Round One: NY Rangers @ Washington

504Heater wrote:I won't lie, I feel badly for Jeff Shultz. I keep seeing the replay over and over and over and over. And he looks absolutely terrible. Probably the worst an NHL player can look.

am sure he took a good ribbing on that one, either that or a good tongue lashing from the coach, play the man, not the puck, simplest principle for a D man, and in the playoffs, any mistake is amplified tenfold.

Cronie wrote:

504Heater wrote:I won't lie, I feel badly for Jeff Shultz. I keep seeing the replay over and over and over and over. And he looks absolutely terrible. Probably the worst an NHL player can look.

Dang it... I can't see the video you posted...

Can someone send a link?

I can...you want the youtube link PMed to you?

SensFan71 wrote:

504Heater wrote:I won't lie, I feel badly for Jeff Shultz. I keep seeing the replay over and over and over and over. And he looks absolutely terrible. Probably the worst an NHL player can look.

am sure he took a good ribbing on that one, either that or a good tongue lashing from the coach, play the man, not the puck, simplest principle for a D man, and in the playoffs, any mistake is amplified tenfold.

Totally!!!!

Sadness. Pure sadness. I want the Caps to win this series. I need to see more of Ovechkin in the playoffs.

Who is this Schulz anyway? Is he a rookie? He reminds me of some of our rookies who always play the puck and not the man, when they should be doing the opposite.

Sad.

Schultz was drafted in 2004, so yeah, he is still learning the ropes a bit, but well, again, that is one of the most basic defensive principles. Really feel bad for the kid on this one.

SensFan71 wrote:Schultz was drafted in 2004, so yeah, he is still learning the ropes a bit, but well, again, that is one of the most basic defensive principles. Really feel bad for the kid on this one.

He really did look silly, my goodness! But, this is what it's all about, you make those mistakes and you learn from them. I'm sure this isn't really the stage where he wants to learn, but it's great experience. I'm pretty sure we won't see him do that again.

SensGirl11 wrote:

SensFan71 wrote:Schultz was drafted in 2004, so yeah, he is still learning the ropes a bit, but well, again, that is one of the most basic defensive principles. Really feel bad for the kid on this one.

He really did look silly, my goodness! But, this is what it's all about, you make those mistakes and you learn from them. I'm sure this isn't really the stage where he wants to learn, but it's great experience. I'm pretty sure we won't see him do that again.

unfortunately seeing that reminds me of phillips goof in the SCF, game # 5, coming around the net and tucking the puck nicely behind Emery, I am sure Big Rig still wakes up from nightmares about that moment, that was horrible.

504Heater wrote:No need to panic, just make sure you outscore the Rangers - and make sure you insulate Theodore.

Are you saying put Theo in a ziploc freezer bag? LOL

davetherave wrote:

504Heater wrote:No need to panic, just make sure you outscore the Rangers - and make sure you insulate Theodore.

Are you saying put Theo in a ziploc freezer bag? LOL

If it'll help, sure.

I'm thinking the Rags take Game 2 as well.

I'll be curious to see how the Caps deal with Avery and his antics.

Theodore MUST stand on his head, as Ovie and his counter-parts can only do so much.

Cronie wrote:I'll be curious to see how the Caps deal with Avery and his antics.

Theodore MUST stand on his head, as Ovie and his counter-parts can only do so much.

The Capitals haven't played good defensive hockey all season, and gotten away with it.

But Theo takes the heat for his teammates' errors.

oh you're very right DTR. The fact is, their glaring deficiency(ies) on D are now being shown to EVERYone and no one can hide it; yet some are blaming Theodore instead of putting some of the onus on the D men where it belongs IMHO.

I was speaking with a friend of mine this morning and he was saying should something happen to Ovie, Green or Semin, they are done, GAME OVER man... and quite frankly, I was saying unless Boudreau can help them rise to a new level of play and performance, they are well on their way out.

Ovechkin: 'We have to score more goals 5-on-5'

Dan Rosen, NHL.com, April 17 2009


ARLINGTON, Va. -- Alex Ovechkin addressed a host of issues facing the Capitals as they prepare for Game 2 against the Rangers Saturday afternoon (1 p.m. ET, NBC, TSN, RDS) – Alex Ovechkin can play to a crowd, we know that. He didn't disappoint Friday, meeting a media horde in front of his locker at the Kettler Capitals' Iceplex following a light-hearted, spirited practice.

Ovechkin touched on a number of issues, including thoughts after the New York Rangers' 4-3 victory in Game 1 and what needs to be done for the Capitals to win Game 2. Here's what the superstar his fans call "Ovie" had to say:

How did Rangers defenseman Wade Redden and Michal Rozsival play against you guys?
"I think everybody had a great chance to score goals, but they played great defensively and they gave us an opportunity to shoot the puck, but they didn't let us make some traffic or make some rebounds. They played great."

Is creating traffic essential in front of Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist if you want to score goals?
"It's a key for us. We have to make some traffic. We have to make some rebounds. We have to pay some price."


Does that mean sometimes you have to wait to shoot the puck for the traffic to get there?
"Not wait. Sometimes I have open space in front of me, but there is one guy for sure around me and I don't have lots of time to think about what to do. I have to shoot quick and as hard as I can."

Would you change anything else about the way you guys played offensively in Game 1?
"No, no, no. I think we played great. Well, not great. We lost the game, but if we're going to play the same way we're going to score some goals, for sure. In 5-on-5 we have to improve ourselves. We have to score more goals in 5-on-5."

Rangers captain Chris Drury could be back in Saturday. Any thoughts on that?
"He's a great player and a leader of their team. He was injured and now he gets more rest than everybody. Of course it's going to be a big key for them, but it doesn't matter for us. It's a big time for us. They won the last game against us and we want to get ready for (Saturday's) game and win it."

Was the penalty shot drill you did after practice fun and important to keep it light?
"Oh yeah, we just tried to have fun, put our emotions in a different way with a penalty shot drill."

How do you feel about your game because you have a lot of pressure on you now?
"I don't feel pressure, you know. I'm fourth year here in the League. Everyday I hear you have pressure, you have pressure. I just enjoy it and have a good time."

They keep saying you're the biggest star in the League, biggest star in the world. How do you live up to that?
"I don't try to think about it. If you start thinking about you're the greatest, you're the biggest man in the NHL, than you just go down. I just try to be myself, try working hard and try to enjoy every second and every minute."

Do you talk about the importance of 5-on-5 play because you are pretty much assuming you're not going to get seven power plays again?
"You know, in 5-on-5 we had great opportunities, especially in the third period. (Nicklas Backstrom) gave me great opportunities to score goals. Maybe it was just a little bit frustrating. We're more comfortable and ready to go. I think it's going to be pretty good, the 5-on-5 game, (Saturday)."

Do you have any more insight on how to go up against Henrik Lundqvist?
"He played great (Wednesday) night. He win the game for them. They didn't have many chances to score goals, but it's the playoffs and if you do get chances to score goals you have to use them. We didn't use our chances and we lost the game. Next game, (Saturday), we just have to use our chances, play smart in the offensive zone and be more responsible on our chances."

Bruce Boudreau hasn't publicly said who is starting in goal for you guys. Does it matter to you?
"It doesn't matter. Everybody knows we have great goalies. Yeah, everybody has bad luck. It happens sometimes. It's a long way to win the series, a long way to go. It doesn't matter who is going to start tomorrow."

Talk about the physicality of the series?
"A physical game is important for everybody. I think our team is physical and it's a big challenge for everybody to play a physical game. It's going to be the same way. We have to play the same way, the physical way, especially in the neutral zone."

How important would it be to have Jose Theodore back there for some continuity?
"Well, I don't know who is going to start (Saturday). It doesn't matter who is going to start, Jose or Varly (Simeon Varlamov. We're going to play for him, it doesn't matter who."

Do you think you guys were as physical in the third as you were in the first in Game 1?
"Um, no, we didn't play a physical game in the third period like we always do. Maybe the game was tied and after (Brandon) Dubinsky scored his goal we were a little bit frustrated, but we didn't want to get some hits because if you get some hits you may get some penalties. We just tried to score goals. It was close, but not close enough."

Contact Dan Rosen at drosen@nhl.com

Callahan is Rangers' under-radar MVP

Pierre Lebrun ESPN.com, April 17, 2009

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- On a team with big names and even bigger contracts, it's a player earning $600,000 who one New York Rangers observer said Friday "was this year's MVP next to Henrik Lundqvist."
Ryan Callahan still flies under the radar nationally, but that won't last long. Again in Game 1 on Wednesday night, he was one of the more noticeable Rangers, throwing his body around with unrelenting force, making the Washington Capitals earn every inch of ice around him.

"He's had a great season," linemate Markus Naslund said Friday after practice at Verizon Center. "He's been good in every area. He's killed penalties for us, he's scored some big goals, and he's obviously a hard-working guy who finishes his hits and plays that kind of game, too."

The 24-year-old winger is the engine of New York's forecheck and has a knack for scoring big goals. He led the team and was fourth in the NHL with 265 hits this season. He also led the club with a plus-7 rating.

When the Rangers need something to happen, Callahan is invariably involved.

"He's a guy that does everything," Rangers coach John Tortorella said.

"He's in every situation. He's earned the responsibility and the chance to be in those situations because he's succeeded. Players sometimes need to believe they can score regularly; I think he's beginning to realize that and believe in himself.

"But he also does other things away from the puck. Last-minute situations, penalty-killing, blocking shots, finishing checks -- he's becoming a complete package and still very early in the process."

Do you sense the coach likes this kid? You better believe it. And the feeling is mutual. Callahan played well for former coach Tom Renney as well, but under Tortorella, the 5-foot-11, 188-pounder believes the new coach's more aggressive system is right in his wheelhouse.

"I'm a type of guy who likes to get hard in on the forecheck and create chances off the bat," Callahan said Friday. "I'm a go-go-go type guy. This system suits me pretty well for that."

The native of Rochester, N.Y., scored 22 goals and racked up 40 points in 81 games this season, his second full year in the NHL.

People have taken notice.

"Ryan had a big breakout season for the Rangers," Brian Burke, the GM of the U.S. Olympic team, told ESPN.com on Friday. "He has put himself into contention for Team USA in Vancouver."

Callahan is just the type of player Burke likes to have on his team, a guy with some sandpaper who can also score a big goal. It would be surprising if Callahan didn't warrant at least an invite from Team USA for its orientation camp in mid-August in Chicago.

Tortorella credited assistant coach/assistant GM Jim Schoenfeld for Callahan's development. Schoenfeld was the head coach for the team's AHL affiliate in Hartford in 2006-07 when Callahan scored 35 goals in 60 games.

"Schoeny has done a great job with some of the kids when he coached in Hartford," Tortorella said. "Schoeny has had a number of different job titles within this organization, but some of the kids that he developed, he gave them a great foundation, and Ryan is one of them."

The kid could always score. He tallied 52 goals in 62 games in his final junior season with the Ontario Hockey League's Guelph Storm in 2005-06. But like many young players, he needed to find his confidence with the puck once he got to the NHL. He had eight goals in 52 games last season but took huge strides in 2008-09.

"This year coming in, I wanted to try and contribute more offensively," Callahan said. "I feel like I've done that. Last year was tough. I had a knee injury early in the year. I just feel more comfortable and confident this year. The guys I've been playing with have been great, too."

The veteran Naslund, who skated on a line with Callahan and the banged-up Chris Drury at practice Friday (still a game-time decision), said Callahan has grown in confidence.

"I think he's realized that he's a good player," Naslund said. "I think that's a big part of coming in as a young guy and getting some confidence and believing you can score and contribute. It's been good to see."

Callahan agreed, saying there was a growing period before he hit his stride.

"You don't realize how you don't have that much time with the puck like you do in junior or the AHL," he said. "There's guys always on top of you [in the NHL] and you have to know what you're doing with the puck before you get it. It was a long learning curve for me.

"But I feel right now like I'm playing the type of game I want to play, and that's throwing my body around a bit and creating chances off of that. I know I can put the puck in the net, and they started to go in, so that was good."

Did we mention Callahan is a restricted free agent July 1? Cha-ching. He will no longer be a $600,000 player.

Pierre LeBrun covers the NHL for ESPN.com.

Callahan is one of the reasons why Washington is behind 2-0 in the series.

On the other side, the Capitals' 'role players' aren't getting it done.

That sounds eerily familiar. One-line teams have a tough time in the post-season.