Capitals (5-7-0) - Flyers (3-8-0) Game Preview

The Washington Capitals wrap up their 5 game road skid when they battle the Philadelphia Flyers on Friday night at Wells Fargo center.  Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00pm.

The Flyers are coming off of a loss to the Anaheim Ducks in which they gave up 2 straight goals in the 3rd period for a final score of 2-3.  They have a less than desirable record at home of 2-5.  New addition Vincent Lecavalier is hot with 4 goals in the last 2 contests including a hat trick on Oct 26th against the New York Islanders.

The Flyers executed a trade Thursday which sent Maxime Talbot to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for forward Steve Downie.  Steve Downie was drafted by the Flyers in the 1st round of the 2005 NHL draft and with his arrival, he is interestingly tied atop the Flyers squad with 7 points.

The Washington Capitals are coming off of a 2-3 Monday night loss to the Vancouver Canucks and are hoping to improve from the matchup.  The loss worsened the Capitals record on the road to 2-4.  They started the game off strong but gave up a 1 goal lead in the 3rd period to the rallying Canucks.  Alex Ovechkin was injured in the 1st period of play (although he finished the game) and will not be making the trip to Philadelphia for the team's Friday night matchup.  Adam Oates has described it as an "upper body" injury and his recovery time is listed as "day to day." Perhaps the rookie Tom Wilson could get some top line minutes.  

The third line of Chimera, Ward and Grabovski has been arguably the hottest line for the Caps as of late.  In the last three games, Chimera has scored a goal in each and the 3rd line has combined for 5 goals and ten total points.  They are excellent at winning board battles and creating scoring chances in all zones of the rink.  With Ovechkin out of the lineup, the Flyers should be anticipating a heavy dose of the 3rd line.

Neuvirth was strong against the Canucks (besides one puck that squirted from his glove for a goal) and is making his case for being marked down as the starting goalie.  The decision will be tough, but given Oates' track record, I expect he'll give the nod to Braden Holtby.

 Zach's Three Keys to the Game:

** Score on the power play- The Caps power play has been quite non-existent the last three games and has dropped from 1st to 5th in the league.  Without their leading goal scorer in the lineup, they'll need to capitalize on special teams.

** Defense- The defense has had a slow start this season and it's time to prove that the amount of talent these players have is capable of showing on the ice.  It's time for Green to lead by example and show the critics he isn't being paid roughly $6 million a year to QB a power play. 

** Line 4- This line hasn't done much this season.  Hopefully, they can throw a point or two on the board and get more aggressive.  Hit people hard, wear out the defense, get some zone time, and throw some pucks on the net.

Thanks for reading,

Zach

Nationals officially name Matt Williams as manager

 

 

     Thursday morning, General Manager Mike Rizzo released what earlier reports suggested, the next manager for the Washington Nationals will be former Arizona Diamondbacks Third Base Coach, Matt Williams.

 Rizzo had a conference call with local reporters today. Here is some of what he had to say about the decision. 

"Matt's performance, first of all his presentation, his communication skills, his knowledge of the ball club, the league, the division, his presence and some of the character traits he possesses were really the difference between he and other very qualified candidates".

Williams and Rizzo go back to 1999 when Rizzo was a scouting director for Arizona and Williams was finishing up his career. Rizzo suggested that Williams wasn't a favorite going into the interview process, which included favorite and current Bench Coach Randy Knorr, Third Base Coach Trent Jewett, Padres front office official Brad Ausmus and Blue Jays Bench Coach DeMarlo Hale. 

"I knew a lot of candidates, and like I said before, they were all terrific interviews and the process went great," said Rizzo.

"It was a very difficult decision, but Matt, we felt, possessed all the characteristics of a successful manager and a guy we think can take us to the next level...We had several internal candidates that were extremely good candidates, we just felt that Matt's message, the way he communicates the message and his demeanor and character was kind of the difference maker, for me."

Shockingly it seems like the coaching staff, for the most part, will stay in tact. Bench Coach Randy Knorr looks to stay put as well as Pitching Coach Steve McCatty. 

"There's not going to be a whole transforming of the coaching staff," Rizzo said. "We're going to try to keep some consistency. But we're not at the point yet where we can announce what the coaching staff consists of." 

Tune in to 106.7 for the official press conference tomorrow afternoon. 

WF

Shades Of Red

2013-14 WASHINGTON WIZARDS ROSTER PREVIEW

With the preseason over and a game in less than 24 hours, the WASHINGTON WIZARDS seem to be poised to actually have a descent season(we hope).
Compiled this season is a team with a nice mix of savvy veterans, young hopefuls and a couple, maybe a few potential stars.
 I'd like to go over each position, player by player and review some statistics and projections from a fan's point of view. Still with me? Good. Let's dig into this roster starting with the front court...

CENTERS

Marcin Gortat- 6'11" 240 lbs. The Wizards traded Emeka Okafor and a conditional 1st round draft choice for this big hunk of meat. His numbers were fine last season in Phoenix with 11 points per game and 8.5 rebounds per game, but if he can in any way duplicate his 2011-12 season where he averaged 15 ppg and 10 rpg, we'll be thanking Grunfeld for making this move and possibly paying him for a few more seasons.

Kevin Seraphin- 6'10" 278 lbs. In his last 3 seasons, he's done nothing but progress, especially in the paint. But you may see a decrease in playing time from this kid if Nene and Gortat stay healthy.

Nene- 6'11" 250 lbs. A very productive F/C in this league for awhile now, the focus on his season will definitely be HEALTH. He's always in line to average 11-13 PPG and around 7-8 RPG. In my opinion his rebounding and scoring capabilities are on the decline and could be on the cusp of Seraphin taking some of his minutes away this season, barring he's even healthy.

FORWARDS

Trevor Ariza- 6'8" 220 lbs. Coming off the bench for 41 games last season and starting 15 for the Wiz, Ariza was a solid backup forward posting 9 PPG. His role will increase to start the season I'm sure, which may lead to an increase in point chances. He's an asset to this team by his resume and basketball IQ, so if he duplicates 9 points and 3 rebounds per game, thats all we can ask for.

Trevor Booker- 6'8" 235 lbs. This guy is ferocious and loves blocking shots. His 5 PPG and 5 RPG should remain about the same but this kid could possibly get 50 blocks this season.

Al Harrington- 6'9" 245 lbs. Veteran Harrington joined the Wizards this offseason and I got excited. Not because of his 5 PPG but because of his ability to work with Booker and the other young forwards and hopefully make them better. His many seasons in the NBA speaks for itself. Get that money big Al.

Otto Porter Jr.- Being a huge Georgetown basketball fan, you'd imagine how far my pants flew off when the Wiz took this kid with the 3rd overall pick in the draft. He reminds me so much of Teshawn Prince, it's pathetic.With a lingering hip flexor that has cost him to not step foot on the court with his teammates this preseason, he's missing an extremely valuable amount of time. How effective he'll be in his first season(if he ever gets healthy) has remained to be seen, but as long as he waits to come back until he's 100%, I love the compliment he gives to Wall and Beal.

Chris Singleton- 6'8" 228 lbs. His 4 points and 3 rebounds per game is probably about what you'll see again from him.

Jan Vesely- 7'0" 242 lbs. Oh Jan Vesely...The 6th overall pick from 2011 has only shown so far that he was not deserving of his draft status. Grunfeld drafted him and compared him to Dirk. Well, so far he's playing like dirt. 2 points and 2 boards a game? I guess you can only improve those numbers, right?

Martell Webster- 6'7" 230 lbs. Had a career year last season while starting 62 games for the Wiz. 11 points and 4 rebounds a game to go along with his 17 blocked shots is pretty productive. Also, Martell became a good free throw shooter last season. Always around 70-something percent from the line, last season he jumped into the 85% range. Looking for another productive year like this from him is not unrealistic.

GUARDS

Bradley Beal- 6'5" 205 lbs. Beal, though his season was cut short due to injury, showed us how great of a shooter he can be. A great 1-2 punch with Wall, he averaged 14 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists a game in his rookie campaign. Look for him to improve all of these numbers as he's now fully healthy and added more to his game in the offseason. Beal is a potential all-star.

Glen Rice Jr.- 6'6" 206 lbs. Rice has shown his scoring ability from the parimeter is something worth watching. Played in the D-League last season and showed well. I'm looking for about a 8-10 point average from him in his rookie year. If that happens, his future with the Wiz at the off-guard position will be more clear. Great upside if he does indeed have his head on straight.

Eric Maynor- 6'3" 175 lbs. A backup guard that will be used sparingly in rotation with Wall and Beal. I don't expect much production from him other than the 2-4 PPG and a few assists. 

Garrett Temple- 6'6" 195 lbs. Temple was productive last season but could possibly be used as the 4th guard on the depth chart and that in turn could bring his production down. Averaging 5 points, 2 boards and 2 assists last season, I'd expect about the same.

John Wall- 6'4" 195 lbs. Wall had a great stretch at the end of last season, averaging 18 points and 8 assists. Another rising star on this team and no doubt the leader of it. With a max contract now, Wall's future is here in Washington. I'd love to see him average 20 points and 10 assists but if he can just raise the assists a bit then I think the offense will be pretty good. Opening up shots for Gortat, Beal, and everyone else should be his focus because teams seem to key in him when they're looking to slow the offense. I'm predicting an All-Star season for Wall in the Eastern Conference.

Game is at 7:30pm tonight in Detroit. 

GO WIZ!

-Will

 

George McPhee - To Stay or GO?

 

I read A LOT of sports articles on the Washington Capitals.  At the end of every article, I scroll through the comments section and see what fans have to say about how the Washington Capitals are performing.  I'll see some comments that are very knowledgeable and others that make our huge fan base look foolish.  Seriously, people write some ridiculous things.  Stuff like, Ovechkin should be traded, and Oates is a horrible coach, and blah blah blah.  One that I've wrapped my brain around is the classic "GMGM needs to go" comment that I see more and more often.  I'm not here to say that GM should stay or go.  I'm simply here to state the facts and let you decide for yourself.

Is George McPhee really the reason the Caps have struggled to bring a Stanley Cup to our nation's capital?  Lets take a look at what George McPhee has done since being hired as the General Manager in 1997.

In McPhee's first season as general manager, the team executed throughout the playoffs and made it's first and only appearance in the Stanley Cup finals but were swept by the Detroit Redwings. He has put pieces in place for the Caps to qualify for the playoffs in 10 of his 15 seasons as GM.

Between 2003 and 2007, (one season cancelled due to lockout) McPhee spent some time tearing the team apart and rebuilding a contender.  He went about his rebuilding the correct way, utilizing the draft to push youth and talent into the lineup.  Some of the players he drafted were starters after their first camp and others were drafted and developed in the Caps affiliate leagues.  With the help of McPhee's drafts, the Hershey Bears made it to the Calder Cup championship four times in five seasons between 2005 and 2010 and won the Calder cup three times in that span.

McPhee had a shaky start at drafting in his first five drafts and only two of the players he drafted in that span became NHL regulars (Brian Sutherby and Matt Pettinger.)  Since then he's had a better record of recognizing NHL level talent.  He has drafted some impact players and a lot of NHL caliber guys. These guys would include: Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, Mike Green, Eric Fehr, Boyd Gordan, Semyon Varlamov, Michael Neuvirth, Jeff Shultz, John Carlson, Marcus Johansson, Karl Alzner, Mathieu Perreault, Braden Holtby, Cody Eakin, Filip Forsberg, and Tom Wilson.  He has also drafted prospects that are playing in leagues around the world that are developing into NHL starters as well.  These guys include Evgeny Kuznetsov, Philipp Grubauer, Andre Burakovsky, Riley Barber, and Madison Bowey.  Kuznetsov has been a NHL top prospect for a few years and would be an incredible addition to the Caps if he would leave Russia. Andre Burakovsky has 9 goals and 18 points in 13 games in his first year in the OHL.  McPhee has had a few busts (Anton Gustafson is probably the biggest) but so have the other GMs around the league.

McPhee has done everything possible to get this team past the 2nd round of the playoffs.  He has traded draft picks and prospects and signed players with leadership and every style and skillset in the offseason and before the deadline to help get this team over the hump.  He has fired and hired coaches to apply different systems into this squad.  What else does he have to do?  He can't trade away the team and start over at this point.  He has great players waiting in the wings.

The defense is struggling and everyone should trust that it has McPhee's full attention.  This league is conducted as a business and there isn't a magic move that can put the big, physical defensemen that we need on the blue line.  Guys like that are few and far between.  Maybe McPhee's recent waiver pick up (Alexander Urbom) can learn this system and provide that presence.  The defensemen currently in the lineup have a ton of talent.  You can't knock McPhee for putting it there.  It's time for the talent to blend.  It's time for these players to play to their capabilities and help this team get what they've never gotten. 

It's time for everyone to realize the fact that George McPhee is only getting better as time passes.  He's helped this team win seven Southeast division championships and set a club record for wins and points in 2009-10.  When a Presidents Trophy winning team is put on the ice by a general manager, and they lose in the first round of the playoffs to an 8th seeded team, should the blame be placed on the general manager, or the players and coaches? 

When McPhee hired Adam Oates, he hired an ex player who is in the Hall of Fame.  The amount of respect between players and coaches is at a level it has never been before.  Let's hope George McPhee's recognition of this need is what the Caps will need to get their names imprinted on the Lord Stanley's Cup.  There's 70 games left to be played this season.  With the level of talent on this roster, I know I'll be watching.

Zach

Washington vs. Denver; A win that never was....

Again the inconsistency of the Redskins was on display for the entire Nation to see.  The flashes of brilliance shown by the defense were only matched by the complete inability to stop the deep pass.  Manning and the Denver Broncos overcame four turnovers and a two-touchdown deficit to score the last 38 points in what would be a 45-21 runaway over the former Denver coach's current team. 
Manning threw for 354 yards and four touchdowns and the Denver defense came up with a season-high five turnovers -- more than enough to overcome three interceptions and a lost fumble by the Broncos quarterback. 
After DeAngelo Hall returned one of Manning's interceptions 26 yards for a 21-7 lead, Manning began a meticulous run of football that saw the Broncos (7-1) use a total of 27 plays to go 75 and 83 yards for two touchdowns that tied the game.
 "It was like a blur," Hall said.  "Someone asked me, 'What went wrong, what happened?'  To be brutally honest, I don't remember.  I looked up one point, 21-7, felt good, everybody smiling.  Turned around and it ... was 38-21."
The Redskins have to get back to the basics.  RUN, RUN, RUN.... Alfred Morris had 17 carries for 93 yards and a touchdown.   Morris is averaging 5.2 yards per carry this season and is the answer to the Skins' offensive struggles.  As soon as the Shanahans realize that the answer to helping out a struggling RG3 is already in the backfield with him, the quicker the team will get back in the win column. 
RG3 isn't the savior folks, at least not yet.  He's a second year QB who is struggling to wrap his head around the complex defenses that the NFL offers week in and week out.  Get back to the bread and butter that won us a NFC East championship last year- the read option, and with that  change, comes success.

Was	Den
First downs	22	29
Total Net Yards	266	446
Rushes-yards	28-112	34-107
Passing	154	339
Punt Returns	2-36	1-10
Kickoff Returns	0-0	1-30
Interceptions Ret.	3-42	4-97
Comp-Att-Int	20-39-4	30-44-3
Sacked-Yards Lost	3-26	2-15
Punts	7-39.1	3-49.0
Fumbles-Lost	3-1	1-1
Penalties-Yards	1-5	6-57
Time of Possession	28:00	32:00

___

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING_Washington, Morris 17-93, Helu Jr. 5-11, Griffin III 5-7, Cousins 1-1. Denver, Moreno 14-44, Ball 11-37, Anderson 4-22, Holliday 1-7, Manning 4-(minus 3).

PASSING_Washington, Griffin III 15-30-2-132, Cousins 5-9-2-48. Denver, Manning 30-44-3-354.

RECEIVING_Washington, Reed 8-90, Garcon 7-46, Moss 2-20, Helu Jr. 1-14, Hankerson 1-7, Morgan 1-3. Denver, D.Thomas 7-75, Moreno 6-89, Welker 6-81, Decker 4-42, J.Thomas 3-29, Dreessen 2-9, Tamme 1-15, Caldwell 1-14.

MISSED FIELD GOALS_None.

 

Lets look forward to a big win next week....

Rich Facciolo
Football Columnist
Shades of Red

Capitals vs. Canucks - Preview

The Vancouver Canucks (8-4-1) will host the Washington Capitals (5-6-0) tonight at Rogers Arena.  Puck drop is scheduled for 10:00pm.

The Caps are looking to improve their 2-3 road record and rebound from Saturday's 2-5 loss to the Calgary Flames. In the loss, Braden Holtby was yanked from the ice during the 1st period, after surrendering 3 goals on 14 shots.  Neuvirth allowed an additional 2 goals on 19 shots in his replacement role.  The two goals for the Caps were scored by Aaron Volpatti and Jason Chimera.  Ovechkin was held pointless for the 3rd time in 11 games this season but is still leading the league in shots on goal and is tied for most goals atop the league with Alexander Steen (St. Louis Blues) at 10 each. Neuvirth is getting the nod from Oates tonight.

The Canucks look to extend their 3 game winning streak and are playing their first game at home since wrapping up their 7 game road trip which saw them go 5-1-1. Roberto Luongo is expected to get the start in net and has a 2.30 goals against average in 33 games against the Capitals. The Canucks have dominated the Caps in their most recent matchups. They've won the last 3 and 8 of the last 9 games played.

The Caps are going to have to play at their highest level tonight to slow down the talented Canucks team coached by John Tortorella. Hopefully the defense can make some crisp passes out of the zone to eliminate the dump n' chase.  The Caps get more pucks to the net when they carry the puck across the blue line and look to set up plays and create.  The defense will be put to the test early and often.  It's time for the Caps to show they're better then their record suggests.

Note: Aaron Volpatti returns to Vancouver for his first time since the Canucks placed him on waivers last February. Canucks fans loved Volpatti's physical game and voiced their frustration to the Canucks GM Mike Gillis for giving the tough guy away. Let's hope Volpatti is in the line up and playing with a bit of a chip on his shoulder.

Zach's 3 Keys to the Game:

** Get on the board early- The Caps don't want to play "catch up" in this one. They should look to take the lead early, strip the momentum from this powerful Canucks team, and quiet their fans.

** Win the board battles- The battle of the boards could very well be the key to victory for the Caps. Look for Oates to deliver a heavy dose of the Chimera/Ward/Grabovski line. They are extremely good at winning the board battles and creating scoring opportunities from all three zones.

**Aggressive defense- The Canucks have a powerful/creative group of forwards. Our defense needs to hit hard and often and keep the puck to the boards. If they give Ryan Kesler and the Sedin brothers the center of the ice, the consequences could be deadly. Shot blocking will be key.

G O   C A P S !

Zach
.

Nationals to hire Matt Williams as Davey Johnson's successor

           Thought to be General Manager Mike Rizzo's top candidate, sources have confirmed that the Nationals intend to make Matt Williams the next manager of the team. Rizzo has given us a few hints that this was apparent, heres a quote: “You screwed up, Matt Williams put you in a locker. And that was end of it. Mark Grace, Matt Williams, Jay Bell, Luis Gonzalez — those were the guys who gave the fines, jump peoples’ asses, put a guy in a locker.”

             They also intend to keep bench coach Randy Knorr in the same position. Knorr was the favorite in the clubhouse and of most fans collectively based on the simple fact of keeping the continuity and spirit of the club together. The dilemma they're faced with now is the entire coaching staff. It's doubtful that hitting coach Rick Shu, pitching coach Steve McCatty, 3b coach Trent Jewette and 1b coach Tony Turrasco keep their jobs. Managers usually have their own people in mind when it comes to hiring a staff and full turnover usually happens in the case of hiring a manager outside of the organization. In any case, obviously keeping Knorr as bench coach is smart but will he take it? Only time will tell. -William

Meriweather Suspended 2 games?????

A man who has played football the same way for 20+ years has been suspended by the NFL for 2 games. Is it right for the NFL to change policies on players overnight? If you have trained your body to walk a certain way all your life and then all of the sudden you cant walk with the same gait anymore, its going to take time to adjust to your new walk and even then, in the heat of the moment you will 99% fall back into your old habits. You can't change overnight folks, no matter how hard you try. It takes time, and the No Fun League needs to realize that.

Rich Facciolo
Football Columnist
Shades of Red

Adam Oates - The Respected Player and Coach

The same day Adam Oates was elected to the Hall of Fame, he was on his way to Washington DC to be named the 16th coach of the Washington Capitals. What a day! In his introductory press conference, George McPhee began by saying "I don't know of a player with a higher hockey IQ then Adam Oates." The first question Adam received in the press conference was, "Adam when George McPhee offered you the job, how long did it take you to respond?" Adam responded with "uhhhhh...lets see...5 seconds". Shows how fired up he was to be back in Washington, where he spent the majority of his playing career and to be a head coach in the NHL. It was frustrating for him with the lockout beginning, and only being aloud to introduce himself to his players and not talk anything hockey. I bet on the first day of training camp the guys thought he was crazy because it was probably like an explosion of information that he had been thinking up. He never stops thinking about his team and his players. He said himself, “My wife is sick of it,” Oates said. “I’ve got more journals than you can shake a stick at.” Even in his playing days the guy was always paying attention to details. It could be a new position, who your locker is next to, or even the curvature of a stick. “He always comes up with something. He always sees those little details that maybe you as a player don’t always think about,” center Nicklas Backstrom said. “How you can get a shot off quicker, how to catch the puck — it’s always something that, when he tells you, you try it and it really works.” Hearing comments like this just make you feel good about the respect the players and Oates have for each other. They're professionals but since Oates was one of the best ever to play the game, it's just not the same as if a coach like Bruce Boudreau were to make a suggestion.“They work with the minor league guys, they work with all of us. They care about everyone,” veteran defensemen John Erskine said. “They’ll teach Ovi something, but move on down the line with all of us. Even in the NHL, guys are willing to learn, and we’ve got a Hall of Famer in Oatesy and [assistant coach] Calle [Johansson] who want to teach us. We’ll listen.”

In his first year of head coach, he only had one week of training camp to introduce the system and himself to all of his players. It took the team awhile to get used to it but they actually snuck into the playoffs after winning the Southeast division (I couldn't believe fans were throwing Oates on the hot seat due to the slow start last season.) That's a pretty good accomplishment for a first time head coach who had a lockout shortened season and a week of training camp to prepare. Don't you think? This guy came in and turned Alex Ovechkin's career around and as of today, (9 games into his second season as coach) the great 8 has scored 65 points in his last 50 regular season games! Those are ridiculous numbers!

In the 2011-12 season (under Boudreau and Hunter) the Caps power play operated at 16.7%. Good for 18th in the league. Last season the Caps boasted the #1 power play and it was a deadly 26.8%. Through 9 games this season we are operating at a 31.4%, good for 1st in the league. That's pretty good...thanks Oates.

Check out the power play charts here  http://espn.go.com/nhl/statistics/team/_/stat/special-teams/sort/powerPlayPct

The defense is the next order of business for Oates and Calle Johansson. It has been shaky and the breakdowns in our own zone have to stop. You can tell it has their attention. They're shifting pairings around, and trying to play more aggressive (You could really tell they were playing more aggressive in the Columbus Blue Jackets game) but it's going to take some time for the new style to become effective. In my opinion, they could really benefit from some size and physicality on the back end. Could Alexander Urbom show up in the mix soon? We definitely have talent, now it needs to blend. It's still early in the season so I think we should give it some more time before we start pulling out the pitchforks (Us DC fans are known for that you know.)

Although the defense has been shaky, I think the Caps will get back on track soon. I'm excited to get the win on the 1st game of this 5 game road trip and hopefully we can get some more wins away from home.

Thanks for reading, Zach

Here's a link to Adam Oates Introductory press conference and Hall of Fame induction speech. CHECK IT!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2O1U-j3OI4s

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3V4pmABjU2g

Last night at Glory Days in Woodbridge

      Had a lot if fun at "Caps on Tap" last night in Woodbridge. People won prizes, a guy had an amazing bald pony tail, Zach got depressed, Brian ate five thousand wings and didn't even bother to get dressed before he came...

8 IS ON FIRE!

When Adam Oates was an assistant coach in New Jersey (2009-2011), a lot of people credited him with the revival Ilya Kovalchuk. He pushed Kovalchuk to make the switch to right wing and Kovalchuk's transition paid off. This is one of the reasons Oates was the front runner for the coaching job in Washington. Ovechkin's numbers and opportunities had dropped off and quite frankly, he'd become predictable. Defensemen figured out how to stop that speedy rush down the left side that Ovechkin would attempt every time he touched the puck in space. Enter Adam Oates, Ovechkin switches from left wing to right wing and Ovechkin captures a Maurice "Rocket" Richard trophy and the Hart memorial trophy as the leagues most valuable player.

Now we're nine games into the second season under Adam Oates and to no ones surprise Ovechkin is leading the league in goals and shots on goal and is 3rd in total points. I've seen and heard some stuff circulating in the world of hockey that Ovechkin is overrated because he doesn't score a lot in even strength play. For the record, constantly slapping goals in on a power play isn't a bad thing. Besides, those people are eating there words after he scored his 8th and 9th goal of the season in even strength hockey last night against Winnipeg. He's on pace for 82 goals now and shows no signs of slowing down.

Lets hope the great 8 keeps lighting the lamp!!

Go Caps

State of the Franchise

    IT'S MY STATE AND YOU WILL LISTEN                                  TO MY CRY!

    

         As die-hard DC sports fans, its difficult to hear the ups and downs of your typical DC sports band wagoner. As I  follow all 16 games of the Redskins season, I feel the highs of winning and the lows of losing, where the casual fan jumps in when the goings good and bails when it gets a little rocky (i.e. ALL DALLAS FANS.)  But I digress, the Washington Redskins are finally a contender again for a bevy of reasons and the stability of the franchise has never been more steady. 
   
         From the laughing stock of the league five years ago to NFC East champs, the Washington Redskins have finally broken through the annual off-season spending spree and started conducting the front office as a legitimate NFL franchise. The hiring of numbers wizard and respected football mind Bruce Allen, has gotten the Skins out of the salary cap nightmare he was left with when Vinny Cerrato was fired. His exceptional ability of evaluating talent on all levels has helped to build our roster with solid/spectacular talent has taken this team in a whole new direction. Winning real championships is the goal now, not landing the biggest free agents to put butts on the bench. When Mike Shanahan was hired as head coach, we finally got a coach who demands attention and respect of NFL players. The capable hands of Mike Shanahan, provides a piece that's been absent from this organization since Joe Gibbs'  first stint with the team. Shanahan brought credibility, something of the Redskins haven't had in over a decade.
   
       It took a couple of years to get results on the field, but if you look at the talent on the roster, the stability of the front office and the record at the end of the season I would say the Redskins are building a franchise which have the ability to sustain multiple 10+ win seasons over the next few seasons. From the talent of the starters to the quality of the backups, I feel the Redskins are heading in the right direction.
    
       Next year Shanahan will be in the fifth and final year of his contract which leads to a lame duck situation.  Will the players play for a coach they aren't sure is going to be here next year? Is Kyle Shanahan the heir apparent? The Defense under Jim Haslett has gotten progressively worse over the past 4 years and I believe it is time for a change at the defensive helm.
    
       I welcome any insight, suggestions or ideas of who could be the next D-Coordinator for the Skins. Or who the next man for the head coaching position could be. Has Shanahan earned an extension?

That's all for me and keep the suggestions coming.

I'll be here and so will the rest of the Shades of Red team...
 

Rich Facciolo
Football Columnist
Shades Of Red
My Email

 

8 DAYS UNTIL TIP OFF

          Anyone excited for the Wiz? I know that I sure as hell am. Oh yes, most of you are all "This dude must have fell and bumped his head", but i say, SHUT YOUR TRAP AND WATCH! While they didn't make any big splashes in free agency, or any awesome trades that would've made your panties fly off, they still did well this offseason IMO.

          With extending John Wall, drafting Otto Porter and Glen Rice Jr., signing Al Harrington and Josh Childress, keeping Seraphin, Nene, Okafor, to stay along with their projected leader in points this season, Bradley Beal, thats enough for me to be excited about. Especially if this preseason is any indication of what kind of numbers they might put up. http://www.nba.com/wizards/stats/2013. Obviously John Wall will average more than 12 PPG, but the 8 assist average is good enough for me. Beal averaging 21 PPG? I think that's an accurate projection. Best Beal stat? .513 shot percentage. We hate missed shots, Beal is making more than he misses, math makes me feel good. Anyway, hear me now and believe me later, this team may be on the rise, because you can't go too far backward from what we've watched the last 3 seasons. PROGRESS PEOPLE!

 

CAPS VIEWING PARTY

Come hang with us and these people at Glory days Grill in Woodbridge today for the Caps viewing party! We'll be handing out flyers and Zach will buy you a beer!

h

ttp://www.glorydaysgrill.com/#locations/virginia/woodbridge-dale-city

GO CAPS!

Ripken on Dan Patrick show

 

 

   In case you missed it, Cal was on Dan Patrick's show last week. Of course the topic of managing a pro team came up. My favorite quote is this:

       Patrick asked  "Why don’t you put it out there that you’re ready to manage?’” Ripken said. “I said, ‘Because that’s not who I am.’ . . . He said, ‘I’ll put it out there for you,’ and I said, ‘I wouldn’t want to manage just anywhere.’ It’s kind of funny, the reaction that followed.”

 

     That could mean two things. 1) He only wants to manage the Nats. Or, 2) he only wants to manage the O's. But because Buck will be with the Orioles for the foreseeable future, I'd go with the first thought. 

Here's more on the topic.

http://m.washingtonpost.com/sports/nationals/cal-ripken-jr-says-hes-not-lobbying-for-any-managing-job-but-leaves-the-door-open/2013/10/14/06ba393c-350a-11e3-8a0e-4e2cf80831fc_story.html

Oh last October...

      While laughing hard at the Braves not putting up any fight and being eliminated in the NLDS by the Dodgers last night then noticing the Tigers and Rays face elimination tonight, of course I can only think of one thing: October 12, 2012.

 

      The night started out beautifully. I slept in that day, waking up with a sense of calm and no need for coffee (which is extremely rare). I showered, put my favorite Nationals gear in the wash, and made calls to see where I will plant my butt for a few hours during the evening. I went over to the parents' house for an early dinner then called Brian to see if he wanted to come out, the answer was yes and then I heard from Zach:

I went home and put my freshly washed gear on and headed to Zach's. I was excited. Beyond excited. My favorite team in my favorite sport was playing in a 2-2 tied series against the St Louis Cardinals. Better than that, I was quite confident we would win. 

       The game started fast. Nationals' hitters plated 6 runs in 2.2 innings and Gio was mowing the Cards down. Then started to hiccup a run here and there before completely falling apart. Once the Cardinals bats got hot, they were scorching. Here's the statistical recap:http://scores.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=321012120.

           I remember just like yesterday. We were up 7-5, top of the Ninth, all we needed was for our great young closer (Drew Storen) to get 3 outs. That's all we needed. All of us were very tense sitting in the room, we noticed Drew's eyes were really big and really bloodshot, so he was obviously nervous. Then before every pitch you could see his glove shaking, basically convulsing in a tremor! That's when it was apparent that he was rattled. Then he gave up 4 runs, we lost 9-7 and had 3 quick outs in the bottom of the 9th to end it. 

       The point in me reminiscing on this day of last year, is not to put myself through more torture (even though us Washington sports fans must enjoy the pain ,being as what we've been through), it's the fact that, on that night, as painful as it was, we were rooting for our team in an elimination game of the playoffs. A theme we will not host in this town in 2013. That sucks more than the game 5 loss.

       Buy hey, at least the Braves lost!

-Will

Capitals #1 Prospect - Evgeny Kuznetsov

When the Capitals selected Russian center Evgeny Kuznetsov with the 26th overall pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, no one thought that he would still be suited up for KHL's Traktor Chelyabinsk when the Capitals kicked off their 2013-14 season. Since he was drafted, the Capitals have been on a roller coaster ride trying to get him to come to North America.

Kuznetsov played with Traktor for three seasons between 2009-2012 before hitting the free agent market in May of 2012. This had many Caps fans excited to welcome Traktor's leading scorer to DC. But those hopes were shot down when Kuznetsov stated he was staying in the KHL. Our hopes were heightened once again when his agent later took back Kuznetsov's statement and even Kuznetsov himself later stated " I said what I said to get people off my back."

Later, Kuznetsov made Russia's World Championship team and skated alongside Penguin's star Evgeny Malkin. Despite Russia's action in the World Championships the media only had questions for Kuznetsov regarding where he would be suiting up for the 2012-13 hockey seasons. Kuznetsov finally gave everyone the answer they were looking for and it wasn't the answer the Caps organization and fans wanted to hear. Kuznetsov stated he was signing a two year contract with Traktor Chelyabinsk and that his decision making was based on the fact that he "Wasn't NHL ready" and he "really wanted to make the Olympic team." Our hopes were shot down again.

In December of 2012 during a PROsport magazine interview with Ovechkin, the great 8 had this to say about Kuznetsov's decision:  “He should’ve gone to America,” Ovechkin said. “Even if it hadn’t worked out, he’d quietly come back to Russia and have the same role and the same money that was available before. I think he’ll understand it in a year. He’ll understand that it is time to go to the NHL, but he’ll have a year left on his deal with Traktor.”

Now that Kuznetsov is in a contract year with Traktor, he's getting Caps fans excited again with recent comments like this:

“I promised to play for Washington after the Olympics,” Kuznetsov said, as translated by RMNB’s Fedor Fedin. “I want to play in [DC], but I’m playing for Traktor right now. I have a contract and I will continue to fight with sweat and blood playing for such a great club.”
AND:
 “I’ve decided for myself that it is my last year in the KHL. There’s no money that could keep me in Russia. I could make 30 times less, but I’ll feel what it’s like to live in a different country and play against the best players in the world.”

When the director of Traktor Chelyabinsk was asked about Kuznetsov's leaving he even replied with this:  "I’m 200% sure he’s going [to Washington]. Once the season’s over he’s leaving"

Kuznetsov will be eligible to play for the Caps at the end of this season because the KHL's season starts/ends before the NHL season. Therefore his contract would be up, making him eligible to join the Caps just in time for the playoffs. But most would expect if the Caps were to miss the playoffs he would wait until next season to join (if he decides to join.) Also, if Kuznetsov wanted to join the Caps after the Sochi Olympics, it's possible Traktor could let him out of the remainder of his contract to leave for the NHL. Another Russian team "Kuznetskie Medvedi" did this for Caps prospect Dmitri Orlov in 2010-11 so he could join the Hershey Bears (Capitals affiliate club.)

It's probably worth noting that Kuznetsov sustained his second shoulder injury 30 seconds into Traktor's 2nd game of this season and actually had surgery to repair the "left shoulder joint which had a capsule tear." The surgery was successful and was only done to accelerate his return to the ice. It shouldn't be a worry for Caps fans as he's already returned to the ice and in just 19 games played for Traktor this season, Kuznetsov has 7 goals and 14 total points.

The Caps organization and fans know not to get their hopes up because we've been down this road before. But it seems to be more of a -GO- this time around. No matter how this season plays out or what we need (Even if its to help a playoff push) as the trade deadline approaches, trading Kuznetsov should absolutely be OUT of the question. He is accurate enough to score from anywhere on the ice and has been compared to scorers like John Tavares and Zach Parise. His backhand shot and stick handling is in the ranks of Crosby. Speed...well lets just say he has it!

Since his 2010-11 season started with Traktor, Kuznetsov has played in 200 contests (including playoffs) and has amassed 74 goals and 77 assists for a 0.755 points per game average. Imagine what those stats would amount to if he was added to a line with Ovechkin (NHL leading goal scorer) and Backstrom. Or maybe Grabovski and Brouwer. Or my personal favorite: Could you imagine a powerplay with Ovechkin, Green, Backstrom, Grabovski and Kuznetsov!? It should be a crime.

Thanks for reading,

Zach Hart
Shades of Red

 

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Here's some Stats from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evgeny_Kuznetsov#Professional_play

Regular season and playoffs[edit]

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2007-08	Traktor-2 Chelyabinsk	RUS-3		2	0	0	0	0		—	—	—	—	—
2008-09	Traktor-2 Chelyabinsk	RUS-3		22	5	15	16	40		—	—	—	—	—
2009–10	Belye Medvedi Chelyabinsk	MHL		9	4	12	16	8		2	1	2	3	4
2009–10	Traktor Chelyabinsk	KHL		35	2	6	8	10		4	1	0	1	0
2010–11	Traktor Chelyabinsk	KHL		44	17	15	32	30		—	—	—	—	—
2010–11	Belye Medvedi Chelyabinsk	MHL		8	10	5	15	4		5	0	2	2	10
2011–12	Traktor Chelyabinsk	KHL		49	19	21	40	30		12	7	2	9	10
2012–13	Traktor Chelyabinsk	KHL		51	19	25	44	42		25	5	6	11	28
KHL totals				179	57	68	125	112		41	13	8	21	38
MHL totals				17	14	17	31	12		7	1	4	5	14

Lay off the Dust

          Upon hearing that Cincinatti has fired Dusty Baker, I understand that some Nats fans will automatically assume he is a leading candidate for being the next manager of the club. Before we get excited, let's look at Bakers career as a manager.

         His record as a manager is 1671-1504, a .526 winning percentage. While that is not bad at all, it's all regular season...Because that's what Baker is, a good regular season manager. He did manage to make it to the World Series with, oh yea THE GREATEST HITTER OF ALL TIME*, Barry Bonds. But Baker has never won the big one. If you want to roll the dice on him, you might as well go with more inexpensive options like Knorr or Ripken that also never won a World Series. Baker's handling of a bullpen is suspect also. So in my opinion, stick with the in-house guy in Knorr and let this team go try and win without bringing in some big name manager just because he's won a lot of regular season games. We'll stay in tuned to what Rizzo does next.

       Will

Why is Martin Erat on the 4th line?

When George McPhee executed a deadline trade last season sending a top prospect in Filip Forsberg to the Nashville Predators in exchange for Michael Latta and top 6 forward Martin Erat,, hopes were high that Erat would help the Washington Capitals advance further then the conference semi-finals of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Fast forward to Game 4 of the Eastern conference quarter finals and Erat leaves the ice after he was sent airborne, getting caught between Derek Stepan and the hard charging great 8 and breaking his elbow. He would miss the final three games of the playoffs without recording a playoff point and only registering three shots on goal.

Of the 19 games Erat was with the Caps last season he missed 6 contests due to injuries, and failed to record a point in 11 of them leaving only 2 games in which Erat recorded points. Has he had enough ice time to prove his worth or does his change in position have something to do with his slow start as a Capital?

That's right, when Erat was recording all that ice time in Nashville he was playing as a right winger. When he arrived in DC last season he was switched to the left side with the idea that since he's a leftie he should play on the left side. Oates loves doing this because its easier to get off one-timers and use the boards to protect the puck. Also, since Mike Ribiero and Matthew Perreault are gone, Erat finds himself as the smallest player on the Caps squad. Could this be the reasoning behind why Oates has him inserted on the fourth line?

After a weak preseason start and Brooks Laich back from injury, Erat may have to prove himself worthy of overtaking one of his teammates and work his way up to the lines to get back to where he believes he belongs. But in the end this is a great problem for the Caps to have. There's something to be said about your hockey team when you have a guy like Martin Erat playing on your fourth line.

Go Caps!
Zach

Shades of Red Sports

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