The return of Semin

HUGE game for the Caps tonight as the division leading Hurricanes come for a visit.  It's a chance for the Caps to continue their solid play and also climb further back into the hunt.  It also marks the return of Alexander Semin to Verizon.

Old friends Alex Ovechkin and Alexander Semin planned to get together for dinner Monday night, ahead of the Washington Capitals' big game against the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday.  It's safe to say Troy Brouwer would not be joining them.

While Ovi has said that he missed having Semin on the team I think both from a talent perspective as well as having a fellow Russian on the team, Brouwer took a few potshots at Semin's work ethic after Monday's practice, reviving the reputation that dogged the talented but enigmatic Russian's seven seasons in Washington. The Capitals finally said goodbye to Semin last summer, and he signed with the Hurricanes as a free agent.

"It was tough to lose his scoring ability, when he wanted to play," Brouwer said. "But all in all I think we've been doing well without him. ... Some nights you didn't even know if he was going to come to the rink. It's tough to play alongside guys like those because you don't know what you're going to get out of 'em."



For good measure, Brouwer also said the Capitals had a "very lackadaisical" culture under former coach Bruce Boudreau. The streak of candor highlighted an eventful day of news good and bad that comes just as Ovechkin and the Capitals are finding themselves with a chance to ride some momentum and get out of last place.

I really like Brouwer.  Frankly, he is deserving of the "C" on his jersey.  The guy is a leader on and off the ice.  He is vocal and constantly puts maximum effort night in/night out.  I think he also knows how to get his teammates motivated. 

His comments on Gabby were also interesting. He wasn't here during Gabby's hey day so he more caught it when Gabby tried to alter styles while here which was a mistake for everyone.  He seems to really like Oates' style and I think the team looks like it is finally starting to come around. 

With the extension given to Holtby, the Caps are putting their trust in that kid and if we can get a healthy Green and Laich back and if Backstrom can return to form, this could be a pretty good team.

Again, a VERY important game tonight.  A win puts us right back into the thick of things and keeps the momentum going.  Will be interesting to see what type of reception Semin gets.  Should be a good one.

UNLEASH THE FURY!!!!

RG3 "way ahead of schedule"

Redskin fans received more good news on the Robert Griffin III injury front. Dr. James Andrews said Friday the quarterback is recovering rapidly.

"His recovery is way ahead of schedule so far," Andrews told NFL Network. "We don't have to do much except try to hold him back."

It was announced last week that the Redskins were holding out hope that RG3 could be available Week 1.

Don't think the focus should be on starting week 1 rather it should be to just get healthy.  If that means he is ready by week 1 than great.  Good news is that this guy is a physical freak and has a tremendous work ethic.  Two key ingredients for a quick recovery.

RG3 to start week 1?

Although it is only a little more than a month since Robert Griffin III underwent reconstructive knee surgery, Washington Redskins officials are encouraged enough with his recovery to believe he has a legitimate chance to start in the 2013 opener, according to team and league sources.

Griffin recently returned to Washington, where he spent some time rehabbing. Those who know him insist he is a physical freak, not unlike Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson, who was able to rush for 2,097 yards and win the MVP award the season after undergoing major knee surgery.

 

The Redskins know there still is a long way to go, and they're hardly going to rush Griffin. But they also know that based on what they've seen so far, it is well within the realm of possibility that Griffin will be the team's starting quarterback in Week 1.

I will say that he looked great at the NFL awards ceremony.  Not at all what I expected him to look like.  He walked with no visible limp and appeared in good spirits.  I don't want to rush the guy.  His long term health is WAY more important than playing in a few extra games this season.  However, if the doctors clear him and there is no greater risk of him playing in Week 1 than in Week 10, why not play him?  We are still several months away from the start of the season and I'm sure there will be much more discussion/updates on RG3's health along the way so we'll see but at least it's encouraging to see/hear that he is doing well.

Should the Redskins change their name?

Few mascots and logos in American professional sports conjure up such controversy as the Washington Redskins.  While some claim it represents the storied history of Native Americans, others consider it to be a racial slur and highly offensive. 

The discussion around the usage of "Redskins" has now been waged for many years. Despite many clamoring for a change, the mascot has remained since 1933, when it originated in Boston prior to the franchise's move to Washington.

The controversy has deep roots.  While it's been a polarizing name for most of its history, opposition really started to heat up in 1992.  Twenty-five years after the Redskins originally trademarked the brand, a group of Native Americans filed a lawsuit against the nickname. The case was later dismissed after the Supreme Court refused to take it up.

Years later, while the Redskins were attempting to build a new stadium inside the city, senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell introduced legislation that would have required the team to change its nickname before building such a structure in Washington.  According to The Washington Post, then-owner Jack Kent Cooke, unwilling to comply, eventually moved the construction outside of the city. Throughout the Redskins' history, government, social groups and Native Americans have attempted to get the name changed. So far, no effort has been remotely close to successful.

The controversy reentered the public sphere last week when a symposium at the National Museum of the American Indian went on the attack against Native American mascots in professional sports. The Redskins, according to The Washington Post, were predictably one of the biggest targets.  A month earlier, with the Redskins reemerging in the NFC playoffs, Washington mayor Vincent Gray suggested that a name change should be discussed if the Redskins want to move back into the city, according to The Post. "I think that if they get serious with the team coming back to Washington, there’s no doubt there’s going to have to be a discussion about that, and of course the team is going to have to work with us around that issue," Gray said.

Current fans already use the shortened "Skins" to describe the team, so officially changing it to the abbreviated version would be an easy and pain-free transition. More importantly, dropping "Red" would altogether eliminate the inherent racism from the team name—which is the goal here in the first place.

Other options would be to change the name to Washington Warriors and use a spear as the logo.  Not much would have to change with the uniforms.  Washington Braves is another option.  The team was originally the Boston Braves and when they were moved to D.C. became the Washington Braves for a couple of years before becoming the Redskins.

While I like the name Redskins and the logo, I certainly don't want to offend anyone.  I don't think that is anyone's intent today.  However, I understand that the name can be offensive and I would be fine with a change as long as the spirit of the team remained intact.  That is why I could go for the Washington Warriors.  The Braves rides on tradition, but it doesn't offer a huge step forward in moving past the Native American problem "Redskins" presents now.  While Redskin fans use the term Skins, I don't know how much I like that.  Changing to something completely different would require completely different branding and I don't think the organization or fans would really like that.  The Washington Warriors would be a pretty simple transition as the colors could remain the same.  The name is pretty cool and can tie somewhat to the history of the Redskins but at the same time not really offend anyone. 

Caps beat Panthers in OT

BIG win.  Down 5-3 late in the game, the Caps came back with Eric Fehr's first goal of the season with a little more than 5 minutes remaining.  With just over 2 minutes left, Ovi tied it on a PP goal right off of the faceoff. 

 

Thirty seconds into OT, Backstrom hit Brouwer in stride who was behind the defense and scored the game winner on breakaway.  Exciting game and more importantly, the Caps get their first road win of the season, their first back to back wins of the season, and get the 2 points. 

 

The Caps had their issues and there were defensive breakdowns but it was nice to see them persevere and fight back for the win.  Additionally, the PP has been great the last couple of games.  Last night, the Caps went 2-for-3 on the power play, getting goals from Mike Ribeiro [first period] and Alex Ovechkin [third period].  They are now 7-for-14 [50 percent] in their last six games. Washington has improved its league ranking on the man-advantage from 18th on Feb. 1 [17.9 percent] to tied for fourth at 25.5 percent.

 

Also of importance is the re-emergence of Ovi, he is looking more comfortable on the RW and looks to be getting more opportunities and developing his moves from the right side.  Ovechkin played a season-low 16:53 last night and was on the ice for two of Florida’s goals, but he also scored the game-tying goal on the power play and assisted on a goal by Matt Hendricks. Ovechkin finished with 10 attempts at the net. Three of them hit the net, three were blocked and four went wide. Ovechkin also delivered a hard hit on Kris Versteeg and answered the bell on his next shift when Versteeg cross-checked him and the two got into a scuffle.  A good, hard game from Ovi and hopefully we see more of this.

I said before the home and home with the Panthers that the next three games pretty much decide the season for the Caps.  They won the first two and now head to TB to face the reeling Lightning on Thursday.  This is another must win game.  Given that no one seems to be running away with the SE division, a win on Thursday gets the Caps right back into the mix in the division. 

We still need Laich back and could use Orlov as well to spell Schultz but it seems like this team is starting to take shape.  A couple of more wins and this team will really start believing.  Hopefully they can pull out the road win in TB and make it three in a row.

Skins hire Keith Burns as Special Teams coach

The Redskins have an agreement to hire Keith Burns as their special teams coach, a league source confirmed Monday afternoon.

The 40-year old Burns has been the assistant special teams coordinator for the Denver Broncos since 2007. Burns was a linebacker who played primarily on special teams under Mike Shanahan in Denver. Burns served as special teams captain and later coached under Shanahan.

Interestingly, Burns went to T.C. Williams high school and I played against this dude. 

Caps win!

It's been a while but the Caps pulled together a really strong and complete game and beat the divisional rival Panthers at home on Saturday.  A much needed win.  In fact, the season really hangs in the balance this week as they have three straight divisional games (home and home with the Panthers and then divisional leading TB on Thursday).  These are huge games.  If we can pull out all three we are right back in the mix as TB has struggled (losers of 4 in a row) after a red hot start in which they looked like they were going to run away with the division.

I will say that the Caps have looked good at points even during their losses.  If they can just string a full game together, they will be fine.  That appears what they did on Saturday.  It's a good win but it is only one win.  Still, this team was desperate for a win and you have to start somewhere.  Hopefully that win will jump start their season.  However, a loss on Tuesday against a Panther team playing back at home and no doubt wanting revenge for the beating they took on Saturday, will send the Caps back to where they were. 

I will say that it was good to get Erskine back and hopefully we can get Laich back soon.  Nice to see Ovi score his first 5 v 5 goal. I also like that Oates appears calm under the pressure and is holding firm and believing in his system.  Hopefully it is all starting to turn and we can make a run. 

Honestly, it just felt good to get a win. Should be a good one tomorrow night.

Happy Birthday Robs!

Let us all rejoice and celebrate the birth of our favorite Pear lover...Robs!

CRAP-itals lose again

There is no other way to say it other than the Craps suck!  They are the worst team in hockey right now and don't even look close to being able to win a game.  They are making WAY too many mistakes.  They take too many bad penalties.  Goaltending sucks.  They can't win a faceoff to save their lives.  They can't put together a full 60 minutes of quality play.  They have no confidence.  If they make a mistake, they can't recover from it.  It's just a hot mess.

Last night was no exception.  Against the Penguins, the Caps had a very good first period in which they took a 1-0 lead going into the break.  The second period was a disaster.  Too many penalties had them on the PK for much of the period and then just an complete collapse.  The Penguins scored 5 goals to just obliterate any chance the Caps had.  After the Penguins second goal (a two on one where Neuvy let in a bad goal by Dupuis), Neuvy was pulled for Holtby.  Granted I thought it wasn't a good goal to give up but I thought Neuvy was playing pretty well.  My guess is that Oates' decision had less to do with Neuvy and more about trying to shake up his team.  It clearly didn't work as Holtby (and the Caps) let in another three goals making it 5-1 after two periods.

The final period was okay and Ovi did notch a PP goal but it was pretty meaningless given that the Pens were probably attacking less and just trying to protect the lead. 

Bottom line this team desperately needs a win.  It's confidence is as low as I have seen.  This is the worst start for the Caps in nearly a decade.  There is too much talent on this team to be this bad.  With a shortened season, it is quickly slipping away. 

They get back to it tomorrow night at home against the Panthers.  My guess is that the fans expect a win and they will be ready to turn on the Caps quickly.  Will be interesting to see what happens.

Washington CRAP-itals

Lets face it, the Craps suck right now.  I think there are several things wrong with the team.  However, I also think that this team has talent and can turn things around.  Here are my thoughts:

1. New coach/new system:  I get it.  It's old news but it's still a contributing factor in the Craps early season struggles.  I will say that the first 2-3 games of the season, they looked lost but they have been looking better in recent games.  It will still take a little bit of time for the players to adapt to the system but there is little doubt that this has been a struggle.

2. Special teams:  This is a problem.  Oates was brought in here to really help with the PP.  Right now the PP is middle of the pack but the PK has been abysmal.  We rank near the bottom.  They have gotten a bit better but it's still not good.  What bothers me on the PP, is I see WAY too much standing around.  There's a lot of passing but not many shots.  Would like to see more movement and more shots.

3. Goaltending:  After the end of last season, I think everyone felt that Holtby was a #1 goalie.  He has sucked this year with a GAA of 4.52!  His save percentage sucks as well.  Part of this is not his fault as the defense hasn't been great but in Sunday's game against the Pens, he allowed what I would consider two soft goals at a critical time in the game.  I will say that I have liked Neuvy back there and was curious why he didn't get the start on Sunday.  For some reason, the organization never seems to have liked Neuvy. 

4. Where are the stars?  I am specifically talking about Ovi and Backstrom.  They both admit they haven't been playing well.  Ovi is too predictable.  Then I see him start hot dogging it around trying to make too much happen.  The guy no doubt has supreme talent but he needs to recognize his age and he probably can't quite do the things he used to and also defenders know what to expect from him.  He needs to adapt his game to suit his age and his size.  He can still be great but he has to put in the time.  Backstrom is a different story.  He has just been sloppy.  The Pens game he flubbed shots and passes and just looked out of position.  Not sure what is wrong with him but he needs to be a lot better.

5. Playing a full 60 minutes:  There are long stretches where the Caps look really good but it seems inevitable that there will be a stretch in the game where they are terrible.  I can't really put all of this on conditioning as some of their best play occurs near the end of games.  It is just commitment from each individual to go out there and perform their best on each shift.  This may be the most troubling aspect for me.

There are some other issues with individuals who seem to not have progressed as hoped (MoJo and Carlson) but right now this is a team that is really struggling.  ESPN has them dead last in their latest power rankings and deservedly so.  I still believe the team can turn it around but this certainly doesn't seem like the team we have become accustomed to over the last few years.

Interesting that Anaheim (Boudreau's new team) is playing great.  I'm sure many of us wish that Gabby had never left.  I do believe it was time for him to leave as he fell victim to what the organization was telling him to do (become more defensive) and he changed his philosophy and his style (more player friendly to more disciplinarian) and he lost his way.  There was never a question on whether he could coach but he probably needed a new start.  I'm happy for him as he was the first to admit that he stopped coaching the way he knew in Washington and said he wouldn't do that again.  Clearly, he is enjoying himself in Cali.

Caps have a game tonight at home against the Maple Leafs who played last night and had to travel.  It's a game we need to win.  If the Caps can string together 3 or 4 wins, everything will change but that's a big "if."  A few more losses and this season will be lost.  Will be interesting to see how the season unfolds over the next couple of weeks.

Is Ovi still elite?

Interesting discussion by NBC analysts in between periods of the Caps/Pens game on whether Ovi is still elite.  The analysts brought up an unnamed coach who said that they still game plan for Ovi on the PP but not on 5 v 5.  Mike Milbury (who I don't care for) mentioned that Ovi is still an elite talent but he hasn't put in the work to become better.  He has become too predictable.  Keith Jones (who I do respect) agreed with Milbury and said that Ovi basically does his one timers from the left side and that is it.  Both of them said that Ovi is big and should use his body in and around the net more. 

I agree with all the comments.  Ovi is still extrememly talented but his game has not evolved over the last couple of years.  The great ones adapted their games to continuously improve and while their physical talents may fade some, they have put in the work to play to their strengths and continued to grow and improve in other aspects of the game. 

Ovi does his one timers and he tries to bring the puck down the left hand side and either sneak a wrist shot through the defender using him as a screen or cut towards the middle and shoot.  Defenders have this down now and block many of his shots.  I am still a HUGE Ovi fan but he really needs to be better to still be considered a top player in this league.

Congrats to RG3 being named NFL rookie of the year

RG3 won the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year.

The Redskins rookie quarterback won in a vote that was not particularly close. The AP conducted the vote and announced that Griffin got 29 votes to 11 for Colts quarterback Andrew Luck and 10 for Seahawks QB Russell Wilson.

Congrats to him as it was well deserved.  Of more importance, RG3 walked the red carpet and accepted the award without a limp.  He is only a month removed from surgery and he mentioned that he is ahead of schedule and plans to be ready by opening day.  Whether that happens or not, it was good to see him up and about and moving without any limp. He certainly looked good and that was encouraging.  I want for him and the Skins to play it safe and not rush him but it certainly looked like the guy would be ready to play at least a good portion of the upcoming season.

Congrats to the RAY-vens

 

What looked to be a Raven blowout ended up a really exciting game that came down to the wire.  A number of key plays in this game with the biggest being the controversial no holding call on Crabtree.  Here are my biggest points of the game:

 

1. Flacco - He was really good.  Definitely deserving of the MVP and really proved any doubters that he is a top QB in the league.  He made a number of big throws and I'm happy for him.  He was "f'ing awesome!"

 

2. Kaepernik - He was good but not great.  He was pretty well contained in the run department as the Ravens did a good job of having one guy key on him on every play.  This is something the Packers (and other teams) failed miserably at.  Still, he was solid in the passing game and looks like he will be a good QB in this league.

 

3. Jacoby Jones return - HUGE way to start the second half.  Having already built a solid lead, Jones took the opening kick of the second half for a TD.  It was a dagger and could have very well ended the game.  I'm sure there were plenty of Raven and 49er fans thinking the game was over at that point.

 

4. Power outage - Strange and embarrassing for the NFL and New Orleans for this to happen on one of the biggest stages of the world.  Ended up a blessing in disguise for the 49ers as it happened shortly after the Jones TD return and it gave the 49ers time to regroup and the Ravens excitement to die down some. 

 

5. 49ers third quarter - When the lights came back on, the 49ers came on like gang busters.  First Crabtree scores on a TD pass, then the 49ers return a punt to the Ravens 20 yard line and Gore scores, then the 49er defense force a Ray Rice fumble deep in Raven territory for an Akers FG (which he originally missed but because of a running into the kicker penalty got another chance) to suddenly turn a blowout into a 28-23 game.

 

6. Boldin's 3rd and short catch - Give Jim Harbaugh credit for challenging the spot of the ball on the fourth quarter Ravens drive that initially gave them a first down at midfield but because of the challenge, made it 3rd and a foot.  Seemed like an obvious run play or QB sneak but Flacco saw man to man on the outside with Rogers on Boldin and audibled for a isolation pass play.  Rogers had really good coverage but Flacco threw to Boldin's back shoulder and Boldin used his strength to bring in that pass.  Tremendous catch coming at a huge time as there was still about 6-7 minutes to play and a drop would have given the 9ers the ball back with plenty of time down only by 2 points.  The catch kept the Ravens drive alive and resulted in a Justin Smith 38 yd FG with just over 4 minutes remaining and more importantly a 5 point Raven lead.

 

7. The no call holding play - REALLY tough play.  No doubt controversial.  In looking at the replays, it looks to be holding but it's understandable that a referee does not want a call to be the deciding factor in this type of game at that moment.  Often times in all sports, referees allow the players more latitude at the end games and won't call touch fouls as they want the players to decide the outcome.  It's tough for the ref in the Super Bowl with about a minute left on a fourth down play to make that call.  While I was pulling for the Ravens, I really don't have any afflitiation with either team so I didn't particularly care in the final outcome so I think I can be pretty objective.  Personally, I thought it was a good non call.  However, I am sure that if I was a 49er fan, I would be going nuts after that non call.  Again, it's a tough call and I could see it going either way.  I tend to like for refs to stay out of the way and make the non calls so I'm okay with it.  Seems fitting that in a year in which refs were such a big story in the NFL that the Super Bowl comes down to a controversial non call by the ref. 

 

In the end, it was an exciting game and what a way for Ray Lewis (arguably the best LB to have played the game) to end a storied career.  Almost seemed like destiny.  I'm happy for John Harbaugh as well as he seems like a great coach but an even better guy.  It's another football season in the books.  Hard to believe it is over.  We have a few months before we can get excited again as the draft is in April and we start hearing about OTAs and minicamps in May and June.  Congrats again to the Ravens and can't wait for football to return.