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Ovechkin Suspended Three Games for Charging Hit

Jan 24

Posted by Eddie in Behind the Bench | No Comments

Judge NHL Senior VP of Player Safety and Hockey Operations Brendan Shanahan weighed in on a hit by Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin on Zbynek Michalek of the Pittsburgh Penguins during Sunday’s nationally-televised game on NBC. His verdict is that the Russian superstar will sit out three games got launching himself during a check on Michalek.

Shanahan explained in a three minute video and in the video he hits on several points:

  • While Ovechkin had Michalek lined up for an ideal body check, Ovechkin’s feet left the ice.
  • It violates Rule 42 on Charging, when a player skates into or jumps into an opponent in any manner.
  • While Ovechkin aimed for shoulder-shoulder contact, because he launched himself into Michalek, the point of contact now became Ovechkin driving his shoulder into the head area of Michalek.
  • While Ovechkin wasn’t filed as a “Repeat Offender” under the rule, Shanahan did note that Ovechkin has been fined twice and suspended twice during his six-season NHL career.
  • No penalty was called, and Michalek did not miss any playing time.

In my opinion, I believe the suspension was justified. This is something that has been on the books in the lower levels of hockey for several years. Under the USA Hockey Standard of Play and Rule Emphasis, the hit could have been penalized under Interference because Michalek was no longer in possession or control of the puck. If Ovechkin would have slowed down or even made a hard left turn to avoid playing the body and skated towards the puck, he would have saved himself some money as well as helping his team by appearing in the team’s next three games.

When it’s all said and done, his suspension without pay will cost Ovechkin $154,677.75. The money goes to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund. Wrapped around this weekend’s All-Star Game, Ovechkin will miss today’s home contest versus Boston and next week’s Florida swing when Washington will travel to Sunrise, Fla. and Tampa to play the Panthers and Lightning, respectively. He will become eligible to play Feb. 4 on the road in Montreal.

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NHL Players Vote Dion Phaneuf Most Overrated

Jan 12

Posted by Matt in News | 1 Comment

Dion Phaneuf was voted most overrated hockey player by his NHL peers

Dion Phaneuf was voted most overrated hockey player by his NHL peers

In a recent poll conducted by Sports Illustrated, 161 NHL players voted on the most overrated player in hockey. After the feedback was tallied, it turns out Dion Phaneuf is considered by the majority to be the most overrated. His stats look great so far this season as Phaneuf has tallied 7 goals and 21 assists for 28 points in only 42 games. The heavy hitter could be benefiting from playing alongside the likes of Phil Kessel and Joffrey Lupul, however, both of whom are currently in the top 5 in NHL scoring. This is the first season since his breakout year in 2007-08 that Phaneuf has lived up to any of the hype he had early in his career.

Despite his good numbers this season, Phaneuf’s peers clearly don’t think he is deserving of any hype. Dominant defensive players can play against the opponent’s top offensive talent night in and night out, shut them down consistently, and show up as an additional offensive threat on the blue line as well. Nick Lidstrom and Shea Weber would be great examples, and both are having tremendous seasons once again. While they have maintained solid plus/minus numbers, Phaneuf has struggled in recent seasons to be a consistent plus player. His offensive numbers are great again, but until he can turn up his defensive game as well, his NHL peers will look down on him for being overrated.

Coming in at number two on the overrated list, which is becoming less and less of a surprise as time goes on, is Alexander Ovechkin. After being a perennial 50 goal scoring threat, Ovechkin has faded in the past two seasons and is only on pace for 34 goals in 2011-12.

Third on the list is Montreal Canadian’s center Scott Gomez. I think we can all agree with this assessment. While his name isn’t mentioned much anymore, his cap hit of roughly $7.36 million from 2007 to 2014 makes him highly overpaid. Gomez is currently on the shelf with a nagging groin injury and has 4 assists in 13 games played this season.

Behind Gomez, and fourth on the SI list is Roberto Luongo. His inability to capture a Stanley Cup may have landed him high on the list. However, it could also be that Luongo is nothing more than a good goalie on a great team. Many teams now are employing average goaltenders at a low cap hit, in order to make the most of the rest of their roster. They’re also seeing a lot of success by doing it. The Canucks, however, continue to pay big bucks for Luongo’s services.

Rounding out the top five is Dany Heatley. Since being traded from Ottawa, we’ve watched Heatley’s stock sink. His first year in San Jose was solid with Joe Thornton centering him. Beyond that, Heatley began falling apart. He’s on pace for less than 60 points this season with Minnesota.

The rest of the most overrated players in the NHL fall in line as follows:

6. Ilya Kovalchuk
7. Vincent Lecavalier
8. Jay Bouwmeester
9. Ryan Kesler
10. Mike Komisarek
11. Chris Pronger
12. Jarome Iginla
13. Alexander Semin
14. Olli Jokinen
15. Ed Jovanovski

How accurate do you think the NHL players were? If it were your list, who would you have voted most overrated?

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Washington Capitals fire Boudreau

Nov 28

Posted by Chris in News | No Comments

The Washington Capitals have fired head coach Bruce Boudreau and replaced him with London Knights coach Dale Hunter.

Boudreau spent four years as the Capitals coach, accumulating a 201-88-40 regular season record over that period. However, Boudreau and his ultra-talented Capitals teams have consistently faltered in the playoffs, going 17-20 in playoff games over the past four years.

In 2009-10, the Capitals claimed the President’s Trophy with the most points of any team in the NHL and walked into the playoffs as a heavy favorite to win the Stanley Cup. However, their success that season translated into a disappointing Quarter Finals loss to the Montreal Canadiens.

The firing comes after weeks of speculation about a diminishing relationship between Boudreau and Capitals superstar Alexander Ovechkin, who has been benched during key moments this season as Boudreau preached accountability to his players and used benching as a punishment for subpar performances. Fellow superstar Alexander Semin sat out of the lineup as a healthy scratch as well.

The Capitals started this season with a seven-game with streak, the best start in franchise history. In the 15 games since then, however, the team has only managed a meager five wins and 10 losses, putting them 8th in the Eastern Conference.

The 51-year-old Hunter will lead the team’s practice this afternoon and make his debut behind the bench tomorrow night when the team takes on the St. Louis Blues. Hunter coached the London Knights of the OHL for the past 11 seasons and accumulated a 451-189-23-24 record during that time. He was the fastest coach in OHL history to attain 300 and 400 career wins. Hunter won the Memorial Cup with London in 2004-05.

In addition to his coaching accolades, Hunter is also a former Washington Capitals player and captain, playing with the team from 1987 to 1999. He is one of four players to have his jersey retired by the franchise. His career total of 3,563 penalty minutes ranks him second all-time in the NHL.

Boudreau’s assistant coaches will remain with the club as Hunter’s assistants.

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Seat Could Get Hotter in District for Boudreau

Nov 22

Posted by Eddie in Soap Box | No Comments

HWB is participating in “Movember” to raise funds for Pancreatic Cancer Research. Make a difference, make a donation.

Things aren’t so peachy in Washington for Caps bench boss Bruce Boudreau. The Capitals currently sit eighth in the East with a 11-7-1 record. Expectations are always high for a team with one of the most profile players in the league in Alex Ovechkin. In the division, they are two points behind Florida but you couldn’t tell based on the way the team has been playing.

Team owner Ted Leonsis recently declined to comment when the media asked him about a vote of confidence regarding Boudreau. This doesn’t sound good. Especially on the heels of en embarrassing 7-1 loss to Toronto in which the Maple Leafs kept seven regulars out of the lineup and started their third string goalie. Last night when they defeated Phoenix, Boudreau healthy-scratched Alexander Semin for the first time in his career. There are a lot of things to blame, but the main source of the team struggles begins with the player with the C on his sweater:

The Washington Capitals will sink or swim with the production of Alex Ovechkin.

Number 8

For Boudreau to retake control of the locker room, he has to do it through the player the rest of the team listens to. A story in the Washington Post suggested Ovechkin and Boudreau aren’t on the same page. Boudreau wants Ovi to play on the wing on the power play but Ovi feels more comfortable running the man-advantage from the point. Boudreau and his staff have begged Ovechkin to be more responsible in the defensive end, yet he still routinely floats in Washington’s zone and leaves it prematurely. Through the season’s first 18 games, he has a team-worst plus-minus rating of minus-6.

For someone that loves to shoot the pick, Ovechkin hasn’t done that this season. He’s led the league in shots on goal each of his first six seasons, but has 67 in 18 games this season. In the Toronto loss Saturday he didn’t record his first shot on goal until 12 minutes remained in the second period- when they trailed 4-1. The coaches want him to get more of his teammates involved versus taking a high risk shot, but to decrease your shot production by that much is cause for concern.

Earlier this month when Ovechkin was benched when the team put an extra attacker on the ice, he seems to be in his own world. A player who sees 20-plus minutes of ice time every game has been averaging close to 18 minutes this month. That isn’t something you want to see out of your best player and deadliest sniper on the ice.

Could the Semin-scratching Monday affect the fellow Russian superstar? This team does seem to follow the way of Ovechkin: Ovi plays well, the team does well. If he can’t find the back of the net, neither can the rest of the team. In the end, Boudreau and his captain need to have a man-to-man meeting. If they air out all their issues and squash it there, the team could head in the right direction. If they fail to reach at least the conference final, some heads (both on the ice and on the bench) could roll.

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2011-12 NHL Season Preview: Washington Capitals

Sep 15

Posted by Matt in Season Previews | No Comments

Alexander Ovechkin in Bauer Gear

Alexander Ovechkin looks to lead the Caps deep into the playoffs this season

Key Offseason Additions: Joel Ward, Tomas Vokoun, Roman Hamrlik, Jeff Halpern, Troy Brouwer

Key Offseason Losses: Matt Bradley, Scott Hannan

Last Season Ranking:1st in East

Offense: The Washington Capitals will continue to depend on three men to carry the offense this season: Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, and Alex Semin. Since the 2008-09 season, those three have lead the Capitals in scoring, in that same order. This year should be no different.

Alex Ovechkin is leaning on a new brand this season, dropping CCM and going with a trusted product in Bauer Hockey. That renewed trust in gear should help him near the 100 point mark, if not top it, for the season. As Ovechkin excels, so does linemate Nicklas Backstrom. Centering Ovi gives Backstrom the opportunity to pile on the assists, and add a few goals here and there as well. Semin, in the last year of his contract, has a lot to prove to this team. He’s been called out by former teammate Matt Bradley for not caring, and this is his season to prove that he’s a devoted team member. If these guys can all get on the right page again, and put forth their top effort, you’re going to see an incredible hockey club.

The Capitals have a lot of depth to go along with their top three scorers, beginning with Brooks Laich, who can be counted on for roughly 50 points per season. After a bit of a scoring slump last season, where he scored fewer than 20 goals for the first time since 2006-07, Laich will look to rebound and break the 20 goal mark once again. Joining Laich to provide depth will be guys like Mike Knuble, Jason Chimera, and the newly acquired Jeff Halpern and Troy Brouwer. These guys will all put up the depth points to help Washington continue to dominate the East.

Joel Ward, another off-season free agent signing, will be counted on to maintain his excellent scoring touch when he suits up for the Capitals this fall. Ward, who only managed 29 regular season points last season with the Predators, was virtually unstoppable in their playoff run. In 12 games played, Ward tallied 7 goals and 6 assists for 13 points. This run included two separate five game point streaks. Ward brings a big body to the team, and is also an underrated talent that could help the Caps get over that difficult hump come playoff time.

Finally, keep your eye on Marcus Johansson this season. In his rookie campaign last season, Johansson posted a solid 13 goals and 14 assists for 27 points in 69 games played. These numbers certainly aren’t bad considering the guy was fighting for playing time with an already extremely talented team. The way this kid can skate, pass, and shoot, he’s going to get plenty of opportunities playing alongside Washington’s top three.

Defense: Defensively, the Capitals continue to be lead by the offensive minded Mike Green. During an injury plagued season in 2010-11, Green piled up 24 points in 49 games. These numbers were certainly far below his expected output, but providing he’s healthy this season, watch for that output to approach 70 points once again.

Following in Green’s footsteps is the young John Carlson, who helped lead the Caps defense last season. Carlson is a young defender, at only 21 years old, but he’s growing up quick and has the talent to be a top defender in the league. He’ll be joined by another youngster, Karl Alzner, in carrying much of the load defensively for the Caps this season. Jeff Schultz, who has a few years under his belt, will add a bit of stability to the blue line.

Rounding out the defense will be free agent pickup Roman Hamrlik, along with a trade deadline acquisition from last season, Dennis Wideman. Both are very solid defenseman, who add a bit more experience and leadership to a young defense. The leadership they will add could be the key in developing a defense that not only leads the team through the season, but carries the team past the first two rounds of the playoffs as well.

Goaltending: Tomas Vokoun will join the Capitals this season after signing as a free agent over the summer. Vokoun turned down an offer from the Detroit Red Wings, among other teams, to have the shot at being a guaranteed starter out of the gate in Washington. Coming in at 35 years old, Vokoun could be coming right into his prime here as he joins the Caps. His numbers have been good playing for a sub-par team in Florida, so imagine what he will be able to accomplish with a team of all-stars in front of him. Michal Neuvirth will be on back-up duty this season, but should see a fair amount of games to ensure Vokoun stays well rested.

HWB Playoff Prediction: Playoff Bound. As usual the Caps have what it takes to get land a high seed. With a number of key off-season acquisitions, the Capitals management looks to have assembled a team that has the potential to make a serious run at the Stanley Cup this season. We’ve seen them implode early in years past, but something tells me this season will be different.

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Alex Ovechkin Signs Deal with Nike

Sep 2

Posted by EB in News | 1 Comment

Alexander Ovechkin, the Washington Capitals superstar, has left CCM and joined the Nike team with an apparel and product endorsement.

“I can confirm that Alex has signed a long-term global partnership with Nike,” Ovechkin’s IMG agent David Abrutyn said. “Alex is going to be supporting all of the products that Nike makes — apparel, footwear, performance apparel, casual wear, accessories and other elements of the Nike family of products. So he will be wearing their performance product when he’s playing and practicing, when he’s training and in his lifestyle.”

Once news hit that Ovechkin was to leave CCM, many opinions came about to who his next big deal would be with. Bauer, Reebok, and Warrior were thrown out as options, although the front for many was Bauer. Notable athletes under the Bauer brand are Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Eric Staal and Steven Stamkos to name only a few.

Ovechkin has scheduled a press conference for Tuesday, September 6th, where he is expected to announce his endorsement deal with Bauer Hockey. If you visit Bauer.com, you will notice a brand new intro and header which shows the Bauer APX skates, with Ovechkin’s signature yellow laces. The text reads “This year will be different.” You can expect Ovechkin will now be wearing the APX skates this season when he suits up rather than the CCM U+ CL skates.

More to come as we learn more.

 

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Bauer Supreme One40 Hockey Pants Review

Aug 7

Posted by EB in Gear, Reviews | No Comments

So if you have not noticed, I kind of went on a new equipment binge. My old stuff was, well… old, plus it gives me an opportunity to review new equipment for you the readers. So far I have reviewed the Bauer Supreme One70 Skate, Bauer Supreme One40 Hockey Gloves and the Blue Ice Nano Pro Hockey Stick. I’m thinking Bauer should sign me to a contract instead of Ovechkin, what do you think?

Next on my list to review is the Bauer Supreme One40 Hockey Pants. With a price tag of $55.95 at Ice Warehouse, it is the entry level hockey pant within the Bauer Supreme line.

A pant is a pant, but still there are some things about this that make this stand out a little bit. The Supreme line is a traditional fit, one that has a little bagginess to it opposed to that of like the Vapor line. The spine protector pops with it’s Supreme yellow against an all black pant, as well as the long laces can give you an Ovechkin look.

The pant itself is pretty basic, it being the entry pant and all. A spine protector, 2 piece thigh pad, rear leg pad as well as a tailbone pad. So, in short, you’re pretty much covered everywhere you need to be.

I’ve been happy so far with my purchase with a few exceptions. I purchased a large based on the sizing and have found the waist clip needs to be tightened all the way to make sure it stays on my hips. To aid in making sure it does not fall off, I ended up purchasing some old man suspenders. Sure they’re not the greatest of look, but they do the trick. Also, because the waist is not as tight as I would like, I then tie my laces rather tight. Unfortunately I have already ripped out the top two eyelets.

Despite the sizing issues, which it very well could be that a more snug Bauer Vapor X20 Hockey Pants for a few bucks cheaper might have been the route for me, I am quite happy with the pants. An eyelet doesn’t mean much to me as I can tell the pants are made of quality material and will last me for quite a while. The look is nice, the feel is nice, and it is not restricting at all. As a matter of fact, the pants offer the ability to unzip the inside of your legs about 2 to 3 inches. For me this comes into play while getting dressed and sticking my socks to my jock, but for some who really like a loose fit, they have the ability to skate with it unzipped.

Overall I would recommend the Bauer Supreme One40 Hockey Pants with one exception, make sure the looser fit is for you, otherwise go for the Bauer Vapor line.

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Alex Ovechkin Bauer Endorsement?

Aug 1

Posted by EB in News, Rumors | 25 Comments

Big rumors (news?) are circulating that the poster boy of CCM hockey, Alexander Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals, will no longer be on the companies roster for the upcoming 2011-2012 NHL season.

Nothing is confirmed currently, nothing that I could dig up at least, but rumors are Ovechkin will be sporting Bauer products. Ovechkin was seen a few years back playing with a Bauer stick. Some felt the move was due to his unhappiness with the inconsistency and durability issues of CCM sticks, while others thought CCM had asked him to use other sticks and then provide feedback to make their products better. Still though, nothing was confirmed why he used the Bauer products.

Perhaps being a little skeptical, and maybe using a little business logic, it seems unlikely that Ovechkin will use anything other than CCM products. Well, at least for this year. With huge ad campaigns and a whole product line following the superstar, I just do not see the change being pulled off so quickly. To me, Ovechkin would have to have a contract set in place by CCM hockey that would not allow him to jump ship right now, or perhaps pay a large penalty for negating the contract. Sure Ovechkin is one of the top paid NHL players in the league, but I don’t see him paying up to use another brand. But then again, crazier things have happened.

It is unclear right now what is fact and what is rumor, but if Ovechkin was to play with another brand this upcoming NHL season, what brand do you think he would be sporting and why?

Update:

Alexander Ovechkin, the Washington Capitals superstar, has left CCM and joined the Nike team with an apparel and product endorsement.

Ovechkin has scheduled a press conference for Tuesday, September 6th, where he is expected to announce his endorsement deal with Bauer Hockey. If you visit Bauer.com, you will notice a brand new intro and header which shows the Bauer APX skates, with Ovechkin’s signature yellow laces. The text reads “This year will be different.” You can expect Ovechkin will now be wearing the APX skates this season when he suits up rather than the CCM U+ CL skates.

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Zach Parise Agrees to Terms; Top Fantasy Pick

Jul 31

Posted by EB in Fantasy, News | 5 Comments

The New Jersey Devils and winger Zach Parise have come to terms. After what seemed to be a a guaranteed arbitration hearing, both sides have agreed to a 1 year 6 million dollar contract.

The 26 year old Minnesota native was one of the hot topics of the off-season. Parise, who was a restricted free agent, had the possibility of becoming an unrestricted free agent if the bargaining between the two sides went sour. Had Parise become an unrestricted free agent, Parise could have been approached by other NHL team with contract offers. The talented young player would have definitely had his pick of the litter.

Parise is coming off of an injured 2010-2011 NHL season. He injured his knee during off-season training, opting to play through the pain. Unfortunately hockey is a rough sport, and to his disliking, Parise missed the majority of the season due to exploratory arthroscopic surgery.

The winger broke into the NHL in the 2005-2006 season with the devils and posted a respectable 32 points in 81 games played. Over the next 4 seasons, Parise totaled 303 points in 326 games. His high, only to this point in his career, was 45 goals and 49 assists totaling 94 points in 82 games played. Simply put, Parise is the real deal.

As noted earlier, the Devils and Parise have avoided arbitration and have agreed to a 1 year 6 million dollar contract. In looking at this, the length of the contract, I do not believe Parise will play with the Devils beyond the 2011-2012 season. For Parise, this means that the upcoming NHL season is a season where he needs to not only prove his worth, but play to a caliber that would warrant a big contract. For you as a fan and a fantasy player, this means Parise is going to be putting up big points, upwards of 90+ points. So who might he rival next year? Both Daniel and Henrik Sedin, Martin St. Louis and Steven Stamkos of the Tampa Bay Lightning, and yes, Alexander Ovechkin will return to the mix of scoring leaders. Oh, one more guy would be a healthy Sidney Crosby.

Parise has one more year as a Devil and he’s jumping ship. If you are sitting in the third to seventh spot in your draft, Parise would be a good option to take.

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Washington Capitals in Do-or-Die Game

May 3

Posted by EB in News | No Comments

The series between the Washington Capitals continues tonight for game 3 in Tampa Bay. The Lightning however, with much amazement, are currently leading the series two games to none. Tonight’s game will be either a make or break for the Washington Capitals, possibly leaving them to be exiting the playoffs much earlier than anticipated by most.

The Tampa Bay Lightning are seeing their big names player put points on the board. Currently, Steven Stamkos and Vincent Lecavalier have a game winning goal each. Together, they combine for 3 goals, 2 assists and 12 shots. The Lightning supporting casts of Martin St. Louis and Teddy Purcell have contributed for 1 goal, 4 assists and 11 shots. Where do the Caps stand?

The big three, Nicklas Backstrom, Alexander Semin and Alexander Ovechkin only have a combined 2 goals and 1 assist. Skating the majority of minutes of the Capitals offense, the stats are well below what is to be expected of them. Focusing on defense, offensive defenseman Mike Green is a -2 rating.

With the saying, “Defense wins championships”, Head Coach Bruce Boudreau tweaked the offensive juggernaut in the regular season to focus more on defense and less on the run and gun style they use to play. Sure, the Capitals played close 1 goal difference games in the regular season, but the change was for the playoffs, for the now. In the first round the Capitals were capable of maintaining their defensive minded better back-checking play style to take out the New York Rangers in 5. In this series though, the team have resorted back to their offensive, defensive lacking,  play.

The game tonight is expected to be a high flying, high intensity game, with the Capitals having their backs against the wall. If they wish to take out the Tampa Bay Lightning, the team needs to get back to their play that won them the first seed in the East. The person that needs to lead that charge is Alexander Ovechkin. If however Ovie is unable to tame his urge to take every shot, the team will follow and expect the series to go to 3-0 Lightning, with a possible sweep in sight.

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