tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14971098.post4125693715493137018..comments2024-03-17T21:09:46.268-04:00Comments on The Peerless Prognosticator: It's a TWO point night -- Caps vs. Lightning, October 24thThe Peerlesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10293195514553989436noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14971098.post-58306729205565381712007-10-25T12:56:00.000-04:002007-10-25T12:56:00.000-04:00I tend to agree with the Pothier defenders. My qu...I tend to agree with the Pothier defenders. My question is if I am the only one who has noticed that Olie seems incapable of closing the 5-hole. I mean, is it just me or is it getting kind of scary?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14971098.post-37237764813746669052007-10-25T12:00:00.000-04:002007-10-25T12:00:00.000-04:00I've been one of Pothier's defenders for a while. ...I've been one of Pothier's defenders for a while. He proved to me last year that he'll be a good 3/4 guy for the Caps (or most teams, for that matter). The icetime he had the first two months of last season was near the top of the league, and you can't expect a guy to play that many games week in and week out at a clip about 10 minutes higher than the previous season without some drop-off in play. He did well for that first month and a half, but then started to slip, got a concussion, and struggled when he came back, only regaining his form toward the end of the season. He's never going to be a star, and he's never going to be a big part of this defense--he'll probably be the first to be shopped when the likes of Alzner and others begin to compete for a roster spot. But he was the Caps' "big" free agent signing last off-season, and the fanbase put undo expectations on him, or wrote him off as a weak veteran who will hold down the young talent and cause problems with the salary cap. The reality is that he's good value for the money, and he's the perfect kind of transition player to get the Caps to the next level.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14971098.post-72322445081260638962007-10-25T09:59:00.000-04:002007-10-25T09:59:00.000-04:00I don't want to leave the impression that I though...I don't want to leave the impression that I thought Pothier had a bad game. Far from it. It is probably a lot closer to the kind of game that was envisioned when he was signed (although the ice time was probably a bit high). <BR/><BR/>In that respect, I whole-heartedly agree that he is better suited as a 3/4 defenseman getting 16-18 minutes a game than a top pair getting 22-24 minutes or more. He was asked to play too many roles last year. With a shorter "to-do" list on his nightly card, he'll be more effective.The Peerlesshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10293195514553989436noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14971098.post-83464279221985812512007-10-25T08:38:00.000-04:002007-10-25T08:38:00.000-04:00what does Pothier have to do to be credited with a...what does Pothier have to do to be credited with a "good game" by this fanbase? Truly, I'm not understanding the discontent with his play. Last year, he was thrust into top-line service, when he's clearly a 3-4/5-6 guy. He didn't succeed, as anyone who was paying attention would have predicted. Last night. he was on the ice for four even-strength goals, while being on the ice for no even-strength goals against, or the shorty. That, to me, qualifies as a "good game...a real good game". It seems like the expectation of him was to be the re-incarnation of Scott Stevens. The Caps fan base continually looks for a scapegoat on the roster to blame <I> when</I> things awry, with the rationale going something like this...he didn't score 15 goals, he doesn't fight, and he doesn't deliver bone-crushing checks, so he must suck. Now I understand why so many articulate, well-informed hockey fans have left the Caps message board community - they find themselves in a distinct minority among the "Pothier Sucks, Motzko Sucks, Klepis Sucks, Kozlov Sucks, Poti Sucks" crowd. And these are the same ne'er dowells that rail against those who claim Washington isn't a hockey town. I am always open to being educated, but one fan once told me, when I inquired in the deficiencies in a particular players game "Player X sucks, just take my word for it"...right... And I love those people who think that be mere attendance at a lot of games, they've become knowledgable about hockey, which is akin to saying that if I stand around in an operating room long enough, I'll end up a qualified surgeon by the sole virtue of my presence where surgery was being performed. I guess the uninformed and those who need a perpetual scapegoat need their forum too, unfortunately, it's become the Caps message boards, with the commentary on Tarik's blog following suit.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com