20 March, 2010

Category Archives: George McPhee

Then and Now: I Want My Innocent Ovi Back

16 March, 2010

It’s seared in my memory in a way virtually no other hockey moment, save the Miracle on Ice, is: the October 5, 2005, debut of Alexander Ovechkin in the NHL. Forty seconds into the new season’s opening game, on his very first NHL shift, Ovechkin slammed Columbus’ Radoslav Suchy so violently into the end boards [...]

Also filed in Alexander Ovechkin, Chicago Blackhawks, Colin Campbell, Morning cup-a-joe, NHL Rules, National Hockey League, Old Time Hockey, Washington Capitals | Comments (40)

‘Deep Depth’ Will Armor the Caps’ Postseason

4 March, 2010

Think back to the glaring vulnerabilities the Washington Capitals tried to hide against the Pittsburgh Penguins last May. Mike Green was pretty beat up, really a shell of his dynamic, record-setting norm, and the Caps played him as if he were healthy. They had to — they had no plan B on the blueline for [...]

Also filed in Carolina Hurricanes, Front Office, NHL Trades, National Hockey League, Washington Capitals | Comments (4)

For the Master Poker Player, the Biggest and Toughest Hand Arrives

3 March, 2010

To deal or not to deal, that is the question.
Ninety points, a gaping, cavernous lead in the division, and a healthy margin as well for first overall in the conference, and this morning for the Washington Capitals management must confront what is perhaps the most interesting and challenging personnel decision(s) since embarking on a massive [...]

Also filed in Blogging, Front Office, Hockey trade, John Carlson, Morning cup-a-joe, NHL Trades, National Hockey League, New media, Washington Capitals | Comments (5)

Contract Banter: One Swedish Superstar Getting a Big Raise

15 February, 2010

With the NHL’s Olympic roster freeze in effect and the trade market on everyone’s minds, struggling and contract-strapped teams are likely to try and dump salary and expensive contracts off to contending teams chasing the Stanley Cup. The Washington Capitals are buyers as opposed to sellers, a likely perennial contender and close-to-the-cap-ceiling team. With the [...]

Also filed in Alexander Ovechkin, Contract talk, Front Office, Nicklas Backstrom, Washington Capitals | Comments (5)

For the Caps’ GM, a Pause To Ponder

14 February, 2010

This morning commences perhaps the most interesting 15 days in the Capitals’ career of General Manager George McPhee. All NHL rosters are frozen until 11:59 p.m. on February 28, coincidental to the Vancouver Winter Olympics, at which time NHL clubs will have less than three full days to tinker with their rosters before the league’s [...]

Also filed in Brendan Morrison, Front Office, Morning cup-a-joe, NHL Trades, National Hockey League, Washington Capitals | Comments (5)

Talking Points: Winning Like It’s 1989

28 January, 2010

With their 5-1 victory over Anaheim last night the Capitals won their eighth consecutive game, a feat last accomplished by this organization in March of 1989. That’s bypassing two full decades to get back to. As winter was transitioning to spring then, there is a strong likelihood that I wore a navy blue Members Only [...]

Also filed in 2 Points, Alexander Ovechkin, Alexander Semin, Anaheim Ducks, Bruce Boudreau, Morning cup-a-joe, Olympic hockey, Talking Points, Vancouver Olympics, Washington Capitals, Washington the Hockey Town | Comments (1)

The State of the Capitals’ Union, January 2010

27 January, 2010

Red Army, fellow Washington puckheads, late January again finds the Washington Capitals in an enviable competitive position: in first place — by a Grand Canyon chasm — in the Southeast division, but also first overall in the Eastern conference. And of late, establishing some separation from the rest of the East. The Capitals’ brand of [...]

Also filed in Alexander Ovechkin, Alexander Semin, American Hockey League, Brendan Morrison, Bruce Boudreau, Chris Clark, Eastern Conference, Eric Fehr, Hershey Bears, Jeff Schultz, John Carlson, Jose Theodore, Karl Alzner, Mathieu Perreault, Matt Bradley, Michal Neuvirth, Mike Knuble, NHL playoffs, National Hockey League, New media, Nicklas Backstrom, Prospects, Semyon Varlamov, Sergei Fedorov, Ted Leonsis, Tomas Fleischmann, Washington Capitals, Washington the Hockey Town | Comments (9)

A Winter Tuesday Night for Washington Hockey Heroes

6 January, 2010

This has a nice ring to it: John Carlson, Canada-killer.
The atmosphere in Verizon Center Tuesday night was stupendous and surreal. And that was only partly because of the sudden announcement of Alexander Ovechkin as the Capitals’ 14th captain in team history.
My all-time favorite chant enjoyed a fresh re-birthing at the Phone Booth last night: USA! [...]

Also filed in Alexander Ovechkin, Entry Draft, Hershey Bears, Hockey Heroes, John Carlson, USA Hockey, WJC, Washington Capitals, Washington the Hockey Town | Comments (14)

A New Leader Emerges

5 January, 2010

When the Gr8 takes the ice tonight against the Montreal Canadians he will be sporting some new hardware on his right shoulder, a captain’s “C.”
Ovechkin was selected by Head Coach Bruce Boudreau and GMGM as the 14th captain in team history. He is the second youngest Cap to ever have the honor, with the only [...]

Also filed in Alexander Ovechkin, Bruce Boudreau, Washington Capitals | Comments (1)

The Capitals and Alexander Semin Defer Judgment Day

28 December, 2009

Far sooner than I expected, the Capitals and Team Semin came to a contract agreement. I was of the opinion that Semin and his agent Mark Gandler would use the player’s performance in the second half of this season, and most especially this next NHL postseason, to try and leverage a hefty pay raise from [...]

Also filed in Alexander Semin, Morning cup-a-joe, NHL Trades, National Hockey League, Nicklas Backstrom, Washington Capitals, Washington the Hockey Town | Comments (9)

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