Caps Lunchbox P. 2: Does the system fit the players?-12/14
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Wed, 14 Dec 2011|
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She is in Washington dot com so. I did primary system could you talk a little bit about you know not getting out of their hands and quick enough and not having the presence in front of the net and before we went on we are talking about switching to a man the man that defense. Is the system they're playing just not right for this team. I think that that. Might be the case I mean that they're taking a system that they wanted to play. That dale hunter and Jim Johnson wanted to play more man to man in the offensive zone and there we basically forcing. The roster they have into that system and you know that system takes. A lot of focus it's it's a detail oriented system. We saw it against the flyers you know you lose your guy for 12. And he beats you in front of the net and it is there for a deflection side Matthew pro loses -- Marcus Johansson businessman and you know that's just two examples and you've got defenseman that aren't necessarily the leaders to put. In in guys like Erskine and hammer election Jeff Schultz and even Dennis Wideman and you know you you wonder if that's going to be. An effective system and one that's going to help those goalies get back on track because right now it isn't and you know not to go back to the goal is. But it does seem as if vote -- at times. Especially is over committing on pox and trying to do a little bit too much as a goaltender. And you can't help but think that part of the reason for that is the play of the defense in front of him. Actually the goaltenders have both said the new system makes it easier for. Which is it which is even more puzzling and you realize that the goalies are playing very Lorena Thomas -- consent two weeks ago that. This new system makes games more predictable and you know it's not going to be the running cognac and have a whole lot of odd man rushes when they're playing well. Right now that ran on and off plane that's the problem. Or. Right but I mean that they could still play a a more conservative. More zone defense that would eliminate the running gun and that kind of thing it would also eliminate some of the scoring chances against now as a hockey fan -- I wanna see that. Now I mean it's. But it's the way the league's going into it might be the way this team has to might have to. Abandon. That man to man defense for something that there are there guys can actually play until they have the guys who played what the coaches want them to. But can your Alex -- or even your Ovechkin people that are a little bit more offense of my mind had far more so than they -- defensive minded. Can they fit into that -- But that's the problem with doing it change at this line if you if you if you mean in the made a move in May or June of last year and -- for so we're gonna bring their current -- Linton Johnson enemy it's changed. And you can reshape the roster over the serie -- playing time say. -- -- -- -- -- -- They can't do that. You have to make the pieces work unless you're gonna start blowing up the team. And I mean the absence of Mike Green notwithstanding you you need guys like John Carlson. And Carl Austin and as wanted to move the puck quickly. You're gonna need out Sebastien and -- senator Simon. To back check you need you need them to play defense and be responsible their own end because an enemy and doesn't work if it's not a five man unit. Everyone doing their job. Yeah act completely agree I mean that's why changing on the fly it like this. Is so difficult I mean you have very limited practice time your basically evaluating guys on game play. And you know you have a choice at this point two. Either. Tweak the system or tweak the roster and it's a lot easier to tweak the system. If it's not working so you know we'll see we'll see what happens there. Stephen you mention Mike Green and you actually talk to make -- today about Mike Green. Can you give us a little bed from that conversation with him. -- -- repeated tell us that Mike Green would join the capitals in Colorado in Denver this weekend as they're playing the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday night. And with skate with the team I saw a specialist this week we asked -- -- -- -- -- -- groin specialist -- not necessarily a little bit of a cryptic comment. I'm but. It is your -- we we we we've and we know it's been it for awhile and has been a groin injury. There's not a good I mean the team is still listing my greatest day to day but we all know he's done it is not coming back tomorrow he's not coming back. The day after that. It's it's a pretty serious injury what Green hasn't and you Suton voted to bring up. -- in the same breath as Mike Green has no capital -- wants to hear that right now but -- -- been out since last January with with nagging groin problems Roman -- talk was about. Our president does this week saying you know whole season -- bothered by groin problems and tape it every single day. And with the way it went skiing and skating motion is. The groin muscles and really -- abdominal muscles are so important that if you have a problem there you just can't -- And Mike Green is so vital to the latest team wants to play we think. At least then that at least he's the prototypical player for dale hunter defenseman and he moves the puck quickly that he gets up in the rushed. And this team needs to learn how to play without you knowing you know he's going to be out. As we've been pretty negative in the shadows let's just get even more negative. Can the capitals right the ship. -- -- -- -- -- Yeah I can't I mean I. I believe they can you know it's like Hillary said the goaltending if they get even league average goaltending there and much better position. And if they can fix the power play. Yeah they're they're much better position so you know those are two areas the goaltending should. Come around. The power play. It may be were less confident about because we just haven't seen it other than that Toronto game actually. Looking very good generating shots and scoring chances but -- -- you -- think at some point. They figure out there with all the talent that a way that they can make all that talent. Work into a cohesive power play so I do think that they're going to. Get back on track at some point. They're gonna have to start pretty soon and -- 31 points and that's good for. The bottom third of the league Stephen do you see the righting the ship. They can right the ship will day I don't know I mean there are so many issues you that he -- Hawkins gonna come around it's unsustainable. The defense just defense in general and defense in zone coverage and it's the neutral zone. I don't know Arnold degree -- to to to turn around the point where their Stanley Cup content. Well we will limit the playoffs sure I mean Eastern Conference there has its own issues and this team's probably one of the top eight teams in the east. But even at seven -- start there was talking about was built on a lot of a lot of good now has a lot of a fortunate games and fortunate plays and some great goaltending here and there. And even being to Ireland being Ottawa you're beating up on a terrible penalty on a terrible short and -- goaltender. In James primer you're being open up there -- -- team. And the and you play legitimate teams like the Florida Panthers and thought a few flyers and you kind of see at least the first two periods against Florida and home game against Philadelphia it. This team can't play with them right now. And these are the same guy. Who two years ago won the presidents' trophy room that you see the talent there it just it seems like there's just something wrong with this mix or not this -- and I don't. I don't even know that they that they can pinpoint what's wrong right now which is the scariest thing. Well didn't make the playoffs if they're able to do everything. And right the ship like you said you see them make in -- -- together their plastic. And at their left in their division champion team and I think there's -- contender the way that the people so longer even -- I -- going into the season means that the that the team on Paper. They should be -- Stanley Cup. Team earned at least a conference final. I don't see that right now but playoff team predicated on -- that they don't completely tank and on top of the Eastern Conference and it. Yes -- candidate at the same time I mean where -- the Philadelphia Flyers two years ago today. You know and then and they went all the way to files because they got a hot goalie they snuck into the playoffs and they were so you know a lot can happen between now and then who knows. Who's here knows how the system finally. Gels and Mike greens helping -- can get hot. You know you never now and it can happen in the -- -- even more to it -- -- I think really positive today is a nine Penguins with the -- I mean replacing John Terry and with him miles not. Knowing the -- man and just in some sort of sparked. The the difference between the Laviolette flyer to actually my only under Peter Laviolette two years ago and this team is Peter Laviolette -- Stanley Cup race at that point. And dale hunter came in having not coached a single NHL game now is dale hunter -- great NHL coach a good NHL coach. We don't know yet the jury still out on that he was a very successful coach at a junior level coaching sixteen to nineteen year old kids. We don't know if he's any good and an Angel -- and that's something that's gonna. Prove itself out over the rest of the season and beyond about whether he's any good that's been a long way -- deciding whether there's a playoff team and this is a cup team. -- not nearly as much as Alex Ovechkin and Thomas spoke. So I think that it. There I mean it's got to be goalies and the stars have to be performing Jason -- our who's leading -- is it to Maris still leading the team in goals two man action. From where brought up I mean after your time but you you can't be a cup winning team entries into marriage and score a nice player. Good speed nice kind of don't airport checking player that he has the most goals yet -- CSN Washington dot com.
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Beltway Baseball: Why Strasburg will be just fineCSN Washington dot com. Are welcomed the beltway baseball here on CSN Washington dot com on chase Hughes and mark Zuckerman. And mark we've been through a month and a few weeks or overly down here. And the nationals as a team having kinda inconsistent but one thing that is really travelling fans and people around league starting to notice is it consistency of Stephen Strasburg. The numbers aren't that far off from what we've seen but it anyone who's watched him over the last few years and tell maybe there's something something a little bit off he's having trouble finding the strike zone. What do you make of the situation and do you think it is that they concern yeah I mean the thing is like you said the numbers don't look. It that far off feeds the pitching. for big league pitcher but he set such a high bar for so we've come to expect so much. Patted him it just doesn't quite look like what you expected the biggest thing is fastball command. You know he's not. Throwing strikes getting ahead in the count. The way it did it was so amazing about him as a rookie when he came back originally from the Tommy John surgery was the fact that. He could be a power pitcher while still having excellent coming that deadly combination. Just not quite there yet. Curve balls still excellent still excellent. I think you're seeing signs of improvement I think he's getting there but he still working on to think that it's mechanical mostly. And they they seem to determine and it's not physical it's mormons and you can see it on the on the field he's the body language that. He's impatient he gets frustrates easily and this just a matter of him being such a perfectionist. He's not used to not being great. He's used to being great not just good right exactly and I think that's that next step and take if he's really gonna become an ace of the World Series contender. It's about hey it doesn't matter what happens behind him Doesn't matter what run support I the umpire and I'm gonna go out I'm gonna beat no matter We're seeing there and do that right now I think it's time for Strasburg if he really wants to become an elite. Top. The line pitcher. That's what he needs you now quickly another guy who's had trouble as you can also I think might be a little bit more of a concern is his command has been quite there. I think it's curve ball isn't quite as sharp as it was last year this is something that might he might work out the kinks out. But he has been pride stuff yeah I mean an more erratic certainly had some fantastic start and that's really troubling ones I think his last start Pittsburgh may have been a turning point for them. Got a huge jam in the first inning lead off home runs very first pitch then he loads the bases. Nobody out. Battle back and get out six straight after that I can almost see a little something clicked inside and minutes that. Maybe this you Ozzie admitted afterwards and younger version him would have melted there. Let it spiral out control. That might be assigned an comes back next time that made it a big turning point mark let's talk about the catching situation we're moving through May and so far Davey has. Rotated kind of alternated and depending on the edge depending on the he said that at some he's gonna have to make a decision we saw over the weekend go back to back with Ramos. At some point. Maybe you and you think we're gonna see him go with the primary catcher I think so maybe not a true number one in the and a guy you know catching you know once or twice a week and I think he does. Number one wanna play the hot hand whoever it is. I think he hopes its problems he understands that everyone understands. That Wilson Ramos has higher ceilings and Kurt Suzuki put the whole package together offensively defensively he can do more so I think you're gonna start to see that. It Suzuki gets hot they'll play obviously. I think the preference be for to ultimately take over. I went into the numbers last week how the pitching staff has done with Suzuki and For some reason everybody but you done way better with over the past few seasons in their career ERA is. Are better with him in their career marks I don't I don't know I can't tell you why that is but that's the case yeah and I the pictures all insist they'll have both guys I don't know if there even where it. Yzerman tops they had success with Suzuki and it's amazing stats that would certainly something overtime that you have to look him. Now as we're getting close to the middle of may what we take stock with the division first the Braves came out really hot out of the gate. It was it was really at the point were you thinking all right who's gonna slow him down or what's gonna slow them down they didn't seem to have a weakness whatsoever. The nationals. Meanwhile your 500. But as they're starting to get things going they're not that far behind it could be much worse at this point oh absolutely mean if the nationals. Figure that April was their worst month but that's as bad against them they're going to be all right because they hover around 500. And the rays came back to earth and what's it was gonna happen next maybe not. To this extent you're surprised by that we're gonna play 900 ball. All right I think it was twelve and when you start here to me what's interesting is all of a sudden they're closer Craig Kimbrel. Most dominant closer in baseball last year and the first month this year he's blown three saves in days yeah giving up home runs. That's. Staggered problem right there I mean who knows just a blip. Or something long term about but also without Johnny Panthers won their top. Setup men and PG beaches and come back and just came back Heyward been out for a while there. BJ Upton knocked off to a good start the play and they got a lot of weapons are they're going to be good. Long term but they may not be quite easily as we and BJ Upton has been really bad and having having gas was really early on but. he's not looking like the next Mike Capps at this point about one thing I think it's interesting as the two best guys I think in their offense have to look at the numbers today. 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