The Caps, as has been their form recently, found a way to win despite not playing their best. This time, they jumped out to a 2-0 lead that they relinquished before beating the Tampa Bay Lightning, 3-2, to tie the franchise record with their 10th straight win.
Both of Tampa's goals came in the early stages of the third period. As the stanza unfolded, Alex Ovechkin began to exert his dominance -- but his shots kept getting blocked. The one that finally got through was the game-winner, a beautiful conversion of an equally-artful pass from Nicklas Backstrom.
"We were frustrated as to how we started the third period. They [Tampa Bay] scored two. But we didn't give up," Ovechkin told the media after the game. "I think our line played well today. We created some good chances. Most important thing is that we scored in the third period. It’s fun when you score game-winning goal with five minutes left in the game."
"I saw [Ovechkin's] blade so I was trying to get the puck to his blade," Backstrom added. "I had a little bit of luck there."
After a scoreless first period, the Caps got on the board off Backstrom's stick, who poked in a rebound off Ovechkin's stick that barely trickled past Lightning goalie Mike Smith less than a minute into the stanza. It was Backstrom's 23rd goal of the season, a new career high.
Brooks Laich added to the lead at 12:56 when he caught Smith out of position.
But the Lightning made it interested with an even-strength goal from Martin St. Louis at 5:00 and a power-play goal from Steven Stamkos at 7:42. But Ovie made sure this version of the Caps tied the 1983-84 squad with 10 consecutive wins.
The Caps finished January at 13-2-0, setting a franchise record for most victories in a month and tying the franchise record for most points (26) in a month. The previous wins record was set when the Caps went 12-2-2 in December 1984.
The Caps have another busy week ahead with four games.
January 31, 2010
January 29, 2010
Panthers Visit Caps in Penultimate Meeting
The Florida Panthers (23-21-9) visit the Caps at Verizon Center tonight (7 p.m., CSN-HD) in the first of two consecutive Southeast Division games. While the Caps are 9-1 in their last 10 (and winners of eight straight), the Panthers are 6-2-2 in their last 10 and have won two straight -- and are 7-3-2 in January (their most wins in any month so far). Ditto the Caps and their 11-2 record in 2010's first month.
The Caps lead the all-time series, 42-32-9-6, and captured the first four meetings of the season: 4-1 at Florida (Nov. 6), 7-4 at home (Nov. 7), 6-2 at home (Dec. 3), 5-4 SO at Florida (Jan. 13), its first four-game winning streak vs. Florida since Nov. 7, 2002-April 1, 2003. The Caps are seeking their first five-game winning streak vs. Florida since a six-gamer from Jan. 19, 2000-Jan. 24, 2001. The season's final meeting will take place March 16 in Sunrise.
Alex Semin is on one of his hot streaks, boasting back-to-back two-goal games and points in seven straight (six goals, eight assists), tied for the longest active streak in the NHL. Semin has 11 goals and 10 assists in his last 12 games, all in January, putting him second in the month in goals and third in points. It's the best point-scoring month of his career and one shy of his best goal-scoring month (12 in January 2007).
Mike Knuble also is hot, scoring in five of the last seven games and netting nine goals in the last 11 games. His nine goals this month are tied for sixth in the NHL and mark the best goal-scoring month he has had since March 2003 (11). With 16 goals -- despite missing 12 games with a broken finger -- Knuble is tied for the league goal-scoring lead among players 35 and older.
The Caps are 19-3-3 at home and winners of seven in a row at Verizon Center, selling out all 25 home games this year and a club-record 32 in a row dating back to last season. A win Friday night would match the third-longest home winning streak in franchise history. The Caps have the fewest regulation losses at home in the NHL.
The red, white and blue is averaging four goals per game at home; that's up more than a half a goal per home game from last season and 0.95 goals per home game from 2007-08.
The Caps lead the all-time series, 42-32-9-6, and captured the first four meetings of the season: 4-1 at Florida (Nov. 6), 7-4 at home (Nov. 7), 6-2 at home (Dec. 3), 5-4 SO at Florida (Jan. 13), its first four-game winning streak vs. Florida since Nov. 7, 2002-April 1, 2003. The Caps are seeking their first five-game winning streak vs. Florida since a six-gamer from Jan. 19, 2000-Jan. 24, 2001. The season's final meeting will take place March 16 in Sunrise.
Alex Semin is on one of his hot streaks, boasting back-to-back two-goal games and points in seven straight (six goals, eight assists), tied for the longest active streak in the NHL. Semin has 11 goals and 10 assists in his last 12 games, all in January, putting him second in the month in goals and third in points. It's the best point-scoring month of his career and one shy of his best goal-scoring month (12 in January 2007).
Mike Knuble also is hot, scoring in five of the last seven games and netting nine goals in the last 11 games. His nine goals this month are tied for sixth in the NHL and mark the best goal-scoring month he has had since March 2003 (11). With 16 goals -- despite missing 12 games with a broken finger -- Knuble is tied for the league goal-scoring lead among players 35 and older.
The Caps are 19-3-3 at home and winners of seven in a row at Verizon Center, selling out all 25 home games this year and a club-record 32 in a row dating back to last season. A win Friday night would match the third-longest home winning streak in franchise history. The Caps have the fewest regulation losses at home in the NHL.
The red, white and blue is averaging four goals per game at home; that's up more than a half a goal per home game from last season and 0.95 goals per home game from 2007-08.
January 28, 2010
Afternoon Update
A few notes:
* The Caps demoted Braden Holtby today, meaning either Jose Theodore or Semyon Varlamov (most likely the former) will be available tomorrow night against the Florida Panthers.
* The Hockey News writer Adam Proteau (sorta) lauded the Caps' defensive corps, but added that the team should acquire a goalie at the trade deadline to solidify their Stanley Cup hopes.
* Ted Leonsis, to his credit, spoke out about the process of acquiring the remaining shares of the Wizards, Ticketmaster and Verizon Center -- presumably in response to today's Washington Post article. We have no doubt that the deal will be completed in time.
* The Caps demoted Braden Holtby today, meaning either Jose Theodore or Semyon Varlamov (most likely the former) will be available tomorrow night against the Florida Panthers.
* The Hockey News writer Adam Proteau (sorta) lauded the Caps' defensive corps, but added that the team should acquire a goalie at the trade deadline to solidify their Stanley Cup hopes.
* Ted Leonsis, to his credit, spoke out about the process of acquiring the remaining shares of the Wizards, Ticketmaster and Verizon Center -- presumably in response to today's Washington Post article. We have no doubt that the deal will be completed in time.
Have the Caps Already Clinched the Division?
With last night's 5-1 win over the Anaheim Ducks, the Caps (35-12-6, 76 points) boast a commanding 21-point lead in the Southeast Division with 29 games remaining. Their closest competition, the Florida Panthers (23-21-9, 55 points), visit Verizon Center Friday night.
The only two other teams who boast a double-digit division lead -- San Jose Sharks (13 over the Phoenix Coyotes) and Chicago Blackhawks (15 over the Nashville Predators) -- also happen to be the only two teams ahead of the Caps in the overall standings. (The Hawks and Caps have the same number of points but Chicago has one more win, thus placing them second.)
The big question: can any of the Southeast Division teams catch the Caps? By my calculations, Florida, Atlanta and Tampa are roughly on pace for 85 points while horrid Carolina might be lucky to reach 70. That would mean the Caps need another 10 points to essentially clinch the division -- something extremely practical before the Olympic break as the red, white and blue have another nine games left.
If the Caps hold onto a lead of this size, they would join some pretty good teams since the 2000-01 season to win their division by at least 15 points (year and division-winning margin): Colorado (2000-01, 25 points), Detroit (2001-02, 18), Dallas (2002-03, 16), Ottawa (2002-03, 15), Detroit (2003-04, 18), Tampa Bay (2003-04, 28), Detroit (2005-06, 18), Detroit (2007-08, 24), San Jose (2008-09, 26), and Boston (2008-09, 23).
The interesting thing about that list is that only one team, the Lightning, captured the division over a team that did not make the playoffs; every other winner was joined in the postseason by a division rival.
Four of those teams (the Avalanche, Lightning and the 2001-02 and 2007-08 Red Wings) captured the Stanley Cup and six boasted the President's Trophy (Colorado, Detroit three times, Ottawa and San Jose).
So where does that leave the Caps? Firstly, it's highly-unlikely that any Southeast Division team will make the playoffs -- which would put them on par with fellow rival Tampa (a good sign considering the Lightning won the Cup that season). The Caps also have a shot at the President's Trophy (although only seven teams in the 23-year history of the award have won the Cup the same year they had the best overall league record). And, of course, the Caps are one of the leading contenders for the Stanley Cup.
Therefore, the team's last 20 games after the Olympic break might be more about gearing up for a long playoff run than clinching a division title -- because that might essentially be wrapped up already.
The only two other teams who boast a double-digit division lead -- San Jose Sharks (13 over the Phoenix Coyotes) and Chicago Blackhawks (15 over the Nashville Predators) -- also happen to be the only two teams ahead of the Caps in the overall standings. (The Hawks and Caps have the same number of points but Chicago has one more win, thus placing them second.)
The big question: can any of the Southeast Division teams catch the Caps? By my calculations, Florida, Atlanta and Tampa are roughly on pace for 85 points while horrid Carolina might be lucky to reach 70. That would mean the Caps need another 10 points to essentially clinch the division -- something extremely practical before the Olympic break as the red, white and blue have another nine games left.
If the Caps hold onto a lead of this size, they would join some pretty good teams since the 2000-01 season to win their division by at least 15 points (year and division-winning margin): Colorado (2000-01, 25 points), Detroit (2001-02, 18), Dallas (2002-03, 16), Ottawa (2002-03, 15), Detroit (2003-04, 18), Tampa Bay (2003-04, 28), Detroit (2005-06, 18), Detroit (2007-08, 24), San Jose (2008-09, 26), and Boston (2008-09, 23).
The interesting thing about that list is that only one team, the Lightning, captured the division over a team that did not make the playoffs; every other winner was joined in the postseason by a division rival.
Four of those teams (the Avalanche, Lightning and the 2001-02 and 2007-08 Red Wings) captured the Stanley Cup and six boasted the President's Trophy (Colorado, Detroit three times, Ottawa and San Jose).
So where does that leave the Caps? Firstly, it's highly-unlikely that any Southeast Division team will make the playoffs -- which would put them on par with fellow rival Tampa (a good sign considering the Lightning won the Cup that season). The Caps also have a shot at the President's Trophy (although only seven teams in the 23-year history of the award have won the Cup the same year they had the best overall league record). And, of course, the Caps are one of the leading contenders for the Stanley Cup.
Therefore, the team's last 20 games after the Olympic break might be more about gearing up for a long playoff run than clinching a division title -- because that might essentially be wrapped up already.
January 27, 2010
Caps-Ducks Live
The Anaheim (no longer mighty) Ducks are in town for the first time in a while as the Caps attempt to stretch their winning streak to eight. Michal Neuvirth and Jean-Sebastien Giguere are in goal tonight.
First Period
It didn't take but 36 seconds for the Caps to strike first. With great pressure in the offensive zone, the puck took a favorable bounce to Alex Ovechkin, who poked the puck into a wide-open net as Giguere was heading towards the boards for his 34th of the season. Ovie already got a point, which he didn't last night in the Caps' 7-2 romp over the New York Islanders.
From there, the Caps couldn't convert on a couple of power plays as the over-passing continued. They should institute a maximum amount of passes before a mandatory short. All kidding aside, they really do need to simplify the extra-man advantage a bit.
The Caps did a decent job of shooting during the rest of the period but couldn't quite Giggy enough. They had a few two-on-ones, but couldn't make the most of them. They're definitely not as sharp as they were last night but, considering Anaheim played (and lost) in Atlanta last night, both teams are pretty much in the same boat. But getting 19 shots in the first period and only one goal leaves a lot to be desired.
After one: Caps 1, Ducks 0.
Second Period
The middle stanza quite frankly got off to a dull start. There hasn't been to many offensive opportunities and the Caps really haven't played with a spark but neither have the Ducks.
Both teams have enjoyed two power players and neither have been able to get close to converting. This is a rare occasion (at least in non-Olympic seasons) where both teams played last night -- and it's beyond apparent. The good news for the Caps is that they're still hanging to a lead.
The lead didn't last much longer though. Sheldon Brookbank fired a shot from the point and Dan Sexton cashed in on the juicy rebound to tie the game at one, with Neuvirth leaving half the net wide-open. Both goalies have been victims to poor positioning on the goals they've allowed, but there haven't been enough quality opportunities -- which has led to a very slow-moving contest that's been somewhat blah.
After a somewhat mundane game, Bobby Ryan and Mike Green got into a small tussle out of nowhere at 15:52, with the two players exchanging punches before falling to the ground. Ryan ended up on top of Green and then a bunch of players piled on so Green was under a large group of players for a couple minutes. A four-on-four resulted for two minutes.
The ensuing stretch resulted in some better chances but the score remained unchanged. The Caps have 35 shots after two.
After two: Caps 1, Ducks 1.
Third Period
It looked like the Caps would get on the board quickly as they broke in on a three-on-one but Alex Semin fumbled the pass and couldn't get it past a sliding Ducks' defender as the collective groans sounded from the capacity crowd.
But the Caps finally broke through less than a minute later off the stick of Shaone Morrisonn, who fired a wrister from the point past Giggy (with lots of traffic) to give the home team a 2-1 lead at 1:45. You know you're doing something right when Morrisonn and John Erskine score their first goals of the season on consecutive nights.
And they didn't stop there. Ovechkin broke in and feathered a pass to Mike Knuble, who fumbled it a bit but still beat Giguere to give the Caps a two-goal bulge at 2:39.
Semin broke it open even further on a breakaway beauty at 4:15-- but huge props go to Brooks Laich, whose awesome pass from his own zone launched Semin for the opportunity.
For those scoring at home (or even if you're alone as Keith Olbermann used to say), that's three goals (on four shots) in 2:30.
The rough stuff then ensued with the Ducks facing a huge deficit. The "appetizer" was a scrum in front of Neuvirth, but the main even came moments later as Matt Bradley and Mike Brown squared off in a tussle clearly won by the Professor.
During the already-disturbing Kiss Cam, some guy proposed to his girlfriend (whose jeans were too small). No word on whether she said yes. Lovely.
The Caps got a power play after Corey Perry got two minutes each for slashing and unsportsmanlike conduct. Matt Beleskey compounded the Ducks' problems after getting two minutes for slashing. That's a five-on-three for a full two minutes -- but it only took 13 seconds for the Caps to strike again.
Semin was wide open at the faceoff circle and he beat Giggy high blocker side to give the Caps a 5-1 lead (and four goals in the third period). And, oh yeah, the Caps still have another 1:47 left on the two-man advantage.
The Caps couldn't convert again on the power play but they turned the tide on a close game and left no doubt about this one. They're also badly outshooting the Ducks -- registering 49 shots to Anaheim's 31.
With the game no longer in doubt, the Ducks started to rough it up again but it really wasn't anything more than a scrum. No more one-on-one fights resulted -- but four players got four minutes each for roughing, which didn't change the on-ice numbers.
Final: Caps 5, Ducks 1.
First Period
It didn't take but 36 seconds for the Caps to strike first. With great pressure in the offensive zone, the puck took a favorable bounce to Alex Ovechkin, who poked the puck into a wide-open net as Giguere was heading towards the boards for his 34th of the season. Ovie already got a point, which he didn't last night in the Caps' 7-2 romp over the New York Islanders.
From there, the Caps couldn't convert on a couple of power plays as the over-passing continued. They should institute a maximum amount of passes before a mandatory short. All kidding aside, they really do need to simplify the extra-man advantage a bit.
The Caps did a decent job of shooting during the rest of the period but couldn't quite Giggy enough. They had a few two-on-ones, but couldn't make the most of them. They're definitely not as sharp as they were last night but, considering Anaheim played (and lost) in Atlanta last night, both teams are pretty much in the same boat. But getting 19 shots in the first period and only one goal leaves a lot to be desired.
After one: Caps 1, Ducks 0.
Second Period
The middle stanza quite frankly got off to a dull start. There hasn't been to many offensive opportunities and the Caps really haven't played with a spark but neither have the Ducks.
Both teams have enjoyed two power players and neither have been able to get close to converting. This is a rare occasion (at least in non-Olympic seasons) where both teams played last night -- and it's beyond apparent. The good news for the Caps is that they're still hanging to a lead.
The lead didn't last much longer though. Sheldon Brookbank fired a shot from the point and Dan Sexton cashed in on the juicy rebound to tie the game at one, with Neuvirth leaving half the net wide-open. Both goalies have been victims to poor positioning on the goals they've allowed, but there haven't been enough quality opportunities -- which has led to a very slow-moving contest that's been somewhat blah.
After a somewhat mundane game, Bobby Ryan and Mike Green got into a small tussle out of nowhere at 15:52, with the two players exchanging punches before falling to the ground. Ryan ended up on top of Green and then a bunch of players piled on so Green was under a large group of players for a couple minutes. A four-on-four resulted for two minutes.
The ensuing stretch resulted in some better chances but the score remained unchanged. The Caps have 35 shots after two.
After two: Caps 1, Ducks 1.
Third Period
It looked like the Caps would get on the board quickly as they broke in on a three-on-one but Alex Semin fumbled the pass and couldn't get it past a sliding Ducks' defender as the collective groans sounded from the capacity crowd.
But the Caps finally broke through less than a minute later off the stick of Shaone Morrisonn, who fired a wrister from the point past Giggy (with lots of traffic) to give the home team a 2-1 lead at 1:45. You know you're doing something right when Morrisonn and John Erskine score their first goals of the season on consecutive nights.
And they didn't stop there. Ovechkin broke in and feathered a pass to Mike Knuble, who fumbled it a bit but still beat Giguere to give the Caps a two-goal bulge at 2:39.
Semin broke it open even further on a breakaway beauty at 4:15-- but huge props go to Brooks Laich, whose awesome pass from his own zone launched Semin for the opportunity.
For those scoring at home (or even if you're alone as Keith Olbermann used to say), that's three goals (on four shots) in 2:30.
The rough stuff then ensued with the Ducks facing a huge deficit. The "appetizer" was a scrum in front of Neuvirth, but the main even came moments later as Matt Bradley and Mike Brown squared off in a tussle clearly won by the Professor.
During the already-disturbing Kiss Cam, some guy proposed to his girlfriend (whose jeans were too small). No word on whether she said yes. Lovely.
The Caps got a power play after Corey Perry got two minutes each for slashing and unsportsmanlike conduct. Matt Beleskey compounded the Ducks' problems after getting two minutes for slashing. That's a five-on-three for a full two minutes -- but it only took 13 seconds for the Caps to strike again.
Semin was wide open at the faceoff circle and he beat Giggy high blocker side to give the Caps a 5-1 lead (and four goals in the third period). And, oh yeah, the Caps still have another 1:47 left on the two-man advantage.
The Caps couldn't convert again on the power play but they turned the tide on a close game and left no doubt about this one. They're also badly outshooting the Ducks -- registering 49 shots to Anaheim's 31.
With the game no longer in doubt, the Ducks started to rough it up again but it really wasn't anything more than a scrum. No more one-on-one fights resulted -- but four players got four minutes each for roughing, which didn't change the on-ice numbers.
Final: Caps 5, Ducks 1.
Offensive Juggernaut Continues
The Caps (34-12-6, 74 points) are like butter; they're on a roll. The red, white and blue are clicking on all cylinders right now and are piling up points faster than ever. The team reached the 70-point mark in 50 games, the fastest in franchise history. In 2005-06 and 2006-07, the Caps totaled 70 points in a complete season. The franchise's previous fastest start through 50 games was in 1984-85 (31-12-7).
"I wouldn't say unstoppable, but they're in a groove," Coach Bruce Boudreau said after last night's 7-2 victory over the New York Islanders. "Teams, whether you're in first place or 30th, at some point in a season things just seem to be working, clicking. Right now things are clicking for us. We got seven goals and [Alex Ovechkin] and [Mike Green] didn't get a point. It says you've good balance in your team."
Washington leads the league in goals per game (3.81), even-strength goals (129), power-play goals (52), first-period goals (65) and third-period goals (67).
The Caps' seven-game winning streak matches the team's best since 1988-89; a win tonight would give them their longest winning streak since the club record 10-game streak in 1983-84. Boudreau has led the Capitals to a seven-game winning streak in each of his three seasons behind the bench.
The only real injury concerns now are in goal, as Jose Theodore got hurt last night and Braden Holtby has been recalled from Hershey -- presumably to back up Michal Neuvirth tonight against the Anaheim Ducks (who lost, 2-1, last night in Atlanta).
Speaking of Southeast Division teams, the Caps have a 19-point lead over their closest rival (the Florida Panthers) with one game in hand and a 20-point cushion over the Thrashers. They're also five points up on the New Jersey Devils in the Eastern Conference (with one more game played) -- marking the latest in a season that they've led the conference.
With 10 games in 17 days leading up to the Olympics, the Caps must keep their proverbial foot on the pedal and keep rolling. But, if they do, they could have boast about 90 points heading into the season's final 20 games.
"I wouldn't say unstoppable, but they're in a groove," Coach Bruce Boudreau said after last night's 7-2 victory over the New York Islanders. "Teams, whether you're in first place or 30th, at some point in a season things just seem to be working, clicking. Right now things are clicking for us. We got seven goals and [Alex Ovechkin] and [Mike Green] didn't get a point. It says you've good balance in your team."
Washington leads the league in goals per game (3.81), even-strength goals (129), power-play goals (52), first-period goals (65) and third-period goals (67).
The Caps' seven-game winning streak matches the team's best since 1988-89; a win tonight would give them their longest winning streak since the club record 10-game streak in 1983-84. Boudreau has led the Capitals to a seven-game winning streak in each of his three seasons behind the bench.
The only real injury concerns now are in goal, as Jose Theodore got hurt last night and Braden Holtby has been recalled from Hershey -- presumably to back up Michal Neuvirth tonight against the Anaheim Ducks (who lost, 2-1, last night in Atlanta).
Speaking of Southeast Division teams, the Caps have a 19-point lead over their closest rival (the Florida Panthers) with one game in hand and a 20-point cushion over the Thrashers. They're also five points up on the New Jersey Devils in the Eastern Conference (with one more game played) -- marking the latest in a season that they've led the conference.
With 10 games in 17 days leading up to the Olympics, the Caps must keep their proverbial foot on the pedal and keep rolling. But, if they do, they could have boast about 90 points heading into the season's final 20 games.
January 26, 2010
Three Caps Make 'All-Star Game'
Since there's obviously no all-star game this year because of the Olympics, ESPN's Scott Burnside and Pierre LeBrun have created teams of their own. And because we cover everything Caps here, it's important to know that Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom and Mike Green have been named to both of their squads.
One of the players that jumps out who doesn't belong is Chris Pronger, who has looked a bit slow and old in his first season on the Philadelphia Flyers.
Discuss.
One of the players that jumps out who doesn't belong is Chris Pronger, who has looked a bit slow and old in his first season on the Philadelphia Flyers.
Discuss.
Caps Face Similar Three-Goalie Rotation
The Caps are lucky enough (for now) to have three goalies who can all capably fill the space between the pipes in Jose Theodore, Semyon Varlamov and Michal Neuvirth. Varly, who starred in the playoffs last season, has been out for a while with an injury -- even though he doesn't show up on the Caps' official injury report because he's technically on the Hershey Bears. While Neuvirth has faced some growing pains, Theo has been solid in helping the Caps win nine of their last 10 games.
Tonight, the Caps face a New York Islanders squad with a similar situation. While starter (and very-long term contractee) Rick DiPietro was hurt for most of the season, Martin Biron and Dwayne Roloson saw most of the action and did a decent job to help the Isles inexplicably stay near playoff contention.
But now that DiPietro is back -- and playing capably with a 2.43 GAA, one shutout and a .917 save percentage -- the Islanders have a quandary: do they trade Biron or Roloson and hope their franchise goalie can finally stay healthy or take a chance with an odd-three goalie rotation? The prevailing wisdom is that Biron seems to be the one who will be shipped elsewhere, but nobody seems to know for sure.
The Caps certainly are no stranger to a so-called "three-headed monster." Last season, Neuvy stayed with Hershey -- and won a Calder Cup -- while Varly got the glory with Theo on the bench. A couple seasons back, the Caps traded for Cristobal Huet, who performed valiantly while Olie Kolzig ended his Caps' tenure on the bench with Brent Johnson a healthy scratch most nights.
Three goalies on one team isn't ideal, but it's certainly not unprecedented. For the Caps to gain inspiration, all they have to do tonight is look to their opponents.
Tonight, the Caps face a New York Islanders squad with a similar situation. While starter (and very-long term contractee) Rick DiPietro was hurt for most of the season, Martin Biron and Dwayne Roloson saw most of the action and did a decent job to help the Isles inexplicably stay near playoff contention.
But now that DiPietro is back -- and playing capably with a 2.43 GAA, one shutout and a .917 save percentage -- the Islanders have a quandary: do they trade Biron or Roloson and hope their franchise goalie can finally stay healthy or take a chance with an odd-three goalie rotation? The prevailing wisdom is that Biron seems to be the one who will be shipped elsewhere, but nobody seems to know for sure.
The Caps certainly are no stranger to a so-called "three-headed monster." Last season, Neuvy stayed with Hershey -- and won a Calder Cup -- while Varly got the glory with Theo on the bench. A couple seasons back, the Caps traded for Cristobal Huet, who performed valiantly while Olie Kolzig ended his Caps' tenure on the bench with Brent Johnson a healthy scratch most nights.
Three goalies on one team isn't ideal, but it's certainly not unprecedented. For the Caps to gain inspiration, all they have to do tonight is look to their opponents.
January 25, 2010
Weekly Snapshot, Jan. 25
Record/Standings Position: 33-12-6 (72 points), 1st Southeast Division/1st Eastern Conference/3rd NHL
Last Week's Games:
* Won, 3-2, vs. Detroit Red Wings
* Won, 6-3, at Pittsburgh Penguins
* Won, 4-2, vs. Phoenix Coyotes
This Week's Games:
* Tuesday at New York Islanders (7 p.m., CSN Plus)
* Wednesday vs. Anaheim Ducks (7 p.m., NHL Network-HD, CSN-HD)
* Friday vs. Florida Panthers (7 p.m., CSN-HD)
* Sunday vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (3 p.m., CSN-HD)
Injuries: Brian Pothier (day-to-day). Total Man-Games Lost: 161.
Recent Transactions: Assigned D John Carlson to Hershey (Jan. 22); recalled Carlson from Hershey (Jan. 21); recalled Karl Alzner from Hershey (Jan. 19); assigned D John Carlson to Hershey (Jan. 18).
Top Storylines:
* Alex Ovechkin has only lost once as captain, a 7-4 debacle at Tampa on Jan. 12.
* The Caps only have five home games left before the Olympic Break -- and three are this week.
* The Caps are the only team with 10 players who boast 10 or more goals -- and Matt Bradley is two away from making it 11.
Top Line (Who's Hot?): Alex Ovechkin (NHL ranks: 2nd in goals, 7th in assists, 2nd in points); Nicklas Brackstrom (one goal away from equaling last year's career-high total of 22); Eric Fehr (five of his career-high 14 goals have come this month).
Scratches (Who's Not?): John Erskine (32 games, 3 points, non-factor most nights); Quintin Laing (health is his biggest foe); Brian Pothier (injuries and pending free agency working against him).
Last Week's Games:
* Won, 3-2, vs. Detroit Red Wings
* Won, 6-3, at Pittsburgh Penguins
* Won, 4-2, vs. Phoenix Coyotes
This Week's Games:
* Tuesday at New York Islanders (7 p.m., CSN Plus)
* Wednesday vs. Anaheim Ducks (7 p.m., NHL Network-HD, CSN-HD)
* Friday vs. Florida Panthers (7 p.m., CSN-HD)
* Sunday vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (3 p.m., CSN-HD)
Injuries: Brian Pothier (day-to-day). Total Man-Games Lost: 161.
Recent Transactions: Assigned D John Carlson to Hershey (Jan. 22); recalled Carlson from Hershey (Jan. 21); recalled Karl Alzner from Hershey (Jan. 19); assigned D John Carlson to Hershey (Jan. 18).
Top Storylines:
* Alex Ovechkin has only lost once as captain, a 7-4 debacle at Tampa on Jan. 12.
* The Caps only have five home games left before the Olympic Break -- and three are this week.
* The Caps are the only team with 10 players who boast 10 or more goals -- and Matt Bradley is two away from making it 11.
Top Line (Who's Hot?): Alex Ovechkin (NHL ranks: 2nd in goals, 7th in assists, 2nd in points); Nicklas Brackstrom (one goal away from equaling last year's career-high total of 22); Eric Fehr (five of his career-high 14 goals have come this month).
Scratches (Who's Not?): John Erskine (32 games, 3 points, non-factor most nights); Quintin Laing (health is his biggest foe); Brian Pothier (injuries and pending free agency working against him).
January 22, 2010
Theodore, Defense Heroic in Big Win
In a regular-season game with an extra flair, the Caps overwhelmed the Pittsburgh Penguins, 6-3. The Caps clearly wanted to make a statement and, except for an early gaffe by Jose Theodore, dominated the game -- especially in the third period when it mattered.
It was a far cry from Tuesday's performance against the Detroit Red Wings, when the Caps were dominated throughout before managing to snag a win in the final minutes. But one thing has been consistent during the team's current winning streak: Theodore, who is playing for a new contract next year -- most likely in another city.
Theo's strong play has gone along with better defense by the Caps -- two things that certainly are helpful even without the league's best offense (which of course the Caps boast by a mile). John Carlson, who's traveled a bit recently and was recalled for the game, registered his first point and continued to show he'll be ensconced in red, white and blue (both for the Caps and Team USA) for a long time.
This is a team that is starting to show its maturation into the kind of team it takes to win the Stanley Cup. They're not there yet -- as proven by too many periods of sloppy play. But in big games like last night, the Caps are one of the best in the business -- and all playoff games certainly qualify in that category.
The Caps host the Phoenix Coyotes Saturday night before getting a few days off leading into a back-to-back next week. The Caps next face the Pens on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 7 (12 p.m., NBC) -- a fitting hockey game taking place during one of the biggest sporting days of the year (and the Caps' last home game before the Olympic break).
It was a far cry from Tuesday's performance against the Detroit Red Wings, when the Caps were dominated throughout before managing to snag a win in the final minutes. But one thing has been consistent during the team's current winning streak: Theodore, who is playing for a new contract next year -- most likely in another city.
Theo's strong play has gone along with better defense by the Caps -- two things that certainly are helpful even without the league's best offense (which of course the Caps boast by a mile). John Carlson, who's traveled a bit recently and was recalled for the game, registered his first point and continued to show he'll be ensconced in red, white and blue (both for the Caps and Team USA) for a long time.
This is a team that is starting to show its maturation into the kind of team it takes to win the Stanley Cup. They're not there yet -- as proven by too many periods of sloppy play. But in big games like last night, the Caps are one of the best in the business -- and all playoff games certainly qualify in that category.
The Caps host the Phoenix Coyotes Saturday night before getting a few days off leading into a back-to-back next week. The Caps next face the Pens on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 7 (12 p.m., NBC) -- a fitting hockey game taking place during one of the biggest sporting days of the year (and the Caps' last home game before the Olympic break).
January 21, 2010
Playoff Preview This Is Not
The playoffs are all about match-ups and there's one opponent that consistently haunts the Caps more than any other: the Pittsburgh Penguins. When the teams face each other tonight for the first time this season, it should be a great regular season game. But they key phrase there is "regular season."
When the Caps made their one and only Stanley Cup finals appearance, they defeated the Boston Bruins, Ottawa Senators and Buffalo Sabres before facing the Detroit Red Wings. In 1990, when the Caps lost to the Bruins in the Wales Conference Finals, they beat the New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils along the way. And, in 1993-94, after the one time they beat the Pens, they lost to the Rangers in five games -- before the Blueshirts went on to win the Stanley Cup.
In fact, the only team that has dominated the Caps in the postseason almost as much as the Penguins are the New York Islanders, but those teams haven't faced each other in the playoffs since 1993 (the team's sole meeting since the infamous four-OT game, another tormenting moment in Caps' history).
Otherwise, the Caps' record against all other postseason opponents is pretty average. Only the Penguins instill fear in the red, white and blue that seems to hamper the team from moving on in the postseason. And it won't change, no matter how many times the Caps might beat the Pens in the regular season -- even if it's most enjoyable.
When the Caps made their one and only Stanley Cup finals appearance, they defeated the Boston Bruins, Ottawa Senators and Buffalo Sabres before facing the Detroit Red Wings. In 1990, when the Caps lost to the Bruins in the Wales Conference Finals, they beat the New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils along the way. And, in 1993-94, after the one time they beat the Pens, they lost to the Rangers in five games -- before the Blueshirts went on to win the Stanley Cup.
In fact, the only team that has dominated the Caps in the postseason almost as much as the Penguins are the New York Islanders, but those teams haven't faced each other in the playoffs since 1993 (the team's sole meeting since the infamous four-OT game, another tormenting moment in Caps' history).
Otherwise, the Caps' record against all other postseason opponents is pretty average. Only the Penguins instill fear in the red, white and blue that seems to hamper the team from moving on in the postseason. And it won't change, no matter how many times the Caps might beat the Pens in the regular season -- even if it's most enjoyable.
January 20, 2010
Ovechkin, Crosby Meet For First Time as Captains
When the Caps (31-12-6, 68 points, first in the East) visit the Pittsburgh Penguins tomorrow night (7:30 p.m, CSN-HD, NHL Network-HD), they will face a Stanley Cup finalist for the second consecutive game. Last night, they defeated the 2008 champion Detroit Red Wings, 3-2, despite being dominated for most of the game. The Caps must put forth a better effort against the 2009 champion Pens (31-19-1, 63 points, fourth in the East), who defeated the New York Islanders, 6-4, last night.
Whenvever the two teams meet, Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby take the spotlight -- and for good reason. Tomorrow's meeting is the first where both are their respective team captains. It also marks the rare occasion when Crosby has more goals than Ovechkin -- something that's never happened over the course of an entire NHL season.
This season, Ovie has 30 goals (3rd in the NHL) and 35 assists (9th) for 65 points (2nd) in just 41 games played -- good for 1.59 points per game (tops in the league). Crosby has 32 goals (2nd) and 31 assists (19th) for 63 points (4th) -- a 1.26 points per game clip. Therefore, in nine fewer games, Ovechkin has two fewer goals (which is sure to change soon) and four more assists than his rival.
In 365 career games played, Ovechkin has 249 goals and 236 assists (485 points) while Crosby has 164 goals and 296 assists (460 points) points in 340 games.
But the neck-in-neck nature of the match-up doesn't end there. The Caps as a team lead the league with 3.69 goals per game, while the Pens aren't far behind at 3.08 (fifth). The teams allow virtually the same number of goals per game -- 2.78 for the Caps and 2.80 for the Pens.
The biggest difference is what the Pens captured last spring -- and what the Caps (and everybody else in the league) is chasing this season: the Stanley Cup.
Whenvever the two teams meet, Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby take the spotlight -- and for good reason. Tomorrow's meeting is the first where both are their respective team captains. It also marks the rare occasion when Crosby has more goals than Ovechkin -- something that's never happened over the course of an entire NHL season.
This season, Ovie has 30 goals (3rd in the NHL) and 35 assists (9th) for 65 points (2nd) in just 41 games played -- good for 1.59 points per game (tops in the league). Crosby has 32 goals (2nd) and 31 assists (19th) for 63 points (4th) -- a 1.26 points per game clip. Therefore, in nine fewer games, Ovechkin has two fewer goals (which is sure to change soon) and four more assists than his rival.
In 365 career games played, Ovechkin has 249 goals and 236 assists (485 points) while Crosby has 164 goals and 296 assists (460 points) points in 340 games.
But the neck-in-neck nature of the match-up doesn't end there. The Caps as a team lead the league with 3.69 goals per game, while the Pens aren't far behind at 3.08 (fifth). The teams allow virtually the same number of goals per game -- 2.78 for the Caps and 2.80 for the Pens.
The biggest difference is what the Pens captured last spring -- and what the Caps (and everybody else in the league) is chasing this season: the Stanley Cup.
McPhee Back in the Spotlight
Some may not like Mike Wise and his coverage of the Caps in the Washington Post, but his column on GM George McPhee today was downright brilliant. It gave the former Hobey Baker Award winner the credit that seems to be forgotten amongst casual fans for building the team into its current form. Without his shrewd moves and drafting, there's no way that the so-called Young Guns would be rocking the red.
But, more importantly, it brought to light something that hasn't been discussed in the Post too much: what the Caps might do before the March 3 trading deadline.
To that end, this GMGM quote (about last year's trade deadline) said it all:
How do you feel if you're Pothier, an unrestricted free agent after this season who hasn't played close to a complete season since 2006-07 (his first with the Caps)? For somebody who hides his cards about as well as anybody in professional sports, McPhee might have revealed one of the players who won't be returning to Washington next season. (McPhee has admitted in the past that there's always a couple players worth of turnover every summer.)
This also demonstrates how high the Caps are on their current defensive corps (without exactly saying where people rank). It's clear that Mike Green, John Carlson and Karl Alzner are the top three blueliners moving forward -- and Jeff Schultz might be No. 4. Tom Poti, John Erskine and Tyler Sloan all are signed beyond this season, but that doesn't mean they won't be subject to a trade (or demotion to Hershey, in Sloan's case).
Judging from last night's 3-2 win against the Detroit Red Wings, the Caps need somebody else. And most agree that McPhee hasn't been clearing room under the salary cap for his health. It seems that the Caps could use a shutdown defenseman in the mold of Rob Scuderi or Hal Gill -- two players vital to the Pittsburgh Penguins' Stanley Cup victory last season (who both bolted for bigger contracts in the off-season). The Caps don't need flash, they need steadiness. Clearly, that's something they're hoping from Alzner, but he's still young and not quite there yet.
The other position that might get addressed is goaltending, although McPhee has said numerous times that he's high on Michal Neuvirth and Semyon Varlamov, who is battling injuries this season. Jose Theodore certainly has been making a case for himself lately -- and, if he can keep it up, might just get a chance to carry the Caps in the playoffs (something he couldn't do last season).
March 3 is the key date, the Apocalypse of a trade deadline. I doubt the Caps will stand pat, but how many players they actually acquire (and the stature of the new troops) will go a long way towards determining whether McPhee extends his legacy by giving the Caps more tools to compete for a Stanley Cup.
But, more importantly, it brought to light something that hasn't been discussed in the Post too much: what the Caps might do before the March 3 trading deadline.
To that end, this GMGM quote (about last year's trade deadline) said it all:
"We asked ourselves the question, 'Was there any defenseman out there that could give us more than Brian Pothier and we couldn't come up with a 'yes,' so that's what we did."
How do you feel if you're Pothier, an unrestricted free agent after this season who hasn't played close to a complete season since 2006-07 (his first with the Caps)? For somebody who hides his cards about as well as anybody in professional sports, McPhee might have revealed one of the players who won't be returning to Washington next season. (McPhee has admitted in the past that there's always a couple players worth of turnover every summer.)
This also demonstrates how high the Caps are on their current defensive corps (without exactly saying where people rank). It's clear that Mike Green, John Carlson and Karl Alzner are the top three blueliners moving forward -- and Jeff Schultz might be No. 4. Tom Poti, John Erskine and Tyler Sloan all are signed beyond this season, but that doesn't mean they won't be subject to a trade (or demotion to Hershey, in Sloan's case).
Judging from last night's 3-2 win against the Detroit Red Wings, the Caps need somebody else. And most agree that McPhee hasn't been clearing room under the salary cap for his health. It seems that the Caps could use a shutdown defenseman in the mold of Rob Scuderi or Hal Gill -- two players vital to the Pittsburgh Penguins' Stanley Cup victory last season (who both bolted for bigger contracts in the off-season). The Caps don't need flash, they need steadiness. Clearly, that's something they're hoping from Alzner, but he's still young and not quite there yet.
The other position that might get addressed is goaltending, although McPhee has said numerous times that he's high on Michal Neuvirth and Semyon Varlamov, who is battling injuries this season. Jose Theodore certainly has been making a case for himself lately -- and, if he can keep it up, might just get a chance to carry the Caps in the playoffs (something he couldn't do last season).
March 3 is the key date, the Apocalypse of a trade deadline. I doubt the Caps will stand pat, but how many players they actually acquire (and the stature of the new troops) will go a long way towards determining whether McPhee extends his legacy by giving the Caps more tools to compete for a Stanley Cup.
January 19, 2010
Caps-Wings Live
Two embattled goalies -- Chris Osgood and Jose Theodore -- are between the pipes tonight. The place is rocking and the home team is looking for wings (in more than one way). Lots of Detroit fans in the house.
First Period
The Wings came out with a vengeance and dominated right off the bat. Theodore made some great saves and really kept the Caps in the game. Despite supposedly being down, the Wings certainly look like they're in championship form and are skating and shooting extremely well. The game certainly is shaping up to be a fast-paced contest that boasts a playoff-like atmosphere.
The Wings got a power play at 4:14, when Mike Knuble was called for holding the stick (in the Caps' offensive zone) but the home team killed it off relatively easily.
The Caps did maintain some decent pressure and cycling about seven minutes in, but couldn't get a shot through to Osgood. This might be a scenario where the grinders make a difference -- and one when the Caps' youth helps them gain energy as the game progresses.
Jeff Schultz took a horrible penalty at 11:47 by putting the puck into the stands -- and it wasn't even close -- to give the Wings their second power play of the night. The Caps, once again, did a good job of killing it off -- and finally registered a shot on goal with about six minutes left in the period. (The Wings have 13 shots already.)
Brett Lebda got sent to the box for hooking at 15:50 but the Caps only mustered one shot with the man advantage. They got into a little bit of rhythm as the power play was expiring but certainly are being badly outplayed in this period. They're not getting any open shots and fighting for everything -- the sign of play hockey.
After one: Caps 0, Wings 0.
Second Period
The Detroit domination continued and this time it led to a goal. After Theo made several 10-bell saves, Dan Cleary beat the Caps' netminder from a sharp angle (with about half of the Wings' roster in front of the net) to register the game's first goal. The shot came on Cleary's second shot of the series and was the culmination of a very strong start to the period.
The goal seem to spark the Caps for a bit, helping them pump a bunch of shots at Osgood but it still didn't yield anything on the scoreboard. The Caps got a power play but couldn't convert despite some good efforts. It's plainly obvious that teams aren't falling for the Caps' backdoor play any more -- and the Wings had it snuffed out both times it was tried during the extra-man advantage.
The Wings nearly scored again after the power play expired, but Theo continued to bail out the Caps. Detroit brought its "A" game tonight and the Caps are being dominated.
Detroit went back on the power play at 10:02 after Mike Green was called for tripping. The ensuing power play saw more of the same: lots of Wings' shots and pressure without much resistance from the red, white and blue.
The Wings are putting on a clinic and the Caps seem to be in awe. But, despite all of that, the Caps are still only behind by one goal and have Theodore to thank. A surge in the latter stages of the game could still give the Caps two points.
And Matt Bradley came to the Caps' rescue. Right after the Caps made a change, Boyd Gordon carried the puck into the zone right in front of the Caps' bench and passed it across to Bradley -- who put it past Osgood to tie the game. Green earned a secondary assist by unleashing a great tape-to-tape pass to Gordon to set up the play.
So after being badly outplayed and outshot, the game is even and the home team has a chance to earn two points with a strong final 20 minutes. If the Caps do pull it out, Theo should be the No. 1 star for his amazing effort between the pipes (continuing his strong play).
After two: Caps 1, Wings 1.
Third Period
The final stanza got off to a bit of a more even start. The Caps even got an early power play, but couldn't convert. Ovechkin seems to be the one of the only players who is really have a decent game -- with Theo being at the top of the list by a mile.
Of the Caps' four lines, the top one (Ovechkin-Backstrom-Knuble) and fourth (David Steckel-Gordon-Bradley) have been responsible for most of the Caps' best chances. In a statement game, the Caps' message has been that they're still -- in many ways -- a work in progress. It's easy to panic too quickly but if the Wings are the gold standard, then the Caps aren't quite earning the best rating.
Tomas Fleischmann got called for hooking at 8:34, the Caps' fourth penalty of the night (the Wings have three). It seems more lopsided because the Wings' play has made it seem like they're playing with the extra man -- when, in fact, the special teams are even on the scoresheet.
This is the second consecutive game the Caps have been badly outshot -- not a trend that they want to continue. That pressure gave the Wings the lead at 11:07 when Brian Rafalski unleashed a slapshot without anybody within a country mile and beat Theo to the lower half to give the visitors a 2-1 lead on their 40th shot of the night.
But the Caps were not done yet. With Todd Bertuzzi in the box for tripping, Backstrom carried the puck into the zone, evaded several Wings and beat Osgood rather easily to tie the game and bring the crowd to its feet. It was Backstrom's 20th goal of the year.
Not 46 seconds later, Alex Semin fired a shot from the point that took an odd bounce and deflected off Steckel's stick to give the Caps their first lead of the night. (Theo got the secondary assist.) It was less than a minute that turned a horrible game into a potential win. The Caps finally got momentum in a game that the Wings are dominating.
But they're not out of the woods yet as Knuble got called for tripping at 15:07 going into a TV timeout. The familiar "unleash the fury" montage was aired and the place went ballistic. The Caps were able to kill off the Wings' extra-man advantage with Theo coming up huge again and the PK squad doing a better job of clearing the puck.
Osgood vacated the net with about a minute left as the fans rose to their feet. Detroit took a timeout with 31.8 seconds left to prepare for what's sure to be a furious finish.
Although the Red Wings outshot the Caps 46-23 and dominated the shot, the Caps were able to gain the advantage in the only place that mattered.
Final: Caps 3, Wings 2.
First Period
The Wings came out with a vengeance and dominated right off the bat. Theodore made some great saves and really kept the Caps in the game. Despite supposedly being down, the Wings certainly look like they're in championship form and are skating and shooting extremely well. The game certainly is shaping up to be a fast-paced contest that boasts a playoff-like atmosphere.
The Wings got a power play at 4:14, when Mike Knuble was called for holding the stick (in the Caps' offensive zone) but the home team killed it off relatively easily.
The Caps did maintain some decent pressure and cycling about seven minutes in, but couldn't get a shot through to Osgood. This might be a scenario where the grinders make a difference -- and one when the Caps' youth helps them gain energy as the game progresses.
Jeff Schultz took a horrible penalty at 11:47 by putting the puck into the stands -- and it wasn't even close -- to give the Wings their second power play of the night. The Caps, once again, did a good job of killing it off -- and finally registered a shot on goal with about six minutes left in the period. (The Wings have 13 shots already.)
Brett Lebda got sent to the box for hooking at 15:50 but the Caps only mustered one shot with the man advantage. They got into a little bit of rhythm as the power play was expiring but certainly are being badly outplayed in this period. They're not getting any open shots and fighting for everything -- the sign of play hockey.
After one: Caps 0, Wings 0.
Second Period
The Detroit domination continued and this time it led to a goal. After Theo made several 10-bell saves, Dan Cleary beat the Caps' netminder from a sharp angle (with about half of the Wings' roster in front of the net) to register the game's first goal. The shot came on Cleary's second shot of the series and was the culmination of a very strong start to the period.
The goal seem to spark the Caps for a bit, helping them pump a bunch of shots at Osgood but it still didn't yield anything on the scoreboard. The Caps got a power play but couldn't convert despite some good efforts. It's plainly obvious that teams aren't falling for the Caps' backdoor play any more -- and the Wings had it snuffed out both times it was tried during the extra-man advantage.
The Wings nearly scored again after the power play expired, but Theo continued to bail out the Caps. Detroit brought its "A" game tonight and the Caps are being dominated.
Detroit went back on the power play at 10:02 after Mike Green was called for tripping. The ensuing power play saw more of the same: lots of Wings' shots and pressure without much resistance from the red, white and blue.
The Wings are putting on a clinic and the Caps seem to be in awe. But, despite all of that, the Caps are still only behind by one goal and have Theodore to thank. A surge in the latter stages of the game could still give the Caps two points.
And Matt Bradley came to the Caps' rescue. Right after the Caps made a change, Boyd Gordon carried the puck into the zone right in front of the Caps' bench and passed it across to Bradley -- who put it past Osgood to tie the game. Green earned a secondary assist by unleashing a great tape-to-tape pass to Gordon to set up the play.
So after being badly outplayed and outshot, the game is even and the home team has a chance to earn two points with a strong final 20 minutes. If the Caps do pull it out, Theo should be the No. 1 star for his amazing effort between the pipes (continuing his strong play).
After two: Caps 1, Wings 1.
Third Period
The final stanza got off to a bit of a more even start. The Caps even got an early power play, but couldn't convert. Ovechkin seems to be the one of the only players who is really have a decent game -- with Theo being at the top of the list by a mile.
Of the Caps' four lines, the top one (Ovechkin-Backstrom-Knuble) and fourth (David Steckel-Gordon-Bradley) have been responsible for most of the Caps' best chances. In a statement game, the Caps' message has been that they're still -- in many ways -- a work in progress. It's easy to panic too quickly but if the Wings are the gold standard, then the Caps aren't quite earning the best rating.
Tomas Fleischmann got called for hooking at 8:34, the Caps' fourth penalty of the night (the Wings have three). It seems more lopsided because the Wings' play has made it seem like they're playing with the extra man -- when, in fact, the special teams are even on the scoresheet.
This is the second consecutive game the Caps have been badly outshot -- not a trend that they want to continue. That pressure gave the Wings the lead at 11:07 when Brian Rafalski unleashed a slapshot without anybody within a country mile and beat Theo to the lower half to give the visitors a 2-1 lead on their 40th shot of the night.
But the Caps were not done yet. With Todd Bertuzzi in the box for tripping, Backstrom carried the puck into the zone, evaded several Wings and beat Osgood rather easily to tie the game and bring the crowd to its feet. It was Backstrom's 20th goal of the year.
Not 46 seconds later, Alex Semin fired a shot from the point that took an odd bounce and deflected off Steckel's stick to give the Caps their first lead of the night. (Theo got the secondary assist.) It was less than a minute that turned a horrible game into a potential win. The Caps finally got momentum in a game that the Wings are dominating.
But they're not out of the woods yet as Knuble got called for tripping at 15:07 going into a TV timeout. The familiar "unleash the fury" montage was aired and the place went ballistic. The Caps were able to kill off the Wings' extra-man advantage with Theo coming up huge again and the PK squad doing a better job of clearing the puck.
Osgood vacated the net with about a minute left as the fans rose to their feet. Detroit took a timeout with 31.8 seconds left to prepare for what's sure to be a furious finish.
Although the Red Wings outshot the Caps 46-23 and dominated the shot, the Caps were able to gain the advantage in the only place that mattered.
Final: Caps 3, Wings 2.
Red Wings Provide Stern Test for Homestanding Caps
The Detroit Red Wings are the NHL's industry standard -- at least, they have been up until this season. That's not to say they've lost their luster but, with injuries and age, they might just be ready to turn the page. The Wings' age is most noticeable on the blue line, with Nicklas Lidstrom (39), Brian Rafalski (36) and Andreas Lilja (34) getting up there. But, true to form, the Wings also boast young guns Jonathan Ericsson (25), Niklas Kronwall (29) and Brett Lebda (28).
The same is true up front, where the Wings are led by all-world Pavel Datsyuk (31), who could join Alex Ovechkin on Russia's top line during the upcoming Olympics. Although some of the aforementioned players won't suit up tonight due to injury, that doesn't mean the Wings won't provide a formidable test -- mainly because of their depth and superior organization, led by GM Ken Holland and Coach Mike Babcock (leader of the Canadian Olympic squad).
Even though they're not dominating this time around, they're still in the playoff hunt and as dangerous as ever come spring. The Wings are a somewhat pedestrian 24-16-8 (56 points, third in Central Division, ninth in the Western Conference) heading into tonight's visit to Verizon Center.
Home ice has been good to the Caps, who boast a 16-3-3 record at Verizon Center, and their three regulation home loses are the fewest in the league. The Caps have won four straight home games by a combined score of 20-8 and have not lost at home since Dec. 28 (when they looked horrid in a 6-3 defeat to Carolina). The red, white and blue has played only 22 home games (tied with Atlanta and Tampa Bay for second fewest in the league; Colorado has played 21).
Tonight could see two milestones. Alex Ovechkin's next goal will be his 250th -- something only two players in franchise history (Mike Gartner and Peter Bondra) have achieved. Ovechkin has moved within two goals and three points of the league lead in those categories despite missing eight games. Ovie has 34 points (13 goals and 21 assists) in 19 games since returning from suspension. Ovechkin was named the NHL's First Star of the Week yesterday after racking up three goals, seven assists and a plus-4 rating in four games.
Meanwhile, Mike Green's next point will be his 50th of the season, matching his season-long nine-game point streak and becoming the fifth Capitals defenseman to post three straight 50-point seasons (Scott Stevens, Sergei Gonchar, Kevin Hatcher, Larry Murphy).
So while the Caps face an opponent that has set the league's standard, they know that no individual accolade will surpass what the Wings have achieved four times over the last 12 seasons: hoisting the Stanley Cup.
The same is true up front, where the Wings are led by all-world Pavel Datsyuk (31), who could join Alex Ovechkin on Russia's top line during the upcoming Olympics. Although some of the aforementioned players won't suit up tonight due to injury, that doesn't mean the Wings won't provide a formidable test -- mainly because of their depth and superior organization, led by GM Ken Holland and Coach Mike Babcock (leader of the Canadian Olympic squad).
Even though they're not dominating this time around, they're still in the playoff hunt and as dangerous as ever come spring. The Wings are a somewhat pedestrian 24-16-8 (56 points, third in Central Division, ninth in the Western Conference) heading into tonight's visit to Verizon Center.
Home ice has been good to the Caps, who boast a 16-3-3 record at Verizon Center, and their three regulation home loses are the fewest in the league. The Caps have won four straight home games by a combined score of 20-8 and have not lost at home since Dec. 28 (when they looked horrid in a 6-3 defeat to Carolina). The red, white and blue has played only 22 home games (tied with Atlanta and Tampa Bay for second fewest in the league; Colorado has played 21).
Tonight could see two milestones. Alex Ovechkin's next goal will be his 250th -- something only two players in franchise history (Mike Gartner and Peter Bondra) have achieved. Ovechkin has moved within two goals and three points of the league lead in those categories despite missing eight games. Ovie has 34 points (13 goals and 21 assists) in 19 games since returning from suspension. Ovechkin was named the NHL's First Star of the Week yesterday after racking up three goals, seven assists and a plus-4 rating in four games.
Meanwhile, Mike Green's next point will be his 50th of the season, matching his season-long nine-game point streak and becoming the fifth Capitals defenseman to post three straight 50-point seasons (Scott Stevens, Sergei Gonchar, Kevin Hatcher, Larry Murphy).
So while the Caps face an opponent that has set the league's standard, they know that no individual accolade will surpass what the Wings have achieved four times over the last 12 seasons: hoisting the Stanley Cup.
January 18, 2010
An Open Letter to Ted Leonsis
Dear Ted,
I think I speak for many Caps' fans (along with myriad others around the NHL and sports world) when I say that you've done an absolutely amazing job in your first 10 years as Caps' owner. Not only has the team achieved unprecedented success on and off the ice but you've opened the press box to bloggers and gotten as close as anybody to making Washington a true hockey town.
But all is not right at Verizon Center. The building's other main professional tenant, the Wizards, are going through (in many ways) what the Caps experienced towards the beginning of your ownership tenure. They are a team in turmoil and a franchise that most definitely would answer a big "no" to one of your most famous questions: "Can this team -- as constructed -- ever win a championship?" This is certainly not what Abe Pollin ever imagined would happen to his beloved Bullets/Wizards.
Furthermore, the Caps are essentially renting the building from Washington Sports and Entertainment instead of earning the proper profits from a building that they very much own in every other sense of the word. This does not seem right. The Caps are the more successful franchise, one that now produces consistent sellouts and has a waiting list -- something, to my knowledge, the Wizards have never boasted.
As you make preparations to finalize the Lincoln Holdings purchase from Mr. Pollin's estate, we, the Caps' community, have the utmost confidence that you will bring respectability back to Washington's professional basketball franchise and do your part to ensure that the hockey franchise is better represented in the building (scheduling, ice maintenance, expanded ticket availability, food selection, etc.).
Thank you for your time and best wishes in your new role.
Sincerely,
Rob Yunich
Founder, Storming the Crease, and 20-plus-year Caps fan
I think I speak for many Caps' fans (along with myriad others around the NHL and sports world) when I say that you've done an absolutely amazing job in your first 10 years as Caps' owner. Not only has the team achieved unprecedented success on and off the ice but you've opened the press box to bloggers and gotten as close as anybody to making Washington a true hockey town.
But all is not right at Verizon Center. The building's other main professional tenant, the Wizards, are going through (in many ways) what the Caps experienced towards the beginning of your ownership tenure. They are a team in turmoil and a franchise that most definitely would answer a big "no" to one of your most famous questions: "Can this team -- as constructed -- ever win a championship?" This is certainly not what Abe Pollin ever imagined would happen to his beloved Bullets/Wizards.
Furthermore, the Caps are essentially renting the building from Washington Sports and Entertainment instead of earning the proper profits from a building that they very much own in every other sense of the word. This does not seem right. The Caps are the more successful franchise, one that now produces consistent sellouts and has a waiting list -- something, to my knowledge, the Wizards have never boasted.
As you make preparations to finalize the Lincoln Holdings purchase from Mr. Pollin's estate, we, the Caps' community, have the utmost confidence that you will bring respectability back to Washington's professional basketball franchise and do your part to ensure that the hockey franchise is better represented in the building (scheduling, ice maintenance, expanded ticket availability, food selection, etc.).
Thank you for your time and best wishes in your new role.
Sincerely,
Rob Yunich
Founder, Storming the Crease, and 20-plus-year Caps fan
Weekly Snapshot, Jan. 18
Record/Standings Position: 30-12-6 (66 points), 1st Southeast Division/1st Eastern Conference/3rd NHL
Last Week's Games:
* Lost, 7-4, at Tampa Bay Lightning
* Won, 5-4 (SO), at Florida Panthers
* Won, 6-1, vs. Toronto Maple Leafs
* Won, 5-3, vs. Philadelphia Flyers
This Week's Games:
* Tuesday vs. Detroit Red Wings (7 p.m., CSN-HD)
* Thursday at Pittsburgh Penguins (7:30 p.m., NHL Network-HD, CSN-HD)
* Saturday vs. Phoenix Coyotes (7 p.m., CSN-HD)
Injuries: Brian Pothier (again, undisclosed day-to-day), John Erskine (day-to-day). Total Man-Games Lost: 154.
Recent Transactions: Recalled John Carlson from Hershey (Jan. 15).
Top Storylines:
* Alex Ovechkin is hotter than (insert bad sports cliche here).
* Wednesday is the (first) deadline facing Ted Leonsis' quest to buy the Wizards, Ticketmaster and Verizon Center.
* The goalie situation has been especially under the microscope with Semyon Varlamov injured: Michael Neuvirth and Jose Thedore both have struggled at times recently.
Top Line (Who's Hot?): Alex Ovechkin (14 points in six-game point streak), Mike Knuble (six goals in six games) and Alex Semin (11 points in seven games).
Scratches (Who's Not?): Brendan Morrison (only three points, all assists, in January), Matt Bradley (hasn't scored since Dec. 26), Shaone Morrisonn (only 15 shots all season, might be the end of the line for him).
Last Week's Games:
* Lost, 7-4, at Tampa Bay Lightning
* Won, 5-4 (SO), at Florida Panthers
* Won, 6-1, vs. Toronto Maple Leafs
* Won, 5-3, vs. Philadelphia Flyers
This Week's Games:
* Tuesday vs. Detroit Red Wings (7 p.m., CSN-HD)
* Thursday at Pittsburgh Penguins (7:30 p.m., NHL Network-HD, CSN-HD)
* Saturday vs. Phoenix Coyotes (7 p.m., CSN-HD)
Injuries: Brian Pothier (again, undisclosed day-to-day), John Erskine (day-to-day). Total Man-Games Lost: 154.
Recent Transactions: Recalled John Carlson from Hershey (Jan. 15).
Top Storylines:
* Alex Ovechkin is hotter than (insert bad sports cliche here).
* Wednesday is the (first) deadline facing Ted Leonsis' quest to buy the Wizards, Ticketmaster and Verizon Center.
* The goalie situation has been especially under the microscope with Semyon Varlamov injured: Michael Neuvirth and Jose Thedore both have struggled at times recently.
Top Line (Who's Hot?): Alex Ovechkin (14 points in six-game point streak), Mike Knuble (six goals in six games) and Alex Semin (11 points in seven games).
Scratches (Who's Not?): Brendan Morrison (only three points, all assists, in January), Matt Bradley (hasn't scored since Dec. 26), Shaone Morrisonn (only 15 shots all season, might be the end of the line for him).
January 17, 2010
Caps Bury Flyers, 5-3
Although they were buried in the shots on goal department, the Caps dominated the Philadelphia Flyers where it mattered in a 5-3 win today. The Caps fell behind twice in the first period but were able to even it up on the backs of Mike Knuble (who played another great game on a line with Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom) and Brooks Laich, who stormed the crease and rattled the fragile Ray Emery.
The Caps got the only goal of the second stanza on a wicked wrister by Alex Semin. But the icing on the cake was a shorthanded goal by Laich at 4:56 of the third period. The play was vintage Laich: singlehandedly stopped the Flyers from entering the zone, grabbed the puck and then put a wonderful move on Emery to give the Caps a 4-2 advantage.
"[Coach Bruce Boudreau] said to get back to being determined, keep skating, using your assets, go the net and good things will happen," Laich said. "He was coach of the year for a reason. He's such a smart guy. He's got his hands all over the game. You just trust his word and tonight I got some rewards from it."
About 10 minutes later, Ovechkin gained a breakway from nearly the same spot and was blatenly tripped, earning a penalty shot. Ovie's move on Emery on the penalty shot was a thing of beauty (and one that he should try in the team's next shootout) to provide the Caps their final goal.
"I know what I'm going to do," the captain said. He just didn't recognize what I was going to do."
The Flyers scored a meaningless goal in the final minute on the power play with Emery pulled.
Ovechkin's four shots on goal give him an even 2,000 in his four-and-a-half year career. No other player has ever had 2,000 shots in his first six seasons.
It was a great way to start the week for the Caps when they will face the combatants in the Stanley Cup finals over the next two games. And, with the win, the Caps have the best record in the Eastern Conference (ahead of New Jersey by one point), the latest in a season that Washington has ever been first in the conference.
The Caps got the only goal of the second stanza on a wicked wrister by Alex Semin. But the icing on the cake was a shorthanded goal by Laich at 4:56 of the third period. The play was vintage Laich: singlehandedly stopped the Flyers from entering the zone, grabbed the puck and then put a wonderful move on Emery to give the Caps a 4-2 advantage.
"[Coach Bruce Boudreau] said to get back to being determined, keep skating, using your assets, go the net and good things will happen," Laich said. "He was coach of the year for a reason. He's such a smart guy. He's got his hands all over the game. You just trust his word and tonight I got some rewards from it."
About 10 minutes later, Ovechkin gained a breakway from nearly the same spot and was blatenly tripped, earning a penalty shot. Ovie's move on Emery on the penalty shot was a thing of beauty (and one that he should try in the team's next shootout) to provide the Caps their final goal.
"I know what I'm going to do," the captain said. He just didn't recognize what I was going to do."
The Flyers scored a meaningless goal in the final minute on the power play with Emery pulled.
Ovechkin's four shots on goal give him an even 2,000 in his four-and-a-half year career. No other player has ever had 2,000 shots in his first six seasons.
It was a great way to start the week for the Caps when they will face the combatants in the Stanley Cup finals over the next two games. And, with the win, the Caps have the best record in the Eastern Conference (ahead of New Jersey by one point), the latest in a season that Washington has ever been first in the conference.
January 15, 2010
Ovechkin is THAT Good, Continued
In the current issue of The Hockey News, the publication unveils its all decade team. Not surprisingly, Alex Ovechkin is on the first line. Joining him are Joe Sakic, Jarome Iginla, Nicklas Lidstrom and Chris Pronger. (Martin Brodeur is the top goalie.)
Let's ponder this for a second. Not only is Ovechkin, 24, the only player on this list under 30 (Iginla, 32, is closest in age) but he's the sole player whose prime is still ahead of him. In about half the games, Ovechkin has 458 points compared to Iginla's 732 and Sakic's 639. Ovechkin is set to register his 250th (he needs three) and 500th point (23 to go) in the very near future.
But it gets better. Ovechkin also was lauded for the goal of the decade (do we really need to say more?) and for his part in the game of the decade -- the Caps' "sick" 4-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins in game two of last spring's playoffs. (The Caps, by the way, got a mention, albeit in a losing cause, for the "shootout goal of the decade" -- the clincher against the New York Rangers in the team's epic 15-rounder on Nov. 26, 2005.)
The topping on the cake: Sidney Crosby is nowhere is sight. (The second group is Daniel Adfredsson, Pavel Datsyuk, Ilya Kovalchuk, Brian Rafalski and Robyn Regehr.) The pro-Canadian publication claims that they "didn't see [Joe] Thornton or Crosby as No. 3 or 4 centers." And that's just fine with us.
Let's ponder this for a second. Not only is Ovechkin, 24, the only player on this list under 30 (Iginla, 32, is closest in age) but he's the sole player whose prime is still ahead of him. In about half the games, Ovechkin has 458 points compared to Iginla's 732 and Sakic's 639. Ovechkin is set to register his 250th (he needs three) and 500th point (23 to go) in the very near future.
But it gets better. Ovechkin also was lauded for the goal of the decade (do we really need to say more?) and for his part in the game of the decade -- the Caps' "sick" 4-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins in game two of last spring's playoffs. (The Caps, by the way, got a mention, albeit in a losing cause, for the "shootout goal of the decade" -- the clincher against the New York Rangers in the team's epic 15-rounder on Nov. 26, 2005.)
The topping on the cake: Sidney Crosby is nowhere is sight. (The second group is Daniel Adfredsson, Pavel Datsyuk, Ilya Kovalchuk, Brian Rafalski and Robyn Regehr.) The pro-Canadian publication claims that they "didn't see [Joe] Thornton or Crosby as No. 3 or 4 centers." And that's just fine with us.
January 14, 2010
Goalie of the Future: Varlamov or Neuvirth?
While two games does not a career make, Michal Neuvirth certainly has looked shaky over the last 48 hours -- allowing eight goals on 30 shots. Fortunately for the Caps, they were able to escape Sunrise with a 5-4 shootout victory over the Florida Panthers last night -- but, for the second straight game, brought Jose Theodore off the bench in relief.
Neuvirth has been brilliant at times during his 11 games in between the pipes so far this season -- but he's also looked very young and not ready for the NHL. That's not to say that he won't reach that point, but compared to Semyon Varlamov's sparkling record (16-1-3, two shutouts, 2.25 GAA, .923 save percentage in 22 games), Neuvirth (7-5-0, 3.20 GAA, .892 save percentage) looks mortal.
Clearly, if he can stay healthy, Varlamov should be the Caps' goalie of the future. GM George McPhee says he's extremely high on both -- but, eventually, a decision will be made on who must take the helm.
Based on game-play, Varlamov has the edge. He's been brilliant in nearly all of his NHL games and has only been pulled once -- a wild 6-5 loss to the Flyers on Oct. 6. Since then, he's only allowed four goals in a game twice -- a 5-4 win over the Atlanta Thrashers on Oct. 22 (when the Caps jumped out to a 5-2 lead and then held on for the victory) and a 5-4 OT loss at Ottawa on Nov. 23. In his last four games (all wins) before getting hurt, Varlamov allowed a total of five goals.
Conversely, Neuvirth (who still might be ahead of Theodore on the depth chart) had a stretch of seven games when he allowed 15 total goals (going 5-2) -- five coming in a loss to the San Jose Sharks on Dec. 30.
Varlamov and Neuvirth are both 21 and, by many accounts, have extremely bright futures in the NHL. But only one can be the top goalie in Washington and, for my money, that's got to be Varlamov.
Neuvirth has been brilliant at times during his 11 games in between the pipes so far this season -- but he's also looked very young and not ready for the NHL. That's not to say that he won't reach that point, but compared to Semyon Varlamov's sparkling record (16-1-3, two shutouts, 2.25 GAA, .923 save percentage in 22 games), Neuvirth (7-5-0, 3.20 GAA, .892 save percentage) looks mortal.
Clearly, if he can stay healthy, Varlamov should be the Caps' goalie of the future. GM George McPhee says he's extremely high on both -- but, eventually, a decision will be made on who must take the helm.
Based on game-play, Varlamov has the edge. He's been brilliant in nearly all of his NHL games and has only been pulled once -- a wild 6-5 loss to the Flyers on Oct. 6. Since then, he's only allowed four goals in a game twice -- a 5-4 win over the Atlanta Thrashers on Oct. 22 (when the Caps jumped out to a 5-2 lead and then held on for the victory) and a 5-4 OT loss at Ottawa on Nov. 23. In his last four games (all wins) before getting hurt, Varlamov allowed a total of five goals.
Conversely, Neuvirth (who still might be ahead of Theodore on the depth chart) had a stretch of seven games when he allowed 15 total goals (going 5-2) -- five coming in a loss to the San Jose Sharks on Dec. 30.
Varlamov and Neuvirth are both 21 and, by many accounts, have extremely bright futures in the NHL. But only one can be the top goalie in Washington and, for my money, that's got to be Varlamov.
January 13, 2010
Caps Need to Focus Tonight
It's one thing to lay a stinker like the Caps did in last night's 7-4 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. It's another for them to repeat it tonight in Sunrise against the Florida Panthers. The Caps must come out with a strong first period after back-to-back listless initial stanzas. (Despite leading, 3-0, after one in Saturday's huge win over Atlanta, they were outshot, 18-6.)
But it's not just these last two games. The Caps have actually have been outshot in the first period in all but two games dating back to a 5-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Dec. 23. The Caps are 6-4 in their last 10 games, but have done so without their typical first-period domination.
It's vital that, both for tonight's game in Florida and long-term success, that the team start playing much more strongly in the opening stanza.
Finally, the Caps are 1-0-1 this season in the second game of a back-to-back when coming off a loss.
But it's not just these last two games. The Caps have actually have been outshot in the first period in all but two games dating back to a 5-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Dec. 23. The Caps are 6-4 in their last 10 games, but have done so without their typical first-period domination.
It's vital that, both for tonight's game in Florida and long-term success, that the team start playing much more strongly in the opening stanza.
Finally, the Caps are 1-0-1 this season in the second game of a back-to-back when coming off a loss.
January 12, 2010
U-G-L-Y, Caps Don't Have No Alibi
The Caps had a chance to extend their dominating division lead and instead unleashed a big dud against a Tampa Bay Lightning team that had been badly outscored all season. This is all you need to know about the actual goal-scoring: Caps trailed, 4-1, after one; somehow tied it up at 4; and then lost, 7-4.
The Caps allowed FOUR power play goals to a team with one of the worst power plays in the league and racked up 50 penalty minutes in the process. It got so bad that Alex Ovechkin almost got into a fight in the third period before Matt Bradley jumped in and saved what could have been a disastrous turn of events (or injury) for the red, white and blue.
The game started off with the Caps standing around and watching as the Lightning had little resistance in jumping out to a three-goal lead. Whether it was the fact that the Caps didn't get a morning skate or took Tampa too lightly, they looked the exact opposite of the team that steamrolled the Atlanta Thrashers, 8-1, Saturday night.
In the second period, the Caps dominated by outshooting the home team, 16-5, and scoring three times behind a rejuvinated squad. Jose Theodore had replaced Michael Neuvirth in net and really got the team going. Eric Fehr and Mike Green (twice) notched the goals for the Caps.
But it didn't last long as the PIMs expodentially grew in the final stanza -- capped by two of the weird fights of the year. After Ovechkin left the box, he and Steve Downie appeared to fight -- until Bradley swooped out of nowhere to tussle with Downie and presumably save Ovie from possibly getting hurt. Brads got kicked out of the game and most likely will face a suspension because he left the bench, according to the officials, to join the fight -- one of the biggest miscues in the game.
Moments later, David Steckel (!) and Zenon Konopka joined the pugilism as the game hit the final moments.
The Caps won't have much time to stew over one of their worst game of the season as they will visit the Florida Panthers tomorrow night in Sunrise.
The Caps allowed FOUR power play goals to a team with one of the worst power plays in the league and racked up 50 penalty minutes in the process. It got so bad that Alex Ovechkin almost got into a fight in the third period before Matt Bradley jumped in and saved what could have been a disastrous turn of events (or injury) for the red, white and blue.
The game started off with the Caps standing around and watching as the Lightning had little resistance in jumping out to a three-goal lead. Whether it was the fact that the Caps didn't get a morning skate or took Tampa too lightly, they looked the exact opposite of the team that steamrolled the Atlanta Thrashers, 8-1, Saturday night.
In the second period, the Caps dominated by outshooting the home team, 16-5, and scoring three times behind a rejuvinated squad. Jose Theodore had replaced Michael Neuvirth in net and really got the team going. Eric Fehr and Mike Green (twice) notched the goals for the Caps.
But it didn't last long as the PIMs expodentially grew in the final stanza -- capped by two of the weird fights of the year. After Ovechkin left the box, he and Steve Downie appeared to fight -- until Bradley swooped out of nowhere to tussle with Downie and presumably save Ovie from possibly getting hurt. Brads got kicked out of the game and most likely will face a suspension because he left the bench, according to the officials, to join the fight -- one of the biggest miscues in the game.
Moments later, David Steckel (!) and Zenon Konopka joined the pugilism as the game hit the final moments.
The Caps won't have much time to stew over one of their worst game of the season as they will visit the Florida Panthers tomorrow night in Sunrise.
CSN Chat Tonight
Join me for an in-game chat during tonight's Caps-Lightning game. The festivities start at 7:15 and will end at the game's conclusion.
How Times Have Changed
In a little more than two years, the Caps have gone from pretenders to contenders. While this isn't exactly a news flash, the epitome of this transformation will be front and center tonight at St. Pete Times Forum -- when the visit the Tampa Bay Lightning, a team they have beaten 12 straight times.
The Caps haven't lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning since a 5-2 defeat on Nov. 16, 2007 -- when Glen Hanlon was still the coach and the Caps were mired in a 3-12-1 streak that ultimately led to Bruce Boudreau's hiring. Brent Johnson started that game for the Caps, who got goals from Alex Ovechkin (some things never change) and Brooks Laich.
This time around, though, the Caps have a 16-point lead in the division and the best offense in the NHL. Ovechkin, now the team's captain, is enjoying another signature campaign. After a 8-1 beating of Atlanta on Saturday night, the Caps must keep their foot on the pedal and put away a team that can't even pretend to be in the same league.
Note: Congrats to J.P. for being the proprietor of the league's best blog, as awarded by Sports Media Challenge. An honor well deserved for my fellow Syracuse grad.
The Caps haven't lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning since a 5-2 defeat on Nov. 16, 2007 -- when Glen Hanlon was still the coach and the Caps were mired in a 3-12-1 streak that ultimately led to Bruce Boudreau's hiring. Brent Johnson started that game for the Caps, who got goals from Alex Ovechkin (some things never change) and Brooks Laich.
This time around, though, the Caps have a 16-point lead in the division and the best offense in the NHL. Ovechkin, now the team's captain, is enjoying another signature campaign. After a 8-1 beating of Atlanta on Saturday night, the Caps must keep their foot on the pedal and put away a team that can't even pretend to be in the same league.
Note: Congrats to J.P. for being the proprietor of the league's best blog, as awarded by Sports Media Challenge. An honor well deserved for my fellow Syracuse grad.
January 11, 2010
Weekly Snapshot, Jan. 11
Record/Standings Position: 27-11-6 (60 points), 1st Southeast Division/3rd Eastern Conference/5th NHL
Last Week's Games:
* Won, 4-2, vs. Montreal Canadiens
* Won, 5-2, vs. Ottawa Senators
* Won, 8-1, at Atlanta Thrashers
This Week's Games:
* Tuesday at Tampa Bay Lightning (7:30 p.m., CSN Plus, join me for the CSN in-game chat)
* Wednesday at Florida Panthers (7:30 p.m., CSN-HD)
* Friday vs. Toronto Maple Leafs (7 p.m., CSN-HD)
* Sunday vs. Philadelphia Flyers (3 p.m., CSN-HD)
Injuries: None! Total Man-Games Lost: 150.
Recent Transactions: Assigned Karl Alzner to Hershey (Jan. 6).
Top Storylines:
* Alex Ovechkin goes undefeated in his first week as captain.
* Domination of the Southeast might break records as the Caps are nearing a 20-point division lead.
* Fewer penalties=more wins. Go figure.
Top Line (Who's Hot?): Nicklas Backstrom (18 goals so far this season, 22 all last year), Mike Green (33 assists, one more than Backstrom); Alex Semin (four goals in three games).
Scratches (Who's Not?): Brooks Laich (only two goals since the beginning of December); John Erskine (definitely slipped back from his playoff performance); Tyler Sloan (hasn't played since Dec. 28).
Last Week's Games:
* Won, 4-2, vs. Montreal Canadiens
* Won, 5-2, vs. Ottawa Senators
* Won, 8-1, at Atlanta Thrashers
This Week's Games:
* Tuesday at Tampa Bay Lightning (7:30 p.m., CSN Plus, join me for the CSN in-game chat)
* Wednesday at Florida Panthers (7:30 p.m., CSN-HD)
* Friday vs. Toronto Maple Leafs (7 p.m., CSN-HD)
* Sunday vs. Philadelphia Flyers (3 p.m., CSN-HD)
Injuries: None! Total Man-Games Lost: 150.
Recent Transactions: Assigned Karl Alzner to Hershey (Jan. 6).
Top Storylines:
* Alex Ovechkin goes undefeated in his first week as captain.
* Domination of the Southeast might break records as the Caps are nearing a 20-point division lead.
* Fewer penalties=more wins. Go figure.
Top Line (Who's Hot?): Nicklas Backstrom (18 goals so far this season, 22 all last year), Mike Green (33 assists, one more than Backstrom); Alex Semin (four goals in three games).
Scratches (Who's Not?): Brooks Laich (only two goals since the beginning of December); John Erskine (definitely slipped back from his playoff performance); Tyler Sloan (hasn't played since Dec. 28).
January 8, 2010
Balanced Scoring, Division Dominance
The Caps offense may have been a little dormant during a three-game losing streak against Carolina, San Jose and the L.A. Kings -- but that certainly hasn't overly hurt its overall performance. And it didn't take long for the Caps to rebound at home this week with two strong wins.
Alex Ovechkin (53) and Nicklas Backstrom (49) are both in the top-eight overall in the NHL -- with Mike Green (41) in 24th position. Ovechkin's 27 goals are third, Backstrom's 17 are 20th and Alex Semin's 16 aren't far behind that.
In fact, entering last night's 5-2 win over the Ottawa Senators, the Caps were the only team in the NHL with eight players in double-digits in goals. They have four players (Ovie, Backie, Semin and Tomas Fleischmann) with 15 or more goals this season; no other team has more than two, and seven teams don't have any players with as many as 15 goals. That's the kind of attack that's built for a long playoff run.
But wait, there's more. Brooks Laich has 11 goals while Green, Brendan Morrison and Eric Fehr all have 10 goals. Laich is slightly behind last year's career-high of 23 and B-Mo is almost halfway to his career high (25, set in 2002-03 with Vancouver). Fehr's career high is 12, so it appears he will easily surpass that before the Olympic break.
All of this has combined to give the Caps the largest lead in any division (14) and the best division record (8-1) -- a good omen considering their next three games come against division rivals Atlanta, Tampa Bay and Florida, all on the road.
While the Caps may not be the only Southeast Division team to make the playoffs, they certainly appear to be a lock for a third-straight division crown -- and fifth overall, the most in the relatively-short history of this alignment.
Alex Ovechkin (53) and Nicklas Backstrom (49) are both in the top-eight overall in the NHL -- with Mike Green (41) in 24th position. Ovechkin's 27 goals are third, Backstrom's 17 are 20th and Alex Semin's 16 aren't far behind that.
In fact, entering last night's 5-2 win over the Ottawa Senators, the Caps were the only team in the NHL with eight players in double-digits in goals. They have four players (Ovie, Backie, Semin and Tomas Fleischmann) with 15 or more goals this season; no other team has more than two, and seven teams don't have any players with as many as 15 goals. That's the kind of attack that's built for a long playoff run.
But wait, there's more. Brooks Laich has 11 goals while Green, Brendan Morrison and Eric Fehr all have 10 goals. Laich is slightly behind last year's career-high of 23 and B-Mo is almost halfway to his career high (25, set in 2002-03 with Vancouver). Fehr's career high is 12, so it appears he will easily surpass that before the Olympic break.
All of this has combined to give the Caps the largest lead in any division (14) and the best division record (8-1) -- a good omen considering their next three games come against division rivals Atlanta, Tampa Bay and Florida, all on the road.
While the Caps may not be the only Southeast Division team to make the playoffs, they certainly appear to be a lock for a third-straight division crown -- and fifth overall, the most in the relatively-short history of this alignment.
January 7, 2010
Senators-Caps Live
Welcome to the battle of the Canadien and American capitals --but only one captain as Daniel Alfredsson is out with an injury. Jose Theodore and Pascal Leclaire start in goal tonight. Unlike Tuesday, there will be no dramatic announcements before the game -- but there will be a rendition of "Oh Canada" and a lot of red.
First Period
The game started pretty open with hardly any stoppages in play. Alex Semin had a breakaway about two minutes into the game but he elected to try a slapshot instead of his patented wrister and it didn't exactly force Leclaire to make a 10-bell save. Otherwise, the Caps didn't sustain too much offensive pressure -- although the first line of Alex Ovechkin-Nicklas Backstrom-Mike Knuble put one some pressure.
Theodore, on the other hand, was under fire in stretches but fortunately for him the Senators kept missing the net so he didn't have to make too many saves.
Mike Green continued his trend of trying to take the puck from end-to-end. It seems that the defense knows it's coming and double team him before he can reach the net -- sometimes trapping him in the offensive zone. However, the Caps had enough coverage to make sure that didn't cost them any odd-man rushes against.
The video board showed a nice montage of Caps' captains with Ovechkin's picture (followed by a live shot) at the end. The crowd went wild.
The checking line of David Steckel-Matt Bradley-Boyd Gordon kept up the pressure that they've been building towards over the last couple weeks. Steckel carried the puck into the zone just missed the net. The Caps were able to cycle before the puck found Gordon's stick, who ripped it past Leclaire for his first goal in more than a year.
The Caps' PK did a good job of killing off two Ottawa penalties and didn't allow too many shots in the process.
The Caps struck again at 17:46 when Knuble carried the puck down the right side and unleashed a somewhat-harmless shot that beat Leclaire to give the Caps a 2-0 lead. They don't have as big of a shot advantage as they did Tuesday night against Montreal but they have more goals, a far more important advantage.
After one: Caps 2, Sens 0
Second Period
The middle stanza started off much like the beginning of the game -- with a somewhat open style of play without too many shots. Ottawa mounted a little more pressure but nothing overly newsworthy.
The Caps aren't playing as aggressively as they did in the first period but, then again, the Sens are scaring too many people with Alfredsson and Jason Spezza on the proverbial shelf, there's not too much firepower on their team. Jonathan Cheechoo, who once was one of the top scorers in the league, has been invisible.
Semin, who had a monster game on Tuesday, has been pretty quiet tonight -- which follows his up-and-down pattern that has been part of his career.
It's rare for Ovechkin to go without points, but that's what is happening again tonight -- at least so far. He's been very involved, including a quasi breakaway where he couldn't get off a clean shot because of solid defensive coverage.
The Sens struck on a fluky play when Chris Phillips' shot struck Green's skate and went past Theodore to pull the visitors within one at 17:45. It was another case of what happens when the Caps don't put away an opponent; inevitably, that team makes the game closer than it should be based on the play. Hopefully for the Caps, they'll be able to regain their two-goal advantage like they did Tuesday night.
It also looks like Theo's starting to fight the puck a little, so he'll need to be solid in the final stanza.
After two: Caps 2, Sens 1.
Third Period
The period got off to a quick start when Backstrom scored a bit of a softy just 26 seconds into the stanza after just shooting the puck at the net. Ovechkin got an assist on the play.
From there, the going got a bit rough. Green had dumped in the puck, which carromed so hard that it gave the Sens a two-on-one breakaway. Theo was able to save it but then was bumped into his own net. Green came to his goalie's rescue and got two minutes for roughing along with Jarkko Ruutu. The ensuing four-on-four wasn't as exciting as the scrum, save for a potentially-sick goal by Ovechkin -- who lost his footing just moments before depositing the puck into the net.
Fortunately for the Caps, Backstrom struck again -- building upon his ever-improving goal-scoring touch. Backie carried the puck along the wing and, when he was forced outside, wrapped the puck around and into the net. Leclaire had vacated half of the net by mistakenly following the net and assuming Backstrom was going to shoot and couldn't recover. It was Backstrom's 17th of the season -- giving the very real possibility that the Caps could boast three (or even four) 20-goal scorers by the Olympic break.
Ovechkin has been shooting a lot more tonight, which certainly has helped the team's offensive flow. As if on cue, Ovechkin gathered the puck in the neutral zone and bulled his way towards the net before deking out Leclaire to put the icing on the cake. It was his 27th goal of the campaign.
Ottawa struck right back, though, when Shean Donovan found Cheechoo wide open in the slot. The former 50-goal scorer put a nice move on Theo to cut the margin by one.
But it was elementary and a small reminder that the Caps aren't perfect. Overall, a great win by the Caps.
Final: Caps 5, Sens 2.
First Period
The game started pretty open with hardly any stoppages in play. Alex Semin had a breakaway about two minutes into the game but he elected to try a slapshot instead of his patented wrister and it didn't exactly force Leclaire to make a 10-bell save. Otherwise, the Caps didn't sustain too much offensive pressure -- although the first line of Alex Ovechkin-Nicklas Backstrom-Mike Knuble put one some pressure.
Theodore, on the other hand, was under fire in stretches but fortunately for him the Senators kept missing the net so he didn't have to make too many saves.
Mike Green continued his trend of trying to take the puck from end-to-end. It seems that the defense knows it's coming and double team him before he can reach the net -- sometimes trapping him in the offensive zone. However, the Caps had enough coverage to make sure that didn't cost them any odd-man rushes against.
The video board showed a nice montage of Caps' captains with Ovechkin's picture (followed by a live shot) at the end. The crowd went wild.
The checking line of David Steckel-Matt Bradley-Boyd Gordon kept up the pressure that they've been building towards over the last couple weeks. Steckel carried the puck into the zone just missed the net. The Caps were able to cycle before the puck found Gordon's stick, who ripped it past Leclaire for his first goal in more than a year.
The Caps' PK did a good job of killing off two Ottawa penalties and didn't allow too many shots in the process.
The Caps struck again at 17:46 when Knuble carried the puck down the right side and unleashed a somewhat-harmless shot that beat Leclaire to give the Caps a 2-0 lead. They don't have as big of a shot advantage as they did Tuesday night against Montreal but they have more goals, a far more important advantage.
After one: Caps 2, Sens 0
Second Period
The middle stanza started off much like the beginning of the game -- with a somewhat open style of play without too many shots. Ottawa mounted a little more pressure but nothing overly newsworthy.
The Caps aren't playing as aggressively as they did in the first period but, then again, the Sens are scaring too many people with Alfredsson and Jason Spezza on the proverbial shelf, there's not too much firepower on their team. Jonathan Cheechoo, who once was one of the top scorers in the league, has been invisible.
Semin, who had a monster game on Tuesday, has been pretty quiet tonight -- which follows his up-and-down pattern that has been part of his career.
It's rare for Ovechkin to go without points, but that's what is happening again tonight -- at least so far. He's been very involved, including a quasi breakaway where he couldn't get off a clean shot because of solid defensive coverage.
The Sens struck on a fluky play when Chris Phillips' shot struck Green's skate and went past Theodore to pull the visitors within one at 17:45. It was another case of what happens when the Caps don't put away an opponent; inevitably, that team makes the game closer than it should be based on the play. Hopefully for the Caps, they'll be able to regain their two-goal advantage like they did Tuesday night.
It also looks like Theo's starting to fight the puck a little, so he'll need to be solid in the final stanza.
After two: Caps 2, Sens 1.
Third Period
The period got off to a quick start when Backstrom scored a bit of a softy just 26 seconds into the stanza after just shooting the puck at the net. Ovechkin got an assist on the play.
From there, the going got a bit rough. Green had dumped in the puck, which carromed so hard that it gave the Sens a two-on-one breakaway. Theo was able to save it but then was bumped into his own net. Green came to his goalie's rescue and got two minutes for roughing along with Jarkko Ruutu. The ensuing four-on-four wasn't as exciting as the scrum, save for a potentially-sick goal by Ovechkin -- who lost his footing just moments before depositing the puck into the net.
Fortunately for the Caps, Backstrom struck again -- building upon his ever-improving goal-scoring touch. Backie carried the puck along the wing and, when he was forced outside, wrapped the puck around and into the net. Leclaire had vacated half of the net by mistakenly following the net and assuming Backstrom was going to shoot and couldn't recover. It was Backstrom's 17th of the season -- giving the very real possibility that the Caps could boast three (or even four) 20-goal scorers by the Olympic break.
Ovechkin has been shooting a lot more tonight, which certainly has helped the team's offensive flow. As if on cue, Ovechkin gathered the puck in the neutral zone and bulled his way towards the net before deking out Leclaire to put the icing on the cake. It was his 27th goal of the campaign.
Ottawa struck right back, though, when Shean Donovan found Cheechoo wide open in the slot. The former 50-goal scorer put a nice move on Theo to cut the margin by one.
But it was elementary and a small reminder that the Caps aren't perfect. Overall, a great win by the Caps.
Final: Caps 5, Sens 2.
The Kovalchuk Question
Many rumors come with their own salt shaker, so to speak, but the ones surrounding Ilya Kovalchuk are more than enticing. His likely destinations seem to be limited to four: Atlanta (his current residence), Chicago, L.A. Kings and our very own Caps. A brief look at the home team's chances:
Putting Kovy and Alex Ovechkin on the same team (with or without Alex Semin) could be a ticket to the Stanley Cup. It probably would surpass the Sidney Crosby-Evgeni Malkin duo in Pittsburgh and, combined with Nicklas Backstrom and Mike Green, could make the Caps even stronger perennial contenders than they've already become.
The biggest obstacles, though, are the Thrashers' willingness to trade away their captain to a division rival, the salary cap and who would be sent to Atlanta -- considering those players may or may not haunt the Caps for the foreseeable future.
The salary cap probably wouldn't get in the way. Just look at what the Chicago Blackhawks are doing, balancing long-term deals for Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Duncan Keith and Brian Campbell with the rest of a roster that has the best record in the NHL as of today. In other words, if George McPhee wants to fit Kovy under the cap, he'll find a way.
Kovalchuk apparently is looking for a long-term deal so that might factor in as well -- and certainly would affect who the Caps might offer to the Thrashers. If GMGM intends to keep the 26-year-old Russian left winger in D.C. beyond this season, then he might be more willing to part with more players. However, there's no way the Caps would give Kovy more money than Ovie -- so Atlanta's Russian captain would have to accept less money to play with one of his closest friends, not exactly a stretch-of-the-imagination.
The most obvious player who would have to be included is Michal Neuvirth, who has seen a glut of action lately with Semyon Varlamov out with an injury. Although he's one of the goalies of the future, Varly seems to be the team's top goalie and it's not hard to provide veteran backups that would lighten the load. Just look what the Caps did for Olie Kolzig all of those years with the likes of Brent Johnson and others. (The Caps also have prospect Braden Holtby in Hershey.)
Atlanta GM Don Waddell would be a fool not to ask for defensemen John Carlson or Karl Alzner and that, most likely, would be the biggest stumbling block of a potential deal. McPhee apparently already turned down a Alzner, Carlson, Varlamov package for Chris Pronger -- but, unlike the current Philadelphia Flyer, Kovalchuk is younger, faster and still has the prime of his career ahead of him.
That said, it's hard to imagine the Caps trading either Alzner or Carlson. But that's not to say that would be end a potential deal. If Semin or Tomas Fleischmann was included, for example, along with a first-round draft pick then Waddell might be willing to listen. Semin's future in Washington beyond next season is very much in doubt. Ovechkin is close to Semin, but since he's also close to Kovy, he might not get in the way (if given the opportunity as captain).
Flash has shown a resurgence this season but he's certainly not to be confused with a franchise player. (Semin may or may not be, depending on who you ask.) The Caps have a deep roster in Hershey, so that could play in the mix as well.
It's easy to make a case for Kovalchuk joining the Caps -- but a lot harder to predict whether or how it'll happen. If karma is on the Caps' side, though, No. 17 in red, white and blue is available.
Putting Kovy and Alex Ovechkin on the same team (with or without Alex Semin) could be a ticket to the Stanley Cup. It probably would surpass the Sidney Crosby-Evgeni Malkin duo in Pittsburgh and, combined with Nicklas Backstrom and Mike Green, could make the Caps even stronger perennial contenders than they've already become.
The biggest obstacles, though, are the Thrashers' willingness to trade away their captain to a division rival, the salary cap and who would be sent to Atlanta -- considering those players may or may not haunt the Caps for the foreseeable future.
The salary cap probably wouldn't get in the way. Just look at what the Chicago Blackhawks are doing, balancing long-term deals for Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Duncan Keith and Brian Campbell with the rest of a roster that has the best record in the NHL as of today. In other words, if George McPhee wants to fit Kovy under the cap, he'll find a way.
Kovalchuk apparently is looking for a long-term deal so that might factor in as well -- and certainly would affect who the Caps might offer to the Thrashers. If GMGM intends to keep the 26-year-old Russian left winger in D.C. beyond this season, then he might be more willing to part with more players. However, there's no way the Caps would give Kovy more money than Ovie -- so Atlanta's Russian captain would have to accept less money to play with one of his closest friends, not exactly a stretch-of-the-imagination.
The most obvious player who would have to be included is Michal Neuvirth, who has seen a glut of action lately with Semyon Varlamov out with an injury. Although he's one of the goalies of the future, Varly seems to be the team's top goalie and it's not hard to provide veteran backups that would lighten the load. Just look what the Caps did for Olie Kolzig all of those years with the likes of Brent Johnson and others. (The Caps also have prospect Braden Holtby in Hershey.)
Atlanta GM Don Waddell would be a fool not to ask for defensemen John Carlson or Karl Alzner and that, most likely, would be the biggest stumbling block of a potential deal. McPhee apparently already turned down a Alzner, Carlson, Varlamov package for Chris Pronger -- but, unlike the current Philadelphia Flyer, Kovalchuk is younger, faster and still has the prime of his career ahead of him.
That said, it's hard to imagine the Caps trading either Alzner or Carlson. But that's not to say that would be end a potential deal. If Semin or Tomas Fleischmann was included, for example, along with a first-round draft pick then Waddell might be willing to listen. Semin's future in Washington beyond next season is very much in doubt. Ovechkin is close to Semin, but since he's also close to Kovy, he might not get in the way (if given the opportunity as captain).
Flash has shown a resurgence this season but he's certainly not to be confused with a franchise player. (Semin may or may not be, depending on who you ask.) The Caps have a deep roster in Hershey, so that could play in the mix as well.
It's easy to make a case for Kovalchuk joining the Caps -- but a lot harder to predict whether or how it'll happen. If karma is on the Caps' side, though, No. 17 in red, white and blue is available.
January 6, 2010
Caps Ink Sloan, Steckel to Extensions
The Caps are keeping Tyler Sloan and David Steckel in town a bit longer. The team announced today that Sloan has signed a two-year extension while Steckel has inked a three-year addition. Both were set to become unrestricted free agents after this season.
Steckel, 28, is one of the best faceoff men in the league, topping the the NHL with a 61.9 percent rate this season and ranking among the top seven during his stay in the league. He also leads all Caps players in ice time on the penalty kill (124:14) and is ninth among NHL forwards in that category. He has registered five points (two goals, three assists) on the season. During last year's playoffs, Steckel scored some money goals and was key in the Caps' three wins over the Pittsburgh Penguins during that series, including the overtime game-winning goal in Game 6. He's also one of Coach Bruce Boudreau's favorites.
Sloan, 27, is one of the most versatile players on the roster, dressing as both a forward and defenseman. He has averaged 12:43 of ice time in 22 games, registering four points (two goals, two assists).
While it's not overly surprising to see both return, the signings signal that Shaone Morrisonn and Brian Pothier might not return after this season -- as the Caps don't seem like they're going to stand pat on the blueline moving forward.
Clearly, GM George McPhee has roster shuffling on his mind ahead of the Olympic break and March 3 trading deadline.
Note: Karl Alzner has been sent to Hershey today in advance of Pothier's expected return from the injured list tomorrow vs. Ottawa.
Steckel, 28, is one of the best faceoff men in the league, topping the the NHL with a 61.9 percent rate this season and ranking among the top seven during his stay in the league. He also leads all Caps players in ice time on the penalty kill (124:14) and is ninth among NHL forwards in that category. He has registered five points (two goals, three assists) on the season. During last year's playoffs, Steckel scored some money goals and was key in the Caps' three wins over the Pittsburgh Penguins during that series, including the overtime game-winning goal in Game 6. He's also one of Coach Bruce Boudreau's favorites.
Sloan, 27, is one of the most versatile players on the roster, dressing as both a forward and defenseman. He has averaged 12:43 of ice time in 22 games, registering four points (two goals, two assists).
While it's not overly surprising to see both return, the signings signal that Shaone Morrisonn and Brian Pothier might not return after this season -- as the Caps don't seem like they're going to stand pat on the blueline moving forward.
Clearly, GM George McPhee has roster shuffling on his mind ahead of the Olympic break and March 3 trading deadline.
Note: Karl Alzner has been sent to Hershey today in advance of Pothier's expected return from the injured list tomorrow vs. Ottawa.
Ovechkin: a New Kind of Caps' Captain
Alex Ovechkin already has made his mark on the Caps' record book and he's only in his fifth season. He's third all-time in career goals scored (245) -- and could break Peter Bondra's 472 before he turns 30. (Mike Gartner is second with 397.)
Ovie is eighth with 470 points and is likely to pass Calle Johnansson's 474 any day now. Bondra's 825 also could be broken before Ovie turns 30 -- and Michal Pivonka's 599 (third all-time) could come in the next year or two. (Gartner has 789, good for second.)
But what really sets Ovechkin apart in the Caps' record book is how different he is from the kind of players who have donned the "C" before him. Only one -- Rod Langway -- is in the Hall of Fame and two more, Dale Hunter and Kevin Hatcher, are even in that discussion. Langway, Hunter and Yvon Labre are the captains who have their sweaters retired.
Otherwise, the players who have served as captain are either obscurely-known (Doug Mohns and Ryan Walter), somewhat recognized (Jeff Halpern, Adam Oates, Steve Konowalchuk and Brendan Witt), or lauded for completely different reasons (Bill Clement).
Oates racked up 363 points as a Capital, a number Ovechkin already has surpassed. In fact, of the players who have served as captain, only Hunter's 556 points are ahead of Ovechkin's tally -- and that was in 12 seasons.
But Ovechkin also possess the toughness that has been a traditional trait of Caps' leaders. He's not a penalty monger like Hunter, but certainly could outhit Witt, Kono and the others.
And, most importantly, if and when the Caps finally win a Stanley Cup, can you really envision anybody other than Ovie getting the trophy first? I didn't think so.
Ovie is eighth with 470 points and is likely to pass Calle Johnansson's 474 any day now. Bondra's 825 also could be broken before Ovie turns 30 -- and Michal Pivonka's 599 (third all-time) could come in the next year or two. (Gartner has 789, good for second.)
But what really sets Ovechkin apart in the Caps' record book is how different he is from the kind of players who have donned the "C" before him. Only one -- Rod Langway -- is in the Hall of Fame and two more, Dale Hunter and Kevin Hatcher, are even in that discussion. Langway, Hunter and Yvon Labre are the captains who have their sweaters retired.
Otherwise, the players who have served as captain are either obscurely-known (Doug Mohns and Ryan Walter), somewhat recognized (Jeff Halpern, Adam Oates, Steve Konowalchuk and Brendan Witt), or lauded for completely different reasons (Bill Clement).
Oates racked up 363 points as a Capital, a number Ovechkin already has surpassed. In fact, of the players who have served as captain, only Hunter's 556 points are ahead of Ovechkin's tally -- and that was in 12 seasons.
But Ovechkin also possess the toughness that has been a traditional trait of Caps' leaders. He's not a penalty monger like Hunter, but certainly could outhit Witt, Kono and the others.
And, most importantly, if and when the Caps finally win a Stanley Cup, can you really envision anybody other than Ovie getting the trophy first? I didn't think so.
January 5, 2010
Caps-Habs Live
If I spoke French, I'd give you some fancy introduction about Alex Ovechkin's new captaincy. But I don't, so English will have to do. Carey Price and Michal Neuvirth man the nets tonight.
First Period
The first three minutes included a wrap-around by Alex Semin that just missed and a giveaway by Mike Green that almost led to a goal by Les Habitant. Other than that, the Caps have gotten several decent shots but nothing overly noteworthy.
The most noticeable thing about the Caps, though, is that they're playing with a fervor that hasn't been seen in a while. Ovie is playing with Backstrom and Knuble while Semin is skating with new center Tomas Fleischmann and Brooks Laich. Brendan Morrison is centering Jason Chimera and Eric Fehr. The checking line is Quintin Laing, David Steckel and Matt Bradley.
On defense, Mike Green and Shaone Morrisonn have been reunited, Jeff Schultz is playing with Tom Poti and John Erskine and Karl Alzner are together.
The Caps got their first power play of the period with 2:04 left -- but looked very inept and disorganized. Although the Caps outshot the Habs, 11-3, they certainly didn't dominate and weren't as smooth as they should be playing. They definitely were more energetic and were better, but they're not back to themselves -- yet.
After one: Caps 0, Habs 0.
Second Period
After a decent start to the middle frame, the Caps got a power play that energized them even further. Some deft passing gave Ovechkin a chance as he stormed the crease and unleashed a laser, but the puck grazed the puck and stayed out. But then the Caps took the lead as Flash gathered the puck in the corner and singlehandedly charged the middle and beat Price to give the Caps a 1-0 advantage.
The Caps are outshooting the Habs, 20-8, but haven't put away Montreal. And, to boot, Chimera took a hooking call to give the visitors a power play advantage that could lead to a tie game. Fortunately, the Caps were able to best the league's top extra-man unit as each team registered two shots on goal during the two-minute power play.
But the Caps' lead didn't last much longer. As the Habs were cycling the puck, Josh Gorges shot the puck towards the net and it deflected off Flash's stick past Neuvirth to even the contest at 1.
The Caps kept up the pressure and it paid off. Laich carried the puck into the zone and left it for Fehr, who creatively flipped it past Price to give the Caps a 2-1 lead.
As Fehr's goal was being announced, Semin was open in the slot and ripped it past Price for a quick two-goal cushion. The two goals were 36 seconds apart.
A scrum ensued in the corner after Semin's tally after he got tangled up with Benoit Pouliot following his goal. Coincidental minors were called on the play on Poti and Scott Gomez, resulting in a four-on-four. Not too much action on the four-on-four, but Poti did get a short breakaway as he was coming out of the box.
It hasn't been overly pretty but the Caps have seemingly turned the tables in a game that's become physical all of a sudden. There was another scrum with 27 seconds left right after the Habs got their 13th shot of the evening, giving the Caps their third power play of the night. The Caps didn't convert but still have 1:33 left heading into the third period.
After two: Caps 3, Canadiens 1.
Third Period
The Habs came out with abandon at the start of the final stanza, but it didn't last long as Roman Hamrlik was called for unsportsmanlike conduct giving the Caps a power play. But the red, white and blue (American version) hasn't looked good for a while and that didn't really change tonight. The Caps have been unleashing lots of shots, and certainly are dominating their visitors, but haven't been able to bring that success onto the extra-man advantage.
From there, though, the Habs really started coasting -- something, it could be argued, they did after they went down 3-1. Fortunately for the home team, the Caps have been keeping their foot on the pedal, although haven't tallied in the third period yet.
The Caps' top line really has played well with Ovie and Backstrom leading the way, of course. However, Knuble seems more energized playing on that line than he does skating with Morrison and Laich.
However, Knuble got sent to the penalty box and gave the Habs a chance to inch closer -- which they did off the stick of Pouliot, who cleverly got the puck past Neuvirth. Neither of the Habs' goals tonight have been clean. But the Caps are still to blame as they haven't been able to put Montreal away, giving us a close finish over the game's last eight-or-so minutes.
Knuble went back to the box for slashing 14:30 as the game started to get away from the home team and the third-period penalties came back to haunt them, again. Enough can't be said about the Caps' penalty killers, though, who did a fantastic job about a great power play. Yes, the Habs got a PPG tonight, but it was a bit of a fluke. The Caps should be more worried about their own power play.
But they found a way to get it done. Flash and Semin were cycling in the Habs' zone. Flash left it for Semin, who unleashed one of his strongest slap shots ever to give the Caps a 4-2 lead. Flash has had a great game in his first start as a center; he and Semin have clicked well too.
The Habs pulled Price after Semin's goal but nothing changed.
Final: Caps 4, Habs 2.
First Period
The first three minutes included a wrap-around by Alex Semin that just missed and a giveaway by Mike Green that almost led to a goal by Les Habitant. Other than that, the Caps have gotten several decent shots but nothing overly noteworthy.
The most noticeable thing about the Caps, though, is that they're playing with a fervor that hasn't been seen in a while. Ovie is playing with Backstrom and Knuble while Semin is skating with new center Tomas Fleischmann and Brooks Laich. Brendan Morrison is centering Jason Chimera and Eric Fehr. The checking line is Quintin Laing, David Steckel and Matt Bradley.
On defense, Mike Green and Shaone Morrisonn have been reunited, Jeff Schultz is playing with Tom Poti and John Erskine and Karl Alzner are together.
The Caps got their first power play of the period with 2:04 left -- but looked very inept and disorganized. Although the Caps outshot the Habs, 11-3, they certainly didn't dominate and weren't as smooth as they should be playing. They definitely were more energetic and were better, but they're not back to themselves -- yet.
After one: Caps 0, Habs 0.
Second Period
After a decent start to the middle frame, the Caps got a power play that energized them even further. Some deft passing gave Ovechkin a chance as he stormed the crease and unleashed a laser, but the puck grazed the puck and stayed out. But then the Caps took the lead as Flash gathered the puck in the corner and singlehandedly charged the middle and beat Price to give the Caps a 1-0 advantage.
The Caps are outshooting the Habs, 20-8, but haven't put away Montreal. And, to boot, Chimera took a hooking call to give the visitors a power play advantage that could lead to a tie game. Fortunately, the Caps were able to best the league's top extra-man unit as each team registered two shots on goal during the two-minute power play.
But the Caps' lead didn't last much longer. As the Habs were cycling the puck, Josh Gorges shot the puck towards the net and it deflected off Flash's stick past Neuvirth to even the contest at 1.
The Caps kept up the pressure and it paid off. Laich carried the puck into the zone and left it for Fehr, who creatively flipped it past Price to give the Caps a 2-1 lead.
As Fehr's goal was being announced, Semin was open in the slot and ripped it past Price for a quick two-goal cushion. The two goals were 36 seconds apart.
A scrum ensued in the corner after Semin's tally after he got tangled up with Benoit Pouliot following his goal. Coincidental minors were called on the play on Poti and Scott Gomez, resulting in a four-on-four. Not too much action on the four-on-four, but Poti did get a short breakaway as he was coming out of the box.
It hasn't been overly pretty but the Caps have seemingly turned the tables in a game that's become physical all of a sudden. There was another scrum with 27 seconds left right after the Habs got their 13th shot of the evening, giving the Caps their third power play of the night. The Caps didn't convert but still have 1:33 left heading into the third period.
After two: Caps 3, Canadiens 1.
Third Period
The Habs came out with abandon at the start of the final stanza, but it didn't last long as Roman Hamrlik was called for unsportsmanlike conduct giving the Caps a power play. But the red, white and blue (American version) hasn't looked good for a while and that didn't really change tonight. The Caps have been unleashing lots of shots, and certainly are dominating their visitors, but haven't been able to bring that success onto the extra-man advantage.
From there, though, the Habs really started coasting -- something, it could be argued, they did after they went down 3-1. Fortunately for the home team, the Caps have been keeping their foot on the pedal, although haven't tallied in the third period yet.
The Caps' top line really has played well with Ovie and Backstrom leading the way, of course. However, Knuble seems more energized playing on that line than he does skating with Morrison and Laich.
However, Knuble got sent to the penalty box and gave the Habs a chance to inch closer -- which they did off the stick of Pouliot, who cleverly got the puck past Neuvirth. Neither of the Habs' goals tonight have been clean. But the Caps are still to blame as they haven't been able to put Montreal away, giving us a close finish over the game's last eight-or-so minutes.
Knuble went back to the box for slashing 14:30 as the game started to get away from the home team and the third-period penalties came back to haunt them, again. Enough can't be said about the Caps' penalty killers, though, who did a fantastic job about a great power play. Yes, the Habs got a PPG tonight, but it was a bit of a fluke. The Caps should be more worried about their own power play.
But they found a way to get it done. Flash and Semin were cycling in the Habs' zone. Flash left it for Semin, who unleashed one of his strongest slap shots ever to give the Caps a 4-2 lead. Flash has had a great game in his first start as a center; he and Semin have clicked well too.
The Habs pulled Price after Semin's goal but nothing changed.
Final: Caps 4, Habs 2.
Ovechkin Named Captain
As the Caps skated onto the ice tonight, a "C" appeared on Alex Ovechkin's jersey just as the media relations team passed out a press release.
Some accolades about Ovie, courtesy of the PR department:
"Our team has adopted Alex's personality, and the energy, passion and drive to win that are his hallmarks have become our team's as well. He sets the tone, on the ice as well as off. He's respectful to everyone and a great ambassador for our team and our sport. We look forward to him leading the Washington Capitals for a long time."
–- GM George McPhee
"Alex is a great player and a great choice for captain. He is the best player in the NHL and I love his combination of skill and physical play. He finishes his checks and hits hard."
–- Former Capitals captain Dale Hunter
"I think he's got all the qualities you look for in a captain, and to see that in someone so young is incredible. He’s been a leader since he's been here, and he leads by example. If he gets upset, you can see him start to take over a game. There's no doubt he's deserving."
-– Former Capitals captain Yvon Labre
"He's the best player in the world and he's the face of the franchise. Plus he's a great teammate. The Caps organization should feel proud to name him captain."
–- Former Capitals captain and current Tampa Bay Lightning center Jeff Halpern
Washington Capitals All-Time Captains
Doug Mohns – 1974-75
Bill Clement/Yvon Labre – 1975-76
Yvon Labre – 1976-77 to 1977-78
Guy Charron – 1978-79
Ryan Walter – 1979-80 to 1981-82
Rod Langway – 1982-83 to 1991-92
Rod Langway/Kevin Hatcher – 1992-93
Kevin Hatcher – 1993-94
Dale Hunter – 1994-95 to 1998-99
Adam Oates – 1999-00 to 2000-01
Steve Konowalchuk/Brendan Witt – 2001-02
Steve Konowalchuk – 2002-03 to 2003-04
Halpern – 2005-06
Chris Clark – 2006-07 to 2009-10
Ovechkin - current
Some accolades about Ovie, courtesy of the PR department:
"Our team has adopted Alex's personality, and the energy, passion and drive to win that are his hallmarks have become our team's as well. He sets the tone, on the ice as well as off. He's respectful to everyone and a great ambassador for our team and our sport. We look forward to him leading the Washington Capitals for a long time."
–- GM George McPhee
"Alex is a great player and a great choice for captain. He is the best player in the NHL and I love his combination of skill and physical play. He finishes his checks and hits hard."
–- Former Capitals captain Dale Hunter
"I think he's got all the qualities you look for in a captain, and to see that in someone so young is incredible. He’s been a leader since he's been here, and he leads by example. If he gets upset, you can see him start to take over a game. There's no doubt he's deserving."
-– Former Capitals captain Yvon Labre
"He's the best player in the world and he's the face of the franchise. Plus he's a great teammate. The Caps organization should feel proud to name him captain."
–- Former Capitals captain and current Tampa Bay Lightning center Jeff Halpern
Washington Capitals All-Time Captains
Doug Mohns – 1974-75
Bill Clement/Yvon Labre – 1975-76
Yvon Labre – 1976-77 to 1977-78
Guy Charron – 1978-79
Ryan Walter – 1979-80 to 1981-82
Rod Langway – 1982-83 to 1991-92
Rod Langway/Kevin Hatcher – 1992-93
Kevin Hatcher – 1993-94
Dale Hunter – 1994-95 to 1998-99
Adam Oates – 1999-00 to 2000-01
Steve Konowalchuk/Brendan Witt – 2001-02
Steve Konowalchuk – 2002-03 to 2003-04
Halpern – 2005-06
Chris Clark – 2006-07 to 2009-10
Ovechkin - current
Midseason, with a Twist
This year's midway point comes with a caveat: the second half of the season contains a two-week-plus break for the Winter Olympics. (The Caps have 21 games before the Olympics and 20 games afterwards.) The NHL trading deadline is March 3 -- the same day the Caps visit the Buffalo Sabres in their first game following the hiatus.
Between now and then, however, the Caps are sure to make a few moves. Therefore, it's time to continue STC's occasional evaluation of the roster and the salary cap implications.
Must Keep: Alex Ovechkin (signed until 2020-21), Nicklas Backstrom (RFA after this season), Brooks Laich (UFA after next season), Tomas Fleischmann (RFA after this season), Mike Green (RFA after 2011-12), Karl Alzner (RFA after next season) and Simeon Varlamov (RFA after 2011-12).
Positives Outweigh Negatives: Mike Knuble (UFA after next season), Brendan Morrison (UFA after this season), Jason Chimera (UFA after 2011-12), Eric Fehr (RFA after this season), David Steckel (UFA after this season), Matt Bradley (UFA after next season), Jeff Schultz (RFA after this season) and John Erskine (UFA after next season).
Expendable: Quintin Laing (UFA after this season), Tom Poti (UFA after next season), Shaone Morrisonn (UFA after this season), Brian Pothier (UFA after this season), Boyd Gordon (RFA after this season), Tyler Sloan (UFA after this season) and Jose Theodore (UFA after this season).
The Big Question Marks: Alex Semin (UFA after next season) and Michal Neuvirth (RFA after this season).
If GM George McPhee decides to trade Theo before March 3, then the Caps would have an additional $4.5 million of room to add a marquee player. Of course, GMGM must give Nicklas Backstrom an extension (presumably before the trading deadline) and address the handful of pending RFAs (especially Flash).
The biggest question, though, will be whether Semin remains in town after next season. It won't have a huge impact on what McPhee does at the trading deadline -- but it might affect the upcoming off-season.
Between now and then, however, the Caps are sure to make a few moves. Therefore, it's time to continue STC's occasional evaluation of the roster and the salary cap implications.
Must Keep: Alex Ovechkin (signed until 2020-21), Nicklas Backstrom (RFA after this season), Brooks Laich (UFA after next season), Tomas Fleischmann (RFA after this season), Mike Green (RFA after 2011-12), Karl Alzner (RFA after next season) and Simeon Varlamov (RFA after 2011-12).
Positives Outweigh Negatives: Mike Knuble (UFA after next season), Brendan Morrison (UFA after this season), Jason Chimera (UFA after 2011-12), Eric Fehr (RFA after this season), David Steckel (UFA after this season), Matt Bradley (UFA after next season), Jeff Schultz (RFA after this season) and John Erskine (UFA after next season).
Expendable: Quintin Laing (UFA after this season), Tom Poti (UFA after next season), Shaone Morrisonn (UFA after this season), Brian Pothier (UFA after this season), Boyd Gordon (RFA after this season), Tyler Sloan (UFA after this season) and Jose Theodore (UFA after this season).
The Big Question Marks: Alex Semin (UFA after next season) and Michal Neuvirth (RFA after this season).
If GM George McPhee decides to trade Theo before March 3, then the Caps would have an additional $4.5 million of room to add a marquee player. Of course, GMGM must give Nicklas Backstrom an extension (presumably before the trading deadline) and address the handful of pending RFAs (especially Flash).
The biggest question, though, will be whether Semin remains in town after next season. It won't have a huge impact on what McPhee does at the trading deadline -- but it might affect the upcoming off-season.
January 4, 2010
Weekly Snapshot, Jan. 4
Record/Standings Position: 24-11-6 (54 points), 1st Southeast Division/3rd Eastern Conference/5th NHL
Last Week's Games:
* Lost, 6-3, vs. Carolina
* Lost, 5-2, at San Jose Sharks
* Lost, 2-1, at L.A. Kings
This Week's Games:
* Tuesday vs. Montreal Canadiens (7 p.m., CSN Plus)
* Thursday vs. Ottawa Senators (7 p.m., CSN-HD)
* Saturday at Atlanta Thrashers (7 p.m., CSN-HD)
Injuries: Brian Pothier (injured list). Total Man-Games Lost: 148.
Recent Transactions: Assigned Semyon Varlamov to Hershey for conditioning (Dec. 29); acquired Jason Chimera from Columbus for Chris Clark and Milan Jurcina (Dec. 28).
Top Storylines:
* The Caps must take advantage of their nine January home games to regain some momentum lost over the last two weeks.
* The Caps have played 41 games, which means it's exactly halfway through the 2009-10 season.
* Semyon Varlamov can't come back soon enough: although Michal Neuvirth has played well, Jose Theodore clearly has lost Bruce Boudreau's trust and might even be the Caps' No. 3 goalie right now.
Top Line (Who's Hot?): Alex Ovechkin (on pace for fourth career 50-goal season), Mike Green (points in five of his last six); Eric Fehr (points in four of six).
Scratches (Who's Not?): Nicklas Backstrom (one point in last three games, which for him is a cold streak); Brooks Laich (only seven points in December); Alex Semin (no points in the three games since signing his contract extension).
Last Week's Games:
* Lost, 6-3, vs. Carolina
* Lost, 5-2, at San Jose Sharks
* Lost, 2-1, at L.A. Kings
This Week's Games:
* Tuesday vs. Montreal Canadiens (7 p.m., CSN Plus)
* Thursday vs. Ottawa Senators (7 p.m., CSN-HD)
* Saturday at Atlanta Thrashers (7 p.m., CSN-HD)
Injuries: Brian Pothier (injured list). Total Man-Games Lost: 148.
Recent Transactions: Assigned Semyon Varlamov to Hershey for conditioning (Dec. 29); acquired Jason Chimera from Columbus for Chris Clark and Milan Jurcina (Dec. 28).
Top Storylines:
* The Caps must take advantage of their nine January home games to regain some momentum lost over the last two weeks.
* The Caps have played 41 games, which means it's exactly halfway through the 2009-10 season.
* Semyon Varlamov can't come back soon enough: although Michal Neuvirth has played well, Jose Theodore clearly has lost Bruce Boudreau's trust and might even be the Caps' No. 3 goalie right now.
Top Line (Who's Hot?): Alex Ovechkin (on pace for fourth career 50-goal season), Mike Green (points in five of his last six); Eric Fehr (points in four of six).
Scratches (Who's Not?): Nicklas Backstrom (one point in last three games, which for him is a cold streak); Brooks Laich (only seven points in December); Alex Semin (no points in the three games since signing his contract extension).
January 1, 2010
Royalty Awaits in 2010
When the Caps lace it up against the Los Angeles Kings tomorrow afternoon (4 p.m., CSN), they will do so after going through two very targeted practices. Yesterday's was all about intensity and systems -- something Bruce Boudreau doesn't do very often so they remain effective. Today's session is expected to be about the power play, which has been in the doldrums of late.
Boudreau reunited the Alex Ovechkin-Nicklas Backstrom-Alex Semin line and is tinkering with the others. The second- and third-line centers, it appears, are Brendan Morrison and Brooks Laich. However, their wingers have been shuffled around. Mike Knuble has been playing with Morrison a lot -- with Tomas Fleischmann there as well.
Yesterday, though, Matt Bradley joined Flash and Morrison while Laich skated with Knuble and newcomer Jason Chimera. Bradley certainly has shown more offensive punch this season and might be ready for a promotion -- especially after Chris Clark's trade. Flash is tied with Semin for third on the team with 14 goals, which has been a very pleasant surprise.
Since Boudreau is known for constant shuffling of the lines, this isn't an indication that these changes are permanent -- but for sure something to watch, especially if he keeps the super-line together long-term.
More importantly, though, it is the beginning of 2010 -- which could be a banner year for the Caps. A third-straight Southeast Division crown seems a lock and now a berth in the 2011 Winter Classic might be coming soon too (although similar things were said about today's game before the Philadelphia Flyers were named as the Boston Bruins' opponent).
The ultimate goal remains winning the Stanley Cup, something that requires many adjustments and a lot of perseverance during a very long season.
Boudreau reunited the Alex Ovechkin-Nicklas Backstrom-Alex Semin line and is tinkering with the others. The second- and third-line centers, it appears, are Brendan Morrison and Brooks Laich. However, their wingers have been shuffled around. Mike Knuble has been playing with Morrison a lot -- with Tomas Fleischmann there as well.
Yesterday, though, Matt Bradley joined Flash and Morrison while Laich skated with Knuble and newcomer Jason Chimera. Bradley certainly has shown more offensive punch this season and might be ready for a promotion -- especially after Chris Clark's trade. Flash is tied with Semin for third on the team with 14 goals, which has been a very pleasant surprise.
Since Boudreau is known for constant shuffling of the lines, this isn't an indication that these changes are permanent -- but for sure something to watch, especially if he keeps the super-line together long-term.
More importantly, though, it is the beginning of 2010 -- which could be a banner year for the Caps. A third-straight Southeast Division crown seems a lock and now a berth in the 2011 Winter Classic might be coming soon too (although similar things were said about today's game before the Philadelphia Flyers were named as the Boston Bruins' opponent).
The ultimate goal remains winning the Stanley Cup, something that requires many adjustments and a lot of perseverance during a very long season.
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