NHL 2011-2012 Season

[risingstar]

I don't know about that. Lou Lamoriello is still running the Devils.

Pre-Kovalchuk, Lamoriello was a great GM.

 

[Eli26]

Pre-Kovalchuk, Lamoriello was a great GM.

You do know Lou Lamoriello was ordered to get Ilya Kovalchuk and sign him for that crazy deal by the owner (Jeffrey Vanderbeek) of the New Jersey Devils? This is fact. Lou has always been about the blue collar all-about-the-system player vs. the flashy superstar who puts himself before the team. He can't be at fault for that debacle. When you have a boss breathing down your neck demanding that they land a Ovechkin-isque goal scorer and sign him to a ridiculous deal, one I am sure Lou tried getting Jeffrey out of signing, the blame can't be put on the man. Just sayin'. People need to get the full story before they point the finger.

Anytime something seems off-the-charts "off" from a certain pattern or formula, especially one that Lou has gone by for a long duration of time, one has to think there has to be something more to it. In this case, there was. A stupid gun trigger happy owner who thought a Superstar goal scoring Russian would put more ***** in the seats at Prudential Center.

P.S. Not saying Kovy puts himself before his team now, but he used to be a gungho player that way, and he is selfish by nature. Thus that outlandish contract.

 

[xjamiex]

So Eli, if the playoff matchup is Jets/Pens...who are you cheering for?

 

[Eli26]

I don't know about that. Lou Lamoriello is still running the Devils.

I just don't see any new coaching changes being made this year. We'll see who's right at season's end. I have a good feeling I will be. If not, I guess I'll have to eat crow. Just don't see that happening.

 

[Eli26]

So Eli, if the playoff matchup is Jets/Pens...who are you cheering for?

Not going to happen.

And I would be a winner either way. Personally, I would be a liar if I didn't say the Jets. It would mean a lot for my city if we won that tilt. That and the Pens have won their 3 Cups in the past 21 years to my Jets who have won zero.

 

[Eli26]

I just don't get why Ovechkin is so horrible this season. He doesn't care as much.

 

[xjamiex]

I just don't get why Ovechkin is so horrible this season. He doesn't care as much.

I wish he was traded

 

[Eli26]

I wish he was traded

Won't happen anytime soon and makes zero sense right now.

 

[xjamiex]

Won't happen anytime soon and makes zero sense right now.

Maybe he will be traded in the off-season. Caps could get a few picks and a few decent players for Ovie....but that's only if a team can fit him in their roster with his ginormous salary.

 

[bumblebee]

I just don't get why Ovechkin is so horrible this season. He doesn't care as much.

He's more interested in off the ice stuff then he is actually on the ice. He has zero heart,drive or passion. I would love to see my Caps trade him and start over. Hunter should take that C off his chest ASAP.

 

[KitFisto]

He's more interested in off the ice stuff then he is actually on the ice. He has zero heart,drive or passion. I would love to see my Caps trade him and start over. Hunter should take that C off his chest ASAP.

This started before this season. It started 2.5 years ago. Around here there was a story that broke that a steroid/HGH supplier was busted and he said he had provided roids to "Redskins and Capitals players". No names were mentioned and the story went away pretty quick. A couple of months after that story which was the second half of the 09/10 season, Ovechkin's productivity went WAY down. It continued last season and this season as well.

While it's total speculation, I honestly think there is a chance that Ovechkin was on something and when the story broke he came off it and turned into the 30-35 goal scorer we see now instead of the 50-60 goal scorer we saw before.

 

[risingstar]

If Lou was so dead-set against the Kovalchuk contract (which was common knowledge), he could have simply quit the post as GM as the team's philosophy ran astray. No one would have faulted him for choosing to move on due to upper-management conflict. Instead, he stayed on, kept the paycheck, and came off like a yes-man company schmo. Since that time, his NHL cred wasn't quite the same.

 

[risingstar]

He's more interested in off the ice stuff then he is actually on the ice. He has zero heart,drive or passion. I would love to see my Caps trade him and start over. Hunter should take that C off his chest ASAP.

My thinking is that he wasn't the same after that playoff loss to the Habs.
It didn't help that Boudreau decided to adopt a more defensive style the following season.

 

[bumblebee]

This started before this season. It started 2.5 years ago. Around here there was a story that broke that a steroid/HGH supplier was busted and he said he had provided roids to "Redskins and Capitals players". No names were mentioned and the story went away pretty quick. A couple of months after that story which was the second half of the 09/10 season, Ovechkin's productivity went WAY down. It continued last season and this season as well.

While it's total speculation, I honestly think there is a chance that Ovechkin was on something and when the story broke he came off it and turned into the 30-35 goal scorer we see now instead of the 50-60 goal scorer we saw before.

Good points Kit. It also doesn't help the team gave him a lifetime contract.

 

[Eli26]

I still like this team's future.

 

[xjamiex]

He's more interested in off the ice stuff then he is actually on the ice. He has zero heart,drive or passion. I would love to see my Caps trade him and start over. Hunter should take that C off his chest ASAP.

Agreed, he seems to have lost passion for the game and just plays with zero heart now. What a hack.

 

[risingstar]

Agreed, he seems to have lost passion for the game and just plays with zero heart now. What a hack.

I think a change of scenery might do Ovie good. Either that, or he sorely needs Backstrom. Incidentally, Backstrom only has 7 points less than Ovie yet Backstrom played 22 games less than Ovie. Backstrom is only 24 years old. At this rate, he could outpoint Ovie next season. I wonder how that would go down Ovie's throat.

 

[bumblebee]

I think a change of scenery might do Ovie good. Either that, or he sorely needs Backstrom. Incidentally, Backstrom only has 7 points less than Ovie yet Backstrom played 22 games less than Ovie. Backstrom is only 24 years old. At this rate, he could outpoint Ovie next season. I wonder how that would go down Ovie's throat.

Yeah Nicks injury has been a huge loss, he's the Caps version of Crosby.

 

[xjamiex]

I think a change of scenery might do Ovie good. Either that, or he sorely needs Backstrom. Incidentally, Backstrom only has 7 points less than Ovie yet Backstrom played 22 games less than Ovie. Backstrom is only 24 years old. At this rate, he could outpoint Ovie next season. I wonder how that would go down Ovie's throat.

Well considering how big Ovie's ego is, he'd probably be very hurt

 

[Deeznutz6]

Wonder what team would even attempt to trade for him?

The Islanders?? lol

Seriously though, Edmonton has the pieces Id take if I were the Caps