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Since the NHL forum is pretty much dead, figured I'd start a thread on the Caps here. I'm about to say something controversial and possibly premature, but here goes. If coach Boudreau is going to receive credit for last season's improvement, he should receive blame for the Caps performance so far this season. I'm sitting here watching the Flames game in amazement. Our power play is absolutely atrocious; disorganized, sloppy stick handling, and not even getting shots let alone goals. The players seem to be letting their talent get to their heads and are trying to do too much fancy stickwork, while off the puck movement and positioning has been relatively non-existent. Ovechkin is playing like arse. I really have to pin this on Boudreau. There are some coaches who can coach a team with little confidence and no expectations but cannot coach a talented team with confidence and expectations. I hope he proves me wrong but with the exception of the Vancouver game I'm not liking what I'm seeing from the team.

Gilbertarenas? What thinketh you?

One more comment to add fuel to the fire. Alex Ovechkin is overrated. Don't get me wrong he is an excellent player, but nowhere near Lemieux or Gretzky caliber. You constantly see Ovechkin losing the puck because he's "not given space". You would not see Gretzky or Lemieux shut down for so many games in their prime. Even when not scoring, these other guys would make plays for teammates, not Ovechkin's strength. Frankly I'm not sure I wouldn't take Crosby over Ovechkin.

taruky1 wrote:One more comment to add fuel to the fire. Alex Ovechkin is overrated. Don't get me wrong he is an excellent player, but nowhere near Lemieux or Gretzky caliber. You constantly see Ovechkin losing the puck because he's "not given space". You would not see Gretzky or Lemieux shut down for so many games in their prime. Even when not scoring, these other guys would make plays for teammates, not Ovechkin's strength. Frankly I'm not sure I wouldn't take Crosby over Ovechkin.

That's just it, Ovechkin isn't in his prime yet. This is only his 4th season and he's already better than 90% of the league. Give him time, consistency usually comes with age/experience.

WTF? It's six games into the year and you people are going insane already.

Not really a surprise after reading post-game Wiz posts but still.....sheesh. You'd think we were 0-6...

The powerplay is AMAZINGLY SUCKY. Jesus christ, nine straight minutes of 5 on 4 last night that this team pissed away with Nylander taking a stupid stupid penalty cutting it down to 7 minutes.

This team is allergic to shooting. Ovechkin has too many responsibilities this year. Please take him of the PK. John Erskine needs to be off this team and they need to bring up Alzner or Lepisto from ershey.

The only bright spot is that Theodore looked great last night. Flash is playing pretty good too.

Higga wrote:WTF? It's six games into the year and you people are going insane already.

Not really a surprise after reading post-game Wiz posts but still.....sheesh. You'd think we were 0-6...

Nah, this isn't about being impatient. This is not about a team waiting to gel. This is about a team with tremendous individual talent playing systematically horrible hockey. Those of us who know and appreciate hockey can see beyond the W-L record and recognize the disorganization and showmanship. On the power play opponents are playing ridiculously aggressive on the penalty kill, you know why? Because the scouting report on the Caps is they won't move the puck quickly and there's not much movement off the puck either. Ovechkin is trying ridiculous one on one moves and coughing up the puck 90% of the time. We don't need him to be a highlight reel, the cool plays will come from time to time but again, he is no Lemieuz or Gretzky in that department. Boudreau needs to grow a pair and tell him that.

Boudreau needs to be fired. This team is in disarray, playing street hockey. Giving pucks away, crappy passes, unable to handle simple passes, outhustled. That's the sign of a team whose coach has no control and runs a terrible practice. Even Alexander the overrated is playing his worst hockey ever. We're going down the toilet. And someone may claim this is too early blah blah blah. It's one thing for things to not go your way, but another thing entirely when you can see the fundamentals lacking, confusion, and lack of hustle.

Things aren't as bad as you say but they definitely aren't getting better. The team is in disarray because BB is trying too much. Putting Federov on the blue line, switching centers every game etc. Just stick with a set of offensive lines and be done with it. Call up Alzner or Lepisto from Hershey to make up for the lack of blue line help.

Team needs to find its identity which is hard to do when the coach is shuffling the lineups EVERY game.

HUGE road win for the good guys tonight in lil' D. Gave up a two goal lead, went into OT and Semin bails us out (whew!)

Hopefully, this sparks the offense...

Go Caps!

damn another missing post...

7 goals and not a point from AO. Is he hurt?

lupin wrote:damn another missing post...

7 goals and not a point from AO. Is he hurt?

He had 1 point just no goal.

Ovechkin has been nursing some injury since preseason but it hasn't been mentioned too much. But that doesn't support the fact that OV is the league leader in PT right now. If he was really injured, I don't think BB would be playing him this much (unless he was mentored by Eddie Jordan at some point in his career).

Ovie will pick it up soon and the prospect of him scoring at his rate along with the way Semin is playing is scary.

Ovie almsot has his longest streak of games without a goal in his career (6 games) and it will probally be an explosion when he starts scoring goals again.