Comments on: A Defeat Most Deserved

By: Dougeb

Dougeb — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 03:08:46 +0000

I think the Caps fall just short of the playoffs this year and then don’t sign Semin, instead taking the draft choices. Long shot bet:
next year’s starting goalie is Michael Neuvirth with Braden Holtby backing him up. Varlamov plays in the KHL. Green traded before draft day. Caps will be a better team without Semin and Green.

By: Puddin_an_Semin

Puddin_an_Semin — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 22:07:59 +0000

I just want to say thank you! Your last bulleted point about “urgency” was spot on. That is what bothers me more than anything about last nights game. It was a shameful display of laziness for most of the game, which is unacceptable. When is this team going to learn that they have to show up every night to play? Because I am getting tired of them “squeaking” out wins when they should be blowing teams out! I am heading to Detroit for the game tomorrow and I am going to be furious if they put on another sleepwalking game!

By: Uncatim

Uncatim — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 19:14:02 +0000

When reading the blog OFB
A toast of beers I have got to see.
There is no excuse,
(You may even ask Bruce),
For playing lackadaisically!

By: muddapucker

muddapucker — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 18:44:03 +0000

I think the biggest problem that the Caps have is they don’t fear their opponents. I think they think that they can win on talent and skill alone.
And it is true that they are more talented and skilled than almost every other team but that gets them in trouble because teams that are willing to pay the price can beat them with superior efforts and that’s just what the Caps are facing.
The Caps are to every other team the way the Bruins opener was to the Caps.
The Caps better get serious about their opponents and less enamored with themselves if they truely want to take the next step.

By: dwalker

dwalker — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 15:23:43 +0000

There was enough lousy play to go around last night, but is it just me or were Poti and Schultz on the ice for a lot of the bad? (They certainly were for the Rangers last two goals) Poti has frustrated me for a LONG time. You’re an offensive defenseman and you’re only +3 on this team in 08-09. It doesn’t help that we have Alzner and/or Carlson patiently waiting in the AHL, while Caps fans are enduring the same shenanigans that we did last year. I’m not saying that change would be THE solution, but it does seem that I’ve seen this same song and dance before out of our current Dmen. A little shakeup may be in order.

By: cdk

cdk — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 14:13:09 +0000

lackluster. lackadaisacal. and, those are the nice things to be said about last night. the forwards don’t backcheck and the defensemen don’t check (at least most of them). pothier and green have earned ice time. none of the others have. I would experiment w/ clark taking a rotation on the blue line and would sit poti;erskine; shultz; jurcina and morrisson. bring up azner and carlson and anyone else from hershey who appears enthusiastic about playing. also, I felt that laich was far more effective w/ ovie and backstrom than semin if only for the fact that laich will attempt to play some defense. semin appears lost w/o the puck at best and indifferent to it when the other team has it.
maybe the team has become complacent. if so, boudreau needs to send a strong message more than just taking some ice time away – bring up some new people who looked good in camp. it’s early enough in the season to experiment.

By: Grunthos

Grunthos — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 13:56:44 +0000

Momentum doesn’t mean jack in October when you have 78 games left to play. No matter how stable your team has been, October and November is when you experiment, see what you can do to get better when it counts.
But your point about laying down the hammer every night is absolutely spot on. Whatever personnel are on the ice, should be in John Henry mode.

By: The Mule

The Mule — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 13:27:54 +0000

Simply pathetic. The first game OI have been able to attend since they changed jerseys and this is what I get? What an entirely pitiful performance across the board. The Caps have some serious issues they need to deal with. Particularly their defense.
Theodore was below average no doubt, but I found his play adequate compared to a defense that consistently broke down on nearly every occasion. The Rangers out hustled them and out muscled them, while the defense and offense alike gave up break aways and odd-man breaks due to “passing” I can only describe as lazy and offensive to watch.
Get it together guys. Seriously.

By: strungout

strungout — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 13:02:04 +0000

“Too cute” A phrase we’ll hear 500 times this season as we did last year. When does it change?

By: Mellyville9

Mellyville9 — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 12:52:36 +0000

What has happened to Mike Green? This is not the same player we saw last yr. He looked like Fulton Reed from the Mighty Ducks Movie 1 outta 5 hitting the net. except last night I think it was 1 outta 15. He looks lacksidasical skating with the puck and is now resorting to wrist shots on the regular instead of the slapper that put in 30+ last yr.