Apparently it's not just Steve Eminger that plays better with John Erskine in the lineup. KB points out that the Caps are a different team when the big man plays, and he uses numbers to back up his assertion (a novel concept). Now, I'm not one to confuse correlation and causation (hey, I read "Freakonomics"), but the numbers are certainly worth noting:- Caps record with Erskine in the linuep: 9-7-5
- Caps record without Erskine in the lineup: 14-21-5
- Caps goals against average with Erskine in the lineup: 3.29
- Caps goals against average without Erskine in the lineup: 3.63
Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks:
Another gem about our buddy in Rangerland - per Larry Brooks:
It is unfathomable. In what, by definition, was the most important game of the Rangers' season, because each succeeding match becomes the most important for the unsuccessful 11th-place Blueshirts, Jaromir Jagr did not participate in a shootout that went four rounds against Martin Brodeur.
The Rangers captain did not shoot for the sixth consecutive time after two initial misses because he previously told Tom Renney he does not feel confident enough to participate in the one-on-one showdown in which the great ones generally thrive.
It is unimaginable that Jagr, battered and bruised though both his left shoulder and psyche must be, would not demand to go. It is beyond belief that he would not demand the opportunity to have the game on his stick, if for no other reason than to prove himself unafraid of failure to his teammates.
It is inconceivable that he would not try to keep the Rangers alive when trailing 2-1 in the shootout in a game they once led 2-0 but would lose 3-2.
"I'm not good anymore," Jagr told The Post when asked why he wasn't on Renney's list. "That's the reason."
Is it safe to say that the honeymoon is over?
Daily Awards
- Hart: Martin St. Louis (Game-winning OT goal, 2A, +2, 3 SOG)
- Ross: Seven players tied with 3 points each
- Norris: Alexandre Picard (G, A, +1, 2 hits, 4 blocked shots in OT loss)
- Vezina: Dwayne Roloson (28-save shutout win)
- Richard: Dany Heatley, Trent Hunter, Shawn Horcoff, Tomas Vanek (2G each)
- Calder: Alexandre Picard (see above)
- Aiken: Ray Emery (L, 3 goals allowed on 12 shots against in just 25:09 of work before racking up 22 PIMs and getting kicked out)
12 comments:
xsx1) You know there's an issue when the Ranger announcers are focusing on the JJ shoot out- MIA!
2) There simply is no excuse. The playoffs are on the line. he's the capatin/star player. He needs to be in the top 3.
3) Are there any folks left who believe he isn't a spoiled, self centered baby? The Rangers should rip that C off his jersey!
LOL!
So we still lose more games than we win with Erskine Bowles in the lineup, but do it allowing fewer goals.
1) Another positive of having Erskine in the line up is his proclivity to drop the mitts!
2) If any one saw the Ottawa-Buffalo game last night it was AWESOME! Goalies/coaches going at it. Doesn't get any better than that!
3) The NHL needs to encourage more of that(fighting) if it wants to increase fan interest. Bet no one was going to the concession stands while that was going on! LOL
!) Faux, as much as I poke fun of your numbers, I actually think we're usually in agreement. But not this time.
@) OFB had a great write up about fighting. My big fear is that we're going to have more and more incidents like that Pit/Tor game where the Leaf player ended up going out on a stretcher. I'm never going to support that, and that's what will happen more frequently with "encouraged fighting."
1) Rage you will see MORE players going out on stretchers if fighting continues to be discouraged
2) Players will think twice about being dirty if they know they may have to pay for their actions later.
3) In addition to having immense entertainment value pugilism IS a deterrent, and is sorely missed in today's new NHL.
Nobody booed during or went to the concession stands the Miami-Florida International college football brawl.
Nobody booed or went to concession stands during the Knicks-Nugget NBA brawl.
Yet in both of those instances the players involved were suspended. Yet here we are less than 12 hours later, and the NHL has done is and very likely to do nothing.
And you don't see a problem with that?
1) The NBA suspends on court violence but looks the other way when shenanigans occur with their players away from the field of play(see NBA all star weekend)
2) We'd prefer to see the more controlled on ice fighting that has existed for a hundred+ years in the NHL than the gangster nonsense of the NBA. Bad enough they gave us Bettman. Now you want to emulate their discipline style? LOL
Faux, I've only been watching hockey closely for a couple years, but didn't people use to fight when they made a mistake? Now people fight when their teammate made a mistake.
Is that a new development?
1) Not sure what ya mean by 'mistake'. If by that you mean a dirty hit then no, fighting has been around for years when one team tried to intimidate the other team's star players.
2) The Flyers had Schultz to protect Clarke, Islanders Gillies to protect Bossy, Oilers Semenko to protect Gretzky( later McSorley on LA), etc.
3) Nowadays stars many times have no one to 'protect' them. Look for the Penguins for example to try to acquire a guy like Georges Laroque to protect Crosby/Malkin/Staal. The Caps already have Brashear for that purpose
1)Word. It's why I ask questions around here.
2)Thanks for the reply.
Oh, so the NHL came down hard on Patrick Roy for his wife beating?
Ed Belfour for his drunk driving and attempted bribery of a police officer?
Kevin Stevens and his crack cocaine usage?
Caps nut: I can see issues with the Wife Beating but why come down on a drunk for doing what drunks do or addicts for doing what addicts do? Have a little compassion. Seriously, fighting on the ice is a part of the game and I think that taking the "physicality" out of the game whether it's boarding calls for clean but hard checks or all this "hullabaloo" about fighting is a mistake. LETS GO CAPS!!!!
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