tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14971098.post4955298196868760857..comments2024-03-17T21:09:46.268-04:00Comments on The Peerless Prognosticator: Eastern Conference Semifinals Game 7: Rangers 2 - Capitals 1The Peerlesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10293195514553989436noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14971098.post-34229699020623799542012-05-13T20:03:56.056-04:002012-05-13T20:03:56.056-04:00Bottom line, Hunter's system relies on foot so...Bottom line, Hunter's system relies on foot soldiers and diminishes talented stars. Yes, there is not much beyond the top our but that's where gmgm failed! We need someone who can really fill the gaps in the team and a coach who can get the most out of the stars - mind you, the Hendricks' and Beagles' will play their hearts out - but, they will not get you the Cup. As long as there are fools who believe that Hunters system works, etc., be prepared for similar results in the end. With due respect to Laich's and Brouwers', who do you think are vocal thus far about Huntsie? It is them because it suits their skill level. <br /><br />Need a new gm, couple of top centers (at least one for starters), a solid D to replace Wides and Shultzie, a rugged winger (young Knubes), and a new Coach who would maximize the talent of the stars- now we have a winning team! Until that happens, the caps will continue their exits the same way! Don't blame OV - he may not have any D in him, but he still is the one every team double teams and unless you give him a center (Backie at all times) and a finisher (other than mojo), the opponents will be successful in limiting his production.<br /><br />Remember, you cannot learn talent - so get a coach who can maximize the talent on this team. Any one can work hard, but in the end it will not beat the talent. See what happened in game 7, did rangers just sit their talented stars and protect the lead? The only reason the Caps made this far is Holtby. If he was just good but not brilliant like he was, we would be gone in the first round. There was just no margin for error and when there was an error we lost. So, I don't see Hunter's system working at all. He got all his points due to Holtby! Exaggeration? May be, but as a season ticket holder, it pains to see the young guns' time running out. Oh well! Just venting...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14971098.post-80802670836999680712012-05-13T12:07:51.183-04:002012-05-13T12:07:51.183-04:00Peerless, I have very much enjoyed reading your wo...Peerless, I have very much enjoyed reading your work all season long. Your strange brand of humor, cogent analysis, and volume of pixels is an excellent companion to the long hockey season. I look forward to more of your excellent writing in (hopefully more successful) seasons to come.Gregory J Burie, Jr.https://www.blogger.com/profile/12248332917114282442noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14971098.post-3424392666627739052012-05-13T07:21:29.251-04:002012-05-13T07:21:29.251-04:00"once one gets past the Core Four, this is no..."once one gets past the Core Four, this is not an especially skilled team."<br /><br />In the playoffs, you are only going to be successful if everybody up and down the roster is pulling their weight and making the most of their opportunities. That is why I get in a way what Hunter was trying to do with his distribution of ice time. He was attempting to force the Jay Beagles, Joel Wards, and Matt Hendricks to step up their games while forcing the Young Guns to go all out every single shift. Yet that didn't happen and why?<br /><br />Well, in large part because everybody both inside and outside of the Caps organization focuses so much on Captain A.O. Even if Hunter largely uses him as a decoy, which was the strategery this spring, opponents are going to do everything they can to not let him beat them. And if Hunter decides to sit him because we have (what he thinks is) an insurmountable 1-0 lead, smart coaches like John Tortorella are going to sit their key defenders so that they don't get worn out by the grinding of guys like Joel Ward and Matt Hendricks. Torts did exactly that in Game 6 when Hunter tried his shell game once getting out to a lead. The grinders didn't make the most of their extra ice time in some ways because they couldn't, the guys they were supposed to wear out were sitting on the bench, and they didn't chip in anything offensively.<br /><br />Last night Captain A.O. had two shots on goal, two missed, two attempts blocked. Everybody inside and out is going to say that isn't enough focusing solely on him and his play as why the Caps are out in the second round again. But that was more than anybody else on his usual line did last night in terms of generating offense. Everybody's favorite whipping boy, Alexander "Slappy" Semin had four shots on goal, the team high, and two attempts blocked was the only other player to attempt six shots on goal last night. No this wasn't like last year's second round four game disaster to the Ning where the Caps play totally and completely disintegrated into, "give the puck to Captain A.O. and just watch him try to do it all by himself" but the supporting cast last night once again failed to support the stars. Because as you pointed out, the hero of the last Game 7 only attempted one shot that missed the net. Matt Hendricks whose deflection started the scoring against Boston in Game 7 a few weeks ago, 1 shot on goal and 1 other blocked.<br /><br />There is only so much the stars of a hockey team can do by themselves, no matter how good they are. The, lesser skilled, supporting cast players need to step up as well and that still just simply doesn't happen often enough around here. Hunter hockey tried to force that out and it didn't happen.Caps Nuthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16339054012239423282noreply@blogger.com