Courtesy: Associated Press
Something had to be done and it looks like the Washington Capitals took the “we need a fresh start” route by canning both general manager George McPhee and head coach Adam Oates.
Washington is a city that takes a lot of pride in its sports franchises. Seeing the Capitals miss the postseason for the first time since 2006-07 had to spur some changes and unfortunately for McPhee and Oates, such alterations usually begin from the top down.
This isn’t a move for the fans however, as owner Ted Leonsis sees how the success for one of his teams, the Washington Wizards, has stirred up more excitement in the District. He wants the Capitals to be a bonafide contender year in and year out and when winning isn’t consistent, wholesale changes have to be made.
Here is the official release from the Capitals:
“ARLINGTON, Va. – The Washington Capitals will not renew the contract of vice president and general manager George McPhee and have relieved head coach Adam Oates of his duties, majority owner Ted Leonsis and president Dick Patrick announced today.
‘George has been a terrific, longtime executive for our franchise, and I’m grateful for his commitment to the Capitals organization for the past 17 years,” said Leonsis. “Under his leadership the Capitals won seven division titles, twice were the top team in the Eastern Conference, earned a Presidents’ Trophy and competed in the playoffs 10 times. He was a highly effective manager who is extremely well regarded within our organization and around the NHL. We have the utmost respect for him and his family and wish them nothing but the very best.
We are also appreciative of Adam’s efforts and thank him for his devotion, work ethic and contributions to the Capitals the past two seasons. He is a smart, tactical coach who improved the performance of several of our players. He is a Hall of Fame player who we believe will be a longtime coach in the NHL. We will help him in whatever way we are able and wish him well.
This is an important time for our organization, and I feel a change is needed in order to get us back to being a top echelon team that competes for the Stanley Cup.'”
Even though these changes did have to be made, it can’t go without mentioning that McPhee had a very successful tenure as GM and Oates did some good things as the Capitals’ bench boss.
For 17 years, George McPhee built a franchise that was in the sewers before his arrival. A Stanley Cup appearance in his first season in building the team is a testament to that. Even though none of his teams since the 1997-1998 season were able to match that feat, seven division championships, eight 40-or-more win seasons and a President’s Trophy season in 2009-2010 with 121 total points show that McPhee was no slouch in building a franchise.
Failing to make it past the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs other than the one Stanley Cup appearance suggests otherwise in a town where winning is everything.
Courtesy: Bleacher Report
The most interesting point that could be made about George’s teams were that they were a far cry away from the type of player he was. Washington has been a finesse team that has relied on high-powered offensive prowess through stars like Peter Bondra, Adam Oates, Jaromir Jagr, Nicklas Backstrom and Alexander Ovechkin, but have never really had that physical presence on the defensive end to complete the balance.
McPhee was a tough gritty player during his days as with the New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils. But his teams seemed to contrast the image some may have thought would have been his foundation for building a winning hockey club.
To his credit, his method worked… in the regular season. And McPhee would also stay aggressive at the trade deadline to always make that one move that could muster up a few extra wins and lead to a potential postseason run.
But, his teams became too predictable and since the arrival of Ovechkin in 2005-2006, the look and feel of the team has become stale, especially in George’s recruiting of a similar type of player. Offensive-minded players will put people in the seats, but two-way players put Cups above their heads.
And that’s why McPhee won’t be back.
Two problems can’t be ignored and have to be addressed by the next GM:
1. Since Olaf Kolzig has left the organization, and since returned as a goaltending coach, there has been a consistent inconsistency at the goalie position between the pipes.
2. Defense… defense… defense.
If the focus of the next general manager isn’t on either of these two areas, Washington may be in more trouble than the fan base can hope for.
As for Oates… he brought a new direction and re-focused the club to an offensive-minded hockey team. He tried to deliver what George McPhee was trying to sell with his players in that being able to score goals is important.
Under Dale Hunter, those things didn’t happen.
Hunter’s Capitals team was one that focused on defense first and scoring goals second. While he did improve things on the back end, his new coaching style led to a disgruntled Ovechkin, a reduced focus on offense and the same result in the postseason anyways.
So, bringing in Oates had a similar feel to that of when Bruce Boudreau was the team’s bench boss. The power play was the driving force and everything else followed suit offensively.
The problem?
It’s just like when a basketball team relies too heavily on the three-point shot. When a hockey team places so much emphasis on being able to net points on special teams, the focus and 5-on-5, even strength play suffers to a degree.
How can one tell that Washington struggled in playing a full 60 minutes when they weren’t on the man advantage?
They set an NHL record for shootouts in a season with 21 (10-11) and in 2 seasons under Oates, the Capitals have zero wins in regulation & overtime when scoring two or fewer goals. They only tallied 1 shootout victory in 2012-2013 and lost 41 of the other occurrences in regulation and nine in overtime. **Thanks to 106.7 The Fan’s Sky Kerstein for the numbers. **
A new voice was needed. Oates was a good guy and someone the players loved, but maybe that was the problem.
This team needs fire. They need a personality. They need an identity. But most importantly, they need a tough field general who can add some focus on the defensive end, keep everyone – superstars and others – grounded on the same level and maintain the offensive firepower up front.
How do you do Mike Keenan?
Courtesy: Grantland.com
