HUGE game tonight. It's been a very competitive series thus far. Caps are down 2 games to 1 and look to even the series tonight at home. Unfortunately we will have to try and do that without the services of Nicklas Backstrom who was suspended for tonight's game. Keys to the game include:
1. Better play from Holtby. He was good in the first two games but he let in a couple of soft goals in Game 3 - particularly the Bruins first goal which was a pretty benign wrist shot towards his head. Will be interesting to see how he bounces back.
2. Better defense. What was very solid in the first two games really hurt us in the last game. Too many turnovers and just not clearing out the crease and helping out Holtby. Needs to stiffen up tonight.
3. Taking advantage of home ice. Will be hard to lose this one and go down 3 games to 1 and head back to Boston. Caps have been good at home and we need to take advantage of the crowd noise and the line matchups.
4. Need others to step up. The Bruins will not let Ovi beat them. Others are going to have to pick up the slack and get the goals. Guys have been playing well but we need continued efforts from the likes of Semin, MoJo, Beagle, and would love to see a goal from either Green or Wideman.
5. Starting out strong. Keeping with the home ice advantage and the crowd noise, we really need to feed off of that and start out strong and put the pressure on. The Caps during the regular season have typically disappeared for entire periods and have had their issues starting out aggressive. Can't happen tonight. Need a strong effort right from the opening drop.
In the end, I like the way we are playing and hopefully we can put together another good effort. Hopefully Holtby can come up big for us and hopefully we can walk away tonight having evened the series. Looking forward to it.
UNLEASH THE FURY!!!
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Colts told Luck he is going #1
From ESPN: The Indianapolis Colts have told Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck that they will take him with the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft, according to a league source.
It's unclear precisely when the Colts informed Luck, but a league source said the team has known for weeks that Luck would be its pick. His style most closely resembles that of former Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, and he is the player Indianapolis wants to rebuild around, the source said.
The Washington Redskins will take Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III with the No. 2 pick in the draft, according to league sources.
Colts general manager Ryan Grigson told reporters Wednesday the Colts have a plan for the No. 1 pick, but would not disclose the team's choice.
"We've known for a little while. We've done all our due diligence," Grigson said during a 30-minute news conference. "Unless there's an unforeseen problem or something like that, we know what we're doing."
No real surprise. RGIII is the better fit for D.C. I'm pretty excited to get the guy. The more you listen to him, the more you like him. I keep saying that as impressive as he is physically, you have to really like the way he speaks and carries himself. He certainly doesn't seem like a moron like Ryan Leaf.
HTTR!
It's unclear precisely when the Colts informed Luck, but a league source said the team has known for weeks that Luck would be its pick. His style most closely resembles that of former Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, and he is the player Indianapolis wants to rebuild around, the source said.
The Washington Redskins will take Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III with the No. 2 pick in the draft, according to league sources.
Colts general manager Ryan Grigson told reporters Wednesday the Colts have a plan for the No. 1 pick, but would not disclose the team's choice.
"We've known for a little while. We've done all our due diligence," Grigson said during a 30-minute news conference. "Unless there's an unforeseen problem or something like that, we know what we're doing."
No real surprise. RGIII is the better fit for D.C. I'm pretty excited to get the guy. The more you listen to him, the more you like him. I keep saying that as impressive as he is physically, you have to really like the way he speaks and carries himself. He certainly doesn't seem like a moron like Ryan Leaf.
HTTR!
Monday, April 16, 2012
Skins resign Fletcher and sign Tanard Jackson
FINALLY! It was a must for Fletcher to resign. Aside from the fact that he is an obvious talent, he is the heart and soul of this team, a captain, and to not sign him would have been a P.R. nightmare for this regime. Love getting Fletcher back.
Also, like the signing of Tanard Jackson. He will be reunited with Raheem Morris and hopefully we will get good use out of him. The S position was a major concern with the loss of Landry. We were going into the season with Gomes and Doughty at those spots. While I like both those guys, Doughty is more of a special teamer and Gomes is still raw. Looks like our starting safeties will be Meriweather and Jackson. Meriweather should be more comfortable with the Skins as he is looking to ressurrect his career as he should be allowed to play more towards the line and be aggressives as opposed to having to do too much covering. Jackson is young and has been a starter since he came into the league so he should be an upgrade at the FS position.
I love that we get Jenkins and Hankerson back. The rebuilding is starting to take hold. Perhaps it is asking too much for the Redskins to take a giant leap into Super Bowl contention. But being exciting, relevant, and in the playoff conversation after Thanksgiving seems to be quite possible right now. Most of this will fall on RG3 and how quickly he can command the offense. We will need to focus on the O line in the draft but the team is looking more solid across the board than it has in years.
HTTR!!!
Also, like the signing of Tanard Jackson. He will be reunited with Raheem Morris and hopefully we will get good use out of him. The S position was a major concern with the loss of Landry. We were going into the season with Gomes and Doughty at those spots. While I like both those guys, Doughty is more of a special teamer and Gomes is still raw. Looks like our starting safeties will be Meriweather and Jackson. Meriweather should be more comfortable with the Skins as he is looking to ressurrect his career as he should be allowed to play more towards the line and be aggressives as opposed to having to do too much covering. Jackson is young and has been a starter since he came into the league so he should be an upgrade at the FS position.
I love that we get Jenkins and Hankerson back. The rebuilding is starting to take hold. Perhaps it is asking too much for the Redskins to take a giant leap into Super Bowl contention. But being exciting, relevant, and in the playoff conversation after Thanksgiving seems to be quite possible right now. Most of this will fall on RG3 and how quickly he can command the offense. We will need to focus on the O line in the draft but the team is looking more solid across the board than it has in years.
HTTR!!!
Friday, April 13, 2012
Caps lose game 1 in OT
Tough loss but not a big a deal. It's game 1 and it's a long series. It hurt a little more as the loss came in OT. Playoff hockey is already emotional but emotions climb that much higher in OT and a win is something the winning team can carry with them for a while. It will be critical for the Caps to bounce back from the loss but there is no question that we are capable of playing with the Bruins.
Here are my general thoughts on the game:
1. Holtby was very good. He had a number of very good saves and he plays with a lot of confidence and composure. His biggest issue is that he has a tough time controlling the puck and is apt to give up some good rebounds. The OT goal that was scored is one that I'm sure he would love to have back. Looked like he slid to far to his right leaving a portion of the net open allowing Kelly to slam it in. Still, if not for Holtby, the game would have ended much earlier. We can only hope he plays at least as well in game 2.
2. PK was very good. While we can commend the PK unit, we have to be upset for taking too many penalties. Beagle to a 4 minute penalty at the end of the first. We were able to kill of the rest of that penalty to start the second and just as we kill that one off, we take another penalty. We have to be smarter and not take so many penalties.
3. Defense was solid. There were a couple of break downs but by and large a strong defensive effort. There were a number of guys that sacrficed their bodies to block shots and take lanes away for open looks at the net. Was very satisfied with the defense.
4. Offense struggled. This is an understatement. Two shots in the second period? That's not going to cut it. We had opportunities to shoot but guys are just shooting wide. We have to get the puck to the net. Also, when there are open looks, guys have to bury it. Backstrom and Green both had great looks at Thomas from close range and Green missed the net entirely. That was a classic Mike Green opportunity and where as before he would have nailed it, he missed the net. Again, not going to cut it.
5. Ovie was punished and gave punishment. Can't fault Ovie for this game. It is clear that the Bruins are going to hit him any chance they can and they are not going to give him any room to skate. It was a VERY physical game for him. I thought he did his best given what he was faced with. It is clear that other guys are going to have to step up and get the offense going because they are taking Ovie out of the equation.
Game 2 is tomorrow afternoon. Pressure is still on both teams. The Caps are obviously looking for the split on their away games and Boston is looking to maintain their home ice advantage. I expect another tough, physical game. Hopefully we come out on top in this one.
UNLEASH THE FURY!!!
Here are my general thoughts on the game:
1. Holtby was very good. He had a number of very good saves and he plays with a lot of confidence and composure. His biggest issue is that he has a tough time controlling the puck and is apt to give up some good rebounds. The OT goal that was scored is one that I'm sure he would love to have back. Looked like he slid to far to his right leaving a portion of the net open allowing Kelly to slam it in. Still, if not for Holtby, the game would have ended much earlier. We can only hope he plays at least as well in game 2.
2. PK was very good. While we can commend the PK unit, we have to be upset for taking too many penalties. Beagle to a 4 minute penalty at the end of the first. We were able to kill of the rest of that penalty to start the second and just as we kill that one off, we take another penalty. We have to be smarter and not take so many penalties.
3. Defense was solid. There were a couple of break downs but by and large a strong defensive effort. There were a number of guys that sacrficed their bodies to block shots and take lanes away for open looks at the net. Was very satisfied with the defense.
4. Offense struggled. This is an understatement. Two shots in the second period? That's not going to cut it. We had opportunities to shoot but guys are just shooting wide. We have to get the puck to the net. Also, when there are open looks, guys have to bury it. Backstrom and Green both had great looks at Thomas from close range and Green missed the net entirely. That was a classic Mike Green opportunity and where as before he would have nailed it, he missed the net. Again, not going to cut it.
5. Ovie was punished and gave punishment. Can't fault Ovie for this game. It is clear that the Bruins are going to hit him any chance they can and they are not going to give him any room to skate. It was a VERY physical game for him. I thought he did his best given what he was faced with. It is clear that other guys are going to have to step up and get the offense going because they are taking Ovie out of the equation.
Game 2 is tomorrow afternoon. Pressure is still on both teams. The Caps are obviously looking for the split on their away games and Boston is looking to maintain their home ice advantage. I expect another tough, physical game. Hopefully we come out on top in this one.
UNLEASH THE FURY!!!
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Skins sign S Madieu Williams and CB Leigh Torrence
Nice pickups. Williams should be able to provide help at the FS position. He is an 8 year vet with a solid track record. May compete with Cedric Griffin at that spot. We also pick up former Skin Leigh Torrence to add depth to the CB spot. These are some nice complementary pickups that help a secondary needing experienced players.
Also in play is the recently released Tanard Jackson from the Bucs. He's a S with good upside. He has had some off the field issues but former Buc coach, Raheem Morris, is our secondary coach so will be interesting to see if we are able to land Jackson. Assuming he is healthy and has his head on straight that would be a nice pickup.
Also in play is the recently released Tanard Jackson from the Bucs. He's a S with good upside. He has had some off the field issues but former Buc coach, Raheem Morris, is our secondary coach so will be interesting to see if we are able to land Jackson. Assuming he is healthy and has his head on straight that would be a nice pickup.
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Caps draw the Bruins in playoffs
On the final day of the regular season, the Caps still weren't sure who they were going to draw in the first round. It could've been the Rangers, Bruins, or Devils. In the end, the Caps came in as the 7th seed and will end up taking on #2 seeded Boston.
Frankly, it doesn't really matter who we played. Each matchup would present its own pros and cons. The biggest concern with Boston is obviously going up against their stars in Chara who does a great job of nullifying Ovie and Tim Thomas who even at his age is still one of the better goaltenders in the league.
The good thing with the Chara and Ovie matchup is that the Caps no longer rely solely on Ovie to score. This season we have had to count on a number of players to provide goals so hopefully the Chara/Ovie matchup will have less of an impact.
The Bruins also do a very good job of crashing the net and getting traffic in front of the opposing goalie. With the Caps having to turn to 22 year old Braden Holtby in the net, this could present even more pressure on the youngster. Still, I like Holtby. He seems like a cool, confident kid ready for the challenge. You never know what you get with a kid like that. It could be disasterous or it could end up like a Jim Carey type deal where he really rises to the challenge. I think the Caps like the kid and will really rally around him.
None of the "experts" are predicting the Caps to win but then again none of the "experts" gave the Lightning any chance against us last season. In the end, it really doesn't matter what seed you are. It doesn't matter what happened in the regular season. All teams start the playoffs 0-0. Frankly, the Caps being a lower seed may actually work out for us as we don't carry the pressure of higher expectations that come with a higher seed. I like the way the Caps finished out the season as I thought we played some of our most consistent and strong hockey. The problem is that the same can be said about the Bruins. It's going to be a good matchup and it's going to be a lot of fun. I don't think any team looks forward to playing the Caps and I absolutely think we have a strong chance. Hockey playoffs are some of the most exciting sports out there. Can't wait to get this thing started.
UNLEASH THE FURY!!!
Frankly, it doesn't really matter who we played. Each matchup would present its own pros and cons. The biggest concern with Boston is obviously going up against their stars in Chara who does a great job of nullifying Ovie and Tim Thomas who even at his age is still one of the better goaltenders in the league.
The good thing with the Chara and Ovie matchup is that the Caps no longer rely solely on Ovie to score. This season we have had to count on a number of players to provide goals so hopefully the Chara/Ovie matchup will have less of an impact.
The Bruins also do a very good job of crashing the net and getting traffic in front of the opposing goalie. With the Caps having to turn to 22 year old Braden Holtby in the net, this could present even more pressure on the youngster. Still, I like Holtby. He seems like a cool, confident kid ready for the challenge. You never know what you get with a kid like that. It could be disasterous or it could end up like a Jim Carey type deal where he really rises to the challenge. I think the Caps like the kid and will really rally around him.
None of the "experts" are predicting the Caps to win but then again none of the "experts" gave the Lightning any chance against us last season. In the end, it really doesn't matter what seed you are. It doesn't matter what happened in the regular season. All teams start the playoffs 0-0. Frankly, the Caps being a lower seed may actually work out for us as we don't carry the pressure of higher expectations that come with a higher seed. I like the way the Caps finished out the season as I thought we played some of our most consistent and strong hockey. The problem is that the same can be said about the Bruins. It's going to be a good matchup and it's going to be a lot of fun. I don't think any team looks forward to playing the Caps and I absolutely think we have a strong chance. Hockey playoffs are some of the most exciting sports out there. Can't wait to get this thing started.
UNLEASH THE FURY!!!
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Gregg Williams...WTF?
On the day that members of the Saints' brass will have their appeals heard for their roles in New Orleans' bounty system, damning audio has been released of Gregg Williams, the man who orchestrated the program, instructing his players to injure San Francisco 49ers players in their wild-card playoff game last season.
Williams, the Saints' former defensive coordinator, did not appeal his indefinite suspension by the NFL. As first reported by Yahoo! Sports, documentary filmmaker Sean Pamphilon, who directed the ESPN 30 for 30 film "Run Ricky Run," has released an audio recording that he says is a speech Williams gave to Saints defensive players the night before the team lost to the 49ers in a playoff game in January.
The sample audio recording in just under 4 minutes long. The full speech is 12 minutes long, according to Pamphilon.
Pamphilon was following the Saints last season while working on a documentary featuring former Saints special teams player Steve Gleason, who is currently battling Lou Gehrig's disease.
Williams can be heard in the audio recording instructing his defensive players to injure quarterback Alex Smith, running back Frank Gore, tight end Vernon Davis and receivers Michael Crabtree and Kyle Williams.
According to Pamphilon, Gregg Williams pointed to his chin while telling his players to hit Niners quarterback Alex Smith "right there" and says "Remember me. I got the first one. I got the first one. Go get it. Go lay that m----------- out."
Williams uses one of his favorite slogans in the speech: "Kill the head and the body will die."
On Gore: "We've got to do everything in the world to make sure we kill Frank Gore's head. We want him running sideways. We want his head sideways."
On fullback Kendall Hunter: "Little 32, we're going to knock the f--- out of him."
On Smith: "Every single one of you, before you get off the pile, affect the head. Early, affect the head. Continue, touch and hit the head."
On Kyle Williams: "We need to find out in the first two series of the game, that little wide receiver, No. 10, about his concussion. We need to f------ put a lick on him right now. He needs to decide. He needs to f------ decide."
On Crabtree: "We need to decide whether Crabtree wants to be a fake-ass prima donna, or he wants to be a tough guy. We need to find out. He becomes human when we f------ take out that outside ACL."
There is tough talk to pump up your players especially on the defensive side of the ball but this talk is nuts. This is the first proof of him wanting to injure players and going WAY over the top. The talk of taking out Crabtree's ACL or constantly hitting Gore's head is just wrong. There is no excuse for this and it will be interesting to see if Willams ever gets work in the NFL again. Saints fans have come out in full support of the team recently but this audio has got to even make them feel that what Williams was promoting is just plain wrong and disgusting.
Shame on him.
Williams, the Saints' former defensive coordinator, did not appeal his indefinite suspension by the NFL. As first reported by Yahoo! Sports, documentary filmmaker Sean Pamphilon, who directed the ESPN 30 for 30 film "Run Ricky Run," has released an audio recording that he says is a speech Williams gave to Saints defensive players the night before the team lost to the 49ers in a playoff game in January.
The sample audio recording in just under 4 minutes long. The full speech is 12 minutes long, according to Pamphilon.
Pamphilon was following the Saints last season while working on a documentary featuring former Saints special teams player Steve Gleason, who is currently battling Lou Gehrig's disease.
Williams can be heard in the audio recording instructing his defensive players to injure quarterback Alex Smith, running back Frank Gore, tight end Vernon Davis and receivers Michael Crabtree and Kyle Williams.
According to Pamphilon, Gregg Williams pointed to his chin while telling his players to hit Niners quarterback Alex Smith "right there" and says "Remember me. I got the first one. I got the first one. Go get it. Go lay that m----------- out."
Williams uses one of his favorite slogans in the speech: "Kill the head and the body will die."
On Gore: "We've got to do everything in the world to make sure we kill Frank Gore's head. We want him running sideways. We want his head sideways."
On fullback Kendall Hunter: "Little 32, we're going to knock the f--- out of him."
On Smith: "Every single one of you, before you get off the pile, affect the head. Early, affect the head. Continue, touch and hit the head."
On Kyle Williams: "We need to find out in the first two series of the game, that little wide receiver, No. 10, about his concussion. We need to f------ put a lick on him right now. He needs to decide. He needs to f------ decide."
On Crabtree: "We need to decide whether Crabtree wants to be a fake-ass prima donna, or he wants to be a tough guy. We need to find out. He becomes human when we f------ take out that outside ACL."
There is tough talk to pump up your players especially on the defensive side of the ball but this talk is nuts. This is the first proof of him wanting to injure players and going WAY over the top. The talk of taking out Crabtree's ACL or constantly hitting Gore's head is just wrong. There is no excuse for this and it will be interesting to see if Willams ever gets work in the NFL again. Saints fans have come out in full support of the team recently but this audio has got to even make them feel that what Williams was promoting is just plain wrong and disgusting.
Shame on him.
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Hockey playoff race
Each night brings new excitement as rankings change. Last night the Sabres started out 2 points behind the Caps for the final playoff spot. They fell down early to the Maple Leafs 3-0. They trailed Toronto 5-3 with five minutes left but managed to find the net twice before the final horn sending the game into OT. In OT, they finished off the Maple Leafs on a PP goal to send the Buffalo crowd into a frenzy and put them in a tie with Washington with each team having two games left.
Additionally, Florida had an opporunity to seal their playoff spot and claim the SE divisional title at home in a game against Winnipeg. The Panthers also got off to a fast start but Winnipeg stormed back to take a 4-3 lead well into the third. The Panthers tied it up late sending it into OT where Evander Kane ended it giving the Jets a win. The one point put Florida up by four points on the Caps.
Basically, this is all going to come down to the wire. The Caps have a HUGE game against the Panthers Thursday night at Verizon. A Caps win puts them 2 points behind Florida for the divisional lead with one game remaining. More importantly, a Caps win would keep them in the 8th seed regardless of what Buffalo does as we hold the tie breaker on them. Buffalo will be taking on Philly in Philadelphia Thursday night. The ideal scenario is for the Caps to win and Buffalo to lose guaranteeing us a playoff berth. Then it comes down to Saturday where we would take on the Rangers and Florida would take on the Hurricanes. A Caps win and a Panther loss would mean we get the division and more importantly the 3rd seed.
It's funny that after all these months and after 80 games, it going to come down to the final two. Essentially, we are in playoff mode right now. Tomorrow night is a must win game. With Vokoun seemingly gone for the year, will be interesting to see who gets the nod in net. I imagine it will be electric at the stadium tomorrow and hopefully the Caps can give the fans reason to leave happy.
UNLEASH THE FURY!!!
Additionally, Florida had an opporunity to seal their playoff spot and claim the SE divisional title at home in a game against Winnipeg. The Panthers also got off to a fast start but Winnipeg stormed back to take a 4-3 lead well into the third. The Panthers tied it up late sending it into OT where Evander Kane ended it giving the Jets a win. The one point put Florida up by four points on the Caps.
Basically, this is all going to come down to the wire. The Caps have a HUGE game against the Panthers Thursday night at Verizon. A Caps win puts them 2 points behind Florida for the divisional lead with one game remaining. More importantly, a Caps win would keep them in the 8th seed regardless of what Buffalo does as we hold the tie breaker on them. Buffalo will be taking on Philly in Philadelphia Thursday night. The ideal scenario is for the Caps to win and Buffalo to lose guaranteeing us a playoff berth. Then it comes down to Saturday where we would take on the Rangers and Florida would take on the Hurricanes. A Caps win and a Panther loss would mean we get the division and more importantly the 3rd seed.
It's funny that after all these months and after 80 games, it going to come down to the final two. Essentially, we are in playoff mode right now. Tomorrow night is a must win game. With Vokoun seemingly gone for the year, will be interesting to see who gets the nod in net. I imagine it will be electric at the stadium tomorrow and hopefully the Caps can give the fans reason to leave happy.
UNLEASH THE FURY!!!
Monday, April 2, 2012
DIET!!!
So last week I told the story about getting smoked by my son in a race and pulling a groin.
This morning as I was getting ready to leave for work, I had to reach for something on the ground. As I did, I ripped my pants! A HUGE rip right in the arse/crotch area. I suppose the only good thing is that it happened at home as opposed to work.
I guess my arse was trying to tell me something.
This morning as I was getting ready to leave for work, I had to reach for something on the ground. As I did, I ripped my pants! A HUGE rip right in the arse/crotch area. I suppose the only good thing is that it happened at home as opposed to work.
I guess my arse was trying to tell me something.
Caps update
Friday and Saturday almost all worked out in favor of the Caps. The only blemish was the Senators beating the Flyers Saturday night. In the end, the Caps found themselves in sole possession of the 8th seed.
Sunday was a different story as the Senators won and the Panthers were able to squeeze out a 1 point SO loss to the Red Wings.
The good news is that with three games remaining the Caps are two points in front of the Sabres for the 8th seed AND hold the tie breaker with them. They are also three points behind the Panthers for the SE divisional lead and the 3 seed.
Two more wins and the Caps ensure a playoff berth. A win tonight coupled with a Panther loss to the Jets tomorrow makes for a very interesting game on Thursday as the Caps will play the Panthers at Verizon.
It's essentially playoff hockey now and with each passing day anything can change. I do like the way we are playing now as it is a little more consistent. I think everyone has got to feel good that Backstrom is back. Things are looking good but again it can change very quickly.
Tonight it's a big game against the Lightning in Tampa Bay. It's another must win game. It will be interesting to see how this one unfolds.
LETS GO CAPS!!!
Sunday was a different story as the Senators won and the Panthers were able to squeeze out a 1 point SO loss to the Red Wings.
The good news is that with three games remaining the Caps are two points in front of the Sabres for the 8th seed AND hold the tie breaker with them. They are also three points behind the Panthers for the SE divisional lead and the 3 seed.
Two more wins and the Caps ensure a playoff berth. A win tonight coupled with a Panther loss to the Jets tomorrow makes for a very interesting game on Thursday as the Caps will play the Panthers at Verizon.
It's essentially playoff hockey now and with each passing day anything can change. I do like the way we are playing now as it is a little more consistent. I think everyone has got to feel good that Backstrom is back. Things are looking good but again it can change very quickly.
Tonight it's a big game against the Lightning in Tampa Bay. It's another must win game. It will be interesting to see how this one unfolds.
LETS GO CAPS!!!
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