Since everyone is discussing on Twitter, please let us know what you think of the Mike Green suspension. What would you have done? Here’s the Russian Machine’s Take. Lastly, if you want to help Mike Green make up for the 81k he lost due to the suspension, please buy these autographed bobbleheads from his online store for $80!. We only need 1,000 of you to buy to make it happen. Easy.
Come on, how could you suspend this guy?? (via facebook)
For raising an elbow on Michael Frolik during last night’s game against the Panthers, Mike Green will be suspended for three games [Tarik!]. The hockey powers that be in Toronto have said all season they were going to start getting tough on elbows and shots to the head, and apparently they’re starting with Canada’s best defenseman.
The angle of the shot broadcasted over CSN-DC made the hit look like nothing more than a stiff shoulder to Frolik’s dome. Seeing that view first will likely spark outrage of Caps fans, but the perspective below removes any doubt about the penalty’s provenance:
By Peter Hassett 11 years ago
Mike Green tumbles to the ice after knee-to-knee hit from Dmitry Kulikov. (Photos via AP)
It would be one thing if the Caps squeaked another narrow win to keep their 9-game streak alive. It’s another thing entirely when the Caps secure that win in another blowout and without the presence of any their typical superstar antics. The 4-1 victory over the Florida (America’s groin) Panthers is owed mostly to garbage man Mike Knuble, who continues to find ways to score that look horrible in a highlight reel. So although the streak continues, this fan’s worries abound.
Let’s get down to the nitty gritty.
By Peter Hassett 11 years ago
In lieu of ordering, just hand these to the server.
In olden times, victorious warriors would gather in the great mead halls to celebrate battles well fought. They would drink ale, swap war stories, consort with wenches, and tear into massive legs of meat. Our world today is not much different. Sports fans– proxy warriors themselves– return from high-scoring games to gather at a modestly priced, appetizer-crazy sports bar to drink diet soda, talk about the game, flirt with disinterested waitresses, and eat complimentary buffalo wings. Such is the tale tonight.
By Peter Hassett 11 years ago
Dmitri Orlov celebrates his easiest goal ever. (Screenshot of video from uralvideosport.ru)
[Ed. Note: Capitals fans, humor us. With this post, we’re just going to come out and say it: We here at RMNB are trying to build unrealistic expectations and create buckets full of hype for Capitals Defensive Prospect Dmitri Orlov. He’s currently playing over in Mother Russia in the KHL, but that hasn’t stopped us from keeping tabs on him. Fedor checks in with video of one of his more uhhh, let’s say, easy goals. Also, if you haven’t already, please check out our Getting to know Orlov Post & our post with updates on all the former Capitals Players playing in the KHL.]
Last night, I received an e-mail from my friend Evgeni Starikov, who is a huge fan of Metallurg Novokuznetsk. What did he tell me?
Basically, he gushed over Caps 2009 second-round pick and fellow Russian Dmitri Orlov and told me for maybe the 100th time that he’s been pretty awesome this season. Orlov’s been averaging 15:47 of ice time this year and has scored 4 goals already. In his last three games, he’s averaged 18:00 of ice time.
The last goal he scored was in game against Avtomobilist last night that was actually pretty funny. Please, please, please check it out the video here. (Fast forward in the video to 1:30. Orlov is #9)
Metallurg, his current club, won the match 4:0 and goalie Denis Franskevich was god awful. Orlov’s goal was the first of the night for Metallurg.
Another funny goal (not Orlov’s) came at 4:50 of the video.
Pretty nice for one of the worst teams in the KHL, isn’t it?
By 11 years ago
Semyon Varlamov and his father Alexander.
[Ed Note: Below is a translated interview between Andrei Babeshkin and Semyon Varlamov’s Father Alexander that was published earlier this morning (go here for Russian Link). In the short Q/A they talk about what we should expect from Varly in the Olympics and the oddness of 2 Samara-natives being named on the Olympics Team. Check it out.]
At the end of December, Semyon Varlamov was named one of 23 candidates for the Russian National Team for the Olympics. But I was surprised. I thought that Bykov would include Eremenko instead of Semyon because of his experience and the KHL Team he’s playing for (he’s currently coached by Bykov on Salavat Yulaev). It seems that they talked with Vladislav Tretyak and decided that they will indeed count on Varlamov.
By 11 years ago
Steve Eminger returns. No he still can't play defense. (Photos not by Stevie K)
I’ll admit it– wearing my undefeated Mean, Mean Russian Machine t-shirt tonight, I was a little worried about tonight’s game. It’s not as if the Ducks are a west coast powerhouse or that the Caps are missing players; it’s just that the streak has to break sometime. Why not tonight and against a lesser opponent, the kind the Capitals used to play down against.
It only took forty some minutes for the Capitals to wake up. The home team dominated the first period, but had only a 1-0 game to show for it. The second period was a sleepy affair, and gave the Ducks a chance to tie it up. But early in third period, the Caps reached deep into their bag of tricks and pulled out a game-winning goal from Shaone Morrisonn. Let me state that again: Shaone Morrisonn (0 goals in the last whole-bunch-of games) scored the go-ahead goal tonight. And that’s when the flood gates opened. Within less than three minutes, the Caps delivered two more notches. The Ducks tried to muster up some bluster with some good, old-fashioned hockey violence, but to no avail. Caps beat Ducks 5-1.
Bullets, anyone?
By Peter Hassett 11 years ago
Friend-of-the-blog Stevie K. is rinkside tonight at the Verizon Center. As you can see below, his seats are wicked close. He’s going to have a great view of Theo Varly Neuvi. Click on the photos to see them at full resolution! We’ll be updating this post all night long!
Warmups:
Money Seats!
By Peter Hassett 11 years ago
The period after Christmas and before the break is typically when teams struggle the most. It’s odd then that Washington Capitals have made January their most winning month. The last thing any team wants to do is peak too soon, especially before the end of the regular season. After winning seven thunderous games in a row, it’s about time the Caps come back down to Earth and mount another surge for the post-season. To ensure that, here are some injury updates:
Tonight’s game against the Anaheim Ducks (24-22-7) begins at 7 PM. Russian Machine has a correspondent on location to document. Will the goalie problems discussed above end the Caps winning streak? Will Braden Holtby submarine some dude at center ice? Will Matt Bradley (whose jersey, it seems, I must now buy) secure a hat trick? Tune in and find out.
By Peter Hassett 11 years ago
This week we’ve got a study on the age at which hockey players are at their peak (an important consideration when looking to sign a guy to a long-term contract), a look at what kind of conclusions you can draw from how a team does over various stretches of time, what it appears goalies are awarded three stars for, and a new stat based on plus-minus and Corsi.
By 11 years ago
