The Random Hockey Thoughts Thread

[dave]

This round has been so surprising.
Tampa and San Jose in sweeps?
Never would have thought so in a million years.
Boston too, for that matter.

 

[Ravin]

It is kind of insane that second round could end in 3 sweeps and 1 5 gamer. Don't think many would have said Boston-Tampa Eastern final. Hell I'll just go ahead and say, NO ONE would say that. San Jose - Vancouver, yeah ok. Fairly easy pick on those two getting to that point. I think West has an easy lock up for the Cup this season, as I just can't see San Jose/Vancouver *det/nsh being defeated by Boston/Tampa.

 

[ThomasTomasz]

Tampa Bay has a legit shot at this.......I am very disappointed in the Capitals, and I have to wonder at Bruce Boudreau's job security right now. We changed our philosophy mid-season to more of a defense-orientated approach, and added some veterans throughout the year like Arnott, Hannan, Sturm and Wideman.

To be swept in the second after all that has happened this year if unfathomable. I really do think someones head has to roll after this.

 

[killgod]

I'd bet on Bruce getting canned. He's not a bad coach, but he's not able to motivate this team to the next level.

 

[leaffan]

Caps/Lightning season series was something like 4-1-1 for the caps too.

Who knows what's going to happen over the offseason though. It seems like they have the player personal in place, they just got out coached by that crazy frenchmen.

 

[Senser81]

Completely, totally, utterly embarrassed....that's all I can say. This is exactly how the 2nd half of the Flyers' season went, ridiculously inconsistent...and not a damn thing is going to change in the off-season. Carter has to be the worst 40+ goal scorer I've seen, and Versteeg has not added one damn thing to the team since he came.

I watched Versteeg when he was in Chicago, and he was a highly-skilled player, but on occassion he would make a bonehead play with a bad turnover or he'd just lose focus. This appeared to happen on Boston's 2nd goal.

Philly really didn't have a chance after giving up 2 goals in the opening minute. They didn't look as good as they looked in Game 2.

 

[ThomasTomasz]

I'd bet on Bruce getting canned. He's not a bad coach, but he's not able to motivate this team to the next level.

Ted Leonsis released a statement today where he said he's very disappointed, and apologized to the fans. He did say that wholesale changes probably were not happening, and that he and the rest of the team would be "analytical" and take the next few days to think about what happened and come up with an action plan.

I do agree with you about Boudreau. He's a very good coach, but with many coaches, their message becomes stale. I think that the Caps need to turn to a new coach to get the team motivated.

Caps/Lightning season series was something like 4-1-1 for the caps too.

Who knows what's going to happen over the offseason though. It seems like they have the player personal in place, they just got out coached by that crazy frenchmen.

You are right, they have a lot of talent on this team, and they should certainly be at the next level. Semin will be back, and of course there is Ovechkin, Green and Backstrom. All three goalies aren't going anywhere, and most of the role players will return. There will not be cap room to make any wholesale changes to the roster, so any changes will have to be elsehwhere. But, if not Boudreau (and certainly not George McPhee) then where do those changes come from?

 

[Ravin]

I'd fucking bet on Bruce getting fucking canned. He's not a bad fucking coach, but he's not able to fucking motivate this fucking team to the next fucking level.

Fixed. :smug:

 

[Ravin]

Washington I believe went to far with the "defence" thing. So much so in turned the entire system from one extreme to the other. You can't go from a high power offence to a trap defence minded group and not expect to get killed and have to put the panic button down when you get behind.

Plus, Washington has sick depth....when they show up to play. A lot of their depth guys didn't did do anything, and guys like Semin scored the majority in the Rangers series. Backstrom was off in lala land. So then you start going down the line up. Green wasn't even a factor on the point, Knuble, Fehr and many other 2nd liners and down never stepped up, and it shows right here you can't just rely on Ovey to carry you through the playoffs. Washington is probably the new San Jose Sharks in that they just stopped giving a fuck about playing in the playoffs, and coasted it through thinking what they did before was good enough now.

 

[killgod]

Fixed. :smug:

:yeah:

 

[Ravin]

:yeah:

Fucking VSN can't even get a png to work right. bama:

 

[killgod]

It was fine fucking yesterday. Stupid fucking assholes.

:smug:

 

[PP]

was prolly uploaded wrong.

 

[wr50l]

I'm making contingency plans for the Sharks actually winning the Cup now. Killgod is going to be a more intolerable fanboy than ever before.

 

[killgod]

I'm making contingency plans for the Sharks actually winning the Cup now. Killgod is going to be a more intolerable fanboy than ever before.

:yeah:

 

[ThomasTomasz]

Washington I believe went to far with the "defence" thing. So much so in turned the entire system from one extreme to the other. You can't go from a high power offence to a trap defence minded group and not expect to get killed and have to put the panic button down when you get behind.

Plus, Washington has sick depth....when they show up to play. A lot of their depth guys didn't did do anything, and guys like Semin scored the majority in the Rangers series. Backstrom was off in lala land. So then you start going down the line up. Green wasn't even a factor on the point, Knuble, Fehr and many other 2nd liners and down never stepped up, and it shows right here you can't just rely on Ovey to carry you through the playoffs. Washington is probably the new San Jose Sharks in that they just stopped giving a fuck about playing in the playoffs, and coasted it through thinking what they did before was good enough now.

Spot on.....plus there were some injuries to Poti, Wideman, Green and Knuble. We still have enough depth to make it through those, however.

So what do you guys think should happen? Ken Hitchcock time?

 

[Ravin]

Spot on.....plus there were some injuries to Poti, Wideman, Green and Knuble. We still have enough depth to make it through those, however.

So what do you guys think should happen? Ken Hitchcock time?

:jonesy:


I would never hire that guy for Washington. I think they need to give Bruce one more season at best, and see what happens. But this is the second year in a row where they finished tops and then got outted in some kind of dramatic way. So who knows. If they are smart they hold off and let things settle and then look at the team. Don't make any quick rash decisions.

 

[ThomasTomasz]

:jonesy:


I would never hire that guy for Washington. I think they need to give Bruce one more season at best, and see what happens. But this is the second year in a row where they finished tops and then got outted in some kind of dramatic way. So who knows. If they are smart they hold off and let things settle and then look at the team. Don't make any quick rash decisions.

Which is what Leonsis is doing, in regards to waiting and making decisions later. As I said earlier, there isn't enough cap space to make a huge roster move, so anything "big" is going to be the coaching staff.

Hitchcock was the first name that came to mind, but there are others out there.

Another thing we forget is that the core of this team is all below 25- the only one above that is Semin. They are still young and it could all of a sudden "click."

 

[wingsfan77]

I watched Versteeg when he was in Chicago, and he was a highly-skilled player, but on occassion he would make a bonehead play with a bad turnover or he'd just lose focus. This appeared to happen on Boston's 2nd goal.

Philly really didn't have a chance after giving up 2 goals in the opening minute. They didn't look as good as they looked in Game 2.

Yeah, I mean I didn't know much about Versteeg when they made the trade, I thought he was a douche after the Finals last year (mainly due to the rapping) but I was willing to give him a shot.....bama:

 

[JOHNNYTHECLOWN]

This hit has been on my mind all day.