Official Three Stars
My Three Stars
Showing posts with label Washington Capitals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Washington Capitals. Show all posts
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Back to winning
The Sabres continue to hang on by a thread with a 5-4 overtime victory over the Washington Capitals. Given the free five on threes that the Capitals were given, Buffalo clearly deserved to win this game, and finally did in overtime.
Alexander Ovechkin and Alexander Semin combined for 18 shots on goal, but Washington did not have the goaltending to back it up. Meanwhile Pominville finally had a decent game going plus two in the game, getting an assist, and the game winner in OT. MacArthur got a lucky goal, and Rivet and Afinogenov both put in good performances as well. Lydman and Spacek were the only two Sabres to play poorly in this game.
Official Three Stars
Alex Ovechkin Jaroslav Spacek Sergei Federov
My Three Stars
Maxim Afinogenov (one goal, plus two, four shots) Tim Connolly (three assists, plus three) Alex Ovechkin (one goal, two assists, nine shots)
Official Three Stars
My Three Stars
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Sabres turn things around against Washington
Thomas Vanek scored his first goal of the game just 72 seconds in.After receiving the pass on the blueline on a partial breakaway, he single handedly danced around Mike Green who is one of the better defensemen in the league. In the second period Vanek scored another goal on a backhand with only three seconds remaining. These two goals bring Vanek back up to his goal per game pace, as he leads the league with eleven goals in eleven games.
Buffalo outplayed the Capitals all around in this game, and got a very pretty goal midway through the third from Paille and Kaleta. The Capitals were without Ovechkin, but given how the game went it would not have made a difference.
Tim Connolly was back from the dead, and posted 19 minutes of injury free ice time, and also earned an assist. Peters sat out to make room for him on the roster.
Miller earned a shutout for the first time this season, even as the Sabres got slightly outshot in this game. Buffalo also looked very poor on the powerplay only converting one of their many chances.
Official Three Stars
My Three Stars
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Southeast division
The South East division has been the worst in the NHL for quite awhile now. While Carolina did luck into winning the cup a few years ago, the division as a whole is very week, and given that there will be less divisional games this regular season it is unlikely that more than one team gets to the playoffs from the southeast, and guaranteed no more than two.
#1 Washington Capitals
The Capitals, who were good last season, and almost won their playoff series have returned with the core of their team intact. They still have the league's best player in Alexander Ovechkin, and a very solid supporting cast with Mike Green, Nicklas Backstrom, and Sergei Fedorov. The Capitals real problem is in goal, where they forced out Olaf Kolzig, and then lost replacement Cristobal Huet to free agency. They now have veteran Jose Theodore, but he is no longer one of the leagues top goalies.
#2 Carolina Hurricanes
Carolina has a strong team, but has almost no standout players. The one exception is Rod Brind'Amour, but he can't carry the team on his own, and needs more of a supporting cast. Carolina finished just outside of the playoffs last season, and will likely finish just outside again this year.
#3 Tampa Bay Lighting
Tampa has some very talented players, but for a while now has been a very dysfunctional club. Lecavalier and St. Louis are as good as ever, but have no help from their other lines. Rookie Steve Stamkos will do ok, and my even have a shot at winning rookie of the year, but won't do enough to help this team.
#4 Florida Panthers
Not much to say about this team. They have the supporting cast that Carolina and Tampa Bay need, but without the leaders and top of the line players to push them over the edge. Tomas Vokoun is still a bit of a question mark as far as goaltending goes as well.
#5 Atlanta Thrashers
Will be battling with the LA Kings for the top spot in the draft. The team has Ilya Kovalchuk but very few other players. Second year defenseman Tobias Enstrom is really the best that they have on the blueline. The only chance this team has for staying out of the basement is if goalie Johan Hedberg can get lucky and steal some games for them.
See also the review of the Central division
#1 Washington Capitals
The Capitals, who were good last season, and almost won their playoff series have returned with the core of their team intact. They still have the league's best player in Alexander Ovechkin, and a very solid supporting cast with Mike Green, Nicklas Backstrom, and Sergei Fedorov. The Capitals real problem is in goal, where they forced out Olaf Kolzig, and then lost replacement Cristobal Huet to free agency. They now have veteran Jose Theodore, but he is no longer one of the leagues top goalies.
#2 Carolina Hurricanes
Carolina has a strong team, but has almost no standout players. The one exception is Rod Brind'Amour, but he can't carry the team on his own, and needs more of a supporting cast. Carolina finished just outside of the playoffs last season, and will likely finish just outside again this year.
#3 Tampa Bay Lighting
Tampa has some very talented players, but for a while now has been a very dysfunctional club. Lecavalier and St. Louis are as good as ever, but have no help from their other lines. Rookie Steve Stamkos will do ok, and my even have a shot at winning rookie of the year, but won't do enough to help this team.
#4 Florida Panthers
Not much to say about this team. They have the supporting cast that Carolina and Tampa Bay need, but without the leaders and top of the line players to push them over the edge. Tomas Vokoun is still a bit of a question mark as far as goaltending goes as well.
#5 Atlanta Thrashers
Will be battling with the LA Kings for the top spot in the draft. The team has Ilya Kovalchuk but very few other players. Second year defenseman Tobias Enstrom is really the best that they have on the blueline. The only chance this team has for staying out of the basement is if goalie Johan Hedberg can get lucky and steal some games for them.
See also the review of the Central division
Thursday, June 12, 2008
This Off Season's Most Coveted Free Agent
Marián Hossa was a critical part to the Pittsburgh Penguin's run to the Stanley Cup finals this past season, but now he is the most sought after unrestricted free agent in the National Hockey League.
Hossa had a very good post season, earning 26 points in 20 games for Pittsburgh, and ten points in the 12 regular season games he played with the team. However, the Penguins are already pretty close to the salary cap, and are approaching an off-season in which half of their roster (10 players including Hossa) will be unrestricted free agents. Given that this doesn't even include the fact that Malkin is still on his rookie contract with only one season remaining, there is no way they can afford to resign him.
Marian Hossa earned seven million last season, but due to the nature of his contract only counted six million against the cap. His value is only going up, and to see him sign for five years at ten million a year is a very real possibility. This is big money, but any team with room would be willing to add a player of this caliber to their lineup.
Besides Pittsburgh the other two teams Hossa has played for are the Ottawa Senators and the Atlanta Thrashers, but he is unlikely to return to either of these teams. It seemed all season as if he wanted out of Atlanta, and after being traded for Daniel Heatley it remains unlikely he would want to return to the team that drafted him. Both teams could use him, but as a free agent the choice really belongs to Hossa.
The two teams most likely to pick Hossa up this summer are the Dallas Stars, and the Washington Capitals. Both teams made the playoffs this past season and are expected to next year as well even without any big moves this off season. They would give Hossa the chance not only to be the star, but to actually play for a good team as well. Dallas has relied to greatly on their goaltending to win games for them, and could benefit from the additional talent up front.
The Capitals on the other end already have plenty of talent up front with Alexander Ovechkin, but are still a young team and could use the added depth and leadership that Marian Hossa could provide. The Capitals have a good amount of cap space, and only really need to resign Huet in goal. Their long term big money commitment to Ovechkin shows that they aren't afraid to pay their top guys well either. This is also the potential downside of this match, as Washington my be wary of committing too much money to their top two guys, which is a strategy that has backfired greatly in Tampa Bay.
A few other teams such as the Wild, and Boston Bruins, but that's less likely. At the end of the day Marian Hossa can go to wherever team he wants to, and the whole league wants him for their own.
Hossa had a very good post season, earning 26 points in 20 games for Pittsburgh, and ten points in the 12 regular season games he played with the team. However, the Penguins are already pretty close to the salary cap, and are approaching an off-season in which half of their roster (10 players including Hossa) will be unrestricted free agents. Given that this doesn't even include the fact that Malkin is still on his rookie contract with only one season remaining, there is no way they can afford to resign him.
Marian Hossa earned seven million last season, but due to the nature of his contract only counted six million against the cap. His value is only going up, and to see him sign for five years at ten million a year is a very real possibility. This is big money, but any team with room would be willing to add a player of this caliber to their lineup.
Besides Pittsburgh the other two teams Hossa has played for are the Ottawa Senators and the Atlanta Thrashers, but he is unlikely to return to either of these teams. It seemed all season as if he wanted out of Atlanta, and after being traded for Daniel Heatley it remains unlikely he would want to return to the team that drafted him. Both teams could use him, but as a free agent the choice really belongs to Hossa.
The two teams most likely to pick Hossa up this summer are the Dallas Stars, and the Washington Capitals. Both teams made the playoffs this past season and are expected to next year as well even without any big moves this off season. They would give Hossa the chance not only to be the star, but to actually play for a good team as well. Dallas has relied to greatly on their goaltending to win games for them, and could benefit from the additional talent up front.
The Capitals on the other end already have plenty of talent up front with Alexander Ovechkin, but are still a young team and could use the added depth and leadership that Marian Hossa could provide. The Capitals have a good amount of cap space, and only really need to resign Huet in goal. Their long term big money commitment to Ovechkin shows that they aren't afraid to pay their top guys well either. This is also the potential downside of this match, as Washington my be wary of committing too much money to their top two guys, which is a strategy that has backfired greatly in Tampa Bay.
A few other teams such as the Wild, and Boston Bruins, but that's less likely. At the end of the day Marian Hossa can go to wherever team he wants to, and the whole league wants him for their own.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Game Seven
The two most exciting series in the first round this season are both going to a game seven, so that should make a good night of watching hockey. The Calgary San Jose series has been close all along and while the Flames are the underdogs, they do have Iginla which always gives them a chance. The Flyers Capitals series has also been very good, and while it looked as if Washington was going to run away with it after game one, Philly shut down Ovechkin and got some production from Briere to take a solid 3-1 lead in the series. Ovechkin got rolling again in game six with two third period goals to force a game seven.
Another game seven took place on monday night where the Montreal Canadians eliminated the Boston Bruins. Boston did much better than expected in this series, and as a result Montreal can't really be the favorite in the East anymore. At this point the Penguins look to be in the best position, and have the benefit of extra rest after sweeping the Senators.
On CNN Wolf Blitzer made an idiot of himself when he admitted to have no clue who Sidney Crosby was. Even if you don't follow hockey he's kindof a big name, if it was a player like Tyler Kennedy I maybe could understand, but not Crosby. At the least Blitzer could have at least pretended to know what was going on. Furthermore it's not as if Blitzer is from Alabama or some other hockey deprived part of the world. Instead he was born and raised in hockey mad Buffalo. As such there is really no excuse for such ignorance. No wonder the people of Buffalo prefer Tim Russert (who like me has decided to root for the Capitals).
Another game seven took place on monday night where the Montreal Canadians eliminated the Boston Bruins. Boston did much better than expected in this series, and as a result Montreal can't really be the favorite in the East anymore. At this point the Penguins look to be in the best position, and have the benefit of extra rest after sweeping the Senators.
On CNN Wolf Blitzer made an idiot of himself when he admitted to have no clue who Sidney Crosby was. Even if you don't follow hockey he's kindof a big name, if it was a player like Tyler Kennedy I maybe could understand, but not Crosby. At the least Blitzer could have at least pretended to know what was going on. Furthermore it's not as if Blitzer is from Alabama or some other hockey deprived part of the world. Instead he was born and raised in hockey mad Buffalo. As such there is really no excuse for such ignorance. No wonder the people of Buffalo prefer Tim Russert (who like me has decided to root for the Capitals).
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Numminen comes 81 games late
Apparently Numminen is expected to play in the Sabres final game of the season. While the team has missed him all season long, there really isn't much of a point in him coming back now. Anyhow he is, and hopefully he resigns with the Sabres to play a full slate of games next season.
Also the whole playoff race is almost completly set already, with still a few days worth of games remaining. The only spot left is reserved for the southeast winner, and can be claimed by the Capitals with either a win, or an overtime loss in their final game of the season. (Otherwise the spot goes to the Hurricanes).
If the Sabres need incentive for their final game against the Bruins, know that if Buffalo wins then the Senators have to face the Capitals in the first round where they are sure to get destroyed.
Also the whole playoff race is almost completly set already, with still a few days worth of games remaining. The only spot left is reserved for the southeast winner, and can be claimed by the Capitals with either a win, or an overtime loss in their final game of the season. (Otherwise the spot goes to the Hurricanes).
If the Sabres need incentive for their final game against the Bruins, know that if Buffalo wins then the Senators have to face the Capitals in the first round where they are sure to get destroyed.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
More Math
The Sabres chances of getting into the playoffs is getting more and more tricky. For example, the Bruins overtime loss to the Devils means that if the Sabres beat Montreal and the Bruins lose to Ottawa, then the Sabres will have to beat the Bruins in regulation to get ahead of the Bruins on the fourth tie breaker.
The Penguins did come through, and Philly is still down at 91 points (with two games to go). Given the remaining schedules the Capitals are going to be hard to catch, and should claim the seventh spot. Also Carolina's win puts them out of reach for the Sabres, not that I was aware that they were in reach to begin with (turns out they were).
Both Buffalo Main Event and Mirtle have taken a look at their chances. The short version is that while it is mathematically possible, odds are against it happening. As for tie breakers the Sabres will have the advantage over the Bruins and the Flyers, but lose out to the Capitals. This would have to happen at 92 points, which means that the Sabres still need to win everything.
What both of them failed to talk about is three way ties, and also four way and five way ties (yes those are possible). Furthermore a six way tie is almost possible, except for the fact that the Senators and the Bruins play each other.
Alot of this is actually simple. By virtue of more wins the Hurricanes, Capitals, and Senators would all move on. In the case of a three way tie between one of these teams and either Boston or Philly, Buffalo would be ok, as they would go against these teams one on one where we win the tie breaker. In a three way tie between the Sabres, Flyers, and Bruins things get more complicated.
Tie breaking rule number three reads as follows:
In short, suddenly all of the games count, and the individual games for Philly count more because they play Boston and Buffalo less then they play each other. In eight games against Boston the Sabres are 4-2-2, and in four games against Philly the Sabres are 3-0-1. Overall the Sabres earned 17 points in 12 games or .708% of all possible points. The Bruins also went 4-2-2 in their eight games against Buffalo, and went 3-1-0 against Philly giving them 16 points in 12 games right behind Buffalo at .667% of all possible points. The Flyers went 1-1-2 in four games against Boston, and 1-2-1 in four games against Buffalo. This leaves Philly with 7 points in 8 games which is only .438 of all possible points.
Short version is that between these three teams Buffalo wins the tie breaker, and if it ends up being a three way tie for seventh (because Washington lost out) then the Bruins get the eighth seed. Also if the Capitals, Bruins, Flyers and Sabres all tie for seventh, both the Capitals and the Sabres would be in. Of course a three way (or four way) tie involving the Capitals for eighth place doesn't work out so good.
Of course if the Sabres had just done half way decent against the Rangers this season, none of this would matter. I'm pretty sure those numbers are correct, but if not let me know. First of course the Sabres need to beat Montreal or none of this counts for anything.
The Penguins did come through, and Philly is still down at 91 points (with two games to go). Given the remaining schedules the Capitals are going to be hard to catch, and should claim the seventh spot. Also Carolina's win puts them out of reach for the Sabres, not that I was aware that they were in reach to begin with (turns out they were).
Both Buffalo Main Event and Mirtle have taken a look at their chances. The short version is that while it is mathematically possible, odds are against it happening. As for tie breakers the Sabres will have the advantage over the Bruins and the Flyers, but lose out to the Capitals. This would have to happen at 92 points, which means that the Sabres still need to win everything.
What both of them failed to talk about is three way ties, and also four way and five way ties (yes those are possible). Furthermore a six way tie is almost possible, except for the fact that the Senators and the Bruins play each other.
Alot of this is actually simple. By virtue of more wins the Hurricanes, Capitals, and Senators would all move on. In the case of a three way tie between one of these teams and either Boston or Philly, Buffalo would be ok, as they would go against these teams one on one where we win the tie breaker. In a three way tie between the Sabres, Flyers, and Bruins things get more complicated.
Tie breaking rule number three reads as follows:
The greater number of points earned in games between the tied clubs. If two clubs are tied, and have not played an equal number of home games against each other, points earned in the first game played in the city that had the extra game shall not be included. If more than two clubs are tied, the higher percentage of available points earned in games among those clubs, and not including any "odd" games, shall be used to determine the standing.
In short, suddenly all of the games count, and the individual games for Philly count more because they play Boston and Buffalo less then they play each other. In eight games against Boston the Sabres are 4-2-2, and in four games against Philly the Sabres are 3-0-1. Overall the Sabres earned 17 points in 12 games or .708% of all possible points. The Bruins also went 4-2-2 in their eight games against Buffalo, and went 3-1-0 against Philly giving them 16 points in 12 games right behind Buffalo at .667% of all possible points. The Flyers went 1-1-2 in four games against Boston, and 1-2-1 in four games against Buffalo. This leaves Philly with 7 points in 8 games which is only .438 of all possible points.
Short version is that between these three teams Buffalo wins the tie breaker, and if it ends up being a three way tie for seventh (because Washington lost out) then the Bruins get the eighth seed. Also if the Capitals, Bruins, Flyers and Sabres all tie for seventh, both the Capitals and the Sabres would be in. Of course a three way (or four way) tie involving the Capitals for eighth place doesn't work out so good.
Of course if the Sabres had just done half way decent against the Rangers this season, none of this would matter. I'm pretty sure those numbers are correct, but if not let me know. First of course the Sabres need to beat Montreal or none of this counts for anything.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Remaining possibilities
The Sabres are still not mathematically out of it, but their chances are continuing to disappear. The Rangers last win puts them out of reach for Buffalo, and leaves only the Philly and Boston spots within reach. The downside is that a single win by either of those clubs puts them out of reach as well.
The Sabres need to win out. This would give them a respectable 92 points for the season. Currently the Flyers and the Bruins are both sitting at 91 points with three games to go. This means that a single win puts them up to 93 points and out of reach. Either they need to lose out, or at the very least do no better than one tie (0-2-1). The Capitals are also ahead of the Sabres but can win two and still be caught.
If we all end up at 92 points, the Sabres should win the tie breaker against the Bruins and the Flyers, but would lose out to the Capitals. Preferably, they will stay at 91 points and it won't come down to that.
The Sabres next game is Tuesday night against the Maple Leafs and unless Buffalo can win this game then none of this really matters anyhow.
The Sabres need to win out. This would give them a respectable 92 points for the season. Currently the Flyers and the Bruins are both sitting at 91 points with three games to go. This means that a single win puts them up to 93 points and out of reach. Either they need to lose out, or at the very least do no better than one tie (0-2-1). The Capitals are also ahead of the Sabres but can win two and still be caught.
If we all end up at 92 points, the Sabres should win the tie breaker against the Bruins and the Flyers, but would lose out to the Capitals. Preferably, they will stay at 91 points and it won't come down to that.
The Sabres next game is Tuesday night against the Maple Leafs and unless Buffalo can win this game then none of this really matters anyhow.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Sabres don't stop Ovechkin
Lydman and Kalinin were both minus three for the game, and probably need to be repaired until Tallinder comes back as that obviously wasn't working. Kotalik had a good game with the Sabres only goal, and none against while he was on the ice.
The Sabres did score a second goal in the game, but it was discounted for unknown reasons. Still with the sloppy play the Sabres had they didn't deserve to win. Buffalo gave up three breakaways in the first period, while Miller got the first two, thats not the best way to go about winning a game. On the other end of the ice Kolzig played very well for the Capitals, limiting Buffalo's chances (although Pominville looked good).
If Hecht is given the assistant captain role when he comes back (no reason to think this won't happen) then that should take some of the burden off of Pominville. He's a good player, but I'm not quite sure he is ready to be the teams leader. Afinogenov had the puck alot this game, but didn't do too much with it. After playing so well against the Flyers, Max looked to be trying too much, and not dishing off the opportunities quick enough this game.
Backstrom looked good for the Capitals, and should give Kane and Toews a run for rookie of the year honours. Buffalo's next game is Saturday against Carolina.
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Friday, February 8, 2008
Ovechkin on track for a MVP worthy season
Don't think I'm giving up my support for the Sabres, but there are alot of reasons to like Ovechkin. First he has show some team loyalty by signing quite the long term agreement with the Capitals. He is getting paid very well to do so, but not unreasonably well, and it's not as if the Capitals are a star studded powerhouse team either. He has more fun than most while playing the game, and was one of the few to really enjoy himself at the all-star game (but he has fun every night he plays). Apparently he has plenty of fun away from the ice as well.
The Sabres play the Bruins tonight, and a win for Buffalo would tie the two teams in the standings. Buffalo's recent run has helped them alot, and the team is currently on track to get one of the final two playoff spots. They are estimated to have a 55% chance of making the playoffs and are almost guaranteed a spot if they can win 60% of their remaining games.
Friday, January 4, 2008
Sabres to play their 38th indoor game of the season
The Sabres move back indoors tonight in their game against Ottawa. This is an important game for Buffalo and one that they must win.
Buffalo has lost four straight games now. This fact was mostly lost in the fact that all of the games were close (all by one goal not counting empty netters) and that the Sabres did manage to pick up two points over this span, by losing in a shootout instead of regulation. And with all of the excitement of the winter classic it is easy to overlook a few close losses. Buffalo won the six games before this streak, so they are still doing ok, but need to do better.
The Sabres are 1-2 against Ottawa so far this season, and need to establish that they can compete with the Senators. To do so they might want to look to the Washington Capitals. The Capitals have learned how to put up big points on the Senators, beating them last Saturday 8-6, and then coming back from down two goals to beat them 6-3 on New Years. Washington has been one of the weaker teams in the league this year, but if they can find a way to beat the Senators, then the Sabres should be able to as well.
One last note on the Ice Bowl, In two starts in outdoor games Ryan Miller has gotten a tie in both of them. With Michigan State, Miller tied Michigan 3-3 in 2000 and then with the Sabres tied Pittsburgh last week before losing in the shootout.
The NHL was kept quiet about any future plans for outdoor games, but is expected to do something for next season.
Buffalo has lost four straight games now. This fact was mostly lost in the fact that all of the games were close (all by one goal not counting empty netters) and that the Sabres did manage to pick up two points over this span, by losing in a shootout instead of regulation. And with all of the excitement of the winter classic it is easy to overlook a few close losses. Buffalo won the six games before this streak, so they are still doing ok, but need to do better.
The Sabres are 1-2 against Ottawa so far this season, and need to establish that they can compete with the Senators. To do so they might want to look to the Washington Capitals. The Capitals have learned how to put up big points on the Senators, beating them last Saturday 8-6, and then coming back from down two goals to beat them 6-3 on New Years. Washington has been one of the weaker teams in the league this year, but if they can find a way to beat the Senators, then the Sabres should be able to as well.
One last note on the Ice Bowl, In two starts in outdoor games Ryan Miller has gotten a tie in both of them. With Michigan State, Miller tied Michigan 3-3 in 2000 and then with the Sabres tied Pittsburgh last week before losing in the shootout.
The NHL was kept quiet about any future plans for outdoor games, but is expected to do something for next season.
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Sabres score seven to defeat the Capitals
Halfway through the game things were not really looking that well for the Sabres. Despite outplaying the Capitals, Buffalo had been unable to capitalize on any of their chances and despite putting up 53 shots by then end of the game appeared as if they were unwilling to shoot on the power play. Miller had let in an early goal, and it appeared as if the Sabres were going to have trouble climbing out of that one point hole.
Then Spacek scored on the power play. Just eleven seconds latter Afinogenov scored, followed by a Pominville goal two minuetes latter. Mair then finished out the period by sneaking a goal between the goalie and the post, that I still can't figure out no matter how many times I watch the replay.
The Capitals would score two more goals in the third, including one on the power play from Ovechkin, but the game was never really in danger. The prettiest goal of the game was the Sabres fifth which was set up by Afinogenov who circled repeatedly on around the net and then at the top of the faceoff circle, before passing it to Campbell who one timed it into the net (although Roy got credited on a deflection). Roy would go on to score another one latter in the game, as would Spacek who picked up another powerplay goal.
The Sabres have now scored 13 goals over the last two games. They were second in the league in goals per game, and scoring seven more is only going to help boost that stat. Buffalo's next game is on Monday night against Toronto.
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