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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.
By the title of this article I could go a number of ways with this blog. Fortunately for 99% of you, I'll keep it clean...ish. I watched the Wizards last night, and once again went to bed in a bad mood. It's been a common theme over the years to end the day on a bad note. But I never thought it'd get to this point.
The Skins are throwing out dreams of Peyton Manning being our next QB.
The Caps are struggling not only to find an identity, but to just make the playoffs.
The Nationals are about to introduce the "Most Hated Athlete in DC" as one of their franchise cornerstones.
The Orioles...just suck.
And the Wizards look like they're staying the course...which in this case leads right back to the starting line.
I feel like I complain more than the average DMV fan...and I'm OK with that. What I'm not OK with is having to refill my bedside tissue box on a weekly basis, & falling asleep to Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'".
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.
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:
I know playing for a Division I University with a storied hardwood history such as UNC is very enticing. Especially for 18 or 19 year old kids. But please think about your options before trying out for the mighty Tar Heels.
After witnessing what took place last week between UNC & Florida State I couldn't help but get a little pissed off when thinking about the 5 young men that not only the rest of the team left hanging, but also their "almighty" coach Roy Williams left them to get trampled on by over 7,000 FSU students & fans.
After the game Williams was quoted saying that he was worried about his female team managers getting knocked down again. Yet you take all but 5 players back to the locker room before the game ends? This display by Roy Williams & UNC was nothing short of an embarrassment to not only the team but the whole University.
If I were one of those 5 players left to fend for myself while the rest of my teammates were chilling in the locker room with my "Hall of Fame" coach...I would've picked up my stuff and walked right out on them. They showed you their lack of respect for you not only as a basketball player, but also for your well-being. How can a coach be more worried about himself getting hurt than his walk-ons who bust their asses everyday in practice?
So, in conclusion, to you future college bench-warmers, try coming to a real team & University like Maryland. We don't walk out on each other in a team game. And Coach Turgeon damn sure wouldn't turn his back on you, & start running for the tunnel while you try to fight off an entire gym full of crazy ass fans.
Speculation has been flying around over the past week about what the Caps will do to Rene Bourque when he faces Washington for the first time since sending Nick Backstrom to IR. After the initial incident, the media was all over the team for not standing up for their teammate, not to mention their best player so far this year. You can't let other teams in this league think that you're soft or they'll take advantage of you everytime they play you.
The first names that come to mind when thinking of who will try and fight Bourque are Hendricks, Brouwer, or Chimera. Erskine is out of his weight class, not to mention out of the lineup for the time being. But why should it always be up to these players to stand up for their teammates? Is it part of their job? I guess so. But shouldn't you expect the same thing from dare I say..their Captain???
Alex Ovechkin isn't known around the league for having hammer fists, but when you don the "C" on your jersey you better be ready to do whatever it takes to lead your team. Some may say that Ovi needs to just worry about scoring... I say f*ck that.
Ovechkin needs to be the one to set the tone tonight. Whether it's zeroing in on Rene for huge hit after hit, getting after him after the whistle for the full 60 minutes, or dropping the gloves.
This is what we need, and should come to expect of our Captain no matter who the opponent is.
I'm looking for Ovi to come out targeting more than just the net tonight. And if he shy's away for the most part tonight..then maybe we should start thinking of who should really be "leading" this hockey team.
And there's Nick Young, finally someone saying they need to work harder. But where's the team unity?
John Wall didn't tweet it, but he's carrying the weight of the loss on his back, "I feel like I lost the game." His season high 8 turnovers definitely didn't help, but there are a ton of problems here. This team does not have any foundation to build off. This team needs yet another restart. Lewis, Blatche and maybe even Nick Young need to go. I like Nick Young as a person, but if I'm being honest, he'd be better off playing under a veteran and learning how to win. The Wizards need their own London Fletcher. Until then, they'll keep piling on the losses and as Flip Saunders so deftly stated yesterday, "playing like Space Jam."
Very glad I didn't continue my season ticket contract this year...
With all of the rumors flying around today about Peyton Manning & Jeff Saturday coming to DC in exchange for who even knows, it got me thinking?? Most likely we'd give up about 4 first round draft picks. And I only know one GM dumb enough to do that...where's Vinny C at?! I know he's behind this somehow! Anyways I got pretty much the same reaction from everyone I asked when talking about this trade, "Don't do it! Unless it's a bargain". Which I'm sure it's not, at least not for the Redskins.
I was going to write more to this article..but I found this video on Youtube that I couldn't stop watching. I'm intrigued, but yet weirded out all at the same time. Enjoy...
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.
I'm not going to sit here and take all the credit for the Wizards win last night...actually, yes I am. I wrote "Starting Insanity" almost a week ago basically begging for Flip Saunders to input Chris Singleton & Trevor Booker into the starting five.
After losing 2 more games Flip finally came to his senses. My guess is that he & Ernie Grunfeld sat down and read my article together. No need to thank me boys, just don't F*ck it up by putting Rashard Lewis or Andray Blatche back into the lineup tonight vs. Chicago...or EVER! Those 2 bring a scoring punch off the bench, albeit, it was only one game. But Hell, if it's not broke..don't fix it.
Book & Singleton bring that much needed energy right off the bat, and they can basically guard every single player on the court. Loving these young bucks so far! And how about Jan Vesely bringing down the house last night?! Not to mention he led the team with 5 steals. Jimmy Wall facilitated the sh!t out of the offense last night, and our team defense was straight up vicious. I'm still expecting some bumps along the road, but I'd rather it be with this group than with the 22 million $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ Rashard Lewis, & Andray Blatche in the starting lineup...yes, that's a dollar sign for each million Lewis is making this year.
Playing the Bulls & playing for the 2nd straight night isn't going to help this (1-8) squad. But look for this starting group to set the tone again, and hopefully we can make a few shots to keep this thing close.
Let's start with hockey. The Caps aren't a winning team. They have shown that all year. Boudreau is gone, Hunter is in, and it's the same result. Inconsistency throughout the team. Mike Green can't stay healthy. Ovechkin can't put up points consistently. Our goaltending is spotty at best. As a team, our shots per game total is plummeting. Something has to change. Coaching wasn't the answer. The core of this team needs to change. The core of Semin, Backstrom and Ovechkin has had their chance. The Caps need energy and they need it fast.
Back to back 5-2 losses out west is flat out embarrassing. Remember 3 years ago when a 3 goal deficit meant nothing? Our team had a confidence that was through the roof and nothing could bring it down. Now, if we're down, you might as well watch the Family Guy marathon on TBS because we're down for good. Ted Leonsis has to make a decision here. He either tells McPhee to make a big change, or he tells McPhee to clean out his office. Things are spiraling quickly and if Leonsis doesn't make a decision soon, it could be too late. His coach lost faith, now his players are losing faith. The fans will be next, it's just a matter of time.
Here you go Mr. Crawford.
Next up is basketball. What in the wide world of sports is going on here? The Wizards are a team with obvious problems. Flip has no control over the team. Blatche is embarrassingly slow and weak. Rashard Lewis flat out told Saunders he doesn't want to play. As for Jordan Crawford? Sorry buddy but remember when you basically said "I am the next Michael Jordan"? You would have been better off bending over and spreading your butt cheeks like Ace Ventura. This is supposed to be the beginning of a new era for DC basketball. Except there is no foundation to build off of, and no one to build it. Ernie Grunfeld, see you later. Flip Saunders, see you later. Ted Leonsis, you need to find someone who knows how to build a basketball team.
In a year where the Redskins underwhelmed everyone, they would very well end up being the least disappointing sports team in DC. Unless a lot of things change.
I was headed down to the Wizards game last night after work, taking the Red Line for my first Zards game of the year knowing I'll be about 30 minutes late for the game. Little did I know that I was missing the best quarter and a half that Washington had played all year. After we made it to our seats, the boys, if not right on cue started to go down hill...forgetting how to play defense, throwing up bricks, & missing breakaway dunks.
With a "Pro-Knicks" crowd, halftime couldn't come soon enough. I needed to chug a couple beers before watching anymore. After Halftime we got back to our seats having a pretty solid buzz going when Wall & company started to pick things up. The Wiz showed a lot of heart down the line diving for loose balls, and not backing down to the likes of Melo, Amare, or Tyson.
My biggest issue with the game last night was the play of Andray Blatche, & Rashard Lewis. I've been on these guys' backs for over a week now and their play last night did nothing to change my mind. Dray talks about how he's not a pick & pop type of player, yet he settles for lazy jump shots? Makes no sense. And where do I even start with Lewis? The whole crowd was on this dude last night everytime he made a mistake...which was about every 2 minutes, literally. I realized that Rashard was making more in 5 minutes of playing time than I'll be making all year. The guy may be a veteran, but a player like this can easily be a cancer on your team. Is he a bad guy? No. Is he an Arenas type? Hell no. But for a guy making more than $21 million this year alone and putting up no more than 7 points and 5 boards a night can easily set teammates off. Would you be pissed if one of your co-workers was taking it easy while you're busting your ass on a daily basis? Oh, and they're making 20 times what you are?! Absolutely. He's here to collect a pay check, and that's fine..but he's not starting on my team.
Chris Singleton & Trevor Booker were studs again last night. They're young and raw, but they're hungry! These dudes play with a lot of passion and they both should get a chance at starting over Blatche & Lewis, like I've said before!
Booker was playing some tight D on Carmelo throughout the 4th quarter, and if it weren't for Anthony throwing a smack/punch in Booker's face...he would've never gotten an easy shot off to win the game. Let's be real though, it's not the first cheapshot Melo has thrown in his career. At least he didn't back-peddle all the way to locker room this time.
Overall, here were the best parts of the game in order:
5. Catching a shirt from the cannon in the "t-shirt toss' ...wrestled it away from a hysterical 9yr old
4. The continued improvement from Singleton & Booker
3. Jimmy Wall willing to take the winning shot toward the end...even though he missed
2. Sitting behind Wolf Blitzer, and seeing him just as mad as I was
1. Ordering "Carmelo Shots" at Rocket Bar after the game...it's just 1 shot and then you run away
We all know what the definition of insanity is right? It doesn't seem like Flip Saunders understands the concept. The biggest issue for the Wizards this year isn't how they play down the stretch, it isn't that they're getting completely outrebounded...anybody who watches the game can tell you that they don't come ready to play at tip-off. This team has been consistently getting themselves into holes in every game (outside of being hyped for the home opener vs. NJ & jumping on a Boston team who's average age is about 52yrs old. Of the other 4 losses so far this year the Wizards have been outscored in the 1st quarter 121-72..that's an average of 30-18 per game. Let's face it, this team doesn't have the fire power to overcome that type of deficit..especially on the road! In those same 4 games they've only been outscored by an average of 23-22 over the next 3 quarters. HELLOOOOO?!?!?! Am I the crazy one? Or does it seem like we need to change up the starting rotation? Our starting 5 is a straight up joke, and pretty much a punch line in every locker room throughout the NBA. A starting 5 that includes underachievers such as Rashard Lewis & Andray Blatche is just embarrassing. I don't care how much money they're making..they don't deserve that starting spot until they start playing like they want it!
I have to remind myself that John Wall is only 21, and would be equivalent to a Junior in College. Derrick Rose is 2yrs older (surrounded by much better players), Rajon Rondo is 4yrs older (surrounded by Hall of Famers), & Chris Paul is 5yrs older with way more experience. If we continue to compare Wall to these players at this point, then we will continue to be disappointed. He's young, growing, maturing, & we need to stay patient (or get him Dwight Howard). I read Jason Reid's article this morning about John Wall being somewhat depressed with the situation he is in here..which is a losing one. I know this is a lot to ask of a 21yr old kid, but he needs to realize that this is his team (no matter what Dray says into a mic). We're all looking to him to band this thing together. It's hard to want leadership out of a player where you also realize that he needs time to grow. But hell, this is DC baby..and if anything came easy we'd call this town Boston or LA.
If Flip can't see past the end of his nose that things are quickly unraveling, then maybe he should be the first to go. But the first change should be the starting line-up tomorrow night vs. NYK at Verizon Center. Here's my hopeful starting 5:
Am I the only Wizards fan who's getting a sense that this year may be another year where we feel like we should be getting paid to watch the games? I don't mean any disrespect, but maaan was that hard to watch last night. I would've been better off watching "The Real Housewives of Atlanta".
But in all seriousness, this is only year 2 of the Wizards (soon to be Bullets) rebuild. We're far better off two games into this season than we were at this point last year. At least we don't have to worry about Gilbert Zero ruining the psyche of John Wall anymore, and we have plenty of young players that will be looking to lockdown a spot in the rotation over the next few weeks.
The main thing I can take away from last night's game vs. Atlanta is that "at times" the Wizards are capable of playing great basketball. Let's face it, the lockout doesn't help any young team come together..especially a team that has 9 players with less than 4 years of NBA experience. This team looks completely disorganized, selfish, and has an innate ability to play anything but team defense.
Am I being too rash? Until I see something different I'd say No! Like I said before though, the lockout has pushed the development, and the camaraderie of this team back at least a month or two. It's unfortunate that we lose 16 games right when we need them the most, but if the players & coaches take this as a positive for the future, and learn from this year's adversity..it can only help this team in the future.
Wall played better last night than he did in the first game vs. NJ...but I'm not going to give him too much praise when I still see an inability to finish at the rim. He may be the fastest PG in the NBA but it won't make a bit of difference until he can finish, and also set up his teammates while driving the lane. I know John won't be happy with his 6 tunrovers last night, to go along with an average amount of assists (6). He needs to have a ratio of at least 2/1 or 3/1 in the ASSTS/TO category. Is it just me or does his cardio look a bit sluggish so far? Easy for me to question his cardio while slugging down a 6-pack last night. Jordan Crawford may be working his way to the bench if he continues to put up gooseeggs on a nightly basis (0/6 fgm/a)..not to mention Nick Young looks like he's getting back to his old form with 21 points last night on 6/12 shooting (3/6 3ptrs). Wouldn't be too surprised if Nick was in the starting line-up as soon as Friday night @ Milwaukee. JaVale McGee had his shining moments and finished with 15pts & 12rebs. He still needs to work on his inconsistency though, and try to put "multiple" complete games together. I catch him standing and watching as shots go up instead of being more aggressive and putting a body on someone. Hopefully going against Turiaf at practice will help him out. I'd rather not go into the play of Blatche so far because it's too early in the day to start drinking away my frustrations.
I'm looking for the Wizards to bounce back against the Bucks tomorrow night, and get that monkey off their back early in the season and pick up that crucial 1st road win to start building their confidence.
Wizards fans have so much to look forward to this 2011-12 NBA season. Jimmy Wall is back in action, and looks much improved from his already stellar rookie season (minus Monday vs. New Jersey). Jordan Crawford is on the verge of a breakout season, even with Nick Young back. Look for this kid to become a 12-20 point scorer a night. Andray Blatche is speaking like a veteran, and actually working like one...having a similar body frame to Dray's, I always knew I could make it in the NBA. But watch out, I think I saw some muscle on the kid this year. I'm looking for a huge season from him! JaVale McGee has been getting praise from the media so far in camp for his improved play, but I don't like seeing him on the bench at the end of games. So make sure you keep an eye out for that tonight. I'd love to see McGee banging against Dwight Howard, Andrew Bynum, Brooks Lopez, etc. and really show these guys that there's a new big man in town.
Young pups like Jan Vesely, Shelvin Mack, & Kevin Seraphin need to learn on the fly, and try to earn some playing time through practice. I think Jan can fly with anyone in this league, but give him some time to adjust from the European style of ball. Don't put high expectations on him early, let him learn and grow...and hopefully bring his girlfriend to the games.
Key role players this year besides Nick Young will be Chris Singleton, Trevor Booker, Roger Mason Jr., & Ronny Turiaf. I love the energy that Booker & Turiaf bring to the game..but their biggest issue is going to be trying to stay healthy. Chris Singleton is my diamond in the rough this year. I think we're going to look back at this draft and say he was one of the top 5 picks. The kid is straight nasty on D..he can guard all 5 positions, and as soon as his offensive game starts to click..watch out! Same thing with Chris though, injuries have to stay away.
I know the season got off to a rocky start the other night against the Nets, and the lack of "star-power" may ultimately doom this team...but I think they have a true leader in John Wall who won't let this team go down without a fight. Players need to breakout this year in order for them to improve. But if the growth for players like Blatche, McGee, Young, & Crawford don't improve over past seasons...we have another "Lottery Party" to look forward to next summer. My hope is that they can sneak into that 8th spot in the East...the key number for this season is 30. 30 wins in a 66 game season doesn't seem too great. But it's achievable, and it's 7 more wins than we had last year in an 82 game schedule.
Tune in today at 4pm (probably on ESPN) to find out whether Matt Barkley will return to USC for another season, or turn Pro. This is a HUGE decision for Skins fans..whether you're pro-Barkley, or pro-RGIII. This decision is going to decide a lot..especially with Washington's recent winning ways.
If Barkley were to come out this year he would be a top 7 or 8 pick. And either the 2nd or 3rd QB taken, depending on who you're listening to.
If he were to stay another year at USC, Barkley would have a shot at a BCS bowl game with a yet-again loaded Trojan squad. Not to mention being a front-runner for Heisman, and an all but guaranteed #1 draft pick, or at the very least..the first QB taken in the 2013 Draft. Oh, and then there's the money issue..there's quite a difference between #1 money and #7-8 money.
That being said...why wouldn't he come out this year?!?! Riiiight..I'll be on pins and needles around 4 o'clock and "Tebowing" along the way! Come out this year Matt! Skins Nation needs you to!
The NBA was locked out for what seemed like minutes? Or days? Months? I'm not really sure because I didn't think about it all that much. I honestly didn't think we would have a season this year. But, alas we will have a season, and the Wizards' start on December 26th. Training camp began a couple weeks ago and I followed along. Michael Lee reported what seemed to be every minute of camp. Players told him there was a huge buzz at camp. Their in house scrimmages were off the charts. I couldn't believe the hype that was building around this team. This hype built an anticipation for their opening preseason game against Philly. Fans expected an improved John Wall, a dedicated Andrey Blatche, and a focused JaVale McGee. Well, sometime expectations can be a set up for disappointment. The Wizards do not look poised to make a splash this season. If anything, it seems like they are taking a step back. Jordan Crawford has looked abysmal, taking quick jump shots before any kind of offense has time to function. The silver lining? This team has a ton of potential. McGee has a frame like Kevin Garnett and can jump out of the building. John Wall just might be the fastest player in the NBA, and we resigned Nick Young for the year. And guess what? Those damn jerseys look SEXY. I love the old school look. So at least I have something good to look at. I'll just put a sticky note over the scoreboard on my TV this season.
Anyway, I'm a little off track, but here's the point of this article. I'm wondering if Flip has the ability to motivate these guys. Can he get these guys going? This is a team FULL of young talent. They are in a critical moment for their development as players. They need a coach that pushes them and drives them to reach their full potential. Right now, it's sloppy. Let's just hope it's the short training camp that has them in a bit of a funk. If not, Flip Saunders will have some 'splaining to do. And I think it's beginning to look like we could have 2 new head coaches in the Verizon Center by the end of this season. I'm rooting for you Flip, but I want to see these young studs develop.
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This is a pretty touchy topic right now. The Skins are mathematically eliminated from the playoffs, so fans immediately start thinking draft spot. Well, some fans anyway. There are basically two sides to this argument. You either can't wrap your mind around the idea that losing games can be a positive, or you want the Skins to lose out the season in order to improve their draft pick. Here's what I think.
What is the goal for the season? The entire reason the NFL exists, besides for profit obviously, is to get to the playoffs and win the Super Bowl. If your a player, you've probably lived your whole life with that goal. Girls dream of their perfect wedding, kissing the man they have waited for their entire life. Football players dream of that perfect season, kissing the shiny Lombardi trophy they have waited for their entire life. Perfect analogy? I tend to think so. That being said, teams will never tank a season for a draft pick. As much sense as it would make for the future, no team with that mindset will be successful no matter how many number one draft picks they "earn". Therefore, should we be happy that the Skins crushed the Giants for the second time this season? Absolutely. I loved the way they played. I hate the Giants and their "if we played the Redskins 100 times we would win 99 of them" attitude. And more importantly, I hate watching the Redskins play awful football. So, when the season ends prematurely and we start to look at draft picks, winning is still the number one goal, and a higher draft pick is merely the silver lining of a late season loss.
You'll never see me complain about at Redskin victory, no matter when it comes during the season, but don't look for me to jump for joy and talk about how this team is turning it around either. They are just finally playing football without the pressure of the fanbase needing success on their backs. Until they learn to play with that pressure. This team will struggle to play at the level we saw this past week on a consistent basis.
So what do you guys think? Glad they pummeled the Giants? Or are you pissed that we are moving down the draft order? Share your thoughts.
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Not gonna lie..I thought last night's episode of 24/7 featuring the Flyers/Rangers was pretty good. Obviously not as appealing without our Caps in it, but the Flyers had me cracking up when they showed their postgame celebration and started dancing around to Mac Miller's "Knock Knock".
Solid effort...but I'm going to have to stick with last year's Caps anthem "Beat Dat Beat Up" by DJ Pauly D. Watch & vote for which one you think is the best!
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.
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.
