Observations:
Philly got bigger and tougher;
Boston got more grit and more veteran;
The Pens, in dumping Satan and adding Kunitz and Guerin, are markedly improved in their weakest area — the wings;
Montreal has been better since acquiring Mathieu Schneider;
The Rags, along with Calgary, were Tuesday’s most interesting team, making a high-end shakeup. They surely appear tougher to play against this morning;
The Devils are slightly better by the acquisition of Havelid, but their MoJo was mighty irrespective of any dealing;
Carolina figures to be tougher to play against now that Eric Cole has returned.
Thesis I: What was appearing to be tough postseason treading through the East for the Capitals in recent days was made appreciably tougher by the combination of conference opponents’ moves and the Caps’ inactivity by 3:00 yesterday.
Thesis II: A pill that seemingly swallows bitter this morning will prove to be good medicine when jerseys bearing names like Carlson, Varlamov, and Alzner are moving about Verizon Center ice together in the not-too-distant future.
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The only conclusion that I can draw is that the Caps aren’t close enough in GMGM’s mind to pull out all the stops…
I am not sure that it makes much difference what he could have done that would have removed the current Caps Achilles Heel and that’s goaltending.
If Theodore is healthy and hot the Caps will have a decent shot just as they are and if he is not, all the trades in the world can not help us.
To think we could obtain another goalie was not possible for two reasons… No difference making goalie was available and even if one was we didn’t have the cap space.
The Caps are going with what got… for better or for worse!
I’d definitely rather have a team that includes Carlson, Alzner and Varlemov and have a pretty good window of opportunity for a deep run than p*ss that away for a guy who has been in the league since before Kurt Cobain died! (unless that guy’s name is Martin Brodeur!)
Get Pothier back up…get Nylander back in the line-up…and we finish this dance with the team that brought us here. You know, the one we were all so geeked about back in October – January.
Observations:
- Philly got goonier. Replacing Upshall with Carcillo also gives them more discipline issues with less speed.
- Boston got more grit and more veteran – yes, way more. Recchi is 137 years old and 3 years out from the minimal impact he made on the Canes Cup run.
- The Pens, in dumping Satan and adding Kunitz and Guerin, are markedly improved in their weakest area — the wings. That’s one of those relative things, but yes, they are improved. Defense still stinks and Fleury is one of the more inconsistent, rebound-happy goalies around.
- Montreal has been better since acquiring Mathieu Schneider – true, unless you include last night (which the Habs fan in me is choosing to ignore).
- The Rags, along with Calgary, were Tuesday’s most interesting team, making a high-end shakeup – but they gave up too much for Morris, who is a middle-range defenseman on a team full of middle-range defenseman. At least Prucha gets the hell out of NY, I guess.
- The Devils are slightly better by the acquisition of Havelid, but their MoJo was mighty irrespective of any dealing – agreed. Scary team, especially with Brodeur back.
- Carolina brings back someone from the Cup run. Again.
Just my two cents
-Philly got worse. Still no scoring touch and still awful goaltending. They made room for Jay-Bo and didn’t get Jay-Bo.
-Boston got slightly better, but this isn’t a team the Caps suddenly can’t beat.
-Guerin won’t fix their wing problem. They went from a finesse team to a grinder, but I still see them missing the play offs.
-Montreal is just happy to fix their discipline problem. If it comes back they are still S.O.L.
-The Rangers still can’t score, and King Henri can only take them so far.
-The Devils added maybe a point or two to their over 90 team. I still then the further they get away from the trap, the more chance Wash has to beat them.
-Carolina- Yawn.
Happy (Miami Universiy) Green Beer Day! http://theoldnhl.blogspot.com/2009/03/happy-green-beer-day.html is calling for Mike Green to step it up today because of it.
The only hope I have to infuse this discussion with is this…
Remember all those mighty teams who go home with the President’s Trophy? Great regular seasons and supposedly bullet-proof? How many of those teams typically win the ‘Cup? Very few. How often have we watched a team come from nowhere to get hot in April/May and make a run for it? I say, you write the Capitals off now and they’ve got you right where they want you.
Debbies still look awfully strong, although if we end up playing them in the postseason it would only be possible in the Conference Finals unless “chalk” rules the entire East bracket in round 1 (again, quite rare) and Boston holds them off for the #1 seed. I can honestly say I’d be pretty happy to see our Capitals in the Conference Finals this season, that would mean they gave Ted a gift he hasn’t been given before… a playoff round win. Two, if my math isn’t too fuzzy?
Boudreau is just executing his Operation Rest Up plan here in early March with the flu bug roaming our Room, don’t start panicking until late March when we’re still unable to compete like the last two games. I think the deadline had a lot of teams “holding their breath”?
I would say that the Caps are going through a bit of a winter malaise. They really need to play for something.
Notice the Bruins game followed by the two stinkers played against teams they should be able to beat. It was two different teams. Heck, they beat both Fla and Carolina when they were trying to establish the lead. Not the same focus on maintaining a lead.
They are kind of like Seabiscuit. They don’t run as well on the lead. They do much better as a stalker gunning down the leader.
I think that bodes well for the playoffs. Make em dogs, please… Don’t make em favorites. Tell em they can’t do it and you will get their best response.
I mean this as no disrespect, but there’s something very “fanboy’ about all of the hew and cry over the lack of moves by McPhee.
I completely buy GM’s assertion that he was simply asked to give up too many prospects or too much of the current core to make a move yesterday.
As someone mentioned, 2 weeks ago, just about everyone is madly in love with this team. A 6 game rough patch and we need to make desperate deadline moves?
Nope.
read this one on “the rags”
http://capsfanpensfan.blogspot.com/2009/03/rangers-are-buyers-who-would-have.html
Maybe it’ll help that the Capitals may draw the Penguins in the 1st round, the Devils in the second, the Bruins in the third, and the Red Wings in the finals (assuming they get that far)?
“A pill that seemingly swallows bitter this morning will prove to be good medicine when jerseys bearing names like Carlson, Varlamov, and Alzner are moving about Verizon Center ice together in the not-too-distant future.”
..together holding the Prince of Wales trophy and maybe even something better…
So very, very perplexed by the actual logic behind the Flyers deals.
Sure, the money angle and the depth angle are still the valid surface reasons, but the team lost 7 goals and 21 points from Upshall for a puncher in Carcillo. Update from tonight’s games: Upshall 1, Flyers 1.
The Bruins made smart moves to steal Montador and Recchi. Don’t be surprised if they slump a little down the stretch before getting the pieces in order.
The Capitals are OK where they stand. They need to get fully healthy. Their prospects should be able to provide the depth, youth, and enthusiasm that’s the hallmark of the team.
And the Rangers will still not score.
When will the Rangers finally understand that nowadays your team can’t be all free agents and traded players?
As for Boston, we’ve got their number (I bet literally too).
New Jersey–I think we’ve lit them up for 4+ goals in every game under Boudreau.
Flyers–…Maybe Boston or New Jersey or Montreal will knock ‘em out?
Penguins–There’s no team that can stop a motivated Ovechkin and Semin playing on different lines. Too bad for Pittsburgh that both seem to wake up to play against them.
Flames–West I think is more competitive than the East, with San Jose, Detroit, and Calgary legit contenders and Chicago and Dallas (when healthy) having what it takes to pull an upset.
In short, I think that the playoff matchups may have gotten tougher, but our chances of going deep, maybe even to the Finals, are pretty good if we don’t draw Philly.
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