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andrebearakovsky · 6 years ago

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This Week in Caps: Week 11

Welcome to This Week in Caps, a weekly newsletter where I recap everything important that’s been going on in the world of the Washington Capitals this past week.

This Week’s Games

12/11/18 vs Detroit Red Wings, W 6-2

After a strong win in Columbus, the Caps got a huge lift, as T.J. Oshie returned to the lineup after missing 11 games due to a concussion. The Caps would be looking for another strong showing at home against the Red Wings.

And the Caps indeed got the party started early. Lars Eller got tripped just two minutes in, and the Caps converted on the ensuing power play. On the tail end, Brett Connolly tipped in a John Carlson shot to give the Caps an early 1-0 lead. Midway through the frame, the fourth line got to work. Dmitrij Jaskin skated all the way down the ice to beat the icing, passed it to Nic Dowd, who passed it to Travis Boyd, who finished off the passing play to make it 2-0. Just two minutes after that, Alex Ovechkin shot the puck way wide, but it banked in off a Red Wings player, and the Caps went up 3-0. Chandler Stephenson got a pretty breakaway, but did not end up scoring. The Caps ended the first period scoring three goals.

Ovechkin was at it again in the second period, and halfway through the frame he broke in on a two-on-one with Oshie, took the shot himself, and scored his second of the game. Thirty seconds later, Dowd got cross-checked, and the Caps got another power play. Oshie scored from his usual diamond position, and the Red Wings made a goalie change, replacing Jonathan Bernier with Jimmy Howard after the Caps went up 5-0.

The Wings got themselves on the board very early in the third; just a minute in, the Caps got a little lazy in front of their own net, and Dylan Larkin easily tucked in a rebound to make it 5-1. Then the Caps asserted themselves once more; about halfway through the period, Ovechkin took a shot from the left side that trickled through the goalie, and he scored his third of the game to make it 6-1, and the hats rained down for Ovi’s 21st career hat trick. The Red Wings scored once more with three minutes left, as Gus Nyquist capitalized on another Capitals turnover, but that was all she wrote on the scoresheet, and the Caps won 6-2.

The Caps were outshot 37-25 and had the faceoff disadvantage at 47.8%. The Caps capitalized on 2/2 power play chances and kept the Red Wings to 0/1 on theirs. Braden Holtby saved 35/37 shots.

Ovi had a dominant game, scoring his 21st career regular season hat trick. Nicklas Backstrom had a huge hand in that, collecting 4 assists on the night, assisting on every one of Ovechkin’s hat trick goals. Holtby also had an excellent game, and the fourth line (Jaskin-Dowd-Boyd) had excellent chemistry yet again.

12/14/18 @ Carolina Hurricanes, W 6-5 (SO)

The Caps got yet another welcome addition to the lineup, welcoming back Tom Wilson to the lineup after missing three games with a concussion. Strap yourselves in, this was a wild one.

And when I say wild, I mean lots of scoring. Jordan Martinook scored on a wraparound goal less than a minute in to give the Canes an early 1-0 lead. Just a few minutes later, Jonas Siegenthaler made a nifty pass to Alex Ovechkin, who bombed it home to tie the game 1-1. Later in the period, the Caps were on a power play, but they were not the ones to score. John Carlson fumbled the puck at the point, and the Canes got a two-on-nothing break, and Sebastian Aho scored on the backhand to give the Canes a 2-1 lead on a shorty.

Things got worse for the Caps before they got better. In the second period, the Canes scored two power play goals in quick succession: first Aho on a one-timer for his second, and Teuvo Teravainen in front on a wire to make it 4-1 Canes.

But then the Caps were the ones who came back. After a scramble in front, Wilson put home the rebound to make it 4-2. Then it was Ovechkin again, holding the puck in the zone, as Siegenthaler made a great play and then set a screen in front of him, then Ovi faked then scorched the puck home. Then Travis Boyd tipped in a Carlson shot, and the Caps left the second period tied, 4-4.

In the third, the Caps managed to take the lead. Ovechkin scored from his office on the power play, giving the Caps a 5-4 lead and netting his 22nd career hat trick, and his second in two games. But the lead would only last for a few minutes, as Braden Holtby hit the back of the net on a clearing attempt, and former Cap Justin Williams tucked the puck into the wide open net, and the game was tied 5-5.

This game would require overtime. There were chances both ways, though the best chance was when Matt Niskanen took a tripping penalty, and the Canes had a power play for the last ninety seconds of overtime. The Caps would survive, and the game would go to a shootout. It would go as thus: Janne Kuokkanen no goal, T.J. Oshie no goal, Jaccob Slavin no goal, Evgeny Kuznetsov no goal, Phillip Di Giuseppe no goal, Ovechkin no goal, Dougie Hamilton goal, Nicklas Backstrom goal, Justin Williams no goal, Lars Eller no goal, Brock McGinn no goal, Jakub Vrana goal. Caps win the shootout 2-1 in six rounds, and the game 6-5.

The Caps had the shots advantage 29-27, and had the faceoff disadvantage at 41.7%. The Caps converted on 1/2 power play chances, and the Canes converted on 3/6 of theirs. Holtby saved 22/27 shots.

Ovechkin had another great game, potting his 22nd career regular season hat trick, which gave him hat tricks in two straight games. Boyd also extended his goal streak to three games. Siegenthaler had a fantastic game, helping out directly on two out of three of Ovechkin’s hat trick goals, with a primary assist and some fantastic defensive work. The assist was also his first NHL point. Vrana’s game-winning shootout goal was also his first-ever shootout attempt, and his career percentage remains at 100%. On the flip side, the special teams really needs to pick it up a little.

12/15/18 vs Buffalo Sabres, W 4-3 (SO)

The Caps returned home on the second half of a back-to-back to take on one of the hottest teams in the league this season. Alex Ovechkin, the man of many hat tricks, was looking for a hat trick in a third consecutive game, something that’s never been done before.

It would be Buffalo that got on the board first; just as a Buffalo power play expired, Jack Eichel sent home the rebound on a tight angle to make it 1-0 Buffalo. But less than a minute later, the Caps took advantage of a misplay by goalie Carter Hutton; Devante Smith-Pelly ripped him off, and Brett Connolly tapped it into the empty net to tie the game 1-1. Halfway through the period, Jakub Vrana one-timed home a blistering slapshot off a pass from Evgeny Kuznetsov, and the Caps had the 2-1 lead.

The Sabres came back quickly in the second. On yet another power play, Eichel deked his way past every Cap and scored a beautiful goal to tie it 2-2. A few minutes later, again on the power play, Rasmus Dahlin came down from the point and ended up with the puck on his tape off a rebound, and he scored to restore the lead for the Sabres, 3-2.

But the Caps, specifically the Captain, would not be denied. While playing four-on-four, Ovechkin got the puck in the offensive zone and blasted home a shot to tie the game 3-3. Both goalies, Carter Hutton and Pheonix Copley, played excellently for the rest of the game. This game would go to overtime, and both teams had great chances to end it. Sam Reinhart had an empty net and hit the post in the last minute of regulation, and Kuznetsov had a breakaway in the last minute of overtime which was stopped by Hutton.

The game would go to overtime, and it proceeded as thus: T.J. Oshie no goal, Eichel no goal, Kuznetsov goal, Tage Thompson no goal, Nicklas Backstrom no goal, Casey Mittelstadt goal, Ovechkin goal, Jason Pominville no goal. The Caps win the shootout 2-1 in four rounds, and the game 4-3.

The Caps outshot the Sabres 38-29 and had the faceoff advantage at 53.4%. They were shutout on the power play 0/4, while the Sabres converted on 2/3 chances. Copley made 26/29 saves.

The game was incredibly tight and fun to watch; neither team ever got a lead larger than one goal. Ovechkin was hot yet again, and while he didn’t score a hat trick, he extended his points streak to a career-high 14 games. And yet again, the special teams needs to pick up their game. But overall, a fun game to watch. And if you want to watch Buffalo again, they’re back in town next weekend.

Current record: 20-9-3

What’s Going on in the World of the Caps

Injuries and Recalls

It was a week of good news and bad news. Two Caps made their return to the lineup this week: T.J. Oshie returned on December 11 vs Detroit, and Tom Wilson returned on December 14 in Carolina. On December 12, Brooks Orpik skated for the first time since undergoing knee surgery. No timetable yet on his return, but important progress for him. Now the bad news: after suffering an injury in the game against Detroit, it was announced that Christian Djoos will be out indefinitely after surgery on his left thigh, which he underwent successfully on Thursday. It will be a long time before he comes back. The Capitals made a corresponding move, and on December 15 they called up defenseman Tyler Lewington from the Hershey Bears. This is Lewington’s first time with an NHL club. He’ll likely spend the majority of his time sitting the bench as the extra defenseman, but there’s a chance he could get into a game or two and see NHL ice for the first time.

Siegenthaler’s First NHL Point

On December 14 in Carolina, Jonas Siegenthaler recorded his first NHL point, a primary assist on an Alex Ovechkin goal, his first of three hat trick goals that night. It is also the first NHL point for a player of Thai descent. Right after the goal, the Captain made sure to get the milestone puck for Siegenthaler. (x)

The Caps Drew Holiday Cards, and You Can Buy Them

The Capitals are now selling holiday cards. Even better: all the cards were drawn by some of the players. They are selling in packs of 12 for $20, and proceeds are going to charity. You yourself can own questionable art drawn by T.J. Oshie, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Travis Boyd, and more. Kuzy was especially proud of his. (Article, Video)

Max Scherzer at the Caps Game

Washington Nationals pitcher and three-time Cy Young award winner Max Scherzer attended the Capitals game on December 11 against the Red Wings. He and his wife Erica had great seats to a fantastic game, and when Alex Ovechkin netted a hat trick, Scherzer threw his hat onto the ice. (x) (x)

Capitals Players Host Holiday Party for DC Families

Brett Connolly, Nic Dowd, Chandler Stephenson, and Pheonix Copley hosted a holiday party at Medstar Capitals Iceplex for local families on December 12. Families were able to play hockey, get face painting, and participate in other holiday activities. Gifts, which were purchased by Caps’ and Wizards’ significant others, were distributed. (x)

Other Miscellaneous Happenings

Mini Trophies for Ovi

‘Not Going to be Suck’ Jeep

Kuzy hangs out with the Harlem Globetrotters - Video 1, Video 2, Video 3, Video 4

2018 KaBOOM! Playground Build

Oshie mailed a stick to young fan who raises money for anti-bullying

Capitals included in Google’s ‘Year in Search’ Video

Ref Night 2018 in DC

Travis Boyd took over the Caps twitter account - Video 1, Video 2

Kuzy encouraged the puck to roll down the ice during OT

Return of the butt slashes

Upcoming Events

On December 21 vs the Buffalo Sabres, the Caps will be hosting #CapsHolidayParty, a holiday theme night

December 23 is T.J. Oshie’s 32nd birthday

Player of the Week

Alex Ovechkin had a monster week. He tallied two consecutive hat tricks, and extended his career-long points streak to 14 games. Overall, this week he recorded seven goals.

Social Media Post of the Week

T.J. gets up on his high horse and tries his hand at some #math, but fails to remember that it is in fact very possible to start a game and not get a decision. (x)

Stars of the Night Season Leaderboard

Over the course of the season, I will be keeping track of the Caps stars of the night, translating them into points, and organizing them into a leaderboard.

1st star = 5 pts, 2nd star = 3 pts, 3rd star = 1 pt

1. Ovechkin — 38 2. Holtby — 26 3. Backstrom — 19 4. Kuznetsov — 17 5. Carlson — 13 6. Burakovsky — 11 7. Wilson — 9 T-8. Copley — 6 T-8. Kempny — 6 10. Orlov — 5 11. Oshie — 4 T-12. Connolly — 3 T-12. Niskanen — 3 T-12. Smith-Pelly — 3 T-15. Boyd — 2 T-15. Eller — 2 T-15. Vrana — 2

Achieved and Upcoming Milestones

Jonas Siegenthaler recorded his first NHL point with an assist in Carolina on 12/14/18

Devante Smith-Pelly recorded his 100th career NHL point vs Buffalo on 12/15/18

With his 237th career power play goal on 12/14/18 in Carolina, Alex Ovechkin became tied for 6th on the NHL all-time power play goals list, tying him with Brendan Shanahan

With a goal on 12/15/18 vs Buffalo, Alex Ovechkin extended his points streak to a career-high 14 games

Nicklas Backstrom is 1 power play goal away from taking sole possession of 5th in Caps history in power play goals

John Carlson is 2 power play goals away from being tied for 7th in Caps history in power play goals among defensemen (25)

Evgeny Kuznetsov is 4 points away from 300 career NHL points

Dmitry Orlov is 3 games away from 400 career games played

T.J. Oshie is 3 goals away from 200 career NHL goals

Madison Bowey is searching for his first NHL goal

Next Week’s Upcoming Games

12/19/18 vs Pittsburgh Penguins (8 PM) 12/21/18 vs Buffalo Sabres (7 PM) 12/22/18 @ Ottawa Senators (7 PM)

#washington capitals #this week in caps #caps newsletter #original post #my stuff #2018-19 season

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matshoemels · 6 years ago

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14. things you said after you kissed me for steno

Rating: Teen and Up.

Steno + 14. things you said after you kissed me.

Sets right after the previous Steno prompt.

Also, #sorrykevin.

Before he got on a plane in a hasty decision, the only aim Marc had in his mind about his trip was to see his boyfriend. He just wanted to spend some quality time with him, and hopefully, get rid of the anger he inwardly carried with him since the game in a rather too pleasant way. You know, the usual stuff they busy themselves during a mid-week escapade like that. Considering they have only 36 hours, Marc didn’t have anything else in his mind.

He should admit though, the unusually warm weather in Cologne is a great bonus for him. Barcelona has been oddly cold during the whole spring, so the extra sunshine he’s benefiting in the backyard of Bernd’s house is more than a satisfactory addition to his trip. Of course, his boyfriend’s sole presence on his chest is doing the whole trick for him. Bernd in his arms, their limbs are tangled, heartbeats are synchronized, and his lover’s entire body is collapsed on top of him. Marc wouldn’t care about the sun this much if he were in Barcelona all alone, but with Bernd, it’s simply a blessing.

Marc hugs Bernd tighter instinctively, trying to make the most of the minutes he gets to spend side by side with him. He lifts his head a little up from the makeshift bed they did under the shadow of the oak tree Bernd has in his garden, and plants the most innocent kiss on his head.

(Considering what they were doing just fifteen minutes ago and how they’re still fully naked outside in broad daylight, it may have not be the most innocent kiss ¸ but still.)

Bernd stirs a little after that, as if he’s trying to make sure that all of his body is in direct contact with Marc’s. Marc can feel his boyfriend’s fingertips running up and down on his arms, legs, ribs, spine, or to be fair, on any part of his body where he can reach.

Marc wants to open his mouth and tell Bernd that if he continues to do things like that, there’s no way on earth that he can leave him and go back to Barcelona to play some more lousy, meaningless games. But everything around them feels so serene and comfortable that he doesn’t have the heart to ruin their moment.

“Shit. Shit shit shit shiiiit… SHIIIIIT!” Bernd exclaims in that very moment, and stands up as if he’s been electrocuted.

“What’s going on?” Marc asks with a puzzled expression on his face. He straightens himself up to find the t-shirt he had discarded thirty seconds after they reached to Bernd’s house.

“Today is the announcement day, how did we forget?”

It takes fifteen seconds for Marc to understand what his boyfriend meant by “announcement day”, and once he fully grasps the urgency of the matter, and panics way more than Bernd did minutes ago.

“Shit, did you get a call? Did I get a call?” he jumps from his seat to search for their phones. “What if they did and we didn’t hear our phones?”

Bernd joins him to look for their phones, and after five minutes of searching and swearing and yelling at nothing in particular, they find what they’ve been looking dumped somewhere in the living room.

“No calls,” Marc states with a clear disappointment. “You?”

His counterpart sighs in return, shakes his head to indicate that he definitely shares Marc’s disappointment. “No calls. And apparently all the others got their calls. See,” he lifts his phone up to show their WhatsApp group chat to Marc.

Marc sinks into the sofa, and just wishes to turn into ashes like half of the universe’s population did in that movie him and Bernd watched a few weeks ago.

“Maybe they wanted us to find out on TV this time,” Bernd says while sitting next to him on the sofa, he definitely doesn’t believe what he just said, but anyway.

“Everyone got calls. Why would they do that now?”

Bernd pulls Marc in close and holds him tight on his chest, and this time, it’s him who gives the other a head kiss. “Because they’re assholes?”

Marc doesn’t respond to that, instead he just focuses on Bernd’s hand in between his.

“I wonder who got selected instead of us, and like, I’m trying to come up with three goalkeepers from Germany who is better than you and me,” Marc finally says. “and… I know it’s arrogant of me to say that but, like right now, there’s no one else?”

“Well, maybe Manu is magically healed by a fairy who grants Löw’s wishes?”

“Okay but how about the remaining two?” Marc asks. “I was so sure that we’d definitely get selected.”

“Loris and Kevin? Or maybe Kevin and Ulreich? Maybe Loris and Ulreich? I don’t know.”

Marc snorts at all three possible scenarios and gets up to turn the TV on.

“What are you doing, babe?” Bernd asks.

“Well I wanna see who got our spots.”

Andi’s giving an interview about how hard it was to decide on a squad of 27 and how they were up all night having arguments. “Traitor,” Marc mumbles to the TV and then looks up to poke Bernd’s dimples.

“Wanna bet on who’ll be selected?”

“Hmm,” Bernd says while using the opportunity to sneak a kiss from him. “Winner gets to top during our obligatory grief-sex?”

“I like how that kinky mind of yours is working, Leno.” He grins at his boyfriend, though his mood is still visibly down.

“Okay. My bet is that it’s Manu, Ulreich, and Kevin.”

“Mine is Manu, Ulreich, and Loris,” says Marc.

Bernd rolls his eyes at Marc’s bet, because his boyfriend is a huge goofball who definitely doesn’t understand the shenanigans inside their national team.

“Loris will never make it, Marc, because of… you know, his thing. There’s no way they’ll select him no matter what he does.”

Marc’s about to open his mouth to lecture Bernd about not being this pessimist all the damn time and believing that some people might change their opinions, but his intentions are abandoned when he hears the intro music indicating that the announcement is about to begin.

“Well, guess we’ll just wait and see. As if we’re still in the U21s,” Bernd says with a grim voice. “Man, this is humiliating.”

The announcement video is started with the title, and the first person on the screen is Loris Karius, who is literally a baby compared to them. “Guess it’s you who gets to top tonight, babe,” Bernd says while he’s turning to his left to look at Marc. “It’s good that I already got eno-”

“Shh, Bernd, look, look at this,” Marc interrupts him. He’s pointing to the screen frantically at the same time and hitting Bernd on his arm at the same time.

“Are you out of your mind? What’s wron…. Oh shit.”

It’s Bernd himself on the screen, making some pretentious tricks with a football like how they wanted him to do when they were shooting those incredibly stupid publicity stuff.

For a while he’s unable to react about this, unable to say anything. If you ask him later about how he felt when he first found out that he is nominated, he definitely won’t be able to give a proper answer.

The slideshow is continuing while he’s completely frozen, and he barely realises that Neuer is also nominated. And after Neuer, it’s the man sitting next to him is on the screen, effortlessly being cute while kicking the ball around.

“Oh thank god,” Marc lets out the breath he’s been holding since they saw Bernd is been nominated. He closes his eyes for a moment to calm his nerves, and when he opens them, Bernd is sitting on his lap with the biggest grin on his face. “We’re going to Russia,” he whispers.

He leans in for a kiss, and Marc gladly accepts and meets Bernd in halfway. It doesn’t take long for what started as a calm and innocent kiss to become a heated make-out session, open mouthed and with teeth and tongues everywhere, making them both breathless and gasping for air.

Even when they finally draw apart to get the air they both annoyingly need, Bernd continues to pepper tiny little kisses on every inch of Marc’s face. Then, he stops altogether and cups Marc’s face with his adorably tiny hands as if he’s going to kiss him once more. Instead, Bernd just leans so close to his ear that he can feel his breath in his ear canal.

“Мы едем в Россию, любим,” he whispers.

Marc startles after that, looking at Bernd with wide eyes as if he just told him the secrets of the universe or something equally important like that. Of course he knows that Bernd speaks Russian to an extent, but that bastard never used the language in his vicinity before. He caught him completely off-guard like that, and wow, Marc would’ve never guessed he’d feel this hot-and-bothered by a single sentence in a language he definitely doesn’t know.

“You’re so hot when you’re speaking Russian, Leno,” he says in between kisses. “Don’t ever speak in German ever again, it’s so hot.”

Bernd giggles at his desperation as if it’s the funniest thing ever, and Marc’s so damn sure that there’s nothing more beautiful in the whole universe than the sound of Bernd’s happiness.

He’s about to suggest that they should continue their celebration in the bedroom, but they both received a message at the same time.

Group Chat created by Andi Köpke

Andi Köpke added Manu Neuer, Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Bernd Leno, and Loris Karius

Andi Köpke: u guys liked my surprise??? Hahahaha

I bet you all thought “ahhh man I didn’t get selected life is terrible”

Guess what boys waking up with blue hair was also terrible.

….

Btw sorry Karius you’re just a collateral damage in this.

“I hate him,” Marc only says. “I mean we’d be long dead without him and I actually do love him, but also I hate him.”

End notes:

- Apparently Bernd Leno knows Russian, it’s something I recently found out so I wanted to include this in a fic as well.

- “Мы едем в Россию, любим” (My yedem v Rossiyu, lyubim) means “We’re going to Russia, love”.

- Sorry Kevin, but I bend the truth a little to fit my babiest blond goalie into the squad. #sorrykevin, but also #sorrynotthatsorrykevin.

#steno #marc andré ter stegen #bernd leno #side reference to QQ #sorry anon I know it took me like a month to write this #hope you're still out there #lemme know what you think if you read this

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junker-town · 6 years ago

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Ranking all 23 USWNT players by how important they are to winning the World Cup

Everyone’s good, but a handful of stars will be counted on to perform at their best.

The United States women’s national team has released its 23-player roster for the World Cup, and it contains a handful of surprises. Allie Long, Ali Krieger, Morgan Brian and Jessica McDonald have all found call-ups tough to come by over the past year, but found their way into Jill Ellis’ final squad.

But those players are the ones who are least likely to play a big part in the USWNT’s campaign in France. Ellis has settled on a core of starters and key bench players ahead of them, and unless things go south for any of those players very soon, we can predict who’s going to be counted on to deliver results at the World Cup.

Here’s every player on the roster, ranked in order of importance to the team.

First up, the stars

These are the players who are locked in as starters when healthy, and who Ellis knows she can count on to perform.

1. Tobin Heath, RW

If you are revisiting the USWNT for the first time in a while, you may remember Heath as a player with a lot of tricks and little end product. That’s changed dramatically over the past three seasons, and Heath is now the attacker the USWNT counts on most. She’s coming off a 7 goal, 7 assist campaign for Portland Thorns and has scored 10 USWNT goals since the start of 2018.

Why she’s key: Tekkers

OK, but the tricks are awesome though. Heath is often left out on an island with little support, which means she has to do something crazy to create scoring opportunities for her team. Her ability to make something out of nothing is why she’s the most important player on the team.

2. Lindsey Horan, CM

Horan is still just 24, so her NWSL MVP campaign felt like the start of a rise to superstardom, rather than her peak. The only question is whether Ellis can get the best out of her. She gets into shooting positions a lot more often for Portland Thorns than she does for the USWNT.

Why she’s key: Everything

In addition to being an immovable tank of a midfielder who won the ball 321 times last season — 118 times more than any other player!!! — Horan is a slick passer and regularly bangs in goals from 25 yards out.

3. Julie Ertz, DM

If you like watching high work rate players who show up everywhere on the field, you’ll really like Ertz. She was a center back — and a great one — at the last World Cup, but she was moved into midfield a couple of years ago. But no matter what position she plays, she’s always a huge threat to score on set pieces.

Why she’s key: Messing people up

While Horan wins the ball back a lot, she accomplishes it mostly by being stronger than her opponents and casually shouldering people off the ball. Ertz is stylistically the opposite: she flies into challenges and wins the ball in the most dramatic way possible. And she does it A LOT.

4. Alex Morgan, ST

Morgan just tallied her 100th career national team goal, in case anyone had any doubts about where she stands in the hierarchy of all-time great international strikers. But her role in this USWNT isn’t all about scoring goals.

Why she’s key: Off the ball work

Generally, goal-scorers of Morgan’s caliber don’t take kindly to being asked to take up a role that features a lot more dirty work than trying to get on the end of service into the box. But Morgan runs her ass off all game to make life easier for her teammates, and regularly gets the pass before the assist. The non-scoring aspects of her game are wildly under-appreciated.

5. Megan Rapinoe, LW

After an ACL tear limited her at the 2016 Olympics, very few people thought Megan Rapinoe would still be this good at 33. But she’s playing the best soccer of her life, and she’s a locked-in starter despite younger, faster challengers for her spot.

Why she’s key: Big goals and assists

Morgan and Horan do all the stuff that isn’t very fun or flashy so that Rapinoe can shine. Her teammates sacrifice and create space for her because she always delivers.

6. Becky Sauerbrunn, CB

The former best defender in the world has not quite been that for the past three years, but she’s still excellent. The USWNT don’t need her to be the 2015 version of herself to win the World Cup, but they’ll still need her to step up her game a bit from where it’s been recently.

Why she’s key: Leadership

As by far the most experienced player in the defensive unit, it’ll be on Sauerbrunn to call the shots and organize her team. This is especially crucial given that Ertz doesn’t play like a traditional holding midfielder and is asked to play very aggressively, which often leaves the USWNT defense to make some tough plays in space.

7. Kelley O’Hara, RB/LB

Once an elite winger, O’Hara’s late-career transition to fullback has gone extremely well. She’s as good going forward as any fullback in the world, and she didn’t take long to become a great one-on-one defender out wide either.

Why she’s key: Lack of depth

For various reasons (bad youth player pool management, Jill Ellis’ stubbornness, Jaelene Hinkle’s homophobia), the USWNT is very thin at fullback. Whenever O’Hara’s been hurt, Ellis has gone through a cavalcade of completely unsuitable replacements. If she can’t go 90 minutes in every game that has stakes, the USWNT is in trouble.

Starters with question marks

We’re being a bit harsh — the USWNT has been the best team in the world for a couple of years now — but four of the starters give Ellis some reason for concern.

8. Crystal Dunn, LB/UT

It makes me mad that the best attacker in NWSL is the USWNT’s left back, but this ship sailed a while ago and it’s too late to make a change. For better or worse, world class attacking midfielder Crystal Dunn is going to be playing left back at the World Cup.

Why she’s key: Versatility

If the USWNT is in a situation where their back line isn’t being threatened and they really need a goal, they have the option of shifting Dunn into any attacking position. She’s like a game-changing sub, except she’s already on the field.

Big question: Can she defend elite wingers?

That Dunn can play left back at a competent level at all is incredible, and she doesn’t deserve any criticism for getting beat by world class attackers. But the USWNT is depending on her to contain world class attackers, so uhh... she’s gonna have to figure out how to do that.

9. Alyssa Naeher, GK

The post-Hope Solo era has been shaky at best, but Naeher is still a very capable goalkeeper. Her superb performances at club level suggest that her USWNT issues are more down to the defensive structure in front of her than any deficiencies she has, but no one is going to care about that if she lets in some bad goals.

Why she’s key: Even the best team needs a goalie sometimes

The USWNT will out-shoot almost all of its opponents by a huge margin, but they’re not going to hold anyone to zero shots on target.

Big question: Can she make the right decisions coming off her line?

Naeher’s shot-stopping and aerial claims have been excellent, but she’s been shaky when faced with a decision about whether or not to close down aggressively. Her recognition just hasn’t been quick enough for the national team.

10. Abby Dahlkemper, CB

On a dominant club team with a box midfield in front of her, Dahlkemper looks like a world class defender. At national team level, on a team that leaves a lot more space in front of her, she looks more average. Hopefully that changes?

Why she’s key: Sauerbrunn needs cover

Becky Sauerbrunn is not slow, but she’s not as fast as she was four years ago. And even then, Julie Ertz was the one doing most of the running. Dahlkemper will need to cut out the passes that go behind the defense into space.

Big question: Is she the starter?

All signs point to Dahlkemper getting the nod over youngster Tierna Davidson at the moment, but don’t be too shocked if Ellis makes a change.

11. Rose Lavelle, CM

There’s no one in the USWNT who’s more exciting to watch with the ball at her feet than Rose Lavelle. Unfortunately, she’s on the physio table more often than she’s on the field.

Why she’s key: Creativity

Lavelle’s ability to dribble at full speed, pick an early through ball, or play a creative backheel are second-to-none, and that’s why Ellis persists with putting her in the lineup despite her fitness problems.

Big question: Can she stay fit?

Sorry, I know, the horse is dead, I will stop beating it now.

Key bench players

These players aren’t in Ellis’ starting lineup right now, but they’re certain to make a big impact at the World Cup.

12. Christen Press, ST/UT

The biggest deficiency in Press’ game is that she’s not quite as good as Alex Morgan. Unlucky.

What she brings off the bench: Speed

I can’t imagine getting beat to hell by the work rate and physicality of Morgan, Horan and Ertz, then seeing a track star like Press enter the game in the 60th minute. My legs hurt thinking about trying to play against this team.

Why she’s not starting: Consistency

There isn’t a higher-ceiling player in this team than Press. Her best games are as good as anything Marta or Abby Wambach ever produced. Unfortunately, she’s never done it against a top team two games in a row.

13. Sam Mewis, CM

Other players rack up the goals and assists, but the key to North Carolina Courage’s NWSL success is Mewis. It’s a testament to the USWNTs depth that a coach can even consider not starting her.

What she brings off the bench: Complete CM play

Ertz and Lavelle both have one elite skill, and Horan has the potential to be the best midfielder in the world, but the most well-rounded midfielder in the pool is Mewis. If you were to give her a grade at every aspect of midfield play, you wouldn’t give her worse than an A- at anything.

Why she’s not starting: Lmao you tell me man

The thing I disagree with Ellis most about is not finding a place for Mewis in her starting XI. I’d sacrifice just about anything to have my most balanced midfielder in the team.

14. Tierna Davidson, CB

Davidson left Stanford early to turn pro and prepare for this World Cup, and she already has 19 caps at just 20 years old. And in those 19 caps, she’s proven that she’s one of the best defenders in the country and deserves her spot.

What she brings off the bench: More physical tools than the starters

There are a lot of great athletes in college soccer. It was Davidson’s brain and technical skills that allowed her to make the step up. But she’s also faster and more agile than the players she’s competing for time against, which could prove very useful.

Why she’s not starting: She’s played 2 pro soccer games

Davidson is a very mature 20-year-old, but yeah, she’s 20.

15. Carli Lloyd, ST/AM

If you last engaged with The Carli Lloyd Experience by watching her score a hat trick in the World Cup final, I regret to inform you that some things have changed.

What she brings off the bench: A direct goal threat

The USWNT has shifted towards developing and selecting a lot of crafty, technical, tricky players. That’s a good thing. But sometimes you need to switch things up, and Lloyd has a one-track mind. She goes for goal.

Why she’s not starting: A lot of reasons tbh

Besides being 36, Lloyd hasn’t played well at club level since the World Cup. She’s also just always been more of a mega-clutch athlete than someone who’s really good at playing soccer.

16. Mallory Pugh, LW/RW

Pugh may eternally be a teenager in your brain, but she’s 21 now and has 50 (!!!) national team caps. She hasn’t delivered on her early promise yet, mostly because she was playing for a very bad club manager, but she’s still a great impact sub.

What she brings off the bench: Dribble dribble dribble dribble

Along the same lines as what Press does, Pugh often comes in for Rapinoe to make the opposing fullback have to deal with a different type of winger. Instead of looking for early through balls and diagonals, Pugh runs right at people.

Why she’s not starting: Rapinoe and Heath are too good

Her time will come soon enough.

Fringe players

You probably won’t see a lot of these players on the field, but you will see people on the internet arguing that someone else should have made the roster ahead of them.

17. Allie Long, DM

Long has been on the outside looking in for the past year, but was named to the roster in place of other players that Ellis has selected ahead of her recently. Not sure how that happened!

What she brings off the bench: She’s the only real holding player

For most of her national career, Long has been a box-to-box midfielder miscast as a holding player. But she finally got really good at playing as a holding midfielder (shouts to Vlatko Andonovski). The USWNT doesn’t really have a proper one of those, so she gives Ellis a different look.

Why she’s not starting: The other midfielders are just better

No shade, Long is a good player, but four other midfielders are better.

Who she beat out and why: McCall Zerboni

The “why” is presumably that Zerboni is similar stylistically to Ertz, and Ellis wanted a different kind of player. But Zerboni has been one of the best players in NWSL for the past three years straight, is the emotional leader behind the success of the Courage, and wants you to know that we are fucking winners. She should be on the team.

18. Jessica McDonald, ST

Forwards are egomaniacs by nature. And if you’re a forward good enough to make the USWNT, you probably don’t like coming off the bench. But McDonald has been the best substitute striker in NWSL for the league’s entire existence, so she’s a great choice to reprise that role for the national team.

What she brings off the bench: Energy

No one’s better at getting up to full speed right off the bench than McDonald, and giving a team 90 minutes of effort in 30 minutes of game time. She might be even more dangerous than Press in this respect.

Why she’s not starting: Playing for NC Courage appears to earn you a demerit

Mewis isn’t starting, Dunn has to play left back, Zerboni and Lynn Williams didn’t make the team, and Merritt Matthias didn’t seem to be seriously considered despite the lack of options at fullback. Ellis doesn’t seem to think Courage players can perform at the same level when they leave the Paul Riley Cult Commune.

Who she beat out and why: Savannah McCaskill

McCaskill had an unbelievable NWSL offseason campaign in Australia, but she also got hurt during it, and she didn’t get a chance to show her best at Sky Blue FC last season. You’ll get to see more of her soon.

19. Emily Sonnett, CB/RB

While Emily Sonnett is the undisputed MVP of posting, she’s the unheralded fourth defender on this squad.

What she brings off the bench: No-nonsense defending

Every team needs a defender who just Does Their Job, and that’s Sonnett. It’s also very helpful that she can play center back or right back.

Why she’s not a starter: Good question!

Sonnett has been excellent for the Thorns. There’s not really a clear argument for or against her starting over Dahlkemper or Davidson. They’re all about as good as each other, but Sonnett is a clear fourth on Ellis’ depth chart.

Who she beat out and why: She didn’t really have any competition

While Ellis has rotated in a lot of fringe players to try out for every other spot on the roster, center back has been set in stone for a year.

20. Morgan Brian, CM

Hello there, hero of the 2015 World Cup. We didn’t expect to see you here. Brian’s been really good for the Chicago Red Stars since she returned to NWSL, but up until this point, she appeared to be out of Ellis’ plans. Her call-up is a pleasant surprise.

What she brings off the bench: Smooth touch

Like Long, Brian is here because she’s stylistically different from the starters. She’s the smoothest on the ball of the American midfielders, and is a great player to bring in if you want to kill off a game.

Why she’s not a starter: Chronic injuries

When Brian almost singlehandedly turned around the USWNT at the last World Cup just a few months out of college, she was expected to become a superstar. Unfortunately, she’s had at least one bad injury per year since then.

Who she beat out and why: Andi Sullivan

While a bad coach and club season did not cost Lavelle and Pugh their spots on this team, it was the primary factor behind Sullivan not having a chance to prove herself. She already looks much better for the Spirit, though, and she’ll be back on the USWNT in no time.

21. Ali Krieger, RB

Hello there, REALLY did not expect to see you here! Krieger has been inexplicably exiled from the USWNT over the past two seasons in favor of whatever random player Ellis could dig up to play right back instead. It was very bizarre. Finally, Ellis has swallowed her pride and admitted she needs Krieger.

What she brings off the bench: She’s an actual right back

Dunn and O’Hara are converted wingers, and Sonnett primarily plays center back, but Krieger is an honest to god right back. Sometimes it’s good to have one of those.

Why she’s not a starter: She’s an actual right back

At fullback, Ellis wants converted wingers who bomb forward and contribute in attack more than she wants defenders. Krieger isn’t bad going forward, but she’s no O’Hara or Dunn.

Who she beat out and why: Casey Short

Short has been very good for Chicago and can play right and left back, but she contributes even less going forward than Krieger does, which is probably what cost her a spot.

22. Ashlyn Harris, GK

I haven’t checked, but I assume Ashlyn Harris is the reigning NWSL Save of the Week winner. Much to the annoyance of her fans, she is still Naeher’s backup.

What she brings off the bench: Elite shot stopping

Harris certainly has her detractors (me), but none of them can say anything against her shot-stopping abilities. Her highlight plays are more spectacular than anyone else’s. She makes saves that no one else can.

Why she’s not a starter: Big errors

She also fumbles the ball into her own net about twice as often as anyone who we could reasonably call an elite goalkeeper.

Who she beat out and why: Jane Campbell

Campbell has been on a USWNT contract for the last couple years, and she was very good for Houston Dash last season. But Harris has never lost her spot on the depth chart despite shaky club form, and Campbell wasn’t as good as...

23. Adrianna Franch, GK

Winning NWSL goalkeeper of the year two seasons in a row will apparently get you on the plane to France, but not much else.

What she brings off the bench: Big plays off her line

As far as we can tell, Franch is the third keeper, so she won’t be getting off the bench at all. But if she does play: She’s way better at coming off her line quickly and making clearances than Naeher or Harris.

Why she’s not a starter: Inertia

Naeher became the starter before Franch started playing like the best keeper in the pool, and she hasn’t been bad enough to lose her place. The USWNT is like Ivy League schools: It’s hard to get in, but once you’re in, you stay in.

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yahoo-puck-daddy-blog · 7 years ago

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Stanley Cup odds, Sidney Crosby and David Pastrnak (Puck Daddy Countdown)

(In which Ryan Lambert takes a look at some of the biggest issues and stories in the NHL, and counts them down.)

8 – Jeremy Roenick

Nice to occasionally be reminded that nothing will ever be less surprising than Jeremy Roenick, who has as many Cups as I do, being a MAGA CHUD.

You can always count on this guy for the worst opinions on everything. Why should a BLM protest be any different?

7 – Remember that time Gretzky got traded?

Yes. Can we please not talk about it literally every Aug. 9? I know this year’s anniversary was a big one: ….. 29?

Good lord, get over it.

6 – The passage of time

The idea that Sidney Crosby is somehow already 30 years old is, to me, repugnant.

I understand this is how time and aging works, but it really does seem like just yesterday he came into the league, right? Part of the issue is that he had a few lost seasons in his mid-20s — these were his primest-of-prime years, and based on the blistering pace at which he was scoring, the lost games probably shaved between 170 and 190 points off his career total. Imagine if he’d hit 1,000 career points two-plus years before he did?

But man, the idea that we’re now much closer to the end of Sidney Crosby’s career than the start of it is a bummer. It’s great he’s getting all the recognition that comes with winning two straight Cups, but it’s weird to think about: When we talk about “players on the wrong side of 30” that now includes the player who has been the best in the league almost since he came into it 12 years ago.

Hell, I’ve been writing on a regular basis about guys being too old to play in the league any more since forever, and they’re starting to be younger than me.

Davos Seaworth was right about time, I gotta tell ya. I hope Crosby plays until he’s 40 just so I don’t have to really, truly face my own mortality for another decade.

5 – Stanley Cup odds

Earlier this week we got more Stanley Cup odds, via Westgate. No surprise here, but the Penguins led the way at 6:1 favorites. Right behind them? The Oilers at 9:1. Not sure I get that one.

Then things got weird in a hurry: Tampa, Washington, Chicago, and Minnesota were 12:1. Do any of those make a lot of sense to you? Tampa maybe, but Washington and Chicago are bound for a good-sized step back, and Minnesota, well, let’s see them win one playoff round before we say they’re tied for third (even if I like their summer).

Toronto and Nashville are next at 14:1, which I buy on both counts. I think this might actually be a little pessimistic, in fact. But tied with them are Anaheim and Dallas, which I’m gonna pass on.

The Habs and Rangers are next, at 16:1, which I guess feels right. Then San Jose and Los Angeles come in at 20:1.

While I won’t go through the whole list, I will say this: If those are the 14 teams with the highest point totals in the league next year — not necessarily in that order, obviously — that feels just about right.

After that, the odds get a little wonky. The Blues and Flames have the same odds? The Panthers’ odds are better than all the Metro teams not listed above? Yeah, okay.

4 – Ranking the wings

Speaking of rankings, and since we’re in August, why not: Let’s make fun of the NHL Network’s latest list of player rankings.

This time they did all wingers, 1-20, and the list was, well… it was better than last week’s goalie list.

And the Top 20 Wings Right Now are…#NHLTopPlayers pic.twitter.com/JDQEV17bmd

— NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) August 14, 2017

Tough to argue with Patrick Kane at No. 1. Vladimir Tarasenko seems a bit low at No. 4. Joe Pavelski got the kind of “he’s a center who plays wing” love that Leon Draisaitl inexplicably did not, and anyway he’s not the seventh-best winger in the sport. Not sure how you keep Filip Forsberg at just 14. Taylor Hall’s entirely too low as well.

The thing that got people really upset, for some reason, was the idea that Brad Marchand, coming off his second straight season of more than 37 goals and being an elite possession player for half a decade at this point, is somehow better than Jamie Benn. I not only see the argument, but I 100 percent agree with it.

Once Marchand started getting power play time in Boston two years ago — something Benn has always enjoyed in Dallas — his production took off. Weird how that works out. Obviously, the argument in Benn’s favor is that he has 324 points in his last 324 regular-season games, including winning a scoring title in 2014-15. Tough to argue with that kind of production over a four-year period, during which time Marchand is well below a point a game.

But I think if you look carefully at the list, you can see they probably looked at the last three seasons total but weighted the most recent one more heavily, which is fair enough. And in that season, ah look, Marchand had 13 more goals and 16 more points than did Benn. Add in the huge CF% impact Marchand had for his club, and has had for years and years, and it’s no surprise why they put him ahead of Benn.

(And before you start saying, “Well anyone can look good playing with Patrice Bergeron!” you’ll have to guess who Benn’s most common teammate was this season. I’ll give you a hint: It was perennial NHL All-Star Tyler Seguin.)

Anyway, Marchand is absolutely a top-three or four winger in the world at this point. Anyone arguing otherwise is still mad about low-bridges from five years ago.

And while we’re on the subject of Bruins first-liners…

3 – Not-trading David Pastrnak

Here’s the thing about that “The Bruins’ negotiations with David Pastrnak are going sideways and they might trade him” rumor: That always seemed very unlikely. Former agents who post that kind of thing, well, it always strikes me as being a rumor started on the player’s side. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but it’s all leveraging and politics and so on.

Now, with that having been said, here’s the other thing about that “The Bruins’ negotiations with David Pastrnak are going sideways and they might trade him” rumor: For no other franchise in the league would such a rumor be remotely believable. But this is the Bruins we’re talking about.

In chronological order:

In 2005, they traded Joe Thornton, when he was 26.

In 2007, they traded Kris Versteeg, when he was 21.

In 2009, they traded Phil Kessel when he was 22.

In 2011, they traded Blake Wheeler, when he was 23.

In 2013, they traded Tyler Seguin, when he was 21.

In 2015, they traded Dougie Hamilton, when he was 21.

Man, that’s a lot of star players (plus Versteeg, who’s been a useful depth piece forever), almost all traded for negative value during or before their primes, all in consecutive odd-numbered years — fun coincidence — for a decade-plus. And of those trades, only Thornton’s and Wheeler’s were mid-season.

So it’s an odd-numbered year again, and they have a 21-year-old star-in-the-making (he had 70 points last season, people forget that). Then a rumor crops up that he might get traded? You might still take that with a grain of salt, but it’d have to be an awful large grain. Just because, man, look at that track record.

Turns out, it wasn’t in the Bruins’ plans. Or at least, that’s what Don Sweeney said when asked about it. Of course, they might have said the same thing about Hamilton. Or Seguin. Or Wheeler. Or Kessel.

2 – The KHL

Big week for the KHL in signing a bunch of, ahem, NHLers. Okay, the fact that they’re gonna hold on to wild uber-prospect Kirill Kaprizov for another three years is good for them because it seems like Kaprizov is a player.

But these other guys: Marek Mazanec! Dwight King! Maybe Brandon Prust!

This is what we’re gonna see in the Olympics. These are top-six forwards and starting goalies without the NHL. Ah jeez.

1 – PHIL!

No one in this sport has ever deserved happiness as much as Phil Kessel, a cancer survivor who spent years being constantly derided by a bunch of know-nothing dumbasses because he was the best player on a bad team, but who has since won two straight Stanley Cups being the fourth-best player on a very good team.

Let us hope the hot dog thing, which was maybe the lowest, most cowardly — and factually inaccurate! — attack on his character and work ethic of his tenure in Toronto, never goes away in his mind. I hope he has pictures of hot dogs taped up in his locker and around his home, to remind him always that the bastards want to grind you down.

Laugh and be happy, Phil!

Meanwhile, Steve Simmons was able to soldier through a crybaby radio appearance about it despite his current status as a huge corn cob.

(Not ranked this week: Not signing Jagr.

Here’s an idea I can cotton to: Jagr doesn’t sign with an NHL team right away. Slums it in Europe for a few months. Plays in the Olympics. Signs a pro-rated deal after the Olympics and helps some contender as what is effectively a deadline pickup. Wins a Cup. Refuses to retire.)

—

Ryan Lambert is a Puck Daddy columnist. His email is here and his Twitter is here.

(All statistics via Corsica unless otherwise noted.)

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caniacwrites · 4 years ago

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NHL Playoff Preview - East Play-in Matchup 3/4: CAR vs NYR

Hello, and welcome back to my series preview each of the upcoming matchups for the qualifying round of the 2020 NHL playoffs! Today, we’re taking a gander at the third matchup in the Eastern Conference, the Carolina Hurricanes vs the New York Rangers.

So here we are: the write-up I’ve simultaneously been looking forward to and dreading. I feel like I should include a disclaimer here, that I grew up in Raleigh and I’ve been a Hurricanes fan all my life. I’m going to try to be as unbiased as possible (while also not overcompensating so much that I end up conveying an opposite bias), but it’s a tricky balance to strike. Also, by dint of being a Canes fan, there’s also the simple fact that I know more about Carolina than I do any other team, so I’ll likely end up giving them more focus. Still, I’ll do my best to keep it relatively even.

Ok, so first off, there’ve been a lot of jokes being made about how Carolina was one of two teams to vote against the Return to Play plan as it was proposed, that they did that because they were scared of playing against the Rangers. There was more to it than that, which I won’t go into here, but also... the joke works because it’s kind of true.

The Canes have lost 19 of their last 20 games at Madison Square Garden including both this year, en route to dropping all 4 games of the season series against the Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist has been a Cane-Killer his entire career, and unfortunately, his two young protegées Alex Georgiev and Igor Shesterkin both seem to have inherited that trait from him. So many of the Hurricanes’ recent losses to New York that I can remember were almost single-handedly won by the Rangers’ goaltender, whoever it happened to be on that particular night. And in the playoffs, running up against a hot goalie is a death sentence.

New York

Of course, the Rangers have a lot else to talk about, too. FA signing from Columbus Artemi Panarin is easily a leading candidate for the Hart with his 63 assists - tied for 2nd in the league with Connor McDavid - and 95 points. He’s shattered his previous career high by 8 points in 10 fewer games, and was on track to record 110+ in a full-length season. Mika Zibanejad has benefitted enormously from playing with Panarin, also setting a new career high in points in 25 fewer games. He’s also one of just five players in the NHL to score 40+ goals.

Panarin and Zibanejad may be the superstars, but their lineup isn’t top-heavy. The Rangers have seven players who have scored at least 40 points - two of whom are defensemen, Adam Fox and Tony DeAngelo - and four who have at least 50. Chris Kreider and Pavel Buchnevich, two speedy, strong forwards, both had great seasons, and will need to continue to be key factors for the Rangers to make a deep playoff run.

New York is still a pretty young lineup, though, and it remains to be seen if they can buckle down and play playoff hockey. If they want to succeed, they’re going to need a little more depth production from guys like 2019 2nd overall pick Kaapo Kakko and Philip Chytil.

Carolina

Like the Rangers, the Hurricanes also have a good balance of point-producing stars and bottom 6 depth. Sebastian Aho finished the shortened season with a career-high 38 goals in 68 games, up from 30 in the full 82 game season last year. If not for the virus can cancellation, he would’ve easily eclisped 40 and likely even gotten to at least 45. Even so, he was tied for 20th in the NHL in points and tied for 6th in goals.

Aho’s fellow Finn Teuvo Teravainen has also continued to be a consistent producer with 63 points.

Andrei Svechnikov, the #2 pick in the 2018 draft the year before Kakko, has also really begun to come into his own this season. He set career highs in all three offensive categories with 24 goals and 37 assists for 61 points in just 68 games, obliterating his rookie year totals of 20 goals and 17 assists for 37 points in the full 82 games.

Carolina is one of only five teams with 3 or more 60+ point scorers. The other four? Edmonton (Draisaitl, McDavid, Nugent-Hopkins), Tampa Bay (Kucherov, Stamkos, Point), Toronto (Marner, Matthews, Tavares), and Winnipeg (Connor, Scheifele, Wheeler, Laine). I don’t know about you, but I think that’s some pretty good company.

Carolina’s depth scoring has been a slight problem at times, but the acquisition of Vincent Trochek at the deadline and the return of Justin Williams were already starting to improve that in the short time before the season was cancelled.

There’s also going to be a lot of attention on the Canes’ goaltending duo Petr Mrazek and James Reimer. They’ve been very good at times but have also struggled for consistency, and it’s going to be vital that they be able to backstop the Canes from the crease.

Injuries

I’m giving this one a whole section because it’s huge. The Hurricanes are going to be getting some big pieces back from injury by the time the qualifying round begins. Brett Pesce will still be recovering from shoulder surgery, unfortunately, but Ryan Dzingel and Sami Vatanen will both be available for the start of the series vs New York.

By far the most important return for Carolina, though, will be Dougie Hamilton.

Hamilton is, to use a phrase of Tripp Tracy’s, “the straw that stirs the drink,” in so many ways. He’s a cornerstone of both special teams units, a reliable defender who also provides tons of offense. Before he got injured, he’d notched 14 goals and 40 points in 47 games and was a leading candidate to be nominated for the Norris trophy for Best Defenseman. He was on track for a career-high 20+ goals and 70+ points, until an unfortunate collision in mid-January fractured his fibula and kept him out for the rest of the shortened season. The positive impact of what his return will do for the team can’t be understated.

Defense

That leads me nicely into the next thing I wanted to touch on briefly: defense. The Rangers corps of defensemen is really good. They have some great young players in Fox, DeAngelo, and Jacob Trouba, and veterans Marc Staal and Brendan Smith to help anchor them.

But Carolina’s group is incredible, easily one of the best in the league. Jaccob Slavin is one of the most consistent players in the entire NHL. You always know what you’re going to get from him, and it’s always going to be top-tier defense. When he’s reunited with his now-healthy partner Dougie Hamilton, the Hurricanes’ top pairing has few equals.

Additionally, the acquisitions of Brady Skjei and Sami Vatanen at the deadline could make Carolina’s defensive pairs look something like this:

Slavin - Hamilton

Gardiner - Skjei

Edmundson - Vatanen

That’s an exceptional lineup that has a great balance of helping boost the offense of prodiving solid defense. And that even leaves out Trevor van Reimsdyk and Haydn Fleury as healthy scratches - both of whom have been really good this year - and of course, the injury to Brett Pesce. Carolina has a plethora of skilled defensemen, and now that they’re (almost) all going to be healthy, the Hurricanes are going to be even more dangerous than before.

Special Teams

The last thing I want to talk about before I reveal my prediction is, as usual, special teams. And honestly, it doesn’t make the final decision any easier. These teams continue to be very evenly-matched, even in the special teams department.

Thanks to their strong groups of star forwards and high-talent offensive defensemen, both teams have dangerous powerplays. The Rangers with the 7th best PP at 22.9%, and Carolina came in right under them in 8th with 22.3%. But Carolina’s PP is going to hugely benefit from returning Hamilton and Williams to the top unit and adding Trochek and Vatanen to the second unit, so I think I give them a slight edge.

There’s another reason I think that, though. The Hurricanes penalty kill is very good - 4th in the NHL, in fact, at 84%. They’re also tied for 2nd in the NHL with 10 shorthanded goals, 4 of which have been scored by Sebastian Aho. The Rangers, meanwhile, have the 9th worst PK at just 77.4%.

Final Prediction: Carolina, 3-2

Now I know what you’re thinking, of course I picked Carolina. And I admit, it is partially because that’s who I want to win. And yes, there’s the Curse of MSG to consider. But Carolina could still win the series even without winning a game in New York. The bottom line is that both of these teams are very closely matched and there’s a lot that could swing the series either way. For the Hurricanes to win, they need to capitalize on their powerplay chances to solve the Rangers goaltending, and they need Mrazek and Reimer to be at their best. If they can get those things, I think the Hurricanes will win.

Be sure to stop by tomorrow for my look at the final play-in matchup in the East, the Pittsburgh Penguins vs Montreal Canadiens!

CaniacWrites

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thrashermaxey · 6 years ago

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Fantasy Hockey Mailbag: Svechnikov, Ho-Sang, Giordano, Rittich, Glass, Greenway & Bounce-Backs

Welcome to the second installment of what is now my monthly fantasy hockey mailbag column. The concept is simple – you send me (instructions are at the end of the column) questions about fantasy hockey and I address them here in a way that not only gives you the answer(s) you’re seeking but also provides fantasy advice and food for thought to other readers, even if they don’t own the same players. That way everybody wins! Without further ado, here are this week’s set of questions and answers.

Question #1 (from Justin)

I made a trade in my 10 player roto pool. I traded away Ben Bishop, Nicklas Backstrom, and Mark Stone to another GM in exchange for John Tavares, Artemi Panarin, and Darcy Kuemper. When I made the trade, I was in 2nd place in my pool. Can this trade help put me over the top to win the pool, or did I give up too much to get what I received?

This is a tough question because I’m missing information on what categories you count and where you (and the GM who’s in first) stood in each one. Also, the question came to me at the end of February, so a lot has happened since then. Even still, I’ll do my best to answer it, all things considered.

Let’s start with a side-by-side of the netminders. Kuemper is doing his best to channel Peter Budaj of 2016-17 by morphing from borderline NHLer to very capable starter, as he’s stepped in and stabilized the Arizona net while Antti Raanta is on the sidelines. Bishop plays for the better team and, on paper, is the better goalie; yet despite his recent string of shutouts, he isn’t that much of an improvement over Kuemper at the moment. And as we’ve seen twice in 2019, Bishop is always an injury risk. If your league counts saves and wins, they’re quite comparable; it’s not until you factor in GAA, Shutouts and SV% that Bishop gains an edge, although not by too much over the 2018-19 version of Kuemper.

The next two for comparison are Backstrom and Tavares. Clearly if goals and SOG matter in your league that swings the pendulum toward Tavares big time, with Backstrom’s roughly 50% edge in PPPts not enough to close the gap that Tavares holds over him in nearly all other categories, including plus/minus and Hits+Blocks. Big edge to Tavares.

That leaves Stone and Panarin for comparison. When Stone was traded at the deadline, Vegas said the intent was to play him with Paul Stastny and Max Pacioretty; but poolies suspected it was only a matter of time until he lined up with Jonathan Marchessault and William Karlsson on the top line, replacing Reilly Smith. Yet here we are a month later and Stone is still stapled to Pacioretty and Stastny at even strength, albeit with Karlsson and Marchessault (plus Smith) on PP1. And the results have been just okay, with eight points in 12 games but a stretch of six points in five contests. So in short – better team but worse stats, at least for now.

What that also means is, while Stone blows Panarin out of the water in multi-cat areas like Hits+Blocks. Panarin is probably still the one of the two who I’d want to own since although his ice time isn’t super high he gets upwards of 75% of his 5×5 starts in the offensive zone, making it all but impossible for him not to keep up his torrid scoring pace. In contrast, Stone – as talented as he is – plays for a Knights team which divides ice time and zone starts more evenly, which should keep his scoring below that of Panarin by 10-15%.

So, all in all, it looks like you make a shrewd deal, getting the two best forwards and a goalie who’s not much of a step down from Bishop. All the best in what hopefully will be (or already has been) a journey from second place to first.

Question #2 (from Michael)

I am a huge fan of Joshua Ho-Sang, but I’m getting the feeling he's never really going to become a fulltime NHLer, let alone the future fantasy force that was envisioned in juniors and when picked in the first round. In your opinion, is it time to cut him loose?

This hearkens back to recent questions I answered about Jesse Puljujarvi and Pavel Zacha. Ho-Sang, at 23, is more than a year older than both of those two (Zacha turns 22 next month, JP turns 21 in May), but he’s played far fewer games than either – just 53 to date, including only ten this season. Yet somehow Ho-Sang managed 24 points in those 53 games, for a much higher scoring rate than either Zacha or JP. Even Ho-Sang’s AHL career scoring rate is about 60 points. All this begs the question – why is he not yet an NHL regular?

Unlike JP and Zacha, Ho-Sang has had recurring questions about his effort/character; and while his AHL scoring rate has been highest this season, he’s even been a healthy scratch at that level, which says a lot, although of course, he could have pent up frustration for not getting what he feels is a chance to show his talent at the NHL level. Chances are next season will be different, as either New York will choose to re-sign him, presumably for enough money to get e regular roster spot, or he’d end up on a new team for a fresh start. But can we tell if he’d have a chance at success elsewhere, or if given a longer look in New York? Let’s try to figure that out by dissecting what little NHL data we have to go on.

Unlike the case with Zacha and JP, when Ho-Sang did play he was given ample PP time – 2:25 per game in 2016-17, 2:15 in 2017-18 and even 1:55 this season, yet amassed a mere three cumulative PPPts. If we crunch the numbers, that’s three PPPts in approximately 120 total PP minutes, or 1.5 PPPts per 60 minutes. There’ no way to spin that as anything but a very poor output. Moreover, it was not a case of him having back luck; instead, the PP simply was ineffective with him on it, with the team scoring a total of seven PPPts in those 120 minutes. And considering Ho-Sang’s most common linemates when skating on the PP were either top tier or at worst second tier Islanders, it’s difficult not to conclude he was a drag on the PP overall.

But until this season, he actually wasn’t a drag on production in general, as in his first two campaigns his 5×5 team shooting percentage was above the 9.0% mark usually associated with solid scorers. And although his IPP (i.e., the percentage of points he received on goals scored while he was on the ice) was 50% in 2016-17, it was a very impressive 80% last season. Fast forward to 2018-19, however, and both those numbers have cratered, with his 5×5 team shooting percentage dropping to 4.69% and his IPP to 33.3%, which are truly atrocious numbers.

But was it a case of him being saddled with far worse linemates in 2018-19 versus prior seasons? Yes and no, as this season he spent about 40% of his even strength ice time skating with Anders Lee and Brock Nelson, versus 2017-18 when his most frequent linemates at even strength were Nelson again, plus Anthony Beauvillier, and 2016-17 when he most often shared the ice with Beavillier, Lee, and Nelson. But he also spent 35% of his 2018-19 shifts with Leo Komarov and Valtteri Filppula. And his OZ% this season cratered to 40.3% after being 59.5% and 52.4% in his prior seasons; so in a way that’s some excuse for his diminished even strength output for 2018-19, although not his abject failure on the PP.

Given all the data and the fact that Ho-Sang is already five years out from being drafted, my take is he should not be owned in any non-dynasty league at this point. And even in dynasties, he could be a drop if he doesn’t somehow find his game wherever he ends up next season.

Question #3 (from Owen)

I'm in a points-only, ten team keeper league. Each team has a 21 player active roster (5 subs) which must consist of four defensemen, one goalie, and one rookie. I drafted Andrei Svechnikov as my rookie this year and have been disappointed. When will he have a breakout season, if at all?

Let’s keep in mind, first and foremost, this is Svechnikov’s age 18 season, so it’s far too early to surmise whether he’ll have a breakout season. But let’s see if data and comparables can give us any clues.

Svechnikov has 20 goals while averaging 2+ SOG per game. Since 2000-01 only six other 18 year-olds have accomplished both feats, two-thirds of whom have turned out to be major stars (Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon, Steven Stamkos, Ilya Kovalchuk), one who’s still young but likely headed for great things (Patrik Laine) and one (Jeff Skinner) who didn’t turn out to be a super player but still has proven to be a fantasy-worthy asset. So that data right there should help you breathe a whole lot easier about Svechnikov’s future prospects.

On the other hand, Svechnnikov’s IPP for 2018-19 is only 62.1% and 5×5 team shooting percentage is just 6.02%. Those are not strong numbers and likely explain, along with him averaging just 2.0 points per 60 minutes of ice time, why Svehnikov hasn’t garnered more ice time as a rookie despite his skill. But before you let those tidbits concern you too much, consider that although he’s played sparingly with Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen, he’s arguably made them better when they’ve taken the ice together, as both have higher percentages of overall scoring chances and high danger scoring chances when they play with Svechnikov than without. Beyond that, although Svechnikov plays only 14:36 per game, which is about 30% less than star in the making Sebastian Aho. Yet Svechnikov’s scoring chances and high danger scoring chances only trail those of Aho by 10-15%. I think that encouraging data at least balances out – if not trumps – the not so great IPP and team shooting percentage numbers for Svechnikov’s rookie campaign.

Overall I’d say that Svechnikov looks to be well on his way to becoming a very good if not a great fantasy asset. As for when the switch might be flipped, I might not bank on 2019-20 but I think by age 21 he should be showing us his true talents and, more importantly for you, racking up the points as well.

Quick Hits

Starting this week, I’ll be giving some “quick hit” responses to some of your questions that came in at the 11th hour. If you’d like a deeper dive answer, please send your question at least a week in advance; Instructions on how to do so are at the bottom of the column.

I'm in a points-only keeper league, with a bonus for D goals. I can only protect two of Cale Makar, Adam Fox, and Mikhail Sergachev. Which two do you think will be best in 3-5 years?

For sure Makar, as I think Tyson Barrie will walk as a high-priced UFA next summer then Girard might bridge the gap for a season or two, after which it’ll be 100% the Makar show, with Colorado’s forward core still smack dab in the middle of its prime. I’m also taking Sergachev since Tampa figures to be a juggernaut for the next half decade and Sergachev looks like he could be Kevin Shattenkirk or Keith Yandle type, with plenty of offensive zone starts and enough PP time to put up solid numbers, yet not saddled with tough minutes. This isn’t to say that Fox will be bad – I’m just less confident about Fox’s chances to have a role that’s as conducive to scoring as the other two.

Will Giordano’s magic continue into next season, or should be we expect a drop-off? (From Kyle)

Age is not working in Mark Giordano’s factor, as only twp defensemen (Al MacInnis, and Nicklas Lidstrom) in NHL history have scored even 60 points at age 36+! But like those two, Giordano is a minute-eater who also is put out there in scoring situations – a best of both worlds so to speak. What’s more, Calgary has no one set to push him for coveted PP time. Beyond that, Gio’s metrics aren’t wholly unsustainable, as although his 5×5 team shooting percentage and IPP were high both for him (and for a defenseman in general), most everything else was reasonable, making it so my take for 2019-20 is poolies should expect roughly 60 points, with a better chance at 65 than 55, especially if Calgary remains a team on the rise.

What’s your read on Rittich beyond this season? (From Randall)

With David Rittich an RFA and Smith a UFA, I believe Smith is as good as gone and might even retire. I think Calgary playing Rittich over Smith this season even though Smith was higher paid and Rittich was so untested speaks volumes in terms of their confidence in him and willingness to keep – and pay him – as a starter. As long as he doesn’t completely lay an egg in the playoffs, this summer I’d expect the team to give Rittich a 3-4 year deal worth something in the $3M per season range – enough to denote him as the starter but also to allow them to sign a back-up who could step in if Rittich falters.

As for how Rittich might perform going forward, I believe we’ve seen enough to feel confident he can seize the reigns and perform well. One key is his even strength SV%, which is better than that of Marc-Andre Fleury, Braden Holtby, or Devan Dubnyk. That metric is usually an indicator that a somewhat more unproven goalie can – and will – step up if given the change to be a true #1.

What would you do with Sam Bennett in a 31 team, cap hit, all players owned league with regular stats plus Hits, Blocks, SHTOI, and FOW? (From Thomas)

Bennett is an RFA and will likely get a bump in salary which normally should bring with it more playing time, except for the fact that most of Calgary’s top forwards are under contract for several more years, making it difficult to envision Bennett being able to rise above the bottom six. It’s also not a good sign that both his SOG total and his IPP both went down this season, which was his “magical fourth year”. That also leads into another key, namely, we can’t ignore he’s now a 22-year-old who’s played more than 300 NHL games, begging the question as to when – if ever – he’ll connect the dots. All this being said, he did have a decent stretch of better than a point per every other game hockey this season and if injuries occur and armed with his new contract he could get a chance to strut his stuff and perhaps carve out a more prominent role. I’d keep him but not be afraid to package him as part of a larger deal without fear he’ll come back to bite you.

What’s the outlook on Cody Glass in a straight points league? (From The Chaliman)

Glass is terrific in my book. He’s got skill and a scoring drive – that much we saw on full display at both the WJCs and this season in the WHL. My concern is whether Vegas is the right fit for him in that the team doesn’t give scorers the kind of ice time – at even strength or on the PP – that he would get on most any other squads. Perhaps that could help transition him to the NHL and ease his development, but I worry it could frustrate him and have a deleterious effect. Long story short, on most any other team I’d have high hopes; but with him being a Vegas prospect I’d temper expectations substantially, at least for his early years or as long as Gallant is the coach.

What’s the fantasy outlook for Jordan Greenway? Can you think of a good comparable? (From Jon)

Greenway is a non-big man trapped in a big man’s frame. He doesn’t throw his weight around, so his value in Hits and PIM leagues is questionable, and he doesn’t shoot the puck much, which concerns me more so than his points total. It is good to see that his IPP is 65% for this season, as that suggests a nose for scoring. But I worry that he doesn’t have a clearly defined role or specialization – he strikes me as a player whose upside is the middle six and maybe a point total in the high 40s. As for comparables, that’s a bit of a tough one – maybe Nick Bjugstad, except with fewer shots and hits?

Who are some early bounce-back candidates for 2019-20? (From Dan)

The one that stands out to me the most is Rickard Rakell. Stretching back to the end of 2016-17 and going into this season he had 76 points in his previous 86 regular season games. That’s too good for too long for him to be this mediocre. I’m also a believer in Laine, whom I think will look back on this season once it’s over, be embarrassed, and will come back for 2019-20 ready to dominate once again. And don’t sleep on Jake Gardiner, who’ll either be “the guy” on a new team or likely back to more of his old self on Toronto, or Antii Raanta, who’ll likely be injury-free and also back to his old self.

What kind of production should we expect from PLD without Panarin? (From KF)

Great question, and it’s important to focus on the fact that after a red-hot start to the season Dubois has cooled considerably despite still being glued to Panarin for the most part. Interestingly, Dubois’ Fenwick in the minutes he plays without Panarin is higher than when they’re together, but his scoring chances, both in general and “high danger” plummet when they’re apart. That’s worrisome, but at the same time Dubois has done enough to be the #1 center in Columbus and it wouldn’t shock me to see him step up his game more once his “binky” is gone. Personally, I’m taking a flyer on Dubois this offseason because between the end of season slump and concern over Panarin’s departure, the price probably will be right, or at least right enough to gamble on Dubois being able to shine on his own.

Is Ryan O’Reilly a sell-high? (From Fernet)

The short answer, to me, is no. I think ROR is in a similar class as Patrice Bergeron and Anze Kopitar as centers who play mega minutes and can still do it all while putting up a minimum of 70+ points. The question is why, in that case, wasn’t ROR shining in previous years, and I think a lot of that had to do with him playing for truly lousy teams where his 55-65 points were, percentage-wise, a similar ratio to total team goals scored as what he’s done this season. There is some concern, however, in that Vladimir Tarasenko has started to heat up as he’s played more once again with Brayden Schenn, but that might be a red herring in that ROR’s yearlong totals are still solid. Don’t sell high – keep and reap the benefits.

*********

Thanks to those who sent in questions this week – sorry I couldn’t answer them all. In some cases, it was due to having touched upon the player(s) (Meier, Zacha, Karlsson and Puljujarvi) in a recent column while in others (like Subban) it was due to him being covered in a recent ramblings. Although my next mailbag isn’t for another four weeks, it’s never too early to start sending me more questions if you want a “deep dive” as I did with the first three questions. You can send questions to me in one of two ways: (1) emailing them to [email protected] with “Roos Mailbag” as the subject line, or (2) sending them to me via a private message on the DobberHockey Forums, where my username is “rizzeedizzee”.

When sending me your questions, remember to provide as much detail about your league/situation as possible, since as you saw above in a couple of the questions there were some omitted details which made it difficult for me to give a truly proper answer. Examples of the types of things I need to know include what type of league you’re in (i.e., limited keeper, dynasty, or one-year; roto vs H2H), does the salary cap matter, how many players are rostered (and of those, how many start at each position), what categories are scored and how are they weighted, plus other details if necessary (such as free agents available if you’re thinking of dropping a player or rosters of both teams if you’re thinking of making a trade). The key is to tell me enough for me to give you a truly proper answer, and for readers of this column to benefit from the answer/advice I provide. When in doubt, err on the side of inclusion. See you next week for the return of Goldipucks and the Three Skaters!

from All About Sports https://dobberhockey.com/hockey-home/fantasy-hockey-rick-roos/fantasy-hockey-mailbag-svechnikov-ho-sang-giordano-rittich-glass-greenway-bounce-backs/

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wheelhousehockey-blog1 · 6 years ago

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Central Division Wish List

FAN SUBMISSION

The true season of hope for NHL teams is opening night, when the records are all the same and everyone has a shot, at least theoretically. That hope wanes at different points for every team but one. The holiday season is the season of hope for everyone else, so let’s have a little fun and see what each team would like to wake up under their Christmas trees. Some teams have multiple wishes, but asking the Panthers to pick between better goaltending and more even-strength scoring would be like asking teenage me to pick between an Xbox or a PS3; I’d happily take either. Saturday we took a look at the Pacific division, now on to the Central. Chicago Blackhawks: A direction Chicago is a harsh reminder of reality under the salary-cap: you can’t stay great forever. With an aging roster and some inflated contracts, the ‘Hawks are at a bit of a crossroads. They’re not really bad enough to warrant a full tear-down. They’re also not really good enough to make you think they’re just a piece or two away from truly contending again. That’s why they must make the difficult decision to pick a direction and stick to it. Do they go the Rangers route and announce a full rebuild? Do they continue to tread water in the hopes that some magic and a gamble on a guy like Dylan Strome can get them back to the playoffs? Do they push their chips to the middle and make a big move with what they have now? Regardless of which path they choose Stan Bowman and the Blackhawks brain trust venture down it steadfastly, because if you continue to tread water you’ll finish in the middle, draft in the middle, and stay in the middle. The middle is not where anyone wants to be. Colorado Avalanche: A better PK You can put me firmly in the camp that thought the Avs severely over-achieved last year and would regress. Coincidentally, you can firmly put me in the camp that was wrong. Colorado’s first line has been unstoppable, and the rest of the team has pulled enough of their weight to put the Avalanche within striking distance of the division lead halfway through the year. With all the talent up front, it’s no surprise they have one of the league’s best power-plays. With all the offense, though, the defense has been questionable, especially on the penalty-kill; their PK% sits tied for 22nd in the league. They currently reside near the middle of the pack in terms of goals against, so an upgrade on the PK – whether it be an internal one or not – would be huge for a team looking to sustain this pace and push for a top spot in a tough division. Dallas Stars: Good health The fact that the Stars sit just 2 points out of a wild card spot is pretty astonishing given the rash of injuries they’ve dealt with. There have been games where more regular members of the Texas Stars suited up on defense than members of the Dallas Stars. They’ve lost an inordinate 96 man-games to injury on defense (to be fair, the Bruins lead the league in that category, but their forwards have been far healthier than Dallas’). Over the course of their 35 games so far, that’s almost half of their D-corps sitting out due to injury, per game. Imagine your team playing with half of their defensemen. Other important pieces have missed extended periods as well, like forward Jason Spezza and goalie Ben Bishop. The Stars have talent and seem to be responding well to first-year coach Jim Montgomery’s message. Whether or not they get – and stay – healthy will be a determining factor in how far they go. Minnesota Wild: A Move Much like your parents are obliged to get you socks for Christmas, Paul Fenton is pretty much obliged to make a move at this point. Many expected him to do so in the offseason; while he listened to offers he eventually stood pat, saying he wanted to assess his new team. That’s fair. Not making a move when his team started the season 14-9-2 was fair as well. Since the beginning of December, however, the Wild have lost 7 of 10 and are quickly spiraling downward. I’m not suggesting he raze the earth and blow up the team – it takes some sort of talent and consistency to make as many consecutive postseason trips as they have – but it seems more and more like they need a shakeup, some new blood. The good thing is that they have assets all over the board, many of which I’m sure opposing GMs have on their Christmas lists. Nashville Predators: Take fewer penalties Nashville plays a rough brand of hockey, but coincidentally takes a lot of penalties because of it. They lead the league in penalty minutes, are 9th in penalties taken and have the worst PIM differential of any team. Their opponents have had over 400 penalties minutes, almost 30 more than the next-worst team - Calgary, if you were curious. For a team with Cup expectations, that won’t cut it, especially in the playoffs against potent power plays like Winnipeg and Colorado where those power play goals can be such momentum shifters. Nashville’s 14% power play percentage is cause for concern, but with their defense-first style – they allow the fewest shots and goals per game of any team in the league – they still have time to work out those issues, as long as they give their guys a fair shot and stay out of the box. St. Louis Blues: Consistency The Blues have a ton of talent and it shows, just at different times. Everything but their penalty kill and faceoff percentage (thanks ROR!) ranks outside the top-10 of the league. They started the season playing well defensively, but couldn’t score. Then they finally started scoring and giving up a plethora of goals. All the while, the power play and goaltending have been maddeningly inconsistent. On the nights where O’Reilly is tearing it up, Vlad is invisible. When Petro is playing well, Parayko and Bouwmeester are making mistakes. When Jake Allen has a good game (yes that still happens) the structure collapses arounds him. The Blues were labeled by many as cup contenders after what looked to be a fantastic offseason and have shown they have the talent in bursts, but haven’t pieced together a solid stretch of games to gain any positive traction. They’ll need to find a way to put it all together at the same time or else the season is lost, if it isn’t already. Perhaps that, coupled with the fact that everyone from the GM down to the players is fighting for their job, will provide them the necessary jolt. Winnipeg Jets: Take Fewer Penalties Like a few others, the Jets, with their vicious power play, bruising style, and finishing ability are really tough to nitpick. They’re a bona fide cup favorite and back it up with their play every night. They get contributions from everywhere and everyone. Essentially, they’re in much the same boat as Nashville: just be more disciplined. They’ve taken the third most penalties in the league, but offset it a little better than the Predators with the league’s best power play. Even then, staying out of the box helps everyone. The Jets also surrender a lot of shots, and staying off the PK will obviously help in that category as well. It may seem like the easy answer, but the easier answer is that Winnipeg is just really freakin’ good and doesn’t much more need to make their Christmas (or their season) any better. NHL.com, Fox Sports, Natural Stat Trick, NHL Injury Viz, and Sean Tierny’s Tableau – which is an amazing resource for NHL sabermetrics – were used for research for this article.

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thegloober · 6 years ago

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Top five buy-low candidates in fantasy hockey

It’s still October. Even if your fantasy hockey team is struggling mightily, don’t panic. Instead, prey on others’ panic. The sample sizes are just large enough now to make the more skittish poolies legitimately worried about certain slow-starting stars, so now’s a fine time to see if you can nab some of them for 80 cents on the dollar. Consider targeting these five players.

(Note the absence of slow-starters Erik Karlsson, Patrik Laine, Steven Stamkos and Sergei Bobrovsky on this list. They’re too obvious and still carry enough brand-name value that their owners likely won’t sell them off for cheap.)

JADEN SCHWARTZ, LW, BLUES

Schwartz’s numbers scream buy-low. He is generating lots of chances. Among the 294 forwards with at least 100 minutes played at 5-on-5 this season, Schwartz ranks fifth in high-danger Corsi For per 60 minutes. Pucks fly toward the other team’s net in prime scoring spots when he’s out there, so the goals or assists should come pouring in soon. Schwartz, an accurate shooter at 13.5 percent for his career, has scored on just 5.5 percent of his shots this year. He’s due for a huge rebound in luck, as is linemate Vladimir Tarasenko. A scoring explosion looms.

BROCK BOESER, RW, CANUCKS

Boeser couldn’t miss last season, and the 16.2 shooting percentage always felt sustainable, because his release was so elite. That’s his game. He will never blow people away with his skating. He’s all about sneaking into good shooting lanes to uncork that shot, which ranks among the league’s best in the same tier as Patrik Laine’s and Auston Matthews’. Boeser perfected that skill. He told me last year that he used to specifically practise bobbing and weaving around targets to master the art of surprise attacks.

We thus can count on this season’s shooting percentage rocketing north of its current mark of 7.7. The goals will come. Shooters can be streaky. Boeser did sustain a pretty scary back injury to halt his rookie season at 62 games, and he’s shooting the puck less this year, so there are some red flags. He’s also generating significantly fewer high-danger attempts in 5-on-5 play than he did last year. But the positive regression in his accuracy alone makes him worth a buy low, and we can hope the decline in his shooting volume can be chalked up to sample size. He’s also dealt with a groin injury, so we can count on him to be more mobile and thus more adept at finding shooting lanes going forward if he’s truly healthy now.

NIKOLAJ EHLERS, LW, JETS

For whatever, reason, lengthy slumps have become a defining characteristic of Ehlers’ career to date. His one goal this season ended a 26-game drought. He scored twice in a 14-game stretch from October to November last season. The season before that, he endured a 13-game goal-less streak and eight-game point-less streak. The cold spells are common for the speedy Ehlers, and this year’s just happened to arrive the start of the season, making his overall numbers look particularly ugly.

But fear not. It’s always smart to bet on talent, and Ehlers has it in spades as the 2014 draft’s ninth overall pick. Winnipeg Jets coach Paul Maurice is now trying Ehlers in the Kyle Connor spot on the top line with Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler in hopes of lighting a spark. Ehlers, like pretty much every buy-low candidate in fantasy pools, is converting on his shots at a much lower percentage than normal, too. As cold as he gets, Ehlers also is known for big-time hot streaks in which he can win you weeks in head-to-head leagues.

IVAN PROVOROV, D, FLYERS

Don’t blame Provorov. The entire Flyers offense is sputtering right now. For whatever reason, extreme slumps followed by huge winning streaks have been common under coach Dave Hakstol. We know the opportunities are there for the mega-talented Provorov. He’s playing 25 minutes a night and still getting second-unit power play work. His shots are way down, but once the Flyers as a team get themselves back on track, he’ll have more shooting opportunities. The ability and, more importantly, the role aren’t going anywhere. Just ride out the storm with Provorov, whose 17 goals tied for the NHL lead among blueliners last year.

MATT MURRAY, G, PENGUINS

Some buy-lows carry risk. We can’t say with absolute confidence that the back-to-back-Stanley-Cup version of Murray will return. By 24 years old, he’s dealt with eight different injury absences in his NHL career, three caused by concussions. He hasn’t been the same since the start of the 2017-18 season. Over that stretch, among the 57 goalies with at least 1,000 minutes played at 5-on-5, he’s 54th in save percentage and 53rd in goals saved above average.

Murray, however, still finds himself in a highly fantasy-friendly environment on a good team that wants him to be a workhorse and start at least 50 games. There’s no denying the numbers are ugly, even the under-the-hood advanced ones. But the reason to buy low on Murray is he’ll never come so cheap, and he still has an elite ceiling in fantasy leagues. It’s worth sending out a lowball offer to a frustrated GM to see if you can get him for more like 60 cents on the dollar.

Don’t buy low…

Mike Smith, G, Flames: Murray has youth on his side. Smith is 36. Maybe he turns things around, but it’s equally possible he’s hitting an age-related wall. The downside outweighs the upside.

Sean Couturier, C, Flyers: Philly as a team should improve, but was Couturier miscast as a budding offensive star after he broke out last year? There’s no denying his shutdown defensive ability but, dating back to last season, he has 10 goals in his past 50 games. It feels like last season��s first-half scoring surge was an anomaly when juxtaposed with the rest of his career.

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About the Author

Matt Larkin

Matt Larkin is senior content producer at The Hockey News and has been part of the team since 2011. He’s your one-stop shop for deep-dive player interviews, predictions, statistics, fantasy player rankings, player safety and hair tips. Catch him weekly as host of The Hockey News Live and The Hockey News Podcast.

Source: https://bloghyped.com/top-five-buy-low-candidates-in-fantasy-hockey/

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investmart007 · 6 years ago

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LAS VEGAS | Defenders as important to Fleury, as he is to Golden Knights

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LAS VEGAS | Defenders as important to Fleury, as he is to Golden Knights

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Marc-Andre Fleury has been the foundation for the Vegas Golden Knights’ run to the Stanley Cup Final. Yet while he has a 1.68 goals-against average and .947 save percentage, he’ll be the first one in the locker room to credit the defensemen in front of him.

“It’s a team game — win as a team, lose as a team,” said Fleury, who looks to become the 11th goaltender in NHL history to have his name on the Cup at least four times — and the fourth of that group to win with multiple teams.

“These guys are a big part of our success. We’re well balanced, we got some veteran guys, some younger guys, got some offensive guys, some defensive guys playing together. Those guys have been rallying all playoffs, trying to help me out, blocking shots and letting me see the puck, so it’s been a lot of fun.”

The pairings of Nate Schmidt and Brayden McNabb, Shea Theodore and Deryk Engelland, and Colin Miller with Luca Sbisa or Jon Merrill, have helped the Golden Knights become a very tight defensive team during the playoffs, something that will have to carry into Game 1 at T-Mobile Arena, on Monday against the Washington Capitals.

Schmidt has developed into the team’s top defenseman after struggling to find consistent ice time in Washington last season, when he averaged 15:29 on the ice. The fifth-year pro leads the Golden Knights with an average 22:14 on the ice and brings a familiarity to the Final, having played with Washington’s top scorers Evgeny Kuznetsov (24 points) and Alex Ovechkin (22), who rank first and second, respectively, in overall playoff scoring.

“I know a lot of those guys, I know what they like to do,” said Schmidt, who has six points (2 goals, 4 assists) in the postseason. “For what I want to do on the ice, it helps me and I think it helps our group as well that we’ve had success against them. But it’s a whole other type of animal this time of year.”

The Golden Knights swept the regular-season series against Washington, winning 3-0 on Dec. 23 in Vegas and 4-3 on Feb. 4 in D.C.

With five more Capitals have double-digit points — Nicklas Backstrom (16), John Carlson (16), T.J. Oshie (15), Lars Eller (13) and Tom Wilson (11) — Vegas will need one last big effort from a defensive group that has helped allow the second-least number of goals among playoff teams that have played 10 games.

Washington coach Barry Trotz said he knows the Golden Knights have three dynamic duos that each feature one offensive guy who can skate and move the puck — that being Miller, Theodore, and Schmidt — paired with more of a traditional stay-at-home defenseman who isn’t afraid to get physical, block shots and slow the opposing team’s pace – such as Sbisa, Engelland, Merrill and McNabb.

“But they still bring some offense, too,” Trotz said. “They play 5-5-5 all three zones just as we talk about with the Capitals. Watch the TV, you see five guys in the picture, then you’re doing good.”

Schmidt said using speed against them worked during the regular season, by moving their feet more than Washington did, and helping to develop plays in transition. But again, this is the Stanley Cup Final, and Schmidt said he knows Washington can skate well and will be a challenge.

“I think another thing is just making sure you’re really disciplined against this team,” Schmidt said. “You’ve got to make sure you stay out of the penalty box, keep Ovechkin off the power play and keep that unit off the power play.”

To Vegas’ credit, however, it does have the fourth-best penalty kill in the playoffs, stopping 82.5 percent of the power plays it has seen. And, as Sbisa said, that circles back to Fleury and the chemistry that’s been built with the defensive pairings.

“That bond is definitely there,” Sbisa said. “You don’t have to worry about anything else, play it loose, play to your strengths and that’s what we’ve been doing as a group. The six Ds that are playing that night, they’re tight; we play as a three-man group (with Fleury).

Flower’s a guy that doesn’t take too much credit for himself, even though he should, because he’s been that good and it’s obviously nice to hear stuff like that coming out of his mouth. But he definitely deserves all the credit here.

“As a D-man, knowing that you have the best goalie in the world behind you, saving you when something happens, it makes a huge difference because it allows you to play your game. Praise has to go both ways.”

By W.G. RAMIREZ by Associated Press – published on STL.News by St. Louis Media, LLC(U.S)

#Fleury #Golden Knights #Las Vegas #Marc-Andre Fleury #Stanley Cup Final #TodayNews #Vegas Golden Knights

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maysoper · 6 years ago

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The End Of The Beginning

The outlook wasn't brilliant for the Winnipeg Jets today: the score stood two to one, with but one period more to play. Everything the Jets threw at Marc-Andre Fleury, save for one Josh Morrissey shot, had been turned away. And, in Vegas, fans are cheering, and, in Winnipeg, fans will pout, because there is no joy for the WhiteOut — the mighty Jets are now out. In a 4-1 series win, the hottest goaltender in these playoffs in Fleury took his team to new heights once more as Vegas joined the Toronto Arenas and the St. Louis Blues as the only expansion teams to reach the Stanley Cup Final in their first seasons. Jonathan Marchessault, a 27 year-old winger who had been cast aside by Columbus, Tampa Bay, and Florida, was outstanding in this series win over the Jets, and linemate Reilly Smith, who was part of the Tyler Seguin-to-Dallas deal and was sent to Florida for Jimmy Hayes, had himself one heckuva series as well. In the end, those three players were the darkness that swallowed the WhiteOut's enthusiasm as they continually deflated the sails of the Jets who, at times, seemed like the better team for large chunks of games. It didn't matter if the Jets scored, though, as one of Marchessault or Smith would respond moments later with a goal, a turnover to cause a goal, or a pass to setup a goal. On the other end, Fleury continued to come up big for Vegas as he turned away Jets chances time and time again. Make no mistake that this Vegas Golden Knights team is a collective bundle of energy who bring intense pressure on the forecheck, forces turnovers in the neutral zone, and plays in-your-face in the defensive zone with little regard for their own bodies and safety when it comes to blocking shots and throwing hits. They're fast, aggressive, and they roll four lines as well as anyone as the Jets found out. Having a three-time Stanley Cup champion between the pipes behind this group of players with a singular focus only makes them that much harder to defeat. The series-winning goal came off the stick of one-time Manitoba Moose defender Luca Sbisa - a defender who was roundly considered one of the worst defenders fans had seen in his time with the Moose - and was deflected past Connor Hellebuyck by Winnipeg-born Ryan Reaves - a physical specimen traded for by the Penguins to defend their stars only to be traded to Vegas when a salary cap crunch was presented upon the Penguins' acquisition of Derrick Brassard. The Winnipeg connection on the series-winning goal was not lost on me, and I want to give credit to Vegas head coach Gerard Gallant who found the positives in the games of two players who were thought to be nothing more than bottom-of-the-lineup players. Look, it wasn't all Vegas in this series either. Connor Hellebuyck lost the battle between the two goaltenders, but I'm pretty sure that Jonathan Quick and Martin Jones - two goalies who had outstanding seasons and playoff series - lost that battle too. Hellebuyck was good enough to win at least two of the games that Winnipeg lost, but the problem was that Marc-Andre Fleury was just that much better in keeping the Jets from providing their netminder the goals he needed. The duo of Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler was outstanding for the entire playoffs, and they needed just a little more from rookie Kyle Connor to take their play to the next level. Connor was great at times, but not consistently great throughout the playoffs. The maturity, experience, and knowledge Connor gained throughout these playoffs will benefit him for the remainder of his career. Paul Stastny, as has been said on many sites, was the absolute gem of the trade deadline as he made the Laine-Ehlers combo that much better. His 13 points came at vital times, but, like the rest of the Jets, he found himself against a very stout Golden Knights defence that wouldn't allow him to set up shop in front of Fleury as easily as he had in previous series. Stastny should be in-line for a solid pay day as his performance in these playoffs was the most inspired I had seen him play in several seasons. While people lamented on the lack of goal-scoring between Patrik Laine and Nikolaj Ehlers - five goals combined, all off the stick of Laine - these are two young players experiencing their first NHL playoffs. Defences tighten up, room to maneuver is less, and there aren't a lot of openings one can take without being hit or defended. They'll learn how to score goals in these spots, but their 14 combined assists show that they're weren't AWOL in the Jets' lineup. They made good plays and found players who were in prime scoring spots, and that's a huge positive for these two young players. Trouba, Morrissey, Byfuglien, Tanev, Copp, Lowry, and Perreault all showed their worth in the Jets' lineup as well while players like Joe Morrow, Ben Chiarot, and Jack Roslovic should all be given shots at cracking the roster full-time next season. This Jets team is deep and talented, and that bodes well for the future. If there's a silver lining on today's dark cloud over Winnipeg, there should be some review of history. The Chicago Blackhawks, whose model which upon these Jets were built, lost in five games to Detroit in 2009 before starting their three-Cups-in-six-years run in 2010. There is absolutely zero guarantee that Winnipeg will do the same thing, but the youth and experience that this Jets team possesses would make it seem like they're an automatic favorite for next season already. It was one heckuva run for a team that most figured would just make the playoffs this season, let alone be second-overall in the NHL and a Western Conference finalist. Take nothing away from what the Jets accomplished - they played their tails off and deserve a pile of credit for the efforts given and results attained. The success of this team made the WhiteOut and the street parties a ton of fun, and there's real hope and confidence this will be an annual event now. In the end, a well-coached team with an incredible system and an amazing goaltender ended the season for the Jets. There's a line in hockey that one must first learn how to lose before one learns how to win. The Jets will learn from this series loss, and they'll hopefully be able to take steps forward from it. If they do, next season could prove even bigger for the fans in Winnipeg! For now, the summer is for making improvements, adjustments, and fixes that the Jets need to take that next step. There will be difficult decisions to make, but that's why GM Kevin Cheveldayoff makes the big bucks. It all starts again in October, Jets fans. Today marks the end of the beginning of the era of the Winnipeg Jets. Reset this summer, and let's get ready for another incredible season of Jets hockey! Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice! from Sports News http://hockey-blog-in-canada.blogspot.com/2018/05/the-end-of-beginning.html

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365footballorg-blog · 7 years ago

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MLS Newsstand - May 11, 2018

May 11, 201812:23PM EDT

SELECT CLIPS

Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs. Houston Dynamo, 10:30 p.m. ET – TSN1 / TSN4 / TSN5 / ESPN+

MLS ARTICLES

Caps could use a Blondell moment to defuse Dynamo

The Province – May 11, 2018

The Vancouver Whitecaps (4W-5L-1D) took a step back last week with a 1-0 loss to 10-man Minnesota, and look to bounce back tonight when they host the Houston Dynamo (3-3-2) at B.C. Place. Both The Eagles (playing all their musical hits next door in Rogers Arena) and the Caps should have Desperado on their minds. The game kicks off at 7:30 p.m. and will be televised on TSN 1, 4 and 5 and carried on TSN 1040 AM radio:

The Big Matchup

In desperate need of some offence trailing the Loons last week, the Caps inserted Kei Kamara into the game after he started the Major League Soccer contest on the bench in his first game back from a groin pull. He was a big, dangerous target, coming close on four opportunities, but the rust of a three-week layoff was evident.

Another solid week of training should help Kamara round back into form for the goal-starved Caps, and be a handful for Adolfo Machado on the Dynamo backline.

Five things to watch

IN NEED OF A BLONDELL MOMENT

The Caps have scored just three goals in their last give games, of which they’ve lost four and been shutout three times. Last week with the man advantage, they had 19 shots, the third highest total in a game they were blanked.

Robinson said after the game he could have tried pairing Kamara with Anthony Blondell, a combination we haven’t seen this season but could this weekend. Both players are strong in the air and can hold up the ball, though Blondell might do well to calm his game a bit and opt for placement over power.

THE SHORT STUFF

The short pass has been a problem for WFC, which hasn’t been able to string much together in tight quarters. The Caps are last overall in total passes per 90 minutes (350.9), 18th in overall accuracy, and have the most inaccurate short passes per 90 minutes in the league. Even if you’re not trying to dominate possession, doing something with the ball when you have it is key for an offence predicated on service to its target players up front.

THE SHORT WEEK

It’s a busy schedule for the Caps, who host the San Jose Earthquakes on Wednesday night before travelling to Texas to face FC Dallas next Saturday (May 19) afternoon. Their depth at each position is going to be in high demand this week, especially on a team that has five key contributors 30 or above. I’d expect the Caps to field their No. 1 lineup against Houston, then rest some starters against the Earthquakes (1-5-2), who are last in the West and have the league’s second-worst record.

“I don’t mind the short weeks, so you can just focus on the game, recover, then play the next game. You don’t have to think about it too much, you can just play,” said 31-year-old fullback Marcel de Jong, who started five straight games before sitting the past two, giving way to youngster Brett Levis.

“It’s always good to have a team with a lot of good players, so we can help each other when we need, and rest players. When injuries happen, you can still have a strong squad. Obviously after last week, the pressure’s on. But every game is going to be tough and going to be hard for us, but especially in home games, we need to get results.”

BY THE NUMBERS

At 1.22, the Whitecaps are better than seven other MLS teams in terms of expected goals, but that hasn’t been borne out by their average of 1.0 goals per game. In their last four losses, you can point to several different factors — poor finishing in Salt Lake, a game plan destroyed by a late injury to Kamara against LAFC, poor adapting to a new formation and a hot goalie in Kansas, another heroic keeper in Minny — but PDO, which calculates finishing rate vs. save percentage is a good indicator of how much is skill, and how much is luck.

At 898, only three teams are lower than Vancouver, and they have 21 goals combined and are below the Caps in the standings.

QUIOTO PROBLEM

When it comes to offensive affect, the Dynamo’s answer to Kamara — who’d figured in all but two of his team’s goals before being injured — is Romell Quioto. A pre-season illness hampered his start, but since getting his first start on April 14, he’s figured in Houston’s last nine goals. The dynamic winger has two goals and four assists, but his effect has kick-started the offence, like a 90th-minute shot against the L.A. Galaxy that hit the crossbar and led to the game-winner from Memo Rodriguez.

They’ll need all the offence they can get tonight, as they have yet to win a road game this season, a streak stretching past the last nine away games.

Working in their favour: Houston has 11 first-half goals, tops in MLS, while the Caps have conceded the fourth-most in MLS (7).

Predicted Starting 11

Whitecaps (4-4-2)

Kamara — Blondell

Davies — Felipe — Reyna — Ibini

De Jong — Waston — Aja — Nerwinski

Goal: Marinovic

Dynamo (4-2-3-1)

Quioto — Martinez — Elis

Ceren — Alexander

Beasley — Fuenmayor — Machado — Wenger

Goal: Willis

Whitecaps: Jordon Mutch (hamstring); Dynamo: A.J. DeLaGarza (torn left ACL), Juan David Cabezas (quad), Philippe Senderos (hamstring/knee), Dylan Remick (concussion), Kevin Garcia (hamstring), Jared Watts (hamstring).

Houston Dynamo evolving in 2nd year under coach Wilmer Cabrera

Pro Soccer USA – May 10, 2018

HOUSTON – Last season, under first-year head coach Wilmer Cabrera, the Houston Dynamo blitzed the league with their quick counterattacking style of play. But this year, they’re changing things up.

The Orange rode their counterattack all the way to the Western Conference finals before being disposed of by the Seattle Sounders. But entering 2018, Cabrera’s second year, the club knew it had to evolve its playing style to etch itself among the league’s best teams and to again make the playoffs in a tough Western Conference.

Eight games into the season, it’s clear this Dynamo team’s playing style — while still a threat on the counterattack — has plenty of other ideas on the pitch.

“We’ve been changing. This Dynamo team doesn’t look like the same Houston Dynamo as last year. We play better,” Cabrera said. “If we went through last year, 90 percent of the games that we played we didn’t have good possession because we were built to counterattack, but we’ve been evolving. We’ve been improving.

Evolving the team’s playing style takes time. Players need to adjust to different things thrown in their path.

LA Galaxy head coach Sigi Schmid, whose side lost 3-2 in Houston on Saturday, agreed the Dynamo are not the same as last year. But beyond being a more possession-oriented team, Schmid points to another reason for the Texas side’s improved play this season.

“I think [midfielder Tomás] Martinez makes them more of a possession-based team,” Schmid said. “I think he helps them, but they’re also now in the second year of their project and they’ve been reasonably healthy, so [forwards] (Mauro) Manotas, (Alberth) Elis and (Romell) Quioto have played a lot of games together and they’ve been able to put the same lineup out week to week.”

While the Dynamo’s returning players have stepped up their game, new players are also being incorporated into the team this season.

Cabrera said he wants his team to have the possession but to do something with it, “possession of a purpose,” he calls it.

“To play soccer with the idea to attack, because at the end possession without a purpose doesn’t help us,” Cabrera said.

Houston takes it’s new playing style on the road as the Orange take on the Vancouver Whitecaps Friday night.

Portland Timbers-Seattle Sounders rivalry reaches milestone as clubs prepare for 100th game

The Oregonian – May 10, 2018

Portland Timbers midfielder Diego Valeri has faced the Seattle Sounders an incredible 15 times in MLS play over the last five years, but his most vivid memory against Seattle came in his first year in Major League Soccer.

The Timbers took on the Sounders in the 2013 Western Conference semifinals that year and earned a huge 2-1 win on the road in the first leg of the series. The club returned home to Portland for the second leg the next week in a position to oust their rivals. Late in the first half, Valeri sprinted into the box and scored on a sliding shot to give the Timbers a 2-0 lead and all but secure the series win for Portland.

The deafening cheers from the crowd in that moment stuck with him.

“It was my first year. It was the first time of my career playing in playoffs,” Valeri said. “That game was crazy. Every game is good against Seattle. It has something extra, special, spicy.”

Portland’s 2013 playoff victory over Seattle is just one of many iconic moments in the storied history of the Timbers-Sounders rivalry.

The rivalry was born on a rainy day in May 1975 when the clubs first met in the North American Soccer League. The Timbers went on to oust the Sounders from the playoffs that season in a historic sudden-death overtime match in front of 31,000 fans at Civic Stadium.

More than 40 years later, the Timbers and Sounders are preparing to celebrate a milestone in the history of their rivalry as Portland is set to host Seattle Sunday in the 100th game between the two clubs.

“When you look through the rivalries in this league, you got to say this is the biggest rivalry, hands down,” Timbers goalkeeper Jake Gleeson said. “And at one hundred games, you can compare it to most rivalries around the world. You definitely feel that tension when you play Seattle. You definitely feel that excitement. The game is always a little bit scrappier than your average game.”

Scrappy and tense games have been a hallmark of the Timbers-Sounders rivalry since the beginning.

T2 head coach Cameron Knowles, who played for the Timbers from 2007-2010 when they were in the lower division USL, clearly remembers being sent off in the 2007 U.S. Open Cup after what he called an “alleged” foul on Seattle’s Roger Levesque. Portland general manager Gavin Wilkinson, who joined the Timbers as a player in 2001 and later served as the club’s head coach, had to get stitches after each of his first two games against Seattle after being elbowed in the chin and forehead. He has a scar on his chin to this day.

Timbers assistant coach Sean McAuley made his debut against the Sounders in his lone season as a player for the Timbers in 2002 and introduced himself to game by getting a yellow card.

“My dad always used to say to me, ‘Whenever you play a rival, make sure you get booked,'” McAuley said. “So, I got booked in the first six minutes. I think it was the first thing I did. First challenge was a yellow card. I thought that would be good.”

Over the years, the rivalry has produced numerous memorable moments. Among those moments are Levesque embracing the villian role by miming being chopped down like a tree in an infamous goal celebration, Seattle’s Clint Dempsey ripping up a referee’s notebook in the U.S. Open Cup and Portland’s Fanendo Adi celebrating a two-goal performance by grabbing Timber Joey’s chainsaw.

The Sounders hold the series lead with a record of 50-35-14 across all competitions, but the Timbers probably hold the bragging rights after beating Seattle in the 2013 MLS Cup Playoffs and being the first of the two clubs to win MLS Cup in 2015.

“There’s the intensity of the game, the importance of the game,” Wilkinson said. “It always has the meaning of so much more. Every game against them is like a final. The players understand it, the club understands it and it’s understood on both sides.”

Over the years, the rivalry has only grown as new events have been added to the history and the support on each side has swelled.

During their final years in the lower division USL, the Sounders drew just over 3,000 fans per game. Last season in MLS, Seattle finished second in the league with an average attendance of 43,666 at CenturyLink Field. The Timbers never drew less than an average of 5,500 fans per game in the lower divisions USL and even drew an average of over 10,000 in 2010. But Portland now sells out every game at Providence Park and the atmosphere inside the stadium is astounding.

“All of that has served to intensify the rivalry,” Knowles said. “The supporters’ culture, the level of play, the bragging rights of MLS Cup. Every year, it seems like there’s another layer that gets added.”

On Sunday, Timbers coach Giovanni Savarese will experience a Timbers-Sounders game from the sidelines for the first time.

But like anyone that follows MLS within the United States or abroad, Savarese was well aware of the rivalry long before he took over as head coach of the Timbers. There is nothing else like it in American soccer.

“I’m lucky to be part of it because I know what it represents,” Savarese said. “It was a rivalry that already existed before (the two clubs joined MLS). Bringing it to Major League Soccer created something that all of us that love soccer and want soccer to grow in the United States wanted to see.”

Ken Burns gives a Twitter shout-out to Portland Timbers mockumentary about Seattle rivalry

The Oregonian – May 10, 2018

Somber voiceovers, reading letters to loved ones. Expert talking heads sharing analysis. White titles on a black background, accompanied by melancholy music. No, it’s not a new documentary series from Ken Burns, whose iconic works on “The Civil War” and “The Vietnam War” have made his name synonymous with historical overviews.

Nope, we’re talking about “The Rivalry,” a mockumentary about the history of battles between the Portland Timbers and Seattle Sounders professional soccer teams.

Fans of Major League Soccer have been having fun watching “The Rivalry,” and now Ken Burns himself — or at least the official Twitter account associated with the master historian — has gotten into the act.

The Burns Twitter account has a link to “The Rivalry,” and reads, “There is no re-writing history but there are a multiplicity of points of view.”

There is no re-writing history but there are a multiplicity of points of view. @TimbersFC mockumentary about their rivalry with Seattle

The Portland Timbers will face off against the Seattle Sounders for the 100th time on Sunday, May 13, at 1 p.m. in Portland’s Providence Park. The game will be televised on ESPN.

How FC Dallas’ depth is a result of its culture

Dallas Morning News – May 8, 2018

Ryan Hollingshead came on for the third time this season in LA, and the jack-of-all-trades is in something of a familiar role fighting for playing time in various positions.

Still, he wouldn’t commit to saying this is the deepest FCD team he’s played for in his five seasons in Frisco.

“I think it’s tough every year. I don’t ride the hype of, ‘Oh, this year’s different than another year.’ Every year there’s guys trying to battle here for starting positions and every year they’re bringing in new guys to make the team that much better,” he said. “This is the same sort of thing. We’ve got a lot of good guys who can play and who can step in at any point, and that speaks to the staff here and the front office and the people they’re bringing in. It speaks to the culture they’re growing here.”

A coach always will accept new additions who can make his team more competitive, but this season FCD has seen the emergence of players like Jacori Hayes and Cristian Colman, who were on the roster last year but rarely contributed, make their cases for more playing time.

“I think the rotations this year have helped us to add more minutes to the players,” FCD coach Oscar Pareja said. “We have a good team and we have players who usually didn’t play much last year for one reason or another but this year they are contributing to the team and being part of the equation every weekend. That helps us a lot and I think the pool of players is getting deeper.”

Chris Richards called into US U20s for Honduras trip

Dallas Morning News – May 9, 2018

New FC Dallas homegrown signing Chris Richards, who just had a training stint with Bayern Munich in Germany, has been called into the latest US U20 camp by coach Tab Ramos.

The U20s will train for 6 days in Florida before heading to Honduras for two matches against Los Catrachos on May 17 and 19.

The U-20 MNT is midway through the first year of a two-year cycle with the focus on qualifying for the 2019 U-20 Men’s World Cup in Poland.

The camp will be Richards first camp in the U20 pool.

Richards will not be activated on the FC Dallas roster until the current Developmental Academy season ends.

US U20 Roster by Position

GOALKEEPERS (2): David Ochoa (Real Salt Lake; Oxnard, Calif.), Seth Stiebel (Saint Louis FC; O’Fallon, Miss.)

DEFENDERS (6): Glademir Mendoza (Real Salt Lake; Phoenix, Ariz.), Manny Perez (N.C. State University; Garner, N.C.), Matthew Real (Philadelphia Union; Drexel Hill, Pa.), Chris Richards (FC Dallas; Hoover, Ala.), Sam Rogers (Seattle Sounders FC; Seattle, Wash.), Angel Uribe (Club Tijuana; San Diego, Calif.)

MIDFIELDERS (7): Frankie Amaya (Pateadores; Santa Ana, Calif.), Andrew Carleton (Atlanta United FC; Powder Springs, Ga.), Chris Goslin (Atlanta United FC; Atlanta, Ga.), Andres Jimenez (Envigado FC; Miami, Fla.), Richie Ledezma (Real Salt Lake; Casa Grande, Ariz.), Alex Mendez (LA Galaxy; Los Angeles, Calif.), Aristotle Zarris (LA Galaxy; Sarasota, Fla.)

FORWARDS (6): Simon Becher (Oakwood Academy SC; Brooklyn, Conn.), Shaft Brewer Jr. (LAFC; Sacramento, Calif.), Wilson Harris (Sporting Kansas City; Encino, Calif.), Abdulkadir Haji (Manchester, N.H.; Virginia Commonwealth University), Ulysses Llanez Jr. (LA Galaxy; Lynwood, Calif.), Justin Rennicks (Indiana University; Hamilton, Mass.)

FC Dallas Practice Observations: May 10, 2018

Dallas Morning News – May 10, 2018

Today was a closed session for FC Dallas, but I used my ninja skills and snuck in so our readers could get a top secret, super-duper spy report!

Just kidding, a closed session just means it’s in the main stadium and a passerby can’t look over the fence. It also means I have to ask someone from PR to let me in, which of course requires FCD Head Coach Oscar Pareja’s permission.

As you can see from the pic above, the essentially finished exterior to the South End looks good. If you squint, maybe you can spot they are starting to put in the frames up near the top left corner for the new TV screens that are going on that end.

News and Notes

Kris Reaves is missing today as he was having surgery today for a sports hernia.

Four Academy kids are in to help make up the numbers: Chris Cappis and Gibran Rayo, both of whom we’re seen a fair bit of lately, but also Emmanuel Paga and Ronaldo Damus.

Jordan Cano is with OKC Energy and Jesus Ferreira is with Tulsa Roughnecks on their respective loan deals. As is Adonijah Reid in Ottawa Fury, but he stays there and isn’t a back and forth guy. So is Anibal Chala technically, but we know that’s basically a joke at this point.

Paxton Pomykal and Francis Atuahene are both still rehabbing.

Chris Richards is with the US U20s in Florida.

Bryan Reynolds plays right back again today. This is actually a thing now for about two weeks running. He also played right back last week for the U19s as well and that wouldn’t happen without Pareja asking for it. I asked Pareja about Reynolds at right back, his answer is down below. FCD has a depth problem at right back and if Reynolds can solve that, and if it gets him game action, then it’s a win.

Brandon Serviania looks strong and active again today. He’s really showed me something since his return from his compartment syndrome procedure. His Progression is really remarkable. His range has increased, his confidence up, he’s not just playing but starting to impact play. Pareja says Servania is starting to challenge and it’s now a 5 player battle at the two deep-lying mid spots. Servania is an 8, so if he gets a shot it would be along with a more defensive 6 next to him.

A note on one of the Academy kids, Gibran Rayo, who is 16. About 20 minutes after training ended, as I was leaving the building I walked past the Dr. Pink field and Rayo was out there by himself with a bag of balls shooting on goal. You can’t teach desire.

On the Kellyn Acosta recovery watch, after getting 30 minutes against LAFC the next step should be to start and play about 60 minutes. Let’s see if that happens this week. I think there’s a good chance.

Pareja confirmed that Jesse Gonzalez is 100% healthy and his playing or not is down to coach’s decision.

Training Observations

After warm-up and some ball & fitness work, the first large-scale drill was interesting. It was essentially 11 players vs 4 Academy kids and a goalkeeper.

Don’t worry, it’s not as ruthless as that sounds. It was a half field drill that was about building up and getting play into the box. Good accurate passing, complete 11 offensive rotations, quality crossing or penetrating passing, and finishing. The Academy kids were only putting in token resistance and movement; they were mostly just being living obstacles. There were also some static obstacles: cones marking passing channels, tall metal figures for midfield defenders. This drill isn’t teaching anything; it’s a muscle memory, confidence building, and getting your mind sharp kind of thing.

After this main drill Pareja took a group of players to the opposite and worked on corners and free kick patterns for this weekend’s game. As you can imagine in a closed-door session I’m not going to talk about them or any personnel.

‘Cause spoilers. Stop reading my stuff, Sigi!

Given Pareja took more than 11 players for the walkthrough, it seems he may not have yet decided who will start this weekend.

The players that were left over, including the four 19s, worked with Marco Ferruzi on a crossing, passing, and shooting drill. About 1/3 of a field with full goals and keepers. It was 4 v 4 in the middle with two crosses wide on each side. Quick combo play in the middle or send it wide for a cross back in. Tight space, fast passing, tight combinations, and finishing.

Again, on this day I’m not going to mention who was in this drill as it would give away the players working the corners with Pareja.

Catching up with Oscar Pareja

You’ve had four games now without Mauro Diaz in the lineup, does this say more about him or more about where your team is, that he hasn’t been a choice?

We are choosing to have some versatility with the lineup and you gotta carry the risks in that and see if for this particular game you want to give the opportunity to somebody else. We have been using that mentality for the last month for more or so.

Mauro is fine. He’s training well. He’s doing a good job on understanding, as well, what we are doing and support from him to his teammates has been great. It’s good. And so are the other ones who have not been regulars in the lineup.

You know, somehow we have to shake up our subs a little and see if we can play different between one game or another, or within the same game. I’m expecting that will make us good, we are expecting everything to come together quickly.

And then you have to choose.

One player that doesn’t quite look the same as last season is Michael Barrios. What is he not doing right now that he was doing the last couple of years?

Mikey hasn’t been consistent so far. And that happens with players. You don’t like to see it, because you have a player who has tremendous ability to break our lines, take people on, and do what he has done in the Cup. That’s why we have decided just to give him a little bit of a break also.

Sometimes the loads, and sometimes the continuity also, and sometimes the pressure to perform every single weekend, that’s heavy. We may say that is shouldn’t, but it does, with him it’s the same exercise.

But Mikey is a worker and he’s very committed to do the right things, I don’t have any doubt that Mikey will bounce back also.

You’re about a quarter of the way into the season, do you see progress in your team?

In certain ways I do. I have seen progression in some areas. As I say to you, I think we are more versatile, more flexible. We have enlarged the roster, the participation of the youngsters in the lineup, all those things. I’m hoping to have more continuity in certain behaviors of the team in the field, but I think it’s early.

I’ve seen Reynolds now playing some right back with you in training and with the Academy, is that now a thing, Reynolds at right back?

I see things there. We spoke with Bryan and said, “you know what, I have seen some ability here from you when you attack from behind. With your size and your stamina and your technique, naybe we can use all these tools and get somebody that can help us there and see.” Bryan was content with that. We are working him in that position, for now, to see how he develops.

I thought Brandon Servania has looked really sharp since his return. Is he putting himself into your thought process now?

That’s great and I’m glad that you asked me that. Because it’s a reality, he has been very sharp and he has been in the equation already. I have seen him already progressing and competing now. He’s not just being part of the team but competing.

So we had four midfielders [competing] now he comes as the number five and he’s making his case. This week he performed very well and I can see him stronger. I’m glad to see it.

He embraced the idea to go play with the Academy and get some minutes. We let [Jesus] Ferreira go to Tulsa yesterday and we will keep evaluating cause with the boys playing, it’s the only way they can make that training effective.

Have you considered a short loan with Servania, maybe a game or two somewhere?

He could, yeah. He could. Because the best way for them is to play. Where is the dilemma… but playing is necessary.

What do you think is Brandon’s best position?

Number 8. I think he can play it as the double pivot but him being the link. I see fine the game reading for him, just toss him in and let him carry all the ideas. I think he can be a good compliment for a number ten or for a second forward, and having somebody beside him who is stronger defensively.

Crew off to best start under coach Gregg Berhalter

Columbus Dispatch – May 10, 2018

Two months and eight days after its season started at BMO Field in Toronto, Crew SC walked off the grass at Mapfre Stadium with one-third of it in the books.

The first two-plus months have already yielded two significant swings for the Crew. A four-game unbeaten streak gave way to a three-game losing streak, which then flowed into another four-game unbeaten streak.

Eleven games have given a more positive progress report than the Crew is used to by this point. A team that has often treaded water to start seasons before finding its rhythm as the playoffs near is off to a 5-3-3 start (18 points), its best through 11 games under coach Gregg Berhalter by two points.

“I think the way I look at every season is you like to build and you want to arrive at a point, and that’s the important thing about it,” Berhalter said. “Along the way there are a lot of ups and downs, and it’s a difficult road and it takes unexpected turns. But we want to keep getting better, we want to keep improving and keep building.”

Last season, the Crew surged into the playoffs behind a more consistent offense via a healthy Federico Higuain and a steadier defense over the last three months of the regular season. To start 2018, a solid defense — 10 goals allowed in 11 games — has been the Crew’s pleasant surprise. An offense that has occasionally struggled after the trades of Justin Meram and Ola Kamara comes as less of a shock.

The Crew has the potential to create more chances on offense over the final two thirds of the season, midfielder Pedro Santos said, but the team appears to have a better grasp of one important element — winning — than it has at this point in previous seasons.

“Wins always bring confidence. When we win, things come easier,” Santos said. “If we keep winning the next games, when we create three or four chances, we can score three or four goals. But I feel my teammates’ and everyone’s confidence growing.”

Busch retires with Columbus

Goalkeeper Jon Busch, who started a 14-season Major League Soccer run with the Crew, has signed a one-day contract to retire with the team. He will be recognized at halftime of a game Saturday against the Chicago Fire at Mapfre Stadium.

The 41-year-old Busch, who played with the Crew SC from 2002 to ’06, is fourth in league history in regular-season appearances with 309.

“I am deeply honored to have this opportunity to retire as a Crew SC player,” Busch said in a statement. “I have played for three fantastic clubs, but Columbus has always been our home. So, it is only fitting that my career ends where it began.”

Breaking the mold: Wan Kuzain, and U.S. soccer’s search for more players like him

FourFourTwo – May 9, 2018

It’s uncommon to see a professional club in North America highlight pass completion percentages in a press release announcing a signing.

But that’s exactly what Sporting Kansas City did upon inking Wan Kuzain Wan Kamal as an MLS Homegrown Player in April, extolling the teenage midfield talent’s USL-best 91.3-percent passing accuracy in 2017 and his 90.8-percent completion rate in his first few games of 2018 as they promoted him from Swope Park Rangers, their reserve side.

The tack is partly because the 19-year-old U.S. youth international plays holding midfield in Sporting’s system, a role not generally conducive to gaudy attacking statistics. It also hints at his rare gifts, and the challenges to cultivating others like him.

“A very good passer of the ball, very good technique, very good vision, good awareness,” Swope Park head coach Paulo Nagamura, himself a holding midfielder in his playing days, told FourFourTwo. “For me, what defines Wan Kuzain, he is a little diamond that needs to be polished.”

Kuzain does not fit the traditional mold of a blue-chip United States men’s national team youth prospect. He stands a modest 5-foot-10, 160 pounds, and isn’t remarkably strong, fast or physical. Born in Carbondale, Illinois, to Malaysian parents, Kuzain has since 12 years old been drawing attention from onlookers in both countries with YouTube videos of him bewitching opponents. He’s different; now, he aims to prove that those skills can translate in Major League Soccer.

“I think sometimes we have the wrong impression about physicality,” said Nagamura. “Kuzain is a very good example of a guy who is not very physical and strong, but is really quick on the ball, with quick feet. His technique and his quick feet overcome a lot of the stronger guys he plays against. For sure there’s a lot of players like that in the United States and we can never close the doors for those players, because I think we want to have guys who are good on the ball, guys who can make plays and guys that are technically efficient.”

After learning the game under the guidance of his father – a former pro in Malaysia – at local club South Illinois FC, Kuzain joined St. Louis Scott Gallagher’s academy system at age 11, making the four-hour round trip from Carbondale for trainings and games four to five times a week. Today, the club would be able to fast-track a player of his abilities up to the USL level, where it owns and operates Saint Louis FC. But back then that arrangement was in its infancy, so Kuzain and his family looked west, where his brother Wan Kuzac was working as an administrator at Sporting KC.

Having built a reputation as one of the most aggressive recruiters of youth talent in the nation, Sporting wasted no time. Kuzain joined SKC’s academy in August 2016 and signed a USL contract with Swope Park Rangers less than a year later. The club shifted him from an advanced midfield role to the No. 6 spot along the way. He was promoted to the senior MLS team in April, making him the first player in club history to progress from academy to full first team.

“I saw what they had here, the training facilities, the natural progression they have with their players, and thought it would be a really good move,” Kuzain, who was also scouted by – and trained with – Dutch powerhouse Feyenoord before deciding on SKC, told FourFourTwo.

“In Europe you can see that every club is trying to look for the next big-time player and they have scouts all over the world. And I think that it’s happening now in MLS – smaller pool, obviously, but I think it creates competition and obviously competition equals a higher level.”

Even hinting at a similarity with the likes of tiki-taka masters Andres Iniesta or Sergio Busquets risks doing any youth prospect a disservice. Yet if there’s a young American player remotely comparable to the products of the Catalan club, it’s Kuzain, with his natural comfort on the ball, rapid speed of thought and execution, expansive vision and sky-high soccer IQ.

“It’s just a matter of what you’re looking for,” said Blake Decker, the academy director for Saint Louis FC who worked with Kuzain in the Illinois branch of the academy. “I wouldn’t say that Kuz is not athletic – he is athletic, but in maybe different areas than what’s traditionally seen or valued in American sports. Tremendously coordinated, really quick, really well-balanced, really agile, which also are athletic qualities.

“Maybe he doesn’t have a big profile or is not powerful in the traditional sense where he’s going to cover acres and acres of ground. But being able to play in and out of tight spaces, balanced, able to shift and go both ways, being coordinated with and without the ball, I think he rates in all those qualities.”

Could Kuzain’s rise signal the long-sought evolution away from American soccer’s longstanding obsession with size, speed, strength and athleticism? Are there more like him out there just waiting to be identified and cultivated?

“I don’t consider myself different,” Kuzain says. “Obviously the typical American player that we see is someone who’s fast, big and athletic. Overall, in my time in the Development Academy I’ve seen players who have similar abilities or play the same way who are small, technical and not necessarily the most athletic. But I think there’s a lot of those type of players that are coming through in the academies, and we’re going to see much more of them for years to come.”

Under MLS regulations, Sporting claim large swaths of the Midwest as their “Homegrown territory,” a concession made in recognition of its small-market status compared to the likes of the New York Red Bulls and LA Galaxy. That territory includes St. Louis, a historical hotbed of the game that might already have its own MLS team were it not for difficulties in obtaining a stadium plan for its expansion hopes.

It’s fair to say that rankles some in St. Louis, especially given the lack of a training compensation or solidarity payments system to recognize and reward youth clubs that nurture top talent. In the meantime, the onus falls on individual players and families to find a path towards the top.

“At the end of the day, the majority of his development came down to him,” said Decker. “We provided an environment, we’re very happy and proud of the time we were able to spend with him and where he’s gone. If you’ve known a kid since 11 years old, of course would you like him playing for your club? Yes. Would training compensation be nice? Sure. But the most important thing is that you’ve played a part in helping somebody to take another step towards achieving their dreams. That’s probably the most important thing for us.

“We try to be a good neighbor in our own community; it’s recognizing through our affiliate clubs when a player transitions to our academy – that information is included when we talk about that player and we recognize that accomplishment, because we truly do feel that it’s a group effort. No club anywhere in this country is going to be able to identify every single player at 7 years old or 10 years old that is going to play professionally. It’s a collective effort.”

Kuzain credits both clubs for developing him. It’s far too early to decipher the height of his ceiling, and even more difficult considering how different and nuanced his position is. But in Sporting KC, Kuzain has a club with a proven track record of advancing talented young players – as well as teammate Ilie Sanchez, of Barcelona’s La Masia youth academy, to learn the holding midfield role from.

“MLS is a much higher competition and much higher level than USL, so he has to catch up to that,” Nagamura said. “I do believe he has the qualities to do it. He’s just a young kid and he has [a] lot of tools.”

Ramos names 21 for U-20 camp in Florida

American Soccer Now – May 9, 2018

UNITED STATES U-20 HEAD COACH Tab Ramos today announced his roster for an upcoming camp which will take place in Florida before traveling to Honduras for two games against the Honduran U-20 team.

The roster lacks most of the top names of the age group as it is not a FIFA international window and clubs are not required to release players. Still, there are important players here who should play a role in the team moving forward.

Here is the roster along with a few takeaways.

THE ROSTER

GOALKEEPERS (2):David Ochoa (Real Salt Lake; Oxnard, Calif.), Seth Stiebel (Saint Louis FC; O’Fallon, Miss.)

DEFENDERS (6):Glademir Mendoza (Real Salt Lake; Phoenix, Ariz.), Manny Perez (N.C. State University; Garner, N.C.), Matthew Real (Philadelphia Union; Drexel Hill, Pa.), Chris Richards (FC Dallas; Hoover, Ala.), Sam Rogers (Seattle Sounders FC; Seattle, Wash.), Angel Uribe (Club Tijuana; San Diego, Calif.)

MIDFIELDERS (7):Frankie Amaya (Pateadores; Santa Ana, Calif.), Andrew Carleton (Atlanta United FC; Powder Springs, Ga.), Chris Goslin (Atlanta United FC; Atlanta, Ga.), Andres Jimenez (Envigado FC; Miami, Fla.), Richie Ledezma (Real Salt Lake; Casa Grande, Ariz.), Alex Mendez (LA Galaxy; Los Angeles, Calif.), Aristotle Zarris (LA Galaxy; Sarasota, Fla.)

FORWARDS (6):Simon Becher (Oakwood Academy SC; Brooklyn, Conn.), Shaft Brewer Jr. (LAFC; Sacramento, Calif.), Wilson Harris (Sporting Kansas City; Encino, Calif.), Abdulkadir Haji (Manchester, N.H.; Virginia Commonwealth University), Ulysses Llanez Jr. (LA Galaxy; Lynwood, Calif.), Justin Rennicks (Indiana University; Hamilton, Mass.)

CARLETON LEADS THE WAY

The most high-profile name on the roster is Atlanta United’s Andrew Carleton who is expected to be a big part of not only this U-20 team but also the U-23 team next year. Playing time at a talented Atlanta team is hard to come by for Carleton but the U-20 team is giving him a chance to contribute and be the key player for a team.

As a veteran of the U-17 World Cup team last year, Carleton needs to use this camp to cement his status as a starter and leader in the attack.

PLAYERS ON THE RISE

As U-20 World Cup qualifying approaches, there are several players on this roster who have seen an increased role in Tab Ramos team over the first few camps of this cycle.

Richie Ledesma: Real Salt Lake’s Richie Ledesma was very impressive for the U-20 team last camp where he stood out in a win over France. As it is appeaing possible that Tyler Adams might not be part of this U-20 team during the cycle due to national team commitments, Ledesma’s stock is rising within the team and he has surged past other players. With a good camp here it is possible to see him starting in qualifying and possibly the World Cup.

Manny Perez: At North Carolina State, Perez plays mostly as a winger but Ramos believes he is best used as a right back. Last year he turned down an opportunity to sign a Generation Adidas for MLS and could instead turn professional this summer. He appears to be the starting right back for this U-20 team but could have competition from Ajax’s Sergino Dest. With Dest not in this camp, Perez has a big opportunity to tighten his grip on the starting job.

Chris Goslin: A central midfielder and veteran of last year’s U-17 World Cup team, Goslin’s main competition for the U-20 team is the injured Brandon Servania and, of course, Chris Durkin who is having a tough time getting involved with this team due to commitments with DC United – where he is a starter. An Atlanta United homegrown, Goslin has an opportunity at this camp with his main competition absent.

Frankie Amaya: The Santa Ana native scored the winning goal for the U.S. team last camp against France and all reports were that he impressed throughout the camp in Europe. Now the Pateadores attacking midfielder can strengthen his case to be part of World Cup qualifying by building on his performance in March.

Chris Richards: After two very strong cycles at the position, central defense is weaker this cycle for the U-20 team. Philadelphia’s Mark McKenzie appears to be the top option in central defense but after that, the competition is wide open. Chris Richards is a homegrown from FC Dallas and recently spent time training in Germany with Bayern Munich.

WHO IS NOT HERE?

The list of age-eligible players not at this camp is long. Top goalkeeper Brady Scott of FC Cologne is still in Germany as is Ajax U-19 right back Sergino Dest.

FC Nordsjaelland winger Jonathan Amon was asked to play in this camp but is currently a starter with the Danish club which has important games remaining. Similarly, Schalke’s Nick Taitague is considered to be an important player at this age group but is still with Schalke and has dealt with injuries this past season.

It is known that Werder Bremen forward Josh Sargent will be called up to the full national team later this month and it is also likely that Tim Weah will as well after earning his first senior cap in March. Meanwhile New York Red Bull standout Tyler Adams continues to look like a key player for the U.S. team the moment and if he does play for this team, it will probably only be at qualifying or the U-20 World Cup.

In MLS, Philadelphia center back Mark McKenize and DC United central midfielder Chris Durkin are both first team players with their clubs and were unable to take part. Meanwhile, FC Dallas homegrown Brandon Servania is injured.

Finally, Union Berlin and Germany U-19 central defender Lennard Maloney is still in season but ASN has heard that he has been in contact with U.S. Soccer. It is very possible that he plays with the team in future camps.

While it is not confirmed by CONCACAF, ASN is hearing that U-20 World Cup qualifying could be very early this cycle – possibly in November with the U.S. hosting the event in Florida. So Ramos does not have much time left to sort out his depth chart.

So the bottom line is that when compared with the players who are not here as well as players from the U-19 or U-18 teams that could impress and move up into this team, there is still a lot of competition to be part of this U-20 team come World Cup qualifying. It is camps like these which will help Ramos make up his mind.

Bwana’s winner is a great story—and even better news for Sounders

The Athletic – May 10, 2018

If Handwalla Bwana’s cinematic life story ever makes it to the big screen, Wednesday night will feature prominently. In the 54th minute of a tied game, a rematch of the last two MLS Cup finals, the child refugee turned teenage Sounder broke free behind Toronto FC’s defense. Acting on instinct, Bwana hit Will Bruin’s through-ball past onrushing TFC goalkeeper Alex Bono and into the back of the net. The rookie’s first professional goal held up as the game-winner in a 2-1 Seattle victory that was as crucial, and unlikely, as any in recent memory.

Juxtapose a few images of a six-year-old Handwalla playing soccer barefoot on the red dirt of the Kakuma refugee camp with the clip of coach Brian Schmetzer awarding him the game ball in the visiting locker room at BMO Field, and the script writes itself. To edit Bwana’s journey down only to the highlights, however, would miss part of what made Wednesday night so special. His is a story of struggle and sacrifice, a story of…

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