Capital Flop

With all the anticipation coming into the day, the Caps wind up doing absolutely nothing. GMGM may have been burning up the phone lines, but by 3pm no deals were made. That isn't even the worst news of the day..Nicky Backstrom was moved to LTIR making him unavailable until the Playoffs begin (at the earliest).

With questions about the health of Backstrom, George McPhee seemed like he didn't want to mortgage the future on the current squad that HE assembled over the past couple seasons. To me, McPhee may have just signed his death warrant. Veterans Roman Hamrlik & Mike Knuble clearly are not happy to be here, and I can see this being a huge locker room issue with Dale Hunter the rest of the season.

The caps had several expiring contracts on the table and somehow Georgey Boy couldn't land one trade?!? In my eyes Vokoun, Semin, Carlson, Wideman, and the players mentioned above should've all been on the line. I think McPhee's ego gets in the way this time of year, and he is never willing to trade away his "young guns". It's a good formula for a losing organization.

If the Caps are lucky enough to make the Playoffs, I can't see them getting anywhere past the 1st Round. As teams like the NY Rangers, Nashville Predators, & Vancouver Canucks got bigger, and stronger..we remain with the same team that got their coach fired, has been underachieving, and is close to setting the franchise into a tailspin.

With all that being said, I'll still be excited to watch the rest of the season and hopefully the Playoffs, but I feel like I've seen this movie before..and it doesn't end with the Andre bath that we all are hoping for.

Fight on Caps fans!

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CapKillers

It's no secret that Alex Semin and his hefty $6.7million contract has been on the trading block for awhile now. Not surprisingly, his trade value right now is about a -100. He's in the last year of his contract, so first tbought would be to trade him to a team looking for a playoff push...buuut it's not happening with that contract.

The current Caps roster is anything but a championship caliber squad. Will they make the playoffs? I have no doubt, but if you believe they'll make it very far..you're just not very smart. This team was hand-picked for Boudreau's system. They're a run & gun type team who occasionlly plays lock down defense. Dale Hunter is doing his best to implement his system..but the players just don't fit the mold. I wish it were different, but I can see this unfolding very quickly come April or May.

The trade deadline is February 27th, and I would hate to see GMGM wait until then to scramble for a deal. You give up way more when your back is against the wall, and I dont think it gives you enough time to gel as a team (i.e. Jason Arnott). There are 36 games left in the season and a change needs to be made now!

This team is anything but consistant & I want nothing more than to see this team go far into May & June. But it ain't happenin with these guys. With virtually no cap space, a decent trade is hard to come by.

Here's my scenario for you to ponder:

Caps Trade:
-John Carlson (2012 RFA)
-Alex Semin (2012 UFA)
-Jeff Schultz (2014 UFA)

Edmonton Oilers Trade:
-Ryan Smyth (2012 UFA)
-Andy Sutton (2013 UFA)
-3rd Round Draft Pick

The Caps finally rid themselves of Semin & Schultz' large contracts. The only downside is giving away a young prospering talent like Carlson. But if Ted Leonsis & GMGM are serious about making a run this year..this is a trade that could do it for you!

Yes, Smyth & Sutton are both 35+, and yes, Smyth can walk away after this year. But these are the type of players that Hunter can coach, and they're tough gritty veterans that this team has SERIOUSLY been lacking for a few years now. Ryan Smyth also has a "no movement clause" in his contract, but I'm pretty certain he would accpet a trade to give him another shot at the Cup before he retires. The Oilers can take on these contracts and still stay under the salary cap, while the Caps should have almost $2million more to spend maybe come late February.

I can see many fans wondering where our scoring will come from now that Semin is gone...well folks, he only has 11 goals this year through 46 games. And we all know he disappears come playoff time. Didn't Georgey boy go out and get Joel Ward for our playoff scoring punch anyway?? If you don't understand my humor...THAT WAS A JOKE.

In all seriousness though, my hope is that the Caps have already thought of this trade & it's in the works of actually happening. Here are the line-ups that would come of this trade:

Ovechkin-Backstrom-Smyth
Brouwer-Johansson-Knuble
Chimera-Laich-Ward
Hendricks-Halpern-Beagle

Green-Hamrlik
Wideman-Alzner
Orlov-Sutton

I really think this line-up is playoff tested, and could really make a difference! What do you all think??

Fight On Caps!

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Rookie Hazing

I'll be the first to admit that after seeing Dale Hunter & GMGM bring up a young 22-year old defenseman from Hershey who has no NHL experience to play against the hated Pittsburgh Penguins...I was pissed. Mainly because the new guy, Tomas Kundratek, will be starting..over a healthy John Erskine.

For a team that's already lacking the toughness of a playoff team, and who has no real rugged defensmen outside of Erskine..it baffles me that "now" is the time to throw this kid into the fire. He's also starting over Jeff "Pillows" Schultz, but let's be real, does anybody care? Good news out of the locker room today is that Pillows is growing tired of sitting every game, and he may be looking to bolt. Problem is, Georgie Boy signed him to a contract that's paying him $2.75/mil over the next couple seasons. Any takers?? I didn't think so.

Erskine may not be an elite defenseman in the league, but he brings the toughness that every goalie loves having in front of them. He'll clear the crease in a heartbeat, and stick up for his teammates no matter who the opponent is. He called out Aaron Asham for his shot against Beags earlier in the season, and threw some insane haymakers against him in their last meeting.

Even with a couple of the Penguins best players out, they are still capable of putting a whooping on a Caps team that doesn't seem to have the "kill" factor at this junction of the season. How about sitting John Carlson down for a game or two?? He hasn't looked the same all year, and frankly he's playing like he's been hitting the bong before games. Wake up man! Too much talent is being wasted there.

I'm hoping for a gutsy win tonight for the Caps, but my hopes for this game are cautious at best.

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Dale Hunter will get Better, Right?

Fans loved Dale Hunter the player

If you're a long time Caps fan, you knew who Dale Hunter was before he was brought in as head coach. You knew he was arguably one of the most dirty, gritty, fierce, competitive, and for that matter, beloved players to ever wear a Caps uniform. When he was introduced as coach, I know I wanted to see that kind of mentality passed on to his players. But what about Dale Hunter the coach? What has he done? Where did he come from? In case you were wondering, here you go:

 In 1996, the Knights mustered a shockingly embarrassing 3 wins in a 68 game season. Hunter took over as head coach for the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League in 2001-2002. His first season? 24 wins, 65 points and made it to the second round of the playoffs. His second year? 31 wins, 72 points and made it to the second round of the playoffs. His third year was even better with 53 wins, 110 points and the team made it to the third round of the playoffs. By the end of his fourth season, he was hoisting the Memorial Cup in the air after a 59 win season and 120 points. He has mentored current NHL stars such as Corey Perry, Patrick Kane and John Tavares.

What does this say about Dale Hunter as a coach? He gets the most out of his players. He shows consistent improvement. He's intelligent enough to learn on the fly and find ways to win with different players. Although he doesn't have any NHL coaching experience, there is reason to believe he will be successful. It's been a rough start so far, with questions as to whether or not he can translate his success with young players into success with men in the National Hockey League.

Let me explain my stance on Dale Hunter, as some readers were confused over my last post. I am not calling for Dale Hunter's head. In no way do I think he should be fired, nor do I think he will be fired at the end of the year. I do think he needs to get the team to show some life. When you have opposing players and media for other teams saying Hunter's system is totally unsuited for players like Semin and Oveckin, it's not a good sign. I'm not saying scrap it, I'm just saying I want to see Dale Hunter learn and adapt, just like he did with the London Knights.

Short video on Hunter's success in London

Share your thoughts in the comments section

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Dale Hunter on the Hot Seat? Or is it too early. . .

The Caps' 5-1 loss to Philadelphia last night wasn't just a bad loss. It was an embarrassment. Every single Caps fan who went to that game should get their money back. After a 3 day break between games, the Caps came out with zero heart, zero emotion and zero preparation. They looked tired, sluggish  and completely disoriented. Three years ago, a two or three goal deficit meant nothing. The team would keep their heads up and battle. They had that confidence and winning attitude that keeps elite teams in any game. Last night, Vokoun gave up a lazy goal in the first period, and it seemed like they gave up after that. We lost every 50-50 battle, couldn't get anything going on a power play that went 4-6 last game, and couldn't muster any dangerous shots on goal. Philadelphia came into our town and showed the Caps who's the cream of the crop in the Eastern Conference. The Caps on the other hand, need to figure it out before it's too late.

Jeff Schultz was a healthy scratch again, proving that Dale Hunter sees in him what every fan has seen for 4 years now, absolutely nothing. Roman Hamrlik is also a huge bust. It seems like he aged 10 years this offseason and is constantly taking penalties or reacting slowly to the puck. I'm sorry to say it, but Ovechkin just hasn't been the same since he was suspended twice two seasons ago. He looks like a beaten man, exactly like what Boudreau looked like after his last game coaching the Caps. He's a man without answers. Guess who was supposed to be the man with the answers; Dale Hunter.

Now, I know it's early. The team has shown some promise since Hunter has taken over, but nothing consistent. At this point, it is far too early to start questioning Dale Hunter's ability to coach this team to the playoffs, but for me, it's time to see something out of this team. I love Dale Hunter as a player and a man, but I hope he isn't in over his head here. Coaching in the NHL is an entirely different animal than coaching 17 year old kids in the Ontario Hockey League. I don't know what this team needs in order to wake up. Does Ovechkin need to be a healthy scratch? Does Semin need to be traded? What about Vokoun? Something has to give, and maybe it's time to bring Holtby up and give him a shot. I bet he's dying to get a chance to prove his worth to Dale Hunter.

What's he going to do next?

Right now we are 11th in the conference, 2 points out of the playoffs and 7 points behind Florida in the Southeast division. This is the lowest we have been in the standings this late in a season since Boudreau's first year. George McPhee must be sweating in his office, because his job is on the line even more so than Dale Hunter's.
But maybe this is what is needed for McPhee. Maybe he needs to be pushed to the brink in order for him to take the steps necessary to right the ship. Just maybe he'll trade Semin and Schultz away for a veteran, or a rising star with speed like Zach Parise.

Again, I have to reiterate that I know it's only mid December, but at some point everyone is looking for a lightning bolt to hit this team and zap it back to dominance. We're all waiting for something, that's for sure.




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Hunter Does Have a Soft Side

One of the grittiest players in NHL history, and someone who wouldn't back down to anyone...Dale wasn't always known for being the friendliest of sorts. But after receiving the offer to be Head Coach of the Washington Capitals, Hunter quickly realized that he needed to change the media/fans perception of who he is. So he dug into his fighting highlight reel, watched as many as he could, and picked out one of his best pummel jobs that he had in the NHL. He then proceeded to call that former player up, offer him a coaching position next to him...and badabing badaboom...Jim Johnson is now an assistant coach with the Caps. Way to go Dale, you do have a heart! Could Pierre Turgeon be next??

What a great guy!

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I Wish Boudreau the Best...out West

I'm not going to lie, I'm glad Boudreau got a coaching job in the Western Conference. I definitely didn't want to play against him too often. Now with Boudreau named the head coach of the Anaheim Ducks just days after being fired by McPhee, we get the best of both worlds. We get to see a coach we're fond of get a head coaching job almost immediately, and its for a team we will play once a year in the regular season at most. I am not at all suprised that Boudreau was scooped up so fast. Anaheim saw that a former Jack Adams winner that became the fastest coach to record 200 wins in NHL history was available and they said see you later Randy Carlyle, this is too good to pass up. I think this helps Caps fans and players close the book on the Boudreau era. Everyone has said their good byes (some better than others, cough cough Mike Green), but now it's time to focus. Dale Hunter, the stage is yours. There are no distractions, no loose ends, no questions, just a talented team looking for a coach to guide them. The fans are behind you, the players seem to be as well. What would be better for Dale Hunter than getting his first win as head coach of the Washington Capitals against the Pittsburgh Penguins?

Thoughts?





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Welcome to the Dale Hunter Era

One day of practice and one game is not nearly enough to see a complete change as we enter the Dale Hunter era. The Caps players looked a little out of sync early and I attribute that to what I call the "post Boudreau hangover." These players are human after all and be it their fault or not, they have lost the coach they have played for the past 4 seasons. Dale Hunter is an unknown to most of these players, and it will take a few games for them to build a relationship of trust and respect for one another. I think Dale feels extremely fortunate to be the coach of the Washington Capitals, and he will be working hard to right the ship, but he's been thrown in the deep end of the pool by McPhee with the Penguins coming to town Thursday night.
It was good to see the fans react positively to Dale Hunter. I expected nothing less, but the positive reaction is some proof that the fan base was ready for a change. Whether or not this is the right change is yet to be seen, as I pointed out here.
Back to the game, I think in crunch time the Caps finally started to wake up and their minds were able to focus on just playing the game rather than the new face behind the bench. They started to hit, and win some 50-50 pucks. Against a stingy St. Louis Blues defense, the Caps just couldn't break through in the end and get the goal they needed. One thing to point out is Alex Ovechin's ice time went down even further to just over 16 minutes. I'm not sure if this was a deliberate move, or if coach is just playing with the lines, seeing what he has on the ice. Hunter pointed out after the game that he doesn't have a timeline for when he wants the Caps to be playing the way he wants, he just wants to "see improvement every game." I tend to agree with that statement because you can't make arbitrary benchmarks for a team to make. It will just take time for the Caps and their new coach to gel.
I'm a Dale Hunter fan, but it will definitely take some time for me to get used to seeing a new face behind the bench Rockin the Red. I definitely want to see the Caps play a grittier style of play, and I did notice John Erskine staying at home owning the space in front of the net.

How do you guys feel? Who stepped up last night? Who didn't? Share your opinions in the comment section.

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The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly on TV Tonight

There's plenty to look forward to tonight in the DMV, and I've broken the most important events to watch into 3 categories.

First off, the ugly...

For some reason a genius at ESPN thought it would be a good idea to put this years Terps on national television @ 7:30pm/est vs. Illinois. Doesn't sound too promising...but may be a good way to kill the intermission time during the Caps game!

Prediction:     Maryland  55  -  Illinois  74

Now, the bad...

The reason this is considered "the bad" is because right now, well, the Caps suck. Pretty excited to see Dale Hunter behind the bench tonight though vs. St. Louis. Definitely worthy of my Tuesday evening.

Prediction:     Caps  4 - Blues  2

And finally, the good...

You can't go wrong with the 2011 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show at 10pm/est on CBS. Just in time to flip over after watching my man Alan May break down the Caps first win with Coach Hunter in charge on CSN.

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Welcome Home Dale Hunter!

If anybody has to come in to fill the void at coach...I'm happy it's a hometown hero! He was hard-nosed, tough, and borderline dirty, but he knew what it took to win, and that's why his jersey is hanging at the phone booth! Hopefully he can inject that same style of play into these Caps. Here are my Top 5 favorite clips of Hunter back when he was playing with the Caps.

#5

#4

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Bruce, Thanks for the Last 4 "f*ckin" Years!

Here's a send off to the most successful coach in Caps history! He may cringe at this video clip, but I f*ckin love it! Good luck in the future coach, you won't be out of work for long.

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For Better or Worse: Boudreau Out, Hunter In

• Fastest coach to reach 200 wins in NHL history.
• Four consecutive Southeast Division titles.
• One President's Trophy
• One Jack Adams Trophy

Just a few of the things Bruce Boudreau accomplished in his four years as head coach of the Washington Capitals. Today's news is tough to swallow. The name Boudeau is closely associated with the resurgence of the Washington Capitals organization. Time will tell if this decision was the right one or not, but one thing is certain, Boudreau will be missed. Playoff woe's aside, "Gabby" was loved by the the District of Columbia. Like Ted Leonsis, he was honest, sometimes brutally so. If the team didn't play well, he said so during the press conference. For the most part he was able to correct problems with the team's play. After 2009 when the Caps were giving up too many goals, he changed the scheme, and made them more defensive minded, while still maintaining the success they had the past 2 seasons.
The move to fire Boudreau nearly exactly 4 years from his hiring is a desperate move by a club looking to take a team from regular season winners, to Stanley Cup winners. George McPhee thinks Dale Hunter can do better. Hunter played most of his career with the Washington Caps and his number is hanging in the rafters of the Verizon center. He is a former captain and instigator. He spent so many minutes in the penalty box, the Caps organization gave him one of the penalty boxes as a gift when the U.S. Air Arena was closed. The Caps are hoping he can use his energy to help light a fire under these players and get them to the next level. As far as I'm concerned, if Boudreau absolutely has to go, this is the guy I want behind the bench. Ironically enough however, Hunter has had trouble in the playoffs as well. Hunter has coached the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League since 2001, leading them to the playoffs every year. The irony is that since they won the Memorial Cup in 2005, and losing in the finals a year later, he hasn't been able to get past the third round of the playoffs.

Boudreau with the Jack Adams Trophy

George McPhee and the Capitals organization have made their move. They are hoping Dale Hunter can inspire this team and lead them into the playoffs and more. They had better be right, because if they're not, where do we go from here? Boudreau will most likely watch Tueday's game against the Blues on his couch. If this coaching change doesn't work, McPhee could be in the same position next year. In my opinion, this is a day to remember Bruce Boudreau. I am a Dale Hunter fan, and I wish him the best, but Boudreau will always, always have a place in my heart as the coach who brought back Caps hockey. I wish him the best of luck in his coaching career, because it's not over.

Current Caps coach Dale Hunter

Dale Hunter

- 12 years played for the Caps
- 3565 penalty minutes (2nd in NHL history)
- Served 21 game suspension for a hit (longest in NHL history)
- Only player in NHL with 1,000 points and 3,000 PIM
- Played for the 1998 Caps- lost in Stanley Cup

Impressive player stat line. However, he has never coached in the AHL, let alone the NHL. He has a huge amount of pressure on his shoulders, and as a Caps fan, I wish him the best. You have your work cut out for you.

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