Opinion

Prospect Watch Extra: Caps Prospects Shine in 2011 WJC

Photo credit: BuffaloWorldJuniors.com

As we already wrote, the Caps were well represented in 2011 IIHF World Junior Championship, sporting five prospects in the tournament. Philipp Grubauer played on the weak German team and Patrick Wey had a situational role on the bronze-medal USA squad. The other three Caps prospects played in the finals and each had great success in the tournament. So what did they do in the gold medal game? Here is our look at their best moments.

(more…)

By 9 years ago

0 Comment

Introducing: Feed The Machine

One of the things we love about Russian Machine is how engaged and creative our audience (that’s you!) is. All that artwork and those guest posts are among the very best work we’ve ever published here, and we want to keep that going. So we’ve invented a new column that requires your help.

Helmed by Neil Greenberg, Feed the Machine is our version of the “Dear Abby” column, except crazier. Here’s how it works: you email us your thoughts about anything. Maybe you have a question about those impenetrable statistics (PDO, what’s that?) or an observation you’d like to share on Joe Beninati’s wardrobe. Maybe you’d like us to demystify the arcana of AHL-NHL eligibility rules. Maybe you need dating advice and it hasn’t occurred to you that we’re the worst possible people to ask. Whatever. Just drop us a line, and we’ll get back to you– by writing about it on here on the site.

The lines are open, and operators are standing by to take your call.

Let’s get it started.

(more…)

By 9 years ago

0 Comment

Last Goalie Post. Promise.

Braden Holtby, Semyon Varlamov, & Michal Neuvirth

It’s important when using statistics to make arguments or try to sway public opinion that you are not above learning something new. For me, this includes the effect of zone starts on scoring, how Corsi correlates to winning, and why scoring chances are an important metric to track. Each one helps put a player’s performance into context to try and determine the true skill level of a hockey player– both past and present. This is why I don’t change my mind, but I do make new decisions based on new information.

Take Washington’s goalies for instance. At first, I felt Michal Neuvirth deserved the right to be the “number one,” and I wasn’t wrong. He had a wonderful November and performed admirably. Then Semyon Varlamov’s groin started to heal and showed that he was ready to reclaim the number one spot– especially in the context of how he performed in different game situations.

(more…)

By 9 years ago

0 Comment

Wisdom Beyond Their Years

I believe the children are our future, so when I was at Kettler for Saturday’s practice I asked some of them, “What’s wrong with the Caps?”

“They’ve been losing.” – Sam, 7 1/2 years old

It doesn’t take decades to get wisdom, it takes seven and a half years. They have been losing. We all remember the eight game losing streak this year and through 45 games last season they only had 12 losses. This season they have 14. That’s almost 17% more, which is unacceptable. Start winning or Sam and I are looking for a new team.

(more…)

By 9 years ago

0 Comment

Not Another Goalie Post

Photo credit: Mitchell Layton

Okay, so it is another goalie post. Still here? Cool, cause nothing gets the Twitterverse popping like a Team Neuvy/Team Varly debate. Plus, there is some breaking news here on RMNB: The Greenberg Bus is now gliding along the Varly Highway. It’s no disrespect to Neuvy, as the Caps are blessed with two young, legitimately-below-average netminders, but Varly has now taken over the number one spot in my heart. How did this happen? Let me explain.

(more…)

By 9 years ago

0 Comment

Breaking Up The Band

Photo credit: Greg Fiume

Stop me if you heard this one before: Boudreau is making line changes. Not exactly Yoko and the Beatles, but it looks like Ovi and Backstrom are being split up. Again. Will it make a difference?

Tough to say. Last year the numbers suggested Backstrom needed Ovechkin way more than the reverse, but this year the numbers at even strength are not so clear.

(more…)

By 10 years ago

0 Comment

There are a lot of excuses reasons why Alex Ovechkin isn’t performing like we know the Great 8 can, but the one that really makes me scratch my head is when people say that he is “saving himself” for the playoffs.

I would have to think if a player can score goals, then he would score goals – especially if, let’s say, the team was to get mired in a prolonged non-win streak or the power play was just, well, not powerful.

(more…)

By 10 years ago

0 Comment

Could An Ovechtrick Actually Happen?

Back in October, when Alex Ovechkin used to score goals, I ran a simulation estimating his chances at getting 50 in 50. Yea, he really did score goals back then enough to inspire me to write that. The simulation had him scoring on average 42 goals (plus or minus 8 ) in an 82-game season, and while it seemed far-fetched at the time, here we are staring at a 30-goal season out of the Great 8. So why not see how absurd possible it would be for him to get the Ovechtrick.

For those of you that missed it, an Ovechtrick is a 9-goal game scored by Ovechkin. Those muckity mucks at Verizon are clever, eh?

To estimate his chances I will again use a Monte Carlo simulation to run 10,000 “games.” It starts with me using the shots on goal and shooting percentage during the regular season for Ovechkin during this season and the last two. Then I figure out how frequently these events occurred and let lady luck work her fickle magic.

(more…)

By 10 years ago

0 Comment

After a miserable eight-game losing streak, the Caps are finally starting to see some puck bounces go their way and are 5-0-1 in their last six. Good times ahead? We’ll see, but this is sure better than losing.

The scoring chances showed us this was just a matter of time. Remember, I use a specific definition of what I consider a scoring chance based on shot quality data and log everyone who is on the ice at the time using the script from Vic Ferrari. As always, you can find the spreadsheet online.

At even strength, the Caps put the scoring chances in their favor throughout the season, but when they failed to get the puck bounces to go their way it was a tough stretch of eight games. Once the bad luck started to even out, bringing their conversion percentage back to their season average, the Caps were able to right the ship:

(more…)

By 10 years ago

0 Comment

Is Defense The Key To Mathieu Perreault’s Consistency?

I wrote a WaPo article discussing the emergence of Matty P, and fat_daddyo from Japers’ Rink asked me to compare the games where Matty P records a point to the games where he doesn’t. My first thought was the chances would be the same since the Caps have been pretty consistent during the year as a whole since it was their conversion rate (goals scored off of chances) that plummeted (from ~18% to ~6%) during their losing streak.

(more…)

By 10 years ago

0 Comment

« First ‹ Previous 42 43 44 454647 48 49 50 Next ›Last »

Page 46 of 54

Prospect Watch Extra: Caps Prospects Shine in 2011 WJC

Introducing: Feed The Machine

Last Goalie Post. Promise.

Wisdom Beyond Their Years

Not Another Goalie Post

Breaking Up The Band

Can Star Players Turn It On In The Playoffs?

Could An Ovechtrick Actually Happen?

Capitals Almost Back To Normal

Is Defense The Key To Mathieu Perreault’s Consistency?