Where Do We Go From Here? What's Next For The Washington Redskins

After 10 games in the 2013-2014 season, the Washington Redskins find themselves in a very familiar place. In the cellar of the NFC East. Beneath a New York Giants team that started 0-6, behind a Cowboys team that season after season remains mediocre at best, and in the dust a Philadelphia Eagles team with a new head coach, and a backup quarterback at the helm.  The start to the season is not far off from how last season began, however the seven game win streak to end last year, lifting the Washington Redskins to their first division title in over a decade, is now just a distant memory.

   

   Much more was expected of the Redskins this year, coming off of a division title, with one of the league's best running games, and the Rookie of the Year at quarterback. A 4-0 pre season record only heightened expectations. Now, with a struggling defense, an anemic special teams unit led by a new coach that can't seem to get things right, and an offense lacking explosion and diversity, Washington looks to be a team searching for answers. With the division in the locker room and players calling out coaching, this season has turned from a disappointment to an all-out disaster. With sports talk radio calling for the coaches head, RG3 showing signs that he's not the leader we thought he was, and frustrated fans, this season looks to be just another year that the Redskins faithful have grown accustom to. This leaves us all wondering what's the next step to bring the team to a position where they can be successful, and compete at a high level once again?
   

   The old Redskins would say fire the coach, fire the coordinator, let's start over. Just ask Jason Campbell how well that works. While there's no question that bad coaching is a major part of the Redskins struggles this year, is a complete change really what the Redskins need? I seem to remember 90 percent of the fan base being against Dan Snyder's old ways and quick trigger finger when it comes to his coaches. And if we need any evidence that patience can be rewarding, all we have to do is look to the Carolina Panthers, Cam Newton, and Ron Rivera. In his first 2 seasons as coach of the Carolina Panthers, Rivera was extremely unimpressive, with the team seeming divided, questioning the coaching publicly which led to media and fans  speculating a coaching change. However the owner stayed the course, trusting in his quarterback to improve from his sophomore slump, and believing that Rivera, the guy he hired, was qualified to take the team where they need to go. Now Carolina is a legit contender coming off a wins over San Francisco and New England. Is this a model that Snyder needs to follow? Should he extend Mike Shanahan's contract another year and give him a chance with a healthy RG3, and an improved salary cap position? I don't have the answers for that, but I do know that blowing the whole thing up may not only be negative for the organization, but it might be detrimental to the development of RG3 and Alfred Morris.
    

  Something that I hear often from sports talk radio, SportsCenter, and Redskins fans is the ineptitude of Jim Haslett and his 3-4 defense. In my mind this is the main issue for the Redskins this season. For instance, look at the San Francisco 49ers. Since week 2,  Colin Kaepernick is the NFL's worst rated passer, averaging a mere 127 yards per game passing. While their record isn't what anyone expected, the defense keeps them in games and has allowed them to be successful and remain in the wild card hunt. And what a coincidence it is that its the 49ers that the Redskins meet on Monday Night Football this week. While the Redskins offense has shown struggles, the fact that the defense can't get off the field and give the offense more opportunities is a huge issue. Last week at the half of the Philadelphia Eagles game, Robert Griffin had 7 pass attempts. 7! This is unacceptable. I have to believe that with more opportunities to get the ball, the Redskins offense can excel. Bad field position, shaky defense, and possibly not believing in RG3 to be a true pocket passer is hurting the Redskins.    

   

  Typically when a team has the season the Redskins are having this year, someone must go, heads must roll. And if you think that Mike Shanahan will stay, and Kyle Shanahan will no longer be the offensive coordinator, keep dreaming. As long as the Red Lobster is coaching the team, his son will be calling the plays. I do believe that Kyles scheme and offense can work, but I also believe that the Redskins need to take more shots down field and stretch the defense to allow the shorter plays to be effective. A bubble screen will not work if there's no threat for you to throw downfield keeping the safeties and defensive backs on their heels. Last week on 3rd and 19, the Skins throw a 1-yard screen to Roy Helu. On 3rd and 1 they throw a 15 yard post pattern to Santana Moss. Both plays ended up in a punt. This is where the Redskins must be better. Why not take a shot? On 3rd and 19, why not go deep? A number of things can occur. Pass interference, defensive holding, underneath routes open up, or even a catch and run for a touchdown. Imagine that.
  

   With a 3-7 record,  there's already speculation about next year, the future of the coaching staff and the players. What can save this squad? There is no one answer. There is no saving grace that will bring the team back to a division title, playoffs or even a Super Bowl appearance. Simply firing the coach in bringing in some one fresh will not solve the issues with the players and the issues with the play calls. I'm just one guy, but I believe the Redskins need to give Mike Shanahan the opportunity to at least finish out his contract next year and the fair chance to use money that you will have this year that he didn't have last year to build a team capable of competing. Let him have a healthy RG3 with a full offseason, hopefully more filled with football and passing drills than advertisements and documentaries. Call me a homer, or unrealistic, but I believe that this football team is capable of winning games. This offseason should be an interesting one, but let's hope that there's less turmoil, and the team able to keep it quiet and just work on basics. It's sad to be talking about next year through 11 games of the season, but hey, we're Redskins fan... We're used to it.

Brian Smith
Shades Of Red

Washington Capitals (12-9-1) vs. Montreal Canadiens (11-9-2)

The Washington Capitals will play host to the Montreal Canadiens on Friday night. Opening faceoff at Verizon Center is scheduled for 7:00 pm.

The Canadiens are coming off of a strong 6-2 win over the Wild on Tuesday night. Pacioretti, who has been criticized for his goal scoring drought, silenced his critics with a hat trick in the match up. Other goals were scored by Bournival, Briere and Galchenyuk (awesome name.) Carey Price stopped 25 of the 27 shots he faced. It's worth mentioning that Brandon Prust, one of the best fighters in the league, had a 5 minute major for fighting.

The Canadiens feature a blend of youth and veterans with speed and skill up and down their roster. The sophomores, Brian Gallagher and Alex Galchenyuk, are extremely fast and creative. The Canadiens have made a jump up the special teams charts and now have the leagues 2nd best power play percentage at 24.1%. They're penalty kill ranks 8th in the league and kills off 85% of short handed scenarios.

The Canadiens are expected to rest Carey Price for their Saturday night matchup at home against Pittsburgh. They'll give Peter Budaj the start against the Caps. He has only started 4 times this year but his numbers are solid. He boasts a 3-1 record, 1.48 goals against average and .945 save percentage.

The Caps were shut out by the Penguins Tuesday night and are looking to rebound. Although the loss was ugly, the Caps have fared well in the tough stretch of schedule. They've beat the Red Wings, Blues, Blue Jackets, Islanders and Wild. They should be coming out with a head of steam against the Canadiens. These two teams dislike each other and the Capitals have not forgotten the 2010 playoffs when the Canadiens defeated the 1st seeded/Presidents trophy winning Caps in 7 games.

Ovechkin is still tied atop the league with Alexander Steen in goal scoring with 17 goals. In 30 career games against the Canadiens, Ovechkin has 17 goals and 34 points. It would be a good night for Ovechkin to find the back of the net as the Caps could use the win. They don't want to see the 1st place Penguins add to the 3 point lead they hold over the Caps in the Metropolitan division.

Oates stated Thursday, he 's debating on moving Brooks Laich to Left Wing on the 2nd line and playing Martin Erat at center. The move isn't surprising as the 2nd line hasn't generated the type of scoring that is expected from them.

Mike Green is expected to make the start against the Penguins after being out of the lineup for a few games with a lower body contusion.

Braden Holtby is the projected starter for the first game of the back to back set. He has a 2.70 goals against average and a .923 save percentage on the season.

Zach's Three Keys to the Game:

** Goaltending: It's time for Holtby to step up and show the Caps that he can help carry this team to the playoffs. The Caps defense has been blamed for some of Holtby's bad games but in the end, he's their last defense for a reason. Holtby clearly had three goals he should have stopped against the Penguins. I'm tired of hearing the excuses for Holtby. Tonight, he needs to show what he's made of and make the critical stops to keep his team in the game.

** Discipline: The Caps don't want to give power plays to the leagues 2nd ranked unit. They need to avoid the costly penalties and stay out of the box.

** Line 2: The 2nd line of the Caps hasn't been good enough. Brooks and Troy have the talent to put way more pucks on the net. Erat has played better then both of them so maybe Oates" move of putting Erat in between them will begin to generate some creativity.

ROCK THE RED !!

Thanks for reading,

Zach Hart
Shades of Red

Washington Redskins at Minnesota Vikings Game Preview

 

   Coming off of a big win at home against the San Diego Chargers, the Washington Redskins head into Minneapolis Minnesota to take on Adrian Peterson and the Vikings.  Both teams have a short week ahead of them, having played in the 1:00 p.m. slot on Sunday.  A lot of people see Minnesota's 1-7 record and assume this ones in the bag.  Well if those same people watched the game against the Cowboys last Sunday, I think they'd reconsider that assessment.
   The Vikings come in allowing 395.1 yards of total offense per game.  Sounds rough.  That is until you hear that the Redskins allow 398.8 yards per game.  However, the Redskins are accumulating an impressive 407.6 yards per game, while Minnesota is only racking up 316.8.  While those numbers are quite different, the teams themselves... not so much.  Both are led by a dominant running game, with stud running backs in Alfred Morris and Adrian Peterson and have lethal pass rushers like Jared Allen and Ryan Kerrigan.  Both teams have struggling passing games even though RG3 seems to be turning the corner a bit.  Anyone expecting a blowout should be prepared to be let down.
   Saying all that, this game is definitely a winnable one for Mike Shanahan and the Redskins.  But having only played a mere 4 days prior to the Thursday night kick, there isn't much time for either team to add any new wrinkles in their game.  Both teams will come out and do what they do best.  For the Redskins, that starts with Alfred Morris and the run game.  Likewise, you can expect the Vikings to come out with a heavy dose of AP, early and often.  If the Skins aren't careful, they may become only the 2nd team to lose to Minnesota this year.

*Brian's 3 Keys to the Game*

1. Commit to stopping the run - Easier said than done.  The key to defeating the Vikings is to take down their leader.  That is without a doubt the great Adrian Peterson.  While AP isn't going to rush for 2000+ yards this year, make no mistake, he can take over a game at any point.  The Redskins must commit to stopping him and making Christian Ponder beat them.  Put 8 in the box, send safeties, and for god's sake, TACKLE!!!  If Peterson goes for 150 and 2 TD's..... game over.
2. Mix up the Offense- OK.  I know what everyone is thinking.  Run Morris.  Run Morris... then run him again!  While it is important to establish the run game, Minnesota's defense is allowing 391.1 passing yards per game.  That's good for 29th in the league.  RG3, Pierre Garcon and Jordan Reed should be licking their chops for this opportunity to put up some numbers.  It's actually possible that the passing game could open up the running game and holes for Morris.  Crazy right!!  The Skins must mix up their play calls to keep the Vikings defense guessing.
3. Don't kick to Cordarrelle Patterson! - We all know about the Skins special teams struggles.  They do not want to be introduced to the Vikings young rookie sensation on Thursday night.  Patterson recently tied the NFL record when he returned a kickoff 109 yards for a touchdown.  Impressive doesn't do him justice.  He already has two TD returns this season.  If the Redskins don't watch it, he'll have three.  Kai Forbath needs to do some leg workouts and just kick it out of the end zone every time!

    Looking forward to Thursday, I'm hoping the short week doesn't come back to hurt the Skins.  Injuries, lack of preparation, and fatigue all play a part in making quick turnarounds like this a tough win for any team.  Going on the road into a hostile environment never helps.  If the Redskins can keep the mistakes to a minimum, slow down AP, open up the offense, and not allow a special teams debacle, I believe they have what it takes to go into Minnesota and eek out a much needed win to get back in the hunt for the NFC east.

Brian Smith
Shades of Red

Capitals vs. Penguins. The Rivalry and the Game Preview

 

On Wednesday night, at 8:00 pm, the Washington Capitals will host the Pittsburgh Penguins. As always, the game will be on national television for fans around the NHL to tune in and watch the bitter rivalry. There's no doubt the action will be of playoff caliber which leads to my encouragement for all hockey fans to clear their schedules.

This Caps and Pens rivalry has been active for a long time. In the Patrick division days (1974-1993) the Capitals and Penguins were in the same division and this is where the rivalry was born. The Capitals and Penguins have met eight different times in the post season. Unfortunately, the series wins have gone heavily towards the Penguins. As a huge Caps fan, I feel shamed by this because the Capitals gave up series leads in seven of eight of them. Perhaps the most upsetting fact of all, is the Capitals have only beat the Penguins once in a playoff series, the 1994 Eastern Conference Quarter-finals. Twice, (1992 and 2009) the Penguins knocked the Capitals out of the playoffs in route to Stanley Cup winning seasons. The hatred for each other all started a long time ago, but recently it has been taken to another level.
 

Ovechkin and Crosby Feud:

When fans think about this rivalry, two names come to mind. Anyone care to guess? Yep, you guessed right. Alexander Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby. They are totally different players and their differences managed to re-energize the rivalry while playing in separate divisions. Although a lot of the media war has come to somewhat of a cease fire, their thoughts about each other are still lingering and it shows on the ice. They have finally seemed to realize, nothing positive comes from voicing their displeasures behind the microphone. But since it played a significant part in where the rivalry stands today, we'll take a short look at the feud.
 

Ovechkin was drafted 1st overall in the 2004 NHL draft and Crosby was drafted 1st overall the year after. Due to the lockout of the 2004 season, both ended up as rookies in 2005. Every time the two faced off, they made it very clear they didn't like each other. In the game on Feb 22, 2009, Ovechkin and Crosby got into a confrontation near the Caps bench and they had to be separated. Crosby was obviously disappointed that Ovechkin had been pushing his team around all game and was laying down a ton of hits in the matchup between the rivals. After the game both players had something to say: ''What I can say about him?'' said, Ovechkin, who scored his 43 goal, ''He is a good player, but he talks too much. I play hard. If he wants to do something like hit me again, try to hit me again -- and I'll talk to you guys (about) who plays dirty. That's my game. It's not cheap shots, it's a game moment. But he doesn't like it, it's his problem.'' Crosby responded: ''Like it or lump it, that's what he does. Some people like it, some people don't. Personally, I don't like it.''

What more could you ask for out of a great rivalry? Two young Captains who are completely different, sticking up for themselves and their team. With the NHL realignment, we get to watch these two battle it out in interdivisional matchups. This Wednesday should be interesting.

2009 Conference semi-finals - Capitals vs. Penguins

The 2009 conference semi-final series between the Capitals and the Penguins, is regarded as one of the best playoff series in the history of the NHL. Two former 1st overall picks, who had caused a media storm with their dislike for each other, we're facing off in a 7 game playoff series. It's what the hockey world had been waiting for and it didn't disappoint. In game two, Ovechkin and Crosby BOTH had hat tricks. Three of the seven games required overtime and it was the leagues highest single-series point total since 1995. In the series, Crosby finished with 13 points and Ovechkin finished with 14. The Caps were forced to sit back and watch as the Penguins advanced and had their names engraved on the Stanley Cup. The rivalry was heightened.

2011 Bridgestone Winter Classic

The rivalry is marquee. One of the greatest in sports. So great, that fans of other teams around the league tune in and watch. These games are almost always nationally televised because the number of viewers are always off the charts. The league recognized this and decided to let the Caps and Pens faceoff in the 2011 Bridgestone Winter Classic.

It was the first Winter Classic that was scheduled for prime time and was played at Pittsburgh's Heinz field. HBO's "24/7" TV series, took fans deeper into the preparation and activities for each team leading up to the Winter Classic. The road to the Classic ended on New Years day when the two teams faced off. Over 68,000 were in attendance and watched as the Caps came away with a 3-1 victory. Eric Fehr scored two goals and Mike Knuble scored 1 for the Caps. Evgeni Malkin had the lone goal for the Pens which he scored on a breakaway. Ovechkin talked about the game afterwards:

"It was one of the best feelings in my life," Ovechkin said. "When you see it's sold out, it's like I can't imagine when football players play every game like this. It's unbelievable."

Crosby was concussed in the matchup when he blindly collided with David Steckel in the 2nd period.  He left the game but returned to play the 3rd period. The collision was accidental and no suspensions or fines were dealt out. It contributed to a serious problem for Crosby in the future. He missed a ton of games due to ongoing concussion symptoms.

Quotes From Fans on the Rivalry

These two teams have been through a lot together and they both still have the core players who were together when all these things happened. Here's what another Shades of Red writer, Brian Smith, had to say when I asked him what his feelings were on the rivalry:

"That's the thing about a rivalry like the Caps and the Pens. No one has to say a thing. No blackboard material. If you can't get up for this game, you shouldn't be on the ice."

We asked a couple of Caps fans to comment on the rivalry between the Pens and the Caps. Here's what a few had to say:

"My family loves Ovie an the Caps, we have been huge hockey fans for years. People are always gonna hate on someone who is happy or doing well. Crosby is the Canadian hockey Jesus and the NHL loves to love him and Ovie is the one they love to hate"

"My schedule has been cleared for this game since the Capitals schedule was released. I have food in the crockpot so I wont have to worry about cooking and I will watch every second of this game, Go Caps!"

Let's move on to the Game Preview. GO CAPS!


Washington Capitals (12-8-1) vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (13-8-0)

The Capitals and Penguins will square off in a battle for 1st place on Wednesday night at Verizon Center. Puck drop is scheduled for 8:00pm. The Penguins currently sit in 1st place in the Metropolitan division just one point ahead of the streaking Capitals.

The Penguins are coming off of a Monday night win over the Anaheim Ducks. They were off to a shaky start and didn't register a shot on goal until 18 minutes into the 1st period. The first two periods were scoreless but the Penguins scored three goals in a four minute time frame of the 3rd period to get the 3-1 win. Brian Gibbons tallied his first NHL career goal in the matchup followed by goals from Brandon Sutter and Sidney Crosby. The win pushed the Penguins past the Capitals and back into 1st place in the Metropolitan Division.

The Capitals are coming off of a dominating 4-1 win against the St. Louis Blues. The Caps are red hot and have won 3 straight and 7 of their last 9 games. They'll look to add to their 6 game home winning streak against the Penguins. Ovechkin scored two goals against the Blues which brings his total to 17 goals on the season. Holtby has looked like a wall as of late and has been better at holding the rebounds. The 3rd line of Chimera, Grabovski and Ward is still working magic and will be rewarded for their productivity against the Pens. Everyone will need to do their jobs and stay disciplined so Oates can keep all four lines rolling.

Mike Green was able to participate in a full practice on Tuesday and will be eligible to return to the lineup just in time for Wednesday night's matchup. He has been sidelined the last two games with a contusion to the lower body and will most likely be a game time decision. Green leads the Capitals defensemen in points with 11 assists. His defense has been rather shaky to start the season as his minus 6 in the +/- category would suggest. But the chemistry he has with his power play mates is a big reason the Caps boast the 2nd ranked power play in the league. He knows what this rivalry is all about so lets hope he's in the lineup and playing with his "A" game on Wednesday night.

Projected starting goalies:

Holtby should get the start for the Caps. For the season he has a 2.62 goals against average and a.925 save percentage.

Marc-Andre Fleury should get the nod for the Penguins and has a 2.06 goals against average and a .918 save percentage.

Zach's Three Keys to the Game:

*Defense: The defense will have to be solid in this game. They should look to keep the puck to the boards and at all costs avoid giving the center of the ice to Crosby and company. As always, taking away shooting lanes and shot blocking will be key.

*Power Play: The Caps 2nd ranked power play needs to capitalize on whatever opportunities they are dealt. It should be a decent matchup against the Penguins 8th ranked penalty kill.

*Traffic: Marc-Andre Fleury has always been a bit of a pain in the Caps side. They'll need to get traffic in front of the net and attack the net for any available rebounds that may squirt free.

If you'll be in attendance, ROCK THE RED!

Thanks for reading,

Zach Hart
Shades of Red

 

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Capitals (11-8-1) vs. Blues (13-2-3) - Game Preview

The Washington Capitals will host the St. Louis Blues tonight at Verizon Center. Puck drop is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.

In tonight's game, we'll see the leagues top two goal scorers and the leagues top two power plays (by %) face off against each other.

Alexander Steen is the leagues goal scoring leader with 17 goals and Alex Ovechkin is the leagues 2nd leading goal scorer with 15 goals. St Louis' power play is the leagues best, converting on 25.8% of tries and Washington's is the leagues 2nd and is converting at 24.4%. One would expect a high scoring affair.

The Blues are coming off a 4-2 win against the Hurricanes which saw Steen extend his point streak to 13 games. The Blues got off to a 2-0 lead with goals from Polak and Backes but the Hurricanes tied the game with TWO short handed goals. Then the Blues were able to get the win after goals from Oshie and Steen. In the Blues' last 10 matchups, they have put the first goal on the board.

Brian Elliot is the projected starter for the Blues and is sporting a 2.04 goal against average and a .920 save percentage.

The Washington Capitals will open up a 3 game home stand against the Blues tonight. They're in a rather tough stretch of schedule but have played pretty well. They're coming off of a 4-3 SO win over the Detroit Red Wings. They actually overcame a two goal deficit and received goals from Ovechkin and Latta in the 3rd period to tie the game and send it to overtime. Backstrom, once again, saved the day and was the only player for both teams to score in the shootout.

Mike Green was out of the lineup against the Red Wings with a contusion to the lower body. There hasn't been any word yet but knowing that contusions take time, we're expecting Tyson Strachan to fill Green's spot for the 2nd game in a row.

Holtby is our projected net-minder for the Caps and has a 2.73 goals against average and a .920 save percentage this season.

Note: With a win tonight the Caps can take 1st place from the Penguins who are currently 1 point ahead in the Metropolitan Division standings.

The Caps have won 2 in a row and have won 5 straight at home. Lets hope that streak continues.

 Zach's Three Keys to the Game:

* Score early: Caps should look to score first and pump up their home crowd up. The Blues are used to getting the first goal so if we can change that it could knock them off of their game.

* Defense/Penalty Kill: The defense and PK will have to play strong to shutdown the leagues #1 goal scorer and the leagues #1 ranked power play. They have to sacrifice their body's to block some pucks and stay in the chest of the Blues' forwards when they rush the zone.

* Line 2: The Caps' second line has been looking better every game but due to the 3rd lines productivity, line 3 has been getting more ice time. The 2nd line needs to work on chemistry and creating more scoring chances. Against teams like the Blues, all four lines need to be rolling and doing their jobs in all 3 zones of the ice.

If you'll be in attendance tonight   ROCK THE RED !

Zach Hart
Shades Of Red

Capitals (10-8-1) vs. Red Wings (9-5-5)

The Washington Capitals will travel to Joe Louis Arena to battle the Detroit Red Wings on Friday, November the 15th. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

The Red Wings loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday, was their 6th straight loss at home. In those 6 games their record is 0-1-5. The Redwings haven't had a home losing streak this big since the 1996-97 season. Against the Jets, the Wings did have a season high 43 shots on goal but their lack of secondary scoring has been an issue this season. So far this season, they are scoring an average of 2.47 goals a game while their shaky defense is giving up an average of 2.58 goals per game.

Despite their recent home struggles, the Red Wings (who are new to the Eastern Conference) are tied in 2nd place of the Atlantic Division with Boston and only 3 points back of the 1st place Lightning.

Jimmy Howard is the projected starting goalie for the Wings. For the season he has a 2.67 goals against average and a .907 save percentage.

The Caps are coming off of a thrilling overtime victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets. After giving up a one goal lead in the 3rd period, the Caps fought back and tied the game with under 2 minutes left in regulation with a goal from Mikhail Grabovski. It was Alex Ovechkin who netted the overtime winner for his 14th goal of the season. He's now 2 goals shy of the leagues goal scoring leader, Alexander Steen. (They would 
have been tied but Steen managed to score 2 more goals against Colombus Thursday) 

Unlike the Red Wings, the Caps are getting consistent scoring outside of their 1st line. The second line of Brouwer, Laich and Johansson/Grabovski, has been a bit of a disappointment and fans are waiting for Brouwer and Laich to regain their previous scoring form. The 3rd line of Ward, Grabovski and Chimera has been arguably the most consistent line for the Caps this season. They are collecting goals at critical points of the game (i.e. Ward's shorthanded goal against the Blue Jackets) and are doing so through hard work and the chemistry they have developed. They very rarely lose a board battle and always seem to know where each other is on the ice. Look for Oates to deliver a heavy dose of line 1 and 3 against the struggling defense of the Red Wings.

Mike Green is questionable for the Red Wings game with a lower body injury that has been described by Oates as a bad bruise. The Caps have called upon Tyson Strachan as an insurance policy in case Green can't go.

The Caps are in the midst of a tough stretch of schedule and have fared better then expected. They have wins against tough teams like the Columbus Blue Jackets, Minnesota Wild and the New York Islanders. They beat the reigning Vezina trophy winner, Sergei Bobrovsky, in the Blue Jackets game and beat the leagues #1 ranked goalie, Josh Harding in the Minnesota Wild game. With a "W" against the Red Wings, the Caps could pull ahead of the 1st place Pittsburgh Penguins in their division. 

Note: The 1st place Penguins are currently 1 point ahead of the Caps in the Metropolitan Division.

With both teams struggling somewhat on defense, this should be a high scoring affair and a fun game to watch. The Caps power play still ranks 1st in the league and is operating at  25.6%. The penalty kill is the leagues 2nd best at 89.2%.

Zach's Three Keys to the Game:


* Score first: Hopefully the Caps can put the first goal or two on the board and crush the momentum of the Red Wings.

* Defense: If the Caps can stay strong in their own end, there's no reason they shouldn't come away with 2 points. They need to stop Datsyuk and the Red Wing's 1st line. Shot blocking and taking away the shooting lanes will be key.

* Line 2: This would be a great game to see the Caps 2nd line of Brouwer, Laich and Johansson break out. They are all good skaters with hard shots and it's only a matter of time before they find the back of the net. If they can get creative and start scoring, the Caps could really start gaining some points in the leagues standings.

Go Caps!

Zach Hart
Shades of Red

Man On A Mission: Jordan Reed is Leaving His Mark on the NFL Record Books

  

 

 37 catches, 314 yards and 6 touchdowns. These are Chris Cooley's Redskins rookie record setting stats from 2004. Well, they were record setting. That was before this season, and before Jordan Reed. In just 9 games this season, with one missed to injury, Reed has racked up an impressive 487 yards, with 44 catches and 3 touchdowns. He is on pace for 867 yards, 78 catches and about 6 touchdowns. The rookie record for a TE is currently 81 catches, 869 yards and 6 touchdowns, held by Keith Jackson, from the 1988 NFL season. The 134 yards Jordan Reed gained against the Bears this season is also a Redskins rookie record for his position. Assuming Reed stays healthy, he has a good shot at having the best season by a rookie tight end.

   

   Reed looked explosive and versatile coming out of Florida. The Skins drafted him in the 3rd round of the 2013 draft with the 85th overall pick. His 6' 2" 243 lb frame allows him to be a dominant force that demands attention between the numbers, however his 4.7 40 yard dash speed also allows him to stretch the field for his offense. His blocking needs to develop, as it is not his strong suit, but if you ask the coaching staff, his work ethic leaves you to believe he has no where to go but up.
  

  The Redskins coaching staff and scouts were immediately drawn to Reed's unique skill set and physical abilities. He was initially recruited as a quarterback by Florida, but seeing little to no action, and being redshirted as a freshman in 2009, Reed was moved to tight end. He finished his college career with 938 yards, 78 catches and 6 touchdowns. After 3 years, he decided to forgo his final year of college and enter the NFL draft.
  

  While Reed's emergence is great for the team, is does come at a cost. Well, a cost for Fred Davis. With Reeds pass catching and route running skills, Logan Paulsen's blocking skill, and Niles Paul's  presence on special teams, this really leaves no room for Davis on the squad. However, don't expect the Skins to hand him his walking papers. Davis makes for a viable replacement if something were to happen to anyone of the other tight ends on the roster.
  

   Looking into the future of the team with Jordan Reed, Redskins fans have to be excited. Its been awhile since they've had a player this explosive, and with RG3 developing his down the field passing game, he'll be looking for a safety valve. And wow, has he ever got one in Jordan Reed. Now its up to the coaches to develop him, keep him healthy and on the field, and put him in the best position possible to excel. But needless to say, the futures bright for Mr. Reed and the Redskins.

Brian Smith

Shades of Red

 

 

 

 

 

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Alexander Ovechkin - Smashing the Critics

After everything Ovechkin has done with the Washington Capitals, he still hears criticism from fans of the Caps and the sport.  My question is why? 

 

Let's start by answering some common questions in the revolving debate of Alex Ovechkin. 

 

Is his passion entertaining?

 

I think he's an absolute blast to watch play the game and when I'm in attendance, it feels as though all the oxygen has been sucked out of my body when he steps on the ice.  You just never know what will happen.  When something does happen, it usually involves an opponent flat on his back or a puck in the back of the net.  I'm glad he's a Cap because he's the most entertaining player I've ever watched play the game.

Is he worth the $124 Million over 13 years?

He is absolutely worth the contract.  Why wouldn't he be? He's a three time MVP.  He had two seasons where his goals total dropped.  Those two seasons were also a time when coaches were trying to work in a more defensive style system.  To say they were down seasons isn't quite fair because he's never scored less then 32 goals in a season which is excellent.  Sure he became a bit predictable but he did what good athletes do and made necessary adjustments.  He came back strong after two down seasons and won his 3rd MVP title and scored more goals then anyone in the league.  For anyone saying he's not worth the contract, you may want to re-evaluate the three time league MVP.

Are his goal celebrations too much?

I don't need to answer this question.  Oilers coach "Dallas Eakins" already answered it and his answer expresses my feelings perfectly.  Here's what he had to say:   “I want to get to a place with our group that they do wear it on their sleeve a little bit, and I don’t mean being cocky hockey players. I mean having a little bit of swagger to your game and having confidence on the ice,” Eakins said. “I think Ovechkin brings that. He’s highly confident, he brings a little bit of swagger and very rarely has he gone overboard with it. For me, to be out there being a bunch of robots with no expression on your face it’s not very much fun. It is an emotional game and I think it’s okay to show emotion.” 

If you thought we weren't mentioning Crosby in this section you were mistaken.
 
Crosby is the absolute reason this topic is up for debate around the league.  When asked about Ovechkin's on ice celebration after scoring his 60th goal of the 2007-08 season, this is what Crosby had to say:
"Some people like it, some people don't. Personally, I don't."  AND:  "He likes to stick out and I like to blend in."

Crosby clearly has some issues with players who don't play the game exactly the way he plays it.  Crosby would REALLY dislike me because if I scored 60 goals in one season, I'd have the biggest celebration in the history of the sport.  Soccer players celebrate goals, football players celebrate touchdowns, tennis players celebrate wins and etc.  The emotion shown by Ovechkin on the ice gets his team fired up and changes the momentum of games.  He's the captain of his team and when he celebrates a goal it charges his team with energy and confidence.

A lot of rumors were passed throughout the world of hockey recently, when he missed two games (Flyers and Panthers) and the Caps managed to win those two games.  Rumors like "we don't need Ovechkin to win" and "Ovechkin is the most overrated hockey player in the league."  I must remind those of you who passed these rumors along that the Caps were playing two of the worst teams in the NHL at the time of those games.  The Flyers were at 3-8-0 and the Panthers were 3-8-2.  We've played two games since hes been back and he has three goals in that span.  Ovechkin now has 13 goals in 14 games played and is one goal shy of the leagues leader (Alexander Steen.)  How can there be criticism towards the leagues reining MVP who is averaging barely under a goal a game?  I'll leave that question for the hockey fans to answer.

GO CAPS !

Zach Hart
Shades Of Red
 

Washington Capitals (8-7-0) vs. Minnesota Wild (9-4-3) - Game Preview

 

 

 

The Washington Capitals will be hosting the Minnesota Wild at Verizon Center on Thursday night.  Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.

 

The Capitals are coming off of a strong 6-2 win against John Tavares and the speedy Islanders.  The Caps overcame the 1 goal deficit and scored 5 goals in the second period of play.  In the explosion of scoring, the Caps scored 4 of their 5 2nd period goals in a 5 minute frame.

 

In Ovechkin's first game back from injury, he found the back of the net twice for two powerplay goals.  John Carlson tallied his first goal of the season and Tom Wilson tallied his first NHL career goal and assist.  It was an overall strong performance from the Caps and they'll look to extend their 3 game win streak against the Wild tonight.

 

In Braden Holtby's last two starts, he has shutout the Flyers and held the Islanders to only two goals.  He is our projected starting goalie for tonights matchup.

 

The Caps have scored 15 goals in their last 3 games but they shouldn't let it get to their heads because the Wild have scored 13 in their last 3. 

 

The Wild overcame a 1 goal deficit of their own on Tuesday, when they scored 5 unanswered goals against the Flames to get the win.  Parise scored two goals in the matchup.

 

The Capitals will have their hands full tonight.  In the Wild, they face the league's ice-time leader in defensemen Ryan Suter and the goal scorer Zach Parise.  I expect the Wild will give Harding the start in goal and if they do the Caps will have to be at their best on the scoring front.  Harding leads the league with a stellar 1.09 goals against average and also save percentage with a .951.

 

Note: With a Capitals win tonight, they can pull themselves to within 4 points of the 1st place Penguins in the Metropolitan Division.  (The Penguins lost to the Rangers last night)

 

Zach's Three Keys to the Game:

 

 

** Defense - The Caps will have to play strong in their own end tonight.  This is no team to make mistakes against as they are hot right now. 

 

** Traffic - If Harding gets the start, the Caps are playing against the league's #1 ranked goalie.  They will have to get traffic in front of the net and eliminate Harding's sight lines, try for some deflections and attack the net for rebounds.

 

** Special Teams - The Caps special teams match up nicely against the Wild on paper.  The Caps #1 ranked powerplay should work well against the Wild's 25th ranked penalty kill.  The Capitals have the leagues #1 ranked penalty kill and should matchup ok against the leagues #2 ranked powerplay unit in the Wild.  Hopefully the Caps can capitalize on a few opportunities.

 

If your attending tonights game, ROCK THE RED !

 

Thanks for reading

 

Zach Hart
Shades of Red

Washington Capitals (7-7-0) vs. New York Islanders (6-5-3)

 

The Islanders will visit the Capitals at Verizon Center on Tuesday night for a Metropolitan Division matchup.  Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 pm.

 

The Capitals are looking to extend a two game win streak after winning the last two games against the Flyers and the Panthers.  They crushed the Flyers in scoring (7-0) and boxing.  Volpatti sent Steve Downie to the hospital with major concussion symptoms and Oleksy knocked Lecavalier out of hockey for a few weeks with facial injuries and missing teeth. In the Panthers game, Nicklas Backstrom scored a goal in regulation and also the game winning shootout goal.  He has 3 goals in the last two games.
 

Although the 3rd line of Chimera, Ward and Grabovski were finally held off the scoreboard against the Panthers, they still have combined for 9 goals and 11 assists in the last 5 games. Chimera was named "NHL's 3rd star of the week" for the week that ended on Nov 3rd.  This line has achieved this greatness through hard work.  They're showing why the dump and chase has a place in hockey and are very good at winning the battles on the boards.
 

Ovechkin, (upper-body) is a game time decision (by Oates) but has listed himself as probable.  After Mondays practice Ovechkin had this to say:

"It looks like I'm probably going to play [Tuesday] and I'm happy to be back"
 

No word yet but Oates will probably give the nod to Holtby.  He was credited with the shutout against the Flyers but he was given a rest against the Panthers in the 2nd game of the back to back set.
 

The Islanders are trying to extend a two-game win streak after getting wins against the Senators (5-4 Shootout win), and the Bruins (3-1.)  John Tavares had a goal in each game and the Caps will have to give him some extra attention.  He is a goal scorer and is due to start scoring at a higher rate any time now.  He finished only 4 goals behind Ovechkin (league leader) in the league last year and seems to always challenge Ovechkin for the goal lead.
 

The Islanders are expected to give Evgeni Nabokov the start in goal.  For the season, Nabokov has a 2.92 goals against average and a .903 save percentage.
 

Note: If the Caps get a win tonight, they'll leapfrog the Islanders in the Metroplitan Division standings and be in 2nd place with a one point lead on the Islanders.  Then they could look towards catching the first place Penguins who would be three wins ahead of them.

 

Zach's Three Keys to the Game:

 

** Defense: This will be a key to the game until they have multiple good performances. They need to continue to build chemistry and block shots against the Islanders. Do not give John Tavares open space in front of our net! Green needs to get the scoring going.

 

** Keep Killing Penalties: Going back for ten games, the Caps have killed an incredible 35 straight penalties.  They'll need to keep it up against the leagues 7th best powerplay unit in the Islanders.

** Backstrom: In Ovechkin's absence, Backstrom showcased his shot accuracy with three goals in two games.  Backstrom needs to shoot more tonight and perhaps Ovechkin can begin feeding Backstrom some pucks.

 

If you'll be attending tonights game, ROCK THE RED !

 

Zach Hart

Shades of Red D.C.  

The Enforcers of the Washington Capitals

Enforcer: one who's job is to execute unpleasant tasks for a superior (Web definition from wordnetweb.princeton.edu)


In recent seasons, the rosters of the Washington Capitals have been stacked with talent.  They've had the speedsters, the hitters and the scorers.  They've had a Norris Trophy finalist and the MVP of the league.  But outside of John Erskine, (who they don't want to fight much because we need him on the ice) we haven't had the type of guys that could really strike a bit of fear into the opposition. 

 

In the past, we've dealt with tough guys on tough teams agitating our guys to the point where they wanted to fight but they knew it wasn't an option because our guys couldn't fight.  So they played games when they were literally getting bullied around the ice and trying to perform with that in the back of their heads.  When it came down to important games and especially playoff games, teams knew this weakness and they exposed it.  Just think back to the last playoff matchup with the Bruins.  Milan Lucic was having a field day because outside of "firecracker" Matt Hendricks, (who was a bit small for the task but crazy enough to try) there wasn't anyone to make him stop picking on us.  Erskine, who was a healthy scratch for three of the games in that series, had to be inserted in the lineup (by Dale Hunter) just to help keep Lucic honest.  How many times have we needed someone to knock the block off of Sean Avery in a Ranger's series?  In one playoff series, John Tortorella put Avery, who had been a healthy scratch for a long time, in the lineup just to help expose our weakness.  Avery just made us mad, he had other people on the team that could do the fighting for him.

The Flyers tried to pick on us Friday night after getting a little upset about their slaughtering but....nope, sorry, not this year and not this team.  Enjoy your concussion Downie, enjoy your dental work Lecavalier.

 





George McPhee and Adam Oates have realized the importance of these puzzle pieces.  Sure there's teams around the league who won't be afraid to drop the mitts with our guys.  That's what's so great about it.  No more bullying our little guys around the ice.  Our team is finally ready to accept agitation from other teams.  If someone wants to lay a bone crushing hit or start something with someone like Backstrom, Johansson or Erat, my advice would be "go right ahead."  Team forces will most likely rain upon your face.  When that's done, you'll probably see Backstrom and Johansson combine for two goals on the television while getting stitched up in the locker room.

Do you follow me yet?  George McPhee has figured out a way to put multiple enforcers on the ice.  They include Tom Wilson, Steven Oleksy, Aaron Volpatti, Mike Latta and big John Erskine.  On top of that, these guys are pretty solid hockey players.  The Caps can finally focus on winning the game when they find themselves in a hot situation.  Hopefully this team can make it to the playoffs and we can finally be the ones to push some teams around.

GO CAPS!

Thanks for reading
Zach Hart

Redskins Vs. Chargers..... The Righting of a Sinking Ship????

 

In a must win game, the Redskins won and won in a more than exciting manner.  After winning the coin toss the Redskins marched down the field by doing exactly what Shades of Red has been preaching since week one- BY POUNDING THE ROCK!!!!!!

Darrel Young scored on a 4-yard run in overtime Sunday, the third touchdown of the game for the little-used fullback, giving the Washington Redskins a 30-24 win over the San Diego Chargers.  Young, who is essentially a sixth lineman at fullback, finally got the chance to carry the ball and never looked back.  Young, who had carried the ball only twice all season entering the game, also had a pair of 1-yard touchdown runs for the Redskins (3-5), who scored on the opening drive of the extra period after winning the coin toss at the end of regulation.

Robert Griffin III completed 23-of-32 passes for 291 yards and one interception for Washington.  Alfred Morris rushed 25 times for 121 yards and a score, and Pierre Garcon had seven receptions for 172 yards.

The good also comes with the bad as the special teams was again a shadow of its former self, letting two Kai Forbath field-goals get blocked.  Special teams is a glaring weakness that needs to be addressed ASAP.  In my opinion it starts at the top with Coach Burns.  The experiment has failed and we have all seemingly taken Danny Smith's solid but not spectacular special teams for granted and failed in doing so.  He has left for greener pastures in Pittsburgh and we couldn't have made a bigger mistake in letting him move on.  The failure to get players in the right positions to succeed is because of poor coaching and Coach Burns has to go, sooner rather than later.

A win none the less though and a win I'd take ten out of ten times.

Hail to the Redskins and take it easy folks....

Richard Facciolo
Football Columnist
Shades of Red

How To Right The Ship In DC

   Lets face it. This season hasn't turned out how Redskins fans expected or hoped for.  Between the lackluster offense, a defense that early on in the year made a case for being the worst ever, and a special teams unit which allowed a touchdown in a record three straight games, to say the team is disappointing would be an understatement.  Everyone, myself included, anticipated more from this team.  The production just isn't there.

   With a 2-5 start, RG3 and the Redskins have dug a hole that will be difficult to climb out of.  As for last years 7 game win streak happening again... it's not.  Forget about it, don't mention it, get it out of your head.  However, with the NFC "least" being as bad as it's been this season, and the team at the top known to blow it when it counts, all is not lost.  Some things can still be done to salvage what seems like a lost cause.  In this article I'm going to highlight a couple of issues that need to be addressed if the Skins want to compete for the division going forward this season.

• Find An Identity - When I look at the top teams in the NFL, the one thing I notice they all have in common is an identity.  By this I mean they can hang their hat on one aspect of the game.  Denver can pass.  Kansas City can run.  Seattle is a hard nosed defense that will wear you down over 60 minutes.  Last year the Redskins had an identity.  They were a running offense.  This opened up the passing game off of play action and the read option.  Now possibly a hobbled RG3 is part to blame, but the fact that Alfred Morris has yet to carry the ball 20+ times this season is ridiculous.  How can the team progress if they can't dominate one aspect of the game?  This in turn allows other facets of the offense to open up and become a threat.  It would allow Griffin to improve his accuracy and decision making skills if he has confidence in what's being called.  The Skins need to figure out what they want to be before it's too late or they get their QB killed.

• Increase the Pressure - If you look at the Redskins defensive front on paper, you see names like Kerrigan, Orakpo, Bowen and Cofield.  There's no reason this unit shouldn't be one of the most dominant pass rushing units in football.  Even the best quarterbacks in the league can appear to be pedestrian when pressured, see Peyton Manning in the Denver Broncos vs. Indianapolis Colts game.  I'm not sure if it's a lack of hustle or passion by the players, or maybe a fault in the scheme by Jim Haslett, but something has to be done to allow these players to produce at the level we all know they are capable of.  In the game against the Chicago Bears, we saw a look with 3 middle linebackers all standing up at the line of scrimmage.  This caused massive confusion, and even time outs early on in the game.  Haslett has to send pressure from different areas and keep the opposing offenses guessing where the pressure is coming from.  Regardless of how it gets done, if the Redskins want to get more turnovers, improve field position, and get off the field quicker, pressure is a key component to achieving those goals.

• Show Some Discipline - Nothing is worse then watching Alfred Morris rip off a 25 yard run, only to have it be called back for a hold that wasn't even involved in the play.  Or even worse, getting called for holding on a punt and being forced to re-punt, only to give up a special teams touchdown.  Case in point, the week 6 game against the Dallas Cowboys.  Setting the whole penalties example aside, having Pierre Garcon make a miraculous one handed catch, only to ruin the drive with a botched snap on the ensuing play, is something we as fans have seen far too often.  These are mistakes that good teams don't make.  Mistakes that well coached teams avoid.  If the Redskins want to achieve any sort of success this season, or in the future, mistakes like these must be eliminated.  And yeah yeah yeah, I know the Ravens were one of the most penalized teams last year, but that was purely circumstantial.  If that's your argument for this situation, maybe you should step back and reevaluate your outlook!  But seriously, mistakes like these and the lack of discipline are hurting the Redskins in every facet of the game.  Some of these penalties and mistakes are inexcusable and need to be corrected, immediately.

• Open Up The Playbook - Okay, I love the bubble screen to Pierre Garcon as much as the next guy, but it's predictable, defenses are ready for it, and it simply doesn't work.  If you're not running different routes and calling audibles at the line, then that play just won't do it for you.  It's hard to change the play at the line when you're getting out of the huddle with 7 to 10 seconds left on the play clock!  Defenses already know what the Skins are calling.  They're running the same stuff from last year if not less due to RG3's inability to stretch the field with his legs.  Kyle Shanahan needs to be more creative, take more shots, and pick up the tempo for his offense.  A lot of that may rest on RG3, his grasp of the offense, and confidence running. However, the fact that they came out in the second half against Denver and consistently threw the ball instead of sticking with the run (which was working) is ridiculous.  It doesn't take a genius to realize that you need to keep going with what is working for you.  Force the other team to stop what's working and make adjustments to what they're going to do to stop you.  Adjust, adjust, adjust!  I can't count the times I've been watching a game when I said to myself, "Are you serious!! You called that!" Now I am in no way qualified to run an offense in the NFL, but it's just simple, basic football to know that if you can run the ball on a team, you run.  Moving forward I would like to see more variety in the routes, more consistency, dedication to the run, and some more trust from the coaches in their quarterback (that they spent so many draft picks to acquire.)

   The Redskins season could possibly be over already and they may be left to simply develop their young players (including RG3) and try to make the best of their situation.  However, if they can address the issues I laid forth in this article, I believe they have a better chance of turning this season around and making something positive out of it.  I'm not a professional analyst, who has spent my whole life watching and studying football.  I'm just a huge fan that wants more than anything to see the team that I love succeed.  I do honestly believe that this team is better than their 2-5 record indicates.  The defense has played better as of late, and the offense seems to move the ball better each week.  But there are a lot of things they need to improve on.  Let's hope this week's game against the San Diego Chargers can start the trend of turning this thing around, playing solid, good fundamental football, and rattling off some wins to get back in the race for the NFC East.  Hail to the Redskins.

Brian Smith

Shades of Red D.C.

Capitals (6-7-0) vs. Panthers (3-8-2) Game preview

The Washington Capitals will host the Florida Panthers at Verizon Center Saturday night with puck drop scheduled for 7:00 pm.

The Panthers are looking to avoid their 5th straight loss and may have a hard time if the Caps play the same way they did in last night's game against the Flyers.  The Caps scored 7 goals and Holtby was credited with a shutout after he was one of several players to fight in a brawl on the ice.  Backstrom scored 2 goals, Ward scored a hat-trick and Chimera scored a goal bringing his goal per game streak to 4.  This 3rd line is a force to be reckoned with.  Adam Oates will be giving them a lot of ice time tonight. 

Neuvirth will probably get the second start of the back to back game set and has played stronger then his 1-2 record would suggest. 

The Caps are playing their first game at home since finishing the 5 game road trip (3-2.)  Alexander Ovechkin is questionable for the game with an "upper body" injury and will most likely be a game time decision.  If he can't make the start, Eric Fehr will take his place on the top line with Backstrom and Johansson for the second game in a row.

With a win tonight, the Caps can bring their record to .500.  If they want to stay competitive in the strong Metropolitan Division, they need to get two points in games against teams who are playing poorly.  Time for the Caps to put a win streak together here.

Zach's Three Keys to the Game:

** Defense- The Caps defense needs to carry last nights momentum into this game and shut down this weak Florida Panthers offense.  Green, the once 30+ goal scorer, needs to start putting pucks on the net.

** Score early- The Caps have been away from Verizon Center for five straight games.  Verizon Center will be loud (especially after what we saw last night) and an early goal should make it louder and a more troublesome atmosphere for the Panthers to play in.  If your attending, ROCK THE RED!!

** 3rd line- This 3rd line has been one of the best lines in the ENTIRE LEAGUE as of late.  Last night, they combined for 6 assists and 4 goals.  In the last 4 games this line has 20 points!  They need to keep generating scoring chances from the hard work they put in. 

GO CAPS!