The shock is still settling in, how can a team that beat the Rangers in 5 games and then get swept by the Lightning? From what I saw, from this series, everyone should be taking the blame. From the coaching staff not getting the team fired up, to the players putting themselves before the team and for the front office not getting the right players. Lets start with the players.
Players: At the end of the regular season it finally seemed like the players were buying into a defensive system everyone was willing to give up stats for the better of the team and that continued in the first round series against the New York Rangers. When the bounces didn't go there way, the players didn't get frustrated as was evidence in the two overtime wins, against the Rangers, and that's when I personally started to believe that this was the year. Then came Tampa Bay and there 1-3-1 trap. I don't think that this team has the players that can beat the trap in the neutral zone, but that didn't mean they could not dump the puck into the offensive zone. Besides game 1, it seemed like the Caps didn't have to much trouble breaking the trap, but they were always losing in the 3rd period and that's were the players abandoned the system and started relying on themselves to break the trap and score that game tying or winning goal. Instead of dumping the puck into the zone, like they should've, Ovechkin and others tried to break the trap by carrying the puck across the blue line, right were 3 Lightning players were waiting. This normally led to a turnover or offsides call. All of last night it seemed like the players were relying on themselves to win and didn't care about the system anymore.
The past four years it seems like that one of the Capitals stars have failed to show up in the playoffs from Alex Semin, to Mike Green and this year Nicklas Backstrom. Backstrom only had 2 assists and 0 goals this playoffs, unacceptable for a talent like him. Now its possible Backstrom could've been hurt the whole year as his point production dropped significantly. That could be due to the new defensive system this year, but something was not right with the Swed this year. Then there was Mike Green last night, deciding at the last minute not to play. You're a HOCKEY PLAYER!!! Be tough and suck it up with the teams season on the line. Green did not do that and let his team and a whole fan base down. And of course Semin didn't show up the second half of this series, but him not showing up doesn't surprise me anymore. If the Caps are ever to win the cup, all of there starts must show up for all of the playoffs.
Coaches: Bruce Boudreau started feeling the heat in December, when the Caps were on a 9 game losing streak. The reason for the losing streak was that Boudreau, and the rest of the coaching staff, were trying to change the free wheeling system into a defensive minded team. At the end of the year Boudreau looked like a genius as he turned an offensive juggernaut into a defensive minded club in hopes of finally winning the Stanley Cup. It seemed like it was all working even during the Rangers series, but then the team fell apart against the Lightning. It's the coaches job to make sure that the team believes in the system, it's the coaches job to make sure that the players play as a team and not for them selves, it's the coaches job to fire up the team when there back is against the wall. Boudreau failed to do all of that this series and that's why his job is in huge jeopardy right now. Another question of the coaching is why do stars seem to disappear on in the playoffs? Now it could be all mental, but it someone different every year from Semin last year to Backstrom this year. As a coach you have to find a way to get your stars fired up and get production out of them.
Thing is if you fire a coach you must have a concrete plan of where you want to go from here. What coaches should be hired? What happens if you don't get the coach you wanted? Those questions must be answered before someone is fired.
Front Office: GM George McPhee is also not exempt from this. Boudreau wanted a defensive system, but didn't have defensive players. It was McPhee's job to get those players that will play defense for Boudreau. At the trade deadline McPhee did ok at filling that need. He went out and got Jason Arnott, who is a great two way center, but then got Dennis Wideman who is more of an offensive defenseman. Now the move might of been done to replace Mike Green, but now the problem next year will be there are two offensive defenseman. I don't want to hear excuses Pittsburgh's GM Ray Shero lost his top two players midway through the season and without the Pens top players Shero found a way to keep his team in the playoffs and earned a 4th seed. McPhee needs to find a way to get the defensive players that want to play defense, so Ovechkin, Backstrom and Semin can hopefully score goals and that's all they'll have to worry about. Remember these player have only known offense there whole careers, you can't teach them to play defense and expect to get the same scoring production out of them and as we saw they eventually abandoned the defensive system.
The past few years I have felt that McPhee has had trouble deciding when to turn the switch from building mode to win now mode. There's plenty of talent in Hershey that could've been used as trade bait to get defensive players to DC. But McPhee wants to keep on building for the future, but problem is if McPhee keeps on building for the future he will miss the win now opportunity while Ovechkin, Backstrom and Semin are in there primes. I have no problem with stocking up in Hershey for the future, but the future is now and the Caps should be in win now mode.
When a team has collapse like this, everyone has to take the blame and changes must be made. The question is; where should the changes be made? Do you fire the coach? Do you trade players and go with a new core? Do you hire a new GM? Ted Leonsis must answer all of these questions before the NHL offseason begins and the answers are not going to come easy.
No comments:
Post a Comment