Just as predicted and just as wise, the Washington Capitals did not dive head first in the shallow pool of free agents on the first day. Instead, like a frugal shopper, they waded in and found specifically what they needed and left in time before the other kids started to splash around.
That man they were after? Mike Knuble has been a steady consistent right winger for the Philadelphia Flyers. He has scored at least 21 goals in each of his last six seasons, scored 27 times and scored 47 points in the 82 games played last season for the Flyers. He is a grinder, hard working, nothing too fancy just get to the net type of player. A player's qualities that has been missing from the Capitals' lineup.
The Caps signed the 36 year old (soon to be 37 as his birthday is on July 4th) to a two year, $5.8 million contract today. The only signing by the Caps on day one of free agency. From all accounts, this was the player to get.
"Our scouting staff was unanimous, he was the guy we wanted," George McPhee told reporters via phone conference. "Backstrom, Ovechkin are going to have the puck a lot and we needed someone to go to the net."
It's something the Caps seemed to lack in past years. They had a slew of pretty goal-getters but no one to do the clean up work in front of the net. Brooks Laich was called on to do most of that stuff on the power play, but he never really worked out. Here now, the Capitals have a veteran at it.
"I'm pretty confident that the way I play the game and the things that I do that I've proven, playing with Joe Thornton and Peter Forsberg, guys like that," Knuble boasted his resume on the conference call. "I know what to do for these guys, how to work, win battles in corners and do a lot of the dirty work to get these guys the puck. I take pride in that. No one needs to tell me how to play with these guys."
More than a few experts were ready with praise for the Capitals on the smart signing of the day.
“Nice. That’s a professional, big-body player who makes everyone there a little bit braver, a little bit better," Pierre McQuire said about Knuble on TSN's coverage of free agent signing day. "That’s a really nice move, good job George McPhee. They’re going to have a net presence now on the power play.”
The price tag seems to even work out beautifully. The Caps aren't married to Knuble over 6 to 10 years and they get him for the same price he played for in Philly. Plus they get an excited veteran that already has his name on the Stanley Cup. He brings leadership to a locker room that sometimes did not have it.
"It was everything I wanted in another team," Knuble told reporters about his new team. "It was on the East Coast ... another team that's considered one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference. I think this team is on the verge of something good, maybe even something great."
While most Caps fans looked upon Mike Knuble's name in disgust before this signing because of his second overtime goal in game in game four of the year before playoffs, his presence in a Caps uniform should give them cautious cause to be optimistic. His leadership and veteran abilities should make him a valuable commodity for the Capitals in big games. He isn't there to be nice, he's there to make some noise, be sandpaper, add grit. A little growl in the Capitals' bark can't be all that bad.
The Capitals had to let a fan favorite in Donald Brashear go. McPhee rationing was that Brashear was too much for what he was. Sure you needed big guys, but he did nothing for the Caps roster toward the end of the year or in the playoffs.
"We are happy for Brash," McPhee said. "But we couldn't pay that number."
Brash would replace Colton Orr on the New York Rangers' roster as their resident tough guy. Orr signed with Toronto.
McPhee claims he isn't finished and it may take a couple of days to a couple of weeks for them to maybe add a piece here or there. He didn't flinch nor did he waiver in the face of a sometimes hectic crazy day. True to form, he got what he needed and bolted for the door.
Showing posts with label Pierre McGuire. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pierre McGuire. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 01, 2009
Monday, February 23, 2009
Trash Talk To A New Level Between Foes
The Sunday afternoon affair was anything but cordial. It started even before the drop of the puck when Alex Ovechkin was getting ribbed from the Penguin bench during the Pierre McGuire interview at the top of the telecast. It continued until it was certain the 5-2 score would hold up for the Washington Capitals and they go on to win the season series between the two for just the second time in 14 seasons (3-0, the two teams meet for the last time on March 8th).
It might have been the sabbath, but the skaters were anything but Sunday schoolers with all the mouthing off at one another. All the talk seemed to be centered at Sidney Crosby and Ovechkin. Both of whom where riddled with jabs from the benches as they skated by. Then that led to late hits, stick jabs and eventually an encounter in front of the Capital bench where the two had to be separated.
The snide remarks didn't slip past McGuire who was planted between both the benches and was aware of everything going on. As Crosby would skate back to his bench, he would deposit his mouth piece into his glove and jaw at the bench. "Crosby just told [Brooks Laich] that he better look out next time he is on the ice," Pierre would scream into his mic during the broadcast.
"He started it," Caps' bench boss Bruce Boudreau laughed when reporters asked him about Crosby's chirping during the game. "Sidney was jawing at everybody. Every time he would come off, you see him talking to our bench and our bench talking to him."
The Capitals for awhile have tried to find a way to get under the skin of Crosby and the Penguins. It appears to be working. It is also for good reason too, Pittsburgh has always had the upper hand on the lowly Caps since Sid's inception to the NHL. Crosby didn't mind all the talk about Ovechkin when the Penguins were beating them handily every time they played one another.
Now it is a different team, a different season. The Penguins are fighting for life in the playoffs and the Caps are trying to track down the Bruins and accumulate as many points as they can. It wasn't too long ago that those roles were switched. Crosby enjoyed all the success, Ovechkin was on a struggling team and maybe, in some weird way, that was how Crosby always thought it was going to be between the two.
"We are growing up as a team," Ovechkin said as he talked about the change in tide in the Penguin/Capital rivalry. "We played well on the power play, penalty kill. We just didn't give them any chance [today]."
Crosby had been harboring grudges against Ovechkin. He still does. Those grudges are now defining Sidney Crosby's play during these games. He seems too bent on teaching Ovi a lesson or tries to be a more physical player than Ovechkin or a plethora of other nonsense he seems to be doing on the ice instead of playing. The Caps will take it. While Crosby throws a tantrum, the Caps are throwing pucks past him into the Penguins' net.
Instead of a deflating loss for the Penguins, Crosby would rather talk about Ovechkin's questionable style of play. "I was just skating to the bench and he pushed me from behind," Crosby told reporters after the game. "So, I just gave him a shot back. That's hockey, and he likes to run around these days, so that was it."
"Like it or lump it, that's what he does," Crosby continued. "Some people like it, some people don't. Personally, I don't like it."
The Caps don't mind the rough talk from the Kid, for them they seemed to have their eyes on a bigger prize. "We always want to beat those guys. We might face them down the road in the playoffs so we want to put in their minds that they can't beat us," Caps' enforcer Donald Brashear said. "That's the spirit you've got to have and you've got to have the killer instinct. If it were us that was down there, I'm sure they would want to push us out of the way and we are just trying to do the same thing."
NHL Notes
It might have been the sabbath, but the skaters were anything but Sunday schoolers with all the mouthing off at one another. All the talk seemed to be centered at Sidney Crosby and Ovechkin. Both of whom where riddled with jabs from the benches as they skated by. Then that led to late hits, stick jabs and eventually an encounter in front of the Capital bench where the two had to be separated.
The snide remarks didn't slip past McGuire who was planted between both the benches and was aware of everything going on. As Crosby would skate back to his bench, he would deposit his mouth piece into his glove and jaw at the bench. "Crosby just told [Brooks Laich] that he better look out next time he is on the ice," Pierre would scream into his mic during the broadcast.
"He started it," Caps' bench boss Bruce Boudreau laughed when reporters asked him about Crosby's chirping during the game. "Sidney was jawing at everybody. Every time he would come off, you see him talking to our bench and our bench talking to him."
The Capitals for awhile have tried to find a way to get under the skin of Crosby and the Penguins. It appears to be working. It is also for good reason too, Pittsburgh has always had the upper hand on the lowly Caps since Sid's inception to the NHL. Crosby didn't mind all the talk about Ovechkin when the Penguins were beating them handily every time they played one another.
Now it is a different team, a different season. The Penguins are fighting for life in the playoffs and the Caps are trying to track down the Bruins and accumulate as many points as they can. It wasn't too long ago that those roles were switched. Crosby enjoyed all the success, Ovechkin was on a struggling team and maybe, in some weird way, that was how Crosby always thought it was going to be between the two.
"We are growing up as a team," Ovechkin said as he talked about the change in tide in the Penguin/Capital rivalry. "We played well on the power play, penalty kill. We just didn't give them any chance [today]."
Crosby had been harboring grudges against Ovechkin. He still does. Those grudges are now defining Sidney Crosby's play during these games. He seems too bent on teaching Ovi a lesson or tries to be a more physical player than Ovechkin or a plethora of other nonsense he seems to be doing on the ice instead of playing. The Caps will take it. While Crosby throws a tantrum, the Caps are throwing pucks past him into the Penguins' net.
Instead of a deflating loss for the Penguins, Crosby would rather talk about Ovechkin's questionable style of play. "I was just skating to the bench and he pushed me from behind," Crosby told reporters after the game. "So, I just gave him a shot back. That's hockey, and he likes to run around these days, so that was it."
"Like it or lump it, that's what he does," Crosby continued. "Some people like it, some people don't. Personally, I don't like it."
The Caps don't mind the rough talk from the Kid, for them they seemed to have their eyes on a bigger prize. "We always want to beat those guys. We might face them down the road in the playoffs so we want to put in their minds that they can't beat us," Caps' enforcer Donald Brashear said. "That's the spirit you've got to have and you've got to have the killer instinct. If it were us that was down there, I'm sure they would want to push us out of the way and we are just trying to do the same thing."
NHL Notes
- Unfriendly Florida foray! The Boston Bruins may have had more beech on the mind instead of hockey as they took the Florida road swing. Not only beat by the Florida Panthers (geez these guys are playing good), but lost in the waning moments of the game to Tampa Bay (wait, what?). The Capitals now jump to just nine points away from the Eastern Conference leaders, and if they won against Colorado it would have been just a 7 point lead. Ahh, the games you wish you would have had.
- Scotty Gomez is none too liked in western New York these days. After tangling up with Sabre netminder Ryan Miller, Miller left the game with a high ankle sprain and is questionable for the rest of the season. It couldn't have happened at a more terrible time for Buffalo as they are trying to hold on to a play off spot.
- The Washington Capitals have been named in numerous trade rumors. Talk of the Caps working on getting some experience on the blue line has several defensemen on a short list for what the Caps need. But talk of goaltender has all but dropped off the radar for the Capitals as Jose Theodore's play in the second half of the season seems to appease management.
Friday, June 13, 2008
90 goals?
Pierre McGuire, hockey analyst for CBC and NBC, almost guaranteed that Alex Ovechkin could not only break his career record of 65 goals but he could surpass it and can score 90 goals in one season. Ovechkin was the first player in 12 years to reach the 60 goal mark. Now it looks like the pressure is on for him not only to match but exceed that mark.
But 90? There are two things I find unsettling about Pierre McGuire's prediction, 1) that bald head of his is always so shiny and 2) he might be right. I agree with him as far as the infrastructure of the Capitals' offense is on pretty steady ground. That may culture a goal scorer is only hungry to take the next step which is to win the Stanley Cup.
With Jack Adams award winner Bruce Boudreau at the helm, teammates like Nick Backstrom, Micheal Nylander, Alex Semin and the possible return of Sergei Fedorov and the changes that may be had to goaltender equipment, Ovie could make that 90 goal mark. If he does, it will blow the top off of this league. Not since names like Lemieux and Gretzky that graced our sports pages has the league peaked this much interest outside it's traditional fan base.
I don't know which is more scary for a Friday the 13th, 90 goals for Ovechkin, or agreeing with Pierre McGuire?
But 90? There are two things I find unsettling about Pierre McGuire's prediction, 1) that bald head of his is always so shiny and 2) he might be right. I agree with him as far as the infrastructure of the Capitals' offense is on pretty steady ground. That may culture a goal scorer is only hungry to take the next step which is to win the Stanley Cup.
With Jack Adams award winner Bruce Boudreau at the helm, teammates like Nick Backstrom, Micheal Nylander, Alex Semin and the possible return of Sergei Fedorov and the changes that may be had to goaltender equipment, Ovie could make that 90 goal mark. If he does, it will blow the top off of this league. Not since names like Lemieux and Gretzky that graced our sports pages has the league peaked this much interest outside it's traditional fan base.
I don't know which is more scary for a Friday the 13th, 90 goals for Ovechkin, or agreeing with Pierre McGuire?
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Stupid Pierre
I think I got called out for calling Pierre McGuire a Pens sympathizer. Not that I really hate Pierre (although he has not invited me over for afternoon tea as of yet), I just decided to rant about it on my blog because my wife didn't want to hear it. I am sure he is a nice guy (to his mother).Pierre did give the Caps some credit during the game. He said some nice things and I think the fact that there was glass between him and the Washington Bench and none on the Pens side, he was a little more in the know about what Pittsburgh was doing. Just once I would like to see a player give Pierre a little tap during play during a shift change. I mean he is right there.
A lot of trade talk has been swirling around and the Wash Post confirmed that Dainius Zubrus was in danger of being traded. Although I would hate for that to happen, it wouldn't be the worst thing the Caps could have done (i.e. signing Jagr). The Caps could ship the forward as a rental to a Cup running team and resign him over the summer. Just like Peter Bondra.
One thing is for sure, the Caps may resign to the fact that the Playoffs is too far out of reach by the time the trade deadline rears it's ugly head (Feb. 27). That means all eyes look at the NHL Draft and Nicklas Backstrum's arrival in DC.
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