Do I owe Sean Roarke an apology? Just hours after taking him to task for his revisionist history, I stumble across his NHL Mid-Term Grades. Roarke's first grouping - "Head of the Class" (a tribute, no doubt, to Howard Hesseman) - contains the usual suspects: the Ducks, Sabres, Predators, Sharks and... the Capitals?! Sure enough. Quoth Roarke: Yes, they have just 45 points; but that is still an impressive showing for a team that was left for dead by many before the season ever started. If the season ended Tuesday, the Capitals would make the playoffs for the first time since 2001 and that should be an accomplishment in anybody's book. Plus, they are one of the most entertaining teams to watch in the League today.I know this is based largely upon dire preseason expectations, but it is still impressively high-praise. One wonders, however, how Roarke will remember this seven months from now...
UPDATE: More grades, these from Professor Cazeneuve at SI.com.
8 comments:
Hey man, just wanted to say keep up the good work. I read some of your posts on HF, and stumbled over here. I was always a hockey fan, but I'm really getting into hockey on more of a league-level this year.
Anyway, thanks for giving me something else to read at work.
-Rage
Caught me red-handed. JP, dear, come home. Time for dinner.
1) " ...They have just 45 points.....". What is that supposed to mean? 45 points is right in the middle of the entire league!
2) That would perhaps be an appropriate assessment for a team that was supposed to compete for the Cup, not one "rebuilding"
Thanks for the kind words, Rage. Regretfully, I don't have an HF account (though I lurk there from time to time). Glad to have you hear, but I can't take credit for the good stuff you've read elsewhere.
Japers17 isn't you? I just figured it had to be!
Nope. Hopefully the guy's not a dick, eh?
That's got to be the biggest coincidence of all time.
Post a Comment