First and foremost a big welcome back to the NHL to Semyon Varlamov even though it was far from a picture perfect return. (And boy did Coach B let the press know it.)
With Varlamov’s return the crease is suddenly a little crowded in Washington but it won’t be for long as I don’t see Boudreau holding onto 3 goalies for too much longer. I expect Neuvirth to go back to the starting goaltending duties in Hershey as soon as the Olympic break begins.
Neuvirth will continue to collect wins in Hershey and build his confidence knowing that he did a great job backing up Jose Theodore during Varlamov’s injuries.
Varlamov is rusty and a looked a bit shaky during the 6-5 loss to the Senators. Honestly I expected him to look a little out of sync but I think the organization made a terrible decision bringing him back so soon. Don’t get me wrong, I think Varlamov is an amazing up-and-coming goalie, I just think he should have been given more time in Hershey to play and return to form in order to avoid exactly what happened against the Senators. Now is the true test: how he responds.
Jose Theodore had a tremendous run during the Caps’ amazing winning streak. He looked at the top of his game and he pulled off some beautiful saves. But his cap hit is high, and while the Capitals can afford him, I’m not sure that they should want to.
Do the Capitals sink their cap space into goaltending or defense? I feel that they should go with procuring a shutdown defenseman. Tightening up the back end won’t leave everything hanging on the goalies and I honestly think the Caps have a good young core in Varlamov and Neuvirth. Sure they are young and need more confidence and experience, but if you bolster the defense in front of them the confidence will come quicker.
So the crease will temporarily disperse by returning Neuvirth to Hershey, but as the summer approaches it looks crowded again. Is the tandem of Varlamov and Neuvirth ready to handle a full NHL season? I believe they are. If the Capitals organization thinks the same, you can expect them to go after defensemen instead of resigning Theodore with his bigger price tag.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Sunday, February 7, 2010
And That's 14.
The Capitals had another terrible first period today putting them down 2-0.
Ovechkin looked to be bringing his team back into the game as he scored first in the second, but two Jordan Staal goals in between Ovechkin and Fehr’s left the Caps down 4-2 at the end of the second.
But living up to his normal ability to pull the team together and rally them for a win, Ovechkin netted two more in the third for the tie.
It took Mike Knuble to finish the Pens off in OT; final score 5-4 WAS.
So that’s the game recap but it doesn’t do today’s game any justice.
The first period was frustrating and hard to watch as the Penguins dominated and the Caps looked to be struggling to find any chemistry. At times I thought Boudreau’s head was going to explode. I can imagine his frustration as the Caps have been a little shaky on first periods as of late. (Then again I always think of them as a team that likes a good 3rd period push.)
I will be the first to admit that I didn’t think naming Ovechkin captain was a good idea. Today he proved me wrong and I’ll admit it. While everyone knows that he’s the face of the team, he really does seem to be their heart as well. His fight, determination and skill snapped the Caps awake and took them to overtime. And isn’t that really what a Captain is supposed to do? Put the fight back into the team and right the ship when the path has become skewed?
And while Ovechkin and Crosby lived up to the hype, it wasn’t just about them. There were a lot of other players on the ice and you knew it with all the pushing, shoving and fighting going on today.
The thing about the Caps during this 14 game winning streak, and this season for that matter, is that they possess the ability to make an impact in the playoffs. They do not let falling behind stop them, when the big guns get shut down the supporting casts fills in, and no matter how many goals they have scored in a game, they want more.
Drive, determination and perseverance is what is allowing this team to succeed. And I for one am glad that they pulled up from behind to win this one. It showed their grit and determination. And most importantly it showed that they can control the outcome of their games.
(This appears on www.crashthecrease.com)
Ovechkin looked to be bringing his team back into the game as he scored first in the second, but two Jordan Staal goals in between Ovechkin and Fehr’s left the Caps down 4-2 at the end of the second.
But living up to his normal ability to pull the team together and rally them for a win, Ovechkin netted two more in the third for the tie.
It took Mike Knuble to finish the Pens off in OT; final score 5-4 WAS.
So that’s the game recap but it doesn’t do today’s game any justice.
The first period was frustrating and hard to watch as the Penguins dominated and the Caps looked to be struggling to find any chemistry. At times I thought Boudreau’s head was going to explode. I can imagine his frustration as the Caps have been a little shaky on first periods as of late. (Then again I always think of them as a team that likes a good 3rd period push.)
I will be the first to admit that I didn’t think naming Ovechkin captain was a good idea. Today he proved me wrong and I’ll admit it. While everyone knows that he’s the face of the team, he really does seem to be their heart as well. His fight, determination and skill snapped the Caps awake and took them to overtime. And isn’t that really what a Captain is supposed to do? Put the fight back into the team and right the ship when the path has become skewed?
And while Ovechkin and Crosby lived up to the hype, it wasn’t just about them. There were a lot of other players on the ice and you knew it with all the pushing, shoving and fighting going on today.
The thing about the Caps during this 14 game winning streak, and this season for that matter, is that they possess the ability to make an impact in the playoffs. They do not let falling behind stop them, when the big guns get shut down the supporting casts fills in, and no matter how many goals they have scored in a game, they want more.
Drive, determination and perseverance is what is allowing this team to succeed. And I for one am glad that they pulled up from behind to win this one. It showed their grit and determination. And most importantly it showed that they can control the outcome of their games.
(This appears on www.crashthecrease.com)
Neuvirth Rising
Anyone who reads my twitter feed knows I like Neuvirth, and last night everyone in Washington got the opportunity to see why.
Sure he potentially looked a little shaky at the beginning of the game. What 21 year old AHL goaltender getting called up to netmind during the hottest NHL streak since 2001 wouldn’t? The true test of his character was that he stuck with it and persevered (even after Alexander Semin deposited himself and the puck into the net).
Part of Neuvirth’s exceptional character is that he readily admitted that he wasn’t sharp in the first period. That didn’t stop him and he worked through the rough spots and improved.
Probably the greatest testament to his character is that he deflected the credit for the win, despite making some outright amazing saves throughout the game. It was Theo’s winning streak and he made sure the media know that he was just helping.
Neuvirth has a whole lot of skill to go along with his attitude and work ethic. That glove save that he made while falling into a seated position was picture perfect, as were many of his other saves.
He’s come a long way from his first call-up and he continues to impress. While I know Varlamov is coming back soon, and I will gladly welcome his return, I want everyone to take the time to appreciate the amazing goaltending that this youngster put forth Friday night against the Thrashers. He earned that first star.
While Varlamov’s return may signal Neuvirth’s reassignment to the AHL for the remainder of the season, I have no doubt that everyone in Washington is going to be seeing a whole lot of him next season.
(This appeared on www.crashthecrease.com)
Sure he potentially looked a little shaky at the beginning of the game. What 21 year old AHL goaltender getting called up to netmind during the hottest NHL streak since 2001 wouldn’t? The true test of his character was that he stuck with it and persevered (even after Alexander Semin deposited himself and the puck into the net).
Part of Neuvirth’s exceptional character is that he readily admitted that he wasn’t sharp in the first period. That didn’t stop him and he worked through the rough spots and improved.
Probably the greatest testament to his character is that he deflected the credit for the win, despite making some outright amazing saves throughout the game. It was Theo’s winning streak and he made sure the media know that he was just helping.
Neuvirth has a whole lot of skill to go along with his attitude and work ethic. That glove save that he made while falling into a seated position was picture perfect, as were many of his other saves.
He’s come a long way from his first call-up and he continues to impress. While I know Varlamov is coming back soon, and I will gladly welcome his return, I want everyone to take the time to appreciate the amazing goaltending that this youngster put forth Friday night against the Thrashers. He earned that first star.
While Varlamov’s return may signal Neuvirth’s reassignment to the AHL for the remainder of the season, I have no doubt that everyone in Washington is going to be seeing a whole lot of him next season.
(This appeared on www.crashthecrease.com)
Monday, February 1, 2010
What’s Got Into Green?
Green was a little feisty last week and I’m left wondering what’s going on? Don’t get me wrong at first I was tweeting that I liked it because he was showing some signs of life, but it rapidly boiled over.
He skated into and crashed over top of a goalie. Smacked at an opposing player after said crash. Wrestled with Bobby Ryan. And elbowed Michael Frolik in the head. All before taking a nasty knee on knee hit that took him out of Friday’s game.
That’s a pretty spirited week for Green. And quite out of character in my opinion.
As the week went on Green seemed to be showing signs of mounting frustration and I’m left slightly puzzled. His team is dominating the league and he’s having another phenomenal season. Where is this “anger” coming from? And why is it surfacing now when the team is on fire?
There is a fine line between playing passionately and taking things a step too far. The elbow to the head was absolutely over the line. Green deserved to be suspended.
The league’s punishment however is a little more for show. Green took a fairly hard knee on knee impact that took him out of the remainder of the game. Suspending him for 3 games was necessary to show that everyone is held to the same disciplinary standard, however this punishment seems to be allowing him time to heal instead of actually making a point.
He skated into and crashed over top of a goalie. Smacked at an opposing player after said crash. Wrestled with Bobby Ryan. And elbowed Michael Frolik in the head. All before taking a nasty knee on knee hit that took him out of Friday’s game.
That’s a pretty spirited week for Green. And quite out of character in my opinion.
As the week went on Green seemed to be showing signs of mounting frustration and I’m left slightly puzzled. His team is dominating the league and he’s having another phenomenal season. Where is this “anger” coming from? And why is it surfacing now when the team is on fire?
There is a fine line between playing passionately and taking things a step too far. The elbow to the head was absolutely over the line. Green deserved to be suspended.
The league’s punishment however is a little more for show. Green took a fairly hard knee on knee impact that took him out of the remainder of the game. Suspending him for 3 games was necessary to show that everyone is held to the same disciplinary standard, however this punishment seems to be allowing him time to heal instead of actually making a point.
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