Capitals concede Southeast to Lightning

Remember when Lightning owner Len Barrie predicted Tampa Bay would win the Southeast? Well, Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau got wind of it, and at Washington's development camp, sarcastically conceded the division title to the Lightning.

Courtesy of the Washington Post's Capitals blog:

"We just hope to be in second place because Tampa says they're going win the division," Boudreau said. "So if we play good enough to get to second place, we'll be happy."

Good stuff.

Comments

[jj]

jaja tampa sucks big time GO CAPS

[Steve R]

Don, I'd expect no less than that. He's yours for the year, I wish him good luck against everyone but us.

[Don in St. Pete]

Steve, There are many factors involved that influence a goalies stats, and Goalies are known to be kind of Head cases at times. I agree that Olie's #'s weren't great last year and his career is certainly winding down. On the other hand Denis had great #'s when we traded for him and he forgot how to play goal. Khabibulin was dreadful at times during our Cup season with Grahame actually taking over for a long stretch ( we would never have been #1 in the east without his solid work ) but he was terrific during the cup run when it counted most. I for one will be giving Olie the benefit of showing if he's still got it or not.

[Steve R]

db,

Let me think about what I said about Olie:

I'm giving a standing O when he's back.
Gaping 5 hole.
Weak high glove side.
Toward the bottom of most stats used to measure goalies performance.
Will lead the league in broken sticks.

All these points are true, how is that bashing?

Also, how can you compare Olie to Theo? At this point in time Theo is the far better Goalie. If the choice was Olie at his best or Theo, no brainer pick Olie, but the time machine is broken so Theo it is. Olie's playoff numbers are squewed with the one run to the Cup finals, so I don't know how valid a comparison that is.

Olie's # will be in the rafters one of these years & I'll cheer like he@@. But you need to keep in mind that he is the one who chose to leave town. He is the one who refused to take GMGM's call. He is the one who used the press to air his hard feelings (Bruce doesn't know how to coach goalies). Etc etc etc.

[db]

Sorry, I meant to say "won" one Veniza each. Some more comparisons....
Since 96/97 Kolzig has had 97 PIM and Theodore has had 28 PIM. In other words Theodore is a whimp behind the mask!

[db]

Hey CRAPS fans, The fact that you bash Ollie shows you have no class. He basically kept you from being the worst NHL team for many years. It is interesting that you think Theodore is better. They both one the Vezina but compare their playoff stats... Ollie kicks Theodores butt on GAA and SO's in about the same amount of playoff games. Good luck w/ Theodore, you gonna need it.

[léo]

Yes, Sapper. And he sucked in ALL of them, something Bolt players surely would not have done.
Good luck, Steve!
Yo.

[Sapper]

Say what you will but I'm pretty sure Theodore played in more playoff games than any of the Lightning last year.

[Steve R]

Habs by a hair for the season series. Last year it was what? 4 pts Caps and 6 pts Habs?

I wouldn't be surprised to see the Habs take first this season. My nod to the Caps season after next. I would be surprised if the Habs can keep the team intact. Unless you get a home team discount, the UFA's you have are going to get some crazy offers floated their way. Caps have some youngsters in the pipeline that are going to step up on D. Say goodbye to Erskine and Jurcina (hopefully soon).

Gotta bolt (if you'll pardon the pun) and head home.

[léo]

Coach a toss-up?! Didn't he win the Adams??? Heck's goin' on over there? Do I hafta to go over there and teach you what's what? Think Boudreau turned it around; think Boudreau taught your boys to leave it all out there and to go for broke, secure in the knowledge that their teammates were watching their backs; think you should give your guy a chance...
Woooops!
Oh!, Wait, I understand! Guy vs Bruce! Ok, I get it; sorry Steve. You're right on all counts as I see it too.
Hear that folks??!!
The Priceberg over Theo! The Capper admits it! His eyes are open too, despite the Priceberg Meltdown!
But yer deluded if you think you'll be better than Us, year after next, mate. You won't. We keep getting stronger. Year after next, it's McDonaugh and Pacioretty joining the fold. Fuhgaddabowdit.
I refuse to believe the last game Pit conspiracy but I accept its possibility.
Totally agree about Washy's progress but Green's brilliance won't be enough. You need more D. Theo will remind you o'that more often than not.
Us by a hair for what? In our series against each other during the season?
Or 1st place again?
Yo.

[Steve R]

leo,

For the record, I agreed with you that the Habs kicked the Caps butts on the front end of the two game set before I changed the subject.

Can we agree that the Pens tanked the last game of the regular season to avoid Philly in the first round?

This year head to head, I'd give the D nod to the Habs, Goalie to the Habs, O to the Caps, PP....? Last year you guys were great, probably will get the nod this year, but the Caps made great strides in the latter part of the season. I see no reason that trend shouldn't continue. Coach is a toss up, both are top notch.

I'd say, Habs by a hair this coming season. Caps the following. Just my humble opinion.

[léo]

How quickly you changed the subject, Steve. Don't wanna talk about the point on-subject but shift it over to Our Flyer series, do ya? I understand; guess I'd do the same.
Well, Steve, those 5 games were 5 games more than YOU played in the playoffs, how's that?
We could just as well say, like most on Planet Hockey, that We would've gone farther against Pit than Philly did.
But we were talkin' about Mtl/Was, not how Joe Labine played the game before.
And in THAT perspective, I said that Washy, despite BEAUTIFUL progress (We applaud you and followed you with Our Man in net, so no hard feelings), is not as REAL and as threatening as We are.
Do you refute?
Cuz teams win and lose against each other all the time, or else (what do I always say?) Detroit would've gone 82-0-0. That don't mean nuthin'.
I'm talkin' OVERALL. Right now. This year. You vs Us.
Yer not there yet, kid.
But yer learnin'.
Yo.

[Steve R]

leo,

Real team, eh? Have to admit, you gave me a chuckle.

4-0 was a crushing. 2 pp goals for your guys. Johnny "Pylon" Erskine with three minors, two pucks over the glass, banner night indeed by the Caps.

Question though: why did your "real team" only last 5 games against Philly when the Caps took them to OT in game 7? I'm just sayin'.

[léo]

Steve,
That game was a great game, nonwithsatnding Our loss that night. It was a Joy to see Ovie break loose like that. A beautiful night; We remember it well.
However,
The broken nose MIGHT have been a motivator but I don't think so. Consider that that game was the second in a back-to-backer, right? Remember?
Not only did We CRUSH the Cappers in the 1st game, but We also BLANKED Ovie.
Thing is, ya can't blank a player like that for too long. They explode. And when they explode, they carry everything in their wake, broken nose or daisy in their cap.
That game, the 2nd game, finished with Ovie's winner in overtime. Overtime! 5-4. Yes, Ovie did it ALL that night. But even in Ovie's finest hour...
We picked up a point.
1st game when We CRUSHED'em? Washy didn't pick up nuthin'.
Except maybe some experience from a REAL team. (oooh!, you gonna take that?)
Yo.

[Steve R]

tackleberry,

The Habs tried that with OV, broke his nose as a matter of fact. OV scored 4 goals that night against Huet. How do you think he'll do against Olie if he's mad/motivated?

[Cap Fan]

tackleberry, what a good idea. have your d men hit ovechkin when he comes down the ice! i'm betting no other team has thought of that strategy. its one thing to say it, its another to do it.

[Don in St. Pete]

Corndog, I guess you'll find out the first time one of your guess skates into our zone with his head down.

[CapsCorndog]

@ Tackleberry

I wasn't aware the Lightning had any blueliners...

[Don in St. Pete]

coti, let's go out and kick some butt and they will rename it the SouthBeast Division.

[coti]

i am sick of southleast division. name another division thats won more stanley cups this century.

[Max Hunter]

Billie;

I agree with Don, I think the deal is Kolzig is mentoring Smith. However, I'd also like to put in my two cents; lets not damn Kolzig before the season starts. I've known quite a few Goaltenders that've had rough years because they don't fit with the team or defense or coaching staff. I'd like to give the guy a fresh start, a clean slate with a new team and new surroundings. Let's give the guy a chance.

[Tackleberry]

Screw the "Florida Blue Cup Games", looks like a better rivalry between us and Wash. I would love to see our blue liners check the hayl out of Ovechkin every time he goes down the ice. Call it the Blood Cup.

[Don in St. Pete]

Billie, Ramo could one day be better than Smith, and he was at times down the stretch last year. Ramo sees the puck really well through traffic and has superior rebound control. Smith is more athletic and handles the puck very well. I'm not sure the rumours are true or not but it's a fact you can get more for a goalie than any other position.

[Billie]

Don, For the Bolts sake, let's hope so. But I keep hearing rumors that OK has been trying to trade Smith. Why on earth they would is beyond me, but the rumors persist. Kolzig as the starter would be a disaster.

[Don in St. Pete]

Billie, I don't believe the Bolts signed Olie to be the #1 but to back up Mike Smith. The young goalies needed a mentor and he was an obvious choice. Maybe he also just needed out of DC

[PD]

Tampa In Boston Ottawa out..sad Don very sad.
pass the pipe

[Billie]

For all of you who are pinning your hopes on Olie Kolzig, mull these stats over. No goalie in the NHL who played more than 51 games gave up more 5-on-5 goals per sixty minutes of ice time than Olie Kolzig did, and no goalie who played more than 36 games gave up more 4-on-5 goals per sixty than Kolzig. And if you think I'm making this stuff up, here's the link to what is arguably the most comprehensive (and objective) statistical review of this past season:
http://www.hockeyanalytics.com/Research_files/2008_NHL_Review.pdf

[Don in St. Pete]

Razzman, That has been the case the past 3 years, but was not always so. The canes were only 2 or 3 points from a playoff spot and I see a significant improvement in store for the Bolts. Boston and Ottawa have not done much in the off season and may find their selves on the outside looking in.

[Andy]

Razzman,

I hope that's not the case this year, but you're probably right.

[Razzman]

The only way a SE team gets into the playoffs is by winning the division because as ANdy points out it is that bad.

[Andy]

Reading these comments crack me up. There certainly aren't as many armchair GMs on this board as there are on the Caps board, which is kind of refreshing. But then, there is definitely more nonsensical babble on this board as compared to the Caps board. In reality, we're all just emotional fans and none of us have any idea what will happen during the season. Hell, if all that mattered was off-season acquisitions, the Redskins would have won the Super Bowl at least 5 times since Snyder has owned them. Rosters on paper mean jack s. Until the games are played we're all just speculating.
Since I'm a Caps fan, my hope is that Washington wins the division and goes deep into the playoffs. I know you all feel the same way about Tampa... and that's great, passion is a good thing.
Another thing I'd like to see is for Washington, Tampa and Carolina to all make the playoffs (I don't see Florida or Atlanta making it, but you never know). It would be healthy for the inter-division rivalries, and it would help towards making the SE division more respectable, and no longer the "Southleast". I get sick of hearing that from all the damn analysts.

Sorry for the rambling, that's just my two cents.

[Steve R]

Twinebulge,

Lecture? No, it wasn't a lecture on Olie breaking your hearts, more a warning to expect it.

The Bolts getting Olie was a "brilliant" move..? Please do explain that one further. Olie was near the bottom of most statistics that are kept to measure a goalies performance.

I'll bet you a beer that Theo ends the year with better GAA, save %, wins, shut outs etc than Olie. I'd guess that Olie breaks more sticks though.

[Rock the Red]

We caps fans do wish you all the best of luck! Time will tell!

[Don in St. Pete]

Jake, You are right on many accounts except the Caps lost in the 1st round not in the final. Philly lost to Pitt in the east final as I recall.

[Twinebulge]

- GP got it exactly right. Bravo to Barrie for having the balls others lack, to state a worthy goal. Every success begins with an idea, spoken into WORDS...then manifested into action. If you're afraid to boldly predict good things and instead speak weak and meek, i.e. 'Well, we'll TRY to win but we'll just see how it works out, maybe we'll do OK' that's a recipe for mediocrity. Triumph belongs to the bold. Art Williams? Please let that cadaver rest folks, it's been a decade already. No one said Michael Jordan, they just said we'll win the crappiest division in the league. I remember a guy named Mark Messier made a bold prediction, then made good on it and is recognized as a hero - you can bet there were a bunch of timid types in NYC who were similarly trembling in fear that he'd "jinxed" the series by **gasp** daring to predict victory

- The brilliance of the Kolzig acquisition may take months to become clear to those bitter folks in the nation's crime capital choking on sour grapes. Please do not embarrass yourselves by presuming to lecture US about having our "hearts broken" by goaltenders - we OWN that territory. Also you can't afford to knock other teams' goalies when you're relying on JOSE THEODORE. Good lord. Having bumbled away Huet you have bigger things to worry about than trolling message boards of last year's last-place team....such as 40% of your goal production coming from one guy. What if he gets hurt? Injuries do happen, that's another thing we're experts on. And did someone just make fun of us for having players over 35 - and then pimp FEDOROV? ::hearty laugh heard all the way to Alexandria and over in Andover::

[Jake]

Im a Bolts fan, but all the talk and all the rancor means nothing. You can have 20 all-stars on the roster and if they dont gel together, then you have nothing.

The bolts won in 2004 because they had 4 lines who worked their tails off every shift...will we have that in 2008-2009? Who knows.

The Caps will likely do better then last year as much of their team stayed and regardless of Theo's past, he wont be the start Huet will be.

They got to the Conference Finals for those of you who didnt watch. Game 7 should have been theirs if it wasnt for that a blatant interference as Philly scored a goal.

So for all of you who are just out to critisize NONE of us have any idea how this year is going to play out.

[rich]

YOU guys have Olie in net...with no defense...you'll be lucky to win 20 games.

[Cap Fan]

matt, its fun isnt it. what else are hockey fans supposed to do in july?

[Matt Fitz]

Tough talk Cap Fan..

[Cap Fan]

don, your funny. his name is Bruce Boudreau, not GBoudreau. and if you knew anything about him, you know he's got tons of personalty (it was the previous coach who had the personality of a dish rag). good thing you now have a coach with tons of personality, cause that's about all he's got.

and having a superstar doesnt make us better than you? well, it doesnt hurt, does it. actually, having 20 more points than you last year does make us better than you.

[oh look aren't they cute?]

Oh dear. We can't argue with the stats so now we get personal? Yeah, I'll share a plate of free wings with the Lightning fans too if they come up for a game. :)

[GP]

I personally love what Len Barrie said. I think he should end every quote with we will win the division. Or maybe, we will destroy the Caps this year. Len automatically set the expectations of the ownership. What is so wrong with that? Do you think they spent all that money to finish in the bottom half of the league? Len created accountability to not only the players but also his staff. He set the standard. I'd much rather have an owner say we are going to win instead of saying we'll do our best and see what happens. That is a sorry a&& canned answer that breeds mediocrity. Keep it up Len!

Where did all these Cap fans come from? Oh that's right, the bandwagon made a stop in Washington last year. Let us know if you guys need any explanation of the rules. Also, this is coming from a Flyers/Tampa fan. So I doubly hate you guys. One question, when you guys were left crying in your beers and asking what the heck just happened ..... what jersey did you see celebrating? Ding ding ding ... the orange & black. Go home and get off this blog until you guys actually win something.

[Ray]

And when they don't win the division, the Bolts will go back to be the laughing stock of the league.

Nice going Len. Say it on the ice, not by putting your foot in your mouth. Or did you sign the reincarnation of the greastest goalie that ever played the game? And you should figure that one out.

[Boltflasher]

Hey, un-named Cap fan, I guess you may need help reading...its just above #5:

"Dishonorable Mentions: Jose Theodore, Washington, (Two years, $9 million), Jeff Finger, Toronto (Four years, $14 million)

5. Bryce Salvador, D, New Jersey (Four years, $11.6 million). People mercilessly ripped Leafs interim GM Cliff Fletcher for signing 28-year-old former Avs defenseman Finger to a four-year deal, one that may yet come to haunt Toronto. But nobody said much when the Devils shelled out nearly $3 million a season for 32-year-old Salvador, a Blues castoff who has never amassed more than 12 points in a single season.

Granted, putting up points isn’t what Salvador is there for. But if you read The Hockey News’ July 1 issue, you’d know Red Wings GM Ken Holland makes a point not to pour bigger-than-average dollars into D-men who only defend. That’s what Lou Lamoriello did here and I’ve got a hunch he’s going to regret it sooner than later."

[Steve R]

Good zinger Boltflasher. Sounds good, though it will be more crowded with fair weather types and what not.

You guys sell out? 2k, 5k empty seats?

Boltflasher on 5 worst signings Hockey News there is no reference in the story at all about a dishonorable mention for Theodore.. bs

No Lightning mentioned, gee ya think that maybe its because the story came out before the Recchi signing..do ya think

[Boltflasher]

SteveR, you're on, I get out to a few away games during my travels. Maybe a few other Bolts fans can make there way up as well and help fill your bldg.

[slapshot]

Are they buying bruce lunch?

[Steve R]

Don, Leo, etc

I'll give you guys a scary good 1st line. A second that will start to be dangerous 20 games into the year when chemistry has developed. Smith could be pretty good one of these days, not sure if it will be with you or another team though. Olie will break your hearts. 5 hole and high glove side, I speak from experience watching him. And you have no D.

The Caps are going to roll three scoring lines at you. Plus Green will be making his rushes, good stuff to watch. Theo is an unknown, but I'm hopefull.

I hope a rivalry is in the making. We're used to dealing with the guys from NY, NJ, and PA. The SE has been pretty tame in comparison. Hope some of y'all can road trip to the Phone Booth to catch a game, I'll buy you a beer and share my wings with you (wings are free when the Caps score 6). October can't get here soon enough.

[oh look aren't they cute?]

Do I detect the beginning of a rivalry here? Oh, this season should be so much fun. :)