Browsing SI.com earlier today, I happened across a Daren Eliot blog post, "Who is the Next Joe Sakic?", asking which player in the NHL has the best wrist shot now that Sakic is retired.
Fair enough, Burnaby Joe had one of the best wrist shots in the game, quick and deadly accurate. So I skimmed the article for Eliot's thoughts. Jeff Carter, okay. Ryan Getzlaf, maybe. Jonathan Toews? I can see that. But where's Alexander Semin? Heresy!
Then I actually read the article, and saw he was talking about centers only. That got me thinking though, who has the best wrist shot in the league? When we think of big-time scorers we tend to gravitate towards the hard shooters (Ovechkin, Jarome Iginla), razzle-dazzle pucksmiths (Rick Nash) or garbage-goal opportunists (Carter, Johan Franzen).
Practitioners of the wrist shot like Thomas Vanek, Marian Hossa and yes, Semin, garner attention for the puck in the net rather than the way they put it there, unlike the way the action itself of taking a slapshot is heroized in hockey.
Which, of course, is an excuse for the District Puckhouse to celebrate the wrist shot with a collection of Alexander Semin clips. Long live the wrister!
Monday, August 3, 2009
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Re: The lack of recent activity
Just got back yesterday from a week at the beach with the girlfriend and another couple we've known since college. The couple currently lives in Pittsburgh, having moved there after meeting at college. She is from north-central West Virginia, he from north of Baltimore. This is relevant.
As a couple composed of one person (she) from a small town whose nearest major city is Pittsburgh, and one person (he) with no compelling interest in professional sports, they obviously have gravitated toward the pro sports teams from the Steel City...at least the successful ones.
This post isn't to begrudge them their fandom (though, curiously, she didn't seem too interested in the Penguins while we were in school from 2001 to 2005, and his Steelers support must kill his Ravens-loving parents inside). They made some jokes about Geno and his parents, I asked when Crosby would move out of Lemieux's basement, she called him "Fleury" whenever he let in a goal in Wii laser hockey...all was well.
Rather, what struck me was the prevalence of Pittsburgh imagery and memorabilia in the city itself. That it took the girlfriend and I half as long coming from the Washington suburbs than our friends from Pittsburgh to get to Rehoboth Beach was not lost on us. Nonetheless, the Penguins and Steelers were basically the only sports teams you could find on shirts, hats, posters, etc. in the various tchotchke shops along the boardwalk and main drag (there was a smattering of Eagles and Phillies stuff too). The same with the other fine vacationers spending their time in the city- plenty of people wearing Steelers and Penguins logos and sporting Stillers bumper stickers (as well as other non-sports related Pittsburgh stuff), but nary a Capitals* or Redskins logo to be seen.
We surmised the reason for the Pittsburgh dominance. Is Rehoboth Beach really that much of a major destination for Pittsburghians? There are certainly several other major sports cities much closer to the Delaware Shore than south-west Pennsylvania.
And there definitely were people wearing Phillies and Flyers shirts, so perhaps it was just that the Pittsburgh images stood out more to me as an individual.
The conclusion we arrived at was not that there was a massive influx of Yinzers to Rehoboth Beach, but rather a combination of 1) said Pittsburgh residents being extremely overt about their city and sports allegiances, and 2) a desire on the part of retailers in the city to capitalize on bandwagon interest and popularity. And to be fair, I did see a few Colts Super Bowl XLI Champions hats tucked away in the corner of one of the sports memorabilia shops, which lends a great deal of credence to that theory.
There isn't really a specific argument to this post; it's more of an inquiry into why there was so much black and gold kicking around on the Delaware shores this week. Perhaps its all bandwagon, perhaps not. If a plethora of Penguins logos was the worst part of my vacation, well then, really what am I complaining about?
*Okay, I saw one weird photo-painting montage of several Caps players in an "art" gallery off Rehoboth Ave, but to be fair they had similar montages of every Pittsburgh and Philadelphia team, as well as several composite images of the Mona Lisa holding dogs, so I'm going to say that doesn't count.
As a couple composed of one person (she) from a small town whose nearest major city is Pittsburgh, and one person (he) with no compelling interest in professional sports, they obviously have gravitated toward the pro sports teams from the Steel City...at least the successful ones.
This post isn't to begrudge them their fandom (though, curiously, she didn't seem too interested in the Penguins while we were in school from 2001 to 2005, and his Steelers support must kill his Ravens-loving parents inside). They made some jokes about Geno and his parents, I asked when Crosby would move out of Lemieux's basement, she called him "Fleury" whenever he let in a goal in Wii laser hockey...all was well.
Rather, what struck me was the prevalence of Pittsburgh imagery and memorabilia in the city itself. That it took the girlfriend and I half as long coming from the Washington suburbs than our friends from Pittsburgh to get to Rehoboth Beach was not lost on us. Nonetheless, the Penguins and Steelers were basically the only sports teams you could find on shirts, hats, posters, etc. in the various tchotchke shops along the boardwalk and main drag (there was a smattering of Eagles and Phillies stuff too). The same with the other fine vacationers spending their time in the city- plenty of people wearing Steelers and Penguins logos and sporting Stillers bumper stickers (as well as other non-sports related Pittsburgh stuff), but nary a Capitals* or Redskins logo to be seen.
We surmised the reason for the Pittsburgh dominance. Is Rehoboth Beach really that much of a major destination for Pittsburghians? There are certainly several other major sports cities much closer to the Delaware Shore than south-west Pennsylvania.
And there definitely were people wearing Phillies and Flyers shirts, so perhaps it was just that the Pittsburgh images stood out more to me as an individual.
The conclusion we arrived at was not that there was a massive influx of Yinzers to Rehoboth Beach, but rather a combination of 1) said Pittsburgh residents being extremely overt about their city and sports allegiances, and 2) a desire on the part of retailers in the city to capitalize on bandwagon interest and popularity. And to be fair, I did see a few Colts Super Bowl XLI Champions hats tucked away in the corner of one of the sports memorabilia shops, which lends a great deal of credence to that theory.
There isn't really a specific argument to this post; it's more of an inquiry into why there was so much black and gold kicking around on the Delaware shores this week. Perhaps its all bandwagon, perhaps not. If a plethora of Penguins logos was the worst part of my vacation, well then, really what am I complaining about?
*Okay, I saw one weird photo-painting montage of several Caps players in an "art" gallery off Rehoboth Ave, but to be fair they had similar montages of every Pittsburgh and Philadelphia team, as well as several composite images of the Mona Lisa holding dogs, so I'm going to say that doesn't count.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Not exactly hockey related, but a pretty cool thing happened at the Washington Freedom-Saint Louis Athletica WPS game I covered yesterday evening at RFK Stadium that reminded me of the whole Brett Leonhardt saga last season.
Coming into the game, both teams were short a couple starters, including each #1 goaltender (Erin McLeod for Washington and Hope Solo for Saint Louis), because of a USA-Canada friendly the next night. On top of that, Washington's backup goalie, Brianna Scurry, is currently injured. That's alright though, because like most professional soccer teams the Freedom carry a third goaltender, Kati Jo Spisak, who had actually started in a couple games prior to Saturday night.
You see where this is going.
In the 54th minute, an Athletica player knocks the ball out of bounds across the Freedom end line. Spisak places the ball on the 6-yard box, backs up, takes the goal kick and immediately crumples to the ground in pain grasping her right leg. Find out after the game that she pulled her quadriceps muscle.
Spisak tries to play, but can't plant on the foot. Goal kicks are out of the question, let alone moving laterally for saves. She has to come out. Enter Nicci Wright.
Confused by the link? Scroll down. Wright is the Freedom's goaltender coach, a former goalie for the organization (as well as the Canadian Women's National Team) who retired in 2006 to coach. See, the team realized they'd be down to one roster goalie on Saturday, and chose to sign Wright to a two-day weekend contract for this past weekend to back up Spisak, rather than go outside the organization.
On second thought, it's more of a Lester Patrick story.
So, with the only usual regular roster goalie on the ground in pain, Wright went in. First she had to find her jersey, take off her necklace and earrings, and borrow a pair of shinguardss, and not until she got in the game was she able to actually warm up.
Saint Louis tested Wright immediately, blasting a shot on net from about 40 yards out, but Wright did pretty well aside from one turnover inside the 18 yard box and preserved the shutout and the win, as Homare Sawa scored after Wright entered for the 1-0 lead that held up as the final score.
It's not a big story, and probably rightfully so as the Freedom probably fall under the Kastles and just above the D.C. Armor in terms of their local sports relevancy, but fun nonetheless. A nice reminder to expect the unexpected and enjoy it when it happens.
Coming into the game, both teams were short a couple starters, including each #1 goaltender (Erin McLeod for Washington and Hope Solo for Saint Louis), because of a USA-Canada friendly the next night. On top of that, Washington's backup goalie, Brianna Scurry, is currently injured. That's alright though, because like most professional soccer teams the Freedom carry a third goaltender, Kati Jo Spisak, who had actually started in a couple games prior to Saturday night.
You see where this is going.
In the 54th minute, an Athletica player knocks the ball out of bounds across the Freedom end line. Spisak places the ball on the 6-yard box, backs up, takes the goal kick and immediately crumples to the ground in pain grasping her right leg. Find out after the game that she pulled her quadriceps muscle.
Spisak tries to play, but can't plant on the foot. Goal kicks are out of the question, let alone moving laterally for saves. She has to come out. Enter Nicci Wright.
Confused by the link? Scroll down. Wright is the Freedom's goaltender coach, a former goalie for the organization (as well as the Canadian Women's National Team) who retired in 2006 to coach. See, the team realized they'd be down to one roster goalie on Saturday, and chose to sign Wright to a two-day weekend contract for this past weekend to back up Spisak, rather than go outside the organization.
On second thought, it's more of a Lester Patrick story.
So, with the only usual regular roster goalie on the ground in pain, Wright went in. First she had to find her jersey, take off her necklace and earrings, and borrow a pair of shinguardss, and not until she got in the game was she able to actually warm up.
Saint Louis tested Wright immediately, blasting a shot on net from about 40 yards out, but Wright did pretty well aside from one turnover inside the 18 yard box and preserved the shutout and the win, as Homare Sawa scored after Wright entered for the 1-0 lead that held up as the final score.
It's not a big story, and probably rightfully so as the Freedom probably fall under the Kastles and just above the D.C. Armor in terms of their local sports relevancy, but fun nonetheless. A nice reminder to expect the unexpected and enjoy it when it happens.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
My first thought on the official announcement of the long-known rumor that the 2010 Winter Classic will be at Fenway between the Bruins and Flyers was the same as many others, namely, what a huge mistake NBC made in picking the Flyers over the Capitals.
My second thought was, awesome, that gives me another year to save up so I can actually make my way to wherever it is the Caps play in the Winter Classic (presumably the next 2-3 years).
My third thought was, who the hell will they play when they get it? Boston and Philadelphia will be out, as will the previous teams to play in the Winter Classic- Detroit, Chicago, Buffalo and Pittsburgh. NBC will likely lobby hard for a Capitals-Penguins matchup, but the league would be wise to turn that down. The Pens were in the 2008 game and have been in the past two Stanley Cup finals, they've had more than their fair share of tv time and, more importantly, the other NHL constituent clubs would revolt.
So far the matchups have alternated between Eastern and Western Conference teams, and it wouldn't be surprising for that to continue. Nor would it be surprising to see either a) a pair of Canadian teams, or b) an American and Canadian team meeting on Canadian ice. Expect Montreal and/or Toronto to be involved in that.
Capitals versus Canadiens would be interesting, and could actually happen this season (albeit in November and indoors).
So, who in the Eastern Conference would the Caps play? Canadiens and Maple Leafs, maybe, but it'd be more likely to see them play another American team. Although Puck Daddy would love to see them play on the Reflecting Pool on the Mall (and it's certainly big enough), there's no way the Capitals host an outdoors game. The weather is way too unpredictable. The historic average high on January 1st in Washington, D.C. (20001 zip code) is 43 degrees, and the record high was 69 degrees only four years ago. That would be disastrous.
If a home game is out, so is a game against a Southeast Division opponent. The Rangers, Islanders and Devils would make the most sense geographically. Right now a Capitals-Islanders matchup sounds ridiculous, but if we're looking two or four years in the future then the Next Big Thing could transform into the Real Deal, and maybe even galvanize a New York audience (which is NBC's real interest).
As a dark horse, I'd say Capitals-Senators would be a great thematic match, pitting the two national capitals against each other in competition for the Capital Cup.*
*As an aside, does anyone else remember the Caps and Sens playing for that in the preseason? I totally remember being there one year where the Caps won and hoisted a Capitals-themed trash can as the 'trophy,' but I feel like that could easily be a complete figment of my imagination.
My second thought was, awesome, that gives me another year to save up so I can actually make my way to wherever it is the Caps play in the Winter Classic (presumably the next 2-3 years).
My third thought was, who the hell will they play when they get it? Boston and Philadelphia will be out, as will the previous teams to play in the Winter Classic- Detroit, Chicago, Buffalo and Pittsburgh. NBC will likely lobby hard for a Capitals-Penguins matchup, but the league would be wise to turn that down. The Pens were in the 2008 game and have been in the past two Stanley Cup finals, they've had more than their fair share of tv time and, more importantly, the other NHL constituent clubs would revolt.
So far the matchups have alternated between Eastern and Western Conference teams, and it wouldn't be surprising for that to continue. Nor would it be surprising to see either a) a pair of Canadian teams, or b) an American and Canadian team meeting on Canadian ice. Expect Montreal and/or Toronto to be involved in that.
Capitals versus Canadiens would be interesting, and could actually happen this season (albeit in November and indoors).
So, who in the Eastern Conference would the Caps play? Canadiens and Maple Leafs, maybe, but it'd be more likely to see them play another American team. Although Puck Daddy would love to see them play on the Reflecting Pool on the Mall (and it's certainly big enough), there's no way the Capitals host an outdoors game. The weather is way too unpredictable. The historic average high on January 1st in Washington, D.C. (20001 zip code) is 43 degrees, and the record high was 69 degrees only four years ago. That would be disastrous.
If a home game is out, so is a game against a Southeast Division opponent. The Rangers, Islanders and Devils would make the most sense geographically. Right now a Capitals-Islanders matchup sounds ridiculous, but if we're looking two or four years in the future then the Next Big Thing could transform into the Real Deal, and maybe even galvanize a New York audience (which is NBC's real interest).
As a dark horse, I'd say Capitals-Senators would be a great thematic match, pitting the two national capitals against each other in competition for the Capital Cup.*
*As an aside, does anyone else remember the Caps and Sens playing for that in the preseason? I totally remember being there one year where the Caps won and hoisted a Capitals-themed trash can as the 'trophy,' but I feel like that could easily be a complete figment of my imagination.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
One small addition = One big improvement?
Last week, for an opening post, I drafted up a nice piece about how the Knuble acquisition was very good for the Capitals but the continuing lack of a real second-line center was still extremely problematic. Whoops.
Now, my original post was predicated on the argument that Brooks Laich, while in general a serviceable second-line center- he wins faceoffs, is very responsible defensively, can score (two straight 20-goal seasons) and set up teammates (30 assists last season)- he is not the type of pivot that excels with a winger like Alexander Semin. In some instances Semin, Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom play together, but usually the two Alexes are separated.
Without getting too reductive in terms of each player's skill set, Ovechkin is the type of winger who creates his own scoring chances while Semin (who is certainly capable of the same) excels more as a finisher, i.e. working in tandem with a set-up man. Laich may have had 30 assists last year, but when your signature move is almost losing the puck on a breakaway, you're more suited to crashing the net than dishing to Semin. Brendan Morrison, on the other hand, is a playmaker. He has seven 30+ assist seasons, and while Japer's Rink is pretty excited about his goal-scoring potential, the Caps don't need another 20-goal scorer, they need a quality set-up man who can also skate up and down the ice in Bruce Boudreau's up-tempo system (as an aside, I'm very disappointed there aren't any videos on Youtube showing Michael Nylander aimlessly skating in circles in the offensive zone).
It remains to be seen if Morrison fulfills his destiny as a #2 pivot, obviously, but this was a shrewd move by GM George McPhee, who likely targeted a couple free agent centers and then waited past the first week of free agency for prices to drop before snagging a bargain (I might be giving McPhee too much credit here, but probably not). Backstrom is definitely the Caps #1 center, Dave Steckel and Boyd Gordon are very good as 3rd and 4th line centers, but Fedorov's departure left the second slot wide open. Nylander is out of the picture because of his style and lack of productivity, and while Keith Aucoin will be good competition for Morrison, expect the newly-acquired former Hobey Baker winner to win out. While Fedorov's leadership is irreplaceable, Morrison (or even Aucoin for that matter) will even be an improvement in terms of on-ice performance.
Now, my original post was predicated on the argument that Brooks Laich, while in general a serviceable second-line center- he wins faceoffs, is very responsible defensively, can score (two straight 20-goal seasons) and set up teammates (30 assists last season)- he is not the type of pivot that excels with a winger like Alexander Semin. In some instances Semin, Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom play together, but usually the two Alexes are separated.
Without getting too reductive in terms of each player's skill set, Ovechkin is the type of winger who creates his own scoring chances while Semin (who is certainly capable of the same) excels more as a finisher, i.e. working in tandem with a set-up man. Laich may have had 30 assists last year, but when your signature move is almost losing the puck on a breakaway, you're more suited to crashing the net than dishing to Semin. Brendan Morrison, on the other hand, is a playmaker. He has seven 30+ assist seasons, and while Japer's Rink is pretty excited about his goal-scoring potential, the Caps don't need another 20-goal scorer, they need a quality set-up man who can also skate up and down the ice in Bruce Boudreau's up-tempo system (as an aside, I'm very disappointed there aren't any videos on Youtube showing Michael Nylander aimlessly skating in circles in the offensive zone).
It remains to be seen if Morrison fulfills his destiny as a #2 pivot, obviously, but this was a shrewd move by GM George McPhee, who likely targeted a couple free agent centers and then waited past the first week of free agency for prices to drop before snagging a bargain (I might be giving McPhee too much credit here, but probably not). Backstrom is definitely the Caps #1 center, Dave Steckel and Boyd Gordon are very good as 3rd and 4th line centers, but Fedorov's departure left the second slot wide open. Nylander is out of the picture because of his style and lack of productivity, and while Keith Aucoin will be good competition for Morrison, expect the newly-acquired former Hobey Baker winner to win out. While Fedorov's leadership is irreplaceable, Morrison (or even Aucoin for that matter) will even be an improvement in terms of on-ice performance.
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