Wow, don't post for a while and so much happens.
First let me tackle Gary Bettman's expansion proposal. The NHL is thinking of expanding to Kansas City and Las Vegas. This is absolutely absurd thing for this league to do right now. Bettman needs to work on the teams it has now. Instead of making the sport better, Bettman wants to dilute it even more.
Bettman is trying too hard to stuff the sport down the throats of U.S. audiences. It is not working. Instead of trying to do more grassroots campaigns, the league is wasting money on poor marketing and crossed fingers. The league must do a better job at helping the teams it has now. Markets where hockey is dying like Chicago and yes even Washington.
The league too much is trying to mirror the NBA, but they are not as popular as the NBA and never will be if the league continues to screw up. The league is clearly unaware of the danger they are in, if expansion is the right route to go. If the league was so hopped up about getting teams in KC or LV, it should have moved the teams that are struggling to make any cash off ticket sales.
The league needs fixing, not adding-on-to. I agree with Dan Wetzel's column.
Second, the Nashville Predators are going to move. I absolutely believe that. Canadian billionaire Jim Balsillie bought the team and even though claimed that the team wouldn't move, you can see clearly that he is ready to make that a broken promise. Rumors are Hamilton will have a NHL team instead of an AHL one. Even if they did win the Calder Cup.
Finally, Josef Boumedienne is making a comeback in a Capitals sweater, probably to help make Backstrom more at home with another Swede on the team. That means there is no room for Bryan Muir who will be looking for work elsewhere. Wash Post has the details among other news.
Showing posts with label Muir. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Muir. Show all posts
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Monday, March 26, 2007
Went To A Practice And A Fight Broke Out
I decided to take in a Capitals' practice today as I had nothing to do and it seemed like the cosmopolitan thing to do. I guess I showed up just in time. I hated myself for not taking my camera with me when the "incident" happened.
The Caps were working on offensive and defensive positioning as they often do during practice. As the drill went along, the hitting sort of picked up and I noticed on more than one occasion that the Capitals defensemen were starting to get a little chippy with some of the wingers. Most of the chippy play was met with smiles and an occasional slap back of the stick by the forwards.
When all of a sudden a commotion broke out at the top of the left circle in Olaf Kolzig's zone. Bryan Muir and Alex Semin were in a bear hug that turned into dropped gloves and a couple of thrown punches. It escalated rather quickly and both had started to pull the others' practice jerseys (that were logo-less for some reason*). Donald Brashear (a peacekeeper in his own right) was the only one to jump in and break the two up.
Semin had gotten a couple of punches in and Muir mostly kept Semin at bay, not really wanting to fight him, but not wanting to back down either. The two finally stopped when Brashear and another defenseman (couldn't see who) pulled the two apart. Then both sat on the bench together putting their gear back on. Neither player was hurt.
Neither spoke to the other as they sat on the bench (partly because Semin's English is probably better than Muir's Russian) and soon the drill dissolved into other drills. Both left the ice early at the end of the practice session and I am sure pulled aside by the coaches for a little talk.
Now I feel like a total gossip reporting this, like a fight broke out on the school yard grounds and I just have to tell everyone because I was there. But it was this different side of Semin I have never seen before today. He earned a little more respect on my behalf. Semin could have slashed Muir, taken a cheap shot or a number of other things that I imagine him doing other than dropping the mitts. Instead, he stood his ground and dropped his stick and gloves and went at the biggest defenseman on the Caps blue line.
The two were frustrated with the one another, they fought and then they moved on. Neither complained nor whined, but took matters in their own hands and cleared the air by going to fisticuffs. Most of the other players looked on in shock before Brashear broke it up (they were probably thinking what I was thinking, "Is this really happening?", and "Is that Semin?"). The coaching staff said nothing, except continued the drill without the two.
Let's hope some of that passion shows up against the Penguins. After things settled down, Shaone Morrisonn tried pick a fight with Brashear, jokingly knocking the big guy's stick from his hands and laughing at him (Brashear just smiled back probably thinking, "Just wait, punk"). Most of the other Caps sort of shrugged it off and were soon smiling and goofing off again with one another.
Another downside to the Dainius Zubrus trade was evident during the practice today. Glen Hanlon had to try to explain to Alex Ovechkin what he wanted Semin to do. Ovie had to then translate to Semin. Hanlon obviously had to use his words wisely as Ovie is still learning the language himself. It seemed to take a bite out of the drill they were trying to do and slowed the pace. Normally Zubie would have quickly explained to the two what Hanlon wanted in Russian.
*Editor's Note: Tarik's blog, Capitals Insider, picked up the answers to a couple of questions I had watching the team practice today, like why the jerseys had no team logos on them.
The Caps were working on offensive and defensive positioning as they often do during practice. As the drill went along, the hitting sort of picked up and I noticed on more than one occasion that the Capitals defensemen were starting to get a little chippy with some of the wingers. Most of the chippy play was met with smiles and an occasional slap back of the stick by the forwards.
When all of a sudden a commotion broke out at the top of the left circle in Olaf Kolzig's zone. Bryan Muir and Alex Semin were in a bear hug that turned into dropped gloves and a couple of thrown punches. It escalated rather quickly and both had started to pull the others' practice jerseys (that were logo-less for some reason*). Donald Brashear (a peacekeeper in his own right) was the only one to jump in and break the two up.
Semin had gotten a couple of punches in and Muir mostly kept Semin at bay, not really wanting to fight him, but not wanting to back down either. The two finally stopped when Brashear and another defenseman (couldn't see who) pulled the two apart. Then both sat on the bench together putting their gear back on. Neither player was hurt.
Neither spoke to the other as they sat on the bench (partly because Semin's English is probably better than Muir's Russian) and soon the drill dissolved into other drills. Both left the ice early at the end of the practice session and I am sure pulled aside by the coaches for a little talk.
Now I feel like a total gossip reporting this, like a fight broke out on the school yard grounds and I just have to tell everyone because I was there. But it was this different side of Semin I have never seen before today. He earned a little more respect on my behalf. Semin could have slashed Muir, taken a cheap shot or a number of other things that I imagine him doing other than dropping the mitts. Instead, he stood his ground and dropped his stick and gloves and went at the biggest defenseman on the Caps blue line.
The two were frustrated with the one another, they fought and then they moved on. Neither complained nor whined, but took matters in their own hands and cleared the air by going to fisticuffs. Most of the other players looked on in shock before Brashear broke it up (they were probably thinking what I was thinking, "Is this really happening?", and "Is that Semin?"). The coaching staff said nothing, except continued the drill without the two.
Let's hope some of that passion shows up against the Penguins. After things settled down, Shaone Morrisonn tried pick a fight with Brashear, jokingly knocking the big guy's stick from his hands and laughing at him (Brashear just smiled back probably thinking, "Just wait, punk"). Most of the other Caps sort of shrugged it off and were soon smiling and goofing off again with one another.
Another downside to the Dainius Zubrus trade was evident during the practice today. Glen Hanlon had to try to explain to Alex Ovechkin what he wanted Semin to do. Ovie had to then translate to Semin. Hanlon obviously had to use his words wisely as Ovie is still learning the language himself. It seemed to take a bite out of the drill they were trying to do and slowed the pace. Normally Zubie would have quickly explained to the two what Hanlon wanted in Russian.
*Editor's Note: Tarik's blog, Capitals Insider, picked up the answers to a couple of questions I had watching the team practice today, like why the jerseys had no team logos on them.
Sunday, December 10, 2006
Caps Back On Track
Capitals 5, Flyers 3
Scoresheet – Wash Post – Philly Inq.
It’s that time of year that holiday parties start dominating your schedule so you miss things like the Caps visiting Philadelphia. Then in your drunken stupor (I didn’t drive if that is what you’re thinking) you realize bed is better than staying up to watch the game on tape. So about mid afternoon you’re writing a recap with a hang over, and fast-forwarding through commercials. I think we have all been there.
Anyway, Bryan Muir couldn’t have picked a better time to get a much needed goal for the Caps. When it looked like the Caps’ fast start was going south once more with a slew of bad penalties and some breakdowns on the penalty kill, Muir’s snap shot off a dandy pass from Kris Beech while the Flyers’ defense broke down, put the Caps ahead for sure. Even though Alex Ovechkin received the first star, that was the play of the game and stopped the Caps from losing two straight.
Ovie scored off a rebound where he did a 360 to slide the puck under the sprawled out Antero Nittymaki. Also scoring for the Caps were Chris Clark, Matt Pettinger and Brooks Laich. The Caps offense is actually coming along nicely; the Caps have scored collectively 28 goals in their last six games of which they have won 5.
Overall Grade: B
The Caps are still taking some bad penalties, and the penalty kill has been doing its job. In this game however, the Caps couldn’t rest on the hopes that they could kill every one off and the Flyers were 2 of 8 and were able to tie it up mid way through the second. Its something the Caps can’t take for granted anymore.
With that win over the Flyers the Caps have moved to 8th place in the Eastern Conference. If the season were to end today, we would have Boston to face in the first round. The Caps passed a few teams to take the last playoff spot, they were in 11th before they dropped the puck in Philly.
Caps need to keep this streak alive as Versus comes to the phone booth, oh yea, and that annoying Sid “the Kid” Crosby and the Penguins will happen to be there too. Caps need a big win to keep the playoff hunt with in reach by the time the All-Star game comes around. It’s still a long season, but a great start could lead to a great finish.
Scoresheet – Wash Post – Philly Inq.
It’s that time of year that holiday parties start dominating your schedule so you miss things like the Caps visiting Philadelphia. Then in your drunken stupor (I didn’t drive if that is what you’re thinking) you realize bed is better than staying up to watch the game on tape. So about mid afternoon you’re writing a recap with a hang over, and fast-forwarding through commercials. I think we have all been there.
Anyway, Bryan Muir couldn’t have picked a better time to get a much needed goal for the Caps. When it looked like the Caps’ fast start was going south once more with a slew of bad penalties and some breakdowns on the penalty kill, Muir’s snap shot off a dandy pass from Kris Beech while the Flyers’ defense broke down, put the Caps ahead for sure. Even though Alex Ovechkin received the first star, that was the play of the game and stopped the Caps from losing two straight.
Ovie scored off a rebound where he did a 360 to slide the puck under the sprawled out Antero Nittymaki. Also scoring for the Caps were Chris Clark, Matt Pettinger and Brooks Laich. The Caps offense is actually coming along nicely; the Caps have scored collectively 28 goals in their last six games of which they have won 5.
Overall Grade: B
The Caps are still taking some bad penalties, and the penalty kill has been doing its job. In this game however, the Caps couldn’t rest on the hopes that they could kill every one off and the Flyers were 2 of 8 and were able to tie it up mid way through the second. Its something the Caps can’t take for granted anymore.
With that win over the Flyers the Caps have moved to 8th place in the Eastern Conference. If the season were to end today, we would have Boston to face in the first round. The Caps passed a few teams to take the last playoff spot, they were in 11th before they dropped the puck in Philly.
Caps need to keep this streak alive as Versus comes to the phone booth, oh yea, and that annoying Sid “the Kid” Crosby and the Penguins will happen to be there too. Caps need a big win to keep the playoff hunt with in reach by the time the All-Star game comes around. It’s still a long season, but a great start could lead to a great finish.
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