One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

In one of my recent posts, I mentioned two concerns for the Caps. The first was goaltending and the second was the penalty killing unit. Last night's game against the Canadiens, a 5-2 loss for the Caps, highlighted these two problem areas in a big way. First and foremost, the loss is a major setback for the team and their quest to somehow get back into the playoff race. The two teams directly in front of the Caps in the Eastern Conference standings, Atlanta and Tampa Bay, won last night to widen the gap between them. Every team in their division won last night with the exception of Carolina who lost on the road to Florida. Another set back is the loss of Brian Pothier to a broken thumb. Now on to the recap of last night's game.

I don't think that many people would argue with the assessment that the Caps essentially outplayed the Canadiens last night. They outshot the Canadiens 37-21. The following quote from Bruce Boudreau sums it up pretty well. "We had [outshot] them 22-8, and it was 3-1," Boudreau said. "I'm not saying they were bad goals. But sometimes you've got to have that save at the right time. I thought we struggled with that tonight."

The only part I take issue with is the second part of his quote. It was not just last night that Olaf Kolzig has struggled to make a key save at the right time. For the most part, Kolzig has struggled with that all season. In the second period last night, the Caps dominated the play. However, Montreal scored on their first two shots of the period to open up a 3-1 lead. How deflating is that to a team? It's becoming abundantly clear that this team will need Olie to make some big saves or steal a game if they have any chance to get back into the playoff race let alone out of the cellar of the Eastern Conference.

I do agree with Boudreau's assessment about the goals not generally being bad goals last night. The first goal came off a beautiful saucer pass from Saku Koivu from behind the net to Guillaume Latendresse on the power play. Latendresse was standing right in front of the net and was mostly uncontested. The pass came right through the middle seam of the penalty killing box. Sound familiar? I'm sorry but there is no way an opposing player should be able to sit down in the middle of the box without someone putting a body or stick on him. It's worth noting that the penalty killers had collasped down when Koivu started dancing with the puck behind the net. I would also argue that the pass needs to be blocked by a stick or body as well. The Canadiens went two for five on the power play last night.

If there is one thing this team has been since Boudreau has taken over behind the bench, it is resilient. Let's see if they can bounce right back against the Islanders on Saturday night. No matter what, the Caps will need better goaltending and improved penalty killing to keep moving in the right direction.

Capitals/Canadiens Preview

On the heels of their shootout loss to Detroit on Monday, you would think the Caps would have some confidence coming into tonight's game against Montreal. The Caps are 4-1-1 in their last six games and are still missing Chris Clark and Boyd Gordon. Tonight's game looms large for a team trying to climb out of the cellar of the Eastern Conference and claw back into the playoff picture. However, recent history and trends do not bode well.

Montreal has won five of the last six against the Caps. In addition, the Canadiens have a record of 10-5-1 on the road this season. They also come into tonight's game with the second-ranked power play in the league. In my last post, I mentioned a concern about the penalty kill for the Caps. Hopefully, the Caps can either stay out of the box or tighten up the penalty kill a bit. Hurry back, Gordo.

With a win coupled with a Tampa Bay loss tonight, the Caps will have some company in the cellar of the Eastern Conference. It seems ironic that the Southeast Division has jokingly been referred to as the Southleast Division over the past few years despite the fact that both Carolina and Tampa Bay have won the Stanley Cup over that same time span. However, the three bottom dwellers in the Eastern Conference right now are the Caps, Thrashers and Lightning.

A win tonight for the Caps will be a big step forward for this team after the terrible start. Let's hope for the best.

Three Game Recap - Cellar Dwellers No More

It was an interesting weekend for the Caps. Including Monday's game against Detroit, the Caps lost two out of their last three games. They concluded their four-game homestand against Buffalo on Friday night with a 5-3 loss snapping their three-game win streak. I did not get to see much of the game but what I did see was a little frustrating. The Caps seemed to be out of sync, took some bad penalties and never put the game away when they had a chance. The game was absolutely winnable. The loss also ruined my Ramones theme. It was nice while it lasted and could have made things much more interesting from a purely entertainment perspective.

I did not get to see any of the Caps game against Tampa Bay but that was a nice win. I loved Bruce Boudreau's quote during the Buffalo post game press conference - "I'll find out about a lot of guys [tonight]. Is it a, 'Hang my head, woe-is-me crowd,' or a 'Let's be determined and turn it around again'" crowd?

Yes Tampa Bay is pretty banged up but so are the Caps and it was strong answer to the question after losing a tough, frustrating game and traveling to Tampa for the tilt. Two points in the division is huge for this team right now.

After Saturday's victory, the Caps got to travel to Detroit to play the best team in the league. As expected, Detroit was a great test for this team. The Caps put together a solid effort and played hard for 65 minutes. A win would of been huge but gaining a point as a result of the shootout loss should instill some more confidence in the team.

There are a couple of concerns that need to be addressed. First, Olaf Kolzig simply needs to play a bit better or maybe Boudreau needs to play him less. Olie has been only an average goalie this year. He needs to make that one big save or steal a game with some stellar play. All three shooters in the shootout last night used the exact same move and made Olie look silly. I hope the tape of the shootout mysteriously disappears so no other teams can scout and plan ahead. I will freely acknowledge that Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg are extremely gifted players and quite shifty but Jiri Hudler is not in the same class.

The second trend I have noticed relates to the penalty kill unit. It seems almost every power play goal scored against the Caps comes from a cross ice pass accross the seam of the box. Zetterberg's goal in the second period is a great example. There is simply no way a pass like that should be allowed to get through the box on a consistent basis. I'm all for an aggressive penalty kill, but the box needs to be tightened up so that a stick or a body starts to clog up that seam.

It should be interesting to see how the Caps come out on Thursday against the Canadiens. Kudos to the Caps for moving out of the cellar of the league standings. Let's get out of the cellar of the Eastern Conference and see where it goes from there.

I Wanna Be Sedated

I thought it would be best to keep with the Ramones theme after the Capital's win last night against the Rangers. Twenty, twenty, twenty four hours to go...

After the first 14 minutes of the first period last night, it looked like my pregame thoughts were right on. The Rangers "exploded" for two goals by Scott Gomez and Martin Straka. The Rangers had only scored five goals in their last four games and scored a total of four last night. Watching the game, it looked as if the Capitals were going to be in a lot of trouble. They were peppering Henrik Lundquist with shots (they out shot the Rangers 18-7 in the first period), but were quickly down two goals in a span of 1:48 playing time. I find it somewhat interesting that all the Ranger players mentioned in the pregame post figured in the scoring with the exception of Chris Drury. Even Jaromir "The Poison" Jagr had a point and was a plus one on the night.

There were a number of very encouraging things about last night's victory. The Capitals were once again able to earn a win after being scored on first, erased a two goal deficit and continued to battle back and counter punch every time the Rangers answered the bell. The third period and overtime was great to watch. Four goals were scored in the period and no lead lasted more than four minutes. It was one of those games that just hung in the balance with the scale ready to tip one way or the other at any point. The overtime period was much the same. After a prolonged time of puck possession for the Rangers in the Caps defensive zone, Tomas Fleischmann and Alex Ovechkin came down on a two on one. Clearly, Flash was out of gas and made a poor decision in not getting the puck over to Ovechkin. Shortly after that, Brendan Shanahan stumbled just over the blue line and Brooks Laich and Mike Green raced away on another two on one. Laich made a nice, soft pass over to Green. Green was able to catch it right in stride and buried the puck in the top right corner of the net for the win.

A three game winning streak sure feels nice. The Capitals seem to be gaining confidence and getting that attitude and swagger back that they had at the beginning of the year. They face the Buffalo Sabres on Friday night. The last time the Caps played the Sabres was game three of the Bruce Boudreau era. After winning the first two games after Boudreau took over behind the bench, the honeymoon ended with a 3-1 defeat at the hands of the Sabres. Twenty, twenty, twenty four hours to go...

Hopefully, we will be able to continue with the Ramones theme and have a new post on Saturday morning entitled I Wanna Stiff Some Glue.

Capitals/Rangers Pre Game Thoughts

It's very surprising that the Capitals have actually outscored the Rangers this year but it is true. In fact, coming into tonight's game, the Rangers have only scored five goals in their last four games. Jaromir "The Poison" Jagr, over the same span of games, is pointless and a stellar minus seven. However, the Rangers did manage to beat the Devils 1-0 in their last game. Clearly, much of their success this season can be attributed to the strong play of Henrik Lundquist in goal. He's simply been the most consistent goalie in the league this year and has stolen some games for the Rangers. It would be great to see Olaf Kolzig steal a game some time for the Caps.

I hope my gut is wrong, but something tells me the Rangers are due to explode offensively with Jagr, Scott Gomez, Chris Drury and Brendan Shananhan in their lineup. I think this game also marks the return of Martin Straka. Let's remember that despite scoring the fewest goals in the league so far this season, the Rangers can move into first place in their division with a win tonight.

Hopefully the Caps can beat Lundquist early and get some confidence going. More thoughts later after the game.

Gabby Gabby Hey!

It was nice to see the Caps get two consecutive wins last night with their 3-2 victory over the Devils. The Devils were the hottest team in the NHL collecting at least a point in ten straight games. The Devils lost in overtime to the Rangers the night before, and back-to-back games are always tough. Nevertheless, it was great to see the Caps beat a team that they have struggled against for several seasons. It was also encouraging to see the Caps win for only the second time this season after getting scored on first.

The Caps are now 5-3-1 during Gabby's tenure behind the bench and have won three out of their last four games. I really like the renewed energy the team seems to be playing with now. Under Glen Hanlon, the team lacked an energy line. This may have been more a result of the playing time afforded to certain players. I like what Boudreau is doing with mixing the playing styles of certain players on the forward lines to bring a little more energy and attitude to the table. What may be even more impressive at this point is the fact that the Caps have done this without Chris Clark, Michael Nylander and Boyd Gordon. I also find it encouraging that Boudreau decided to keep Brian Pothier in the stands for a 2nd game. It will be interesting to see what he does with the lineup against the Rangers on Wednesday.

Congratulations to Quintin Laing for scoring his first NHL goal. It was a brutal rebound given up by Kevin Weekes but Laing went to the net, gobbled it up and backhanded the puck past Weekes. A special thanks goes to Brent Sutter for resting Martin Brodeur. The result may have been different but two points are two points.

Let's see what the rest of this home stand holds for the Caps. I would love nothing more than to be blogging about a four game win streak but let's take it one game at a time. If we have an opportunity to write about a four game win streak, maybe we'll have to title the blog post "Now I wanna sniff some glue." Keep on the good work, Bruce. Gabby Gabby Hey!

Capitals versus Penguins - What's the difference?

I thought it would be interesting to compare these two franchises over the past few seasons. There is no better comparison for the Capitals from the 2003/2004 season to the present. Both franchises were essentially in the same situation in terms of talent, payroll and overall standings heading into the lockout. I might also add that the Pens had a tenuous ownership situation hanging over them that was still in flux heading into this season. The Caps finished that season with a record of 23-46-10 for a total of 59 points. The Penguins finished the season with a record of 23-47-8 for a total of 58 points.

In the 2004 entry draft, the Caps had three picks in the first round as a result of their poor performance during the season and the fire sale prior to the trade deadline. The three picks were Alex Ovechkin, Jeff Schultz and Mike Green. The Pens only had one pick in the first round and selected Evgeni Malkin. We could certainly examine the rest of the draft but these four players represent the only players that have had any meaningful impact with their respective teams. It's worth mentioning that the Pens did not hold a fire sale leading up to the lockout as the Caps did. In the Caps fire sale, they obtained Jakub Klepis, Jared Aulin, Shaone Morrisonn, Tomas Fleischmann, Brooks Laich and a handful of picks. In essence, the Caps had more picks and young "talent" coming into the organization. Obviously, the 2004-2005 season was wiped out due to the lockout.

In the 2005 entry draft, the Caps had two picks in the first round and selected Sasha Pokulok and Joe Finley (remember my comment in an earlier post about big, slow defensemen). The Pens had one pick and selected Sidney Crosby. During the offseason, the Caps signed the following free agents - Mathieu Biron, Ivan Majesky, Andrew Cassels, and Ben Clymer. They also acquired Chris Clark and Jeff Friesen via trades. The Penguins signed the following free agents - Lyle Odelein, Sergei Gonchar (who was traded to the Bruins by the Caps in the 2004 fire sale), Steve Poapst, John LeClair, Zigmund Palffy, and Andre Roy. They also acquired Jocelyn Thibault via trade.

When the boys finally got back to playing hockey in the 2005/2006 season, the Caps finished the season with a record of 29-41-12 for a total of 70 points. The Pens finished the season with a record of 22-46-14 for a total of 58 points. Alex Ovechkin beat out Sidney Crosby for the Calder Trophy that year. Things were certainly looking like the Caps were making the step forward while the Pens were essentially treading water.

During the 2005/2006 season, the Caps traded Brendan Witt for Kris Beech and a 1st round pick in the 2006 draft. They also traded Jeff Friesen for a 2006 3rd round pick. In the 2006 entry draft, the Pens took Jordan Staal with the 2nd overall pick and the Caps selected Niklas Backstrom with the 4th overall pick and Semen Varlamov with the 23rd pick. During the offseason, the Caps signed or traded for Brian Pothier, John Erksine, Donald Brashear and Richard Zednik. The Pens signed or traded for Mark Eaton, Jarkko Ruutu, Dominic Moore, Nils Ekman, Robert Petrovicky and Mark Recchi.

In the 2006/2007 season, the Caps finished with a record of 28-40-14 for a total of 70 points and the Pens finished with a record of 47-24-11 for a total of 105 points. During the year the Caps traded away Danius Zubrus and Jamie Heward and acquired Milan Jurcina, Jiri Novotny and a 2007 first round pick. For the playoff run, the Pens acquired Gary Roberts, George Laraque and Wade Brookbank. Obviously, the Pens made a huge jump forward while the Caps made no progress at all. The Pens made the playoffs and were bounced in the first round in five games by the Ottawa Senators who eventually fell to Anaheim in the finals. However, the Pens made it to the dance which is something the Caps have not done since 2003.

During the 2007 offseason, the Caps signed Michael Nylander, Viktor Kozlov and Tom Poti while the Pens signed Petr Sykora, Darryl Sydor and Dany Sabourin. I think it's fair to say expectations were high for both teams going into the current season. The Pens added a few pieces and kept some other ones and looked to build on a great year. The Caps signed another defensemen and two forwards that they thought would be big parts of a large step forward this year. As of now, the Caps are the worst team in the league with 20 points in 27 games. The Pens currently hold the 8th seed in the playoff standings but are only two points out of first in their division. While it is still very early in the season, I think the writing is clearly on the wall at this point. The Pens will make the playoffs for the second year in a row while the Caps seem destined to be a bottom dweller.

So, what's the difference? Is it ownership? Is it management? Is it the coaching? Is it the scouting system? Is it the players? Just like any organization, it all starts at the top. No matter what your opinion might be there is no doubt that the Caps organization is failing the litmus test in comparison to the Pens. The teams ended the season prior to the lockout essentially in the same state but only the Pens have crossed that hurdle to the next plateau. The Pens have not reached the holy land yet but they sure seem a lot closer to it than the Caps. I look forward to your thoughts and opinions.

Ghost Writer...

The following is a letter that was written last summer that shares a different perspective on some of the inside workings of the Capital's franchise. The letter was not published. Happy reading...

Every one of these comments from "fans" is flawed before they are even written because they come from "fans". No "fan" has the faintest idea what really goes on behind the scenes with this organization. The Caps management says only what they want fans to hear. Players, with a few exceptions, say only what they know will not get them called into the coaches or GM’s office.

George McPhee and Ron Wilson inherited a team built by David Poile and Jack Button. They enjoyed the success of reaching the finals that David Poile earned and should have been a part of. Since the Caps' loss in game four of the Stanley Cup playoffs this organization has gone from an organization committed to hockey and winning with loyalty to it's players and staff to an organization committed to the image of it's upper management and ownership and more recently to not losing more money.

It is unfair to lay the full blame of this team's failures on McPhee although many decisions he made or went along with were to protect his job. The ownership has ruined this team. The arrogance combined with it’s wealth and concern for it’s own image is why this team has done nothing since Abe Pollin sold the team to them. The most glaring example of this is Jaromir Jagr. This decision, even though advised against, ruined the team, ultimately leading to its dismantling. Jagr was brought here because of arrogance, lack of due diligence and because it made the ownership look good to the "fans". Due diligence!!! $77 million over 7 years you would think would demand that you really know what kind of person you were investing in. Talking to just a few people who knew him day in and day out could have kept this organization from making the worst decision in NHL history. Just imagine the players that may still be in Washington. The failure was not Jagr’s fault.

Other decisions speak for themselves. Bruce Cassidy, put into a no win situation. Hiring him, a decision made with a lack of due diligence and no hockey knowledge. He had a great nickname and was probably thought to be controllable. A decision made by ownership and agreed to by others. The failure was not Cassidy’s fault.

Glen Hanlon. A friend of McPhee's hired, when the coach who may have turned things around went to Anaheim. Again, it was not a hockey decision it was a personal decision. It was a lost opportunity at a turning point for the organization.

Comparatively, David Poile, in the same amount of time, inheriting nothing, building from scratch, has put together a team that will contend for the Stanley Cup. He is committed to winning and to his players and is not hampered by arrogance or his ego.

“Fans”, you feel good when you post your comments and you have the right to do so but please do not be disillusioned. Do not believe that these comments have any weight or influence on any decisions made by these people.

The decisions are made by an ownership with more money and ego than sports knowledge, and a group of friends that make up the Caps upper management. Decisions made by people with insecurities, paranoia, and committed to self-preservation with out any concern for how their decisions affect those who really are committed to hockey, winning and the integrity of the sport.

BUT, give a monkey a typewriter and eventually he spells a word! All the failures gave them Alexander Ovechkin. But from this one “word” can they put together a
bestseller? Time will tell but don’t believe everything you read.

Third Game a Charm?

Just a quick post prior to the beginning of the third game of the Boudreau era. This should be a great test for the new coach and the team. Is the Honeymoon going to come to an end tonight or continue at least for another few nights? Buffalo well certainly test the more up tempo, skate, skate, skate game plan. The speed and skill level of the competition will be better than what the team saw against the Flyers and Hurricanes.

More later...

Thankful for...

I thought it would be appropriate to list some things that I'm thankful for on Thanksgiving. But first, I must come clean and admit that I'm a Washington Capitals fan and I intend to spend a good deal of time on this blog focusing on the Caps. With that in mind, let's start with this glorious franchise and list the things I'm thankful for with respect to it.

1. The worst team in the NHL. After all the optimism not only within the organization but also in other esteemed media outlets, it's hard to believe how bad the team has been through the first quarter of the season . After 21 games the team has amassed a total of 13 points. Are you kidding me? Does anyone remember the new motto for the franchise at the start of the season - "New Look. New Season. New Attitude."? Well, I guess they are three for three. They have a New Look for sure with the uniforms. A New Season did commence in October. And last but certainly not least, a New Attitude - albeit a losing one evidently.
2. Curious George. Sorry for the reference, Mr. McPhee but you have not done anything during your tenure to truly impress me. I guess I'm still smarting from the cancer (aka Jaromir Jagr) you brought to this team. Yes, all that is behind us now thankfully or is it? Could it simply be that the cancer is still somehow festering within the locker room? Coming out of the lockout, the team essentially had a clean slate. I have no problem with the slow, patient strategy of building from within but you better have a hell of a scouting system and a development program in place to ensure that this pays off. I'm not convinced that the franchise has such a system and program in place. In a league where mobility, deft skills and speed seem to be the essential elements of success, the team sure has drafted a lot of big, slow defensemen. I remember several years ago when a scout told me that you can teach positioning and other basic premises of the game but you can't teach mobility and speed. At the time, we were specifically talking about Enrico Ciccone. Of course, this was not during Curious George's tenure but the point is relevant. In addition, Mr. McPhee seems to have a penchant for signing 2nd tier or below free agents to supplement the youth movement. No one will ever convince me that Brian Pothier, Tom Poti and Viktor Kozlov were highly coveted free agents. I'll have another post about all of this at a later date.
3. Glen Hanlon, er Bruce Boudreau. As I started writing this post, I found out that Glen Hanlon had been fired. I truly am thankful for this move. I certainly do not wish any ill will towards Glen and wish him and his family the best. This is the brutal part of all sports. However, I think it was overdue. Does the "interim" part of Boudreau's new role suggest that there might be any truth to some of the rumors I've heard that Dale Hunter and/or Craig Berube might be coming back into the organization in a coaching role? More on this later as well. Good luck, Bruce. I guess we will see if my thoughts about this move being overdue have any validity.
4. Alex Ovechkin. Do I really need to say anymore? Man, is he fun to watch or what? How bad would this team be without him? One of my criticisms about Hanlon was that I thought he played him too much. I'm sorry but 26 plus minutes a night is a killer for a forward. I honestly think he will be even better at 20-22 minutes a night over the course of an entire season. Just think what would happen to his goal totals if he hit the net more consistently and had that jump in his legs throughout the entire game.

There will be more to come. I hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday.

Welcome

Welcome to Hockey from the Wasteland. You might ask why the reference to the Wasteland. Well, I have been living in Houston, Texas for over six years now and when it comes to hockey it feels like I'm in some far, lost outpost. Yes, we do have an AHL team here and good tickets are easy to come by and relatively cheap but clearly football (at all levels), baseball and basketball rule this town. There is very little if any coverage of hockey here. As a result, I thought I would start a blog and share my own thoughts as a therapeutic exercise to help ease my pain.

I'm new to the blogosphere and will hopefully get better as we go along.

More to come soon...