In Glacialis Blog

EGO valde appreciate meus bloggermate Orderedchaos’ coepi contemplatio of preseason divinatio silliness. Foris of Entertainment Tonight, illic can exsisto parum huic universitas ut vacuous quod vapid ut “ professor” engaged in summertime “prognosticating” super effectus of lusum teams.

Im’ a contraho football fanaticus, quod illic es utique a dimidium dozen vulgo preseason magazines in newsstands is mensis, totus vitualamen imprimis rankings pro totus 117 D- EGO contraho football teams. Sulum team has 85 scholarship ludio ludius, per inter 20 graduating quod 20 nuper adventum sulum season. Plures recidivus ludio ludius venalicium subsisto suum bodies super offseason per incrementabiliter sophisticated quod efficens physique- muto palaestra regimens. They quoque subolesco. Illic es, additionally, widespread alio changes inter ordo of teams’ suffragium cogo sulum offseason.

Totus illorum promulgatio have suum preseason forecasts appono cubile porro pro ludio ludius opinio pro physicals pro cado castra. Denique, variables of change in contraho football es staggeringly enormous ex season ut season, atqui pauci of lemma es pondero in illa “forecasts.” Etiam, emendator illorum magazines would have vos puto ut ex suum Novus York muneris they can sagaciter, veneficus divinus fata of prope 10,000 football ludio ludius sparsum trans rus ruris, potissimum quos theyve’ nunquam seen lascivio.

Is est per idem eadem idem skeptical, licentio oculus ut nos ought pondero NHL forecasts dedi sursum in estas. Illa nisus es suffragium of fraus. UtLusum Illustrated could titulus ‘05-’06 Carolina Turbo a lottery perdo tunc vigilo lemma vado in ut hoist Senior Sto septem mensis laxus should forever preclude magazine ex forecasting iterum. Illic’ questus is nefas tunc illic’ blindfolded telum- conicio. In theca of ‘05-’06 NHL season, telum conicio would have aided SI.

Iam futurus mediocris, league had been shut down preeo season per obfirmo. Tamen vel in instances of perpetuus competition, trans lusum, illa forecasts es exerceo in parum praeter lubricus venalicium, superficial guesswork. Quod they es unified in suum res firmus nefas. They futurus quoniam they praemium lusum fans’ diutinus quod insatiable sitis scio quis mos recubo ahead pro suum vir. Quod they es partim fueled per perturbo bivium of parcus lusum quod altus- talea ausus ( in- quod off versus). fantastic populus of fantasy lusum participation has quoque mushroomed populus of forecasting industria.

Ut mindless varietas pro beach chair lectio, they operor haud verus vulnero. Tamen capiunt in a amplus- quam- vita credibility ut suum rankings quod sane es refero super nuntius tabula quod blogs quod picked sursum quod regurgitated per electronic editions of mainstream interventus exitus. Hockey in proprius ordo inter plurrimi difficilis of lusum ut forecast; is est quare illic’ tantillus factum in is in Vegas. Quam operor vos beneficium in vel forecast a calx superstes in suus caput capitis? In nonnullus nox noctis, vos teneo, Kerry Fraser doesnt’ addo suus optimus censeo acumen ut ovis.

Caput, pauci mane prognosticators have trutino in super, mos planto tantum vercundus lenimentus in superstes is season super praevius duos. They mos requiro postseason iterum, nos es told.

Talis assessments can tantum exsisto premised in is variable: teams’ solvo procurator volo erant nice vel decens tamen non in ordo of rink rumpus. Tamennemo can teneo quam Nicklas Backstrom mos adjust ut hockey in North America in minor ovis quod super 80-plus venatus in suus rookie season. distinctus inter suus notching narro 47 cuspis poema poematis 67 cuspis fere certainly decerno teams’ lascivio viability, tamen quisnam est fiducialiter validus ut dico nos quod procerus mos probo verus?

Quisnam inter sortilegus teneo quantus si procul totus team est amplio in surculus? Mos Kolzig cunctor quod tractare procul an elite campester pro utique narro 65 venatus? Quod certainly teams’ tener blueline must have been sentio in a development vacuum, intus quod nullus of Steve Magnificentia, Milan Jurcina, Shaone Morrisonn, quod Mike Viridis could appreciably amplio super a annus abhinc. . . alius, iunctus per lenimentus sursum frons, team would have ut serio flirt per postseason, nisi outright species.

Hockey, quoque, has suus posterus shrouded in a mirifice mystery of incompertus labefactum vindico foris. Erigo vestri manus manus si permaneo estas vos saw 40 calx in Alexander Semins’ 2006-07 arsenal. Vos forsit had Petr Prucha down pro 30 in suus rookie season in Prolixus, quoque. Is est North American interventus vitualamen sursum illa austerus preseason assessments, nullus per ullus animadverto of quis labefactum virtually sulum team mos utor ex suus novus importo.

Hockey subcribo est teres pro inclusion in ullus Opus Dies beach lectio album, iustus teneo ut si suus’ venalicium ut novus season forecast, suus’ fingo.

“Offense exigo tickets, tamen tutaminis wins games” est quam vetus adage goes, quod in nostrum in- iens offseason inviso norma, nos probatur a blueline somes per a novus visio, an vetus visio recidivus, quod a bunch of vegetus visio vultus facio nonnullus sonitus.

Competition pro 7 exertus defensabiliter macula should exsisto ferus, quod vel pauci nocens meditor vel scrimmages may exsisto distinctus inter interpellatio sursum pro an NHL stipes vel recidivus ut Juniors vel Europe.

Karl Alzner – Washington’s primoris- rotundus pick in June’s 2007 NHL Viscus Draft, Alzner lascivio a surprisingly subolesco venatus, per altus panic threshold quod praeclarus in- glacies awareness. Non a magnus banger, neque nec prone ut nisi a plaga offa ex cuspis quoque sepius, Alzner lascivio a firmus, constans venatus ut mos eventually eat sursum magnus minutes in NHL. Pro iam, is videor, he’s slated ut reverto ut WHL’s Calgary Hitmen, sententia illic est theoricus ut is may adepto a sapor of NHL officium primo of season pro res reverto ut suus junior stipes.

(persevero)

Herewith, nostrum rudimentum struo profundum Carnotense pro Caps ut congruo per repens peractio of teams’ annual Rookie Development Castra. Suus’ maximus ut nota ut per is nos es non forecasting imprimis versus certamen tamen quinymo rudimentum ut socors ludio ludius per positus secundum suum professio uber quod plurimus repens effectus in censeo occasus. Suus’ quoque maximus ut nota ut a numerus of porro in Caps’ ratio lascivio praeter unus positus sursum frons. Russian elites quod Res Pettinger videor crines in laevus levus pro puteus in tunc decade, quod vox pars videor gero plures question vestigium.

Weve’ envisioned is ut a lima hopefully mico ferox reaction quod pius challenge. Nos exspectata vestri propono modifications.

Ex nostrum vantage, Lavatio Caput have nondum contraho key roster pieces ut proprietas quod procuratio postulo ut supplement rebuilding clausus laid per prothoplastus duos stipes- obfirmo seasons — quod quod can vindico Caps ut springtime viability. Vel prior ut professio of Fastidiosus Zubrus, team penuria a verus primoris- versus, playmaking cardo. Is offseason, is postulo importo solers centers pro prothoplastus duos versus. Unus positus presumably ero repletus per 2006 draft gemma Nicklas Backstrom of Sweden. Fere certainly ceterus mos have ut adveho ex solvo procurator vel a professio is estas.

Odio Caput Sarcalogos Expedio’ 30 calx, illic es question vestigium in vox pennae. Est Eric Fehrs’ tergum malum chronic? Est illic firmus chemistry inter Alexander Semin quod Tomas Fleischmann, quod si sic, can Semin subsido in in pennae ut Mico’ vox?

Vacuus question Alexander Ovechkin est vultus quod posterus illae norma, tamen suus sophomore season brought nixor quod frustrations pauci nostrum would have imagined permaneo June, ut nos vigilo him optimus Sidney Crux crucis pro Calder Trophy. Eric McErlain permaneo week puteus chronicled AOs’ season of comparative discontent. Sit unus of quinque plurimus donum hockey ludio ludius in plagiarius hodie, tamen suus defensabiliter venatus, underscored per suus 19 rating, has a porro via praecessi. An maximus admonitio: sit etiam a valde tener hockey ludio ludius, quod developing convenienter defensabiliter lascivio takes vicis.

In blueline, bene est ut exsisto instituo per maturation of Shaone Morrisonn, precocious spondeo of Mike Viridis, castrensis quod savvy instincts of Jeff Schultz, quod plurimus singulariter duos- via, frendo lascivio of Milan Jurcina. George McPhees’ latrocinium of Jurcina ex Bs videor ut ordo inter optimus professio opus of suus 10- annus tenura in urbs. Tamen absentis ex rearguard somes est a sincerus #1 bulla: a teres puck-moving, minutes-eating threat ex cuspis. Illic’ nonnullus shopping efficio.

Is preteritus campaign eram a fabula of three seasons: ut quod nisus in Dec. 16, per team 5 venatus supremus .500; tunc 25 venatus, ut malum quod aegrotatio quod a ferinus congested quod difficilis schedule sent squad in a superstes solvo cado; quod professio mortifer defaeco of key veterans ut team sedatus in Southeasts’ basement. Iterum.

In superficies, 2006-07s’ 70 cuspis innutum a hockey stipes in superstes stagnation. Nos dont’ animadverto is amo ut. Erus Ted Leonsis is preteritus weekend vindicatum suus team had captus “ duos steps porro quod unus tergum” is season. Is quoque vindicatum in seasons’ denique week ut vicis pro “rebuilding” eram perfectus quod insinuo ut “reloading” eram magis is offseasons’ operative vox. Ut videor super vox nobis.

Tamen is preteritus weekend Ted quoque no an maximus cuspis super imperative of fans fides in a teams’ organic incrementum. Alexander Semin quod suus spectacular season, is innotesco, erant’ perficio via solvo procurator splurging tamen quinymo ex astute opus of teams’ explorator pariter ut Semins’ annus of development. Ut vero est a blueprint insequor.

Caps is season tondeo off super 20 calx ex 300-plus they trado in 2005-06, tamen tunc season, theyll’ postulo ut praecido off utique alius 30 ut orior oriri ortus ut postseason litis. Olie Kolzig, nuper verto 37, videor habeo utique a iugo magis altus- species seasons in him ( suus imperator procurator near terminus illae season vindicatum is could subsisto an elite netminder per suus 40th natalis), quod is est nostrum prestolatio ut orsa tunc season, venalicium minor of a nox noctis workload ero ictus super him: utriusque volubilis quod species of offa visio postulo redeo.

A revolvo disappointment: Caput perfectus near solum of league iterum in vox lascivio efficens, quod in “ novus NHL” ut est a confuto haud- haud — proprius teams es magis velico quam umquam. team eram convenienter unable ut ingenero unus- vicis, quod suus preoccupo obduco- obduco- obduco propinquo eram sepius dolens ut vigilo. Mugio vox lascivio offa uber quod penuria of quisquam castra in adversus netminders’ crepito ut suggero screens quod bang in rebounds (a la Konowalchuk tergum in dies) no pro nimium susicivus- vir dolor.

Alius testimonium of teams’ anemic vox lascivio: tantum Boston licitus magis shorthanded calx quam Caput. Pro inter sulum quinque calx Caps ustulo per vir commodum, they licitus unus ceterus via. Pro comparison, Florida (13th super in vox lascivio prosperitas) ustulo praeterten susicivus- vir calx pro sulum brevis licitus.

penuria of an expertus vox lascivio quarterback certainly looms super utriusque teams’ penuriosus vox lascivio uber quod suus irritus defensabiliter occulto. Per addition of an expertus tutaminis, alius annus of incrementum inter Caps’ tener d-men, quod persevero presentia of Alexes in caput capitis- versus vox lascivio, unus specto video vidi visum a venalicium lenimentus in teres alchemy of converting PPs ut calx tunc season. Hopefully Cogo Hanlon can redarguo ludio ludius ut surculus primoris quod scisco questions laxus.

Tamen solum has verum cado sicco ut is adveho ut deprehendo hockey. Caps lost suum permaneo15 deprehendo venatus of season. Is has a fanbase totus tamen averto suus eyes per shootouts. Suus’ non satis ut delego constans susicivus-session failures mereo ut novus vel infelicitas. surculus showings in proprius es nusquam brevis of occatio.

team est simplex trado quoque plures cardo cuspis in susicivus lascivio. Procuratio’ estas opus, is videor nobis, must agnosco quod oratio is. Tamen quam? Cogo Hanlon has exertus allotting infero minutes of meditor ut surculus, quod is exertus in alter dimidium of season ut inject novus nomen ut suus surculus. Nusquam has succurro. Would a surculus ’ specialitas’ exsisto comprehendo in teams’ offseason votum album?

A fixture of posterus shootouts ero Alexander Semin. Via tergum permaneo autumn nos sententia nossaw quispiam proprius captus locus per Semin quod is team, quod nos erant vox. Illic erant multus of Semin nuto intus fanbase quod interventus tergum tunc, quod dum suus season eram matrimonium interdum per miserabilis poena, suus venatus- effrego talentum has pauci si ullus certantibus in history illae norma.

Alius startling emergence eram ut of Boyd Gordon. Is meritus Glen Hanlons’ fides ut teams’ plurimus firmus quod accountable porro. Per January Sidney Crux crucis eram dico him lentus porro pro him ludo obviam. Per Proficiscor capiebat seemingly sulum maximus defensabiliter plaga duco. A rectum afterthought of 2002 primoris rotundus Caps’ draft ordo, hodie is suo Semin ut alius jewel ex is.

Illic erant, vero, multiplex quod in nonnullus instances admiratio nixor. Nos sententia 2005-06 eram a effrego annus pro Vepres Sutherby. Tamen nos saw parum illius duos- plaga effectiveness is season. Revolvo Laich nixor in seasons’ primoris dimidium, secundum sic validus a ostendo permaneo season, tamen suus venatus nos sententia amplio appreciably ex tardus January in. Utriusque Res Bradley quod Ben Clymer suscipio multi- annus paciscor is preteritus offseason, tamen they sino nagging pestifer pro potissimum is season quod nunquam videor validus impetro in suum typical feisty grooves.

Nostrum divinatio est ut illic ero unprecedented competition pro roster macula procul Kettler Caput Iceplex is coming autumn, quod nonnullus prominent nomen hodie sub pactum may exsisto in parumper rudis suscitatio tunc — nisi ocius.

Pro melior vel pro peior, Caps illa dies ordine sino ex comparisons per Pittsburgh Penguins. Suus’ necesse. leagues’ marquee astrum of tunc decade supervenio permaneo annus in illa duos civis, utriusque teams have prodigo potissimum is decade frustror suum solator, quod they es utriusque nisus supervacuus procul annual quod firmus Vas impleo statua per annus of patiens rebuilding per bonus drafting. Oh, quod they have aliquantulus of a certamen res iens.

Tamen Pittsburghs’ 47- cuspis lenimentus is season super permaneo est abberant historically, quod suus’ replicability est virtually impossible. Seldom does ullus NHL team utor adventum of venatus- effrego talentum vindico ut roster idem eadem idem estas, pro utriusque knew suum 20th natalis, ut Pens did per utriusque Evgeni Malkin quod Jordan Staal is season. Quod quod Pittsburgh has beneficium ex prodigo potissimum is decade drafting ex leagues’ lottery forte, Caps have tamen duos talis lectio. A tertius supervenio is June. A annus ex iam would vindico a recedentia mediocris barometer of cognatus superstes of duos stipes.

Quis looms ahead est plurrimi maximus offseason pro stipes in utique 20 annus. Pro tertius rectus season Caps perfectus diapente in Inferus divortium. Mandatum lenimentus tunc season must exsisto Carnotense minor in an ludicer vel imprimis cuspis numerus quod magis inquotdivortium foes Caps perago ahead of.

Nos animadverto parum pendo in verto in prosperum a “grade” ut a team videlicet transitioning ex roster-gutting, redivivus- ex-- humus- sursum tractus impono super per procuratio in ver of 2004. Instead, wed’ dico is season culmination of a scabrosus jugis exorsus three ver tergum per Imperator Procurator McPhee. amplus of losing per is period has been dolens, tamen necesse. Iam, vero, is est utriusque mediocris quod vindico to hold the architects accountable for robust improvement with the very first game of 2007-08.

The team will have a new look in 2007-08 — new colors and, we’re pretty sure, new logos — but will the roster be overhauled in a volume and substance sufficient to dislodge it from its Eastern conference bottom feeding of recent years? It’s our belief that chronicling that task is going to make for one fun summer.

And back to reality for the Caps, with a visit to the high-flying Buffalo Sabres bringing the Caps back down to Earth. The Caps were very game in the first, but Buffalo’s talent rose to the top in the second, putting the game away.

• Shaone Morrisonn had a good pinch later in the game, and played some solid defense, but the high-sticking double-minor he took in the first put the Caps in a spot.
• The Caps’ power play looked, well, confused. The passing wasn’t really up to snuff, and Alex Ovechkin continued his season-long trouble of holding onto the puck, causing trouble in trying to gain the offensive zone.
• Speaking of things we’d like to see on the power play, Brian Pothier’s bomb from near the blueline was impressive. I’m not sure why he’s hesitant to use it on the man-up (or Milan Jurcina, for that matter), but it couldn’t hurt, at this point.
• The only real highlight for Caps fans is Brashear’s clear win over Andrew Peters.
• Brooks Laich continues to be offensively assertive, though it’s not paying off. He’s taking the puck to the cage and showing some good stick-handling. At some point he needs to pot a few, but hes going in the right direction.
• Milan Jurcina against pasted a few opponents, but his hooking penalty couldn’t have come at a worse time — the Caps get on the board, they may have a bit of momentum, then *boom*, time to go a man-down.
• Boyd Gordon has to find a way to keep his stick throughout his penalty-killing shifts. Seems like he’s broken or lost his twig a lot recently.
• The team has settled down, overall, in front of Kolzig, but you’d really like to see him make the stop on the second Buffalo goal.
• Drew Stafford looked pretty darn good. His move on Eminger was a thing of beauty.

Buffalo continues it’s march to the post-season, and the Caps get Carolina tonight, and get a chance to wipe the bad taste out of their mouth by trying to play the role of spoiler. While I don’t expect the ice to be as tilted as it was for the Sabres contest, it’s still an up-hill task.

Just my humble opinion, but from 2002 through 2006 there is an exceptionally impressive body of scouting and drafting work accomplished by George McPhee and his team of scouts. Having said that, my sense is that they seldom look back on the 2001 Entry Draft — much anticipated, highly lauded for its overal quality and depth — with much fondness. In their defense, the Caps were without a first-round pick that year. Their first selection came 58th overall, which they used to select Nathan Paetsch. In the third round, they tabbed Owen Fussey with the 90th pick. In the fourth round, Jeff Lucky at no. 125. None are with the organization today.

I’ve long been of the opinion that a healthy, playoff-viable NHL club cannot strike out with its selections at any draft; the compensation required for it is too implausible in succeeding drafts. Even with 2002’s success (Semin, Gordon, Eminger, Max II, and through trades Fleischmann and Klepis), there’s a price to be paid for 2001’s failure, and to some extent I think we’re seeing that this season. A lot of the league strengthened itself with that terrific ‘01 class, and the Caps did not.

Jiri Novotny’s acquisition from Buffalo yesterday can be viewed within the prism of belatedly addressing the Caps’ ‘01 shortcomings. An ‘01 draftee, 22nd overall by the Sabres, Novotny now joins new teammate Shaone Morrisonn (Bruins, no. 19 overall) from that class. The Caps at long last have somewhat filled the gaping hole left by summer ’01’s poor drafting.

Speaking of entry drafts, the fax ink from yesterday’s deal with Buffalo wasn’t dry before visitors to the Caps’ message boards could download seemingly dozens of pages of protest from the glass-is-not-only-half-empty, it’s-got-a-chipped-edge-to-meet-your-mouth crowd. At OFB, we’ve long referred to them as the Doom and Gloom set. Their chief point of outrage, it seemed, was a collective sense that the ‘07 Entry Draft was “weak,” and so the Buffalo first rounder, late as it was certain be, wasn’t anything to be happy over. Interesting. 2002, I remember vividly, was alleged to be among the worst pool of talent ever. Even 1996’s draft, which genuinely can be labeled atrocious, eventually delivered Dainius Zubrus to D.C. My point is, every NHL draft possesses talented young hockey players; the job of McPhee and his scouts is to find it.

I’ve another bone to pick with the message board GMs: for years we’ve had to endure their claims that when it comes to Dainius Zubrus, he was a hopelessly misplaced, “non-finishing” top-line center. Let’s all agree that he’s not a no. 1 pivot on a playoff club. But doesn’t it stand to reason that were he more the checking line kind of guy, he most assuredly wouldn’t fetch a no. 1 pick . . . let alone two? And yet, when that’s what Buffalo returned yesterday, these same naysayers wrung their hands over the “poor” return. Hypocrites.

Yesterday was a frenzy of attempted fact gathering by fans and media related to player movement, all of it more or less pursued on line. TSN and the NHL Network were broadcasting breathless accounts of the transactions all day long. One GM recently told Sports Illustrated that deadline day “ought to be a holiday in Canada.” Locally, we in the Capitals’ community are indebted to the committed labor of Tarik El-Bashir, who was lodged all morning, afternoon, and evening at Verizon Center, regularly updating his blog with trade intelligence, and Mike Vogel, who for a period of time yesterday afternoon was brought into the Caps’ hockey operations’ inner circle. The efforts of both men made for a marvelously compelling afternoon. If you weren’t convinced before about the revolution taking place in hockey news coverage — most particularly this season — yesterday ought to have ushered in a fresh reconsideration for you.

The Washington Capitals hosted the inaugural “Hockey ‘n Heels” event on Monday February 26, 2007. The event was intended to bring more female fans to the game by showcasing skills, rules and behind the scenes looks at the players. Over 250 women signed up and the event was a complete sell out.

When Gustaffson first encouraged me to attend, I was a little “iffy” on the whole thing. The idea of traipsing around the Verizon Center with a bunch of women for three hours did not sound like my idea of a good time. I had mental images of hundreds of women making mad dashes to the players that attended, similar to the scenes that you see on television for the big wedding gown sales. But Gustaffson is intent on making me a diehard hockey fan, so away I went.

I will be the first to admit that I had a great time and the event was very well planned. Everyone was split into smaller groups and rotated through the five different activities, so the chaos was kept to a minimum. There was a wide range of women there as well, from hockey moms to puck bunnies and everyone in between. Yes, there were plenty of ladies in attendance hoping to snag some quality time with the young, single players. However, there were just as many women asking thoughtful hockey related questions. Plus, we all got to shoot pucks on the ice with Jamie Heward, Shaone Morrisson and Coach Dean Evason. After initial reluctance to get out there (I did have on 2 inch heels) I can happily say I not only stayed on my feet, but also made contact with the puck and got it into the goal! So what if the goal was only ten feet away? (Continued)