I had three thoughts in the immediate aftermath of last night’s 2-1 loss in Sunrise. One, the title of one of my favorite cinematic comedies, ‘As Good as It Gets’ — that title, its syntax, just sorta sauntered about in my post-loss head. Two, that there surely was an elevated toxicity to be found in the forums of the foaming at the mouth, and that I’d wait 12 or so hours before scanning their contents, as hanging for losing hockey games is in my view too severe a remedy. And three, fan exuberance and its obvious shortcomings notwithstanding, sometimes the mad men are actually right in their fury.
Absent a miraculous turnaround in this hockey team, the wherewithal for which is impossible to detect this morning, odds are that Caps’ management is going to come to see things much as much of the fanbase has for about two weeks now — and likely, rather soon. (Assuming they already don’t.) Which for me invites an interesting question. We can all agree that 75 or 90 percent of the time, the pitchfork-and-torches brigade of the beaten down by too many losses is reactionary and irrational in wholly unproductive fashion. It’s the old I gotta have a head on a platter mentality. It’s driven by the Id’s need to vent. But ocassionally, just ocassionally, beneath all the sound and the foaming, there is actual merit to their madness.
But more specifically, what is it about the kingdom of fandom that once in a while affords it a view to an appropriate kill, while management, comprised of seasoned professionals in the industry, dithers and damagingly delays? It could perhaps be analogized as the dog owner who presents his pup to the veterinarian complaining of a gut-felt malady in the little guy, but finds no remedy. ‘My little doggie just isn’t right,’ the owner would report. The vet would examine, detect no ill, and move along to inspect the next critter. A tumor somehow went undetected, by the pro we most depend upon to find it. Again, nine times out of ten, it’s found, and quite often excessive worry and woe needlessly drive scores of animal lovers to unnecessary and costly visits to the vet. However in Washington this fall, we’ve a genuinely sick pup named puck.
Fully five days this hockey team had to prepare itself for the perpetually underwhelming Florida Panthers, losers of four straight games. Its lineup was at 95 percent capacity. Its leaders spoke this week on record of an imperative of the moment. Again, once the puck dropped, it played not poorly at all but not good enough to win. Again.
One could plausibly posit that the Southeast is the NHL’s least imposing division, and the Capitals this morning are at the bottom of it. Syllogism: the Caps are the worst team in hockey. One that eight weeks ago spoke uniformly and openly about participating in the NHL postseason.
The fanbase this morning might rightly ask of management: just how much evidence do you require?
This morning there is for me a foreboding sense of an awful appointment tonight for the Caps, again in Florida. I witnessed much of what Vinny did to the first-place ‘Canes the other night. A Friday night in Tampa: this building, unlike last night’s, will be sold out. There is a team perhaps in or approaching a death spiral gliding toward a potential buzzsaw. I fear a high order of ugliness. And then, following, a quiet weekend of disquiet. Again.
Then, maybe then — likely not but perhaps — remedy will follow. A furious fanbase will be obliged. A corrective course will be pursued. Maybe.
More likely, however, even in the event of a wretched, additionally spirits-sapping defeat this evening, one driving this hockey team further below the Mendoza line of competitiveness, management will ponder further. At some point, however, the conveyor belt of rationalizing inaction will produce no product. Then it will be fair for the fanbase to ask of the team’s management, with respect to this week’s five-day break, Why did you wait?
New free agents aren’t performing poorly. The defense is much improved, the goaltending super solid and often even better. Alex is playing the best hockey of his career. But accorded the advantage of relaxed schedule and the self-imposed imperative of winning, the best this Caps club could do last night in Sunrise was play well enough to lose to a lousy club. Again.
This is as good as it gets.
18 Comments
I wonder if Ted regrets his bold four word declaration.
I wonder how Pat Burns is feeling these days.
I wonder if GMGM has his number.
I wonder how the players REALLY feel.
Inredibly well written, well thought out piece. Is there anyone besides the usual suspects out there, waiting for a job.
If we get blown out in Tampa, management can’t sit on their hands any longer, can they?
Thanks for your passion about this team. I have resided to apathy way too early this season.
Im not usually a “change for the sake of change” guy, but perhaps a trade is in order. I know the Flyers are shopping Jeff Carter for a selke-ish forward. The Caps have lots of those guys, and picks. Why not go after him?
Or, trade some of the young talent not named Alex or Nicklas, and get a proven forward.
It may not solve all of the problems, but perhaps if the players realize that nobody is safe, maybe it will light a fire under their asses.
The players are not the problem. By that, I don’t mean that they are the best at what they do, merely that for the most part, they are playing near their career norms (with a couple of exceptions).
More to the point, a lot of players have been shuttled in and out the last three-plus seasons, and the results have been the same…59 points…lockout…70 points…70 points…and they’re on a pace right now for…59 points.
Right back where we started from.
Four seasons (and what will be five years) is an eternity in sports these days. Teams are built, torn down, and rebuilt again. We’re told that “the rebuild [of the Caps] is over]. Well, then if this is “over,” then it’s time to look at what has been constant throughout.
And that has nothing to do with guys who wear jerseys…and everything to do with those who wear suits. Including the one signing the checks.
Great piece. One of my favorites among the OFB annals, though these are dark times.
I’m inclined to believe that we’ll win tonight, and then lose the next two before Thanksgiving, so seems to be the pattern this year, i.e. win 1 and lose 2, win 1 and lose, well, 4 or 5, and so on. And that one win will unfortunately keep jobs intact for another soul-sucking week.
I think Hanlon and GMGM both have convinced themselves that the absence of Semin is THE problem. So for that reason alone, he can’t get back into the lineup soon enough, to answer your question about how much evidence management requires.
I think it is both Coaching and the players that are at fault for the teams demise. I watched practice a few weeks ago and the D worked on opening up shooting lanes and getting the puck through to the net. But, time and time again I watch the D shoot the puck at the opposition. I think we need to change D pairs and rotate all 8 through the lineup, sitting 2 at a time. GMGM and Hanlon talk about depth, but what good is that depth if the same players sit out and don’t get regular game action. Rust sets in and then they are liabilites.
In light of a coaching change I think we need to change the system we are playing. it is obvious that it is not working. We are running a 1-2-2 but get beat regularly through the neutral zone.
To me it is so bad that I regularly tune to other games when the Caps are pissing in the wind.
Just my two cents.
I am all for this Heads-Must-Roll stuff. It’s great for flushing all the impurities outta the system and enjoying that smug feeling of being a n organization of decisive action with firmness of decision. But way more important than who gets flushed out is (in my most humble opinion) exactly who gets flushed in to replace him. I hope this very real sticking point is the only thing that is holding GMGM’s hand right now. If so, I give him some credit. Not much, but some. Anyone think (gulp) Mark Messier might be available?
God, I hope not. Think of all the tears that would flood the locker room after every agonizing defeat. Semin would probably slip and fall in the muck, turning his ankle again. His stick would fly out of his hand and land in Clark’s eye. Given the way the season has gone, it’s farcical and plausible at the same time.
As for replacements, go by the numbers. A guy with 1 Stanley Cup, 2 trips to the Finals, and 3 Jack Adams trophies seems like a good choice.
I echo the “beautifully written” sentiment - P&B, that was poetic.
Our forwards futility with the puck is just so maddening that I could scream. Nylander and Kozzie need to quit f’ing around with the puck - at this point, I would take Zuby’s sweeping behind the goal with his ass to the play behind him, trying to set up shop for the ticky tack pass that never came. At least Zuby got dirty. These guys are freaking pansies, shrinking violets, milquetoasts, and any other cliche describing wretchedly inept around the cage, AND not seeming to care.
F’ing hell, it should be a bloodbath in the Pete tonight, but I’ll bet our Cappies pull it off- they have some pride, right?
Excellent piece! Good comments by many but esp Peerless.
Agree that Nylander and Kozlov need to stop waiting for the perfect play at this point. Right now, at a time where nobody but Ovechkin seems to light the lamp, I think the Caps just need to get gritty and scrap down low, hoping to get a bounce to go their way.
Worked for OV last night.
Forget all the pretty boy, Flying Frenchmen crap and let’s get down and dirty tonight. Let Brashear be Brashear and rearrange a couple of faces. The old saying used to be
“If you can’t beat ‘em in the alley, you can’t beat ‘em on the ice.” That’s the way the Caps should play tonight. If we’re going to lose, then I say let Tampa Bay know they’ve earned their two points. A little mayhem may be the best antidote to this losing streak.
Right Reggie. Let ‘em know you’re there!
Though, in seriousness, seeing Bradley go last night at an important time led me to start to question Brashear’s everyday value in the lineup. And to further open a can o’ worms, I’d like to see a #16 on that lineup card instead more nights.
Prior to last night’s game in Sunrise - er, Sunset - I was in the “It’s Too Early To Think About A Change” camp. A listless 2-1 defeat to the toothless Panthers, who, by the way, got next to nothing from their stars, changed my attitude. Great post. While I do not wish any ill towards Hanlon, he did preside over the functional equivalent of the Titanic, it is time to take this club to the J-Team for a change.
SpartyCuse,
The Caps don’t have any Selke type forwards, sorry. They have guys like Laich, Gordon, Pettinger and Clark who are pretty gritty and may play better in their own end but none of those guys is in contention for the Selke; Gordon is the only one who ever may be.
Plus if the Capitals traded for Carter that would give them Backstrom, Nylander and Carter as centers (unless they move Carter to wing I guess). What the Capitals need is a top six right wing.
Post a Comment