Weekly Snapshot, Jan. 30

A weekly peek at the state of the Washington Capitals.

Record/Standings Position: 27-15-9 (63 points), 2nd Southeast Division/5th Eastern Conference/8th NHL

Last Week's Games:
* Lost, 2-1 (OT), vs. New York Rangers
* Lost, 1-0, at Atlanta Thrashers

This Week's Games:
* Tuesday vs. Montreal Canadiens (7:30 p.m., CSN-HD)
* Friday at Tampa Bay Lightning (7:30 p.m., CSN-Plus-HD)
* Sunday vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (12:30 pm., NBC-HD)

Injuries: Matt Bradley (1-2 weeks), Alexander Semin (day-to-day), Tom Poti (day-to-day), Eric Fehr (out 3-4 weeks), Tyler Sloan (day-to-day), Michal Neuvirth (day-to-day). Total Man Games Lost: 140.

Recent Transactions: Assigned Jay Beagle, Mathieu Perreault and Braden Holtby to Hershey (Jan. 27); loaned Tyler Sloan to Hershey for a conditioning stint (Jan. 23).

Top Storylines:
* The Caps face three very tough games after the all-star break, meaning they better get things in order quickly.
* Speaking of which, the team continues to excel on defense and the penalty kill, while struggling to score goals in all situations (especially the power play).
* One way to get out of the funk will be to go to the net and continue to take smart shots. Substance over style.

Top Line (Who's Hot?): penalty kill (second in the league at 86 percent); goals against average (2.45, seventh in the league); Jason Chimera (six points in January after only seven in November and December combined).

Scratches (Who's Not?): goals scored (2.71, 17th in the league); power play (17.1 percent, 19th); winning percentage when scoring first (66.7 percent, 19th).

Notebook: Semin, Dino and Hershey

The Washington Capitals decided to keep the enigma around for a bit longer, giving Alex Semin a one-year, $6.7 million contract extension. Apparently, the team's max offer was two years, an indication that they're still not totally sold on his long-term future with the team.

Semin, as regular STC readers know, continues to confound many in the organization and around the league. The guess here is that GM George McPhee decided Semin was better than the available free-agent options and didn't need to give the forward a huge raise over his current $6 million salary. (His new figure equals Nicklas Backstrom's salary, second only to Alex Ovechkin's $9.5 million per season.)

Meanwhile, longtime Cap Dino Ciccarelli will be honored at "Turn Back the Clock" night on Tuesday, Feb. 1 against the Montreal Canadiens (7:30 p.m., CSN-HD). The Caps will wear their Winter Classic jerseys and a special pregame ceremony will take place.

Finally, Jay Beagle, Mathieu Perreault and Braden Holtby have been assigned to the Hershey Bears to give the trio a chance to play during the NHL all-star break. The Bears play tonight, tomorrow and Saturday before hosting the AHL all-star festivities on Sunday and Monday. Holtby was selected as an all-star and now will be able to participate.

Note: "Capitals Red Line" will debut next Saturday, Feb. 5 at 9 a.m. in its new timeslot. The show will air for eight consecutive weeks.

Lower Seeds Continue to Thrive in Playoffs

It's become plainly obvious that the Washington Capitals will not approach the 121 points they accumulated last season -- and may not exceed the 108 they racked up during the 2008-09 season. But, believe it or not, that might actually be a good thing.  Let us remember that, despite winning the Southeast Division three straight years, the Caps have won just one playoff series over that span.

But here's the thing: since the lockout, 11 teams seeded sixth or lower have won a first-round series and, in all but one of those seasons, made it to the conference finals.

Last season was the celebration of lower-seeded teams as the seventh-seeded Philadelphia Flyers made the Stanley Cup finals and the eighth-seeded Montreal Canadiens eliminated the Caps and Pittsburgh Penguins before falling to the orange and black. In 2005-06, the eighth-seeded Edmonton Oilers not only made the Stanley Cup finals but came within one win of taking the trophy back to Western Canada.

The successful lower-seeded teams include:

* 98 points (2005-06 Anaheim Ducks, lost conference finals)
* 97 (2008-09 Carolina Hurricanes, lost conference finals)
* 95 (2007-08 Flyers, made conference finals; 2007-08 Colorado Avalanche, won first round; 2005-06 Avalanche, won first round; 2005-06 Oilers, lost Stanley Cup finals)
* 94 (2006-07 New York Rangers, won first round)
* 91 (2008-09 Ducks, lost in second round; 2009-10 Boston Bruins, won first round)
* 88 (2009-10 Flyers, lost in Stanley Cup finals, and 2009-10 Canadiens, lost in conference finals)

All of these teams had to fight to get into the playoffs and then start the postseason on the road. There was no cruising involved.

Therefore, the Caps (with 63 points) have plenty of precedent of not only making the playoffs but gearing up for a longer run than they've ever enjoyed under Bruce Boudreau. They're in prime position, given the list of teams listed above and the Caps' current record, of breaking that recent trend. And ceding the division title might be the first step towards finally accomplishing their goals.

Caps Drop Shootout to the Rangers, 2-1

The Washington Capitals continue to bank on their strong defense, penalty killing and goaltending -- a vast departure from last year's high-flying ways. But this team is more like the 1980s/1990s Caps -- an outfit that qualified for the postseason 14 straight seasons.

Tonight, against the New York Rangers, the Caps lost, 2-1, in a shootout -- after being outshot, 29-23, during the first 65 minutes. Braden Holtby had another stellar night as did the Rangers' Martin Biron. In the shootout, Matt Hendricks (using the same move he donned Saturday night in Toronto) and Nicklas Backstrom scored for the Caps, while Mats Zuccarello, Wojtek Wolski and Artem Anisimov tallied for the visitors.

Hendricks (his seventh of the season) put the Caps on the board at 1:27 of the second period with a beautiful wrister off a nice feed by Marcus Johansson. It was the culmination of a pressure-packed series by the crowd favorite.

The Rangers struck back at 13:19 of the third, when Marian Gaborik got enough of the puck in the middle of a scrum in front of Holtby for his 16th of the season. The play was reviewed, but somehow Gaborik got the puck over the goal line legally, but it was close to being punched into the net.

Overall, the game was very choppy and downright ugly. If this were last season, some might argue that the team looked disinterested. But, as part of Caps 2.0, it's just another trapping day at the office. Holtby was under pressure at times, but continues to look like he belongs. His youth was exposed during the shootout, but fortunately for the Caps, they don't have those in the postseason.

Weekly Snapshot, Jan. 23

A weekly peek at the state of the Washington Capitals.

Record/Standings Position: 27-14-8 (62 points), 2nd Southeast Division/5th Eastern Conference/7th NHL

Last Week's Games:
* Lost, 3-2 (OT), at Philadelphia Flyers
* Won, 2-1, at New York Islanders
* Won, 4-1, at Toronto Maple Leafs

This Week's Games:
* Monday vs. New York Rangers (7:30 p.m., Versus-HD)
* Wednesday at Atlanta Thrashers (7 p.m., CSN-HD)

Injuries: Matt Bradley (1-2 weeks), Alexander Semin (day-to-day), Tom Poti (day-to-day), Eric Fehr (out 3-4 weeks), Tyler Sloan (day-to-day), Michal Neuvirth (day-to-day). Total Man Games Lost: 127.

Recent Transactions: Assigned Brian Fahey to Hershey (Jan. 21); recalled Fahey from Hershey (Jan. 20); recalled Braden Holtby from Hershey (Jan. 19); assigned Andrew Gordon to Hershey, recalled Sloan from his conditioning stint in Hershey (Jan. 18).

Top Storylines:
* Alex Ovechkin registered his first hat trick of the season in yesterday's win.
* Mike Green will serve as an alternate captain in this weekend's all-star game.
* Another money quote from Bruce Boudreau: "It might not be the most exciting brand of hockey in the world but everybody seems to like winning hockey these days." Amen.

Top Line (Who's Hot?): penalty kill (second in the league at 85.7 percent); goals against average (2.51, seventh in the league); Nicklas Backstrom (points in 10 of his last 12 games).

Scratches (Who's Not?): injuries (seem to be mounting); Scott Hannan (minus-four, second-worst on the team); Mathieu Perreault (only one point this month).

Penalty Kill, Holtby Pace Caps to 2-1 Win

The scoring might not be there, but the Washington Capitals are still finding ways to win games. Braden Holtby made 24 saves and the Caps went six-for-six on the penalty kill as the visitors held on for a 2-1 win at the New York Islanders.

Nicklas Backstrom notched a goal (his 12th) and an assist while playing on a revamped line with regular partner Alex Ovechkin and new addition Jason Chimera, who scored the other Caps' goal (his seventh of the season). The captain notched two assists, giving him 32 on the season, while John Carlson registered the other helper.

But the story of the game was the Caps' stout defense and their excellent penalty kill. The team played with grit and determination that was missing for most of their game Tuesday in Philadelphia. Although the Islanders may be lagging in the standings, they are not a pushover and routinely give the Caps all they can handle.

Holtby, meanwhile, was recalled from Hershey to replace an ailing Michal Neuvirth, who returned to Washington after Tuesday's game. No. 1 (for the moment) goalie Semyon Varlamov has a lower-body injury, and Holtby filled in nobly. In fact, during his spot duty this season, he has a respectable 3.19 goals-against average -- given the fact that he's only played six NHL games (all this season) and started the 2009-10 campaign in the ECHL.

So while this game wasn't perfect, it certainly served as a building block towards a brighter future for a team that is facing myriad injuries and other issues.

Note: STC sends its thoughts and prayers to former Cap Tomas Fleischmann, who is battling scary blood clots (again) and will miss the rest of the season.

Clement Has It Wrong about the Caps

Today, during his regular time slot on NHL Home Ice, Bill Clement brought some pretty harsh accusations at the Washington Capitals. He said that they looked like a shell of their former selves, that they lacked the "grit" they possessed last season and challenged listeners to find one member of the team who is better than they were last time around.

I've got a lot of respect for Clement, a one-time captain of the Caps. But, in this case, there is no doubt that he is misguided. For one, the team is going through a transition that is quite difficult (as he should know from his playing days): they're trying to change from their high-scoring, offensive-minded ways into a more well-rounded bunch.

If you take last night's game against the Philadelphia Flyers, or individual scoring numbers, then yes, the team isn't as good as last year. But, there is a quick counterargument here: their penalty killing (85 percent, sixth in the league) and goals against (2.57, ninth) are far better than last year's figures (78.8, 25th, and 2.77, 16th, respectively).

Additionally, Alex Ovechkin is facing resistance and defensive coverage like never before and still has managed to pose a threat -- even if his success rate isn't as high. This team, many would argue, has more grit than last year, when on many nights, they skated by with a 20-minute effort that was a blowout on the scoresheet.

The biggest difference is that the Caps' scoring is down nearly a goal a game (2.79 this year, 3.82 last year), but their competition was not as tough (Example A: Tampa Bay Lightning).

In the place where it matters most, the standings, the Caps are firmly entrenched in the playoffs and should topple 100 points. Granted, they most likely won't reach the 121 points that they did last season, but we all know where that got them.

If Clement needs a reminder about the insignificance of the regular season, he needs not look further than his own Flyers -- who got into the postseason (with 88 points) by virtue of a shootout win in the last game of the regular season. And, once they were there, they reached the Stanley Cup finals -- something the Caps most surely will take come May or June.

All-Star Teaser Clip

We interrupt the uber-analysis of the Washington Capitals to present a little fun: a clip teasing the 2011 all-star game next Sunday, Jan. 30 (4 p.m., Versus):



Note: I was contacted directly by Versus, who asked for my participation in posting the video.

Caps Play With Fire, Get Burned

The Washington Capitals seemingly fall behind before they rev up their engines to full gear. And, more often than not lately, they cannot overcome the deficit. Tonight, in enemy territory at Wells Fargo Center, the Caps fell, 3-2, in overtime to the Philadelphia Flyers despite a strong third period that erased an early 2-0 hole.

But, as the game drew closer to conclusion, the Orange-clad home team started to turn up the pressure and the pace of play became more open and free-flowing. Normally, that would benefit the formerly high-flying Caps, but this incarnation of the red, white and blue has turned into a defensive bunch. Although they were able to survive some scares in the last few moments of regulation, an Andrej Meszaros slap shot at 1:07 of overtime eventually ended their hope for a win.

Claude Giroux, who was a thorn in the Caps' side all night, and Jeff Carter gave the Flyers a 2-0 lead before the visitors could strike. First, Mike Knuble poked in a rebound of a Marcus Johansson shot to pull the Caps within one. Then, less than a minute later, Alex Ovechkin batted down a Nicklas Backstrom pass with his glove and somehow got his stick (or the defender's) on it before the puck crossed the goal line. That tied the game, but the Caps couldn't keep up their momentum -- or defensive style -- before regulation concluded.

This is the story of this year's Caps. They're not wowing anybody consistently -- especially on the road -- but, as Ted Leonsis pointed out today -- they've found a way to stay towards the top of the standings, firmly entrenched in a playoff position.

That quest continues Thursday night on Long Island against a hungry team way behind them in the standings (but with more points than the woeful New Jersey Devils, who have already embarrassed the Caps this season). The Caps and New York Islanders haven't played since October, a 2-1 win by Washington in the fourth game of the season.

Weekly Snapshot, Jan. 17

A weekly peek at the state of the Washington Capitals (special MLK day edition).

Record/Standings Position: 25-14-7 (57 points), T-1st Southeast Division/5th Eastern Conference/8th NHL

Last Week's Games:
* Lost, 4-3 (OT), at Florida Panthers
* Lost, 3-0, at Tampa Bay Lightning
* Lost, 4-2, vs. Vancouver Canucks
* Won, 3-1, vs. Ottawa Senators

This Week's Games:
* Tuesday at Philadelphia Flyers (7 p.m., CSN-HD)
* Thursday at New York Islanders (7 p.m., CSN-HD)
* Saturday at Toronto Maple Leafs (7 p.m., CSN-Plus-HD)

Injuries: Tom Poti (day-to-day), Alex Semin (day-to-day), Matt Bradley (1-2 weeks). Total Man Games Lost: 110.

Recent Transactions: Recalled Andrew Gordon from Hershey (Jan. 15); assigned Tyler Sloan to Hershey on conditioning assignment (Jan. 14); assigned Brian Willsie to Hershey (Jan. 13).

Top Storylines:
* Washington has allowed just 28 goals in their last 14 games. The team is ranked eighth in the league in goals against (2.56) entering today's games; Washington hasn't been in the top-12 in the league in goals against since finishing fourth in 1999-2000.
* The Caps are sixth in the league (entering today's games) in penalty killing at 85 percent.
* The Caps have won a league-leading 13 games (13-12-3) after surrendering the first goal of the game.

Top Line (Who's Hot?): Shots allowed per game (29.2, ninth in the league); Brooks Laich (points in three of his last four); John Carlson (team-leading plus-15).

Scratches (Who's Not?): Alex Semin (hasn't played since Jan. 8, no points in 2011); Alex Ovechkin (hasn't done anything to adjust to defensive coverage against him this season); D.J. King (only eight games played this year).

Caps Looking for a Spark

The Washington Capitals headed to the Sunshine State, a place that has been mostly kind to them in recent years. But, instead, they were handed a 4-3 overtime loss by the Florida Panthers Tuesday night and a 3-0 loss to the first-place Tampa Bay Lightning yesterday. Those two games highlighted the obvious: their offense is struggling, while their defense and goaltending is much improved.

Today at practice, the team was focused on increased their goal-scoring output -- and, according to Coach Bruce Boudreau, that starts on the extra-man advantage.

"If we'd score a goal a game on the power play, then that's the goal a game [differential from last year]. You get from a 2.8 to 3.6 goals for, that's where it is," Boudreau said today. "It's really incredible: on Dec. 2, we were second in the league on the power play at 24.5 percent. Ever since then, it was like we fell off the face of the earth. That's a difference maker, when teams don't have fear of your power play, they play a different game. Somehow, by hook or by crook, we've got to get a goal on the power play."

But it's not just special teams that's harmed them. The goals netted by Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom and Alex Semin -- traditionally the team's top three scorers -- are down from last year. Those three scored 123 goals last year and have just 44 so far this time around.

One thing that has changed from last year is the approach taken by the Caps' opponents. For example, the Lightning crowded the neutral zone, especially after the first period, and made the Caps' path to prime real estate even more difficult.

While everybody is on the mission to get better together, and there's still room for improvement, time still remains for new blood to be introduced. The trade deadline is Feb. 28 and the goal-scoring drought surely has gotten the attention of GM George McPhee, who could pull a deal at any moment.

In the short-term, though, the Caps' next three games against the Vancouver Canucks, Ottawa Senators and Philadelphia Flyers will test their mettle. The Canucks have the best record in the league right now, while the defending conference champion Flyers are emerging as the best team in the East. For the Caps to return to their perch of a year ago, they must find a way to balance last year's offensive free-wheeling with their new-found defensive prowess.

On this mission, they have the team's biggest fan in their corner: owner Ted Leonsis.

"My goal is I just want to qualify for the playoffs," Leonsis said on Mike Wise's radio show (via D.C. Sports bog). "I don't think it matters how many points we finish with. I want us to enter the playoffs playing the right way and being healthy....I think our guys may be unconsciously pacing themselves a little bit, I do. I think that."

Ovechkin, Green selected to All-Star Game

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin and defenseman Mike Green will represent the team at the NHL all-star game at the end of the month. This year's event was harder to predict than previous editions due to its new format and the fact that four Pittsburgh Penguins were voted in by the fans, taking spots that might have gone to more deserving players.

Even so, this is Ovie's fourth selection and Green's first. Both are changing as the team adapts into a more defenseive-minded system. Of course, this game is for the fans and should be loads of fun.

No Caps rookies were selected to participate in the skills competition. The teams for the main event will be drafted by yet-to-be determined captains.

Looking Ahead to the Trade Deadline

With the Feb. 28 trading deadline rapidly approaching (believe it or not), it's time for a quick look at the roster -- keeping in mind the Caps' new playing style, the salary cap and the somewhat-imposing list of pending free agents.

Must Keep: Alex Ovechkin (signed until 2020-21), Nicklas Backstrom (signed until 2020), Brooks Laich (UFA after this season), Eric Fehr (RFA after next season), Marcus Johansson (RFA after 2012-13), Mike Green (RFA after next season), John Carlson (RFA after next season), Karl Alzner (RFA after this season), Semyon Varlamov (RFA after this season), and Michal Neuvirth (RFA after 2012-13).

Some of the people on this list (Ovechkin, Backstrom, Carlson, Alzner, Green and the goalies) go without saying. Laich is too versatile, too good in the locker room and too entrenched with the coaching staff to go anywhere. Fehr seems to be coming into his own, and Johansson is young and has a bright future ahead.

Positives Outweigh Negatives: Mike Knuble (UFA after this season), Tom Poti (UFA until 2012-13), Jason Chimera (UFA after next season), David Steckel (UFA after 2012-13), Matt Hendricks (UFA after this season), Mathieu Perreault (RFA after this season), Matt Bradley (UFA after this season), Scott Hannan (UFA after this season), John Erskine (UFA after 2012-13), and Jeff Schultz (UFA after 2013-14).

Knuble has been a good addition and would be worth keeping on a modest one-year deal. Poti, if he can stay healthy, is a good elder statesman of a defensive corps that's getting younger. Ditto Erskine. (Never though I'd ever write that.) Hendricks, Perreault, Chimera, and Bradley are ideal parts of the team's new playing style. Hannan is thriving with Green, and he's got a few years left. Schultz, interestingly enough, is the only player signed for the 2012-13 season other than Backstrom and Ovechkin.

Hasta La Vista: Alex Semin (UFA after this season), Tyler Sloan (UFA after next season), Michael Nylander (yes, he's still on the payroll; UFA after this season), D.J. King (UFA after next season), and Brian Willsie (UFA after this season)

I've made no secret about Semin's future in D.C. He's too inconsistent, nonchalant and expensive to fit on this team, if they want to start achieving greater things for a long period of time. The rest of the people on this list need no further explanation.

The Big Question Marks: Braden Holtby (RFA after 2011-12) and Jay Beagle (RFA after next season).

Holtby is a solid No. 3 in the goalie race right now and Beagle has been good and filling holes where needed.

Weekly Snapshot, Jan. 9

A weekly peek at the state of the Washington Capitals.

Record/Standings Position: 24-12-6 (54 points), 2nd Southeast Division/5th Eastern Conference/6th NHL

Last Week's Games:
* Lost, 1-0 (OT), vs. Tampa Bay Lightning
* Won, 3-2, vs. Florida Panthers

This Week's Games:
* Tuesday at Florida Panthers (7:30 p.m., CSN-Plus-HD)
* Wednesday at Tampa Bay Lightning (7:30 p.m., CSN-HD, NHL-HD)
* Friday vs. Vancouver Canucks (7 p.m., CSN-HD, NHL-HD)
* Sunday vs. Ottawa Senators (3 p.m., CSN-HD)

Injuries: Boyd Gordon (1-2 weeks), Matt Bradley (2-4 weeks). Total Man Games Lost: 99.

Recent Transactions: None.

Top Storylines:
* The Caps are 6-0-2 in their last eight games.
* John Carlson leads the team with a plus-11, one season after five Caps finished plus-36 or better.
* Seven of the Caps' last 10 games have been decided by one goal, with Washington claiming 15 of a possible 20 points in that time (6-1-3). The Capitals are 11-4-6 in one-goal games on the year.

Top Line (Who's Hot?): Penalty kill (third in the league entering today's games with 85.8 percent efficiency, killed off 27 consecutive shorthanded situations and 33 of 34); goals allowed per game (2.52, seventh-best in the league entering today's games); Semyon Varlamov (second in NHL entering today's games with 2.08 GAA and third with .928 save percentage).

Scratches (Who's Not?): Alex Semin (hasn't scored since Nov. 28 and has only five assists since); Alex Ovechkin (15 goals, 35th in the league entering today's games, tied with such potent scorers as Nikolai Kulemin); Jason Chimera (last on Caps with minus-seven).

STC Joins TBD Community Network

Storming the Crease has joined a network of 220 (and counting) blogs focused on all that Washington, D.C. (and the surrounding areas) have to offer. The TBD Community Network also includes the excellent Capitals Outsider, DC Pro Sports Report, Live in Red, Musings of a Hockey Mom, On Frozen Blog, Ravings of a Rink Rebel, and The Blonde Girl's Guide.

As with Yardbarker, the TBD network will help STC extend its reach -- and also join other distinguished blogs in that pursuit. You can find the new TBD badge on the right sidebar.

Bloggers Retain Access to Caps, Wizards

The National Hockey League, and the Washington Capitals specifically, were in the spotlight in August when blogger access became a hot topic. The Caps were the first team to author a credentialing policy for bloggers and, so far, has been the most open to new media covering any team around the league.

"While a lot was discussed last summer regarding blogger access to credentials, nothing formal was adopted. It essentially remains the decision of each club," Caps Vice President of Communications Nate Ewell said. "There are very diverse opinions on access -- something that works perfectly well for us may not be a viable solution in Toronto, for example."

Not surprisingly, owner Ted Leonsis has been an advocate on the subject for many years. When Leonsis completed the purchase of the NBA's Washington Wizards this past summer, other teams in the nascent Monumental Sports and Entertainment started to share that open-access philosophy. But, as it turns out, many of these procedures already were in place.

"It's been a mutually beneficial relationship," said Scott Hall, the Wizards' senior director of communications for the last three years. "We love the coverage and it's been a great outlet for fans to read about the team. We've had good experiences with bloggers covering the team."

The NBA as a whole has made social media a prominent topic, but does not have a formal set of rules.

"Mr. Leonsis had the foresight to have his teams embrace bloggers before it was widely accepted," Hall said.

The NBA, in fact, is one of the most media-accessible professional sports in the U.S., according to Hall. The league mandates 45 minutes of open locker room time for interviews with players before every game. For a 7 p.m. game, for example, that availability would fall between 5:30-6:15 p.m.

After the game, coaches typically speak to the media first and then the locker room is open. Coaches and players also speak to the media on the morning of the game and the coach talks for 15 minutes closer to game time, around 6 p.m.

In the NHL, things are a bit different. Locally, players and Caps Coach Bruce Boudreau are available immediately following the morning skate on game days. If the morning skate isn't at the game rink (mostly home games), Boudreau also speaks at 5 p.m. Players are available by request for television interviews between 5-5:30 p.m., according to Ewell.

The locker rooms open five minutes after the game concludes and Boudreau addresses the media after player availability.

Hall said he realizes that new media is "shaping" traditional media, noting that most newspaper beat writers have blogs and provide updates several times every day. Wizards radio play-by-play voice Dave Johnson blogs during the game and the team employs a group that post live updates during the game, post-game interviews and other videos on Twitter, Facebook and the team's Web site. The NBA allows for three game updates each quarter, an update at the end of every quarter, and unlimited updates at halftime and following the games.

The Wizards also allowed fans to post photos (and "tag" themselves) and hosted contests on Twitter for free tickets and other prizes, including a recent meet-and-greet with Nick Young.

The Caps also employ a Web team, with interviews and other video clips being posted nearly every day on the team's Web site, Facebook and Twitter. Mike Vogel, the team's senior writer, pens regular articles and blog posts, and is a regular presence on Twitter.

"We recently had a Facebook contest to win a trip to the Winter Classic," Ewell said. "We don't have anything currently running there. We have used Twitter to promote that and other contests, like our mobile fantasy game, but haven't done any Twitter-specific contests."

The NHL does not have a formal policy for update frequency and leaves most of these decisions to the teams.

"From our perspective, we could address it if we ever felt it became an issue, but I don't foresee any amount of updates that would infringe on our broadcast rightsholders," Ewell said.

Downright Ugly: Lightning 1, Caps 0 (OT)

The Washington Capitals had all the momentum in the world coming into tonight's pivotal game with the co-Southeast Division leaders, the Tampa Bay Lightning. But, alas, neither team could crack the twine throughout 60 minutes of regulation.

And then, just like that, Martin St. Louis sent the Caps home unhappy. The diminutive sniper sneaked in between Tom Poti and Nicklas Backstrom to give the Lightning the victory with a rebound goal from the slot. The loss came despite 37 saves from Semyon Varlamov, who has only allowed two goals over his last nine periods (plus tonight's OT session).

Leading into the extra session, the Caps had 34 shots and killed off three Tampa power plays -- but their inept power(less) play had six mostly fruitless minutes on the extra-man advantage. The Caps had 21 shots in the second period, but unfortunately, none of them were too high in quality or close in proximity. In fact, on the Caps' third power play (with Nate Thompson in the box for hooking at 11:38 of the second), the Lightning had a pretty decent shorthanded chance, but Varly was able to make the save.

Their penalty kill continued its ascension with three more solid stints, and Varly clearly played well, but the offensive futility that's befallen a Capitals squad once known for its firepower is quite alarming.

The Alexes -- Semin and Ovechkin -- had 14 shots between them in regulation, but not once did it seem that they were going to take over the game (although Ovechkin looked much better tonight). In the end, though, it was a somewhat fluky goal in overtime that gave the Caps only one point -- but the biggest takeaway from this game is that the offense needs a little TLC.

Fanspeak Column: Caps Changing for the Better

The excellent site Fanspeak has invited me to pen a regular column about the Washington Capitals. Here is my debut:

The Caps may be known for running and gunning, but they've devoted themselves to the ultimate of New Year's resolutions: defense first and -- hark -- something resembling a neutral-zone trap. Last summer, not too long after the Montreal Canadiens ended a potential dream season, the team vowed to go about things differently and try to play "playoff hockey" for the entire season.

That sea-change didn't become apparent right away. The first phase was an improved penalty kill that has become downright lethal lately. The team's recent run of success has vaulted them to a tie for fifth in the NHL (entering Monday's games) with an 85.2 success rate -- way above the 78.8 percent rate (which ranked 25th) from last season.

In 1997-98, when the team made its only appearance in the Stanley Cup finals, the Caps led the league by killing off 89.2 percent of penalties, also the franchise record. The Caps also led the league in penalty killing in 1990-91 (86 percent) and 1983-84 (86.7 percent). In both of those seasons, the Caps advanced to the second round of the playoffs before losing to a team that made the Stanley Cup finals.

In this past weekend's Winter Classic, the next phase of the change became evident: the implementation of a very-unsexy neutral-zone trap. In fact, during the game's final moments, NBC's Pierre McGuire commented that the Caps had "built a white picket fence in the neutral zone that's difficult to permeate," the most definitive sign of the team's new style.

As the saying goes in other sports, offense sells tickets and defense wins championships. The Caps brass have embraced this new philosophy and most assuredly will continue to make changes before season's end. After all, as Albert Einstein once remarked about the definition of insanity: "doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."

The Caps clearly realize that they don't want to repeat last summer's misery -- or carry Einstein's label.

Lightning Try to Crash Caps' Hold on Southeast

The Tampa Bay Lightning head to Verizon Center tomorrow night (7 p.m., CSN-HD) with one thing in mind: wrestling away a Southeast Division title the Washington Capitals have held for three straight seasons. With a game in hand, the Lightning are tied with the Caps at 51 points -- but haven't won the division title since the 2003-04 season when Tampa went 46-22-8-6 (106 pts) en route to capturing the franchise's only Stanley Cup.

After earning a sub-par 80 points last season, the Lightning have tried to bring some championship pedigree to this year's team in the form of GM Steve Yzerman. He added to his impressive off-season haul by trading for goalie Dwayne Roloson from the New York Islanders on New Year's Day. This adds to recent additions Pavel Kubina, Dan Ellis, and Simon Gagne, as well as a contract extension for the ageless Marty St. Louis.

The Roloson move got the Caps' attention.

According to Elliotte Friedman's latest 30 Thoughts, "I'd love to tell you the Capitals' general reaction, because it was pretty funny. But the one word is somewhat unprintable on a family website. Let's just say they have a healthy respect for Roloson."

These changes by Tampa come at the same time the Caps are implementing a more defensive-minded system; Friedman devoted a healthy portion of that same column to the Caps' new trap and noted a change "on the weakside of [the team's] defensive coverage."

The teams have played twice already this season, both wins by the Caps at Verizon Center: 6-0 on Nov. 26 and 6-3 on Nov. 11. After tomorrow night, the teams play again in Tampa on Jan. 12, Feb. 4, and March 7.

The Caps hasn't faced much resistance the last two seasons -- after all, they did win the division by a whopping 38 points in 2009-10. Between the team's struggles in December and the increased competition, this season is very different than the last campaign.

And that's probably a good thing.

Weekly Snapshot, Jan. 2

A weekly peek at the state of the Washington Capitals.

Record/Standings Position: 23-12-5 (51 points), T-1st Southeast Division/5th Eastern Conference/6th NHL

Last Week's Games:
* Won, 3-0, vs. Montreal Canadiens
* Won, 3-1, at Pittsburgh Penguins in Winter Classic

This Week's Games:
* Tuesday vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (7 p.m., CSN-HD)
* Saturday vs. Florida Panthers (7 p.m., CSN-HD)

Injuries: Boyd Gordon (1-2 weeks), Matt Bradley (2-4 weeks). Total Man Games Lost: 94.

Recent Transactions: Assigned Keith Aucoin and Andrew Gordon to Hershey (Dec. 29), recalled Keith Aucoin from Hershey (Dec. 28).

Top Storylines:
* The Caps have completed the transition into a more well-rounded team and it showed last week, allowing just one goal in two brilliant games.
* Semyon Varlamov is the top goalie (for now).
* With 42 points, Alex Ovechkin (as team's top point getter) is 23 points behind Sidney Crosby -- but the Caps are only two points behind the Pittsburgh Penguins in the more important overall standings.

Top Line (Who's Hot?): Penalty kill (tied for third in the league with 85.2 percent efficiency); goals allowed per game (2.58, eighth-best in the league); shots allowed per game (ninth best in the league).

Scratches (Who's Not?): Alex Semin (no goals in December); Tyler Sloan/DJ King (a combined 15 games played this season); power play (18.9 percent, but it's still stone cold lately).

Winter Classic Victory: Caps 3, Pens 1

The Washington Capitals brought their new defensive mantra into the Winter Classic at Heinz Field against the Pittsburgh Penguins and captured a 3-1 victory over their hated rivals. Eric Fehr registered only the second two-goal game of his career and Semyon Varlamov continued his strong recent run to pace the victors.

As the game was winding down, Pierre McGuire noted that the Caps had "built a white picket fence in the neutral zone that's difficult to permeate," the most definitive sign of the team's new style.

Fehr's second tally at 11:59 of the third was the result of a beautiful give-and-go with Jason Chimera and ended in a great flick of the wrist for a player who is clearly coming into his own. That line, centered by Marcus Johansson, was one of the best of the night.

The Caps are now 5-0-1 in their last six games, 15-6-3-1 on Jan. 1 in their history and 4-0-0 against Pittsburgh on New Year's Day.

This win also included another dominant performance by the Caps' penalty kill, which negated four Penguins' extra-man advantages.

Every other goal was scored during the second period. The Pens struck first after Evgeni Malkin beat Varlamov five-hole during a messy change by the Caps. The Pens had a goal negated too, after a Varlamov save was dislodged and found its way into the net -- but the refs whistled the play dead before any marker could be tallied. (An Alex Ovechkin tally was similarly called off in the third.)

Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury played well, but also gave the Caps some gifts -- one of which resulted in Fehr's first goal when a failed clearing attempt found its way to No. 16 with nobody in the Pittsburgh net. Moments earlier, Chimera was able to almost poke the puck into the net when Fleury was out of the net, but his wrap-around attempt hit the post.

The Caps' first goal came on the player play after three players rocking the red, white and blue stormed the crease and Mike Knuble poked the puck into the net after Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom were stymied.

All of these added up to a signature win by the Caps, the unveiling of a commitment to defense on a national stage and prelude to what could be more history: every visiting team in the Winter Classic has made it to the Stanley Cup finals.

Note: Earlier this week, Mr. Cleo called the exact final score of this game.