23 May, 2012

Category Archives: George McPhee

On “A Player’s Coach”

28 November, 2011

“The players will probably say [Hunter] is a players coach because they’d be too afraid not to say that.” – Capitals’ General Manager George McPhee

Also filed in Dale Hunter, Washington Capitals | Comments (16)

By and Large, by Design, a Training Camp of Tranquility

3 October, 2011

The best part of the Capitals’ preseason has arrived — its conclusion. They survived a slate of seven exhibition games largely unscathed; no front-line performers ought to be missing from Saturday’s opening night here against Carolina. For a team not far removed from serious springtime turmoil and torment, camp this fall has been an oasis [...]

Also filed in Alexander Ovechkin, Colorado Avalanche, Dmitri Orlov, Front Office, Gary Bettman, John Walton, Kettler Capitals Iceplex, Mathieu Perreault, Michal Neuvirth, Morning cup-a-joe, Much-needed realignment, Much-needed relocation, National Hockey League, Radio, The Great Old Patrick Division, Tomas Vokoun, Washington Capitals | Comments (0)

Renewed Questions of Leadership

18 May, 2011

Deep into Tuesday night, a prominent member of Washington’s hockey media, referencing the Boston Bruins’ effort in game 2 of the Eastern conference finals, emailed me this reflection: “This is what a desperate team is supposed to look like down 0-1 in a series not wanting to go down 0-2 before hitting the road.” Indeed. [...]

Also filed in Boston Bruins, Eastern Conference, Ed Frankovic, Front Office, HBO's 24/7, hockey blogging, Morning cup-a-joe, New media, NHL playoffs, Pittsburgh Penguins, Tampa Bay Lightning, Washington Capitals | Comments (19)

Wishing for a Special Forces Mindset

13 May, 2011

Big news — the Red Wings are out of the playoffs, prematurely. Prematurely for them of course is anything short of securing the Cup. The seasons change, some faces change, the objective though for the Wings ever remains the same. I was struck at the ferocity and domination with which Detroit skated in periods two [...]

Also filed in detroit red wings, Front Office, Morning cup-a-joe, NHL playoffs, San Jose Sharks, Tampa Bay Lightning, Ted Leonsis, Washington Capitals, Washington Post | Comments (15)

A Vexing Query of Leadership

8 May, 2011

The Capitals may or may not have a deficit of leadership on the ice and in the room with this roster, but dogging them most in the initial hours and days of yet another postseason far too early arrived at is an intense debate about their ultimate leader — Bruce Boudreau. There is anything but [...]

Also filed in Bruce Boudreau, Greg Wyshynski, Media, New media, NHL playoffs, Print, Radio, Tampa Bay Lightning, Ted Leonsis, Tim Leone, Washington Capitals | Comments (19)

Three Keys to Avoid Capital Punishment

4 May, 2011

The 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs, as is every NHL postseason, a treacherous hike. The Capitals would be in the Rockies if this was a race to cross the country, suffocating from lack of oxygen and preparedness. If this team is to regain their traction in this icy climb they need to follow my three keys [...]

Also filed in Alexander Ovechkin, Alexander Semin, Bruce Boudreau, Eric Fehr, John Carlson, Marco Sturm, Tampa Bay Lightning, Washington Capitals | Comments (3)

I’m Naming My Next Dog Lou Lamoriello

14 April, 2011

Seldom are overtime triumphs in the NHL postseason secured with slick, tick-tack-toe playmaking and virtuoso conversion. Most often, it’s a turnover in a lethal part of the ice, a bizarre deflection off a skate, maybe a bad line change leading to an odd man break that ushers in fast-forming mob scenes of euphoria in one [...]

Also filed in Alexander Semin, Bruce Boudreau, Jason Arnott, Michal Neuvirth, Morning cup-a-joe, National Hockey League, NHL playoffs, Sudden death hockey, Washington Capitals | Comments (9)

Maybe, Just Maybe, the Stars at Last Are Aligning

13 April, 2011

I know as well as anyone in this town what this morning is supposed to represent . . . and optimism isn’t encoded in it. These are the NHL playoffs after all, and our local entry in them is a legacy of part comic-relief, part tragedy, and a whole ‘lotta bad karma. The names change, [...]

Also filed in Alexander Ovechkin, Alexander Semin, Bruce Boudreau, Dennis Wideman, Eastern Conference, Jason Arnott, Marco Sturm, Morning cup-a-joe, National Hockey League, New York Rangers, NHL playoffs, Washington Capitals | Comments (4)

Memo to the Revisionists: It Was a Tale of Two Seasons

8 April, 2011

How will you remember the 2010-11 Capitals’ regular season? I ask because at least one prominent person in town – the team owner — thinks that to date I’ve judged his team too harshly on the campaign. My critique began near the end of last summer, when I observed management execute a largely passive approach to roster improvement in the offseason, while East rivals Pittsburgh and Philly aggressively improved. Not that I’m a throw-mad-money-at-free-agents kind of guy; never have been, never will be. But if you’ve just been vanquished in round one, as the Caps were last April, and you sit on your hands all summer, rest assured your conference peers will gain ground on you.

Through about 50 games into 2010-11, there was plenty of ground-gaining, you’ll recall. For instance: the Caps, having won the Southeast division title just a year ago by 40 points, trailed the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Southeast in late February. That’s ground-gaining alright. And it’s not as if Tampa in the offseason acquired Bobby Orr and Mr. Hockey in their prime.

Also filed in Alexander Ovechkin, Brooks Laich, Bruce Boudreau, Dennis Wideman, Front Office, HBO's 24/7, Jason Arnott, Marco Sturm, Marcus Johansson, Mike Green, Mike Knuble, Morning cup-a-joe, National Hockey League, Scott Hannan, Ted Leonsis, Washington Capitals | Comments (16)

Chatting Postseason Pucks on 106.7 the Fan

3 April, 2011

Apologies in advance for going on radio the other night with my buds at 106.7 the Fan on a crappy, overtaxed Blackberry. It’s been a burdensome spring in communications space for me. Anyway, as usual, I had a blast ‘chattin pucks with Danny Rouhier and Grant Paulson immediately after the Caps’ 4-3 overtime triumph over [...]

Also filed in 106.7 the Fan, Braden Holtby, Bruce Boudreau, Danny Rouhier, hockey blogging, Media, NHL playoffs, Radio, Washington Capitals | Comments (2)

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