2011-2012 Washington Capitals general discussion thread

[RiSeOnFiRe 0]

Honestly, the Caps would rather overpay their own guys than sign a high end free agent.

Also Wideman will probably be let go and replaced by Orlov. 4 million off the books right there. Depending on Semin they could have 4-10 million for Carlson/Green.

[skyscrape 5]

Apparently Boudreau went for a bag skate today. I used to love watching Ovi play. Now the highlights I see are of the opposing teams D men making him look bad while he is standing straight up, while he throws a foot out like he is mailing it in.

[noodle3872 40]

Looks like Semin is in love with Coach B!!!

http://sports.yahoo....y-133215660%3A1

http://sports.yahoo....y-133215676%3A1

[skyscrape 5]

I love the look on backstrom's face in the second one!

[noodle3872 40]

I think Boudreau is in big trouble right now. The team's best players seem to be tuning him out and aren't rising up when he challanges them. Ovi may be a competitor but his behaviour towards Boudreau tells me he has no respect for his coach.

[Leafsrule16 5]

Ovechkin isn't playing good because of nobody but himself. Everybody else is doing fine, I dont think that's anybodys fault but A.O's. Team is playing good, rolling four lines every night and everybody is contributing, it is obvious that they dont need 60+ goals from Ovechkin to do anything and despite the not so great numbers, looks more like playoff team to me every game...

[noodle3872 40]

Yeah, the team is playing well. Ovi is playing pretty well overall. My biggest concerns is how the superstars are treating and responding to their coach. They seem to be abusive and dismissive which tells me they have lost respect for him. Losing brings out the worst at times and right now Washington isn't living up to their start and they're feeling the pressure because of it.

[RiSeOnFiRe 0]

Mike Green for MVP?

Their record with and without him this year is night and day.... or day and night respectively.

[Allsmokenopancake 0]

I've been pretty quiet about the Caps of late simply because I've gone into the "who gives a shit" portion of the season.

Boudreau should have been gone after three Montreal choke job, and definitely after Tampa, but here he is. He is a good coach but the wrong coach for this team.

The players seem to not care and neither do I. I still watch the games and root for them because they are my team but the losses don't sting like they used to.

Glad I shucked out $160 for the good seats for when my brother comes out from Ireland at Christmas. His first hockey game

[skeeter14 0]

Per Bob McKenzie, Boudreau was fired this morning and replaced by Dale Hunter, who will be at practice this morning.

[Allsmokenopancake 0]

http://dumpnchase.com/?p=1125

Much longer and full story on link, here's the first paragraphish

Just over four years ago, the Washington Capitals turned to Bruce Boudreau 21 games into a season that had gotten off to a rocky 6-14-1 start. The Caps hired Boudreau from its AHL Hershey affiliate as the team’s interim head coach on Nov. 22, 2007 to replace Glen Hanlon.

Now, 22 games into the 2011-12 season, the Caps are replacing Boudreau behind the bench with former Caps captain Dale Hunter. Hunter, whose No. 32 sweater hangs from the Verizon Center rafters, becomes the 15th head coach in franchise history and the third to have worn the team’s sweater on the ice.

Boudreau’s assistant coaches, Dean Evason, Bob Woods and Blaine Forsythe, will remain in their posts under Hunter.

Hunter has coached the OHL’s London Knights for more than a decade. He was the fastest OHL coach in league history to reach 300 and 400 career wins, and he notched victory No. 450 this past Saturday night against Erie.

Hunter makes his NHL debut behind the bench on Tuesday when Washington opens a three-game homestand with a game against the St. Louis Blues. That game pits the league’s two newest head coaches, Hunter and the Blues’ Ken Hitchcock. Hitchcock was hired to replace Davis Payne in St. Louis on Nov. 6.

[psh 25]

This is good news. Boudreau seems like a great guy, but it was apparent within the 2nd year of his tenure that he just couldn't create team discipline. He's as good a regular season coach as can be, but in the playoffs, he just can't get it done. This team lacks defensive discipline first and foremost. I feel bad for coach B, but this should (i) get the team's attention and (ii) create an opportunity for a new coaching philosphy to take root. This team doesn't have a very big window to win and this is the best thing that could have happened to them (although it should have happened a year or two ago).

[jbss71 1]

it doesn't matter what Dale does unless Ovi is on board. I'd say the first few games are rough, unlike the Blues

[dangle 0]

Something had to give!

I don't know anything about Hunter's style of coaching. Any insight?

[RiSeOnFiRe 0]

Something had to give!

I don't know anything about Hunter's style of coaching. Any insight?

Yeah, wait till they score and start to celebrate, then blast them into the wall.

[noodle3872 40]

it doesn't matter what Dale does unless Ovi is on board. I'd say the first few games are rough, unlike the Blues

The article on NHL.com says Hunter is much more of a players' coach and he likes to resolve issues with his players when they arise. I'd bet his first order of business is an air clearing team meeting of some sort.

IMHO, I don't think Boudreau was a very good coach; he just let the skill guys play with little structure and hoped they'd out score their opponents. When the play-offs hit he was often out coached by the other team's coach. And the lack of defensive structure was his undoing. And when he tried to institute a system the star players seemed to rebell.

Effectively, Boudreau gave the team enough leash to hang him.

[Allsmokenopancake 0]

The thing that's annoying me is the whole "ovechkin a coach killer" by people like Adam Proteau. He tweeted that Ovechkin changed coaches, equipment etc, time to look in the mirror.

There was none of this type talk when Crosby signed with RBK instead of sherwood. There was none of this talk when Crosby moved onto his third coach a year and a half before Ovechkin did (Olczyk, Thierren, Bylsma v Hanlon, Boudreau, Hunter).

Ovechkin had his minutes cut by almost 20% this season in an attempt to keep him fresh for the playoffs. The top line was juggled from Oveckin-Backstrom-Knuble to Ov-Back-Brouwer, OV-Back-Semin, OB-Johannsen-Brouwer etc etc.

Boudreau was absolutely the right coach when he came in, but he couldn't get them to the next level. That is true in the playoffs for the past 3 seasons (I give a pass to the Flyers game 7 loss because to make the playoffs was a great achievement).

He had 5 straight first round ousters in the AHL with Manchester. He won in Hershey with a bunch of highly drafted prospects.

He won with talent, by unleashing the skill players. He is a great coach to build up player confidence (unless you are a goalie), get the fans excited. Might be perfect in Columbus with Nash/Carter etc.

But he wasn't what the caps need now. That's not Ovechkins fault.

[Chadd 916]

I

IMHO, I don't think Boudreau was a very good coach; he just let the skill guys play with little structure and hoped they'd out score their opponents. When the play-offs hit he was often out coached by the other team's coach. And the lack of defensive structure was his undoing. And when he tried to institute a system the star players seemed to rebell.

I agree with pretty much everything other than the last line. You can't expect guys to forecheck hard and trap at the same time, then also have the offensive output they had when they were a freewheeling team. Playing favorites never works in a locker room either, especially when some of your more talented guys aren't on the list. Coaching is taking the talent you have and putting them in a position to succeed. That has never been his strength.

[chippa13 1844]

The thing that's annoying me is the whole "ovechkin a coach killer" by people like Adam Proteau. He tweeted that Ovechkin changed coaches, equipment etc, time to look in the mirror.

There was none of this type talk when Crosby signed with RBK instead of sherwood. There was none of this talk when Crosby moved onto his third coach a year and a half before Ovechkin did (Olczyk, Thierren, Bylsma v Hanlon, Boudreau, Hunter).

Ovechkin had his minutes cut by almost 20% this season in an attempt to keep him fresh for the playoffs. The top line was juggled from Oveckin-Backstrom-Knuble to Ov-Back-Brouwer, OV-Back-Semin, OB-Johannsen-Brouwer etc etc.

Boudreau was absolutely the right coach when he came in, but he couldn't get them to the next level. That is true in the playoffs for the past 3 seasons (I give a pass to the Flyers game 7 loss because to make the playoffs was a great achievement).

He had 5 straight first round ousters in the AHL with Manchester. He won in Hershey with a bunch of highly drafted prospects.

He won with talent, by unleashing the skill players. He is a great coach to build up player confidence (unless you are a goalie), get the fans excited. Might be perfect in Columbus with Nash/Carter etc.

But he wasn't what the caps need now. That's not Ovechkins fault.

In all fairness to Crosby, nobody thought Olczyk should have been behind an NHL bench. As for Boudreau and Columbus, fans don't flock to see a team lose 8-6 every night. I doubted his abilities when he got the Washington job and had some good inside dope that the credit for much of his success in the "A" was due to his assistant coaches.

[Chadd 916]

In all fairness to Crosby, nobody thought Olczyk should have been behind an NHL bench.

No, but Crosby ran the first two guys out of town, along with a lot of other players.

[noodle3872 40]

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=603611&navid=DL|NHL|home

[skyscrape 5]

SO FUNNY!!!!

http://video.thescore.com/watch/backhand-shelf-bloge-salming-present-coach-killer

[cooperalls 4]

Anyone else notice multiple Caps losing edges during the Rangers game today? Emrick (i think) just made a point of it leading to the 3rd ranger goal.

[Chadd 916]

Anyone else notice multiple Caps losing edges during the Rangers game today? Emrick (i think) just made a point of it leading to the 3rd ranger goal.

Absolutely, and I've seen a ton of uncalled penalties against the Rangers resulting in Caps on the ice too. The ice always sucks at MSG.

[mug25 2]

Give the "C" to someone else...after today's game it's become so obvious that Ovechkin's heart is not in it.