Are The Inmates Running The Asylym in DC?

He went out the same way he came in. Almost four years to the day after being hired to turn around a Capitals team that was struggling to meet expectations, Bruce Boudreau was fired from his coaching job because the Caps were once again struggling to meet expectations. Just four years ago Boudreau was the NHL coaching neophyte who was brought in to replace Glen Hanlon. At that time, Boudreau was a relative unknown outside the Caps organization, but he made a name for himself by quickly turning around that Capitals team and establishing them not only as a winning team, but as an entertaining team as well. They became a fixture on Versus and NBC not only because of Ovechkin's star power, but because they played an exciting, up-tempo brand of hockey that was fun to watch. They even looked like they were having fun. I always felt the Caps were a must-watch because they were the most entertaining team in the NHL. The fact that Boudreau and Ovechkin seemed to be like the NHL's version of "The Odd Couple" only increased their appeal.

While there was a constant debate among hockey fans about who was the better player, Ovechkin or Crosby, I always thought that Ovechkin was the most "exciting" player in the game. Even when there were lots of other great matchups to watch, I would stay focused on the Caps because I never knew when Ovechkin would deliver one of those plays that just makes you shake your head in appreciation of his unique combination of skill and determination. He was a player that literally brought fans to the edge of their seats every time he touched a puck. However, those jaw-dropping displays of hockey brilliance were becoming rarer and rarer. You could see how much the Caps struggles were wearing on both Ovechkin and Boudreau just by looking at their faces. The boiling point came when Boudreau benched Ovechkin during the final minute of a game with the Caps trailing by one goal. The Caps tied that game and eventually won it in overtime, but the real story was the video footage of a frustrated Ovechkin mouthing some choice words about his coach on the bench. Things were on a slow simmer ever since, and as the Caps struggles continued, the calls for Boudreau's head were becoming louder.

George McPhee, the Capitals GM, was in a difficult position. The team was playing well below expectations, and the star player and coach were no longer on the same page. McPhee kept saying all the right things in the paper. He was defending the coach for being tough on the star players and holding them accountable for their play. However, as is often the case when a coach and a superstar player start to butt heads, the coach lost out.

Firing Boudreau may have seemed like an easy decision for McPhee, but I am sure that it wasn't. Chief among his concerns has to be whether the inmates are now running the asylum in DC. Take this quote for instance, "For whatever reason, as a team we weren't really responding well enough or as good as we should have been," defenseman Karl Alzner said. "And it's kind of, 'Where do you go from there?' " That is a scary quote to hear from one of your best young players. For whatever reason? Where do you go from there? That sounds like a player who is lost. He doesn't have any answers, and the coach either isn't providing them or the players aren't listening to them. After hearing players say things like that, it left McPhee with few options. I think he saw that this ball was rolling downhill and that there was no way to stop it any more. He'd better hope that Dale Hunter can get these guys under control in a hurry, though, because right now, the inmates are running the asylum in DC, and if the star players on the Caps don't fall in line quickly, things could get even uglier.

The Lost Art Of The Two Pad Stack

Yesterday I saw someone tweet a link to this somewhat lengthy video on youtube containing NHL highlights from the 90s. I'm incredibly sentimental, and I love taking trips down memory lane, so, needless to say, I loved watching it. While I was soaking up all the amazing goals, cringing at the bonecrushing hits, and smiling in recognition at all the players I remember from that decade, I kept thinking to myself that the brilliant saves in there are the type of saves we just don't see in the NHL anymore. Was I just becoming an old, sentimental curmudgeon? Was this my version of "we used to walk ten miles to school.... uphill..... both ways?" Or was there some truth to my sentiment? In order to test if my feelings were rooted in truth or just in sentimentality, I started searching for goalie highlights of current NHL goalies. The more I watched, the more I felt that not only was my reaction correct, but the differences in goaltending from the 90's to today were even more stark than I imagined. Yes, the game is different. We all know that. Players are bigger, faster, stronger, and advances in stick technology results in shots that are harder and faster than ever. The biggest factor though, is the size of goaltending equipment.

Watch that 90's video and look at the size of the goalies. They are much smaller than they are today. Combine that with the increased speed of the game today and you have a much different style of goaltending. To compare, look at this video I found of Henrik Lundqvist highlights. Lundqvist is one of the best goalies in the league today, but his style is completely different than what you see in the 90's video. His pads are enormous and he relies on his size and positioning, rather than his reflexes or quickness, to stop the puck. Would Lundqvist have been a successful goalie in the 90's with the smaller gear? Would a goalie like Mike Richter be successful today with the larger gear? It's impossible to answer those questions, but it's an interesting debate nonetheless. The style of play is just so different. Going back the the 90's video, look at the save by Kirk Mclean against the Flames at the 7:05 mark. I still remember exactly where I was when I saw that save. I might even go as far as to say that it was the best save I have ever seen, an absolute textbook two pad stack. When was the last time you saw a save like that? Been a while, right? Goaltending is so much different now. Look at Lundqvist in the picture above. From his stance it's impossible to even move the way Mclean did in making that two pad stack save. His legs are so far apart and his skates are such sharp angles relative to the ice that it would require a total change in body position before even being able to push off and move horizontally. That is why you seen Lundqvist fall into a butterfly on almost every save. His stance leaves no real alternative. He's not the only one, either. That style of goaltending is extremely common today.

You look at the guys in the nets today and they are all huge. They take up so much space that there just isn't much to shoot at. It makes saves like that Mclean two pad stack a thing of the past. I remember just a few years ago when the size of goalie equipment was the topic du jour. Kay Whitmore's committee was running around measuring pads in an attempt to keep the size of equipment in check. With headshots, concussions and suspensions now dominating headlines and airwaves, monitoring the size of goalie equipment has been forgotten. I hope that at some point they revisit this issue. I don't want goalies becoming the size of sumo wrestlers, but when I see guys like Luongo, Rinne, Lundqvist, I fear that we are heading down that road. I guess I can always just go to youtube and take a trip down memory lane...

Ashes to Asham

Well, so much for honoring the memories of the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl hockey team...

I was watching a hockey game when a wrestling match broke out! Last night, in theory, the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins were putting aside their intense rivalry for one night while helping to raise money for the families of those that perished in the tragic plane crash of September 7. This isn't what happened. A solid hockey game was overshadowed by a fight that resulted in a graphic injury and antics that belong in wrestling, not hockey. During the third period of last night's game Kris Letang crosschecked Jay Beagle of the Caps from behind during a battle for the puck against the boards. Beagle followed up by turning around and giving Letang a face wash with his glove. The refs, shockingly, missed both of Letang's crosschecks, and immediately signaled for a penalty only on Beagle for the facewash. I know, you're shocked that the refs call would favor the Pens, right? It doesn't end there, though. Aaron Asham then skates over to Beagle (since apparently Letang is too delicate to handle his own disputes against a guy who totaled a whopping 34 penalty minutes between the NHL and AHL last season) and instigates a fight. Asham proceeded to land two devastating blows to the jaw of Beagle, knocking him down to the ice. As Beagle was lying on the ice, injured and potentially unconscious, Asham must have thought for a moment that he was in the WWE as he decided it would be motivational to use his hands to make the boxing referee's signal for a knockout. That wasn't enough apparently. Literally adding insult to injury, Asham then brought both hands up to his cheek and put his head down to mockingly demonstrate sleeping. Well done, Mr. Asham, well done. On a night when a hockey game was being dedicated to showing respect and raising money for members of the hockey family, you managed to show no respect for a fellow opponent.

The first thing I'd like to address is the lack of an instigator call. I'll ignore the fact that Letang should have been called for the initial crosscheck. Why the refs missed that one, I do not know. Let's take a look at the NHL rulebook for the wording on instigating:

46.11 Instigator - An instigator of an altercation shall be a player who by his actions or demeanor demonstrates any/some of the following criteria: distance traveled; gloves off first; first punch thrown; menacing attitude or posture; verbal instigation or threats; conduct in retaliation to a prior game (or season) incident; obvious retribution for a previous incident in the game or season.

A player who is deemed to be the instigator of an altercation shall be assessed an instigating minor penalty, a major penalty for fighting and a ten-minute misconduct.

If the same player or goalkeeper is deemed to be the instigator of a second altercation in the same game, he shall be assessed an instigating minor penalty, a major penalty for fighting and a game misconduct.

When a player receives his third instigator penalty in one Regular season, he is automatically given a game misconduct following that third violation.

A player who is deemed to be both the instigator and aggressor of an altercation shall be assessed an instigating minor penalty, a major penalty for fighting, a ten-minute misconduct (instigator) and a game misconduct penalty (aggressor).

Asham's actions meet just about every one of the criteria laid out in the rule book so why was no instigator penalty called? Oh I know. The instigator is "bad" for hockey, and it's much better to have goons do the policing rather than the refs. Fighting is "entertaining" for the fans and helps get a team "motivated", right? Let me make a couple things perfectly clear. 1) If you are professional hockey player and need to see someone bloody and unconscious on the ice in order to get "motivated" to play, you have problems and you need help. 2) If you claim to be a hockey fan, and you run around on internet boards screaming about how "fighting is part of the game" and that you won't watch or follow the sport anymore if they eliminate fighting, then you aren't really a hockey fan. You are a fighting fan, and the sport doesn't need you. If you like fighting, blood, and watching people get injured, go watch the UFC. If the immature and classless antics displayed by Asham after the fight are more your speed, go watch the WWE.

The other thing I'd like to address is what Kevin Weekes had to say about the incident after the game on the Penguins, um, I mean the NHL Network:
"Aaron Asham... What I love about this, is again, having known him as a teammate, right away he came out and he said 'Hey it was classless on my part. I was trying to get my bench going. I was trying to get my teammates going.' I certainly know where he's coming from, and I have to think that a lot of the guys in the Washington locker room that have been in the league long enough know that Aaron Asham is an honest player and also they respect the fact that he was as accountable as he was. And again, this goes back... to me it reflects very well on Aaron Asham, but in the bigger scheme of things, in the bigger picture, it reflects very well on the Pittsburgh Penguins organization. I say it all the time. Mario Lemieux runs a class organization. Dan Bylsma, you heard his comments post-game. This is nothing but class in what could have been a very tough situation and still may be from an injury standpoint. From an accountability standpoint, you have to love this."

No, Mr. Weekes. No, I don't "have to love this." I don't think the Caps players "loved" it either as they were clearly displeased with both Asham and the classless behavior of the Penguins fans. It even inspired John Carlson to chime in via Twitter to one of the more particularly classless and disgusting Penguins fans. Perhaps you forgot that this Penguins organization that allegedly has all this "class" still employs Matt Cooke. Perhaps you forgot the unbelievable hypocrisy of Mario Lemieux, "the owner of the team that pays Matt Cooke to go out and take opponents’ heads off", when he came out with quotes like this beauty, "“If the events relating to Friday night reflect the state of the league, I need to re-think whether I want to be a part of it.” I wonder how Mario's "re-thinking" is going. I'm anxiously awaiting what Mario had to say about Asham's antics last night. It's amazing to me how some of hockey's talking heads can take just about any incident and twist it around to somehow praise the Penguins. Incidentally, I actually heard Pierre McGuire on the radio this morning state that Beagle "took a run at Letang" Are you serious Pierre? That little facewash qualifies as a "run"? Perhaps you need to think a little more before you open your mouth. Or at least, you know, watch the game? I feel the same way about Pierre McGuire as Marty Turco does. Kudos to TSN analyst Aaron Ward for calling this what it was - "bush league." Oh, by the way, the Caps won 3-2 in OT.

Love For Lokomotiv

The NHL season is now underway, but the hockey world has not forgotten the tragedy that struck in Russia when a plane crash took the lives of 44 people, including the entire Lokomotiv Yaroslavl hockey team, in one of the sports world’s worst aviation disasters. Lokomotiv Yaroslavl plays in the Kontinental Hockey League, which is the premier hockey league in Russia. They chose to cancel their participation in the 2011-2012 KHL season after all 37 members of the team (26 players, 8 coaches/staff) died in the plane crash. International Ice Hockey Federation president Rene Fasel called the crash “the darkest day in the history of our sport.”

The wives of two Phoenix Coyotes players, Kodette LaBarbera and Katerina Jokinen, have started a fundraising effort to help the families of those who perished in the tragic plane crash on September 7. They have designed bracelets that will be sold by player wives and girlfriends from every NHL team at all 30 NHL arenas this season. Proceeds from the bracelets will go to the families of the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl team. “We were all affected by the incredible tragedy that took place in Russia a few weeks ago,” said Kodette LaBarbera. “We wanted to unite all the wives and girlfriends in the hockey world to show our support for the families of Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. We are thrilled to have wives and girlfriends from every NHL team involved in this project and we hope that hockey fans in North America and all over the world will support this project by purchasing bracelets at games this season.” If you are attending an NHL game this winter, please make sure to purchase a bracelet. If you don’t think you’ll be able to attend a game in person, you can still buy a bracelet here.

Tomorrow night the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins will meet for the first time this season in a battle of fierce rivals that features two of the highest profile and most talented Russian players in the world, Alexander Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin. Both players were deeply affected by the tragedy as they were close with many of those who perished in the crash. The rivalry will take a back seat tomorrow night as the two clubs focus on raising money for the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl families. The players will be wearing commemorative patches on their jerseys in honor of those players, coaches, and staff of Lokomotiv Yaroslavl that died in the crash. After the game, the players will autograph their jerseys, and the jerseys will then be auctioned off at NHL.com. The auctions will run from October 13th to October 27th. One of these game worn jerseys makes a perfect gift for any sports memorabilia collector.

Cherry Strikes Early And Often

Answer: One day. Question: How long will it take Don Cherry to stir up controversy?

Well, that didn't take long. In case you missed it, last night on Coach's Corner Mr. Don Cherry jumped into the debate about the role of fighting in hockey in the wake of the recent deaths of Wade Belak, Rick Rypien, and Derek Boogaard. A number of former enforcers shared their thoughts on the difficulties faced by NHL enforcers, including Stu Grimson in this article. Needless to say, it ruffled some feathers when Don Cherry singled out Stu Grimson, Chris Nilan, and Jim Thomson and referred to them as "pukes", "turncoats", and "hypocrites". Chris Nilan was on NHL Home Ice today to respond to the comments made by Don Cherry. He also posted an official reply on his website.

After the hockey world lost the lives of three young men this offseason, it seemed inevitable that the role of fighting in hockey and the toll it took on those young men would at least be examined and discussed. During the offseason I wrote, "This is going to be a battle for which a compromise will be very elusive. The 'traditionalist' camp led by folks such as Don Cherry will argue that fighting is part of the fabric of hockey and that it helps players police themselves from cheap shots against the skilled players who can't defend themselves." However, it seems Don Cherry isn't even willing to even consider a healthy debate on the issue. It's a shame that someone as high profile as Mr. Cherry would be so dismissive of the comments made by former players who lived the lives of NHL enforcers. I understand that he wants to defend fighting, but his refusal to even engage in a discussion is disheartening since he is arguably the most influential hockey commentator in North America. At the very least, he is certainly in the most visible time slot due to the popularity of Hockey Night in Canada. If Don Cherry's goal was to stir up controversy, he accomplished that mission. However, in doing so, he angered a lot of people, including fans and former players. Was it worth it?

Cherry is frequently compared to the old, drunk uncle sitting in the La-z-boy and spouting nonsense. In fact, on the radio today, Stu Grimson said, "It's hard to get too jazzed about this because I think Don's mutterings are kind of akin to that of an old uncle that nobody takes seriously anymore. I'm not going ot get too fired up about it." The difference is that Don Cherry has a massive international audience that DOES listen to him. Grimson said he wouldn't get fired up about it, but guess what he did today? He started an account on Twitter. His first tweet: "don cherry: show me an article where i say (1) fighting should be banned or (2) the role of enforcer causes a life of addiction."

At some point, CBC is going to have to take a serious look at how long they can continue to air his antics. Keep in mind, that this is coming from a Don Cherry fan. I have purchased so many Rock'em Sock'em Hockey videos that I still have many on VHS. I still tune in on Saturday night to hear Cherry's comments, but I'm just not sure if he or his comments are good for the game anymore. However, unlike Cherry, I'm willing to discuss it.

A New NHL Season! (Now With Less Sandpaper!)

It's like Christmas morning! Well, for hockey fans, that is. This is my favorite time of year. Halloween is just around the corner, followed by Thanksgiving and the Christmas season, the baseball play-offs are in full swing, and the NFL season is starting to hit its stride. For the casual sports fan, tonight can get lost in the shuffle, but for serious hockey fans (and, let's be honest, is there any other kind?) tonight has been on the calendar and in the back of the mind for quite some time. It's the beginning of the NHL season!

This year, there is icing on the cake. The most hated player in the NHL, and quite possibly in the history of all sports, is no longer part of the league! Yes, everyone's most despised pest, Mr. Sean Avery, has left to accept a full-time gig with Vogue! Ok, maybe not, but Avery cleared waivers and it looks like his future with the NHL is, at least for the foreseeable future, quite dim. If even the Rangers can't tolerate him, you know it has gotten really bad. It didn't surprise me at all that he wasn't claimed. This is a man who was paid half his salary by the Dallas Stars just so they could get him as far away from their players as possible. Even his own coach had this ringing endorsement, ""I think we have better players than Sean Avery -- plain and simple. I can dodge it 10 different ways without trying to run Sean over. I thought he had a good camp." I love this blog post on Avery courtesy of Thinning the Herd. It's a good refresher for those of you who may have forgotten some of Avery's antics throughout the years. What's Sean Avery's legacy? Being one of the most hated players in the history of hockey and having the rules adjusted to accommodate behavior like this.

I think it just got to the point where enough was enough. He had become such a sideshow that he was detrimental to the team. Not even his antics as an on-ice antagonist, which sometimes could help his team by driving the opponent crazy, were enough for him to overcome all the off-ice baggage. His latest incident came when he accused Wayne Simmonds of using an anti-gay slur during a game. Now, if that happened I'm not going to defend the use of that term. However, I would imagine it's not the first time that word was used during a hockey game in the middle of a heated altercation, nor will it be the last. The fact that Avery immediately went and informed the media was akin to a little kid running to tell his mommy after a kid used a "bad word." However, we all know that Avery loves the media! Remember when he sought out a cameraman for this classy display? I'm sure Dion Phaneuf does, and I'm sure to some extent that NHL players around the league snickered at the decision by Avery to act like such a child. Many times players are interviewed after games and reporters press them for what was said during an altercation. Almost invariably, the player declines to reveal that and chooses to take the high road, responding that what is said on the ice should stay there. Not Avery. As with everything else during the course of his volatile career, he chose to make waves. Now it looks like he'll be riding those waves all the way to Europe. Bon voyage, Mr. Avery. Good riddance. You will not be missed.

Tragedy Strikes The Hockey World Again

Just as the hockey world was recovering from one tragedy, another strikes. Sadly, this seems to be the pattern for the summer of 2011. A plane carrying the KHL team Lokomotiv Yaroslavl crashed today in Russia, taking the lives of at least 43 people, among them many former members of the NHL community.

According to the International Ice Hockey Federation, 27 players were killed, along with two coaches and seven club officials. International Ice Hockey Federation president Rene Fasel called the crash "the darkest day in the history of our sport." Among those confirmed deceased are: Coach Brad McCrimmon, forward Pavol Demitra, defenseman Ruslan Salei, forward Josef Vasicek, defenseman Karel Rachunek, forward Jan Marek, forward Alexander Vasyunov, defenseman Karlis Skrastins and goalie Stefan Liv. "We have no team anymore," Vladimir N. Malkov, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl spokesman, said in a telephone interview with The New York Times. "All our starting players, and all the service people, they all burned in the crash."

Twitter was abuzz with reaction from throughout the NHL community. Fans, players, and writers all chimed in with thoughts and prayers for the victims and their families. Russian and Czech players were the most affected as many had close bonds with those on the plane. When Jonathan Toews of the Chicago Blackhawks heard the news he said, "This is the worst summer ever for hockey." It's hard to disagree.

Today's crash is reminiscent of the crash last April which saw all 96 people on board perish, including Polish President Lech Kaczyński and his wife. A large contingent of the Polish government was on board that plane en route from Warsaw to Smolensk to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Katyn Massacre. In the days and weeks ahead, more will become known about exactly what happened and why the plane crashed. It's also highly likely there will be some controversy surrounding the investigation, as there was after the investigation of the crash last April. Russia and other former Soviet Republics have a reputation for poor air traffic safety and for flying antiquated aircraft. According to ESPN:

"The cause of Wednesday's crash was not immediately apparent, but Russian news agencies cited unnamed local officials as saying it may have been due to technical problems. The plane was built in 1993 and belonged to a small Moscow-based Yak Service company.

In recent years, Russia and the other former Soviet republics have had some of the world's worst air traffic safety records. Experts blame the poor safety record on the age of the aircraft, weak government controls, poor pilot training and a cost-cutting mentality."

The KHL came under fire in 2008 after the death of 19 year-old Alexei Cherepanov, who collapsed on the bench during a game and eventually died when Russian doctors were unable to save him. The tragic video of the incident shows how poorly prepared the team and arena were to deal with such a medical emergency. According to reports, the ambulance that is normally at all games had already departed and had to be called back; doctors arrived on the scene a full 15 minutes after Cherepanov collapsed, and the battery on the defibrillator used to attempt to shock Cherepanov's heart back to life was drained. It took approximately 20 minutes to get him to a hospital. To date, no criminal charges have been filed relating to the incident, but several doctors and team officials were suspended indefinitely from the KHL.

The KHL and NHL have had a tense and difficult relationship since the formation of the KHL in 2008. With no salary cap and no formal transfer agreement with the NHL, the KHL has often played fast and loose in trying to lure NHL players away from North America with varying degrees of success. Even with the lure of additional millions from the KHL, any player considering a move to Russia should pause to consider the league's spotty safety record.

It is not clear how the KHL will deal with the loss of an entire team as it does not have provisions in place for a tragedy of such massive proportions. One possibility is to have a draft which would restock the club with players from other teams in the KHL. It will surely be a sad and difficult season for the KHL after such a tragedy, but they will find a way to persevere. The hockey world has seen enough tragedy this summer to last for decades. We can only hope that a wonderful and exciting season awaits to brighten our days.