The Washington Capitals have a new goal song.
It's a great highlight reel song. A decent intro song.
Not a good goal song.
Before we get any further, let me say that I'm not trying to hate on the effort of the Sandbox Kings, who won a contest through Elliot in the Morning on DC101 (favorite morning show in the area, btw) with "Rock the Red." The song premiered at last night's Caps-Lightning game, where it was played five times, after each Caps goal.
It's a great song, but not for the purpose to which it has been applied.
Why isn't it a good goal song? Because even though it played over the PA system five times, most Caps fans were hard pressed to notice it more than once.
I'm no music critic, but a goal is a celebration and the music that plays should be celebratory and upbeat. "ock the Red is too subdued, not - dare I say - poppy enough.
Now I will say this, Rock the Red is unique, and great for the Caps for commissioning their own music. It's a lot better than the umpteen arenas that some variation of Rock 'n Roll Part 2, Song 2, or Bro Hymn after a home goal.
My personal favorite goal song is Chelsea Dagger, which the Caps used for a little while but is also associated closely with the Chicago Blackhawks. Another favorite is Kernkraft 400, but almost a half-dozen teams rely on that one, also including the Capitals recently.
The great part of Chelsea Dagger and Kernkraft 400 is that you don't need a three minute song, you only need 15 or 20 seconds of a great hook, and both songs have one. Ditto with Joe Satriani's Crowd Chant.
It's that catchy quality, the sing-along nature of a song, that makes it popular and makes it stick. Occasionally a down-tempo song gets stuck in your ear, but they aren't inspiring.
Washington needs a goal song that pumps fans up, gets noticed and gets fans singing or chanting along, not one that slips into the background. In a different setting, when all attention is focused on the video or music being played, "Rock the Red" does just fine.
After a goal though, the music needs to add to the cacophany while still cutting through enough for fans to be cognizant of it, and if you ask me the Caps need to do a little more searching to find a song (or soundbite, let's be honest) to fill that role.
What do you think the Caps should use as a goal song? Post in the comment section with your suggestions.
Friday, March 5, 2010
Monday, March 1, 2010
A Not-So Brief Capitals Trade Deadline Primer
The NHL trade deadline is less than 48 hours away (at the time of this posting), and while the Capitals are not expected to make any major moves, there's no question that General Manager George McPhee would love to upgrade a few specific positions if the right opportunity presents itself.
Never a big fan of free agency, McPhee has pulled off some significant deals in the past few years (Prospect Theo Ruth for Sergei Fedorov, Brian Sutherby for a 2nd round pick that McPhee later traded for Cristobal Huet) that lead me to believe he won't be completely silent this week.
I'm not going to deal with rumors, but I will present this primer for Caps fans curious about the process of deadline day and where the Capitals stand.
First things first, as alluded to above, the trade deadline is at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, March 3. Trades will be announced past the deadline, because 3 p.m. is really the cutoff for teams to notify the NHL of an impending trade, not for official trade calls between both teams and the league to have been completed. Paul at Kukla's Corner has a fantastic primer on the specifics of a transaction here.
A brief salary cap primer
Two important thing of note, that Paul covers, are 1) that player salaries are prorated over the 193-day season, and 2) the player's average salary over the course of the entire contract is what counts against the cap, not their salary for that specific season. There are 40 days left in the regular season as of this upcoming Wednesday, so if you let a player's average salary = Z, the formula for figuring out the cap hit is (Z/193) x 40. Or, you could multiply the salary by 0.207 for a rough estimate.
(For example, prior to signing a contract extension Alexander Semin's salary for last season was $4.2 million and for this season is $5 million. His cap hit both last year and this is $4.6 million, the average of the two years.)
According to the fine folks at nhlnumbers.com (which is a must-have resource for any salary cap info), Washington has $4.270 million worth of cap space this season. That means, theoretically, they could take on players whose cap hit for this season totals approximately $21.35 million. Let me stress, theoretically.
Another point of importance is that after the trade deadline, teams are no longer affected by the 23-man roster limit. The salary cap is still in play, so Washington is more likely to carry under 23 than over. In the playoffs the salary cap disappears, meaning the Caps could call up a slew of prospects from Hershey if they wanted.
One last thing, when considering Washington's assets: the Caps hold eight picks in the upcoming 2010 NHL Entry Draft, their original pick in each of the seven rounds plus Phoenix's pick in the 5th round.
Where do the Caps players stand when it comes to the deadline?
No, I don't mean their personal opinions, but rather their value as trade bait, impact on the franchise, etc. A couple guys are untouchables, and I'll talk about them first, but most players will be in play in some manner or another.
The format is: Player name (age, average salary, years remaining/free agency status)
Untouchables
-Alexander Ovechkin (23, $9.5 million, 11 seasons) is a no-brainer. The Capitals captain is not going anywhere. He's too valuable to the Caps and, frankly, there isn't a trade package in the world that's worth his value. However, as captain (and franchise player) Ovechkin will likely have a say, or at least be able to express his opinion, over deal McPhee may make. Chemistry is crucial for this Washington squad, and dealing a pal of Ovechkin (specifically, Alexander Semin) may be too disruptive for the squad. Similarly, acquiring Sergei Fedorov, one of Ovechkin's idols as a kid, two years ago helped spur Ovechkin to improve his game.
-Mike Knuble (37, $2.8m, 1 year) was signed to a relatively cheap two-year deal last offseason to be a first-line power forward, and has exceeded expectations. Again, it would be tough to find a player to do Knuble's job better than Knuble, who has also been a great veteran presence.
-Nicklas Backstrom (21, $2.4m, Restricted Free Agent) is due a huge contract after this season but one that McPhee and owner Ted Leonsis will gladly pony up for. One of the best passers in the game already and becoming a premier scorer.
-Mike Green (23, $5.25m, 3 years) is a favorite of Caps coach Bruce Boudreau, is the best offensive defenseman in the game, and is one of the catalysts of Washington's power play. Again, not going anywhere.
Guys that probably won't get moved
-Semin (25, $4.6m, 1 year) is, along with three of the four guys mentioned above, one of Washington's Young Guns, has 30 goals already this season and is Ovechkin's best friend on the team. However, at age 25 he will probably hit (if he hasn't already) his statistical peak under his current contract but will be expecting a raise after next year. Nonetheless he's a valuable commodity for teams looking for some scoring punch, so McPhee won't turn away a particularly sweet deal.
-Brooks Laich (26, $2.067m, 1 year) is a fan favorite, and more importantly is versatile, able to play both wings, center, and even pinch in at defense in emergency situations. That plus his relatively low salary for a guy who already has 20 goals makes it unlikely this glue guy will move.
-Jeff Schultz (23, $715k, RFA) is a top four defender getting paid a seventh defenseman salary. McPhee is high on Schultz's value and that combination of effective play and miniscule salary will keep Schultz on the roster. Since he's an RFA the Caps can retain him next season at less than 800k.
-Semyon Varlamov (21, $821k, 1 year) is, along with Michal Neuvirth, a standout goaltending recruit. One of the two goalies will be the Caps netminder of the future, with Varlamov getting a slight edge because of playoff experience. The Capitals expect both Varlamov and Neuvirth to be NHL-quality netminders and to get lots of attention from other teams.
The rest
Rather than try to sort by probability of trades, I'm playing it safe and grouping the rest of the team together.
-Brendan Morrison (33, $1.5m, Unrestricted Free Agent) is a bargain, and even though he's slumped since his torrid start, is willing to accept a depth role on the 3rd or 4th line. He would be a cheap pick up for a team looking for a 3rd line center.
-Tomas Fleischmann (25, $725k, RFA) is possibly the best value in the NHL, in terms of goals scored per dollar. He displayed some versatility playing at center, has gotten time on special teams, and most importantly, is a personal favorite of Boudreau, who perhaps overvalues the Czech player. Teams will certainly ask though, and the pot may be too sweet to reject.
-Jason Chimera (30, $1.875m, 2 years) seems unlikely to be moved, since the Caps just acquired him, but his recurring groin injury may be cause for the team to pick someone else up to fill his 'sandpaper' role.
-Matt Bradley (31, $1m, 1 year) is having a stellar year by Matt Bradley standards, with 8 goals and 5 fights so far. He's a fourth-liner energy guy, a 'glue guy in the locker room, and probably more valuable to the Caps than another team would be willing to pay.
-Eric Fehr (23, $772k, RFA) is the anti-Fleischmann, in that the team undervalues him because he's in Boudreau's doghouse for some reason. Per-minute Fehr is a great player and it wouldn't be surprised if he were traded, since McPhee could get a good return for a guy that doesn't see much ice for Washington.
-Boyd Gordon (25, $761k, RFA) is a penalty kill and faceoff specialist, a consummate fourth-liner who never complains. McPhee loves mediocre players with minimum salaries (plus Gordon is a player in the McPhee mode) so he'll likely remain.
-David Steckel (27, $725k, 3 years) is another grinder, but who was expected to have a better scoring season than he has. That salary info is misleading because his cap hit for the next three seasons will be $1.1m, but still a great deal. Also a Boudreau favorite from his Hershey days, which increases his value to the franchise.
-Quintin Laing (30, $500k, UFA) is unlikely to be moved, simply because he's not an NHL player or a prospect and other teams likely aren't be interested in him. He provides great energy for the Caps even though he doesn't touch the ice, but he's a guy you'd think McPhee would gladly move if Laing would get a chance to stick on an NHL roster.
-Tom Poti (32, $3.5m, 1 year) has transitioned from puck-moving to shutdown defenseman as a member of the Caps, and in either position he is a good deal. Could get a lot of attention from teams looking to improve their defense, but since the Caps will likely try to do the same it's unlikely they'll move one of their cornerstones.
-Brian Pothier (32, $2.5m, UFA), on the other hand, is far more likely to move. He's still a puck-moving defenseman when the Caps already have one on the team (Green) and another in the system (John Carlson), and he'll be an unrestricted free agent after this season, which makes him an ideal single-season pickup for a team looking to make a stretch run.
-Shaone Morrisonn (26, $1.975, UFA) has the same contract status and a similarly low salary as Pothier, and has struggled at times. Considering Washington's depth at defense, it's unlikely both Pothier and Morrisonn would be moved.
-John Erskine (29, $1.25m, 1 year) is a sixth or seventh defenseman on an NHL team and excels when given that limited role. He is also, along with Bradley, Washington's de facto enforcer. Could be moved in an attempt to shed salary if Washington is up against the salary cap, as he could be replaced by a player from Hershey with half the salary, but I can't foresee him being moved because of value to another squad.
-Tyler Sloan (28, $640k, 2 years) is obviously coveted by other NHL teams, because otherwise the Caps would send him through the waiver wire to Hershey. He's proven he can be an adequate bottom-two defenseman and fourth-line forward, which is good versatility for the Caps. Perhaps McPhee could get a late pick for Sloan.
-Jose Theodore (32, $4.5m, UFA) is an extremely valuable commodity. He's a starting NHL goalie with winning experience, is reasonably paid (15th-highest paid goalie in a 30 team league), and his contract comes off the books after this season. Washington will be making a run for the Cup this season and could be looking to upgrade over Theodore, but that doesn't mean Theo couldn't still bring back a nice package from a team looking for an experienced backup or trying to play the string out. Theodore won't get traded unless McPhee acquires another goalie at some point. However, as the general manager proved in 2008, he could very well hang on to Theodore and pick up another goalie,
In the System
-John Carlson (19, $846k, 2 years) made waves last season when he jumped straight from his junior team to the top defensive pair on the Hershey Bears AHL championship squad, and has played well in 7 games with the Caps this winter. He's being called a sure thing, and is as blue chip as a prospect can get. Carlson will be the first player every team asks for in a trade, but it would require a Kovalchuk-type player (who's not a rental) to pry him away.
-Karl Alzner (20, $875k, 1 year) was previously considered the future leader of Washington's defense, but this former 5th overall pick's stock has fallen slightly after a mediocre 21-game stint with the Caps earlier in the season. Still, Alzner can't even drink legally yet, so it's far too early to write him off. He's very appetizing trade bait, and perhaps slightly more expendable now that Carlson is in the system.
-Marcus Johansson (19, Farjestads BK Karlstad, Swedish Elite League) is Washington's most recent first round pick, and is a highly-regarded, having been compared favorably with basically every good Swedish center to play in the NHL. He's a leader even at 19 and, like Carlson, it would take an impressive deal to part Johansson from the Caps.
-Michal Neuvirth (21, $850k, RFA) has demonstrated himself, at 21, to be an above-averageNHL netminder and is currently the starter in Hershey because of the logjam at goalie for the Caps. More durable than Varlamov but less of a game-stealer, Neuvirth's name will come up in many trade talks.
-Keith Aucoin (30, $486k, UFA) and Alexandre Giroux (28, $500k, UFA) may draw interest from a team looking to shore up a farm system or who has some spare spots on the big league club. Both have shown they are AHL all-stars, the Bruce Boudreau type, but unable to translate that ability to the NHL for whatever reason.
-Mathieu Perreault (21, $667k, 1 year) has been a surprise for the Bears and looked decent in a stint with the Caps. The former 6th round pick had trouble adjusting to the the level of play in the NHL as his 18 game stint wore on, and as Perreault is undersized he's most likely undervalued by other teams, who would not give up what McPhee thinks Perreault is worth in a trade.
-Braden Holtby (19, $597k, 1 year) is currently 4th on the Caps' goaltending depth chart, but is a guy who'd be starting for almost every other NHL team's AHL franchise. Neuvirth and Varlamov are more likely to be traded, and Holtby is the asset who makes one of those two goalies expendable.
Never a big fan of free agency, McPhee has pulled off some significant deals in the past few years (Prospect Theo Ruth for Sergei Fedorov, Brian Sutherby for a 2nd round pick that McPhee later traded for Cristobal Huet) that lead me to believe he won't be completely silent this week.
I'm not going to deal with rumors, but I will present this primer for Caps fans curious about the process of deadline day and where the Capitals stand.
First things first, as alluded to above, the trade deadline is at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, March 3. Trades will be announced past the deadline, because 3 p.m. is really the cutoff for teams to notify the NHL of an impending trade, not for official trade calls between both teams and the league to have been completed. Paul at Kukla's Corner has a fantastic primer on the specifics of a transaction here.
A brief salary cap primer
Two important thing of note, that Paul covers, are 1) that player salaries are prorated over the 193-day season, and 2) the player's average salary over the course of the entire contract is what counts against the cap, not their salary for that specific season. There are 40 days left in the regular season as of this upcoming Wednesday, so if you let a player's average salary = Z, the formula for figuring out the cap hit is (Z/193) x 40. Or, you could multiply the salary by 0.207 for a rough estimate.
(For example, prior to signing a contract extension Alexander Semin's salary for last season was $4.2 million and for this season is $5 million. His cap hit both last year and this is $4.6 million, the average of the two years.)
According to the fine folks at nhlnumbers.com (which is a must-have resource for any salary cap info), Washington has $4.270 million worth of cap space this season. That means, theoretically, they could take on players whose cap hit for this season totals approximately $21.35 million. Let me stress, theoretically.
Another point of importance is that after the trade deadline, teams are no longer affected by the 23-man roster limit. The salary cap is still in play, so Washington is more likely to carry under 23 than over. In the playoffs the salary cap disappears, meaning the Caps could call up a slew of prospects from Hershey if they wanted.
One last thing, when considering Washington's assets: the Caps hold eight picks in the upcoming 2010 NHL Entry Draft, their original pick in each of the seven rounds plus Phoenix's pick in the 5th round.
Where do the Caps players stand when it comes to the deadline?
No, I don't mean their personal opinions, but rather their value as trade bait, impact on the franchise, etc. A couple guys are untouchables, and I'll talk about them first, but most players will be in play in some manner or another.
The format is: Player name (age, average salary, years remaining/free agency status)
Untouchables
-Alexander Ovechkin (23, $9.5 million, 11 seasons) is a no-brainer. The Capitals captain is not going anywhere. He's too valuable to the Caps and, frankly, there isn't a trade package in the world that's worth his value. However, as captain (and franchise player) Ovechkin will likely have a say, or at least be able to express his opinion, over deal McPhee may make. Chemistry is crucial for this Washington squad, and dealing a pal of Ovechkin (specifically, Alexander Semin) may be too disruptive for the squad. Similarly, acquiring Sergei Fedorov, one of Ovechkin's idols as a kid, two years ago helped spur Ovechkin to improve his game.
-Mike Knuble (37, $2.8m, 1 year) was signed to a relatively cheap two-year deal last offseason to be a first-line power forward, and has exceeded expectations. Again, it would be tough to find a player to do Knuble's job better than Knuble, who has also been a great veteran presence.
-Nicklas Backstrom (21, $2.4m, Restricted Free Agent) is due a huge contract after this season but one that McPhee and owner Ted Leonsis will gladly pony up for. One of the best passers in the game already and becoming a premier scorer.
-Mike Green (23, $5.25m, 3 years) is a favorite of Caps coach Bruce Boudreau, is the best offensive defenseman in the game, and is one of the catalysts of Washington's power play. Again, not going anywhere.
Guys that probably won't get moved
-Semin (25, $4.6m, 1 year) is, along with three of the four guys mentioned above, one of Washington's Young Guns, has 30 goals already this season and is Ovechkin's best friend on the team. However, at age 25 he will probably hit (if he hasn't already) his statistical peak under his current contract but will be expecting a raise after next year. Nonetheless he's a valuable commodity for teams looking for some scoring punch, so McPhee won't turn away a particularly sweet deal.
-Brooks Laich (26, $2.067m, 1 year) is a fan favorite, and more importantly is versatile, able to play both wings, center, and even pinch in at defense in emergency situations. That plus his relatively low salary for a guy who already has 20 goals makes it unlikely this glue guy will move.
-Jeff Schultz (23, $715k, RFA) is a top four defender getting paid a seventh defenseman salary. McPhee is high on Schultz's value and that combination of effective play and miniscule salary will keep Schultz on the roster. Since he's an RFA the Caps can retain him next season at less than 800k.
-Semyon Varlamov (21, $821k, 1 year) is, along with Michal Neuvirth, a standout goaltending recruit. One of the two goalies will be the Caps netminder of the future, with Varlamov getting a slight edge because of playoff experience. The Capitals expect both Varlamov and Neuvirth to be NHL-quality netminders and to get lots of attention from other teams.
The rest
Rather than try to sort by probability of trades, I'm playing it safe and grouping the rest of the team together.
-Brendan Morrison (33, $1.5m, Unrestricted Free Agent) is a bargain, and even though he's slumped since his torrid start, is willing to accept a depth role on the 3rd or 4th line. He would be a cheap pick up for a team looking for a 3rd line center.
-Tomas Fleischmann (25, $725k, RFA) is possibly the best value in the NHL, in terms of goals scored per dollar. He displayed some versatility playing at center, has gotten time on special teams, and most importantly, is a personal favorite of Boudreau, who perhaps overvalues the Czech player. Teams will certainly ask though, and the pot may be too sweet to reject.
-Jason Chimera (30, $1.875m, 2 years) seems unlikely to be moved, since the Caps just acquired him, but his recurring groin injury may be cause for the team to pick someone else up to fill his 'sandpaper' role.
-Matt Bradley (31, $1m, 1 year) is having a stellar year by Matt Bradley standards, with 8 goals and 5 fights so far. He's a fourth-liner energy guy, a 'glue guy in the locker room, and probably more valuable to the Caps than another team would be willing to pay.
-Eric Fehr (23, $772k, RFA) is the anti-Fleischmann, in that the team undervalues him because he's in Boudreau's doghouse for some reason. Per-minute Fehr is a great player and it wouldn't be surprised if he were traded, since McPhee could get a good return for a guy that doesn't see much ice for Washington.
-Boyd Gordon (25, $761k, RFA) is a penalty kill and faceoff specialist, a consummate fourth-liner who never complains. McPhee loves mediocre players with minimum salaries (plus Gordon is a player in the McPhee mode) so he'll likely remain.
-David Steckel (27, $725k, 3 years) is another grinder, but who was expected to have a better scoring season than he has. That salary info is misleading because his cap hit for the next three seasons will be $1.1m, but still a great deal. Also a Boudreau favorite from his Hershey days, which increases his value to the franchise.
-Quintin Laing (30, $500k, UFA) is unlikely to be moved, simply because he's not an NHL player or a prospect and other teams likely aren't be interested in him. He provides great energy for the Caps even though he doesn't touch the ice, but he's a guy you'd think McPhee would gladly move if Laing would get a chance to stick on an NHL roster.
-Tom Poti (32, $3.5m, 1 year) has transitioned from puck-moving to shutdown defenseman as a member of the Caps, and in either position he is a good deal. Could get a lot of attention from teams looking to improve their defense, but since the Caps will likely try to do the same it's unlikely they'll move one of their cornerstones.
-Brian Pothier (32, $2.5m, UFA), on the other hand, is far more likely to move. He's still a puck-moving defenseman when the Caps already have one on the team (Green) and another in the system (John Carlson), and he'll be an unrestricted free agent after this season, which makes him an ideal single-season pickup for a team looking to make a stretch run.
-Shaone Morrisonn (26, $1.975, UFA) has the same contract status and a similarly low salary as Pothier, and has struggled at times. Considering Washington's depth at defense, it's unlikely both Pothier and Morrisonn would be moved.
-John Erskine (29, $1.25m, 1 year) is a sixth or seventh defenseman on an NHL team and excels when given that limited role. He is also, along with Bradley, Washington's de facto enforcer. Could be moved in an attempt to shed salary if Washington is up against the salary cap, as he could be replaced by a player from Hershey with half the salary, but I can't foresee him being moved because of value to another squad.
-Tyler Sloan (28, $640k, 2 years) is obviously coveted by other NHL teams, because otherwise the Caps would send him through the waiver wire to Hershey. He's proven he can be an adequate bottom-two defenseman and fourth-line forward, which is good versatility for the Caps. Perhaps McPhee could get a late pick for Sloan.
-Jose Theodore (32, $4.5m, UFA) is an extremely valuable commodity. He's a starting NHL goalie with winning experience, is reasonably paid (15th-highest paid goalie in a 30 team league), and his contract comes off the books after this season. Washington will be making a run for the Cup this season and could be looking to upgrade over Theodore, but that doesn't mean Theo couldn't still bring back a nice package from a team looking for an experienced backup or trying to play the string out. Theodore won't get traded unless McPhee acquires another goalie at some point. However, as the general manager proved in 2008, he could very well hang on to Theodore and pick up another goalie,
In the System
-John Carlson (19, $846k, 2 years) made waves last season when he jumped straight from his junior team to the top defensive pair on the Hershey Bears AHL championship squad, and has played well in 7 games with the Caps this winter. He's being called a sure thing, and is as blue chip as a prospect can get. Carlson will be the first player every team asks for in a trade, but it would require a Kovalchuk-type player (who's not a rental) to pry him away.
-Karl Alzner (20, $875k, 1 year) was previously considered the future leader of Washington's defense, but this former 5th overall pick's stock has fallen slightly after a mediocre 21-game stint with the Caps earlier in the season. Still, Alzner can't even drink legally yet, so it's far too early to write him off. He's very appetizing trade bait, and perhaps slightly more expendable now that Carlson is in the system.
-Marcus Johansson (19, Farjestads BK Karlstad, Swedish Elite League) is Washington's most recent first round pick, and is a highly-regarded, having been compared favorably with basically every good Swedish center to play in the NHL. He's a leader even at 19 and, like Carlson, it would take an impressive deal to part Johansson from the Caps.
-Michal Neuvirth (21, $850k, RFA) has demonstrated himself, at 21, to be an above-averageNHL netminder and is currently the starter in Hershey because of the logjam at goalie for the Caps. More durable than Varlamov but less of a game-stealer, Neuvirth's name will come up in many trade talks.
-Keith Aucoin (30, $486k, UFA) and Alexandre Giroux (28, $500k, UFA) may draw interest from a team looking to shore up a farm system or who has some spare spots on the big league club. Both have shown they are AHL all-stars, the Bruce Boudreau type, but unable to translate that ability to the NHL for whatever reason.
-Mathieu Perreault (21, $667k, 1 year) has been a surprise for the Bears and looked decent in a stint with the Caps. The former 6th round pick had trouble adjusting to the the level of play in the NHL as his 18 game stint wore on, and as Perreault is undersized he's most likely undervalued by other teams, who would not give up what McPhee thinks Perreault is worth in a trade.
-Braden Holtby (19, $597k, 1 year) is currently 4th on the Caps' goaltending depth chart, but is a guy who'd be starting for almost every other NHL team's AHL franchise. Neuvirth and Varlamov are more likely to be traded, and Holtby is the asset who makes one of those two goalies expendable.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
USA-Canada for the gold, result notwithstanding, was by far the greatest hockey game I've ever seen at the tender age of 26.
Obviously when Team USA was one overtime shot away from a gold medal a better result was possible, but even still it was unquestionably a far better outcome than what was predicted before these Olympic Games.
Beyond the great effort by the Americans, if there's one thing we can take from the aftermath it's that Brian Burke's team-building design works. Obviously if you're Canada you can put thirteen top 6 forwards and seven top 4 defenseman on the roster, but building the All-Star team paradigm is no longer the dominant one. Get six top 6 forwards and fill out the rest of your roster with grunts who can do an NHL-quality job grinding and shutting down the opponent- that was Burke's philosophy and it worked perfectly.
Another conclusion, just as important going forward, is that the USA has already positioned itself as a team to watch in 2014, and not just on the strength of their 2010 silver medal but also in terms of roster construction.
Of the 23 players on Team USA, all but five were under the age of 30 at the start of the Olympics. Compare that to Canada and Sweden, both of which had nine players in their 30s, or Russia with eight over 30, including Sergei Fedorov at 40 years old (and what about the poor Slovaks, with over half their roster - 12 players - aged 30 or older).
Now, coming into the Games we could have made the statement that the older players were the role players. Tim Thomas (35) was the backup goalie and everyone knew Ryan Miller (29) would get all the starts unless something drastic happened. The other four players - Ryan Malone (30), Jamie Langenbrunner (34), Chris Drury (33) and Brian Rafalski (36) - were thought to primarily be depth players as well.
As it turned out the 30+ squad scored almost as many goals (10 goals) than the remainder of the roster (14 goals). Experience does count for something after all.
The important takeaway is that of those veterans who exceeded expectations, two of them - Drury and Rafalski - were repeat Olympians. Drury was a surprise pick for the team, beating out younger guys like T.J. Oshie and Kyle Okposo, and finished with two goals, one game-winning, on eight shots and a +3 +/- rating in under 12 minutes of ice time per game.
Rafalski was thought to provide a measure of veteran leadership to a defense corp that was light on international experience and ended up scoring four goals, adding four assists, earning a +7 rating in over 20 minutes of ice time, and was named to the tournament All-Star team and named the Best Defenseman.
Long story short, whereas in 2010 Team USA had a few wily veterans to lead the way, in 2014 they'll have a team full of guys who know the stakes because they've been there before and are still young enough to be a dominant physical force as well as skilled scorers.
Zach Parise, who was also named to the tournament All-Star team and finished with 4 goals and 4 assists and sent the gold medal game into overtime, will be 29 in 2014. Miller will be 33 and still in his prime. Forwards Bobby Ryan, Phil Kessel, Patrick Kane, and defensemen Erik Johnson and Jack Johnson will only be in their mid-20s for the Sochi games.
And consider the players in the pipeline. Oshie and Okposo, who barely missed this year's team, will be 27 and 25 in four years time. Zach Bogosian, another guy who was in contention for the 2010 squad, will be 23. And how about the players born in 1990: James Van Riemsdyk of the Flyers and defensemen Cam Fowler and John "Canadian Killer" Carlson from the 2010 IIHF World Junior Championship squad (which, in its own right, demonstrated the bright future of American international hockey).
And for all Burke said about picking round pegs for round holes, so to speak, he and coach Ron Wilson took a trio of players who are talented scorers but also huge bodies, and convincing them to play the role of checking line with elan.
Bobby Ryan of the Anaheim Ducks is tied for 9th in the NHL, and leads his team with 28 goals this season, while David Backes has 13 so far this campaign after netting 31 last season and Malone has scored at least 20 goals in five of his six NHL seasons, with 21 so far in 2009-10. As skilled as they may be as offensive threats, however, the thing Burke immediately noticed was that Ryan clocks in at 6'2" and 208 pounds while Backes is even bigger at 6'3" and 225 and Malone bigger still at 6'4" and 220 (all measurements according to NHL.com).
With Zach Parise, Phil Kessel, Patrick Kane, Peter Stastny, and Joe Pavelski all locks for the team as scoring wings (and all but Stastny generously listed at 5'10" or 5'11" and in the ballpark of 180 pounds), there wouldn't be room for both Ryan and Backes on USA's scoring lines.
Malone, who has always been a power forward-type player, knew he was going to be on a checking line, but he, Ryan and Backes were a revelation, providing an immediate infusion of energy and forechecking pressure for the Americans while also capable of scoring at a moment's notice, which they did, finishing with a combined five goals, five assists, and +7 in USA's six games.
Attempting to play down expectations for Team USA coming into the Olympics, Burke was quick to point out that the program was in a transitionary period, as long-time stalwarts like Keith Tkachuk, Mike Modano, and Jeremy Roenick had retired or simply weren't invited to preliminary training camp let alone be in consideration for the team.
Instead, the youngsters of the 1980s led the way for USA, and it paid off. The pipeline hasn't dried out yet, either. Some more guys to keep your eyes out for, especially at the next four IIHF World Championships, starting with the one this May in Germany (in no particular order):
Forwards
-Patrick O'Sullivan (25, Edmonton Oilers, 2003-05 IIHF World Junior Championships, 2006 and 2008 World Championships)
-Colin Wilson (20, Nashville Predators, 2009 World Championships [as a college player])
-Brandon Dubinsky (23, New York Rangers, 2008 WC)
-Peter Mueller (21, Phoenix Coyotes, 2008 WC)
-Dan Sexton (22, Anaheim Ducks)
-Blake Wheeler (22, Boston Bruins)
-Paul Gaustad (28, Buffalo Sabres)
-Eric Nystrom (27, Calgary Flames, 2002-03 WJC)
-David Booth (25, Florida Panthers, 2008 WC)
-Max Pacioretty (21, 2007-08 WJC)
-Nick Foligno (22, Ottawa Senators, 2009 WC
-Dave Steckel* (27, Washington Capitals)
*No, seriously! Gaustad almost made the roster as a faceoff/PK specialist as well as a big body (6'5", 229 lbs.), and Steckel is leading him in faceoff % this season (2nd in the NHL, to Gaustad's 5th) and is just as big at 6'5", 217 lbs.
Defensemen
-James Wisniewski (26, Anaheim Ducks, 2003-04 WJC, 2008 WC)
-Ron Hainsey (28, Atlanta Thrashers, 2000-01 WJC, 2009 WC)
-Matt Niskanen (23, Dallas Stars, 2009 WC
-Tom Gilbert (27, Edmonton Oilers, 2008 WC)
-Andy Greene (27, New Jersey Devils)
-Matt Gilroy (25, New York Rangers)
-Keith Yandle (23, Phoenix Coyotes,)
-Alex Goligoski (24, Pittsburgh Penguins)
Goalies
-Jimmy Howard (25, Detroit Red Wings)
-Mike Lee (22, St. Cloud State University, 2010 WJC)
-Cory Schneider (23, Vancouver Canucks)
Obviously when Team USA was one overtime shot away from a gold medal a better result was possible, but even still it was unquestionably a far better outcome than what was predicted before these Olympic Games.
Beyond the great effort by the Americans, if there's one thing we can take from the aftermath it's that Brian Burke's team-building design works. Obviously if you're Canada you can put thirteen top 6 forwards and seven top 4 defenseman on the roster, but building the All-Star team paradigm is no longer the dominant one. Get six top 6 forwards and fill out the rest of your roster with grunts who can do an NHL-quality job grinding and shutting down the opponent- that was Burke's philosophy and it worked perfectly.
Another conclusion, just as important going forward, is that the USA has already positioned itself as a team to watch in 2014, and not just on the strength of their 2010 silver medal but also in terms of roster construction.
Of the 23 players on Team USA, all but five were under the age of 30 at the start of the Olympics. Compare that to Canada and Sweden, both of which had nine players in their 30s, or Russia with eight over 30, including Sergei Fedorov at 40 years old (and what about the poor Slovaks, with over half their roster - 12 players - aged 30 or older).
Now, coming into the Games we could have made the statement that the older players were the role players. Tim Thomas (35) was the backup goalie and everyone knew Ryan Miller (29) would get all the starts unless something drastic happened. The other four players - Ryan Malone (30), Jamie Langenbrunner (34), Chris Drury (33) and Brian Rafalski (36) - were thought to primarily be depth players as well.
As it turned out the 30+ squad scored almost as many goals (10 goals) than the remainder of the roster (14 goals). Experience does count for something after all.
The important takeaway is that of those veterans who exceeded expectations, two of them - Drury and Rafalski - were repeat Olympians. Drury was a surprise pick for the team, beating out younger guys like T.J. Oshie and Kyle Okposo, and finished with two goals, one game-winning, on eight shots and a +3 +/- rating in under 12 minutes of ice time per game.
Rafalski was thought to provide a measure of veteran leadership to a defense corp that was light on international experience and ended up scoring four goals, adding four assists, earning a +7 rating in over 20 minutes of ice time, and was named to the tournament All-Star team and named the Best Defenseman.
Long story short, whereas in 2010 Team USA had a few wily veterans to lead the way, in 2014 they'll have a team full of guys who know the stakes because they've been there before and are still young enough to be a dominant physical force as well as skilled scorers.
Zach Parise, who was also named to the tournament All-Star team and finished with 4 goals and 4 assists and sent the gold medal game into overtime, will be 29 in 2014. Miller will be 33 and still in his prime. Forwards Bobby Ryan, Phil Kessel, Patrick Kane, and defensemen Erik Johnson and Jack Johnson will only be in their mid-20s for the Sochi games.
And consider the players in the pipeline. Oshie and Okposo, who barely missed this year's team, will be 27 and 25 in four years time. Zach Bogosian, another guy who was in contention for the 2010 squad, will be 23. And how about the players born in 1990: James Van Riemsdyk of the Flyers and defensemen Cam Fowler and John "Canadian Killer" Carlson from the 2010 IIHF World Junior Championship squad (which, in its own right, demonstrated the bright future of American international hockey).
And for all Burke said about picking round pegs for round holes, so to speak, he and coach Ron Wilson took a trio of players who are talented scorers but also huge bodies, and convincing them to play the role of checking line with elan.
Bobby Ryan of the Anaheim Ducks is tied for 9th in the NHL, and leads his team with 28 goals this season, while David Backes has 13 so far this campaign after netting 31 last season and Malone has scored at least 20 goals in five of his six NHL seasons, with 21 so far in 2009-10. As skilled as they may be as offensive threats, however, the thing Burke immediately noticed was that Ryan clocks in at 6'2" and 208 pounds while Backes is even bigger at 6'3" and 225 and Malone bigger still at 6'4" and 220 (all measurements according to NHL.com).
With Zach Parise, Phil Kessel, Patrick Kane, Peter Stastny, and Joe Pavelski all locks for the team as scoring wings (and all but Stastny generously listed at 5'10" or 5'11" and in the ballpark of 180 pounds), there wouldn't be room for both Ryan and Backes on USA's scoring lines.
Malone, who has always been a power forward-type player, knew he was going to be on a checking line, but he, Ryan and Backes were a revelation, providing an immediate infusion of energy and forechecking pressure for the Americans while also capable of scoring at a moment's notice, which they did, finishing with a combined five goals, five assists, and +7 in USA's six games.
Attempting to play down expectations for Team USA coming into the Olympics, Burke was quick to point out that the program was in a transitionary period, as long-time stalwarts like Keith Tkachuk, Mike Modano, and Jeremy Roenick had retired or simply weren't invited to preliminary training camp let alone be in consideration for the team.
Instead, the youngsters of the 1980s led the way for USA, and it paid off. The pipeline hasn't dried out yet, either. Some more guys to keep your eyes out for, especially at the next four IIHF World Championships, starting with the one this May in Germany (in no particular order):
Forwards
-Patrick O'Sullivan (25, Edmonton Oilers, 2003-05 IIHF World Junior Championships, 2006 and 2008 World Championships)
-Colin Wilson (20, Nashville Predators, 2009 World Championships [as a college player])
-Brandon Dubinsky (23, New York Rangers, 2008 WC)
-Peter Mueller (21, Phoenix Coyotes, 2008 WC)
-Dan Sexton (22, Anaheim Ducks)
-Blake Wheeler (22, Boston Bruins)
-Paul Gaustad (28, Buffalo Sabres)
-Eric Nystrom (27, Calgary Flames, 2002-03 WJC)
-David Booth (25, Florida Panthers, 2008 WC)
-Max Pacioretty (21, 2007-08 WJC)
-Nick Foligno (22, Ottawa Senators, 2009 WC
-Dave Steckel* (27, Washington Capitals)
*No, seriously! Gaustad almost made the roster as a faceoff/PK specialist as well as a big body (6'5", 229 lbs.), and Steckel is leading him in faceoff % this season (2nd in the NHL, to Gaustad's 5th) and is just as big at 6'5", 217 lbs.
Defensemen
-James Wisniewski (26, Anaheim Ducks, 2003-04 WJC, 2008 WC)
-Ron Hainsey (28, Atlanta Thrashers, 2000-01 WJC, 2009 WC)
-Matt Niskanen (23, Dallas Stars, 2009 WC
-Tom Gilbert (27, Edmonton Oilers, 2008 WC)
-Andy Greene (27, New Jersey Devils)
-Matt Gilroy (25, New York Rangers)
-Keith Yandle (23, Phoenix Coyotes,)
-Alex Goligoski (24, Pittsburgh Penguins)
Goalies
-Jimmy Howard (25, Detroit Red Wings)
-Mike Lee (22, St. Cloud State University, 2010 WJC)
-Cory Schneider (23, Vancouver Canucks)
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Gopnik 1, Milbury 0
I think this will (hopefully) be my last mention of Mike Milbury, absent some sort of violent crime or on-air freak out.
New Yorker writer Adam Gopnik (and brother to Washington Post art critic Blake Gopnik) wrote a lengthy dispatch from the Olympics that touched on Canadians and the importance of the Canada-Russia hockey game before directing this barb at Milbury over the commentator's "Eurotrash" comment:
Nothing new, but expertly stated. Come for the swing at Milbury, stay for a great piece of writing.
New Yorker writer Adam Gopnik (and brother to Washington Post art critic Blake Gopnik) wrote a lengthy dispatch from the Olympics that touched on Canadians and the importance of the Canada-Russia hockey game before directing this barb at Milbury over the commentator's "Eurotrash" comment:
There was no excuse, though, for NBC’s Mike Milbury to say that the Russians had come with their “Eurotrash game.” If Mike Milbury thinks that failure to win big games is the result of a poor effort, how does he explain his own career, first as a perpetual also-ran with the Boston Bruins and then, with the Islanders, as one of the most disastrous G.M.s in sports history?
Nothing new, but expertly stated. Come for the swing at Milbury, stay for a great piece of writing.
Not cool, comrade
From Youtube, via Deadspin:
The location is unclear from the article, but it's either in or near the Russia House in Vancouver. The videographer, reportedly a female fan, is taking video of Ovechkin walking past and talking on his cell phone when the player changes direction and puts his hand over the camera (and apparently pushing it down) before walking past.
Whether this took place last night or today, no matter the situation in the corridor, that behavior is inappropriate for Ovechkin.
If the fan is taking video in a place they aren't supposed to be, let security take care of it. If, as is more likely the case, they were doing something on the up-and-up that you simply didn't like...suck it up and deal.
The whole exchange requires no further analysis, except to suggest that Ovechkin would do well to reach out to the fan and apologize.
The location is unclear from the article, but it's either in or near the Russia House in Vancouver. The videographer, reportedly a female fan, is taking video of Ovechkin walking past and talking on his cell phone when the player changes direction and puts his hand over the camera (and apparently pushing it down) before walking past.
Whether this took place last night or today, no matter the situation in the corridor, that behavior is inappropriate for Ovechkin.
If the fan is taking video in a place they aren't supposed to be, let security take care of it. If, as is more likely the case, they were doing something on the up-and-up that you simply didn't like...suck it up and deal.
The whole exchange requires no further analysis, except to suggest that Ovechkin would do well to reach out to the fan and apologize.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
IIHF Says Slew Foots are A-OK?
Disappointing as it may have been for hockey fans hoping for a competitive match, Wednesday night's Olympic quarterfinals game between Canada and Russia certainly provided exciting theater.
After the game Alexander Ovechkin has gotten (deserved) flack for shunning English-speaking media. A bad move by Ovechkin, but also one that has taken the attention away from an on-ice incident that apparently will pass with no ramifications.
My issue is with an incident between Alexander Semin and Dan Boyle with just under 3 minutes remaining in the game, the score 7-3, and a delayed penalty on Semin for a high stick.
Boyle was carrying the puck behind Canada's goal line and had just cleared it around the back of the net and up the boards* when Semin skated from the bottom of the circle and delivered a hefty shoulder check that sent Boyle flying into the boards.
Boyle took clear exception at the hit. As both players skated out of the zone, with the puck having long since entered the neutral zone, Boyle skates up behind an unsuspecting Semin from the forward's left side. Semin sees Boyle out of the corner of his eye as the Canadian slides his right leg behind Semin's legs, puts his right elbow into Semin's chest and throws the Russian player backward.
[Kinda like this]
After the game, NBC's Joe Micheletti asked Boyle about the play, and here's what the defenseman had to say, with a smile on his face:
To my eyes Semin's hit was hard but clean, getting Boyle on the shoulder (contrary to Eddie Olczyk on-air, who called it a high dirty hit). Regardless, it was not penalized. Boyle received a minor penalty for Interference. After the game, according to Sean Leahy of Puck Daddy, an IIHF spokesman said:
Make no mistake, Boyle's play was a dangerous play (and also more correctly a trip, rather than interference). He didn't like Semin's hit, rightly or wrongly, and got retribution behind the play. This wasn't a case of a crosscheck or poke with the stick, though. A slewfoot is an extremely dangerous play.
Whether or not Boyle though 'I'm going to injure Semin' is irrelevant.My first thought after seeing the play was a very bad incident for the NHL, Marty McSorley's attack on Donald Brashear. There's one key difference, which is that McSorley came at Brashear with a stick whereas Boyle used his body to trip up Semin. However, there are a few similarities too.
In both incidents the fouling player approaches the fouled player from behind. In both the fouled player is watching the play, which is up ice, and and the fouling player takes advantage of that. In both incidents an essential part of the action is the fouled player's complete inability to protect himself.
Really, what's the major difference between the two? The damage done to Brashear was not a result of the contact from McSorley's stick. The damage was from Brashear's head snapping back and hitting the ice well after his body landed. The only thing keeping Semin from suffering a similar injury was a tighter chinstrap.
IIHF reserves the right, per section 510 - Supplementary Discipline of their rulebook, to review any play:
(This ties into a whole other debate on the NHL and IIHF's preference to consider injury suffered as a primary factor of supplementary discipline. Just because a player doesn't get hurt on a dangerous play doesn't keep it from being a dangerous, suspendable play.)
To quote that refereeing guide I linked above:
Wait! Don Cherry did say something exactly to that effect (between 4:20 and 5:15 marks) last Valentine's Day after Tomas Plekanec was given a two-game suspension for slew footing Dennis Grebeshkov:
Even still, I'm not faulting the referees on the ice, though the trailing ref probably should have had his eye on the two players after Semin's hit, since the incident was away from the play and happened in the blink of the eye as Boyle engaged Semin from behind. Nonetheless, for the IIHF to say that because a minor was awarded on the play it requires no further attention, let alone discipline, is irresponsible and frankly embarrassing.
Also embarrassing, while we're on the subject, is the way the play was handled in the post-game by Jeremy Roenick and Mike Milbury on NBC. Here's what Mike Milbury had to say, from that clip I linked above:
Roenick wasn't much better, chiding Semin for somehow not knowing that Dan Boyle, he of 438 career PIM and five career fights in 656 career games, would extract extracurricular revenge? I didn't think to transcribe Roenick's statement until after the Sweden-Slovakia game, by which point he removed the cackle from his analysis [no, really, he was cackling] and tempered his words by admitting Boyle may have cheapshotted Semin:
Let's be honest, between Boyle on Semin and some of the other incidents during the game (stay classy, Ryan Getzlaf), there's certainly plenty of room for everyone involved with the ice hockey competition to welcome a little more of that Olympic Spirit into their hearts.
*Originally I said it was debatable whether or not Boyle still had the puck. Another replay showed it had clearly left his stick, but Semin hit Boyle well within the time frame allowed for finishing a check.
After the game Alexander Ovechkin has gotten (deserved) flack for shunning English-speaking media. A bad move by Ovechkin, but also one that has taken the attention away from an on-ice incident that apparently will pass with no ramifications.
My issue is with an incident between Alexander Semin and Dan Boyle with just under 3 minutes remaining in the game, the score 7-3, and a delayed penalty on Semin for a high stick.
Boyle was carrying the puck behind Canada's goal line and had just cleared it around the back of the net and up the boards* when Semin skated from the bottom of the circle and delivered a hefty shoulder check that sent Boyle flying into the boards.
Boyle took clear exception at the hit. As both players skated out of the zone, with the puck having long since entered the neutral zone, Boyle skates up behind an unsuspecting Semin from the forward's left side. Semin sees Boyle out of the corner of his eye as the Canadian slides his right leg behind Semin's legs, puts his right elbow into Semin's chest and throws the Russian player backward.
[Kinda like this]After the game, NBC's Joe Micheletti asked Boyle about the play, and here's what the defenseman had to say, with a smile on his face:
"I guess he hit me, it was probably a good hit. I just lost my head a little bit, it's a part of hockey I guess."It was a textbook slew foot. Seriously, textbook. It was also extremely dangerous. A player who gets slew-footed has no idea the trip is coming and can't brace himself, and often has little chance to break his fall.
To my eyes Semin's hit was hard but clean, getting Boyle on the shoulder (contrary to Eddie Olczyk on-air, who called it a high dirty hit). Regardless, it was not penalized. Boyle received a minor penalty for Interference. After the game, according to Sean Leahy of Puck Daddy, an IIHF spokesman said:
The IIHF usually doesn’t review minor penalties. It’s not likely they will do it now either.Let's be blunt: That is the wrong call.
Make no mistake, Boyle's play was a dangerous play (and also more correctly a trip, rather than interference). He didn't like Semin's hit, rightly or wrongly, and got retribution behind the play. This wasn't a case of a crosscheck or poke with the stick, though. A slewfoot is an extremely dangerous play.
Whether or not Boyle though 'I'm going to injure Semin' is irrelevant.My first thought after seeing the play was a very bad incident for the NHL, Marty McSorley's attack on Donald Brashear. There's one key difference, which is that McSorley came at Brashear with a stick whereas Boyle used his body to trip up Semin. However, there are a few similarities too.
In both incidents the fouling player approaches the fouled player from behind. In both the fouled player is watching the play, which is up ice, and and the fouling player takes advantage of that. In both incidents an essential part of the action is the fouled player's complete inability to protect himself.
Really, what's the major difference between the two? The damage done to Brashear was not a result of the contact from McSorley's stick. The damage was from Brashear's head snapping back and hitting the ice well after his body landed. The only thing keeping Semin from suffering a similar injury was a tighter chinstrap.
IIHF reserves the right, per section 510 - Supplementary Discipline of their rulebook, to review any play:
In addition to the suspension imposed under these rules, the Proper Authorities may, at any time after the conclusion of the game, investigate any incident and may assess additional suspensions for any offence committed on or off the ice at any time before during and after the game, whether or not such offences have been penalized by the Referee. (emphasis mine)When the rule specifically states that plays may be review even when a penalty is not called, let alone a minor penalty, it would be extremely shortsighted to state that because a minor penalty was awarded on the play no additional consideration is required.
(This ties into a whole other debate on the NHL and IIHF's preference to consider injury suffered as a primary factor of supplementary discipline. Just because a player doesn't get hurt on a dangerous play doesn't keep it from being a dangerous, suspendable play.)
To quote that refereeing guide I linked above:
Slew footing is a dangerous move and a cowardly move on top of that. It has put players out of commission for days, weeks, and even months with concussions, bruised tailbones and broken elbows and wrists from the player trying to brace himself as he falls. There is no room for this type of move in the game of hockeyOr, as Don Cherry might say, it's not 'The Canadian Way.'
Wait! Don Cherry did say something exactly to that effect (between 4:20 and 5:15 marks) last Valentine's Day after Tomas Plekanec was given a two-game suspension for slew footing Dennis Grebeshkov:
In the old days there's two things we never did. We used to use the stick a lot, we used to fight a lot [but] if you kicked somebody, I remember I was in Springfield, one of our players kicked a guy, we would never speak to him, they finally had to get rid of him. And you never slew foot!...You cannot slew foot! That's how...if you wanna get a guy killed, that's the way to do it. (emphasis mine)Seriously! The emotion behind the play is defensible, the actual action itself is indefensible.
Even still, I'm not faulting the referees on the ice, though the trailing ref probably should have had his eye on the two players after Semin's hit, since the incident was away from the play and happened in the blink of the eye as Boyle engaged Semin from behind. Nonetheless, for the IIHF to say that because a minor was awarded on the play it requires no further attention, let alone discipline, is irresponsible and frankly embarrassing.
Also embarrassing, while we're on the subject, is the way the play was handled in the post-game by Jeremy Roenick and Mike Milbury on NBC. Here's what Mike Milbury had to say, from that clip I linked above:
I don't blame Dan Boyle for going right after Semin on this one. Look at Semin trying to get out of the way. I know this is a legal hit, with just under 3 minutes to go, with a 4 goal lead, that's not what you do, that's not cool, that's not how you behave, JR [Jeremy Roenick]. Unless it's a personal grudge, or a history, I don't blame Boyle for getting right in his face. (emphasis mine)Really, Mike? Russia knew they were going to lose and therefore they should stop playing hard...the very thing you eviscerated them over in your next statement? Of course, that next statement ("Eurotrash") was the one that really got Milbury in trouble, but other, more talented writers have discussed the way in which Milbury amazingly continues to earn airtime despite bringing absolutely nothing to the table (except, perhaps, advice on how not to serve as a GM).
Roenick wasn't much better, chiding Semin for somehow not knowing that Dan Boyle, he of 438 career PIM and five career fights in 656 career games, would extract extracurricular revenge? I didn't think to transcribe Roenick's statement until after the Sweden-Slovakia game, by which point he removed the cackle from his analysis [no, really, he was cackling] and tempered his words by admitting Boyle may have cheapshotted Semin:
You just don't do that to Danny Boyle, Danny Boyle is going to make sure he gets the last laugh. A little cheap shot but I'm sure Alex Semin will remember that the next time he sees Boyle.And when would that be, Mr. Roenick? If both their NHL teams are lucky, June, or otherwise once, maybe twice in 2010-2011. Cherry, as bombastic as he always is, was right last year when he stated loudly (in his own endearing way) that there's no place in the game for that sort of attack. For Milbury and Roenick to chuckle about it, and in no uncertain terms endorse it on national television, is a) way over the line, and b) completely expected from those two by this point in time.
Let's be honest, between Boyle on Semin and some of the other incidents during the game (stay classy, Ryan Getzlaf), there's certainly plenty of room for everyone involved with the ice hockey competition to welcome a little more of that Olympic Spirit into their hearts.
*Originally I said it was debatable whether or not Boyle still had the puck. Another replay showed it had clearly left his stick, but Semin hit Boyle well within the time frame allowed for finishing a check.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Hockey Lexicon 3 - Princess Day
Hey folks. It's been a busy holiday season, what with the end of the semester and then a lengthy education/vacation/what-have-you to Israel (fun fact: my local rink, The Gardens Ice House at Laurel, has more registered players (1300+) and ice sheets (3) than the entire nation of Israel (500 players, 1 sheet)).
In a day or two a real article will be posted, but to get 2010 started off right we've got another entry into the hockey lexicon.
This one comes courtesy of Pascal Leclaire and the rest of the Ottawa Senators via Don Brennan of the Ottawa Sun and I actually read it first in The Peerless Prognosticator's preview for tonight's Capitals-Ottawa game.
The word is Princess Day, and it's something the Caps are actually fairly familiar with. When Alexander Semin or Mike Green take a day off from practice because of bumps and bruises and call it a 'maintenance day,' well the Sens call that taking a Princess Day.
To be fair players on the Senators, and every other team, take them as well, but their term makes it clear how some players view the practice.
In a day or two a real article will be posted, but to get 2010 started off right we've got another entry into the hockey lexicon.
This one comes courtesy of Pascal Leclaire and the rest of the Ottawa Senators via Don Brennan of the Ottawa Sun and I actually read it first in The Peerless Prognosticator's preview for tonight's Capitals-Ottawa game.
The word is Princess Day, and it's something the Caps are actually fairly familiar with. When Alexander Semin or Mike Green take a day off from practice because of bumps and bruises and call it a 'maintenance day,' well the Sens call that taking a Princess Day.
To be fair players on the Senators, and every other team, take them as well, but their term makes it clear how some players view the practice.
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