate lies squarely in the hands of McPhee when many were calling for Boudreau's head so you can expect McPhee to be closely watching the progress of Boudreau and this team as if both of their jobs depend on it. In all likelihood it does.

Boudreau must start with himself. He has to become a more disciplined coach. He must hold ALL of his players accountable for their actions on and off the ice. Boudreau must also get back to the basics because if you have to tell players to go to the net that is a coaching problem. Boudreau's first test of growth is how he deals with his talented but non-focused Captain. Boudreau has to be the one to sit Ovechkin down and tell him to to tighten his act up and lead from the front. Ovechkin has become stagnant. You can see that teams have figured him out so he needs to get back to working on his game and leave the ladies, sports cars and partying alone. If Ovechkin responds negatively then Bruce needs to be the one to take that "C" and give it to a guy willing to step forward and lead. Bruce also has to up his coaching game because guys like Dan Bylsma and Guy Boucher have leap frogged him in terms of getting their teams further faster. Boudreau can no longer panic and place the fate of the team on Ovechkin and Semin whenever times get tough. He must implement a system that best fits his players and stick to it. He has to let lines develop chemistry and he must punish guys who stray from from the system or make costly mistakes. Accountability, discipline leads to trust and consistency. The Caps could use more of that.

Boudreau has to stop being everyone's buddy and be the coach of a team with Stanley Cup expectations...not aspirations. Since the Caps have shown a lack of fire ins some of the most critical moments Boudreau has to be a hard-ass and constantly push guys. He will make some enemies and some guys may want to leave because they got their feelings hurt but that comes with the territory. Leadership is lonely sometimes but you have to, chuck dead weight, keep your eye on the prize and keep moving forward.

On paper the Caps look very imposing but it will be the actions as well as the non-actions of Bruce Boudreau that determine the fate of the Caps. If Bruce can elevate his game like McPhee did the Caps can expect a better result when the games matter most.

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Washington Capitals rob Colorado with Varlamov trade

Fri, 1 Jul 2011 07:23:19 GMT

Washington Capitals General Manager, George McPhee has been oft criticized of late. McPhee made the most of the theory of addition by subtraction by sending disgruntled Goalie, Semyon Varlamov to Colorado for the Avalanche's 2012 1st and 2nd round picks.

This just in...the Colorado Avalanche aren't projected to be good so that 1st round pick Washington now owns could be a top 5 pick or better. McPhee robbed them blind considering Varlamov was not going to be a starter in Washington and it appeared he was headed to Russia. Now the Caps have more draft picks to offer if they are going to continue to wheel and deal. Caps owner, Ted Leonsis said the Caps were going to be active and not to be surprised to see some trades.

Now the Caps have the picks to supplement any trade they want to make which means guys that previously seemed untouchable on other teams may now be a possibility. George McPhee can call a team and throw out some theoretical scenarios with the picks to back those scenarios up. If no one bites the Caps will still have what is likely to be a top five pick in addition to their own in 2012. The Caps are now in a great position to either add a impact veteran or veterans or an impact rookie.

When this trade rolled across my tablet I could not believe it. Hopefully Varlamov gets healthy and shows what he can do but the Caps are very happy with this addition by subtraction. Interesting times in Washington Caps Nation.

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Could Marty Turco be Varlamov's replacement in Washington?

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 07:14:22 GMT

The Washington Capitals appear to be parting ways with talented but oft injured goalie Semyon Varlamov. His agent's tactic of negotiating via the media with threats is just something George McPhee does not respond well to. Eric Belanger's agent tried that ploy last year and wound up in Columbus. So who will the Caps get to replace Varlamov?

Marty Turco and Mike Knuble have been friends since their days together at the University of Michigan. Turco is only 35 years old and given the success of an older Tim Thomas Turco could be a very nice addition to the Caps room both in terms of veteran presence and play. Marty Turco is still a very good goalie and by all accounts a very good guy. The Caps could use a little veteran leadership among that group.

This move would allow Holtby to continue to play a lot of games and get better in Hershey while stabilizing their net. If McPhee can work out a decent deal for Turco (2 years) the Caps would be the better team for it. Mike Knuble still speaks very highly of his friend and Turco would be a good fit in Washington not as a starter but as insurance.

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Is Brooks Laich worth $4.5 million?

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 12:08:51 GMT

As I start to write this I know this will make me very unpopular even in my own house. Let me state for the record that I am a huge Brooks Laich fan but I am a bigger fan of the Washington Capitals earning their first Stanley Cup which begs the question...Is Laich worth $4.5 million dollars for the next 6 years?

The following is a short list of players I jotted down that fall close to that price range:

Johan Franzen - 3.9 million
Ryan Kessler - 5 million
Patrick Sharp - 3.9 million
Jordan Staal - 4 million
Zach Parise - 5 million
Shea Weber - 4.5 million

Is Brooks Laich in the same category as any of the players in the list above? As much as I love Brooksie I gotta say no. So why did the Caps sign a guy that is not even a top six mainstay forward to that big a contract? Is Brooksie more valuable than Mike Knuble who makes less? I've said from the beginning that I want Laich here as long as his contract reflects his value. Here are a couple of interesting comparisons to consider. Brooks Laich scored 17 goals 32 assists vs. Pittsburgh's Pascal Dupuis 17 goals 20 assists. The Pens just signed Dupuis for 2yrs. at 1.5 mil a year. Vancouver's Ryan Kessler used to make 1.7 million per season prior to his 40 goal, Selke Award winning season which got him a new deal at 5 million per. Brooks Laich now makes only $500K less than Kessler. Are you kidding me?

That contract comes with hefty expectations especially with young guys like Marcus Johansson, John Carlson and other younger impact players that already rate big pay raises. That is why paying Brooks Laich top dollars does not make much sense. Ted Leonsis stated in a recent Ted's Take blog that Caps fans should not be surprised by some trades this off season so he has opened the door for Caps General Manager, George McPhee to either seek out or accept trade offers to make this team better than the one that got punked by the Tampa Bay Lightning in round two last season.

The first step in the process to better the team is addition by subtraction or getting rid of dead weight. Brooks Laich is by no means dead weight but he also is not worth $4.5 million dollars unless he provides a massive production increase. Perhaps this pay raise will motivate Laich to become a Selke award winning forward or a consistent 30-40 goal scorer but only time will tell. There is a lot of dead weight on the Caps roster so dumping while becoming more fiscally responsible is paramount to building a true Stanley Cup franchise.

McPhee has to make some tough decisions about some fan favorites because the bottom line is the Caps have to raise the overall level of compete. What they showed us versus Tampa was just awful and they have zero excuses because Tampa is a team you should have a book on. The Caps have to get smarter, tougher and faster. GMGM cannot afford to hang on to players that have little to zero upside. he certainly cannot afford to overpay them. Simply put, Laich's salary much like Semin's equals a few younger, hungrier, faster or more physical players with bigger upsides. NHL seasons are won and lost prior to anyone hitting the ice. George McPhee has got to show that he is on top of his game because the upcoming season rests on his decisions right now. Let us hope that his $4.5 million dollar gamble on Laich pays off.

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What does Sabourin's resigning mean for the Caps and Bears?

Wed, 22 Jun 2011 03:31:11 GMT

Bonnie Leydig,

Contributing Journalist

The Washington Capitals announced on June 17th, 2011 that they had re-signed goaltender Dany Sabourin to a one-year, two-way contract. Shortly after reading about this, my immediate thought was about how unhappy some of the fans in Hershey would be over this news, as it is no secret among them that Dany is not a fan favorite. However, what a lot of fans failed to realized is that Sabourin ended the season with a record of 14-9-0 in the twenty-three games he played in.

If you ask me, fourteen wins isn’t nearly bad enough to get the kind of treatment Sabourin gets from fans. I admit, I was guilty early in the season of saying to a friend “the guy you’re seeing is as reliable as Dany Sabourin” referring to his poor start to the season, though I’m very glad that as the season progressed Dany had me eating my words as he won game after game while Braden Holtby was in Washington.

As many are aware, Dany’s season was cut short on January 21st, 2011 when Louis Robitaillie of the Albany Devils (AHL affiliate of the New Jersey Devils), ran Sabourin out of his crease causing a severe knee injury. Towards the end of May, I was lucky enough to meet Dany at a fan event in Hershey and had the opportunity to ask him how his recovery was coming along. He responded by telling me that he was skating again, but only lightly, and that he was very excited about being back on the ice.

With the possibility of Braden Holtby getting a permanent place on the Capitals roster, Sabourin will more than likely be getting the starting goaltender position in Hershey for the 2011-2012 season less someone new is signed. My hope, as Dany grew on me greatly through this past season, is that Dany comes back to Hershey with a new fire to prove all of his nay-sayers wrong and show that he really is a talented net-minder.

Bonnie Leydig

Caps-Bears Reporter

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As the draft nears the Capitals have no quick fixes

Wed, 22 Jun 2011 02:59:10 GMT

In a recent poll I asked Caps fans what they wanted General Manager George McPhee to do in the upcoming NHL entry draft. Thus far the majority of fans want the Caps to trade their pick and a player if needed in an effort to obtain veteran impact player.

Ok, so that begs the question...what player can the Capitals acquire that can make a significant impact on the outcome of the 2012 season? The team that I watched get out smarted, out hustled and generally out-everything-ed by the Tampa Bay Lightning needs more than a single impact player. What I saw with the Caps starts behind the bench and makes it's way to the ice. Obviously others will disagree with my assessment but the result speaks volumes.

If your players look completely confused and frustrated by a 1-3-1 trap that is a coaching/personnel issue. When your players get outworked and out hustled in the corners consistently that is a personnel/coaching issue. When your players fall into a funk from which they can't recover the moment something bad happens that is a coaching/motivation/discipline issue. What one player besides maybe Mark Messier (20 years ago) could walk into the Caps locker room and even have a chance to fix all that? Jason Arnott came in talking big stuff and he produced a little on the ice but even he had no answers as the Caps got swept.

The bottom line is there are no quick fixes for Washington. There is no single player or combo of players available that can walk in that locker room and turn the Caps into disciplined, smart, tenacious, two-way hockey club. That type of change starts behind the bench and works it's way out to the ice. The real change starts when Bruce Boudreau or his replacement installs a solid defensive system along with an iron will that keeps his players disciplined enough to stick to it. The coach will not allow the team to slide into a death spiral the moment something bad happens. Bruce had no answers for Tampa bay because the Caps were being killed not by trickery but by the basics. Speaking of basics the new coach would demand that offensive zone attack opportunities end at the net. Boudreau could tell certain players that he would give them $1000 per opportunity if they went to the net and probably not have to shell out a dime. If you are a legit Stanley Cup contender your top 9 forwards have to be willing to do whatever it takes and did anyone get that sense from anyone other than Ovechkin and a couple of other players?

The new coach would punish guys who put the team in jeopardy with stupid turnovers/penalties even if they are super skilled and popular. Most importantly the new coach will be a stickler on the basics-details of the game like skating hard every shift, being situationally aware, finishing checks, no stupid turnovers, focus on positioning and back checking.

Many people said the Caps lacked heart. Well if you don't stick with and emphasize the very basics of the game the outcome will certainly appear like a team with no heart. The only problem is the Caps lost before they took the ice. A rookie coach in Tampa showed them a completely different level of hockey to which these Caps had no response. So as this draft approaches the Caps would be wise to start behind the bench and work their way to the ice if they desire a better result.

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