So, 2 games, 2 completely different efforts. I'll keep it quick...I missed the Devil's game because I have Fios so I'll have to stick with the highlights.
-For the record, the fact that the Washington Wizards are allowed to have any games televised, much less in place of Caps games, is insane. The product on the ice is obviously better than the product on the court. At this point, the only thing on two legs that shoots more than Alex Ovechkin is Gilbert Arenas and their shooting percentages (16.3% to 40.9%) are far too close by their respecive leagues' standards.
-For those who criticize Forty's tendency to give up weak goals, his lone goal-against vs. Minnesota showed me two things. 1) His angles are solid. He was square to the shooter and followed him all the way. 2) He is working on a few things. He's getting his pads to the ice quicker than before, but that's making his arms do some work to. On that goal, his blocker hand moved just slightly away from his body. That was all it took. In a few games, you'll see those mistakes go away.
-Also, keep in mind that over 117 minutes in his last 2 games (+OT and Shootout), Varly has stopped 64 of 67 shots (.955 Save %). And I know at least 11 of those were of the breakaway variety.
-I'm convinced we need a calming influence on the blueline. I'm also wondering if Brian Pothier might be just that influence. He's had a very solid week's worth of games and the defense as a whole has been better for it. They looked calmer with the puck, less likely to throw it away and more effiecient in moving it up the ice. Granted, that was against Minnesota. Against the Devils, obviously not the same.
-Or maybe it was just Jose Theodore.
-Please look at the standings right now. Have you noticed that Atlanta is actually quite good, and just finished a stretch without their superstar? 3 fewer games, 7 fewer points. A better PK and PP ranking. It's not going to be as easy as come people think to run away with the SE Division. Peverly is the real deal, Enstrom and Bogosian are studs, and Kovy is obviously awesome. Keep an eye on the rearview mirror.
Showing posts with label Jose Theodore. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jose Theodore. Show all posts
Monday, November 16, 2009
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Thoughts on the Game: Islanders, 11/11
It seems like everyone wants to write about Russians and Russia after last night's game. I think I'll mix it up a bit.
-Is it me, or does Tomas Fleischmann look like he finally gets it? He's going to the net hard, getting tons of quality chances and playing good defensive hockey. I know Backstrom did 90% of the work on Flash's goal, but he still had to be in position and get the shot off. The fact that he ended up in the crease after the goal speaks volumes to how his game has changed.
-I'm still thrilled with Perreault. He forechecks like a maniac and creates chances. Clark and Fehr are looking good again, thanks to his work at center. He's very calm with the puck, even when he's stickhandling around guys. Ovie is right; this kid has a very bright future.
-Theodore looked VERY weak last night. His rebound control was poor and his lateral movement was off. I can't tell if he's tired or whether his back is still bothering him, but it was clear he needed to be pulled after goal #3.
-If I said that I'd prefer we not re-sign Jurcina or Morisson, what would you think. Juice takes ill-timed penalties, is quite slow, and has been a defensive liability recently. Morisson simply thinks he's better than he is. He should not be rushing the puck up the ice, or trying 1-on-1 moves.
-While we're on the defense, I noticed 2 things last night. 1) Mike Green is getting pressured every time he touches the puck. 2) Mike Green doesn't know what to do when pressured. His passes are often very weak or of the no-look variety and he's been turning the puck over quite a bit lately. He's getting the assists, but with only 2 goals on the season, something is amiss.
-Ok, now for some Russians. Forty stood on his head. His rebound control was off on a few rising shots, but he stayed focused and played those rebounds well. Varly's been taking more shots to the chest these days, so his tendency to over-explode seems to be reined in by Irbe.
-For people who say Forty carries his glove too low: a proper butterfly for a goalie emphasizes keeping ones body square to the shot and as closed-up as possible. Carrying his glove high would lead to some more glove saves, but you'd see those 7-hole goals (above the pads & under the arms). On the one goal he allowed, the shot was perfectly placed...not many goalies have a chance at that.
-For the record, the most Heads-Up save I have ever seen occurred last night. During the shootout, Varly made a save but carried a lot of backward momentum towards the goal line. Had he not done something, he and the puck would have ended up in the net and the goal would have counted. Varly threw his arms in the air and accomplished two things: 1) his thrust upwards slowed his momentum enough that 2) when he got to the goal, he was able to push his arms against the crossbar to stop himself. Seriously, I'm sure goalie coaches everywhere will be teaching goalies that move from now on.
-Last Varly note: anyone who has questioned his focus in the past can put down their pitchforks. I think I speak for all Caps fans when I say that it was incredibly stressful watching turn after turn of saves, knowing that the next one against would mean a loss. Imagine the concentration it takes to not have the thought of 'don't mess up' repeat constantly in your head. The built up tension was released when Captain Clark scored...it seemed like a playoff OT goal rather than a simple regular season shootout goal.
-I'm going to put my coaching hat on and talk to Semin now. I'm going to focus on a few little things at a time...too much might cause some overload. First, I always coach what I call the '3 Foot Rule', which mandates that within 3 feet of either blueline, your goal is to make sure the puck either gets deep or gets out. Last night, while Alex was outstanding below the face-off circles, he turned the puck over a few times in this space (one time leading to the Islander's 3rd goal). Dancing around in that magical 3' is dangerous because your whole team is heading into the offensive zone (or out of the defensive zone, at that end). One turn-over, and it's an instant odd-man rush or breakaway.
-Semin has also said that he prefers to skate the puck rather than dump it if there's a lane or if it's a 1-on-1 situation. With his hands and shot, I'll agree with that. Recently, however, Semin has been skating the puck in when he's one-on-two or has no skating lane. I like to emphasize that a great player shows creativity within the team's system. In this case, Semin is using his creativity too much and the system breaks down.
-Finally, Semin's stick penalty woes are an easy fix. Semin has other-worldly puck handling skills and is way above average at taking pucks off opponents' sticks. His issue is he looks for the take-away every time the puck is near him. If he used his body a bit more (angling, tieing an opponent up along the boards), he'd create just as many take-aways while keeping his puck closer to his body. Semin's penalties come from reaching for pucks, so staying more compact would help quite a bit.
-Is it me, or does Tomas Fleischmann look like he finally gets it? He's going to the net hard, getting tons of quality chances and playing good defensive hockey. I know Backstrom did 90% of the work on Flash's goal, but he still had to be in position and get the shot off. The fact that he ended up in the crease after the goal speaks volumes to how his game has changed.
-I'm still thrilled with Perreault. He forechecks like a maniac and creates chances. Clark and Fehr are looking good again, thanks to his work at center. He's very calm with the puck, even when he's stickhandling around guys. Ovie is right; this kid has a very bright future.
-Theodore looked VERY weak last night. His rebound control was poor and his lateral movement was off. I can't tell if he's tired or whether his back is still bothering him, but it was clear he needed to be pulled after goal #3.
-If I said that I'd prefer we not re-sign Jurcina or Morisson, what would you think. Juice takes ill-timed penalties, is quite slow, and has been a defensive liability recently. Morisson simply thinks he's better than he is. He should not be rushing the puck up the ice, or trying 1-on-1 moves.
-While we're on the defense, I noticed 2 things last night. 1) Mike Green is getting pressured every time he touches the puck. 2) Mike Green doesn't know what to do when pressured. His passes are often very weak or of the no-look variety and he's been turning the puck over quite a bit lately. He's getting the assists, but with only 2 goals on the season, something is amiss.
-Ok, now for some Russians. Forty stood on his head. His rebound control was off on a few rising shots, but he stayed focused and played those rebounds well. Varly's been taking more shots to the chest these days, so his tendency to over-explode seems to be reined in by Irbe.
-For people who say Forty carries his glove too low: a proper butterfly for a goalie emphasizes keeping ones body square to the shot and as closed-up as possible. Carrying his glove high would lead to some more glove saves, but you'd see those 7-hole goals (above the pads & under the arms). On the one goal he allowed, the shot was perfectly placed...not many goalies have a chance at that.
-For the record, the most Heads-Up save I have ever seen occurred last night. During the shootout, Varly made a save but carried a lot of backward momentum towards the goal line. Had he not done something, he and the puck would have ended up in the net and the goal would have counted. Varly threw his arms in the air and accomplished two things: 1) his thrust upwards slowed his momentum enough that 2) when he got to the goal, he was able to push his arms against the crossbar to stop himself. Seriously, I'm sure goalie coaches everywhere will be teaching goalies that move from now on.
-Last Varly note: anyone who has questioned his focus in the past can put down their pitchforks. I think I speak for all Caps fans when I say that it was incredibly stressful watching turn after turn of saves, knowing that the next one against would mean a loss. Imagine the concentration it takes to not have the thought of 'don't mess up' repeat constantly in your head. The built up tension was released when Captain Clark scored...it seemed like a playoff OT goal rather than a simple regular season shootout goal.
-I'm going to put my coaching hat on and talk to Semin now. I'm going to focus on a few little things at a time...too much might cause some overload. First, I always coach what I call the '3 Foot Rule', which mandates that within 3 feet of either blueline, your goal is to make sure the puck either gets deep or gets out. Last night, while Alex was outstanding below the face-off circles, he turned the puck over a few times in this space (one time leading to the Islander's 3rd goal). Dancing around in that magical 3' is dangerous because your whole team is heading into the offensive zone (or out of the defensive zone, at that end). One turn-over, and it's an instant odd-man rush or breakaway.
-Semin has also said that he prefers to skate the puck rather than dump it if there's a lane or if it's a 1-on-1 situation. With his hands and shot, I'll agree with that. Recently, however, Semin has been skating the puck in when he's one-on-two or has no skating lane. I like to emphasize that a great player shows creativity within the team's system. In this case, Semin is using his creativity too much and the system breaks down.
-Finally, Semin's stick penalty woes are an easy fix. Semin has other-worldly puck handling skills and is way above average at taking pucks off opponents' sticks. His issue is he looks for the take-away every time the puck is near him. If he used his body a bit more (angling, tieing an opponent up along the boards), he'd create just as many take-aways while keeping his puck closer to his body. Semin's penalties come from reaching for pucks, so staying more compact would help quite a bit.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Thoughts on the Game: Columbus, 11/1
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Ovie's 'hurt' and everyone is worries it's serious. Serious would be if he didn't get up after he fell, or if he was slumped over on his way back to the bench. Serious is not coming back to the bench, waving both arms like a bird and wearing a suit after the game. Ovie will miss MAYBE 1 game. My bet is we see him in all his Ovieness on Wednesday.
To the notes!
-I'm not sure I've heard the Phone Booth go from 'Fedorov scores in Game 7' loud to 'Pittsburgh goes up 4-0' quiet so quickly.
-The Knuble/Laing "I bet I can keep the puck pinned to the boards behind your goalie for 2 minutes" PK was a thing of beauty. Caps fans are smart enough to know when they see hard work and rewarded the PK unit with a deserved ovation.
-Q was his typical Q: nice layed-out shot block and a prettier 'putting in the garbage' goal that SHOULD have been the game winner. No, he's not blocking shots like in previous seasons. But if you notice, teams are moving the puck away from the point side that he's playing. His shot blocking is so well known that he's dictating the direction the puck is going. Caps, take note of this and you can eliminate the harder point shots just by putting Q on that side.
-Having Flash back opens things up to interesting line combos. It was nice to see the Bradley/Steckel/Laich line back together, and Semin/Backstrom/Fleischmann put on a passing clinic early on. When Laich moved up to Ovie's spot with Morrison and Knuble, that line became the best.
-A penalty at the end of regulation? A penalty in OT? Same M.O. on the power play and same goal scored twice? Great teams just don't do these things. We're a good team, but not a great one.
-How can you let the puck get to the far side man on the PK? The Caps' defense does a poor job getting into obvious passing lanes, and an even worse job letting the D know when they have a man behind them.
-I think I'm going to stop trashing the Defense. It's getting repeditive. From now on, I'm just going to type 'WTFD' when the defense:
-It's come to the point where if Semin and Backstrom can't stop toe dragging and behind the back passing, and Green can't stop going end-to end and then turning the puck over in the corner, I'm going to lose it. Great teams make the simple play. Great teams don't try the highlight reel play.
-Rick Nash is the quietest superstar in the game. He has great hands, exceptional skating ability and a sick shot. And, unlike a lot of superstars, he's in the first PK unit fot the Jackets.
-Speaking of Nash, I'm not sure who looked worse on his goal: Green who looked like he'd forgotten how to transition from forward to backward or Theodore, who simply fell down.
To the notes!
-I'm not sure I've heard the Phone Booth go from 'Fedorov scores in Game 7' loud to 'Pittsburgh goes up 4-0' quiet so quickly.
-The Knuble/Laing "I bet I can keep the puck pinned to the boards behind your goalie for 2 minutes" PK was a thing of beauty. Caps fans are smart enough to know when they see hard work and rewarded the PK unit with a deserved ovation.
-Q was his typical Q: nice layed-out shot block and a prettier 'putting in the garbage' goal that SHOULD have been the game winner. No, he's not blocking shots like in previous seasons. But if you notice, teams are moving the puck away from the point side that he's playing. His shot blocking is so well known that he's dictating the direction the puck is going. Caps, take note of this and you can eliminate the harder point shots just by putting Q on that side.
-Having Flash back opens things up to interesting line combos. It was nice to see the Bradley/Steckel/Laich line back together, and Semin/Backstrom/Fleischmann put on a passing clinic early on. When Laich moved up to Ovie's spot with Morrison and Knuble, that line became the best.
-A penalty at the end of regulation? A penalty in OT? Same M.O. on the power play and same goal scored twice? Great teams just don't do these things. We're a good team, but not a great one.
-How can you let the puck get to the far side man on the PK? The Caps' defense does a poor job getting into obvious passing lanes, and an even worse job letting the D know when they have a man behind them.
-I think I'm going to stop trashing the Defense. It's getting repeditive. From now on, I'm just going to type 'WTFD' when the defense:
- Loses battles in the corner
- Panics
- Throws the puck away like a hot potato
- Makes passes through the slot
- Loses the race to nearly every loose puck
- Takes dumb penalties
- Skates the puck end to end just to turn it over (coughGreencough...)
-It's come to the point where if Semin and Backstrom can't stop toe dragging and behind the back passing, and Green can't stop going end-to end and then turning the puck over in the corner, I'm going to lose it. Great teams make the simple play. Great teams don't try the highlight reel play.
-Rick Nash is the quietest superstar in the game. He has great hands, exceptional skating ability and a sick shot. And, unlike a lot of superstars, he's in the first PK unit fot the Jackets.
-Speaking of Nash, I'm not sure who looked worse on his goal: Green who looked like he'd forgotten how to transition from forward to backward or Theodore, who simply fell down.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Thoughts on the Game: Philly, 10/27
Before we begin, I just finished reading On Frozen Blog's article about Kevin 'Killer' Kaminski. Last night, after watching our guys get manhandled again and again, I turned to my fellow season ticket holders and said "We don't have an inforcer. There is no one to stick up for our guys right now." It's true. Bradley was supposed to be the 'New Brashear'; the guy who made you pay for the late/dirty/cheap hits. The Flyers don't need a standard 'enforcer', as they have Carcillo and Hartnell. We do.
-Once again, beating a dead horse here, we can't stop running around in the defensive zone. It all starts with puck posession, and we can never get it. When we do, there isn't a break out happening; it becomes the C-league dump out of the zone. Tom Poti was guilty of this EVERY TIME HE TOUCHED THE PUCK last night.
-Our breakout starts much, much to high. I don't mean the 'D behind the net, center looping past and up the ice' breakout; I mean the 'I have 2 Flyers within 6 feet of me and need to get this out under control' breakout. Our forwards bolt from the zone the second our D gets control of the puck, but our D can't make that pass. The Caps need to shorten their passes getting out of the defensive zone. Period.
-I love Keith Aucoin. I now use his 'built for a 6'2" player' stick. The last few games, he's either not backchecked or made a costly defensive blunder (see: pass to Kovalchuk). Last night, Aucoin backchecked like mad, made hits, had confidence with the puck, and was tenacious on the forecheck. Perfect.
-Speaking of backchecking, Backstrom FINALLY started playing some proactive defense and the chances against dropped dramatically.
-Jose Theodore STOOD ON HIS HEAD. A 4-2 win can be deceiving: we should have lost last night. Badly. The only reason we won was Jose. If he can continue that level of play, he's a Stanley Cup-level goalie.
-How would you feel about getting Theo Fleury for the league minimum? Just a thought.
-I will say it till the day I die: Alex Semin has THE BEST WRIST SHOT I have ever seen. He shot it off the wrong foot, on the 'wrong side' of the ice, with a man on him and he put it top-shelf as hard as I've ever seen a wrist shot. Emery looked broken.
-I missed Q's presence on the PK. We looked confused.
-Why am I not all that excited about getting Flash back?
-Once again, beating a dead horse here, we can't stop running around in the defensive zone. It all starts with puck posession, and we can never get it. When we do, there isn't a break out happening; it becomes the C-league dump out of the zone. Tom Poti was guilty of this EVERY TIME HE TOUCHED THE PUCK last night.
-Our breakout starts much, much to high. I don't mean the 'D behind the net, center looping past and up the ice' breakout; I mean the 'I have 2 Flyers within 6 feet of me and need to get this out under control' breakout. Our forwards bolt from the zone the second our D gets control of the puck, but our D can't make that pass. The Caps need to shorten their passes getting out of the defensive zone. Period.
-I love Keith Aucoin. I now use his 'built for a 6'2" player' stick. The last few games, he's either not backchecked or made a costly defensive blunder (see: pass to Kovalchuk). Last night, Aucoin backchecked like mad, made hits, had confidence with the puck, and was tenacious on the forecheck. Perfect.
-Speaking of backchecking, Backstrom FINALLY started playing some proactive defense and the chances against dropped dramatically.
-Jose Theodore STOOD ON HIS HEAD. A 4-2 win can be deceiving: we should have lost last night. Badly. The only reason we won was Jose. If he can continue that level of play, he's a Stanley Cup-level goalie.
-How would you feel about getting Theo Fleury for the league minimum? Just a thought.
-I will say it till the day I die: Alex Semin has THE BEST WRIST SHOT I have ever seen. He shot it off the wrong foot, on the 'wrong side' of the ice, with a man on him and he put it top-shelf as hard as I've ever seen a wrist shot. Emery looked broken.
-I missed Q's presence on the PK. We looked confused.
-Why am I not all that excited about getting Flash back?
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