Washington Capitals Fan Forum
Talk about Capitals hockey & more! => Washington Capitals & Other Hockey Discussion => Topic started by: Surreylily on Wednesday October 24, 2018, 08:45:10 PM Eastern
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We haven't had a volcano candidtate for a while, but I think Bear might be one.
Your thoughts?
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he kinda looks like Bura,
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GvpP_zibEAc
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I like the kid. I do. He's funny and I loved that team photo with Big Willy with the hair and all that.
He has the speed and he has the skill...... who does that remind you of? Sadly too much.
Sasha was an incredible player. One of the most talented we've ever seen, but there was somthing just not quite right with him. In his head. There were a couple of neurons not quite connecting there. I know he went to a couple of other teams after us and I think he went back to "the motherland" in the end. Can someone please clarify?
I keep getting the same feeling about Bear. :( Again, quick on his feet, not in his head. Is he just a talented sociopath?
He doesn't seem to understand the concept of "teamwork" - something our Caps team has struggled mightily with over the years and a place and mentality I absolutely do not want to go back to. Does Bear also have a mental issue, like I believe Semin did? Not the same issue, you understand, Sasha could hardly be called a sociopath.
But something that is stopping this young talented guy from being the best that he can be.
He's not a little guy. He could hit, throw his body about a bit more.
He could shoot a bit more.
He could make more plays. He has an eye of a passer - when he wants to.
When he's not being selfish and thinks the whole team revolves around him and that he's the best thing since icecapades.
Stupid little fart needs to have Ovi's highlight reels and Backy's fed to him 24 7, so he can learn what great players actually do. How they are. How to step up. How to act. Mostly, how to be teammate.
In conclusion.
Bear for the volcano.He's had enough chances.
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he kinda looks like Bura,
ope yur
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GvpP_zibEAc (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GvpP_zibEAc)
:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: That was sooooo spot on. I hadn't even typed my explanation yet....!
(Hope your foot's better?) ... (Didn't know about your encounter unlill last game. I don't go on to the ....other..... part of the site, lest I get my knickers in a twist again. Which means I would have to - never mind.........
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I think everyone here will agree.
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I think everyone here will agree.
[/quookay with you and yours?te]
All
[/quoteals
Edit - Stupid technicals:
All okay with you and yours?
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I think everyone here will agree.
[/quookay with you and yours?te]
All
[/quoteals
Edit - Stupid technicals:
All okay with you and yours?
(Ō_ƆŎ)
::)
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My technical skills just aren't impoving. :(
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My wife got home yesterday. She feels great. Best she has felt in months. Didnt realize how bad things were until yesterday. The Dr told us if we had waited any longer it could have been fatal.
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We haven't had a volcano candidtate for a while, but I think Bear might be one.
Your thoughts?
Good thread, Lil!
Probably a bit overdue, as well!
I should have read further tonight. I just posted about Bura on Rich’s boredom thread before seeing yours. Anyway I’ll try to copy here. Wish me the techy luck.
If Burakovsky were a stalk of corn, we would have all STARVED, waiting for him to “blossom”!![/size]The most stale, predictable, and repetitive story of any recent caps player, Period!The media commentary about him, over the last 3 seasons, you could memorize, verbatim, like a prayer at the dinner table!Its BURA himself, who states every time, after his resets/injuries/negative production spells, etc., that “he feels great”, or “ his legs feel good”, or “he’s learned, now, not to put too much pressure on himself”, blah, blah, blah! MAKES ME FRICKIN’ PUKE, to hear any professional sportswriter attempt to insinuate that he’s worth waiting for, because of his “physical gifts” and talents. HELL, on the contrary, it’s BECAUSE of his natural physical gifts and skills, which should have him in a high level playing position, that he receives condemnation. HELLO?? A crazy skill set, with a repeatedly proven mental inability to bring it to fruition, on the ice! And has been afforded multiple opportunities to showcase himself, beyond any reasonable period of time.“When the grief exceeds the profit...get rid of the grief”!!!Rush
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Don't know if you actually throw him in yet.. But certainly tie a rope to him and lower him down for a serious look!! :wackysmile:
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If we throw him in....Do we have to retain his salary against the cap? :smirk:
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Puck referred to the "media" pumping up Bearkowski and I heard some female reporter who covers the Caps call into the sports junkies (who I hardly ever listen to, but just happen to catch the tale end of the segment) a couple days ago.
Anyway, this woman, who shall remain nameless (because I don't know her name, not because I am disrespectful to women) was praising Bura's play in the game the night before and saying he had a great showing and was on the verge of "breaking out". Now I will admit, I watched the game very late (started about 90 minute delayed to a very late game) so I was a bit groggy, but I could not remember one positive moment in the game for Bura. Maybe I am now just bitter about him and don't acknowledge his hustle and effort and only see the lack of results, but I think not. For a guy his size, he is not strong on the puck. He doesn't win board battles (or even partake in them)
He has great speed and some wicked skills, but like PUCK said.....those skills are WHY we expect more, not reason to allow less.
Toss him in.
And maybe this volcano thread will finally turn him around like it did the last volcano bait.....MOJO
Of course we waited and waited and waited on MOJO and then when he finally turned it around, we had to cut him due to salary.
Maybe this thread is the reverse psychology we have needed. By creating the volcano and giving up on Bear and throwing him in....maybe that will work
(and maybe I'll hit a unicorn with my truck on my way home from cashing in my winning lottery ticket too)
Go CAPS
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I think we (we here on the board) need Bura. If he was gone we would have no one left on the team to bitch and moan about.
:wackysmile:
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I think we (we here on the board) need Bura. If he was gone we would have no one left on the team to bitch and moan about.
:wackysmile:
There's always Dylan :P and Maaco says.....
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I think we (we here on the board) need Bura. If he was gone we would have no one left on the team to bitch and moan about.
:wackysmile:
LoL.. If Oshie doesn't start doing something other than shootout and en goals, he's gonna end up on my short list!! :wackysmile:
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I mean, it is certainly possible to simultaneously want Bura tossed, yet in the interim, while he’s still skating in games, have HOPE for him to turn it around!
I say HOPE, because I’m a Caps FAN. The phrase I didn’t use was EXPECT him to turn it around.
Anyone who has known someone close, who has suffered from drug addiction, knows all too well of the numerous reassurances given by the addict, that “THIS TIME” they feel better, promising results and blah, blah, blah.
Of course we feel sad for the person, but after a few times of wanting to believe the best, it doesn’t happen, there is a relapse, then another, and another!
We hope they stop their downward spiral, but do we actually EXPECT them to, when they pull the old “THIS TIME” again! Of course not! There’s got to be some proof in the pudding!!
This is where Bura is with me. Don’t want to hear words from him, at this point, anymore!! SHOW ME!!
Rush
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I thought Bura had a good game last night against the Oilers. He was hustling and making things happen. Unfortunately he was about the only one who was putting forth the effort.
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I thought Bura had a good game last night against the Oilers. He was hustling and making things happen. Unfortunately he was about the only one who was putting forth the effort.
In the games I have gone to this season so far I have not been disappointed in Bura. He has been hustling. His back checking looks better. He has been TRYING to create things. But as has pretty consistently been the case throughout his career so far, what he does, doesn't seem to produce anything, and I really can't figure out why that is.
In playing style, Burakovsky is part Backstrom, part Kuznetsov. He reminds me of Backstrom in the way he competes for the puck along the boards. He doesn't try to dig it out or muscle it away from anyone -- he depends more on guile and anticipation to intercept the puck when an opponent tries to move it out, just as Backstrom does. And he is a high mid-ice cycler when he has the puck, just as Kuznetsov is (as opposed to an along-the-boards cycler).
If I had to guess reasons why Bura isn't producing, (1) He is on a line with Eller, who is not a great passing center, and now Connolly, who is a sniper in his own right and depends on others to get him the puck in advantageous positions and circumstances. I suspect Bura does a lot of solo stuff because he realizes he isn't going to get a lot of help from either of those guys getting him the puck where he can do damage; and (2) For all the Backstrom-like and Kuzy-like skills he has, he hasn't been a center (though he was briefly tried as one early in his career), and in some ways he isn't a winger either, because he tends to use more ice and draw more attention than a wing does. He's a kind of 'tweeter, and add that to the fact that he ISN'T as good as Backstrom or Kuzy in the skill set he shares with them and you get ...... relatively little.
He strikes me as the kind of guy who will never really blossom here, but could eventually find his way to a place where he does fit and is put in a position that makes best use of his skills and blossoms at least somewhat as a result. Or maybe there's another even simpler explanation: He's still only 23, isn't he? Some guys just don't figure it out until their mid-20's. Maybe he's one of those.
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According to reports from the Caps practice today Burakovsky was on a line with Backstrom and Oshie and Vrana was on the first line with Kuzy and Ovi. Interesting, I am looking forward to seeing how those lines look tomorrow against Calgary. Stephenson is on a line with Eller and Connelly and Smith-Pelly is back on the 4th line with Dowd and Jaskin. Also Bowey is in for Djoos.
Playing with Backstrom and Oshie, Burakovsky should get plenty of opportunities to score. I am hoping he makes the most of it. Also Vrana’s speed should open things up for Kuzy and Ovi and that could be a dynamite line. Hopefully it won’t be too much of a defensive liability.
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At 23 this will be his 5th season. The age would indicate he has room to grow, but after four seasons I haven't seen the type of improvement you'd expect from a player this young. He wouldn't be the first player to vastly improve with a new team, he wouldn't be the last either
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According to reports from the Caps practice today Burakovsky was on a line with Backstrom and Oshie and Vrana was on the first line with Kuzy and Ovi. Interesting, I am looking forward to seeing how those lines look tomorrow against Calgary. Stephenson is on a line with Eller and Connelly and Smith-Pelly is back on the 4th line with Dowd and Jaskin. Also Bowey is in for Djoos.
Playing with Backstrom and Oshie, Burakovsky should get plenty of opportunities to score. I am hoping he makes the most of it. Also Vrana’s speed should open things up for Kuzy and Ovi and that could be a dynamite line. Hopefully it won’t be too much of a defensive liability.
Well I stated earlier (somewhere, sometime) that Bura is never going to "blossom" on a third or fourth line. He is a top line skills type guy. He hasn't "earned" that chance, but putting a round peg in a square hole hasn't exactly helped him blossom either.
Hopefully he will have success on the second line - I think that actually is the best fit for him and I like Stephenson on line 3 also. I was curious about seeing Vrana on the top line. He has some wicked speed and good shot. Hopefully this works out as an improvement for all four lines.
Willy's absence is driving this....making due with players that are available.
Bura BETTER make the best of this....otherwise it's in the Volcano with him.
Of course, I used to campaign for Vrana to be moved also (traded), but I like him now....just hope he can continue to improve.
Djoos is pretty much on my s-list also. I just can't get over his size - he's playing with heavy weights and he's a fly weight. You can't be a successful D man in the NHL at 160lbs. He just gets pushed around. I want my D to push people out of the crease, not the other way round.
Why again does the font size change when I hit the backspace key?
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Of course I was glad to see Bura get on the board, finally, last night. Every breakout, from a slump, must always start with that first goal! As with any recovering player, we shall see!
The issue with Bura has never been about skills, speed, or talent. He’s been blessed with some natural gifts! The issue has ALWAYS been CONSISTENCY.
Erratic production problems are always hard to pinpoint. With Bura, whether scratched, reset, or injured, it all goes into the equation. Rierden just shed a little more light as to how he’s dealing with Bura, at last nights post game interview.
Rierden said, and I’m paraphrasing, that looking at Andre, it’s all about “chances for, versus chances against”! Adding that for a guy like Bura, the differential should not be EVEN, but rather tilted to the offensive side, and I think we’re getting closer to that!
The media, had asked Rierden to comment on Bura’s performance, having just scored a goal, looking to get some Bura praise from the coach. Rierden obliged, but also added the above comments as some kind of neutralizer. IMO, I heard some subtle, restrained, frustration in Rierdens voice, when saying the part about the differential “shouldn’t be even”.
For me, watching Bura this season, I still see the lost puck battles, and handling issues, but far worse is that he still appears “alone” out there on the ice, in his overall style. That the teamwork and line chemistry he tries to show, feels forced, and unnatural, almost as an afterthought, that occurs to him because he knows he “has to”!
Last nights awesome pass from Dowd, behind the net, leading to a great shot and goal by Bura, is an example of teamwork being jammed down Bura’s throat. Don’t get me wrong, Bura made an extremely talented shot, at a sharp angle to make that goal! Awesome talent to do that! But if you think that Andre realized that it actually TOOK A TEAM EFFORT to produce....just check his post game interview out, specifically when asked about his goal! Nothing but “I this”, and “I that” all through his response! What a team player, I say!!🤣😂🤣
Rush
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So Bear took a half step back from the edge with the goal a couple games ago, but he's still right there. I say he's trade bait for a defenseman or a hotel room..
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if Carlson doesn’t get his head out of his ass he may be bumped to the front of the line
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hey Burt, come up here and check out the view
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Burt with the winning goal, good for him. He made up for his bad giveway that led to Arizona’s first goal. The kid has a terrific shot but he needs to get it off quicker.
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Burt fell in the volcano a while back. He just hasn't realized it yet. :uh-huh: Wonder if they can hide him somewhere until 2020 as Seattle bait? :rofl:
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Burt fell in the volcano a while back. He just hasn't realized it yet. :uh-huh: Wonder if they can hide him somewhere until 2020 as Seattle bait? :rofl:
Agreed on the volcano, Mick.
2020 pushes the patience envelope too heavy, for me. LOL. Glad for his GWG, but it stops right there!
I watched Burakovsky’s post game chat last nite. To his credit, he ACTUALLY said he had a bad game. He also didn’t bother to glorify his GWG, and said that he was just glad the TEAM got a win!
Ive paid particular attention to Bura’s post game comments, especially starting last year, through to the present. This is the FIRST time I’ve witnessed him have this fluid of a humble tone to his whole interview. I compare it to a dog that just got scolded for something. A very “tail between the legs” style to his words last night.
Still, though, I don’t see him getting the chemistry of line play, although on a different one last nite. He’s got more goals than assists this year. Its one thing for Ovi to do that, not Bura. I’m going to look back over his history to see how his assists versus goals ratio pans out. Backy epitomizes a team player, just check his stellar assist numbers.
Bura has to show some good cycling contribution, and way better linemate acknowledgement! With all his natural ability, there no excuse for it. Some puck handling 101 would also help! LOL
Rush
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I'm surprised Burakovsky admitted he had a bad game. I already said in the get not to get excited about the gwg because he still had a bad game.
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I have always liked Burakovsky, but am getting tired of his boneheaded plays. I actually think he has as good, if not better, skill set as Vrana - he just doesn't have the desire. Vrana has a motor that doesn't quit. Not so much with Burt.
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I have always liked Burakovsky, but am getting tired of his boneheaded plays. I actually think he has as good, if not better, skill set as Vrana - he just doesn't have the desire. Vrana has a motor that doesn't quit. Not so much with Burt.
Hey Beags!
Yes, and just compare/contrast the way Vrana and Bura have responded to their corrective “resets”!
They have both been disciplined by Trotz last year.
Bura’s general “growth”, as a maturing hockey player is, at best, a stymied, revolving, blurry, anybody’s guess, type of progress. We see his obviously stellar skill set, peek its head out from time to time, but it certainly can’t be said to be a reliable showing, even with the most optimistic view! Putting coaches, players and fans, in an uncomfortable “will he, or won’t he”, type of impatient frustration!
Vrana, on the other hand, his growth has been most obviously northward! He’s becoming exciting to watch, more and more often, and contributing as a linemate, with a decent mix of solo goals, and some wicked passes for assists! IMO, you can see him maturing as the season goes on!
It’s funny because as I’m posting, we just beat Columbus, 4-0, in a great team effort WIN.
Bura didn’t score but I thought he had a better game this time. Although he had his typical number of puck giveaways, at the boards, or entering the zone, he also created some better time and space for himself and his linemates. GO FIGURE, buddy! LOL
TTYL Beags!
Rush
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Bura did take 2 very dumb penalties late in the game in the offensive zone. Can't take a penalty at that point in the game unless you are stopping a high danger scoring chance. He has zero hockey IQ. So I would consider this another bad game for him.
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Bura did take 2 very dumb penalties late in the game in the offensive zone. Can't take a penalty at that point in the game unless you are stopping a high danger scoring chance. He has zero hockey IQ. So I would consider this another bad game for him.
I think the lack of hockey IQ is the main reason he has not developed the way it was thought he would. His decision making is atrocious and he doesn’t anticipate the play. Unfortunately I am not sure hockey IQ is something that can be developed, you either have it or you don’t. He has size, he is a great skater and has a terrific shot but he just doesn’t have the smarts.
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He was a best-player-available,that had a skill set that is a commodity, in position and roles we had a surplus of, iow he was drafted as a trade asset.
We’ve hung onto, and resigned him for to long and his value is dropping fast. The sooner we get something for him the better
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He was a best-player-available,that had a skill set that is a commodity, in position and roles we had a surplus of, iow he was drafted as a trade asset.
We’ve hung onto, and resigned him for to long and his value is dropping fast. The sooner we get something for him the better
We should trade him for a player like Reeves. Instead we will probably hang on to him.
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We should trade him for a player like Reeves. Instead we will probably hang on to him.
They shoulda done that two years ago.
But now, he is counted in the “keep the band together” marketing scheme. and a fast-offense only Euro that has skill can be market to a naive demographic, so damn right we’ll keep him.
Zulu’s his low hockey IQ, mistakes, and turnovers keep the games “entertaining”
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But now, he is counted in the “keep the band together” marketing scheme. and a fast-offense only Euro that has skill can be market to a naive demographic Reigning Stanley Cup Championship Market, so damn right we’ll keep him.
Not that I don't agree about Burt, but had to fix that for you.. 8)
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I have to wonder if Bear is being sat because negotiations are in progress with someone. It could just be because he's a dumbass, of course. :P
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I have to wonder if Bear is being sat because negotiations are in progress with someone. It could just be because he's a dumbass, of course. :P
Do you think we could get that lucky that we ship him off? Hope so
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Do you think we could get that lucky that we ship him off? Hope so
:cross:
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I would think that if the Caps manage to trade Bura, they'd have to throw in a prospect or eat some of the salary, or both. Hes got one year left as a RFA and 2 years left on contract at $3 mil a year. I wouldn't pay that for him right now
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I would think that if the Caps manage to trade Bura, they'd have to throw in a prospect or eat some of the salary, or both. Hes got one year left as a RFA and 2 years left on contract at $3 mil a year. I wouldn't pay that for him right now
No he is on the last year of his contract and that is the problem and why they should trade him. Next July in order to retain his rights the Caps have to give him a qualifying offer which in his case is 3 million which he made this season. If we don’t make a qualifying offer he becomes an UFA and we would get nothing for him. Since I don’t see the Caps giving him a qualifying offer we should trade him and at least get a draft choice.
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Do you think we can offload him to ...... which team was it that we conned into taking Sasha? :P
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Do you think we can offload him to ...... which team was it that we conned into taking Sasha? :P
Sasha was Semin? He went to the Hurricanes and is now playing in Russia
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Do you think we can offload him to ...... which team was it that we conned into taking Sasha? :P
The LA Kings are rumored to be shopping Jake Muzzin. The only way the Caps could make it work salary cap wise would be to move Burakovsky and Orpik. Could the two of them plus, say, Siegenthaler, get a deal done? That's a big haul for LA to take the chance on Burakovsky, but they are last in the league in scoring, they DESPERATELY need some skill up front, and they have the grinders that could get the puck to Burakovsky and maybe get him going.
I think part of his problem is that he needs to have a grinder and a distributor on his line for him to best use his skills, and with the Caps he's NEVER been on a line with that mix. He's always been a misfit here. I think, for example, a Burakovsky/Backstrom/Wilson line would be a good one, but he's so far in the doghouse now he'd never get that opportunity. Putting him with Ovie is no good, because Ovie is the sniper on whatever line he is on, period, so it turns Burakovsky into a forechecker, which he is not.
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looks like Bura is going to be scratched a 4th game in a row
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looks like Bura is going to be scratched a 4th game in a row
As Kevin Costner said in Bull Durham, "You don't mess with a streak." Even if you would like to get someone back in the lineup -- which it isn't clear that the Caps want to do at this point.
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As Kevin Costner said in Bull Durham, "You don't mess with a streak." Even if you would like to get someone back in the lineup -- which it isn't clear that the Caps want to do at this point.
They might want to consider scratching Eller as well if he doesnt get his head out of his ass. I'm not really buying the hot streak statement though. We were playing well before Bura was scratched.
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They aint scratching a 1st team penalty killer with the way they've been
killing wounding penalties.
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They aint scratching a 1st team penalty killer with the way they've been killing sodomized by penalties.
fixed that